Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Weds Brief

Well it's that time of the week again.  Weds Brief.    Check out what Ben and Tom are up to this week.

Here are the prompts for this week:

"You want to bury your bone where?" or use a bare cupboard in your story or it's THAT time of the month (play this any way you like lol) or use: penny, cranberry, doctor or find something interesting to do with soup or use something cold, such as ice cubes or "My mother always warned me about guys/gals like you..." or have a character reflect on a memory of band camp or use a rap on the knuckles





Garden chores


“Hey Tom, can you get me the box of trash bags out of the shed?”  Ben had been outside since early that morning doing the yard work; he wanted to get it done before the heat and humidity made it unbearable to work.

“Here you go, what can I do to help?”  Tom wasn’t much into gardening. He did his share of the inside chores: cooking, laundry, and general maintenance.  He liked doing woodworking; he’d made a bookcase and some shelving for their office.

“Could you clean the gutters? I think the one by the living room window is clogged. At least it sounded like it during that rain storm last night.”

“Okay, hon. I’ll check all of them.”  Tom turned to get the ladder from the garage. Ben’s hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.  “What?”

“Did I tell you how much I love you?” Ben told him.

“Yes, but I never tire of hearing you say it.”  Ben’s lips covered his. 

“Good, cause I’m going to keep on saying it.”

The men worked till lunchtime. The mid-day sun made it too difficult to continue.   Ben took off his T-shirt and wiped his sweaty brow with it. 

“Wow, I didn’t know there was going to be eye-candy with lunch.”  Tom came out the back sliding glass door carrying a tray loaded with food and two glasses filled with ice cubes and a pitcher of iced tea. 

He set it down on their glass-top patio table.  “I don’t know what I want more, the chicken salad sandwich, or some man meat.”  

“Tom.”  Ben stood next to his man and wrapped his arms around him.   Their lips met.  “How about we enjoy this wonderful food you put together and then take a shower? I’m kind of grungy from all the work I did.”   He sat down at a chair under the umbrella.

“Yeah, me too.”   Tom put a sandwich in front of Ben and poured them each a glass of iced tea.  

“This is SO good, Tom.”

“Thanks. I got the recipe from an online site.  It sounded good so I wanted to try it.”

“It’s a wonder we’re not fat from all the wonderful cooking you do.”

“Hey, you don’t do badly yourself.  I had to unbutton my pants from that wonderful chocolate mousse you made for dessert.”

“You sure that was the ‘only’ reason you unbuttoned your pants?”  Ben winked at him.

“Well, there was the ‘dessert’ after the dessert part.”

They enjoyed their meal and watched the birds visit their backyard feeders.   There was some battling going on for food between the birds and the squirrels.  “Look there’s a pileated woodpecker on our maple tree.”


“Wow, it looks great.”

“Keep an eye on it while I go get my camera.”  Ben quickly rushed inside .  Being an avid birdwatcher, Ben took every chance he could to document the birds he saw.  He was a member of the Audubon Society and kept a backyard bird count. 

“Where did it go?”  Ben asked him.

“It moved to the oak tree over there.”  Tom pointed to one of the large oaks that dotted their backyard.   Their property backed onto a nature preserve.   Ben proceeded to click away,  getting plenty of photos of the woodpecker and some gold finches too.   He rejoined Tom at the table; a big smile broke out on his face.

“You sure get a kick out of taking pictures of those birds, huh?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to share these pics with my birder group.” 

“How about sharing with me?”  Tom smiled over at him.   They finished their lunch; Ben helped him take their dishes and glasses inside. 

Tom surreptitiously took an ice cube from the bottom of his glass and ran it over Ben’s back; he’d been rinsing their dishes to put in the dishwasher.

“Tom, ooooh,  that is cold.”   Ben giggled and squirmed by the sink.   Tom took the ice cube in his mouth and ran it down Ben’s back and pulled down Ben’s pants and rubbed the ice cube between his crack.   “Tom! Oh gawd.” 

“You complained you were hot, so I’m trying to cool you off.  The dishes can wait, let’s go to the bedroom.”   Tom took some ice from the freezer and put it into a cup and brought it with him. 

He quickly disrobed and joined Ben on their king-sized bed.   Tom put an ice cube in his mouth again and ran it down Ben’s chest; he circled his nipples, which grew hard.  He traced a line down Ben’s naval to his groin.   He opened his mouth and slid Ben’s cock inside.

“Oh Tom, chilly.”     

The ice made for a chilly and hot sensation going on for Ben’s cock.   Ben twisted his fingers in the blanket and rode out the wave of bliss that Tom was giving him a thousand fold.    “Tom, I won’t last.  I’m gonna….Oh... Ah.”  He squirted come into Tom’s mouth.   Tom greedily sucked him dry. 

“Wow, that was something,” Ben managed to whisper as he rested his head on Tom’s chest.   “When I’ve rested up, I’ll return the favor.”

“Promise?”  Tom asked as he kissed the top of Ben’s head.

“Promise.”  Ben fell asleep.

TBC

my fellow Weds Brief authors:

 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Author Lane Hayes is a guest on my blog

I'm honored to welcome Lane Hayes to my blog today. Please make her feel welcome and check out her book "Better Than Good."




1-How long have you been writing?

“Better Than Good” is my first novel and my first writing attempt in a public forum. 

2- What is your favorite genre to write? 

I love romance.  Write what you know!  I’ve read more romance novels than I should probably admit.  Historical, contemporary... doesn’t matter, I love it all!  I discovered the M/M genre a couple years ago and it is fair to say that my Kindle is almost exclusively dedicated to them now.  (Hundreds of them J)

3-What are you working on now?

I’m finishing Peter and Jay’s story right now.  They make a guest appearance in “Better Than Good”.  Jay is Aaron’s best friend and I think as cool a character as Aaron.  Of course, I’m a little biased.

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

I definitely start with characters.  The characters seem to end up telling me their stories and in fact sometimes change direction while I’m typing away.  I generally have a direction for the plot but the characters guide the way.

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

It’s a little difficult to explain but Jay and Peter’s story came first, which will make sense when you read “Better Than Good”.  Other characters tend to develop from one story and in this case it was Matt and Aaron’s story.  I ended up writing it first because I couldn’t stop thinking of them.  I became obsessed when I met someone who literally looked like Aaron to me.  He was truly the most beautiful young man I’d ever seen.  He was playing waiter at a cooking demo for a bunch of women who were happy just drinking wine and staring at him all night.  Maybe it was that chance meeting that spurred me to tell Matt and Aaron’s story, who knows?  I’m more than happy I did.  Theirs is a simple but poignant tale about self-discovery and acceptance.  I love these characters and hope the readers will also!









Better Than Good
By Lane Hayes

Blurb

Matt Sullivan understands labels: law student, athlete, heterosexual. He has goals: graduate and begin his career in law. One fateful night, Matt tags along with his gay roommate to a dance club and everything changes. Matt finds himself attracted to the most beautiful man he's ever seen. All labels go flying out the window.

 Aaron Mendez doesn't believe in labels, and he’s leery of straight curious men.  He makes it clear that he’ll hide his fabulous light for no one. While Aaron can't deny the attraction between him and Matt, he is reluctant to start anything with someone who is still dealing with what this new label means—especially when that someone has a girlfriend. 



Excerpt from Better Than Good by Lane Hayes

By the time I took him back to his place, it was three a.m.  The usually busy streets were virtually empty.  A fine layer of fog from the river painted the low lying shrubs and sidewalks in front of his building.   It looked a little mystic and magical as though the early morning hour still held promise.  I pulled close to the curb, set the car in park and turned toward my companion.  I didn’t want to say goodbye, yet I didn’t know where this thing between us could go.  I felt that familiar wave of frustration. 

“Can I walk you up?  I mean it.  I just want to be sure you’re safe.”  It sounded like a lame request, but Aaron seemed pleasantly surprised.

“You are a gentleman, aren’t you?”  His eyes twinkled.   “I won’t say no and I’ll try to keep my hands to myself.  There’s a parking spot up there.  Take it so you don’t get a ticket.” 

I parked the car as instructed and met Aaron at the curb.  His smile lit his entire face.  God, he was beautiful.    He took my arm when I reached his side.  I didn’t protest, though the gesture seemed overly familiar.  It just felt amazing to have this beautiful creature at my side looking at me like I was some kind of hero for offering to walk him to his door.

There was a bright lantern light on above the old glass and iron front door.  Aaron couldn’t get the latch to catch, so I took the key from him and gave it a try. 

“It sticks sometimes.”  He muttered under his breath.

It opened easily for me.  I was beginning to think my levels of chivalry were being tested.  The thought made me grin when I should have been annoyed.

“You’re my hero!” he whispered loudly. 

“Knock it off.  Where is your place?”

“Uh oh, Matty’s getting mad.  Watch out kids.”  Aaron pointed to the elevator off to the right.   The corridor was not as well lit as the front alcove had been.  I was actually glad that I was making sure he was safe.  I was a little nervous myself.  Which must have shown on my face, because Aaron laughed out right as the elevator doors opened.

“Relax, sweetie.  This isn’t the Bates Motel.  It’s just an old building.  Supposedly historic, but really it just means the lighting is poor and the water pressure is worse.  My apartment is cute though.  Come see.  You’re safe.” 

I rolled my eyes this time, but gamely followed him.

His apartment was on the fifth floor.  He led me down another long hallway and stopped in front of #5E. 

“Home sweet home.” He said with a flourish as he opened his door.  “Come make sure there are no boogie men and then I promise to let you go, Matty.”

Aaron turned on a light and breezed through his small entry into a larger living room.  As I followed him I took in my surroundings.  The apartment was small with an open floor plan.

I could see into his bedroom from the living area and although it was dark, I could see that the bed was neatly made.  Aaron’s entire apartment was immaculate.  And the juxtaposition of his modern tastes and the apartment’s older features, like the high ceilings and a floor heater, made for a homey and comfortable space.  It was nice, and it suited Aaron perfectly.

Aaron threw his keys in the egg shaped bright orange bowl on his small kitchen table and turned around with his arms outstretched.

“Well, it’s tiny but it’s all mine.  As long as I pay the rent, that is.”

“It’s really nice.  Suits you.”  I felt a little awkward as I stuffed my hands back in the leather jacket Aaron had returned to me earlier.

            “Thanks for walking me up.  That was very gentlemanly of you.  Is that a word?  Whatever, it was sweet.”  His smile was a little shy and his bangs had fallen back into his eyes.  This time I couldn’t help myself.  I reached out to move his hair away from his eyes.  He looked up at me in surprise and my breath caught.  We stared at one another for a second more before our mouths met.


Lane Hayes Bio: 


Lane Hayes is a designer by trade, but is first and foremost a lover of the written word.  An avid reader from an early age, Lane has always been drawn to romance novels.  She truly believes there is nothing more inspiring than a well-told love story.  Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. She loves to travel and wishes she could do it more often.  Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband, three teenage kids and Rex, the coolest yellow lab ever.




Here are my links so far...


Purchase Links:
Dreamspinner Press:
Amazon:

Reviews:




Monday, July 15, 2013

Author Edie Hart is my guest today

I'd like to welcome Edie Hart to my blog today.  Let's find out more about her and her book "One Bad Day."



1-How long have you been writing? 
I've been writing on and off my whole life.  I've always loved books.

2- What is your favorite genre to write? 

I love romance.  I'm a sucker for a happily ever after.

3-What are you working on now?

I'm working on Book 2 in the One Day series.  This is Burg's story.

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

Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's the other.  I get inspired by characters, but I also get inspired by things that could happen as well as different places.

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

My latest release is called One Bad Day.  It's inspired by having to dress as a mascot in a previous job . I added a scary parking garage that I used to have to park in.  The story evolved from there. 




Title: One Bad Day

Author: Edie Hart

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Publisher: Breathless Press

Formats Available In: All eBook formats

Word Count: 15,962

Release Date: 24th May 2013

ISBN: 978-1-77101-993-4

RRP: 1.99

Blurb: Tessa is having one seriously bad day. After agreeing to dress as a cheesy mascot at a convention for her boss, her clothes get stolen, she gets chased through a sinister parking garage, and her apartment gets broken into and turned upside down.
Gray, an off-duty police officer, can’t resist the sexy legs he sees in costume at a hotel convention. When he catches sight of her running for her life through a dark car lot, he's determined to find out what her story is and ends up promising to keep Tessa safe...even if that means taking her home with him.

Book Links:



Excerpt:

Gray stepped outside of the hotel ballroom hoping the air would be cooler out there. He hated stuffy gatherings. Hell, he hated weddings. How two people could think they'd love each other forever was beyond him. Gray didn't do love. Which was why he was stag at a co-worker's wedding. He'd originally planned to invite Monique, but several months back she'd become demanding and talked about moving into his place with hearts and flowers in her eyes. So he'd ended it. Deep down, he'd known that she didn't really want him. She wanted any warm body that would take care of her. She had slowly been trying to mold him into some GQ tycoon, telling him what to wear, how to act, and even going as far as telling him what he needed to do career-wise.

A loud crash on the other side of the hall caught Gray's attention. In the open ballroom across the way he saw legs. Glorious legs in strappy high heels. The beautiful legs were tangled on the floor and attached to an ass that was just as gorgeous. After taking a closer look, Gray realized that above the amazing ass was an enormous, white light bulb-shaped head with blue googly eyes. It had blonde hair and wore a glittery purple hat. The tangled-up legs and heels were flailing around in a pile of what looked like empty light bulb boxes. Several gentlemen nearby were quick to help Legs get her feet beneath her. From their smiles and laughter he could tell that they were all quite happy to be of assistance. Gray didn't blame them.

He watched Legs find her balance in those high heels, and with a little wiggle and tug of her skirt she went on her way.

About The Author:

Edie Hart was born in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, where she now resides with her husband, two children, dog, and three cats. After spending her childhood making up stories in her head, she finally decided to put them on paper. What came of it was her first novella, One Bad Day. Edie is a die-hard romantic and believes that everyone deserves to be loved unconditionally—both in print and real life.

Edie also admits that "Edie Hart" is a pen name and an alter ego to an otherwise boring wife and mother. Edie is 20 pounds lighter, loves to skydive, travels to foreign places, and is a total sex kitten as compared to the uninteresting other half who is none of those things.

In reality the counterpart of Edie is a lackluster 40-something-year-old, whose main goal is to keep The Big One (The Boy) from torturing The Little One (The Girl). This week he hit her in the head with a 12-pack of Juicy Juice. Last week he left ravioli handprints on the back of her white T-shirt. The week before that he told her she was adopted and she believed him.

To learn more about her, and find out what The Big One and The Little One are up to, visit her via her website, Facebook, or Twitter:



Have you ever had one of those days?

                  I decided after I dropped the kids off at school that I was going to clean the cat boxes. I get downstairs… no litter. I can’t even blame it on anyone because I clean the box and I buy the litter… so I decide to run to the store (I have to pick up a prescription anyway, they called yesterday and said it was ready).
                  I get to the store, get the litter – pharmacy doesn’t open for another 15 mins so I look around and, yes, I do have a problem, I’m an impulse shopper – which means 20 mins and $50 in stuff later I go to the pharmacy for the prescription. Um, yeah, it’s not ready. They don’t know why they called and said it was ready, ’cause it’s not. I can come back Monday and get it.
                  Ok, I figure, I’m out, I’ll get some nice fresh fruit and have fruit salad for lunch. I don’t like the fruit at this store, so I go across the street to another store where the fruit is better priced. I find some fresh stuff – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries – and I get some jarred stuff – not as healthy, I know, but tasty and I love jarred pears and peaches.
                  So, I get all my stuff, lug it out to the car, drive home and start bringing my goodies inside. And of course, it’s me, so the bag breaks in the driveway and all my fruit goes splattering everywhere. There’s glass all over, the strawberries and raspberries popped out of their plastic containers and are scattered across the driveway. I live in a suburban neighborhood, the houses are fairly close together. The woman two doors down does daycare out of her home, my neighbor is retired, the guy across the street works weird hours…
                  My reaction to seeing my beautiful fruit salad colorfully decorating my driveway is to yell “F—!” I then realize that someone may have heard me and yell “Ohhh S**t!” while looking around. Realizing that I’ve done it again, I mutter “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit” under my breath.
                  I decide to take my other purchases inside – I have some hamburger meat that I don’t want to get warm outside. So I take my blackberries – which has popped open, but is salvageable – along with my other stuff and put it inside the doorway. I figure I’ll throw the blackberries in some vanilla yogurt – not as good as the fruit salad idea, but at least I have my blackberries.
                  I get a broom and start cleaning up the sticky mess and proceed to cut my finger. Not a bad cut, just enough to p* me off a little bit more. I get the mess in the driveway cleaned up and leave the broom in the sink – now I have to rinse that because it’s all sticky – and get ready to put stuff away.
                  I find the blackberry container, but all the blackberries are missing. I’m thinking WTF. I look down and there’s a dog toy next to the plastic container. Oh S**t! And I mean Oh S**t because the damn dog can’t eat stuff like that cause it gives her the runs. I then start to put my stuff away… well, it’s all sticky. I have to rinse everything and I don’t want to put it away wet, so I leave all my stuff spread all over the counter.
                  Okay, now I can finally clean that cat box. I go down and start cleaning and realize that I’m going to have to drag the vacuum down two flights of stairs because my broom is sticky. As I’m vacuumming, I look over, and the cats are out of food. Dammit! That’s The Boy’s job! Why didn’t he feed them?
                  I decide I should go and check on Gus – the old man kitty – to make sure he’s ok. He’s got a nice little bed with a heater under it cause he gets cold - which is in the other room. I peek around the corner and – I’m not kidding – there’s a paper plate next to Gus’ bed filled with chips! The Boy fed the 19 year old cat chips!!
                  I feed the cats, finish the catboxes and rinse the broom. I’m sticky and covered in cat litter dust plus whatever else I’ve encountered on my travels through my house that has decided to stick to my fruity sweatpants, so I decide I need a shower.
                  I get in the shower and am all wet and realize dammit! I left my new disposable razor that I just bought downstairs. I end up using my old one which is totally dull – the reason I bought the new one.
                  I am ready to wash my hair and Oh My God there’s no shampoo!! Dammit! I find The Girl’s No More Tears Smurf Berry Shampoo and end up using that.
                  Now I am sitting at my laptop, it’s lunchtime, I haven’t gotten any work done, I don’t have any fruit salad, my armpits are stinging like crazy, I smell smurfberrylicious and I’m waiting for my dog to crap all over my house…