Weds Brief

Well they are BACK,    Ben and Tom have returned.    Check out what adventures they have in store this week.    There is a little twist at the end.

Weds Brief  

This week's prompt is: "Nothing else matters" or have a scene set in an art gallery or use: fish, knife, ice or use a bucket in an interesting way or have one of your characters explain what FIFO means or have someone watch an arrest or be arrest or use: sun, mimosa, swing or "One is the loneliest number"

Lancaster wasn’t a metropolitan area like Philadelphia or New York, but it had amenities all its own. They had parks, festivals, and museums.

Yes, Lancaster had a lot to offer, a cross between city and country.  Tom and Ben couldn’t think of any place they’d rather live than here.

“Tom, did you see this one?”  Ben and Tom decided to spend their Sunday afternoon at the Museum of Art and History, nicknamed MOAH.  

“Wow, that’s lovely.” Tom took a closer look at the painting Ben stood in front of.  “It kind of looks like it could have been done in our backyard. “ Their home backed onto a nature preserve, which was one of the reasons they’d bought the house.  

“Yeah, you’re right.  The artist even captured the stream bed that meanders through.”

The two men wandered through each of the exhibit rooms. The museum was having a special exhibit about love.  So all the artwork was related to love in some way.  The painting they’d been admiring reflected love of nature.  There were photos and paintings and sculptures depicting a parent’s love for his children, an elderly couple being cared for by their grown children, and a painting of a couple’s wedding in Paris.

Ben was so engrossed with a statue sitting in the middle of the room he didn’t notice Tom had made an abrupt stop in front of him. He ran right into his back.

“Tom, what did you stop for?”

“Look at that, Ben.”

There was a sculpture entitled “Nothing Else Matters.”  Two men, one holding the other as he lay on the ground.  They wore military uniforms, and it appeared one was wounded.  Of course, like most art, it was left up to the interpretation of the viewer. 

“They’re lovers,”  Ben whispered. 

“How can you tell that?”  Tom took a closer look at the piece.  “I mean, I can see they’re comrades in arms, even close friends, but lovers?”  Tom turned to Ben, who was still mesmerized by the art.   

“I think the wounded one might be dying.”  Ben reached out and took Tom’s hand.  It made him think of images he had of Tom and his dangerous job.

“It’s okay, Ben.”  Tom squeezed his hand. Tom seemed to know where his mind had gone. 

“I know it doesn’t say what it is, but I get the impression they’re a couple, closeted ,and one got wounded by enemy fire and he’sdying.”  Ben’s voice got very quiet at the end.  He rested his head on Tom’s shoulder. There were other people milling about the gallery, looking at the exhibits.  Tom and he were so caught up with the art piece that they didn’t realize someone was watching them.  

“How about we get a bite to eat?  There’s a restaurant a few blocks over I’d like to try,”  Tom suggested.   

* * * *

A shadow followed the two men as they made their way to the exit.  The figure watched them leave and stood by the front entrance.   Tom and Ben went to their car and drove off.   

“Fags, you’re all ruining this country.  Well, I’m going to take care of at least two of them.”

TBC

My fellow Weds Briefers:

Andrew Gordon 

A.R. Von 

Victoria Adams 

Nephylim        

Cia Nordwell    

Renee Stevens 

Tali Spencer   

Michael Mandrake    

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

 

Welcome Tia Fielding to my blog

I'd like to welcome author Tia Fielding to my blog today.  Let's find out more about her and her new book "Positive."  just out from Dreamspinner Press.

1-How long have you been writing? 

I started to write fan fiction at some point in 2009. Before that I'd always written for myself only.

In 2011 I got my first contract after being brave and sending off one of my kids, I mean stories. Basically I've been a published author for a couple of years now.

2- What is your favorite genre to write? 

Contemporary. I like to draw inspiration from real life, but I do manage subgenres into my work too, so basically I write stuff with a contemporary mask. So far I've written contemporary vampires, contemporary shifters, contemporary BDSM, contemporary menage.... 

3-What are you working on now?

I'm writing my next novel. At least I think it'll be a novel. It's a story about an alcoholic washed up country singer who tries to find happiness while staying sober, dealing with coming out in his forties, and beliving he's worthy of the love of an awesome, younger man. Oh and there are teenaged kids he had with his ex-wife, the whole country thing and so on... Lots of stuff in that book. 

4-When you begin a story do you start with character or plot? 

Really depends. For example I started my first novel, By Any Other Name, with the plot and the characters just fell into it naturally. Technically Dead on the other hand started with the characters. My third novel, Falling Into Place started with a timid voice in my head who wanted to tell his story. 

5-Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it? 

Positive is actually the outcome of my love of police procedure shows. I watch anything from Castle to Criminal Minds to Hannibal to Elementary to CSI. I watch it all. Naturally that has an effect on my brain and my question--which I asked my mom while we were mushroom hunting last autumn--was "What if someone sharpshot people with darts filled with HIV positive blood?" The rest is history and the story with M/M romance as the real genre can be read from the novel!

Buy Link:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4088

Blurb:

Even after a decade, the life that journalist Brent Walsh and Milwaukee homicide detective Shawn Mackey have made together is far from boring. But when a new case cuts a weekend getaway short, they aren’t quite prepared for how it will impact their personal lives. Suddenly there’s too much to juggle: Shawn will be working the case of the sharpshooter who is trying to infect random people with HIV, Brent needs to cover the story but fears a conflict of interest, one of Shawn’s colleagues is attracted to him, and Brent sincerely needs to mend the painful break with his childhood best friend, Ollie, and heal their broken hearts.

Though the case comes to a close, it’s not the end of their troubles. Shawn and Brent still face a past of old white lies, a present possibility of inviting another man to their bed, and a future with children, not to mention health issues and national fallout from the case. It’s enough to make them want to run away—until they realize they have to face those challenges head-on so they can get on with the life of love they’re hoping for.

Excerpt:

Brent was watching a movie when Shawn came home that evening.

“There’s beer and pizza in the fridge,”  Brent called over his shoulder and then concentrated back on the car chase on the screen.

To his surprise, Shawn came straight to him instead of going to the kitchen, and leaned over the back of the couch to kiss him.

“What’s up?” Brent raised an eyebrow, smiling and baffled.

“Fucking horrible day. Or not, maybe. Just… rough.”  Shawn frowned and toed off his shoes  and left them behind the couch, which was a clear sign that Brent’s usually tidy husband had really had a bad day.

“You go take a shower and I’ll get you a plate, okay?”  Brent murmured when Shawn leaned in to kiss him like he could hardly take the time to get the loafers off before touching their lips together again.

“Okay. Thanks, babe.” Shawn seemed to deflate a little, the stress leaving him just enough to let them move on with their routine.

Brent paused the movie and went to heat up the pizza. While Shawn liked it cold, Brent thought it would be more comforting to eat it hot. He added some tomato salad on the side and took a couple beers from the fridge.

He didn’t have to wait long before the shower turned off deeper in the house, and part of him wished he’d have thought to join Shawn. A blowjob would’ve surely helped in the situation. Then again, they had time before they needed to get to sleep.

Sadly, when Shawn came back from his shower dressed only in comfortable boxer briefs, he didn’t look much more relaxed.

“You shouldn’t be given time to think, you know that, right? ”Brent smiled weakly  at Shawn,  who sat down on the couch and took the proffered food and drink, his expression mirroring Brent’s.

“Come morning, the press will be all over this. The phones are ringing at HQ already. There’s going to be panic.”  Shawn’s voice was quiet as he picked at his salad and seemed to force himself to eat the pizza.

“The big monster, yeah.”  Brent leaned back in his spot next to Shawn and held both their bottles so Shawn didn’t have to move when he wanted to drink.

He gave the bottle to Shawn and took it back between slices.

“I don’t know how to do this, Brent. What if they—no, what am I doing when they start the whole ‘gay disease’ thing?”

“You soldier on. Do your job. Let your boss decide if you need to do something differently. Never mind the idiots you work with if they start harassing you. Then you come home to me and have loads of great sex and repeat it all the next day.”  Brent hoped he sounded more optimistic than he felt.

----

Bio

Tia Fielding lives in a peaceful little town in a small country in northern Europe. She loves nature, her horses, cats, and even the yappy little thing that occasionally gets called a dog. Tia learned to read before she went to school at the age six and began writing as soon as she figured she had stories to tell around the mature age of seven. Stories about horses, adventures, and ghosts might have turned into hot GLBTQ-romance, but she still has a wicked imagination and, hopefully, more stories to tell. 

Visit her at http://www.tiafielding.com and by Twitter @tiafielding.

Weds Brief

Hi to all my readers/visitors,

I am sorry to say that Tom and Ben and I are taking a break this week.   we had a busy weekend.   Took a trip into DC and saw the Capitol and the US Botanical Gardens.   so we were too tired to write about any adventures.   They will be back next week.

until then here are the links to my fellow authors Weds Briefs.

MA Church    

Cia Nordwell    

A.R. Von 

J.A. Harmon 

BL Morticia 

Nephylim    

Tali Spencer   

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Welcome guest author Tempeste O'Riley

Please welcome author Tempeste O'Riley to my blog today. Let's find out more about her and her book "Designs of Desire." she is having a contest. see below to enter.

 1-How long have you been writing? Most of my life, but actively working on writing fiction to share with the world? Only the last couple of years. Last year I got serious and worked on my current release, Designs of Desire, and submitted it to DSP. Now, of course, it’s been out for just over a week! :c)

 2- What is your favorite genre to write? Contemporary Gay Romance (yeah, I know that’s more than one, lol).

 3-What are you working on now? I am working on books 2 & 3 in the Desires Entwined series: Desires’ Guardian and Temptations of Desire. You meet both MCs for DG in Designs of Desire, and one of the MCs of ToD.

 4-When you begin a story do you start with character or plot? Character! Once I know the characters seeking their HEA, it’s much easier to help them find it, though my characters tend to have a mind of their own, so plotting isn’t always possible, lol. ;c)

 5-Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it? Designs of Desire is my latest release and was inspired by my own trials as a person with joint and mobility issues—same as James in the story. It’s like, if you’re not physically ‘normal’ people look past you, like you’re not a whole, sexual being just because of a disability. So, Designs is really the story of a sweet but damaged man finding out that love is not as elusive as he thought, and that one man can see who he truly is inside, not just the limitations of his outside.

 I’m doing a giveaway for the release



  Artist James Bryant has forearm crutches in every color from rainbow for fun to sleek black for business. He even has a pair with more paint splatters than metal. After his family’s rejection and abuse from a man he thought loved him, James only just gets through the day by painting. He lives in constant fear that he’s not worthy of anything, let alone love.

As CEO of his company, Carrington Enterprises, Seth Burns is a take-charge kind of guy, and he is instantly smitten by the artist helping with his newest project. When he witnesses James suffer a panic attack, a protective instinct he never knew he had kicks in. He truly believes nothing is unobtainable—including James—if he’s willing to put in the time and effort.

 James is shy and confused by Seth’s interest in him as a person. With Seth’s support, can he work through his fears to finally find the true love he deserves, or will someone finally land the crushing blow he won’t survive?

Excerpt: A file slapped the desk in front of James, distracting him from his attempt at counting the dots in the ceiling tiles above him.

“I know you’re busy and all,” Brian said, his usual sneer in place. “But do you think you’ll have time to help a new client?” The man just lived to give him a hard time.

James took a deep breath. He desperately hoped his hatred of the man towering over him didn’t show. James Knew open displays of boredom pissed Brian off, but James hadn’t had a prospective or existing client call in two days. He’d finished his purchasing reports, sent the work orders and e-mail. All calls done. What else was he supposed to do?

“Sure, Brian. Let me see what we’ve got, and I’ll head right out,” James replied. He tried to sound upbeat. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his job; he did. But Brian hated him, and he always got the leftovers—usually clients the other designers did not want for one reason or another.

“I’m sure this one’s right up your—” Cough. “—alley,” Brian finished with a snicker.

James never figured out how someone so hateful and narrow-minded as Brian stood working in their field, much less kept his job. In James’s opinion, art, even corporate branding and design, should attract people with a bit more open-mindedness. He had a few ideas on the latter but kept his opinions, and gutter-mind, to himself.

Forcing a smile across his face as he opened the folder in front of him, James called out to Brian’s retreating form, “No worries, boss.”

Brian paused and turned to look over his shoulder and with a nasty smile added, “Oh, and the guy’ll be here in about ten minutes. Don’t screw up.”

Ten minutes? Seriously?

He started to peruse the new client information, pleased that at least the file seemed to be complete—charts, images, budget, etc.—and his phone rang. He answered on the second ring. “Good morning, James Bryant speaking.”

“Ah, Jamie, got the file yet? ’Cuz let me tell you, this one’s something else,” came the disembodied voice of his best friend and co-worker, Chase Manning. “He’s not like most of the scraps Brian-the-dick tosses you.”

“I’m sure I can handle whatever he sends my way. The clients aren’t usually as difficult as Brian and the others make them seem. They just don’t want to deal with high maintenance or quirky. Which, when you consider the job, makes no sense. But—”

“Jamie, dear,” Chase said, cutting him off. “That’s not it at all. This guy’s hot, and I mean H-O-T, hot. He’s waiting for you already and man, I so wish I had your job today,” he practically squealed. “So hurry up and get your sexy ass down here. Now.”

“Shh…. Don’t be so loud. The last thing I need is you to offend a new client. Now, go back to work and let me read over the file, would ya?” He shook his head and clicked off his Bluetooth. James glanced over the information for his new client. Seth Burns? Carl, their senior manager, had been trying to get Mr. Burns of Carrington Enterprises as a client for years. Wonder what he’s looking for and how this project slipped past Brian to me?

Setting it aside, James pulled out his messenger bag and loaded it with the folder. He already had all his staples in there: pens, pencils, a notebook or two, and a couple of sketch pads. He carefully hung it across his neck and shoulder so the bag wouldn’t slip. He preferred his backpack, but his boss frowned on “casual.” James gathered his forearm crutches, the plain black ones he only used for work, and he began the arduous task of getting up before he slipped his arms through the cuffs.

Once satisfied he wasn’t forgetting anything, James slung himself down the hall to the elevator, where he waited. He hated standing there, given Brian’s office faced the hall.

When James reached the main floor, Chase seemed to vibrate as he waited for him. His face reminded James of a child at Disney World instead of the twenty-five-year-old man he actually was.

“Do you want to meet with him down here in one of the conference rooms?” Chase pleaded, batting his eyes for full effect. He knew better than to act like that, but, oh well.

“Relax, Chase,” James said with a smile. Chase, his sometimes assistant and best friend, always worried about James walking too much, but then he never managed to understand the idea of limitations versus inability. James could walk, though he couldn’t walk far or carry much of anything. He simply needed his crutches. Limitations James loathed but had learned to accept.

“I just hate you traipsing up and down the halls. I wish—”

“Don’t,” James snapped harder than he’d meant to. “Sorry. You know I appreciate your concern, but I’m a big boy and can manage fine. Now, go back to your desk and do your job so I can do mine.”

With a huff, Chase flounced back to his desk. “Fine,” he called over his shoulder. “Be that way.”

James ignored him and pushed on, maneuvering himself around to reception to meet his new client.

DSP -http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4038 Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00E7K7YY4/tempeo-20 Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00E7K7YY4/tempeo-20 ARe -https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-designsofdesire-1252097-147.html? referrer=509aa4509d2f Rainbow eBooks -http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=11440

 About the Author:

Tempeste O’Riley is an out and proud omnisexual / bi-woman whose best friend growing up had the courage to do what she couldn’t–defy the hate and come out. He has been her hero ever since.

Tempe is a hopeless romantic that loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, she has done many things in her life, though writing has always drawn her back–no matter what else life has thrown her way. She counts her friends, family, and Muse as her greatest blessings in life. She lives in Wisconsin with her children, reading, writing, and enjoying life.

Tempe is also a proud member of Romance Writers of America® and Rainbow Romance Writers. Learn more about Tempeste and her writing at http://tempesteoriley.com