Munaty's Golden Cake Giveaway

From Jan 29th to Feb 5th this blog is giving away some neat prizes, including 3- $50 amazon gift cards

Please go over and check out her blog, scroll down past the recipe for more info on the contest.

Munaty's golden cake giveaway

I was also featured in this magazine, Dec's issue.  I talked about "Catch of the Day" and I submitted a fave recipe of mine too
Dec Issue

Six Sentence Sunday

This one is from "Love on the East End"

Gabriel turned down the long linden-lined drive.   He parked in front of the quaint, Tudor style house at the end. He got out of the car, walked over to the fencing and looked at the rows of grape vines that went on towards the Sound.   There was just something about being out in the open air that made him feel so peaceful.

“Like what you see?”  A deep, sexy voice startled him out of his reverie. 

available from Romance First Publishing
  Buy link

Weds Briefs

Wednesday Briefs #3

This week’s prompts: 

Use: silk pajamas, cat's meow, wunderbar

Or use these alternative prompts:

Born in the USA

or

mayhem, mollycoddle, dandruff

or

stairway to heaven

or Puff the Magic Dragon.

Links to my fellow participants appear at the end of my story. 

The Mixed Bag

There was nothing like being able to sleep in; it wasn’t something that neither Tom nor Ben did often enough.  But today was different. Ben had his man all to himself and he wasn’t going to waste one minute.  He looked over at the handsome firefighter lying next to him. They both wore the matching silk pajamas Ben had gotten during the holidays.   Blue for him, since it was his favorite color, and red for his fella, because it matched his blond hair.

They’d been together for four years now and Ben still couldn’t understand why a tall, physically well-built man like Tom, who could have anyone he wanted, would want to settle for someone like him.   It’s not that he was ugly or anything like that, but in school he was more a geek and Tom was the jock.   Maybe it was true that opposites attract; it certainly held true for them. 

“Mm, what are you thinking about?”  Tom had woken up and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed ruminating.  Strong arms circled his shoulders and a pair of lips kissed his neck and shoulders. 

“Just wondering why me?”

“Huh, what do you mean why you?”  Tom positioned him in his arms so he was looking up at Tom’s face, his body leaning against his chest.

“Why do you want to be stuck with someone like me, a real estate agent who doesn’t even have work right now?”   It was a slow time of year for him and it was making him rather frustrated. 

“First of all, I’m not ‘stuck.’”   Tom’s deep voice could drive him nuts in a good way.   “I don’t care what you do for a living, all I know is I took one look at you at the Fireman’s Ball and thought you were the cat’s meow.”

“The cat’s meow?” Ben sat up. Had Tom lost his marbles?  “What year is this? Isn’t that from the forties or something?”

“You know what they say, what’s old is new.”   He kissed Ben’s lips.  “All I know is I love you.”

“I love you too, how about I make us breakfast?”

“Wunderbar!”

Ben rolled his eyes; sometimes he wondered if Tom knew how much he loved it when he got silly.  He went to the kitchen and started the coffee maker going.   Tom like his coffee strong. It was a good thing they’d gotten one of those Keurig coffee makers; this way they could each make their cups the way they wanted to.   He liked his coffee more civilized; Tom would make fun of him when he put three spoonfuls of sugar and milk in his coffee, while he would put in two and have it black.

“You think I’m a wimp?”  Ben asked Tom when he’d joined him at the kitchen counter.

“Nope, just different.”   Tom took a sip of his coffee and grabbed a fork to take a bite of the omelet Ben had just put in front of him.   “Mmm.  And a damn good cook too.” 

“At least I’m good for something.”

“Ben, will you stop being so negative?  Look, I love you. You don’t ask why someone loves you ‘cause I can’t answer it, not really.  All I know is that everytime I hear your voice, or see you, or even think about you, I get all excited.  I can’t wait to be with you.”

“I’m sorry, Tom.  I love you too.   I promise I’ll never doubt why you’re with me again.”

“Promise?”  Tom took his hand and squeezed it.

“Promise.”   They smothered each other with coffee-scented kisses.

TBC

Nephylim m/m

Lindsay Klug m/f

Sara York m/m

Julie Lynn Hayes m/m

I'm a guest on It's Raining Men Blog

Hello Everyone,

Today I am a guest on It's Raining Men blog.   Please stop by and visit

http://rainingmenamen.blogspot.com/2012/01/saturday-spotlight-lily-sawyer.html

Book Cover feature

I thought today I'd feature one of my favorite book covers done by Reese Dante.  One that so many people have complimented me about.    It's for my book "Catch of the Day"   The cover featured Jaran, my merman.  You can see a boat in the background, that belongs to my fisherman, Kellan.   The two get together in an interesting way and, such is the fickle ways of love, Cupid's arrow strikes both men.  

Catch of the Day

I have been thinking alot about this book and I have been asked to do a sequel.  So working on that might be my next project after my current WIP.

"Love on the East End" now has a book trailer

Love on the East End book trailer

Please check it out (another thank you to Ro)

Wednesday Briefs

It's that time of week again.  Time for the Weds Briefs.    The links to my fellow participants appear at the end of my story.   Enjoy

Wednesday Brief #2

Okay, now here are the prompts:

If I'd known you were coming, I'd have.... (fill in the blank)

or the alternate prompts are:

tree, highway, understanding

or

all we are is dust in the wind

or

do something involving time travel

 Love on a Rail

If there was one thing Ben loved, it was getting out of the house and spending time with his man.  It was hard with their busy schedules to arrange time together.   It was Sunday; Tom had just finished his three day rotation, and Ben didn’t have any houses to show.  Since this situation was rarer than seeing Halley’s comet they weren’t going to waste one single minute of their precious time.  They made plans to spend the day taking a ride on the open highway, seeing where it took them.    There were still plenty of places in Pennsylvania they hadn’t seen yet.  

“You know where I’d like to go?”  Tom broke the silence. Each man had been so lost in planning out their day, that it startled Ben for a moment.

“No, where, Tom?”

“I’d like to visit Strasburg, I’ve always wanted to visit the Railroad Museum. And then we could take a train ride on one of those old steam engines.”

“That sounds like a great idea.  I love trains too. My dad and I used to have model trains.  We kept them in the basement. we used to drive Mom crazy. She’d practically have to pry us out of there for dinner.” 

“Okay then, it’s a date. I’ll print out directions and we can go right after we have breakfast.” 

“Hey, Ben?”  Tom had done some research on the train ride they planned to go on and he was getting more and more excited, just like a kid in a candy store.

“What?”  Ben had joined him in the office where they kept their laptops.   He stood behind Tom and looked over his shoulder,

“It looks like they’re having a wine and cheese tasting event today,  I can call and see if there’s space for us.”  Tom looked at Ben, who was wearing one of his million-dollar smiles.  “How does that sound?”

“Sounds great, sweetheart.”  Ben leaned over and brushed Tom’s lips with his. 

Tom called up the main office and found out there was still room for them and he booked passage.  

In less than a half hour, they found themselves in the town of Strasburg.  Ben helped with directions, and they found space to park under a big oak tree. 

Tom took care of everything at the ticket office.  “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t see you on the list.” The man at the ticket counter was looking over the passenger list.

“It was my understanding that you had space available for me and my partner.”

“Can I have your name?”   

Tom gave him the information and waited while the guy looked it up again.

“Problem?”  Ben had forgotten his camera in the car and ran back to get it, rejoining Tom.

“Yeah, it looks like we’re not on the list.”

“Hold on sir, it looks like you are on the list. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.  I’m going to have to ask you for some ID.”

Tom and Ben looked at each other, then back at the ticket agent. “ID?”

“Yes sir. Since alcohol is going to be served, you have to be twenty-one and over to board.  No exception.”

Ben felt giddy; he hadn’t been carded in ages.   He and Tom pulled out their driver’s licenses and showed them to the agent.   He processed their tickets and told them where they needed to board.

The event took place in one of the dining cars;  trays of cheese and bottles of wine sat upon a serving counter.  

Between the two of them, Tom was the more outgoing.  Whenever he walked into a room, people would flock to him like a magnet.   So it was no surprise to Ben to find, upon his return from the restroom, that some blonde-haired woman had taken his seat.

“Oh, Charlie… CHARLIE!”  the older woman screeched her husband’s name—you could tell she was getting tipsy from drinking all that wine.  “Did you know Tom here’s a firefighter?”

“No dear,” a less-than-interested man, who looked like he was in his fifties, answered, standing next to his wife.

“I just think you’re all heroes.”

“Why thank you, ma’am.” Tom always blushed when a fuss was made over him.

“I bet a handsome guy like you has to fight off women.”

“No, I don’t.”  

“Oh, I’m sure you do.”  She leaned forward and patted his arm.

“I already have someone.”

“Really?  Well, where is she?”  the busy body asked.

“He’s right here,”  Ben answered as he stepped behind Tom and kissed his cheek.  “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?”

Ben was tempted to take a photo of the woman’s eye-popping, jaw-dropping expression.

“Well…I…uh…um.  Excuse me.” She quickly left.

Her husband watched her go and looked at Tom and Ben.  “Thank you, that’s the first time I’ve seen my wife at a loss for words.”

He smiled at them then disappeared into the crowd.

Ben took a seat next to Tom. “Well, that was fun.”

“You mean funny. I was hoping she’d get tired and leave. It took my boyfriend to chase her off.”

“Just so long as you know who you belong to.”

“I never forget.” He grabbed two glasses and asked the server to fill them with a shiraz.

“Try this, baby, it’s one of my favorites,” Tom whispered in his ear.

Ben had to admit it had a nice fruity taste; it went well with the Roquefort cheese they tried.

“Is this your only favorite thing?” Ben asked.

Tom’s arm snaked around his shoulder.  “Nope, you’re my favorite thing…. always.”

Ben smiled, and they shared a wine-flavored kiss.

TBC

 My fellow Weds Briefers

Nephylim  

Lindsay Klug 

LM Brown 

AJ Jarrett 

Victoria Blisse

RC Donitz 

Elyzabeth VaLey  

Julie Lynn Hayes

Book Trailer

I want to send a BIG thank you to Ro for creating this wonderful book trailer for me.

http://youtu.be/dC29L85AmV4

Book Sale-Final Day

Hello everyone,

To celebrate my book being published by Romance First Publishing,  "Love on the East End" is on sale. You get 25% off.   Please go here to find out more   Romance First Publishing

This is the FINAL DAY.  

thank you

Wednesday's Briefs #1

Welcome to a new week, a new name AND a new badge.  We're calling ourselves Wednesday's Briefs.  I think the name fits, and so do the hunky men above.

Our last Guest Prompt Diva is Reese and her last prompt is: It's not like that.

My alternate prompts are:

rat, bedtime, Neanderthal

"In for a penny, in for a pound"

or use your favorite song title in your flash somewhere.

 To Forgive Define 

“Come on, Ben, unlock the door.” Tom knocked several times, hoping he could patch things up with his man. 

“I know what I saw, Tom. I suppose you’re going to tell me that you weren’t hugging and kissing that man?” 

“Curtis is an old friend. We were high school buddies, played on the football team together.   I haven’t seen him in years.   His job’s taken him all over the world and he’s finally back in Pennsylvania again.    That kiss you saw was a chaste one!  Come on, baby, do you really think I’d cheat on you?”

Tom held his breath, waiting for some sign from Ben. He heard the sound of the lock, and the door slowly opened.  

“You looked awfully chummy for two old friends.”   

Tom’s optimism grew when Ben stepped out of their bedroom and stood in the hallway. 

“It’s not like that.”

“Then how is it, Tom?”  Ben took off for the kitchen. 

Tom never thought a chance meeting at the mall parking lot would ignite a firestorm.  Ben was running errands that morning, and they’d agreed to meet at the mall for lunch. 

It was supposed to be a day to enjoy their time together before Tom had to get back to the firehouse for another three day tour of duty.  

He never imagined he’d run into his high school bud ,or that Ben would show up when they were saying hello. Curtis came from a large, loving, Italian family where hugging and kissing were second nature.  But try explaining that to a jealous boyfriend. 

“Ben, where is all this jealousy coming from?”  

“I’m sorry, Tom, you know my history and how I got burned in the past.” 

“I know, baby, you told me.”  Tom knew Ben had been led on by a guy who promised him the world and ended up dumping him.  “But that’s all water under the bridge, you’re with me now and I’m with you… forever.” He leaned over and kissed Ben’s lips.  “It was a kiss on the cheek—you’re the only one I lock lips with.”  Tom hoped Ben remembered what they had together. 

“Yeah, well,   I guess.”

“Does this mean I can’t have any male friends?”

“No of course not,” Ben assured him.  

“You know you drove off like a bat out of hell, you never got a chance to even meet Curtis.  He’s a great guy; I was telling him all about my fella before you peeled off.”

“You were?”  Ben needed some reassurance real bad.  “You told him we were together?”

“Yes, of course I did, you’ve never been some dirty little secret to me, and you should know that by now.”    Tom wondered if Ben would ever get over being mistreated in his former relationship.    Tom wasn’t normally one to stoop to violence, but after Ben had told him what Roger did to him he wanted to do some serious damage to that bastard.   He pulled him into an ardent embrace and showered plenty of kisses all over Ben’s face and neck.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you for a minute.   How about we invite Curtis over for dinner?” 

“That would be great, Ben.  Only right now I am more interested in dessert.” 

“Dessert?”  Ben inquired with a big smile on his face.

“Yep” Tom led Ben back to their bedroom where they whispered sweet nothings in each other’s ears and shared plenty of sugar.

TBC

 Fellow writers:

Victoria Blisse (m/f)

Elyzabeth VaLey (m/f)

Julie Lynn Hayes (m/m)

I'm a guest on Silvia Violet's Blog

Hello All,

Today I am a guest on Silvia Violet's blog.   I'd like to thank her for being such a gracious host.   Please come on over and pay a visit

Silvia Violet's blog

Thank you

Book sale

Hello everyone,

To celebrate my book being published by Romance First Publishing,  "Love on the East End" is on sale. You get 25% off.   Please go here to find out more   Romance First Publishing

thank you

Welcome Guest Blogger Rob LaPointe

Hello everyone,

Today I am privileged to have author Rob LaPointe as my guest. He's going to answer a few questions about himself.

1- How long have you been writing?

Writing or writing reasonably well?  Wink.  Probably since the early 80s.

2- What made you decide to put yourself out there to publish.?"

The first story I sold was to Aboriginal Science Fiction Magazine.  It was accepted upon submission, with no edits.  I was thrilled to finally be a "real" writer.  The terms were "payment upon publishing," but it took me close to, I think, two years to finally get a check.  I actually had to send a demand letter.  So if your question is what made me decide to publish as in self-publish online, that's my answer.

3- What is your favorite genre to write in?

Speculative fiction.  For me, the whole point of writing is "what if."  I love to take the ball and run with it . . . but I feel like I'm only an honest writer as long as I can keep the reader running with it too.

4-What are you working on now?

I've been a martial artists since about 1973.  I got fired up about it watching the original Kung Fu TV show with David Carradine (shame about that whole auto-erotic thing!  I always thought he was a man to emulate, um, right up until that).  Anyway, back on topic, I'm working on a satire about a guy running a martial arts school and all the, what's the right word, interesting, people he meets.  Believe me, I've met them.

5-Favorite character from one of your books?

There are two.  The first is based on reality.  The second is pure fiction.  I like them both, but I deeply admire the first.

The first is the main character of Shirabe, the short story I sold to Aboriginal.  He's based on my father-in-law, who is Japanese.  My father-in-law survived the fire bombing of Tokyo when he was a small boy.  During the bombing, as he was running to a bomb shelter, there was a much younger child who had been separated from his family.  The child was crying in the street as everyone ran past him.  My father-in-law ran back and picked him up and took him to the bomb shelter.  When the boy's mother found him she was so grateful she couldn't speak to say thank you.  That tale from the war deeply impressed me and I was compelled to write about it.  I think my father-in-law showed more courage as a six year old than most of us are ever called upon to show as adults.

The second is Descreo.  He's a character in my novel Bow to the Moon.  He's blasted into space on a mission to er, pass on his genes, but conditions beyond his control cause him to crash land on a planet different from his destination.  Let's just say he stays on task.

Blurb:

Five space faring races have tried to colonize the planet Avora. All have failed and watched as their settlements reverted to savagery. Only the native Xha remain unaffected, their culture ancient and unchanged beyond memory.
Now one man finds himself among a new colony of clones. He has no name and no memory. All he knows is that someone is trying to kill him. As he searches for answers, the Xha begin their great migration, and the world Avora seems on the brink of change and wonder, but if he is to witness it, he must survive the threat to his life.

Excerpts:

1st Excerpt from Bow to the Moon:

They went further, but the buildings showed no variety.  Omon turned the dray around, taking them into Westmont where they parked in front of Judiciary Square.  The statue was as they had left it.  The figure of the Primate had been sheared from the knees up, charred pieces of marble were strewn about the plaza.

“It can be repaired,” said March confidently.

“Of course it can, by a skilled craftsman.”

“No, I mean by the drones.  They have done remarkable work on the city, one statue would be a small matter for them.”

“A small matter which they will refuse to do,” said Omon. 

March gave Omon a skeptical look.  “Have you ever tried to reassign them?”

“The drones are difficult to deal with.  They’re programmed to use human speech and human modes of expression, in an attempt at more natural interface with human controllers.  The effect is unfortunate.  I find them spleenish and have spent a year avoiding them.”

2nd Excerpt from Bow to the Moon:

The Sudd are an old race.  They have had time to mature, sour into over-ripeness, convulse through several reformations, and settle at last into an indolent sophistication of no ordinary attainment.  Their astronomics are coeval with their mystic perceptions.  They have developed an elaborate science in conquering the stars, then made, some would say, the final exploration by turning that science inward.

I visited their mausoleum on Uytron III.  The halls were pervaded with an austral despair that haunts me still.  Midnight arrases hung from towering pedestals whereon perched elder gods of worlds visited then forgotten.  Spires of cinnabar and onyx rose ever into a nocturne vault.  Devices of alien wizardry were stacked against the walls, spying us from the shadows.  Alembics and sistrums of uncouth usage called silently, and in the beckoning gloom I sensed the heave and sink of ancient behemoths.

I was unsettled by what I saw, but my hosts only regarded me with flat, parchment eyes, all the while smoking their small pipes.

Rob is also a professional martial arts instructor, so when you visit his site don't forget to get yourself a copy of his FREE self-defense ebook.  Home page, top left.

Buy Link: http://www.lapointebooks.com/BowtotheMoon.html

Website:  http://www.lapointebooks.com/index.html

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4862219.Rob_LaPointe

Mentioned in Jan's Munaty's cooking mag

I was featured in Dec's issue but she mentions me again (along with other authors she featured in 2011)
this is wonderful magazine for anyone who cooks (or who might like to try to)

http://munatycooking.blogspot.com/p/munatycooking-magazine.html

Here was my issue in Dec

http://lilysawyerbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-am-featured-in-munaty-cooking-mag.html

Flash fiction

 Hello all,

Some changes have happened with Silver Flash stories.  We are no longer allowed to use the Silver Flash name or the badge.  Our group is going through a transition, picking up a new name and a new badge.  So for this week I am calling my story a flash fiction.  But it's the same characters.  I just love Ben and Tom.    

Our prompts were: 

It's almost time to ring in 2012! This will be our first prompt for the new year, and these come to us courtesy of our Prompt Diva West Thornhill:

“Damn, it’s cold.” or “Whoever said winter was wonderful was off their fucking rocker.”

As alternative prompts, you may use:

moonstone, goggles, retort

or

"If you don't like it, change it"

or

write a story that featurest a new schoolteacher or schoolmarm or professor - just someone involved in education

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

“Damn, it’s cold.”

Tom rolled his eyes. You’d think a man like Ben would be used to the winters in Lancaster Pennsylvania by now.

“Hello to you too, sweetheart.”  Tom put the book he’d been reading facedown on the coffee table.  He’d been sitting by their gas fireplace, enjoying a good read, when his partner returned from grocery shopping.  “Here, let me help you with those.”  He relieved his kvetching partner of his shopping bags and deposited them on the kitchen counter.

“I’m sorry, Tom, it’s just I wasn’t ready for it to turn this cold. Remember all that fifty degree weather we’ve been enjoying for the past two months? “

“I know, baby, but it’s winter.  How long did you expect the bitter temps to stay away?”    Tom helped put up the milk, butter, and cheese in the fridge while Ben was putting away the canned goods in the cupboards.

“I forgot the toilet paper in the car.” 

“I can get it for you,” he offered. 

“No, thanks, there’s no reason for both of us to get cold.  I’ll be back in a minute.”

Tom busied himself putting the rest of the groceries away.   He noticed Ben had been gone an awfully long time.  He looked out the front window that faced their driveway.  Ben was carrying a big package of toilet paper; their driveway was covered in patches of ice.   Tom had forgoten to treat the concrete with icy melt before he got all comfortable on the couch.    Ben almost made it back inside when he tripped and fell onto his backside.   Tom quickly ran out to help him. 

“Ben?”  He took the toilet paper out of Ben’s hands and threw it onto their porch, then helped Ben up. Together, they gingerly made their way back into the warm house.

He helped Ben out of his wet coat.

“Why don’t you get out of those wet clothes and I’ll make us some hot chocolate?”

Ben silently trudged towards their bedroom, the heavy footfalls a testament to his dark mood.

He came back dressed in grey sweatpants and a green sweater—the one Tom had recently given him for a Christmas present.   He didn’t realize when he gave it to him how turned on he’d be when Ben wore it.  It really brought out the color in his eyes. 

Ben plopped down on the couch, picked up one of the mugs that sat on the coffee table, and took a sip of the hot chocolate treat.  Tom joined him.

“Whoever said winter was wonderful was off their fucking rocker.”

“Well, look at it this way. Spring will be here in a few months.”

“You’re not helping, Tom.” Ben’s sour mood filled the room like a toxic odor.

“Well, how about this?” Tom gave Ben an envelope he’d retrieved from a drawer in the kitchen.

“What’s this?”

“I was going to give this to you next month, but I think you need it now.  Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Tom tried to contain his excitement as he watched Ben open the flap.

“Oh my goodness!” He looked at the envelope’s contents. “We’re going to Hawaii?”

“Is that warm enough for you?”

“Oh baby!” Ben smothered him with kisses. “I’m sorry for being such a sour puss.  I’m just not a winter person.”

“It’s okay, you’re my sour puss. And I love you.”

“Love you too.”  Their kisses became more passionate.

“Did I tell you how seeing you in this sweater turns me on?”  

“It’s my favorite. Someone very special gave it to me.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to take it off.”

“No, I don’t mind. I’m going to be doing some unwrapping of my own.”  Ben took off Tom’s blue sweatshirt, the one that had the PA Fire Dept emblem on it.

Christmas might have been over but for them the ‘fun’ of unwrapping their own gifts to each other was just beginning.

tbc

my fellow story tellers:

Mathilde Watson  

AJ Jarrett 

Victoria Blisse

Julie Lynn Hayes

Somebody to Love is best seller

Hello all.  I am so excited about my book, "Somebody to Love"  making the #1 best sellers list on Secret Cravings

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&products_id=87

Six Sentence Sunday

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year!    I have been busy the past few weeks so I couldn't participate in this event.   I'd like to start off the new year with my "Love on the East End"  story.   I am currently working on a story that I hope to get published in a few months.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed.   Until then please enjoy my current books.   If you like "Love on the East End"  please click on the buy links on the right.  

To check out other author's Six Sentence Sunday posts please go here
http://sixsunday.com/

Gabriel took an apple pie out of the fridge and some chocolate ice cream out of the freezer and they each took a serving and decided to enjoy dessert and wine in the cozy living room.  Gabriel stopped long enough to light the gas fireplace while William found himself a spot on the sofa.

“Mm, this is good.” William said between bites of ice cream and pie.

“It’s even better with the company I have with me now.”