What's In A Name?

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.