Simone Anderson

Cock And Bull Blog Tour - Stop Featuring Kit Sands

2012-01-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

On today's CBT - CBBT - Cock and Bull Blog Tour - stop Kit Sands is dropping by to visit. Kit's debut novel is Wings of Fire in the His Hero Anthology from Total-E-Bound on January 16th. The men from Wings of Fire stopped by to answer a few basic questions about themselves.

First - the boy's
(apparently her boys listen, would be nice if mine did)

Second - the book -

Angelico is Jamie’s idea of a perfect man, but can he avoid the hateful actions of a deranged bigot long enough to have his dreams come true?
Jamieson Peele moves to Austin, Texas, on the heels of a failed long-term relationship. Starting over isn’t easy—even less so once Jamie becomes the target of a hate crime. When he finally finds the man of his dreams, Jamie is willing to risk it all for a chance at love with the big Italian.

Fire fighter Salvatore Angelico’s life will never be the same after he pulls Jamie from the burning wreckage of a car accident. Angelico must decide to tear down his defences and have faith in love again.

Together, they must face old demons and new dangers if they hope to fly on wings of fire.

Third - the excerpt

Angelico was leaning against the bar chatting to his friend, Brent Mackenzie, the owner and barkeep of Mac’s, when Jamie walked in. Watching him look around, Angelico noticed the moment Jamie spotted him. A smile spread slowly over his face and those blue eyes fairly sparkled in the low lighting as he walked towards Angelico. Taking in Jamie’s appearance—another pair of sexy, tight jeans and a fitted T-shirt—he resisted the urge to adjust himself.

“Damn. Who is that piece of sex on a stick?” Mac was staring at Jamie.

Angelico was annoyed at the spark of jealousy that flared up. Without thinking he swung around to face Mac and growled at him. “Back off, he’s mine.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realised how ridiculous he sounded. He’d just finished describing their meeting and telling Mac that he’d barely spoken to Jamie before, and here he was beating his chest and marking his territory.

“Oh, really? Does he know that?” Mac nodded towards Jamie then chuckled at Angelico’s pained expression.

Jamie reached the side of the bar just then and looked from Angelico to Mac. Shrugging, he said, “Probably—I know a lot of things. What are we talking about?”

Mac slapped the top of the counter and laughed raucously. “I like you! Mac’s the name, welcome to my place. Whatcha drinking?”

Jamie grinned broadly and nodded towards Angelico. “I’m Jamie and I’ll have whatever he’s drinking.” After sitting down on a bar stool, Jamie looked at Angelico. “So, Mac, do I know what?”

“Not something you’d know, Jamie. We were just talking about personal property.” Angelico spoke up before Mac could reply. “We’ll have two (512) Pecan Porters.”

Grabbing the glasses of dark beer, Angelico beckoned Jamie to follow him. Walking to the back corner of the bar, he slid into the last booth. Jamie sat on the other bench and reached for his drink.

“I don’t usually go for something so full bodied, but I’m willing to try anything once. Salute!” Jamie smirked as Angelico’s eyes widened at his double entendre. “Mmm. This is very nice.” Jamie took another long swallow before setting the glass back down on the table. “Good choice. Is it a favourite of yours?”

Angelico just stared at him a moment before taking a sip of his own drink. “Yeah. It’s from a local microbrewery in Austin. I like most of their stuff, but this one is my usual.”

After a few tense minutes of staring at each other, sipping from beer glasses and the occasional fidget, Angelico had had all he could stand. “Why did you ask me out?”

Jamie blinked, momentarily taken aback by his forthrightness. Licking his lips once, then again, he started to answer but noticed Angelico staring at his mouth. Suddenly feeling mischievous, Jamie slowly pulled his lower lip in, bit it hard so that it would flush, then licked his lips once more. Noticing the pulse beating at the base of Angelico’s neck, he knew the effect he was having on him.

“I wanted to thank you.”

****

Remember - for every comment you leave, you get another chance to win prizes totaling $300 from Amazon.com. Tomorrow, Kit features Em Woods on her blog.

1st Prize - $150 gift card from Amazon.com

2nd Prize - $100 gift card from Amazon.com

3rd Prize $50 gift card from Amazon.com

Cock and Bull Blog Hophttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

2012-01-02T08:48:00.005-05:00

Hot men and hot books, really, what else do you need to start 2012??

In celebration of my upcoming release Uniform Desires - part of the His Hero Anthology, I'm participating in a two week blog hop. The Cock and Bull Blog starts today over at TA Chase's Blog! There will be all sorts of prizes given away including Amazon gift cards!

Jan 2: TA Chase
Jan 3: Julia Knight
Jan 4: LA Witt
Jan 5th: Freddy MacKay
Jan 6th: Marie Sexton
Jan 7th: JP Bowie
Jan 8th: Megan Slayer
Jan 9th: Amber Kell
Jan 10th: JP Barnaby
Jan 11th: Sue Holston
Jan 12th: Simone Anderson
Jan 13th: Kit Sands
Jan 14th: EM Woods
Jan 15th: Devon Rhodes
January 16th: Sara York

PRIZES!!!

Grand prize: $150 Amazon Gift Card
2nd prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card
3rd prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

There will be a chat here on January 4th from Noon to 5pm

All He Needed

2011-12-08T22:13:00.003-05:00

All He Needed - book #19 in MLR's Holiday Release is now available from MLR Press.

He had everything he wanted, they would give him everything he needed.

Successful photojournalist Chase Hansen is summoned to Dallas, Texas when his estranged sister is killed and informed that he is now the sole guardian of his sister’s newborn daughter. On the eve of the funeral, his partner of several years breaks up with him. Once home, Chase must adjust to being a single father, something he’d never thought he’d be, as well as the demands of his profession.

Eric Zimmerman is a highly skilled, in demand computer geek, whose new job came with a six-month lease in a high-rise apartment. Now that his professional life is in order, he’s willing to start dating again. But, no matter how hard he tries, no one measures up to the one man he can’t forget, the one he can’t have. Poaching your friend from another man is never a good idea.

Magic and chaos are often travel companions in the stark barrenness of winter. Under the full moon of the Winter Solstice, love is rekindled.

A Christmas To Remember

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

A new December Release from Total-E-Bound

Coming December 12th from Total-E-Bound

Blurb --

In effort to deal with the death of his partner, Daniel Hoffman turned to work, burying himself amongst the old books and records of the archives. Years later, he is comfortable in his isolated and insulated life.

For years Jared Lont and Chance Devlin watched their closest friend withdraw into himself and his work. A couple for a decade, their mutual desire and love for Daniel prompted a Christmas getaway spent in northern Michigan in a cabin near Lake Huron.

Desire and need heat up, even as the ice and snow swirl about them in an effort for love to heal old wounds and melt the walls built by grief.

They say time heals all wounds, but is love enough to heal what time didn’t?

Blurb

All He Needed

2011-11-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have new a pretty -

Coming Dec 8th from MLR Press -

Blurb

He had everything he wanted, they would give him everything he needed.

Successful photojournalist Chase Hansen is summoned to Dallas, Texas when his estranged sister is killed and informed that he is now the sole guardian of his sister’s newborn daughter. On the eve of the funeral, his partner of several years breaks up with him. Once home, Chase must adjust to being a single father, something he’d never thought he’d be, as well as the demands of his profession.

Eric Zimmerman is a highly skilled, in demand computer geek, whose new job came with a six-month lease in a high-rise apartment. Now that his professional life is in order, he’s willing to start dating again. But, no matter how hard he tries, no one measures up to the one man he can’t forget, the one he can’t have. Poaching your friend from another man is never a good idea.

Magic and chaos are often travel companions in the stark barrenness of winter. Under the full moon of the Winter Solstice, love is rekindled.

MIdsummer's Dreaming

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

As We Like - Six Authors, imaginagtion and Shakespeare like you've never seen it before....

Coming November 16 - Midsummer's Dreaming and the As We Like It Anthology from Resplendence Publishing

Blurb -

Hayle St. James’ refusal to continue living a lie when he is confronted by his family about being gay finds him on the back of a motorcycle riding through a forest in the middle of the night. What he finds will either make everything worthwhile or break his heart.

Leife O’Neill has finally found the perfect man. A man who loves him for him. Hayle is everything he could want in a partner. Too many things stand in their way. On the night that Leife wants to declare Hayle is his, reality and responsibility collide with anger and jealousy and more than one heart is on the line.

Stopping in the middle of the forest to make love under a full moon seemed romantic, however, Hayle and Leife quickly learn that they are not alone and not everything is as it seems. One man watches and waits for the opportunity to confront the man he loves, while another is forced to face the consequences of his actions and fear. In the span of one night everything changes, no one is certain of anything anymore and everyone’s lives are changed.

Excerpt:

“Is it true?”

Hayle St. James blinked and looked across the dinner table at his father. Anger and hatred washed across his father’s normally stoic face. Hayle’s stomach bottomed out, dread weighing him down. Dread rushed through his veins as he processed his father’s question and hoped he was wrong. “Is what true?” Hayle asked, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

“Don’t play dumb with me boy!” Elliot St. James shouted, pounding his fist on the table. “You know what I’m talking about. You’re the same as the Royce’s oldest boy. An abomination!”

Fear settled in Hayle’s chest and made breathing difficult. “I’m not an abomination,” he replied, trying to keep the apprehension and pain from his voice.

“Are you one of those sex-craving deviants? An affront to God?” Elliot demanded. “Get down on your knees and swear you are not a homosexual—that the rumors I’ve heard are false.”

“Being gay isn’t wrong or evil,” Hayle answered, hedging his answer. He didn’t want to admit to his father what he’d known since practically the beginning of puberty, but hadn’t accepted himself until a couple of years ago. His father’s reaction was most of the reason he’d never came out to his family. Why he’d never planned on coming out to his family. Why only a handful of people knew the truth about his sexuality.

“It is a sin against God and nature,” Elliot said. “Confess it and repent, or deny it, and we will forget about it.”

Hayle stared at his father then turned his attention to his mother and his younger brother and sister. How easy would it be to deny the truth? To remain hidden, to keep the love and affection he had from his family. What would it cost him? Hayle squeezed his eyes shut. His lover’s words came back to him. Never be ashamed of who you are, of who you love. Being gay isn’t evil or wrong. If anything it’s different, but not wrong. Leife O’Neill had captured his heart and had won his trust. Taking a deep breath, praying he was making the right choice, Hayle shook his head. “No.”

“No, you aren’t gay. Good then you can stay away from--”

“No, I’m not evil. I won’t confess to something that isn’t wrong.”

“You’re making no sense boy,” Elliot ground out, hatred and disgust evident.

Hayle took a deep breath and prayed for strength. “I’m gay, not evil.”

His mother gasped, his siblings broke down crying and his father’s face turned red with rage.

“You--how--what--” he sputtered.

“I’m gay. I’ve always been gay,” Hayle said quietly. “I’m not evil or sex-craving. I simply prefer men over women.”

“He can be fixed, can’t he?” Hayle’s ten-year-old sister Anya asked. “Can’t he, dad? You can fix him.”

“I’m not broken, Anya, I’m different,” Hayle replied.

“Don’t you speak to her! You’ll corrupt her. Turn her from the church and the family,” his father said before turning to his siblings. “Anya, Kyle, go to your rooms. Now!” he ordered.

“God will fix you,” Kyle said with all of the belief and confidence of a twelve-year-old as the pair left the kitchen.

“You will renounce it this instance!” Elliot demanded.

“Renounce it?” Hayle asked incredulously. “This isn’t citizenship or religion. It’s biology. My beliefs haven’t changed. Nothing about me has changed. I’m still the same person I have always been.”

“You will renounce this abomination or you will get out of my house! I will not have a sin against God in my house!”

“I am not a sin. I’m a person. I’m not evil or an abomination,” Hayle exclaimed, standing. Why couldn’t his family accept him? It wasn’t like he was serial killer or child molester or did drugs or alcohol.

“Get out of my house!” Elliot St. James yelled, leaping up from his seat, the chair clattering to the floor behind him. “If you don’t straighten out and ask for forgiveness you’re no son of mine.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Hayle protested.

Pain shattered his face, taking his vision out of focus. The force of the blow sent him stumbling back into the corner of the kitchen counter. Wood pierced his skin through his t-shirt. His dad stepped closer, trapping him. Blood trickled down his back as the countertop dug farther into his flesh.

“Elliot, stop!” his mother Laura screamed.

Hayle’s hand automatically covered his eye and cheekbone where his father had hit him. Hayle squeezed his eyes shut and slowly opened them. His world was crumbling around him. Hatred showed in his father’s eyes before he retreated to the living room.

“Give him a couple of hours to cool down. Pray about it, pray for God to rid you of this,” his mother said. “How could you do this to him? To me?” She looked from him to the direction his father had gone.

“To you? Do you honestly think this is a choice?” Hayle asked. “Do you think I wanted this? That I haven’t prayed to be straight? But I’m not. Nothing is going to change that. And I haven’t done anything to you. I didn’t renounce you, dad, the church, or anything else.”

“You have to leave. I can’t have him angry and hurt. And this,” she waved a hand over him “needs to remain clear of Anya and Kyle. Go see the pastor. He will know what to do,” Laura said, looking back to the living room.

“I’m not broken mom,” Hayle said quietly.

“You need to leave. This is his house.”

Author's After Dark - Thursday Recap

2011-08-12T07:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of Authors After Dark and it was amazing! Just before the Welcome Event, I met William Cooper, who turned out to be a lot of fun. The workshops were fun and informative. I went to one titled "You Don't Know Dick" - a GLBT panel about keeping sex fresh through out a series with Mia Watts, James Buchanan, William Neale, Arial Tachna, and Ally Blue, which was informative and absolutely hilarious. There was lunch and hanging out in the ARe Digital Cafe with Carol Lynne and Ethan Day and everyone who wandered through. My roomie went on the Scavenger Hunt and had an absolute blast.

The ARe Reception was a great chance to meet people and talk with them and see the vendors and publishers. Spent several minutes talking with Andrew Grey and Arial Tachna from Dreamspinner Press. It was great being able to put faces to names of people I 'see' and talk to online.

Dinner was at the Second Floor Restaurant in the Hotel - had a burger, fries and a Coke because there was no way I could eat a whole Philly Cheesesteak.

After a short rest, there was Resplendence Publishing's Karaoke Party - which was an absolute blast. They gave away an i-Pad and books and stuff. There was alcohol, but not everyone was drinking, but everyone there was having fun. The hosts - Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Greene, Jen Armintrout/Abigail Barnett, Jess Jarman, Gwendolyn Cease, and Mia Watts - sang and did back up dancing. And over the half time everyone was singing along with the people who were brave enough to sing in front of everyone. I did not sing, I can't sing. I did however, pull ticket duty.

Talked with Mia, Brynn, and Bronwyn and others until way late into the night. The night ended on a higher note with some cool emails.

On the phone with Sister By Another Mother because my niece is in labor. I can't wait to see pictures of her. Either way, my brain is now engaged with other thoughts.

Author's After Dark - Wednesday Recap

2011-08-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

We left Michigan at 1am in order to make it to the hotel by 3pm. It's a 12 1/2 hour drive and well, you have to stop and eat, walk around and do the restroom thing.

There are workshops, panels, and editor/agent interviews, but it's also pretty much a big party for readers. This is my first conference as an author, and I'm super geeked.

For the record - the Appalachians or whatever mountain range we crossed was absolutely beautiful and I'm freaking thrilled to death I did not have to make that trip on horseback, foot, or covered wagon before 'civilization' crawled through. Beautiful though, stunning. Camera was safely in the trunk - not a smart place for it to be.

After walking through Philly for about an hour, we ended up having dinner at Tavern On Broad - I had the Philly Cheesesteak - was good - huge - good price too. I live in a city, not a big city by any means, what I've seen in Philly would never happen in either of the cities I've lived in Michigan. Right next to upscale restaurants, Starbucks and miscellaneous stores are adult 'gift' stores and a BDSM Leather shop. I counted 3 adult stores within a two block walk from the hotel. The traffic sucks though. Couldn't drive in a city like this, I'd probably develop road rage. :)

I haven't seen a lot of Philly, but I LOVE the old architecture of the buildings. The majority of the streets I've seen so far are narrow and one way with bike lanes.

I've met some great people and had dinner with Crymsyn Hart, Shannan Albright, Laura from Topaz Promotions, a wonderful reader named Jill, Bronwyn Green, and Brynn Paulin. I'm looking forward to meeting more great people today.

Lessons Learned

2011-07-18T10:29:00.001-04:00

This week at Writers Evolution, we are talking about important lessons we've learned.

This Week At Writers Evolution

2011-07-11T03:44:00.001-04:00

This week over at Writers Evolution we are talking about secret and not-so secret addictions we might have.

Farewell to Mia

2011-07-08T12:19:00.001-04:00

Today over at Writers Evolution we are saying Farewell to Mia. We are sad to see her leave Writers Evolution.

Independence Day!

2011-07-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'm talking about Independence Day over at Writers Evolution.

Today is our birthday, we are another year older and hopefully another year wiser.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a safe and wonderful day, take a moment to remember where we came from and how we got here.

Simone.

Guest Blogger KC Burns

2011-06-22T10:55:00.003-04:00

Titles - The Bane of My Existence.

So, titles. Perhaps bane is a wee bit excessive, but seriously… coming up with titles for me is painful and vexing. Surprisingly, to this point, none of my titles have been changed by editors. Choosing a title is the very last thing I do when writing a book, and I find it agonizing. The problem with a title is that it has to catch a reader’s attention as well as provide some hint about the plot or characters or setting or genre… sometimes all four. Not a simple endeavor at all.

When I chose the title for my first book, MIA Case Files: Wolfsbane, I had a picture in my head of a nerdy bureaucrat typing up a report about a confidential investigation, and applying a ‘code name’ to the investigation. That particular case involved werewolves, hence Wolfsbane. Seemed a perfectly logical leap for my office worker.

The same theory worked for the sequel. I pictured my same boring clerk reporting on another agency investigation, this time involving vampires and two brothers. And so, MIA Case Files: Blood Relations was born. Imagining my clerk didn’t mean I agonized any less, though! Oddly enough, the third book in the series, which I’m working on now, my office worker was more proactive. It’s one of the few stories I’ve written where I had the title in hand before I even started. As soon as I knew what creature the MIA operatives were fighting, the name fell into my brain.

Spice ‘n’ Solace spent its creation days under a folder called ‘rent boy’. It’s the story of a brothel owner on another planet who gets mistaken for one of the escorts he employs. Even though I’d decided on the name of the brothel fairly early on in the story, it wasn’t until I was title hunting at the end when I realized I could call the book by the same name as the brothel!

My newest book, due out in late summer from Loose Id, is called Trompe L’Oeil. It’s an art term meaning trick of the eye, and despite how perfect I think the title is for the book, I thought for sure my editor would change it! But, if you consider the manuscript was filed under a folder called ‘cursed painting’, perhaps you can see why Trompe L’Oeil works.

The title of a book needs to do a lot of heavy lifting, and I’ve certainly chosen books based on title alone (heck, I’ve chosen books based on the font of the title and nothing more). One of my favorite titles is The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks by Josh Lanyon. Caught my interest immediately, with both the ‘ghost’ idea and the slight absurdity of a ghost wearing socks. Another title I like is The Good Thief by James Buchanan. The juxtaposition of someone breaking the law while remaining an admirable person is made utterly clear in the title, making you want to know what makes the thief good, or how he’ll redeem himself.

Do you have any favourite titles? Ones that grabbed your attention right away, demanding you buy the book? What about titles that make you scratch your head, wondering why that particular title was chosen?

I’d like to thank Simone for having me visit today, and I’ll leave you with a short R-rated excerpt from Spice ’n’ Solace (unfortunately I don‘t have any excerpts for my upcoming release yet). You can find me on the web at www.kcburn.com and I’m on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Buy Link: http://bit.ly/fL2efv
Blurb:

Every year, Jathan One-Moon faces increasing pressure that he marry and have children. What Jathan really wants is a male mate that can enjoy both playful sex and his more dominant nature. To tame his stress, Jathan orders a male escort from Spice 'n' Solace, the premier male brothel in the Galactic Alliance—and is thrilled to be sent a man whose air of innocence and obvious desire for Jathan arouse him like never before.

Jathan doesn't know he has mistaken Kazha Deinos, the owner of Spice 'n' Solace, as his escort. Kaz doesn't intend to pleasure Jathan personally, but his powerful masculinity is irresistible. Kaz has dreamed of a man who'd take charge and indulge his hidden cravings—a man just like Jathan.

With their explosive passion and unexpected tenderness, Jathan and Kaz soon want to stay together—if Jathan's position and Kaz's secrets don't tear them apart...

Excerpt:

The unmistakable lurch of a shuttle docking coincided with the chirping of Jathan One-Moon’s comm unit. Bram Hakers was beginning to piss him off. Jathan silenced the device, wondering what the alliance’s undersecretary would do if he turned it off. He’d talked to Hakers every day of his trip to Elora Ki, and he wasn’t doing it again. For some reason Hakers—and the rest of the alliance—treated this brief sojourn as nothing more than an exotic vacation for Jathan, with the alliance picking up the tab.

Jathan did charge the alliance an enormous amount, but they were the reason Jathan had been forced to become a negotiator in the first place. His other negotiations paid well, but they were on a much smaller scale. For the Ankylos negotiations, Jathan charged the alliance in proportion to the almost unimaginable consequences of failure. Because if Jathan failed, the human race could be snuffed out.

Every year he returned to Elora Ki, the site chosen because of its position as the farthest planet from the center of both the Ankylos Empire and the hub of planets ruling the Galactic Alliance. Every year he repeated the negotiations on behalf of the human race.

In truth he’d do the negotiations for free. Diabolical not to, since the Ankylos wouldn’t negotiate with anyone else after his father died. Without him the Ankylos Empire would renew the Wolframite War with the Galactic Alliance. But people didn’t respect things they got for free, and Jathan wanted the alliance to respect his services. Unfortunately Hakers acted as though the exorbitant fees meant Jathan was his slave for the length of the negotiations. With the Ankylos refusing to negotiate with anyone but a person in his father’s bloodline, he was a prisoner of sorts.

A knock sounded at the door to his quarters.
“Come in.” The military escort to his headquarters had arrived.
“Sir. We made good time. We’ve docked early.”
Dammit. Should he contact Spice ’n’ Solace? With his escort due to arrive the next evening, was it worth altering those arrangements? “Yes, thank you. I’m almost ready.”
Jathan fastened his bag and hefted it to his shoulder.
“Sir. Let me take that.” The well-put-together soldier moved into Jathan’s personal space, took the bag and smiled.
Jathan looked down at the man’s face, assessing his motives. The blond was good-looking, although broader and more muscle bound than his usual type.
The soldier used his firm chest to pin Jathan against the wall—under other circumstances a move like that would have made Jathan’s cock swell. Before the negotiations, though, the aggressiveness didn’t work for him.
“We’re on unexpected furlough for the night.” The soldier might have been making conversation, but the erection pressing into Jathan’s hip made his words an invitation.
“Tempting.” Jathan pushed all inflection out of his voice and painted on his most disdainful expression. This wasn’t what he needed. Not now. Military men weren’t equipped to give in, to submit. “But not a good idea.”
The blond quirked a brow. “Sure? Everyone knows how you spend your nights on Elora Ki.” His hips undulated against Jathan’s. Lies, clearly. If everyone knew what he did—he peered at the shorter man’s name patch—Williams would know this wasn’t the approach to take.
Although the forthright invitation was at odds with a man on duty, starfuckers were rather single-minded. He’d fucked others, but it made him uncomfortable. Still, the blond was quite attractive.
“You going to be part of my escort on the return trip?”
“Mmm, I think so.”
On the way home might be a different story. “We’ll talk then.”
“Yes, sir.” Williams stepped back before leading the way out of Jathan’s quarters. In many ways Jathan preferred to pay for his pleasure. No strings, no expectations on the part of the escort and Jathan could take what he needed to make it through another year of negotiations.
Jathan took out his comm unit, still unsure if he wanted to call for an escort. The unit chirped in his hand. Undoubtedly Hakers again, toadying little suck-up. Screw it. He’d had enough. Jathan turned the device off, determined to pretend that for at least one night no one relied on him to save countless human lives.

Text Copyright © 2011 by K.C. Burn
Cover Art Copyright ©2010 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Guest Blogger - PD Singer

2011-06-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Good morning, I'm PD Singer. Simone has very graciously invited me to post today, so thank you! I write gay erotic romance, very often set in the mountains of Colorado, though I've been known to wander into the Indian Ocean or Ireland.

I've been working on a short story where the two of the three main characters work in a warehouse store. These aren't crazy/sexy jobs, just useful, necessary, and many of us have done something similar. I need the store as a setting -- it's almost a character in its own right, but I'm going to have to find the dramatic tension in something besides what they do for a living.

Some professions just lend themselves to drama. Medicine is easy -- life, death, health. Doctors and EMTs, who plunge their hands into the blood as needed, have more inherent excitement, but there are other health care professionals who have stories to tell. Lawyers come with conflicts built in. Cops and firemen, where harm is part of the job description, have plenty to make their lives interesting. I admit to setting an entire mountain on fire just to keep a couple of forest rangers too busy to think about sex for a while.

Construction trades lend themselves to gay romance -- it's hard not to smile at the thought of a hunky guy wearing nothing but trickles of sweat between the hard hat and the tool belt. What these guys do is sexy -- build something or tear it down, repair it. Creating usefulness with a heap of materials and some tools is an automatic rawr, even before getting a look at the abs. Guys who work with their hands have the edge of knowing how to do something most of us don't. Knowledge is sexy -- it doesn't have to be rocket science. Add in a glimpse of butt crack when he's bent into the hood of a car or sticking out from under the sink, and I'm there. Thanks, Eden Winters, for giving me Joey Nichols and an old pickup truck to dream about.

Dancers and athletes are more aware of their bodies than most people -- their conditioning and health is their livelihood. Even if you don't follow the sport, the conflicts that arise from the characters' winning, losing, or even being able to play, can make the story memorable.

But not everyone is a doctor or a carpenter, a dancer or a sports star, closeted or not. The guy behind the video counter has a story, as Marie Sexton reminds us, with more going on inside his head than one night's rental or two. It's a different kind of story when the characters have low profile professions -- an accountant will be a different flavor of appealing than a baseball player, a truck driver will have another sort of story to tell than a rock star, but it's worth the read, as AKM Miles showed.

I've written stories about the pirate captain and also about the man who built the boilers for the steamship. I've written about the ski patrol and the man who runs the lift. And I'll read about everything from pilots to playwrights, from hookers to handymen. Give me something just a bit offbeat in a profession much beloved in our genre, because cops and cowboys can have fresh and interesting stories.

What kinds of jobs have you never seen in an m/m romance but would like to? Is there a profession that sets your pulse racing just by reading the blurb? Have you ever read a story featuring a character in a job that you didn't think you'd like, but did?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PD Singer lives in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, two rowdy teenage boys, and thirty pounds of cats, all of whom approach carefully when she's in a writing frenzy. She's a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain PD has gone face first down a ski slope, been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and will never, ever, write a novel that includes sky-diving.

Her novels Fire on the Mountain, Snow on the Mountain, Fall Down the Mountain, related Mountain short stories and other shorts can be found at Torquere Press. Look for Prep Work, coming from Dreamspinner in late summer, and Maroon: Donal agus Jimmy from Torquere in the fall.

Follow the adventures at http://pdsinger.wordpress.com.

It's GAY DAY!!

2011-06-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, June 12th is Gay Day at my Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

The following authors will be generously offering giveaways you can enter to win:

Elizabeth Noble - Marked Yours

C. Zampa - Candy G.

Tara Lain - Volley Balls or The Scientist and the Supermodel

S.J. Frost - Natural Instincts

Belinda McBride - A signed Uncommon Whore poster

JL Merrow - Camwolf or Sex, Lies and Edelweiss

Jambrea Jo Jones - Tell Me Now & Saddle Up 'N Ride

Alan Chin - Haji's Exile

Ariel Tachna - Choice from Backlist

Pia Veleno - Man Whore

William Neale - A New Normal

Barry Brennessel - Tinseltown

Simone Anderson - To Love Again

Serena Yates - Saving Zeke

Sebastian Blade - Redeem Me

Jaime Samms - As Advertised

Kimberly Gardner - Dressed to Thrill

Lou Harper – Hanging Loose

Angel Martinez - Boots

Charlie Cochrane - An ‘I love Jonty and Orlando’ T-shirt

Devon Rhodes - Stranger In Black

Z.A. Maxfield - Rhapsody For Piano And Ghost

Gale Stanley - One Night in Bangkok

Geoff Knight & Dare Empire will be offering up FIVE books!

Winners Choice of either The Cross of Sins or Drive Shaft

The amazing Authors below will be popping in and out to chat & post excerpts from their latest books:

S.J. Frost - Black Heart Down

Alan Chin - Butterfly’s Child

Willa Okati - Make a Right

Geoff Knight - Curse of the Dragon God

Lynn Lorenz – The Hearts of New Orleans Series

Charlie Cochrane - All Lessons Learned

Z.A. Maxfield – All Stirred Up

The day will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

Time Travel

2011-06-06T10:18:00.002-04:00

This Week over at Writers Evolution we're talking about the eras we would like to visit.

There is no guest blogger this week, but you can find guest bloggers Jaime Samms here and Amber Green here.

The question now is do I want to start the week off with a free read or the weekend? Thoughts.

Guest Blogger - Jaime Samms

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much, Simone, for inviting me to your blog, today. Every time I sit down to write a new blog post, I find myself staring at a blank page wondering what I'm going to say that readers haven't heard a thousand times already. It's worse that actually writing, by far, becasue at least with writing a story, you get to make stuff up, have fun and tell someone else's story for a few hours, and people get that. As far as me and my life go, I'm pretty much an open book.

Unlike some of the characters in my latest release, I don't keep much back, and that means there's rarely anything new to say! lol! My guys, though, they can be full of secrets and half-truths.

Blurb: Tyler's life perked up when he met Jake. So what if long-time friend Marty can't stand him and his landlady has no use for his new beau. Tyler's determined not to see the dark side of his lover. It's his own fault for believing people don't go around keeping secrets and lying.

Tyler should know better. He's an ad executive. He knows the packaging is what sells, and Jake is quite a package. His lover is no slouch when it comes to false advertising, either, and when Tyler finds out the truth, It hurts. Weathering Jake's lies and secrets gets easier with the help of new friends, Libby and Steven. In fact, Tyler figures that maybe a lot of things would get easier with Steven.

Tyler should have known better. Not even someone as seemingly perfect as Steven Jessop is completely as advertised. This time, though, Tyler has to make a decision. After all, sometimes, even if what you see is not what you get, what Tyler's uncovered in Steven might just be what he's always wanted.

Buy Link: http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=267

Excerpt:

Tyler blinked at him. "Is there some reason I shouldn't want to go to a party?"

"Because it is a party." Jake perched on the arm of Tyler's couch and looked down on him. "You don't do parties. You're the one told me that."

"I know, but Maynard mentioned it. It sounds decent."

Jake studied the label on his beer, picking at the corner of it. "Now you go to parties because your boss tells you to."

"He didn't tell me to. He just mentioned it."

"Is he going to be there? That why he mentioned it to you?"

"Oh my god. You've got to be kidding me," Tyler chuckled and sipped his beer.

Jake just looked at him.

"Seriously? Are you jealous?" Tyler asked.

Still Jake said nothing.

Tyler grabbed Jake's arm and yanked him down. "Come here."

For an instant, Jake resisted, but Tyler licked his lips, lifted his eyebrows and pulled a little harder. Jake slid down, squeezed his cheeks into the crack between Tyler and the arm of the couch and took Tyler's chin in a loose grip. "Doesn't it bother you?" he asked after another swig, keeping his searching gaze on Tyler.

"What?" Tyler frowned.

"That he uses the fact you like dick to scope out new clients."

"What?" Tyler hitched back a few inches, putting some space between them.

"Think about it. You do know who's throwing this party?"

"Jessop. I don't know his first name. I don't even know what he does. Maybe Maynard just mentioned it because he thinks I've been working too hard lately. Unlike someone I know, who gets all the easy clients and the padded expense account." Tyler set his beer down and wiggled closer, hooking his finger into Jake's tie and prying it loose.

"If you think those clients are easy, my dear, you've got another think coming. I just have a knack for handling self-absorbed, insane people. You, though. Maynard's working you to the bone and not giving you enough credit. Jessop is a dream account. If he doesn't give it to you…." A hard edge visible just in the shadows of Jake’s expression told Tyler there was something he wasn’t saying, though what it could be, he had no idea.

"Anyway." Tyler gravitated a little toward Jake, touched his face, ran his fingers over the angles. "Not talking about work right now. It's a party. We never go anywhere. It's time, don't you think?"

Jake grinned, leaned close so everything blurred together. so that The sullenness turned to lust, and defensiveness to desire. "You never complained about that before."

The bass rhythm of Marty's music reverberated through the apartment. Tyler's heart sank. He did so much better when he slept.

Jake nearly growled as he grabbed hold of Tyler's chin and forced his attention away from the shared wall and Marty's insomnia. His face darkened, and his fingers tightened around the neck of his beer bottle. "You need to move."

"Jake—"

"Come on." Jake took his hand and stood. "Let's go into the other room." He shot a glare at the wall.

Without letting go, Tyler pulled him back down. "If it bothers you so much, we could just go to yours."

"I told you. They're renovating. The whole building is a mess." Jake cast a venomous glower at the far wall.

"Right." Still, Tyler didn't get up, and Jake sat back down next to him. Tyler was tired of his attitude towards Marty, his insistence they stay in all the time—everything. In four months, Tyler still hadn't seen Jake’s apartment. He was determined to get his way about something. He fixed his gaze on Jake. "About the party, then?"

"You just want to show me off, admit it." Jake puffed out his chest slightly and tilted his head.

The edges of his mood seemed to smooth over with the motion, though they didn't disappear completely. Tyler had yet to find whatever it would take to get Jake to really, truly relax.

"Come on." Jake trailed a few experimental kisses along Tyler's jaw. "Say it: 'I admit I want to show off my hunky new boyfriend.' You know it's true."

A slow smile spread across Tyler's face. "Maybe."

"Tell you what." Jake set down his beer and slid closer, fingering Tyler's collar, and undoing the buttons of his shirt at a slow but steady pace. "You let me have my way with you tonight, and I'll take you to this party tomorrow. You can schmooze Jessop to your little heart's content." He ended with fingers on Tyler's nipple and gave a sharp squeeze and tug.

Tyler gasped and jerked, hardening in a rush of hot blood. "You drive such a hard bargain."

The words rasped over a sudden need, and he licked his lips in anticipation. Jake might be a demanding lover, but he was also an attentive one, and he knew exactly how Tyler liked things. His heart sped up at the thought of Jake taking over and being in control for an evening.

"And yet…." Jake ran his tongue tantalizingly over Tyler's lips. "You’re such an easy sell."

Buy Here

Memorial Day & Resolutions

2011-05-30T08:40:00.002-04:00

This week at Writers Evolution we are talking about how are we doing on our resolutions, you can see mine there.

Beyond that, it is Memorial Day, a day to honor and remember the US's fallen soldiers. This weekend has become one of barbeques and the first step towards summer. And as we go about our day today, please take time to remember those who are gone and will never return.

This poem has come through my email boxes many times and I wanted to share.

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer

Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

----- Charles M. Province

(Photos top to bottom - Arlington National Cemetery, Deceased Soldiers coming home, Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Battlefield Memorial)

I wish everyone a safe Memorial Day.

I come from a military family and am surrounded by friends that I've made while in the service and afterward. I miss them when they deploy, I hurt for what they have seen and gone through, and I mourn when they do not return. Today is a day to remember the sacrifices that have been made by fallen soldiers throughout our nations history and to honor them.

Simone.

Guest Blogger - Amber Green

2011-05-25T23:16:00.004-04:00

Amber Green is my guest blogger this week with a brand new book out!

Khyber Run is out this week.

Transplanted from an Afghani battleground to a Florida playground at age ten, Zarak Momand spent the next several years trying to remember Pakhtunwali, the Pakhtun Way, and instill the Pakhtun warrior spirit in his younger brothers. A generation later, he’s a burned-out Navy hospital corpsman who has lost touch with everything that matters: his brothers, his heritage, and possibly his soul.

Then he’s kidnapped by USMC scout-snipers hell-bent on seeing justice for a murdered brother marine. The murderer has deserted. They have ideas where to find him and plenty of unofficial support--but this is Afghanistan, where the easy answers are wrong and the best-laid plans don’t stand a chance. Codenamed Zulu, Zarak navigates the ambiguities of fourth generation warfare, where there are no front lines and where the moral high ground shifts from situation to situation. He can rely on no one but Oscar, a sexually compelling marine who is every bit the warrior young Zarak had once hoped to be.

When finally told the deserter murdered his estranged baby brother, Zarak sees his way clear. Pakhtunwali allows a man to pierce the wall of hospitality--even the code of sanctuary--to demand justice for a murdered son or brother. For the first time in years, his Pakhtun self and his American self are in full accord. With Oscar at his side, and with the memories roused by their travels in these legendary mountains, he finds his spiritual center.

Secretly crossing the border into the Khyber region of Pakistan, Oscar and Zulu lose their companions, their technology, and their horses. In compensation, they find Z's extended family, Taliban assistance, and gratified lust in the night.

But is Oscar’s rough passion a betrayal between brothers? And what happens when the deserter would rather die than go back?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

I woke muddled, thinking the ship's engines sounded wrong. Red light glared on my eyelids. Breathing meant gagging on the seagull-shit taste of a hangover. And that sound was not my ship's engines. More like a sardine can's engines or…a plane?

Opening my eyes took effort. A plane. From the rear of the fuselage, I faced up an aisle between rows of knees hugging sea bags. Not sea bags: MOLLE-packs. Red lights in strips overhead barely illuminated a couple hundred hunched forms in desert camo, a row of males in body armor along each bulkhead, facing inward, and two rows of females jammed into back-to-back seats in the center. Male or female, each of them clutched one of those carbines the sponges called an assault rifle.

Why am I in a plane packed with camo-assed bullet-sponges?

The plane's deck angled down sharply. Screams rang in my ears, going dull. My ears cleared, painfully, and the shrieks sharpened.

Crashing. That's what we're doing.

The deck roller-coastered up, then yawed faster than physics should allow. Whiplash. I saw stars. The stench of vomit wrung my empty guts.

A dive and another yaw brought more screams ringing off the bulkhead, prayer in Spanish close by, retching farther away.

How did I stay in my seat, with gravity halving and doubling and snatching me starboard to port? When the plane steadied long enough to let me look down, I saw bands of dull silver duct tape strapping my thighs to my seat, and another red-streaked silver band over my belt.

Something hung on my lower face. I had some kind of mask. No. Somebody had duct-taped a puke bag to my face. It sagged obscenely against my chin, like a giant used condom.

Pulling it off hurt. The stench blasted from it.

Where do I put this? I looked around, blinking, trying to make sense. The screamers in the middle seats were mostly army. The hundred or so men squatting in the seats lining the bulkhead were marines. Some laughed at the women. Others hunkered down, as if waiting for shrapnel to find them. A few threw curious glances at me, the only squid in sight.

A cluster of pops rapped at the bulkhead, like popcorn in my mother's big pot. One of the sponges grinned at me. "Small arms fire. Welcome to Bagram."

Bagram? A map of the giant air base flashed in my eyes, then a dim memory of riding my father's shoulder, hiding my face in his turban while a trio of Shuravi -- Soviets -- stomped an ominously silent laborer. Couldn't be…

"He means hold on," added another sponge.

I dropped the puke bag to grab my seat. The plane tilted, again nose-diving but this time braking hard. Instead of falling to the deck, the bag shot forward, splatting against a female's ear.

"I'm hit! Aaah!"

"God! Brains! Oh, God!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The plane swerved and jinked, each jerk redoubling the shrieks. The smell of fear, sharp and sour, fought with the smell of vomit.

One of the marines chuckled, despite the sweat beading on his face, and pitched his voice low enough to hear under the shrieks. "You know you're going to have to police that up, Squidward."

"No-go, sir. The doc's our volunteer."

Volunteer? WTF? I twisted to see who'd called me a volunteer, but his rifle caught my attention first. A bolt-action rifle. A sniper's weapon.

Behind the rifle, teeth flashed in a grin. He didn't seem to exist, except as a rifle, a hint of helmet, and a grin. Then the grin vanished.

The deck flipped overhead. The unsecured marines bounced, sending bellows among the screams. I hung from my seat, still taped in place.

The deck flipped again, then slammed up at us. A marine fell across my lap. I caught his weapon before it could bean him. The cool metal slapped into my hand, rousing memories like an old lover's name.

Find a different excerpt here: http://www.loose-id.com/Khyber-Run.aspx

Buy it from Loose-Id today.

This Week..

2011-05-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

This week over at Writers Evolution we are talking about if you're a closeted writer or not.

On Wednesday, author Amber Green will be my guest blogger.

Sometime this week there will be a retelling of the faire along with pics and most likely a delayed Monday Minute Fiction. Maybe I'll post that Friday to warm up the weekend.

What's In A Name?

2011-05-07T12:07:00.002-04:00

I'm over at Grand Rapids Region Writer's Group talking about naming traditions among various cultures and how they can be used in writing.

It's Monday

2011-05-02T09:19:00.004-04:00

It's Monday. I'm revamping my website, hopefully that will be done in the next 48 hours. Over at Writers Evolution on the men in our lives who got away - this should prove to be an interesting week.

The Chatting With Joyfully Reviewed crew were very welcoming on Sunday when we sat chatting about the upcoming GayRomLit Retreat in New Orleans this year. And the books - lots and lots of good books to read. I can't wait!

GayRomLit Retreat Chat

2011-04-29T09:49:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, May 1^st, the first official festivities of the GayRomLit Retreat get under way as many of the participating authors gather together in the Chatting with Joyfully Reviewed Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

Organizers will be on hand to talk about the Retreat, which is being held in New Orleans, October 13-16, 2011. Reader registration will only remain open until June 15^th, so don’t wait! Stop by OUR WEBSITE for more information or to reserve your spot.

The thirty-six authors listed below will be participating in Sunday’s chat and have generously offered up the following e-books as giveaways which you can enter for a chance to win!!

WILLIAM NEALE - HOME ~ CAROL LYNNE - SPRING

RICK R. REED – HOW I MET MY MAN & HOMECOMING

PD SINGER – CROSS THE MOUNTAIN ~ MARIE SEXTON – PROMISES

HEIDI CULLINAN – THE SEVENTH VEIL

KATE MCMURRAY – THE BOY NEXT DOOR

JP BARNABY - ENLIGHTENED ~ KC BURN – SPICE ‘N’ SOLACE

BELINDA MCBRIDE – BLACK WOLF ~ AMBER KELL – KEVIN’S ALPHA

TD MCKINNEY – PAXTON’S WINTER ~ KIERNAN KELLY – CORNFED

ROWAN SPEEDWELL – KINDRED HEARTS

EM LYNLEY – EMERALD ~ ETHAN DAY – CHOICE FROM BACKLIST

EDEN WINTERS – SETTLING THE SCORE

BRYL R TYNE – FORSAKEN & TOUGH GUY

VIOLET SUMMERS – SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

BRITA ADDAMS – SPLENDID CAPTIVITY & LOVE IMMORTAL

SIMONE ANDERSON – TO LOVE AGAIN ~ AMBER GREEN - TURNCOAT

LYDIA NYX – FROM MOROCCO TO PARIS ~ MISSY WELCH – KLT23

DC JURIS – WHAT THE LADY WANTS & NO PLACE LIKE HOME

DAMON SUEDE – HOT HEAD ~ VJ SUMMERS – UNDER THE INFLUENCE

CLARE LONDON – CHOICE FROM BACKLIST

ANGELIA SPARROW – HOWL AT THE MISTLETOE

JAIME SAMMS – FIX THIS, SIR ~ JAMBREA JO JONES – TELL ME NOW

TREVA HARTE – MAXXED OUT ~ TRINA LANE – IN DREAMS HE CAME

TD MCKINNEY & TERRY WYLIS – PORTRAIT OF A KISS

JP BOWIE – BLOOD LURE & TRIP OF A LIFETIME

LYNN LORENZ – ROUGAROUX SOCIAL CLUB

In addition you’ll be treated to excerpts from some of the latest releases like the ones provided by the following authors!

WILLIAM NEALE – A NEW NORMAL ~ TC BLUE – MANDARIN ORANGE

ANGELIA SPARROW – SWIMMING THROUGH THE NET

CLARE LONDON – THE TOURIST ~ BRYL R TYNE – AT DAY’S END

TRINA LANE – THE PERFECT BALANCE ~ BARRY BRENNESSEL - TINSELTOWN

CAROL LYNNE – CRIMSON MOON ~ PD SINGER – FALL DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

MARIE SEXTON – PARIS A TO Z ~ BELINDA MCBRIDE – BLAQUE/BLEU

KIERNAN KELLY – A WEAPON OF OPPORTUNITY

AMANDA YOUNG – PRECIOUS ACHE

EM LYNLEY – THIEF OF HEARTS

The day will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST in the Chatting with Joyfully Reviewed Yahoo Group. I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

Can’t wait to see you there!

J.P. Bowie * Ethan Day * Lynn Lorenz * Carol Lynne * Amanda Young

2010 Do Over

2011-04-25T10:45:00.002-04:00

This week at Writer's Evolution we are talking about what, if anything, we would do over in 2010. Head over and see what's being said.

TO LOVE AGAIN IS NOW AVAILABLE

2011-04-18T09:50:00.001-04:00

My newest book, TO LOVE AGAIN, is out today from Total-E-Bound

Book one in the Bound Hearts Series

A Dominant who doesn’t believe in love and a submissive who can’t forget, can love truly overcome everything?

When Aaron Langford walked out of his life years ago, Brendan Mackenzie felt his heart break and made the decision to never love again. When his best friend shows up on his door with a scruffy stranger, it takes long moments for Brendan to realise the stranger is actually his ex-boyfriend.

Physical scars tell the story of where his ex has been and the life the other man led. Promising to find a good master for the submissive male, Brendan finds it increasingly difficult to imagine Aaron with anyone but him.

Can love be salvaged or will the past be too much to overcome?

Excerpt:

“If you love someone, let them go. If they return to you, it was meant to be. If they don’t, their love was never yours to begin with.”

Brendan McKenzie scoffed and balled up the card along with Aaron’s photo. It’d been three years since his lover—the man he’d thought was his soul mate—had left, and Brendan was tired of waiting and hoping, only to be disappointed in the end. Aaron had made his choice. Brendan could live with it, would have to live with it.

He still hated it.

“‘It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all’,” he read, picking up a postcard. “Ha. Anonymous has obviously never had to deal with either.”

Tearing the postcard in half, he threw it in the burn pile. He made quick work of the rest of the box, electing to keep only a few items. After he was done, Brendan sat on the fieldstone surround of the cold fireplace and started to build a fire. Feeling his pockets for a lighter, he swore, stood and went to search the junk drawer in the kitchen, retrieving a book of matches instead. He swore again when the doorbell rang.

“It’s fucking midnight! What the hell?” Brendan stomped to the door, and yanked it open. “Harden! What the fuck do you want? And why didn’t you just walk in?” He scowled at the dark features of Harden Langford, his best friend since third grade…and the cousin of his former lover. Harden’s parents had named him after a grandfather, and it had given his friend no end of trouble.

“Thought it’d be better to knock this time,” Harden said indicating a scruffy looking man standing near him. The other man stood slightly behind and to the left of his friend and stared at the ground, his hands behind his back. Brendan recognised the submissive stance immediately. This one was different. If he wasn’t mistaken, the submissive had been abused. “Garrett’s home, so he can’t stay with me,” Harden continued.

Brendan blinked and stared in disbelief at the dishevelled man as Harden’s words finally sunk in. This wasn’t just any submissive, abused or not. Brendan’s scowl deepened. He recognised Aaron Langford, his ex-lover and partner, through the stringy, dirty blond hair and shaggy beard. The once bright, smiling green eyes were dull and lifeless. The smaller man had lost weight since he’d left—that much Brendan could tell even with the baggy clothes he was wearing.

“No.” Brendan shook his head. His stomach clenched and his throat tightened. The last thing he needed or wanted in his life right now was Aaron. Responsibility be damned. He wanted nothing to do with the man who had ripped his heart out. Brendan blew out a breath and shoved a hand through his hair. He’d finally agreed to go out with Matt Carson, the good-looking office manager from the financial services firm that shared a floor with the advertising company that Harden worked at, after the man had pursued him for months. He’d spoken with the man several times and had a sensed a natural submissiveness in Matt that appealed to him on a certain level. Eventually, he would make a great sub. Aaron was a complication he didn’t want or need.

“Brendan, he’s only been in town a couple of hours and he has to stay somewhere,” Harden implored.

“Garrett can’t stand him. He wants him dead and refuses to allow him in the house while he’s around.”

“The streets?” he suggested. “That smells like where you picked him up from. And what makes you think he is welcomed here or that my opinion is different than Garrett’s?”

“He’s family. My family…we’re all each other has.”

“He’s not my family,” Brendan ground out, ignoring the pleading invading his friend’s voice and eyes. Brendan knew Harden spoke the truth. Both men had been kicked out of the house and disowned by their entire family the day they’d come out. They’d been closer than brothers since then. At least until Aaron left them all and headed for New York City.

“He’s your soul mate.”

Brendan shook his head. “No. He’s. Not. He made his choice. Three years ago he walked away from me, from us and what we had together. He walked away from you.”

“He’ll die on the streets. It's just a couple of days. Garrett leaves on Monday.”

“Hotel.”

Aaron’s eyes open wide, his face paled and Harden shook his head.

“It’s not my problem, Harden. Put him in a shelter, a hotel, or a gutter. I don’t care. But he’s not staying here. He’s no longer welcome,” Brendan replied, steeling his heart. Having Aaron under his roof would be torture, especially when he knew Aaron didn’t want him. Dating simply wouldn’t be possible with his ex-boyfriend living under the same roof. He had a real date planned, not just a hook up with a submissive from the club, and he had hoped to get lucky with Matt tomorrow. An idea that had lost its appeal when combined with the reminder of Aaron living with him. Staying, he corrected himself. Aaron wasn’t welcome.

“When did you become a cold hearted bastard?” Harden asked, balling his fists, testifying to the fury and worry running through his best friend.

Coming Soon!

2011-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

On the 18th, my fourth book will be coming out from Total-E-Bound!

A Dominant who doesn’t believe in love and a submissive who can’t forget, can love truly overcome everything?

About the book:

When Aaron Langford walked out of his life years ago, Brendan Mackenzie felt his heart break and made the decision to never love again. When his best friend shows up on his door with a scruffy stranger, it takes long moments for Brendan to realise the stranger is actually his ex-boyfriend. Physical scars tell the story of where his ex has been and the life the other man led. Promising to find a good master for the submissive male, Brendan finds it increasingly difficult to imagine Aaron with anyone but him. Can love be salvaged or will the past be too much to overcome?

About the series:

Leather. Chains. Love.

Whether new to the BDSM scene or not, trying to figure out how love fits into their lifestyle can make the most experienced participant want to run. They soon learn that the chains binding their hearts are stronger than anything they’ve ever experienced before.

I'll be giving away a copy of To Love Again next week.

It's Monday

2011-04-11T09:54:00.002-04:00

I'm over at Writer's Evolution today. We're talking about the worse reactions we've received when people learn what we write.

Simone.

When All Else Fails -

2011-03-24T12:49:00.007-04:00

"Mom, Play with me" -

When all other attempts at garnering mom's attention fail....

Yes, her head fit between the trey and the desk top.

Her prize - a hairtie that she wanted to play with.

Curiosity And The Kitten

2011-03-23T08:12:00.003-04:00

Usually my foundling kitten sits in a sewing basket on the top of a shelf. Usually. In the mornings, she wants to see what everyone is doing.

This morning was no different. Except her curiosity had her jumping into a tub of water. She was soaked and covered my house in water drops as she ran and tried to fling off the offending water.

She is now back in her basket, trying to get her fur to sit right.

Japan

2011-03-14T13:52:00.005-04:00

Just over a decade ago, I spent four years on a tiny island in southern Japan. A wonderful place full of great food, music and nice people. I do not look at my time there through rose-colored glasses, too much happened for that to be true, but I did love living there and my daughter was born there, and in a few years we are going back for a vacation, so she can see where she was born and maybe learn why she loves Teiko drum music.

The top photo is of Okinawa. Very beautiful countryside.

When we flew over Tokyo I was amazed at how big of a city it was. It seemed to go from one ocean to the other. What I couldn't have imagined and still have a hard time wrapping my head around is that this photo is not something that my nephews did by taking all of their toys and dumping them in the bathtub, but are real and while thousands lost their lives, tens of thousands lost their homes and businesses, millions of lives are forever changed.

My island home would have most likely swallowed by the sea entirely. As in most disasters many people want to help. Prayers and thoughts are good. But if you choose to donate money or items, please be sure the person or organization you are dealing with are reputable and really will be helping. Reports suggest that more earthquakes and tsunami's could hit the main island of Japan. It is, unfortunately, not over for them yet.

Simone.

Monday Minute Fiction - All Along

2011-02-21T20:25:00.008-05:00

This week over at Writers Evolution, we are talking about our pen names and our real lives.

(This is a work of fiction and copyrighted by the author. You must written permission before reposting or using it anywhere.)

All Along

“I left him,” I said sitting down in one of the many chairs that surrounded a white wooden table in the bistro where we both worked. We had a couple of hours before we opened, but the boss, Odon, made us lunch before work every Saturday. Since he was both hot and an excellent chef, it was one of the many perks of working there.

“Who?” My best friend Keegan asked handing me a glass of water.

“Gary, you dolt. Who else would I break up with?” I rolled my eyes at him.

“The bigger question is when?” Our friend and co-worker Micah asked. The older man always wanted to know everything, which he put to good use when he bartended.

“No, the bigger question is where are you staying now?” Odon asked me walking into the backroom. Immediately the room fell silent. That old cliché about hearing a pin drop, it was really that silent.

I blushed and swallowed the lump in my throat.

Crossing his arms, he stared at me, waiting for me to answer. “Troy, answer the question,” he prompted.

“Um—ah—my sister’s. Her couch. It was all I could find at the last minute. I didn’t want to stay there any longer than I had too. My brother-in-law, his brother and my sister helped me pack and move out yesterday,” I rattled out quickly, hoping to divert attention from my involuntarily reaction to his attention. I’d been in lust since I’d started there, and half in love with the chef and owner for the last few months.

“And what prompted this hasty move?” he demanded.

I dropped my eyes to the floor. “Gary had some twink in our bed. He still had his dick in the guy when I walked in. He’d said he be ready for another in a moment. He looked shocked when I told him I wasn’t interested anymore. He evidently didn’t expect me to be home then.”

“So, what happened?” Micah asked before Odon cut him a warning look.

I let out a nervous laugh. “He actually finished screwing the guy before coming out to talk to me. By then I’d called my sister, grabbed a suitcase and had started to pack. He accused me of being frigid—”

Odon scowled. “Come with me.”

I nodded and followed him back to the kitchen. “Is there a problem sir?” I asked, unable to keep the nerves out of my voice. Would he fire me because I left Gary? I was pretty sure he and Gary were friends, after all I’d met Gary while working here.

“Did you ever suspect Gary of cheating on you?” Odon asked, taking a casserole dish out of the oven.

I shrugged. “I thought something was odd, but I couldn’t place it. He said I was being stupid and projecting my own activities onto him. He said the only way someone could not have sex like I didn’t want to, was if they were seeing someone else.” Nothing I had said to Gary had made any difference to him. The fact that I didn’t get off work until one or two in the morning had nothing to do with sex, he’d argued. I should’ve still wanted sex. “Every time he even hinted at it, if I didn’t reciprocate quickly, he accused me of having an affair.”

“Who did he accuse you of cheating on him with?” Odon asked. “Finish grating that cheese for me.”

I blushed and did as I was told, grateful to have something else to occupy my mind, so I didn’t have to face Odon when I answered his question. I wouldn’t have minded an affair with Odon, but not while I was with someone else.

“Troy, answer me.”

“You, sir,” I said quietly, my attention focused on the quickly filling bowl of parmesan cheese.

“And when was the last time the two of you had sex?”

“Excuse me?” I asked dropping the grater in the bowl. “I don’t understand.”

“When did you last have sex? I know you enjoy it.”

My cheeks felt inflamed. I did enjoy sex. But Gary and I hadn’t had sex in months. “Six months ago,” I answered. “He always rebuffed or ignored my advances. And I was too tired to do more than sleep at two a.m.”

Odon nodded. “Would you like to?”

I shook my head, unable to follow him.

“Would you like to have that affair with me, Gary accused you of?”

“I—I—” I fumble for the words and shook my head again, unable to comprehend what was going on.

“It didn’t take him long.”

“What? Who? I don’t understand.”

“Do you remember when I told you not to start seeing him?”

I nodded. Everyone had, they’d said he’d play me, use me and throw me away. Sex wasn’t first in our relationship, so I hadn’t listened. It was even okay for a while, but then it suddenly dried up.

“Yesterday wasn’t your normal day off.”

I nodded, dreading what was coming next.

“Every time I saw him in here, he was with a different guy. He’d say they were friends, but friends don’t grope each other like they did. I have friends at a couple of different bars. They said the same thing.”

“So, everyone knew he was cheating on me? Why didn’t anyone say anything to me?”

“We tried, all of us did. You didn’t want to listen. About six and a half months ago, I told him that if he wasn’t going to stay true to you, he had to either cut you lose or quit putting your health in jeopardy.”

“We always used condoms. He was a stickler about that,” I said. I had even asked him about going bareback, but he’d said that was a level of commitment he would never have me, that I couldn’t be trusted.

“But he pushed you away and stopped having sex with you.”

I nodded. He embraced me before I’d registered that he’d even moved.

Pain criss-crossed my chest. I had to know. “Did—did you set me up?”

“I couldn’t bear to see you hurt anymore.”

“What—what do you mean?”

“I want you Troy, I always have,” Odon said, punctuating it with a kiss that was at turns rough and gentle. I could easily imagine sex with him was the same way. Rough. Gentle. Controlled.

My head swam. Odon wanted me? He’d never made a move or let on one way or the other. “You? You never said anything. And—and you like to beat men.” I whispered the last part. I’d heard that Odon was into BDSM, something I’d thought about, but never experienced.

“Only the right men, Troy. Would you have come to bed if I had asked a year ago? Two years ago?”

I almost shook my yes, but stopped. The truth was, I wouldn’t have. I wasn’t sure if I could now either. “I—I can’t. Let me go!” I demanded. I could feel the hesitation radiating from Odon before he left me go. I ran from the kitchen, grabbed my coat and caught the bus back to my sister’s house.

****

I stood outside the restaurant, watching and waiting. It’d been almost three weeks since I’d left. I’d asked Keegan to tell Odon, I needed some personal time. Keegan had later told me to get my ass back to work so Odon wouldn’t be so grumpy. Apparently, they’d heard enough of the conversation to work out what had happened. Taking a deep breath, I crossed the street and walked into the restaurant. There was still an hour and a half before the restaurant opened for the busy Saturday night traffic.

“Troy? Are you back?” Keegan asked as I walked through the door. Quickly, he locked it behind me and pointed back to the kitchen.

I headed back, ignoring his question. “Odon?” I queried, entering the kitchen for the first time in three weeks. It felt like coming home. Odon was home. I only hoped he still wanted me.

“Yes?” he asked gruffly, without looking up.

“Did you—do you—” I fumbled with the words, unsure of how to ask if the man was still interested in me. “I’m sorry.”

“You quitting then?” he asked staring at me hard.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to, but I understand if you’ve found a replacement for me.”

Odon set the big chef’s knife down and opened his arms.

I walked into them, feeling at peace with the world for the first time in a long time.

Odon told his assistant to finish the prep work and led me into his office.

“Is this what you want?” He asked.

“I—I—” I blushed, swallowed and tried again. “I want you. To be with you, to please you. To be yours.”

“You’ve never even played with bondage have you?” Odon asked pulling me down on to his lap.

“No, but I’ve read a lot and seen pictures. I want to try it.”

“And you still want to be mine?”

“I’ve been miserable without you the last three weeks. I didn’t realize how much seeing you everyday affected me. I think I left Gary mentally a long time before I moved out.”

Odon nodded. “I’m going to stake my claim on you before you leave this office.”

I swallowed and nodded. I trusted Odon. I loved him.

“Strip for me.”

I did as he ordered, as he locked the door to the office.

“Once we get home tonight, there will be time for love-making and taking our time. For now, I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

I nodded.

“Brace yourself on the desk.”

I did as I was told and waited, listening as Odon fished out a bottle and a foil packet out of the desk drawer followed closely by the undoing of his jeans. Lube and a condom I guessed. Smiling when his finger pushed into my ass. My body tightened and then relaxed at the intrusion. I bit down on my forearm to keep from screaming as he methodically stretched my long neglected hole. I wanted this with everything I had, for as long as I had known him.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked his cock waiting at my entrance.

I nodded. Odon had only pushed his jeans down slightly. I found the idea incredibly erotic and moaned. I pushed back, Odon slammed into me again and again, telling me how much he cared for me, what he wanted to do me and how he couldn’t wait to get me to his home where I belonged. Several times I felt his teeth on my skin. On my back, my shoulders, and neck. There was no mistaken that I belonged to another man. I couldn’t be happier. We came, me before him. We cleaned quickly and dressed. I dawdled putting my shirt on, wanting to see the marks he’d put on me.

“Get dressed, you can check them out later,” Odon laughed quietly. I nodded and did as he said, my ass still feeling the affects of his possession. We left the office and finished getting ready to open. As soon as I could get away, I retreated to the employee bathroom. I had to see his marks.

My back, neck and shoulders were covered with bite marks and hickeys. I was thrilled. I was claimed. I couldn’t be happier.

“What the hell happened to you?” Keegan asked, shutting the door, I’d forgotten to lock behind him, locking it.

I tried to put my shirt on, and he grabbed it.

“Spill. Now,” he demanded.

“Odon,” I managed, the name sounding more like a caress than I had wanted.

“He did this?”

I nodded. “Marked me as his. Claimed me.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Keegan replied, stepping back. “And this is what you want?”

I nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, more than anything.”

It was Keegan’s turns to nod. “Well, go kiss him before we get to busy.”

I nodded, dressed, left and found my way into the kitchen.

Odon pinned me against the counter, kissing me deep. “I have a question for you. Think about it before you answer.”

“Okay,” I managed, hoping he wasn’t dumping me after he’d fucked me.

“Would you consider moving in with me?” Odon asked. “Explore your fantasies with me, to explore your submission?”

I blinked rapidly. He wasn’t breaking up with me. He was asking me to live with him. To be his. I didn’t have to think about it, I already knew the answer.

“Yes, yes Odon. Yes.” I tried to hug him, but he’d trapped my arms. “I love you.” I threw my arms around him as soon as he let them go.

“I love you too, now that you are where you belong.”

Self-Interview

2011-02-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

The authors are doing self-interviews over at Writer's Evolution. Simone almost missed hers.

See what she told us. I promise she'll be back next with MMF and in the next two weeks she'll be welcoming a guest blogger on Wednesdays.

--- Ethan Moreland.

Monday Minute Fiction - Hollow

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

2011 is a year for change and resolutions and such. It also means a return to Monday Minute Fiction and guest blogging on Wednesdays.

(This story is fiction and copyrighted by the author, Simone Anderson, and may not be copied without expressed permission)

Enjoy...

Bastijn stared over at the ancient hollowed out oak tree near the river, allowing the familiar memories to wash over him. Most of the ones filing by were of him and Sarah Jane. The time when he took her to the state faire, swimming at the beach, or more recently the piggy back ride he’d given her after the picnic they’d gone on with several of their friends. He respected her and had come to care deeply for the compassionate woman, but he didn’t love her. He’d spent the last year trying to be the boyfriend she deserved and the son his parents wanted. He’d failed both of them. Now, he was going to break her heart.

“Bastijn?” a feminine voice called from behind him.

Bastijn nodded, not trusting his voice.

“Why did you want to meet way out here? Paul and Michelle are waiting for us over at the restaurant.”

“Please sit with me. I’m sure your cousin and her boyfriend will understand,” he said finally, shifting uncomfortably, before digging his cell phone and wallet from his pockets and setting them on the bench beside him.

“Bastijn, what is going on?”

Bastijn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can’t do this anymore. Not to you, I care about you too much.”

“What do you mean, what can’t you do? Bastijn you’re scaring me. You’ve changed so much while you were at college.”

“I can’t see you any more Sarah Jane.”

“What? Why not?”

“I heard about you and Cam. I know you went out a few times with him. I’m not sure he’s the right man for you, but—”

“We went out as friends. I thought you trusted me.”

“I do. But, I don’t love you, not as a boyfriend would.”

“Is it another woman?” Sarah Jane asked taking off a necklace from around her neck. Bastijn spied his high school class ring and nodded.

Bastijn smiled and shook his head. “No, no woman. I like men Sarah Jane. I’m gay.”

“Gay? As in homosexual? Are you sure?” Sarah Jane asked, blinking rapidly.

Bastijn laughed, refusing to look closely at the emptiness surrounding his heart. “Positive. Michelle and Paul are waiting for you.”

“You want me to leave?”

“I prefer not see you flip out.”

“I’m not going to. I’m shocked. Is there another—a man than?” Sarah Jane asked, handing him his class ring.

Bastijn shook his head. He wished his parents had reacted as Sarah Jane had, not tossed him out of the house. He had no place to go to and no one to turn to. Sarah Jane hugged him, stood and turned to leave.

“Do your parents know?”

Bastijn nodded. “You’re not upset, were you going to break up with me, so you could go out with Cam?”

Sarah Jane nodded. “I love him. I hope you find someone to love Bastijn.”

Bastijn watched the summer sun glinting off the river. Gold light surrounded the ancient oak tree. He found himself moving toward the tree before he realized that he was moving. Reaching out for the hollow center of the tree, he was vaguely aware of the ring slipping from his grasp. At once he was pulled through the center of the tree and surrounded by shimmering opalescent light and the sound of thousands of drums. He found himself in the middle of some sort of flower garden before he passed out.

“I most certainly will not!” Rian shouted, slamming open the door. “I will choose my own mate!”

“You have until midday. You will be mated tonight!”

Rian slammed the door behind him and made his way through the corridor that lead from the interior courtyard and gardens to the large outside gardens, stables, and assorted out buildings. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind and allowed his spirit to guide him. He took several steps before fully opening his eyes. The old path beneath his feet was smoothed from eons of use, but narrowed from years of disuse.

Rian gasped. “There he is!” In the oldest part of the garden, lay a strangely dressed man. Not an elf, but a human. He had pale skin and short dark hair. He appeared to be smaller than him, something he’d never cared for. He was perfect. His mate had been delivered to him. Carefully, he knelt down next to the man and touched a hand to his forehead, before tracing his jaw. His cock hardened at the first touch. The human was his mate.

The man’s green eyes flew open and he scrambled away, shouting something in a foreign language. Rian followed him, inhaled slowly, said a couple of words and touched the man’s forehead.

“Now, you can understand me. Muirnín. Beloved.”

“Who are you?” the man asked. “What are you? Where am I? Why can I understand you?”

“I am Rian, an elf, specifically Prince of the Elves,” Rian replied. “You can understand me because you are destined to be my mate and magic?”

“Wait? Destined to be your what? I want to go home.”

Rian saw the half lie dancing in the man’s aura, freely intermingling with disbelief and another emotion he couldn’t pinpoint. “Forgive me,” Rian smiled, backing away slightly. “Very rarely is a human allowed to enter our world. To do so in my garden, I apologize, I got carried away. Come with me. I will try to help you out as much as I can.”

“Can you get me back to earth? No offense, but this is weird.”

Rian frowned. This would be the hard part. The gateways only worked one way for humans. Once in, never out. “There is no way back. I am sorry.”

“Magic got me here, can’t it get me back?”

“No, I’m sorry, what is your name?”

“Bastijn.”

“Bas-tee-en,” Rian repeated slowly. “I like it, it suits you. This way. We’ll get you cleaned up and into some more appropriate clothes.”

Bastijn nodded and accepted the elf’s help up. Rian was taller than him, with more of a swimmer’s build if his clothing was any indication. He had blond hair and pointed ears, taller than the ones in most of the movies he’d seen, but not outrageously so. He was concerned that he was bothered more by the prospect of being a mate than he was of never seeing his family or friends again. Eventually, he might have made up with his family, but it would’ve taken years most likely. He wasn’t sure if he should be bothered by the fact that he’d been hard almost since he opened his eyes and knew Rian was too. Bastijn nodded as Rian pointed several things out to him, as he lead him through the gardens, a stone hallway, through a door and into a room with a huge open courtyard in the center.

Once in the room, Rian helped him wash and dress, and then told him about the world he now lived in, and what the expectations were. Leaving wasn’t an option. Ever. Bastijn shrugged internally. It beat being homeless. And if he was mated to Rian, he’d get sex. Rian had included graphic details of what he wanted to do Bastijn, which had gotten him hard again. Rian had also told Bastijn about himself, using magic to show some memories, allowing Bastijn to see both the good and the bad.

Bastijn was certain several hours had passed when they were summoned before the King and Queen. Both were beautiful and Rian looked a lot like the Queen. He stood quietly as the royal couple asked if Rian had made a decision, which prompted his introduction, a rather lengthy interview about himself and his parents. And the reminder that the union was forever and that there was no way he could return to the human world. They would be joined that night. He’d never thought he’d be married.

Bastijn had to admit that the elven clothes he’d been given were more comfortable than his own clothes. Tradition dictated that he wear an emerald green, while Rian was dressed similarly in dark green. He wore no shoes, but had walked across the soft grass barefoot.

Once in the room, Rian sat down on the large bed and folded his hands on his lap.

“What is wrong Rian?” Bastijn asked.

“I was still forced into a position I dislike.”

“I don’t understand. You don’t like me?”

“Yes, I like you. But, I wanted the person I married to love me. I wanted to love them. I hate that you were forced into this.”

Bastijn knelt in front of his mate. “I wasn’t forced into anything. I do like you. I won’t lie and say I love you, but I do like you. I care about you.”

“Elves are supposed to mate for eternity. I never found anybody until you that I even wanted to consider that possibility before.”

“What was so special about today?” Bastijn asked.

“Today is the summer solstice.”

Bastijn nodded. He’d remembered. He’d planned to enjoy the long day down by the river. “So?”

“I turn 26 tomorrow. I need to be mated and joined before tomorrow or—”

“Or what?”

“I become permanently impotent,” Rian answered wincing.

“Ouch. Well, we can’t have that,” Bastijn smiled. Standing he stripped his clothes off and began helping Rian with his.

“You don’t love me.” Rian stilled his hands.

“I like you and I want you. Preferably hard, fast and in my ass if you please.”

Rian nodded, stood, and shed his clothes. Bastijn gasped as Rian touched him, running his hands over his back and ass.

“Wait.” Bastijn gripped Rian’s shoulders tight. What about condoms? You know a barrier, a sheath for your cock?” Bastijn said, stumbling over the words. “Something to protect against diseases.”

Rian shook his head. “No need. Magic. Protects elves.”

“I’m human.” Bastijn said as two fingers slid into his ass.

“But you’re my mate, so you are protected too.”

Bastijn nodded, trusted his gut, and gasped as Rian slid his cock into his ass. This he could get used to.

Cowboys!

2011-01-17T09:06:00.003-05:00

Cowboys, cowboys and more cowboys!!!! The Saddle Up N Ride Anthology is out today from Total-E-Bound.

Here are the blurbs....

Ride 'em Hard Cowboy by J.P. Bowie

Sheriff Joel Harper is being sued, but when he meets young attorney Jason Sherwood, he wants him to handle much more than just the lawsuit!

When Sheriff Joel Harper, ex-wrangler, is falsely accused of assault and battery by a rich rancher’s son, he turns to Royce Chandler and Charles Fletcher for legal advice. What Joel doesn’t expect is to fall immediately in lust with young attorney Jason Sherwood, Royce’s new recruit to his recently opened law office.

Their budding romance is hampered by burglary, hate-filled graffiti, hostile neighbours and co-workers, and by Joel’s own sense of responsibility to his younger brother, Toby. Can their love survive all that’s thrown at them or will Jason decide the ride is just way to rough for him to endure?

Roping His Man by Simone Anderson

When a vacation yields an unexpected surprise, choices must be made and love hangs in the balance.

When Colton Greenleaf returns to his parents buffalo ranch after college, he doesn’t count on long-buried feelings resurfacing or the pull of the Wyoming mountains luring him home to stay. He tells himself its only for two weeks, that he can put up with anything for two weeks. But, when he comes face to face with the man of his dreams his first night home, he isn’t so sure. Now, he must figure out whether to take the chance on love or follow his life plan and face losing out on love all together.

Emmanuel Keegan, known only as Hawk, knows that he is ready to settle down. The only problem is that the man he wants is twelve years younger and the boss’ only son. Not only that, Colt doesn’t plan on sticking around any longer than he has to. Hawk knows following his heart’s desire could make him the happiest man on earth or it could shatter his heart for all time.

A Fistful of Emmett by Jambrea Jo Jones

Emmett Longley just lost his job and home. When he hears of a ranch needing a jack of all trades, he jumps at the chance. What Emmett didn’t expect was to find himself drooling over his new boss. And the man was giving off some weird vibes. Was Kit gay or not?

Christopher ‘Kit’ Younger only looks at men to see if they fit the bill to work his ranch. He doesn’t have time for relationships. He never has, and if he did, they would be with a woman. That was until Emmett Longley drove up to his ranch and applied for the job of foreman. Why was he getting hard over Emmett? There was nothing feminine about Emmett so why did Kit catch himself daydreaming about being in the big man’s arms?

Sing For Your Supper by Jaime Samms

Hunger can drive a man to do just about anything in order to satisfy it, but when it’s hunger of the heart, will past relationships keep three men wanting more?

Taylor has left home, chased out by his family because he’s gay, and pursued across the prairies by the man who violently assaulted him in his own home. Now he’s homeless, friendless and using his charm and skills learned on his knees before his father’s farm hands to pay for his meals.

Matt sees something more than a desperate whore in the young rancher who comes to his diner in hopes a quick blow job will buy him a meal. He sees past Taylor’s current circumstances to a man who just needs a clean break.

Matt sends Taylor off to his friend Jim’s ranch hoping the older man will see the same things in Taylor and give him the opportunity to start over. No one expects the visceral attraction between the rancher and his new hire.

When Taylor’s past catches up to him, and he realizes he’s put both men in jeopardy just for trying to help him, he thinks maybe he deserves to be branded the fool he is.

Jack's Way by Em Woods

When a down-on-his-luck architect meets a closeted cowboy with a cranky horse, can they find common ground or will ghosts from the past destroy their future?

Ben Morillo, a prominent architect, has a good life. He works for one of the leading firms in New Hampshire, owns his flat and stays out of the lime light. That is until his ex-lover shows up at his work months after their violent break-up, making a scene that gets Ben fired.

Jack Marr, ranch owner and closeted cowboy, can’t believe his bad luck when he has to pick up the handsome friend of his veterinarian. Convinced Ben won’t stick around, Jack struggles to protect his heart before the attraction between them leaves him broken.

Ben and Jack must feel their way through an amused veterinarian, a cranky horse and too many misunderstandings, but in the end, will Ben be able prove that Jack’s way is the only way for him?

Straight Cowboy by Jan Irving

Joshua Ryan did a stint for much-needed cash as the ‘straight cowboy’ in gay porn movies but he doesn’t think of himself as gay, so why does he want to do the things to Matt James he once did in front of a camera?

Cowboy Joshua Ryan can’t stop his erotic thoughts about Matt James, the hearing-impaired guest he’s taking into the foothills in search of wild horses. Matt James has dreamed all his life of coming out west. He’s at first taciturn with Josh, afraid he’s as close minded as some other hands they encounter on their excursion, but when Josh reaches for him unconsciously in his sleep, Matt has a tough time hiding his desire for a ‘straight’ man.

The Middle School Years - Zombies, Doughnuts, Obscene Noises and A Star Wars Melee

2011-01-07T07:00:00.002-05:00

When the doctor told me I was having a girl (actually he said "hamburger, next year try for hot dog" in accented English) I figured along the way there would be talk of boys and giggling and who liked who and talk over which singer or actor is hotter, at no point did I think I would have to referee a Star Wars Melee or tell the Zombies to quit pulling the Mummies wrappings off. I also never thought that my beautiful little girl would be having a contest with her cousin (another girl) N to see who could make the most realistic and most disgusting farting noises by zerberting their arms.

Really, I didn't.

Melodrama, I could foresee and expected. I did not expect a lightsabre battle, fought with empty pop bottles, ranging all over my house between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader - complete with the conversation that went something like:

Vader: Luke, I am your father (played by N, with a very deep voice)

Luke: Maybe, but I'm still going to win (played by Bug, with much giggling).

Then there were the battles between Luke and Yoda, Vader and Yoda, Leia and Luke, and Leia and Amadala complete with recited lines and adlibbed responses. The melee was called a tie because all the lightsabres had been broken and the combatants were getting dangerously close to the books.

Following the lightsabre melee, there was the fart making contest, interspersed with Mummies and Zombies chasing each other through the house ending when the kitten got herself stuck in a Styrofoam doughnut requiring assistance to remove her.

There has been no talk of boys or school or this person or that person, but there is giggling. A lot of it. Although, I am afraid of what I'll walk into, since the last coherent discussion we had covered the color mold and growing microbes in a petrie dish.

And in the middle of this Bug asked how boys have sex with each other.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-20T10:42:00.003-05:00

Ethan Day's Gay Day Tomorrow

2010-12-11T22:53:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow - December 12th, I will be over at Ethan Day's loop, participating in Ethan Day's Gay Day - Check it out!

Sunday, September 26th is Gay Day at my Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

The following authors will be generously offering giveaways you can enter to win:

SLOAN PARKER - BREATHE

SJ FROST – FINDING A DREAM

ANDREW GREY – A TASTE OF LOVE

AKM MILES – SOMETHING FOR SANTA

ZA MAXFIELD –I HEARD HIM EXCLAIM

J.P. BOWIE – A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS (2 Copies!)

ALLY BLUE – OLEANDER HOUSE & SHENANDOAH

JAMBREA JO JONES – STEAMY REUNION or WISHING ON A STAR

WILLA OKATI – TOMCAT JONES or BUDDY HOLIDAY or KARMA CHAMELEON

TRINA LANE – CAPTURING PERFECTION or MASTER ME ANTHOOLOGY (MF BDSM)

LEX VALENTINE – HONORABLE SILENCE ANTHOLOGY

SIMONE ANDERSON – KNIGHT OF PLEASURE

DEVON RHODES – MAKING HIS LIST

ALIX BEKINS – RELATIONSHIPS 201

ETHAN DAY – LIFE IN FUSION

CLARE LONDON –POP UPS

The amazing Authors below will be popping in and out to chat & post excerpts from their latest books:

ZA MAXFIELD – VIGIL

ETHAN DAY – SNO HO

SLOAN PARKER - MORE

SJ FROST – KEYS TO LOVE

CLARE LONDON – 72 HOURS

AKM MILES – COLD WINTERS

DEVON RHODES – PRIDE & JOEY

LEX VALENTINE – SUNSTROKED

JP BOWIE – SENSE & SENSUALITY

ANDREW GREY – CORE TRAINING

SIMONE ANDERSON – FINDING LOVE

JAIME SAMMS –THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

ALIX BEKINS – AN ACADEMIC DILEMMA

G.H. WORTH – GRANITE: A ROCKY START

ALLY BLUE – WHAT HIDES INSIDE & TWILIGHT

I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T15:55:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has a happy one with friends, family, and loved ones.

I am thankful for my daughter, for my friends, and for my family. I am thankful for the service members and their families. I am thankful for my health and for school. I am thankful to be able to write. I am thankful for my readers.

Simone.

The Middle School Years

2010-11-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

I love reading Bronwyn's Riding With Boys installments. Before this year, Bug was picked up and dropped off my me to school and no car-pooling. This year there is some car-pooling, but there is also sleepovers and hours on the phone. Sadly, there are no insightful, witting comments by Bug and her friends. There is, however, a lot of melodrama, and as I was subjected to it, I absolutely must share.

Last weekend Bug and her BFF T spent hours on the phone talking about two particular boys - N and C. Bug likes C and T likes N. Bug and T just had to go to the basketball game on Monday because C and N were playing. (I'm thinking is a bad re-run where the band geeks are nuts over the athletes). Tuesday, Bug tells me that C only likes her as a friend, but that T and N are now going out, because N likes T. Thursday I hear rumblings about T and N, but fail to pay to much attention to it. However later that night Bug has found both C and N on Facebook and must share with T.

Yesterday was a class field trip. Bug and T and their friend S ride with me to the museum. Much fun is had while we are there. All three girls interested in the science parts especially the planes and weather exhibits. On the way home...

T has broken up N (on Thursday - that was the rumbling part) because she now likes D. But she's okay with it because Bug kinda likes N now. (Confused yet?) There is no word on Bug and N, yet. Then T and Bug get into a fight resulting copious amounts of tears because Bug wouldn't give T a potato chip (now, T did fail to share her chips with Bug), which required the mediation of not one but two friends. By the time we get back to school everyone is friends again and talking about the next home game.

I'm Telling!!!!

2010-11-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

Look What I Got!!!

The cover for the hot cowboy anthology I'm. My contribution is Roping His Man, it comes out January of 2011 and look at the other great writer's in it too.

Halloween and More

2010-11-01T09:35:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween. It is probably one of my favorite holidays of the year. Normally I take Bug trick-or-treating around a near by neighborhood, but this year she became a tween and I wasn't sure I was going to let her. I let her. But, she went with a friend of hers and her friends siblings. So, I got to sit home and watch TV and work on a cross-stitch afghan instead. I don't buy candy ahead of time because it would just get eaten, and by the time the details were worked out, there was no candy shopping happening, which ended up working out since a) there are no trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood and b) Bug came back with a huge amount of candy. I'm not sure we'll eat it all.

Now that it's November 1st, it almost feels like the new year or at least the right time to make some decisions and changes. Maybe its the upcoming holidays and all of the joy and stress that come with them. I'm committing myself to two things - writing at least 2000 words a day and losing weight. I saw the coolest dress recently and I want to wear for one of the 3 conferences I'm hoping to attend next year.

Oh, and over at Writers Evolution, we're talking about character lookalikes.

Simone.

National Coming Out Day

2010-10-11T12:50:00.003-04:00

Today is National Coming Out Day here in the US! I may be straight, but its a bloody shame that people and states a like haven't figured out that love is love and it's love that makes any marriage work. Hopefully in the not to distant future there will be tolerance, acceptance and true equality.

Celebrate Love!!

Bringing Light To Bullying

2010-10-03T19:39:00.002-04:00

Tyler Clementi, an 18 year-old Rutgers University student took his own life recently because of bullying and teasing. His death is one of the latest to make the news where bullying by classmates led to a suicide.

Bullying, teasing and the deaths that result from it has become a pandemic. School administrators are finally starting to being called out and forced to deal with a problem that has plagued kids for decades. But unlike the past, it can not and should not be ignored or swept away.

I too was bullied and teased from first grade through my senior year in high school, not because of my orientation, but because I was breathing. I too thought of suicide or at the very least running away, but in the didn't.

Someone else mentioned they also were told to ignore it - which never worked. I'm not sure I know anyone that it's worked for.

There is nothing worse than the pain you feel when you are going through it. And at 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, the only thing you want is for that pain to end. And it doesn't matter how.

One of the best things I did was join the military and then go to college. The best revenge against bullies is to live. Not just to live but to thrive. To live life to its fullest, to chase whatever dream you have and succeed at it.

While the pain of those years will never completely go away, it helps to form the strong person you will become. And then it ceases to matter. You are able to do things others can't or won't, because of your strength.

It does get better.

I have traveled through out the world where many of those who bullied me never left the city.

It does get better. And it's worth striving for.

KatieBabs Blog has a stirring post on bullying and getting better. For every comment left on the post up to 500, she is donating a dollar to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and to the Trevor Project.

http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/2010/10/it-gets-better-my-500-pledge.html

Returning Soon...

2010-08-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

After an extended absence, I promise to be updating my blog again regularly.

Next Monday will see the return of Monday Minute Fiction.

This week over at Writer's Evolution, we are talking about creative outlets.

Monday Minute Fiction - Sharing

2010-04-05T16:25:00.004-04:00

This week at Writer's Evolution we're talking about purple prose.

Join me every Monday for Monday Minute Fiction

(This story belongs to Simone Anderson and may not be copied or reposted without permission)

Troy made his way through the crowded sidewalk greeting friends along the way to the street corner where he saw his long time partner, Matt, reclining against the sidewalk, paying closer attention to the attractive woman straddling his legs and looking in his jeans than the parade passing them by. Stopping beside the couple, he watched them for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Get your hands off! He belongs to me,” Troy said firmly, crossing his arms.

“Troy!” The woman yelled as the pair jumped apart and struggled to their feet.

“You’re back! You said you were coming back at the end of the week? You should have called. We’d have picked you up at the airport.” They rushed toward him, stopping short.

“I’m gone a mere nine months and you’re letting a woman play with your cock?” Troy let his gaze travel over the pair slowly. He liked Matt in denim and shirtless. He’d spent every night of the past nine months dreaming about burying his cock in Matt’s ass and almost as much time thinking about Emma curvasious body. “I don’t like to share.”

“You said you’d share him with me. You said I could play with him all I wanted,” Emma said pouting.

“I’m home now,” Troy replied, trying to hold back a smile. He’d spent the last nine months working with a great medical team in some of the worst circumstances, an experience that was professionally and personally rewarding, but now he was ready for something personal just for him. Someones. He wanted both Matt and Emma now.

“You weren’t here and I was lonely,” Matt said cupping Troy’s cock through his slacks.

Troy moaned. Emma’s pout turned into a smile.

“God, I missed you two. I can’t wait to get home and fuck you both senseless followed by long slow lovemaking.” Troy smiled and pulled the couple into his arms. He’d missed this, just being with the two people who mattered most in his life.

“Too bad the house is an hour away and the office is closed,” Emma supplied frowning.

Troy released his grip, stepped back and removed a key from his pocket dangling it in front of them. “I took the liberty of getting us a room downtown tonight. I don’t want to miss the fireworks,” Troy said suggestively. He’d planned to make love to his partners all night long. Nine months in a field hospital surrounded by colleagues, friends, and gunmen had left him wanting the comforting touch of Emma and Matt.

He waited while Matt retrieved his shirt, before Troy grabbed their hands and led the way to the hotel.

The doors of the elevator closed and Matt and Emma turned toward him, tugging his shirt up and undoing his pants. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. The trio slid apart. Troy allowed a smile to cross his face as he left the elevator ignoring the couple waiting to get in.

Opening the door he held it while Matt and Emma entered the suite dominated by a king size bed. They grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed. He kissed first Matt and then Emma, before he succumbed to their ministrations. Relinquishing control to their frenzied exploration, he looked forward to the long night ahead and making love to both of them. His homecoming was nothing like he planned, but full of the spontaneous energy both of his life partners radiated.

For More Monday Minute read Brynn Paulin's The Inspection and Ashley Ladd's Incognito

Monday Minute Fiction - For Life

2010-03-29T13:39:00.006-04:00

This week over at Writers Evolution we're talking about genre fiction vs. literary fiction.

Welcome to Monday Minute Fiction, a short bit of fiction to begin the week.

(This story is copyrighted by Simone Anderson and may not be duplicated without permission.)

David fingered the photograph of his sister and her fiancé, her fingers lightly covering his lips, and sighed. She’d sent a wedding announcement and an invitation to dinner. His gaze darted around the apartment and returned to the last line on the page.

“Bring Hogan, we can’t wait to meet him.”

There was only one problem. There was no Hogan, or more precisely there was no Hogan and him. He’d only seen Hogan from a distance after bumping into him three months earlier when he’d stopped at a different coffee shop for his morning coffee. He’d returned over and over in hopes of seeing the dark haired man again. David stopped there routinely, seeing Hogan every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, eventually learning his name through the barista.

This morning he’d finally gotten up enough nerve to introduce himself and was close enough to smell the man’s cologne when a flock of giggling teen age girls entered the shop causing him to fall into the man’s hard body and strong arms. He’d felt himself turn beat red, mumbled an excuse and fled. Knocking at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

David peered through the peep hole at a head of dark brown hair. His heart skipped a beat. Hogan? No, the man has no idea you’re even alive. Answer the door. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he took a deep breath, unlocked and opened the door. Green eyes peered out at him. David opened his mouth to speak and closed it again when nothing came out.

“David Kirkwood?”

David swallowed trying to process the reality of the man of his dreams standing in front of him. Hogan. Hogan was here.

“Are you David Kirkwood?”

Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded.

Hogan smiled. “Good, I’m glad I have the right place then.”

“What are you doing here? How did you find me? How do you know my name?” David finally blurted out.

“Ah, you can talk. I was beginning to wonder,” Hogan said, smiling again. “You dropped your wallet,” he said holding up a battered brown wallet.

“My wallet!” David patted his pockets. How had he not realized he’d lost it? Because he’d been fantasizing about Hogan all day, he thought answering his own question. “How —the girls—when I bumped—bumped into you.” David felt his cheeks flush and took the billfold.

“You are adorable when you blush,” Hogan said, setting a hand against his cheek. David pressed his hand into it. “I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have known you were hard for me otherwise.”

David squeezed his eyes closed hoping when he opened them, his embarrassment would be ended and Hogan would be standing there. A large hand cupped his cock and balls through his slacks, squeezing gently. He opened his eyes and found Hogan standing right in front of him.

“Hogan,” David moaned. “Please.”

“What do you want?”

“You, only you. Always only you.” David knew the truth of the words as he said them. He’d fallen for Hogan the first time he’d seen him.

“Be sure. I’ve wanted you too long for you to be unsure,” Hogan said releasing him.

David nodded and gestured for Hogan to come in. “I’m sure.”

“Condoms?”

“In the bedroom,” David replied locking the door behind them and heading for the bedroom. “If you wanted me for so long, why didn’t you say something? Or at least make it easier for me to approach you?”

Hogan stopped and pinned David against the wall, covering David’s mouth with his. David moaned. Hogan’s tongue pushed in, exploring and tasting, retreating slightly to allow David the same privilege. David inhaled the sweet, earthy scent he always associated with Hogan and groaned as Hogan slipped a hand inside his pants and wrapped his fingers around his cock and rubbed before releasing him and pulling him into the bedroom. David quickly removed his clothes, dug out the lube and condoms from the nightstand and moved to the center of the bed. He watched as Hogan took off his clothes, revealing a lithe, muscled body.

“I wanted, needed you to choose me, to come to me. You always looked embarrassed when I caught you checking me out,” Hogan replied. “I wanted to be sure you were the one for me. I needed to be sure you were ready.”

“What are you saying?” David asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

“I am fae, I want you for myself for all times.”

David nodded. He was friends with several of the otherkin, the fae like elves and some humans mated for life. Unlike the others, if he agreed to this, neither partner would ever be allowed to have sex with another being, even if the other was to die.

“Be sure David,” Hogan said from the side of the bed. “You have condoms, we can merely have fun for the night.”

“But then I’d never see you again.”

Hogan nodded, “That would be the best.”

“I doubt that.” David scrambled to his knees, tossed the condoms on the floor, and kissed Hogan, praying he made the right decision. “I want this. I want you. For life.”

David allowed Hogan to push him back onto the bed, relishing the contact as they explored and learned each other's bodies. For life. David had found what he’d envied in his sister’s relationship, his soul mate for life.

“Sex will be a regular occurrence,” Hogan said kissing him. “I may never let you out of bed.”

“You talk too much. Kiss me,” David said threading his hands through Hogan’s hair.

“Demanding aren’t you?”

“Kiss me, while you take me, please.”

For More Monday Minute Fiction - See Brynn Paulin's Just A Kiss

Ethan Day's Gay Day!!!!

2010-03-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Sunday, March 28th is Gay Day at my Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

The following authors will be generously offering giveaways you can enter to win:

Ava March – Has generously offered up an e-book from her Backlist

Neil Plakcy – Mahu Men

JP Bowie - Slaves to Love – Coming Soon

Sloan Parker – More

SJ Frost – No Fear

Devon Rhodes – A Detour Home

Clare London – Home Sweet Home

Charlie Cochrane – A Goodie Bag sent to anywhere in the known Universe!

Sophia Titheniel – Damon’s: Speed Dating

Simone Anderson – A Knight of Pleasure

Trina Lane – Taking the Chance

TC Blue – The One That Got Away

Amanda Young - You’ll Have to Show up to Find Out! : )

Willa Okati – And Call Me in the Morning

The amazing Authors below will be popping in and out to chat & post excerpts from their latest books:

G.A. Hauser – It Takes A Man

Ava March – From Afar

Willa Okati – Because It’s True

Lynn Lorenz – Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Carol Lynne – Bodyguards in Love #3: I Love Rock n Roll

Sophia Titheniel – Sadie’s Kiss

Amanda Young – Daywalker Legacy

Charlie Cochrane – All That Jazz in the anthology Encore Encore

Viki Lyn – Ryan’s Harbor

AKM Miles – Too Keen

The day will begin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST we’ll be hosting another LIVE Chat which is pretty much a free for all, anything-goes-chat that’ll inevitably have you uttering the phrase, “What the f**k?” : )

***You will need to have Downloaded Skype in order to take part in the Live Chat.***

Once you’ve downloaded the FREE software, simply add me as a contact: ethandayonline -- and I'll be able to add you to the chat room!

I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun

Knight Of Pleasure Out Today!

2010-03-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

Knight of Pleasure - Book One of the Smugglers' Cove Books is being released from Total-E-Bound Today!!!!

The Blurb:

Wounded in Iraq, Dean Hudson is forced to give up his dream of a career in the Marine Corps. Nearly recovered from the physical wounds that left him scarred, he resigns himself to a life alone, and begins to deal with the emotional and mental scars the war left behind while he tries to rebuild a life. Having kept his homosexuality a secret for so long, he doesn't expect to find love or acceptance in the arms of a knight.

On the weekends, successful brewery co-owner, Dom Ethan Moreland dons armour and a sword and fights other knights. The adrenaline rush and stress relief provided by the atmosphere of the renaissance faire also serve as a constant reminder of the love he still hasn't found and can't remember having.

When Dean meets Ethan dressed as a knight, he never dreams that he will find happiness and love on his knees while submitting to Ethan.

Excerpt:

Dean nodded and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wanting to bolt. The crowded open area of the faire set his nerves on edge, and he longed for peace and quiet and solitude. Jennie wriggled out of his lap, and he waited for her to climb down to the bench in front of them to join her two brothers before he edged away from Carla.

Dean rubbed his sweating palms on his jeans, thankful the breezy day spared him the awkwardness of explaining why he wasn’t wearing shorts. He hadn’t worn shorts since before his last deployment, when his body and life were changed forever. It was a day like any other, but one he would never forget the day of his last patrol. Two years later, he was looking at an uncertain future as a disabled vet who couldn’t stand on his own two feet without the aid of a cane.

He watched the maroon-clad knight, Ethan, round on his opponent, swing his sword and drive the man to his knees. Kicking him in the chest, he raised his hands in celebration as the man toppled backwards. Half of the crowd cheered. The other half booed. An armour-less man dressed in a black and white tunic bearing the colours and crest of the entertainment troop rushed forward to help the defeated knight to his feet.

One after another, the armoured men dropped to one knee, heads bowed in the direction of a short, round, blonde-haired woman, who despite her smile, looked as though she’d just tasted something disgusting. Ethan stuck his sword into the dirt, removed his helmet then knelt on one knee.

Dean inhaled sharply. Long, light-brown hair was tied at the nape of the man’s neck, and beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face. His angular jaw gave way to the subtle lines hidden beneath armour.

"Ethan’s gay, by the way, and single,” Carla whispered in his ear. “I thought you might like him.”

“You told me in one of the letters you sent me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to play matchmaker,” Dean said good-naturedly, hugging his sister.

“Why shouldn’t I want my brother to find true love?”

He wasn’t sure about true love, but Dean wondered what it would be like to get fucked by Ethan. The single photograph Carla had sent him of Ethan was decidedly less sexy than the sight on the field in front of him. Dean started. How long had it been since he’d thought about another guy? Too long, he chastised himself. There was no guarantee that Ethan was single, and Dean had to meet a player he liked. He strongly suspected Ethan was a top, which suited him fine. Dean had topped before, but he preferred bottoming. So had Brad, his ex, so he’d ended up topping more often than not, wanting to make his lover happy. It hadn’t been enough to keep Brad from cheating on him.

Dean remembered the day he’d come home early and found Brad in their bed, technically Dean’s bed, with one of the company clerks. Dean shook his head, pulling himself from his memories, surprised to find all of the armoured men standing in the centre of the ring. The combatants squared off. Dean winced when Ethan was hit first in the leg by one person followed closely on the back of the helmet by the knight in the green and yellow tunic.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to him. You’ll like him.” Carla giggled.

Dean smiled and nodded trying to keep his excitement at bay.

“Ethan! Lord Blackmoore!” Carla called out, drawing the attention of several knights.

“You fought wonderfully, as always,” Carla said, hugging Ethan.

“Ethan, this is my brother Dean Hudson,” Carla said, reaching for Dean. “Dean, this is one of my best friends, Ethan Moreland, also known as Lord Blackmoore, one of the Knights of Steel.”

“Nice to meet you, Dean. Welcome home.” Ethan held out his hand.

Dean moved his cane to the other hand and shook hands with Ethan, who ran his thumb over Dean’s knuckles. Desire ran rampant through Dean’s body, pooling in his groin at the contact. “Nice to meet you too,” Dean replied, wishing he knew Ethan well enough to move the errant strand of light brown hair that fell across one dark eye.

“You’re being summoned my lord,” Carla said, turning from them towards the arena where the other knights had gathered.

“You will be staying for a while right?” Ethan asked, looking from Dean to Carla and back again.

Dean saw the plea in sister’s eyes, pushed aside his growing discomfort and nodded. He wanted today to be special for her. On top of working, raising her kids and trying to have a life, she’d been looking after him since he’d returned home.

“It was nice to meet you,” Dean said, half hoping he’d get to know Ethan better.

“My pleasure, Dean. My pleasure,” Ethan answered, running two knuckles along Dean jaw line. Dean thought he saw a look of possession in Ethan’s eyes before the man turned and left them.

“Come on. Let’s go see more of the faire,” Carla began as soon as Ethan was out of hearing distance. She hooked an arm through his and pulled him away from the arena. “So, what do you think?”

“They do this for fun?” Dean looked around at the vast array of costumes ranging from elegant to gaudy. He leaned heavily on his cane, carefully picking his way over the rough terrain.

Creativity Prompt

2010-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I Have To What...

2010-03-01T02:12:00.001-05:00

Up to this point, I've enjoyed a comfy Tuesday blog spot over at Writers Evolution, but things have changed, so me being the rookie, I'll be blogging on Monday. Oye. So now I have to be awake and coherent and somewhat intelligent sounding on Mondays. This should be interesting. This week, we are talking about our favorite characters from our books.

Promptly

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Writing Prompt:

Describe the sounds of winter.

Thursday's Creativity Prompt

2010-02-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Kitchen Gadgets

2010-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love to cook, but normally the few kitchen gadgets I have -- I don't have the large gourmet kitchen with lots of gadgets - I have a really tiny kitchen with a lot of multi-taskers -- normally kitchen gadgets do not make their way into my office area. That is no longer the case. At least for one gadget.

I was having an issue staying focused on my writing, so I decided to try something I think I heard in passing from somewhere. I don't remember where, when, or who said it though. Anyway, I decided to set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and write until it went off. When it went off, I added my word count total and the time passed into a spreadsheet and then went to get a drink, change laundry around, etc and then restart the timer and get back to work. I was able to write 3k words in a matter of a couple of hours that way. And because I was curious to see if it was a fluke, I tried it again, for a shorter period of time, and it worked out great!!!

Music + Kitchen Gadgets = Lots of progress

If It's Tuesday --

2010-02-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am over at Writer's Evolution and this week we are talking about manuscripts in hiding.

Adventures In Cooking - Something New This Week

2010-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Since I can't remember what I made this past week that was new, I'll share a couple of recipes that I am going to make this coming week. I found both recipes on Allrecipes

Chorizo And Lentil Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 pound bulk beef chorizo sausage
5 ribs celery, sliced
1 cup dried lentils
3 cups water or chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until it turns golden brown, about 45 seconds. Add the chorizo sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in celery, and cook until the celery softens, about 4 minutes more.
Pour off any excess grease from the sausage, then add the lentils and water. Season with turmeric, curry powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

** I'm going to make it twice - once with curry and once with paprika instead of the curry powder, because some of my friends/family don't like curry and will use chicken broth instead of water. I'm using beef chorizo, which is harder to find in my area, because my family doesn't generally eat pork.

I'm going to serve this with a loaf of homemade bread recipe that I have found on the same site.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's Spices)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

I make this by hand, because I don't own a bread machine. Here are the instructions that I use to make this brso I started by proofing the yeast in the water for about 5 minutes, then added one cup of the flour, the sugar, salt, and oil and mixed in my stand mixer on pretty high speed until it was a thick creamy batter (looking almost like pancake batter), 3-4 minutes or so. Then switched attachments to the bread hook and began adding flour gradually, along with the herbs and pepper. Knead just until all dough pulls away from the bowl, then finish kneading by hand (about 5 minutes or so). I let this rise is a greased bowl for one hour, then punched down, formed into an oval loaf and let rise another hour. I brushed with olive oil and coarse sea salt before baking, and I also spritzed this with water about 3 times during baking (it gives it that crunchy outer crust, but it still stays soft in the middle). I baked this about 20 minutes at 375 then turned the heat up to 425 for about 10 more minutes.

Adventures In Cooking -- The Curry Express

2010-02-08T22:37:00.003-05:00

I actually like to cook and bake. Tonight, I made Honey Baked Chicken and served it with Curried Rice Pilaf. I find them easy to make, but I don't know if everyone else would agree. :) I know my sister in law wouldn't. Well one of them wouldn't. I used a sweet curry powder from Penzey's Spices, if you don't like a strong curry taste, cut it in half.

Honey Baked Chicken

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into large pieces
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup prepared Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Curry

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
2. Place chicken in shallow baking dish.
3. Combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder in bowl and pour over chicken.
4. Cover with foil (shiny side down) and bake for 55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Baste every 15 mintues with juices.

Curried Rice Pilaf
1/2 Cup Green Onions, chopped, divided
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 Cup Butter, soften
1 1/2 Cup Jasmine Long Grain Rice
3 tsp Curry Powder
1 - 32 oz carton Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
1/2 Cup Almonds, chopped, toasted

1. In a large skillet, saute 1/4 Cup onions and garlic in butter until tender.
2. Stir in rice and curry powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned
3. In a md saucepan, heat broth and salt. Pour over rice mixture and stir.
4. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in raisins, almonds, and remaining onions

Both dishes were good. Next time, I'm going to use cornstarch and milk to thicken the sauce for the chicken and serve it with either plain rice or a different rice pilaf with pine nuts and raisins or dried apricots. Just to see what happens.

Enjoy.

Smugglers' Cove - Knight Of Pleasure

2010-02-05T17:12:00.003-05:00

I got the cover for my new book! Knight Of Pleasure, the first in the Smugglers' Cove Series, due out from Total-e-Bound on March 15th!

Soap Box Issues

2010-01-08T09:55:00.003-05:00

Find out what the writer's at Writers Evolution have strong opinions about and the one topic they all agree on.

Starting the New Year Off

2010-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

- so far I've not made my 500 word a day goal. I've come close - sort of... I wrote. That's all I can really ask for right now. I've been spending time with my brother, who has 5 kids, add Bug to the mix and it's loud and chaotic with 2 or 3 crying and screaming at once. I'm used to very little noise, so the adjustment is not going well. I'm low on caffeine too, which doesn't help. Add to that the fact that my knee doesn't want to work right, and it's shaping up to be a lousy 2010. Maybe I'll wait and celebrate the Lunar New Year instead. Start 201o off better.

Gaia's Heart - Island Hope

2010-01-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

End Of The Year Wrap-Up

2009-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

When I was stitching more, one of my sisters every so often posted a State of the Stitching Address where she updated everyone on her progress of her various stitching projects through out the year, which was nice since she lives in California and it's not like I could just drop by and every couple of weeks or weekly and do a stitch-in and see how she was doing. Well I could, but I don't have the money for that. Yet.

So, in the same vein I want to do an end of the year wrap-up in preparation for posting my new years goals.

It's been a busy year - I sold my first book, Finding Love, to Total-e-Bound, which came out in September, found out a friend of mine was doing his 7th tour in Iraq, and two more will be going there next summer, sold my second book, Knight of Pleasure, the first in the Smuggler's Cove series, to Total-e-Bound, which comes out in March 2010, sent Bug to school camp for a week, launched my website, moved out of my tiny apartment after three years, finally graduated from college with a bachelor of science, and finished a total of 3 books. Temporarily we are staying with one of my brothers and his family (they have 5 kids) while the new place gets prepped.

This coming year means trying to find a regular job, getting into grad school, and writing. Lots of writing. My goals and resolutions for 2010 will be posted soon and I'll be holding myself accountable on my blog daily or weekly at least.

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!

2009-12-25T01:14:00.002-05:00

Knight Of Pleasure

2009-12-04T07:31:00.000-05:00

Knight of Pleasure is the first book in a series from Total-e-Bound and it centers around a microbrewery in an average size midwest city. It's due for release in March 2010.

A few songs will invariably find there way into every book, but I'm not completely sure.

Soundtrack - Knight of Pleasure
1. Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Tears of Joy - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)- Free Play Music
3. Journey - Robyn Wyldwood
4. Oak, Ash, Thorn - Robyn Wyldwood
5. Final Sacrifice - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI - Free Play Music
6. Warriors and Knights - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%) - Free Play Music
7. In Rememberance - Free Play Music
8. Sacred Shabbat - Loreena McKennitt
9. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf
10. Legion - Composed by:Paul Andrews, ASCAP- Free Play Music
11. Dawn Mist - Composed by:D. DiFonzo, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI - Free Play Music
12. Kamande - Cirque Du Soleil
13. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence
14. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins
15. Bumper Of My SUV - Chely Wright
16. God Bless America - Martina McBride
17. Leader Of The Pack - Twisted Sister
18. I Remember - Wood Land
19. Health To The Company - Robyn Wyldwood
20. 'Til The Last Shots Fired - Trace Adkins

Enjoy the music!!!!!!!!!!!

Holiday Traditions

2009-12-01T07:53:00.002-05:00

We are talking about our favorite holiday traditions over at Writers Evolution all this week. Learn about our favorite traditions and share some of your own.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of your friends and family!!!!

Tuesdays at Writers Evolution

2009-11-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday and I'm over at Writer's Evolution...

This week in celebration of Thanksgiving, we're talking about what Thanksgiving is to us and what we're thankful for.

To Love Again

2009-11-20T07:19:00.001-05:00

I always have a soundtrack for every book I write. No matter how short or long. Here is the soundtrack for To Love Again

1. The Pict Song - Emerald Rose
2. Evita/Lament - Andrew Lloyd Webber
3. Romantic Nights - Composed by:Pete Calandra, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI - Freeplaymusic.com
4. Camille's Story - Quantum of Solace
5. Cats/Memory - Andrew Lloyd Webber
6. Aspects of Love/Anything But Lonely - Andrew Lloyd Webber
7. Can't Buy Me Love - Michael Buble
8. Save The Last Dance For Me - Michael Buble
9. Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence
10. Lithium - Evanescence
11. Like You - Evanescence
12. All That I'm Living For - Evanescence
13. Good Enough - Evanescence
14. Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback
15. I'd Come For You - Nickelback
16. Just To Get High - Nickelback
17. Never Gonna Be Alone - Nickelback
18. You Don't Belong - Daughtry
19. Life After You - Daughtry
20. What I Meant To Say - Daughtry
21. Every Time You Turn Around - Daughtry
22. Home - Daughtry
23. Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That - Dolly Parton
24. Useless - Cavo
25. New Divide - Linkin Park
26. Morgana Moon - Wood land

Catching Up!!!!

2009-11-19T18:58:00.003-05:00

I know, I've been a bad blogger lately. It's been nuts in my house. Midterms and papers had to be done. Bug went to school camp with her class and two other schools and while I missed her something awful, I wasn't bored. Tired, though.

A bunch of my friends and I got together and decorated plain white baseball caps with ribbon, buttons, pompoms, paint, markers and glitter then we stitched fleece on the inside to line it and gave them to children's cancer center near our school.

Then the school had a military appreciation hockey team and we collected items to put in care packages to send to the troops overseas. There were people in uniform representing all the branches and kids from the local youth auxiliaries. And an honor guard.

On November 10th, the US Marine Corps turned 234th. Wish your favorite Marine a late happy birthday!

On Veterans Day we relayed the flag from our school to the national cemetery 17ish miles away. Fun but tiring, because there was a pig roast afterward and a late dinner at Applebees.

In the midst of all that I was working on a Valentine's Book - To Love Again - but it didn't turn out as light as I wanted it too. The guys told me their story and refused to budge on it. Ugh. But it's done. And I finished my edits for the first Smugglers' Cove Book - Knight of Pleasure. YEAH!!!!

Now, so I don't get bored again before it's time for finals and graduation and applying to grad school, I've started on another book. Well two of them - The second Smugglers' Cove Book and the first in another series.

PIrates and Piracy

2009-11-05T07:37:00.003-05:00

All this week at Writers Evolution we are talking about a topic that is near and dear to all of us. Piracy - not the sword-swinging-rescuing-distressed-damsel kind but the act of illegally downloading books kind.

Downloading a book for free instead of paying the $3 or $4 the book is STEALING! Just as walking into Barnes and Noble and steal a book is wrong, so is this.

Authors work hard to create stories that people enjoy, but the fact remains, you expect to get paid at your job, we expect to get paid too. This is our job.

Whips, Chains, & Hearts?

2009-11-04T12:54:00.004-05:00

I decided that I was going to write a book for Valentine's Day. I got an idea, found out what the guys looked like and started writing. Within two pages I was told in no uncertain terms that this book was not going to go how I wanted it too. I fought and lost. The story I'm telling, Aaron's story, is decidedly darker than I had wanted or anticipated. But, there is a Happily Ever After.

Ethan Day's Gay Day!!!!

2009-10-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

Sunday, October 25^th is Gay Day at the Ethan Day Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

You’ll have a shot at winning one of the following e-books generously provided by the following authors this month!

Muse by Clare London

A Pint Light by Devon Rhodes available October 26th

A.J. Llewellyn’s newest release, Deeper Blue - available for purchase on Gay Day, October 25th

Jaime Samms will be giving away the winners choice of either Apron Strings or WindBlown

Amanda Young will be giving away an Autographed copy of Pyromancer

ePistols at Dawn by Z.A Maxfield

Timeless by Nix Winter

Love Me Dead – The newest release from Lex Valentine, an antho with William Maltese & AM Riley

Finding Love – Simone Anderson

Jambrea Jo Jones is giving winners choice of either Heart Song or Runaway Man

Dash & Dingo: In Search of the Tasmanian Tiger by Sean Kennedy

Pull by Bryl Tyne

In addition, these and many other amazing Authors will be popping in and out to post excerpts of their latest books and chat:

P.A. Brown – Memory of Darkness

AKM Miles – Take It EASY - Coming November 25th

S.J. Frost – Conquest

Lynn Lorenz – My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys – Coming November 15th

Bryl Tyne – Coin Operated Boy

Adrianne Brennan – Dawn of the Seraphs

Andrew Grey – Love Means…Courage

Barbara Sheridan – Such A Good Boy

The day will begin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST we’ll be hosting another LIVE Chat which is pretty much a free for all, anything-goes-chat that’ll inevitably have you uttering the phrase, “What the f**k?” : ) (The link to the LIVE CHAT will be posted in the Yahoo Group.)

Stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

I Enjoy Walks On The Beaches and...

2009-10-21T12:33:00.004-04:00

Whiskers on kittens, rain drops on roses, and blue satin sashes....

Over at Writer's Evolution this week we are talking about our favorite things and if they make it into our books. Mia and I have each taken a different approach on this topic, which is infinitely interesting because then you can say - OMG! I totally forgot about that! or Now, I see it!

Bug is getting ready to go to camp. Her school does an weeklong outdoor camp during the school year for her grade - it'll be her first camp - away or day - ever. Thankfully not her first time away from me, because then I'd be really nervous. Anyway, I'm wandering off topic - oh well.

So, in the spirit of my favorite things, let me share a few of mine...in no particular order - maybe

1. Hot men
2. Tattoos on hot men
3. Favorite mode of transportation - motorcycle or plane - sadly, I don't own either of them - yet
4. Favorite dessert - thick and rich homemade cheesecake (should maybe make it for an upcoming retreat)
5. Favorite food - my mom's homemade beef bbq (now to get her recipe)
6. Favorite music - Enya, Tori Amos, Elvendrums
7. Favorite Sci-Fi Movie - Dune with William Hurt
8. Favorite Movie - The Princess Bride
9. Favorite Book to Ground Me - The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
10. Favorite Hobby - Sewing

So, there are a few of my favorite things, which are not actually on my post at Writers Evolution.

I promise to blog more often. However, now I'm heading back to my cave and work on the soundtrack for my newest book which while still being m/m takes me into the paranormal realm. THat should be a fun trip. Then to write it. I'd like to finish it by the second week of NaNoWriMo.

So, tell me, what are a few of your favorite things???

WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-10T09:16:00.004-04:00

It's a Saturday, the sun is finally shinning, and I'm meeting up with other writer's today. I finished the edits on Knight of Pleasure last night and it is off to a beta reader before I send it to my editor.

Oh, and there are winners. Yes, plural. Bug wanted to help with the drawing and she drew two names. She did turn the prettiest shade of red. So, we have two winners. Email me at simone@simoneanderson.com with your format choice.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Ali
Jeanne

THANK YOU for everyone who answered.

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-09T16:11:00.003-04:00

It's Friday!

That means school is out! I have tests to study for, but this week is done!

So what are everyone's plans for the weekend?

Me - there are two home Hockey games this weekend at school, so girls night out - is Hockey! There will be cookie and bread making. And Lots of studying - primarily in mythology and physiology. That'll be fun. Other than that, I think I'm going to work on a quilt and work on my newest book.

Inspiration From Pictures

2009-10-08T14:12:00.003-04:00

Inspiration can come from anywhere - places I've been or from a photo I've seen. This can be one of my hero's retreats or maybe he is drawn here by an unknown force or maybe he is trapped here by magic or because his spirit can't leave the final resting spot of his body.

OR

Maybe this comes wrapped in that photo and our hero has to figure out why he was sent it and who is behind? Is it a past lover wanting to get back with him? To get back AT him? Is it a plea for help? Or was it delivered to him by mistake? Oh, better yet - is it some combination of both?

Remember tomorrow is the last day to enter to win a free copy of Finding Love!

Bread and Cookies

2009-10-07T09:34:00.006-04:00

It's fall, so therefore is time to bake and cook, which I love to do. This week I made chocolate chip cookies and Zucchini Bread. Next week, it'll be apple butter, more cookies, and probably a sweet bread or two. I know I'm making Bannock for a retreat I'm going to in a couple of weeks.

The cookies I made were from the back of the Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chips bag, and while they tasted good, they were a little crispy and way too flat. But there aren't any left, so they couldn't have been too bad.

The Zucchini Bread recipe was from Allrecipes.com - love that site - and it turned out really well. I made 3 loves and none of them lasted more than a couple of days.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, brown sugar, zucchini, and vanilla; stir well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour. Cool.

If you don't use the 9 x 5 pans, it makes more. I didn't add the raisins or the nuts, and it tasted perfectly fine. The only hard part was grating the zucchini. I want to make it again, but they said the s-word on the news this morning - repeatedly - so, I don't know if it'll be around anymore. At least not for a reasonable price. Should've gotten more from the farmers market and frozen it after I grated it.

The Way We Write

2009-10-06T08:53:00.004-04:00

When it comes to how a book is written, writer's generally fall into two camps - plotters or pantsers. Over at Writer's Evolution this week, we are tackling the issue of plotter vs. pantser and who is right.

Pantser: A writer who does little to no plotting and writes whatever flys into their head - writing by the seat of their pants.

Plotter: A writer who plots the entire story before writing down the first word. Can be either a simple out line or an extremely detailed, 100 page outline.

Enter to Win!

2009-10-05T09:03:00.004-04:00

To celebrate the fact that I'm going to be a great aunt soon, I'm giving away a free copy of Finding Love in the format of your choice this week. Anyone who leaves a comment on my blog between now and Friday will be entered to win. I'll announce the winner on Saturday!

Finding Love Blurb:

When Nick Jackson finds out that Tristan McTavish, his submissive ex-boyfriend, is missing, he rushes back to Harbour Springs, Michigan to look for him and to find out who has been leaving the mysterious packages with threatening notes, bloodied shirts, and bondage equipment on his doorstep. Along the way they learn to deal with past issues, unrealistic expectations, and how to go through the future together. They find love and each other.

The Game Writers' Play

2009-09-30T12:13:00.004-04:00

I live in an area that while not exactly founded by the Dutch, it is heavily influenced by the conservative Dutch Christian Reformed Church separatists seeking religious tolerance or freedom anyway. There is a church about every block - mostly Protestant with a good number of Catholic thrown in for good measure and with an increasing number of other religions and their places of worship popping up. Given this heritage, religion is a hot button topic here, in any class and situation. Why does this matter? Because I'm taking a mythology class - which has done wonders for my muse's attitude and my imagination - and this week we got to watch The DaVinci Code. Excellent movie. We were supposed to have a discussion about it afterward, however, the entire class practiced restraint and said very little except to answer the prof's questions. The reason - no one really wanted to start that war. Though it was tempting. The question was asked - amid a bunch of other babble, why Dan Brown wrote that book. The rest of the questions were answered, that was not. But I have a guess.

To answer a question.

But what question? The question - well game - most writers - at least the ones I know ask themselves and makes our significant others and non-writing friends and family run in fear or turn around offer inane suggestions that might really work.

What if -- ?

What if the sky were red instead of blue? What if Earth had two moons? What if that box in that you saw in that store that sells trinkets, statues of faeries and dragons, and incense wasn't bought from a store, but was bought at a garage or estate sale in the bottom of a box of junk for a 1.00 and it contained the first evidence that the modern civilization is actually part of some sort of human ant farm, and we're actually in a class room or museum. Or it was unearthed during construction by a bulldozer along with a set of human bones. In the middle of an Ancient American Indian Burial Ground.

What if --?

My friend Caley played that game after reading an article and got a book about elves and world destruction and a diary that ended up in someone's hands. I played it and ended up with a bar. I played it again and got a new world creation myth that has/is/was lost to the fabric of time and a new series idea.

Writers, I think, are by nature a curious lot. We see things that aren't there, we rework a myth and cross it with a legend, secret societies, and a man who thought outside the box and just might have thought he was smarter than ruling people and you get a book that makes people think and creates dialogue among the arguing. For a book I wrote, I created a mythology and a history to go with it. Why? Because it added depth to the story. Because all cultures have myths, legends, and stories.

Why do we incorporate things, people, and places we know, see, hear, feel, and think about into our work? The answer on the exam that the lit teacher asks is something like - to make a point that maybe which only the author knows or because it offers the readers a means to ground themselves and a point of reference. The true answer is because everything and everyone we come in contact with is book fodder - meaning its stored for later use.

So the reason why Dan Brown wrote the books he did? FOr his answer - ask him - he may say I'm full of crap - eh...

It answers a question.

More than that - its what writers do - they tell stories. Occasionally they make you think. Occasionally they elicit a strong emotional reaction. But writers write, because 9 times out of 10, they have no choice.

Mistakes for Writers

2009-09-29T14:01:00.002-04:00

Over at Writers Evolution we're talking about mistakes writers make this week. Well, the topic is mistakes, I concentrated on writing type mistakes, because no one wants to read about how bad pumpkin pie tastes when you don't add enough sugar to it.

Music to Write By

2009-09-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

For every book I write, I have a soundtrack that I listen to while writing.

Here is the Soundtrack for Knight of Pleasure the first book in my new series - Smuggler's Cove

1. Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Tears of Joy - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)
3. Journey - Robyn Wyldwood
4. Oak, Ash, and Thorn - Robyn Wyldwood
5. Final Sacrifice - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI
6. Warriors and Knights - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)
7. In Rememberance - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI
8. Sacred Shabbat - Loreena McKennitt
9. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf
10. Legion - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Paul Andrews, ASCAP
11. Dawn Mist - Freeplay Music - Composed by:D. DiFonzo, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI
12. Kamande - Violaine Corradi
13. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence
14. Haunted - Evanescence
15. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins
16. The Bumber of My SUV - Chely Wright
17. God Bless America - Martina McBride
18. Leader Of The Pack - Twisted Sister
19. I Remember - Woodland
20. Health To The Company - Robyn Wyldwood
21. Til The Last Shots Fired - Trace Adkins

Distractions!

2009-09-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

Over at Writers Evolution we are discussing distractions all week, and how we write and work with them. I'm not easily distractable, but I can be distracted with emails, the new addition to the family, eye candy, eye candy at school. Come and see how we deal with distractions.

Rest In Peace

2009-09-15T01:58:00.001-04:00

Eye Candy And Title

2009-09-14T13:50:00.001-04:00

Today's eye candy.

I'm editing the first book in a new series - Smuggler's Cove although I'm still wavering if it should be Smugglers' Cove. Oh well, probably too late for that debate. But since I can't edit in class, I write. And I started on the second book for Smuggler's Cove, although I do have characters for a couple of non-series books running around, so we'll see what happens. The new Smuggler's Cove book has a title and characters. Now it just needs a backstory and a soundtrack and really good time line.

On Sale Today

2009-09-07T08:39:00.002-04:00

Finding Love is on sale today through Total-e-Bound!

Finding Love

2009-09-04T11:15:00.002-04:00

My debut release Finding Love comes out Monday, September 7th from Total-e-Bound Books, here is a sneak peak:

Excerpt:

A shrill ring sang out from the cell phone tucked in Nick Jackson’s pocket, echoing loudly in his Lieutenant’s cramped office.

Nick yanked the phone out of his pocket, intent on silencing it before asking his boss to let him come back to duty early from medical leave. While he didn’t relish pushing papers, it beat sitting at home alone. Glancing at the display, he swore. Scowling, he flipped open the phone.

“Sheriff Daniels, to what do I owe this surprise? And how in the hell did you get this number?” Craig Daniels was the sheriff in his hometown of Harbour Springs and a friend from high school. One of the few straight friends Nick had retained from that time.

“Nick, the dojo was broken into a couple hours ago—”

“So call why are you calling me?” Nick demanded.

“We can’t find Tristan. He isn’t answering either of his phones, and you’re still on the lease,” Craig stated flatly, his voice giving away his regret, one cop to another.

Nick’s heart stopped, and he dropped into the seat behind him. “What do you mean you can’t find him?”

“Just that, Nick. He’s not at the house, not at the dojo, and not answering his phone. And his sister wants to file a missing persons report. She claims he hasn’t been answering his phone for a couple days.”

“Amberlee’s involved? I’ll be there tonight.”

“There’s storm coming in.”

“It’s winter. There usually is.” Nick snapped shut the phone and ran his hands through his hair. Unadulterated fear coursed through his veins, demanding he return to Harbour Springs immediately. His mind raced with myriad details that had to be accomplished if he wanted to leave within the hour.

“What happened?”

Nick looked up, stunned to see Lieutenant Tony Simmons sitting on the corner of his desk, the door closed, concern etched in the hard edges of his eyes. It was a look Nick had seen before, the look of a concerned father when one of his kids screwed up or was in trouble.

“Um, Tristan, my ex, is missing. I need to go home,” Nick answered, stumbling through the words.

“In that case, take the time you need, keep us posted and your request to return to work early has been denied,” Tony answered easily. “Go home and find him.”

* * * *

Had it been a week since that call? Nick looked from the Glock in his lap to the sleeping form on the bed. They’d found Tristan McTavish, his boyfriend—no his ex-boyfriend—that night in an abandoned one-room shack seven hundred metres behind the log cabin Nick and Tristan had once shared. Tristan had been disoriented and shaking, his body over-sensitised.
Nick rubbed a hand over his face, trying to scrub away the memory. Tristan had been chained naked to a wall, his face encased in a leather hood, a wool blanket thrown over him. A space heater had been turned on, but it hadn’t been enough to warm the shack, and hypothermia had set in.

The phone on the nightstand next to Nick began to vibrate, pulling him from the memory.

“What’s up, Craig?” Nick asked, peering at his watch.

“Gamma Hydroxybutric Acid.”

“GHB? That’s what was in the baggie?” Nick jumped to his feet and padded out of the master bedroom not wanting to wake Tristan. “Are they sure?”

“Yes. There weren’t any traces in Tristan’s blood or urine, but it only lasts about twelve hours in the system.”

“Well, that explains the amnesia. What about the rape kit?” Nick asked, checking all of the locks on the doors and windows.

“Nothing.”

“I don’t think rape was the intention. It would have been easier to rape him at the house,” Nick said, returning to Tristan’s bedroom. “We know he put up a fight once chained. They might have used the drugs to get him to come along peacefully.”

“Makes sense. There weren’t any prints in the cabin or on the cuffs. Which means the attacker either used gloves or—”

“Or doesn’t sweat enough to leave them,” Nick finished, returning to the wingback chair he and Craig had moved into the bedroom when Tristan returned home from the hospital. “Probably gloves. Maybe thick winter ones. It would add to the confusion, especially if Tristan were to remember anything from then.”

“Yup.”

“Plenty to think about. Thanks.”

Nick hung up the phone and propped his feet up on the ottoman.

The results confirmed what he’d suspected, someone was terrorising Tristan. The question was why. The quick search he and Craig had done of the house when he’d first arrived in town had yielded a box containing several photos and a bloodstained shirt. The shirt was Nick’s, but he knew the blood wasn’t. He’d been in uniform when he’d been shot, but Tristan wouldn’t have known that. Everything had been sent to the lab in Grand Rapids for analysis, priority had been given, but there was no guarantee when they would get back the results, or if there were anything useable.

The photos were more than a little disturbing. They were of his apartment, him in the hospital, leaving the building when he’d been shot, and at the station some time beforehand. For that one, someone had had drawn a bulls-eye target around his head. The notes he and Craig had found ranged from a simple demand to leave town to more graphic promises of torment and torture. Logically, he knew everyone was a suspect. The first to enter his mind were Tristan’s father and three of his brothers – Paul, Mike, and John Jr. He couldn’t dismiss a jealous lover or jilted one. He still wasn’t sure if Tristan had a boyfriend or lover, but he felt certain he did. Of course, it could be Amberlee, also, using the missing person routine as a ruse. He still couldn’t pinpoint a reason. If someone were trying to win Tristan’s affections, there were much easier ways, ones that didn’t include Nick. Why bring an ex-lover back into the picture, even if they were after him, it didn’t make sense for Tristan to be a target.

Insert Cool Blog Title Here

2009-09-02T13:29:00.003-04:00

I had this great blog post planned out and was writing it in my head on the way up to the hospital, but as soon as I got to my destination I found myself surrounded by cute male docs and nurses and now I can't remember what I was going to post, but I'm sure it was brilliant.

It's been one of those weeks - school starts next week, I need to finish the edits for my WIP so I can start the next one - which might be a Christmas type one, I haven't decided yet. But the characters for the second book in my new series are screaming at me to hurry up - oh well, I'm not complaining.

Lesson I learned this week - there are no inconsequential details in your books.

And in other news Finding Love comes out next Monday - watch for an excerpt.

Tuesday and Such

2009-09-01T01:37:00.002-04:00

I know it's Tuesday, so I'm over at Writers Evolution discussing heroine's, which should be interesting because I currently don't write heroines - I write m/m erotic romance. Hmmm.

Anyway, welcome Stephanie Michaels to the line up.

And it's only 7 days until Finding Love is here. Excerpt coming soon!

I Need A Hero

2009-08-25T13:48:00.001-04:00

We're talking about heroes, over at Writer's Ev olution

Done!

2009-08-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

Finished my work in progress.

Monday - 3384 words
Tuesday - 2741 words
Wednesday - 270 words
Thursday - 4195 words
Friday - 4864 words

What I find personally interesting is that both yesterday and today it took me less time to write more words. Motivation is a factor, but I think it's also the fact that I knew what was happening and I was dying to give the guys their happily ever after.

Too Much Sex?

2009-08-18T12:56:00.000-04:00

Is there such thing as too much sex in a book? Find out what my fellow authors and I have to say about it this week at Writers Evolution.

Weekender

2009-08-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Friday is here at last! I know it comes the same time every week, but this Friday also means the end of my summer semester. And that is totally worth celebrating! I took two classes - one in Literature and one in Biology - interesting classes, but devoid of ideas for books or interesting ways to endlessly complicate the lives of the people living in my head.

I was trying to decide how best to celebrate my new found freedom from the tedium of studying and came to the conclusion that the celebration has to wait until next weekend, after I finish my current book. It needs to be done and to a beta reader this weekend. And then I can celebrate.

I was going to go to the Black Rose Pub with some friends to celebrate, but the fiends closed down! Rumor has it that they'll reopen, but it'll be different. I did hear about another restaurant/pub to go check out next time I get north, so that'll be fun. I do need to find a good Indian restaurant here, and I really need to find a traditional Japanese restaurant that serves something beside sushi, sashimi, and whatever can be cooked on a Hibachi grille. When I lived in Japan there was this little hole in the wall place that served the best yakisoba, which isn't what you get in the stores and I've been dying for some for about five years now.

In other news, I think next week I'll be making apple butter, and later this summer my mom and I are going to canning - jellies, tomatoes, and pickles! I'm looking forward to the pickles - my mom's are the best and it's been years since she's made any. Her garden is doing great this year - she planted marigolds around the whole veggie patch and it keeps all of the critters away. Her cherry tomatoes are about a third of the size of the store bought tomatoes - or half depending on the location and season. Fruit and veggies in the snowbound north are imported at least 6 months out of the year.

This weekend along with finishing my book, I'm going to try my hand at zucchini bread and maybe some homemade white bread and possibly some cookies.

The photo is from the tank of a bike at a rally I went to three weeks ago - maybe four. I can't remember anymore, which reminded me that I still need to get the pics I took from Carol Lynne's weekend up.

Have a great weekend! I'm off to write!

Author Under the Influence

2009-08-11T17:17:00.000-04:00

of a whole lot of other authors and friends. Check out just a few of the authors that have an influence on me at Writer's Evolution.

It's Here!!!!

2009-07-30T08:29:00.000-04:00

I got the cover for Finding Love! -- YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time would heal their wounds but not their hearts.

If It's Tuesday It Must Be....

2009-07-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

time for Writer's Evolution and this week we're talking about betrayal.

Oops

2009-07-25T06:32:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I did little more than pop in and out. Oops.

I don't know who said this first or if there is anyone that you can attribute this remark to but really - thanks! I was in class and we were discussing the education, roles, and rights of women in early US history. And some brillant teenager brought up the fact that as more women go to college, the higher the divorce rate. Yup, it's that easy. The prof, bless him, said it's not the simple, its more complex than that. And I said something equally brilliant like "well, duh" which apparently my prof has eagle ears because I didn't say real loud, not even in a loud whisper, but a true whisper. And he says care to explain. So I said yeah, I'm divorced. Then he asked if it was possible for me to give the reasons for my divorce. That is a topic I don't generally go into but I did come up with the best answer:

"Aside from the fact that he thought he was God and I disagreed -" which brought much laughing from the teens and prof in the class "he thought women should be barefoot and pregnant and not as well educated as women. I disagreed."

Divorce - any divorce - is rarely that simple, but it worked for the situation covering a wide array of topics that I didn't really want to go into - so whoever should get the credit for

"He thought he was God and I disagreed" - thank you. Perfect timing there.

In other news:

I got the cover for Finding Love and will share that with you soon and I joined Dakota Rebel and Brynn Paulin at Carol Lynne's Reader's Weekend in Kansas City.

Tuesday!

2009-07-14T07:34:00.000-04:00

I've been busy writing and editing. But I'm taking a break today and am over Writers Evolution to talk about what I would be doing if I wasn't writing. The horror.