#New! Night's Templar @JoeyWHill #PNR #BDSM #gayromance #VampireQueen

RELEASED HALLOWEEN DAY!! NIGHT’S TEMPLAR BY JOEY W. HILL

(Book XIII of the Vampire Queen series / BDSM paranormal romance /

 Male-male)

  Blurb: Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar Knight centuries ago. Even up to the present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will make Uthe fail the Order he promised to serve all his life.

 

      

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  “What does subjugated to your will mean, Lord Keldwyn?” Uthe demanded. “I have a goal to accomplish. It does me no good to go to your world if that mission will be hampered by your demands.” 
     “I will not get in the way of that, never fear. Until your task in the Fae world is done, you will lie with me when I desire it.” 
      For a moment, Uthe thought he’d misheard him. The request was so banal, at odds with the complexity that he normally associated with Keldwyn’s motives. He blinked. “Your price for being my tour guide is that I be your whore?”
     “I will not be paying for your services, my lord. Your payment to me, for my sponsorship, is your body.” Keldwyn swept his gaze over it, lingering on the columns of Uthe’s thighs, the way the cotton shirt stretched over his shoulders. 
     Muscles tightened under his regard, and Uthe had to quell the desire to shift again.
     “You have compromised your chastity over the years to prove yourself vampire rather than Templar,” the Fae said. “And to protect your mission and secrets. You deemed them far more vital to your charge than your personal pride in keeping your vows."
     Uthe templed his fingers. He would treat this as a debate, like the many topics they’d dissected and argued over chess. That would calm the nerves jumping in his belly, as ridiculous as those experienced by a virgin bride on her wedding night. 
    "I wonder how many of your Templars preserved their ideals as faithfully as you have,” Keldwyn mused. “They had to do it only for a mortal life span, or until the Order ended. Whereas you have clung to them for centuries. Is it hubris, a fear of having no faith, or something else that makes you that stubborn?" 
    "To believe in nothing is no better than to believe in too much," Uthe said between his teeth.
     “A sentiment on coffee mugs and T-shirts. It is cliché and old, unoriginal.”
     “Just as you putting a sexual price on your patronage is.” 
     “Careful,” Keldwyn said. Uthe felt that thrum of energy again as the Fae Lord’s gaze flashed with heat. “I will have your oath on bended knee that you offer yourself to me willingly. If you do not, your mission cannot proceed.”
      Uthe met the onyx and moonstone gaze. “You weary me,” he said. “Whatever it is you hope to gain with your torment, Lord Keldwyn, I wish you well of it. If it is my body you desire, it is yours. It is merely future ashes and dust.” 
      Keldwyn straightened in the chair, uncrossing his ankles. His elegant hands dangled loosely on the end of either chair arm as he looked pointedly at the floor between his braced feet. It drew Uthe’s gaze to the columns of his thighs, the spread of his legs making it impossible not to note the impressive evidence of his virility under the molded fabric. He forced his gaze upward, but refused to look at Keldwyn’s face to see if he’d noticed him looking. 
      “Your oath,” Keldwyn repeated. “I am waiting, Lord Uthe. Unless you have decided your quest is not as important as your virtue.”
      “Perhaps your revulsion for sharing your blood with a vampire is only matched by my distaste for sharing your bed.”
      “If that was the case, you would not be aroused now.” Uthe bared his fangs in a dangerous smile. He’d hung his sword on the back of the chair. Rising, he drew the blade from the scabbard in one swift movement, a whisper of menace. Let the bastard think he might try to skewer him, regardless of the consequences. 
      Keldwyn did not move, though Uthe had the satisfaction of seeing the sensual mouth thin, the eyes rivet on him in that cool, watchful way that suggested he might be close to inciting the Fae’s temper. He liked the idea too much. There was more at stake here than a pissing match, and he was channeling desire into aggression to deny his need. He ignored the faint tremor in his hands, the tightness in his chest as he teetered on the precipice of doing the unthinkable. 
      Planting the tip of the blade in a groove of the oak flooring, he dropped to one knee.       “Speak your oath, and I will repeat it in good faith, my lord,” he said, a growl. “You have my promise to adhere to it, unless it countermands God’s will.” 
     “I have noticed you still speak like a Templar, vampire. After all these decades.”
     “In this modern world, promises are broken for convenience or comfort. I will not use casual words to speak a true oath.” 
      “Very well.” Keldwyn stood, moving the chair back and putting his hand on the pommel, curling his fingers over Uthe’s. His touch was cool, his palm smooth against Uthe’s knuckles. “Swear to be bound to me, offering your body willingly to my desires and demands, no reservations, until your quest is done. In God’s name.” 
      “I think God has little to do with this,” Uthe said, but he repeated it, his gaze lifting to meet the Fae’s. “I swear myself bound to you, the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts, liaison for the Vampire Council. I will offer my body willingly to your desires and demands, until my quest is done.”
      “With no reservations,” Keldwyn prompted. “You will not hold your mind apart from me, Lord Uthe. I will not consider the oath served if you lie like a board while I fuck you.” He slid a curled hand along Uthe’s cheek, so Uthe felt the rough edges of the ring resting above Keldwyn’s knuckle. “Say it.”
      “With no reservations,” Uthe said, hearing the harsh rasp of his voice, a reaction to Keldwyn speaking his intentions so baldly. His hand was clenched on the pommel, and Keldwyn’s, still upon his, would feel it. “I swear.” 
      Keldwyn removed his hand, giving him a speculative look. “Access to our world must mean a great deal to you, Lord Uthe. I did not expect to win your agreement so easily.”
       “Accomplishing my quest is all that matters. The rest does not.” 
       “Clever. You imply my demands do not matter, that they are as nothing to you. I am glad you are so unaffected. Because I require a demonstration of your oath, right now.”   

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    HAVEN’T READ ANY OF JOEY’S VAMPIRE QUEEN SERIES?
This is a great time to start. Joey did mention this is the 13^th book, right? You have plenty to read! Since Keldwyn and Uthe’s story is pretty deeply entrenched in the culture of her vampires, she wouldn’t recommend reading it first. However, you don't have to read ALL of the twelve preceding books to enjoy it; you just need more familiarity with the Vampire Queen’s world. According to her, Beloved Vampire (Book 4) is a standalone and a GREAT gateway book into the series with the sexy Lord Mason. Or you can read the first two in the series, Vampire Queen's Servant and Mark of the Vampire Queen, because Lady Lyssa and Jacob started it all. Excerpts and blurbs for the whole series are here - http://www.storywitch.com/series-vqs. Each book comes with a recommendation on whether it can be read as a standalone or which books should be read as prequels for it. She thanks you all for considering her vampires! 

Twitter: @JoeyWHill 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoeyWHillAuthor 
Website: www.storywitch.com

#GuestBlog @DBlackErotica, author of THE BUCKET LIST

Hey there ladies and gents.

Have I got a special treat for you all today!

Please give a very warm Divas welcome to Mr. Douglas Black, a fellow Loose Id author of M/M Erotic Romance of the hottest (and most Britishy) variety!

So without further ado, I give you all Douglas...

Hello Rachell, thanks so much for letting me stop by to talk about the inspiration for my new novella, The Bucket List.

The Bucket List was released on August 5^th by Loose Id Publishing. It follows Kade, a young man who has recently broken up with his long-term boyfriend, Niall. Kade is devastated that his relationship has ended – he thought he and Niall would be together forever – but when he turns to his friends for sympathy, he doesn’t find any forthcoming. Instead, his friends think the break-up is good for him. They think Niall has been verbally abusive to Kade throughout their relationship and they believe this has caused Kade to retreat into his shell. They write Kade a bucket list in a bid to force him to break out of his comfort zone and start experiencing and enjoying ‘life’ again.

You would think the main inspiration for this story would be the concept of bucket lists and you wouldn’t be wrong, but as I was writing I started to play around more and more with the idea of personal comfort zones and the importance of stepping out of them in order to keep experiencing all the exciting things life has to offer.

At the start of The Bucket List, Kade is very much stuck in his comfort zone, but he’s more than happy with that. He feels as though his life is falling apart at the seams and all he wants to do is fall back on what he knows and what makes him comfortable, namely, his routines. He doesn’t want to follow the bucket list since he doesn’t think his life needs any more upheaval, but, to keep the peace with his friends, he goes along with some of the tamer items on the list.

The list forces Kade to step out of his comfort zone, whether he wants to or not, and the first thing he ticks off the list manages to give his world another good spin on its axis when it results in Kade meeting Blake. If Kade hadn’t followed the bucket list, then his path might never have crossed with Blake’s, and then where would we be? Well, I wouldn’t be telling you all about my new novella, for a start!

As I was writing The Bucket List I kept finding myself thinking about how easy it can be, and how common it is, to see your life change before your eyes. We’ve all been there. Usually, it’s the smallest thing, the split-second decision, the chance meeting or the unexpected parting that tends to send us spinning off down a path we never expected to take. And that’s not always a bad thing. In fact, more often than not, I think it often turns out to be a good thing.

When I tell you my story concerns a main character reluctant to play ball with his bucket list (so to speak) who begins the novella very impressed with himself for going to shop in an Asian supermarket instead of his usual branch of Tesco, you might think that sounds like a very strange, very plain place to start a story. But that’s the point. It’s the little things we do, the small efforts we make when we really can’t be bothered (like the dinner party invitation we want to cancel, but don’t because we can’t think of a good enough excuse) that often lead to big changes in our lives that we would never have seen coming.

That’s the idea at the heart of The Bucket List. I suppose it can be summed up by saying, ‘you have to be in it, to win it’ and I think there’s a lot of truth in that. Life is out there and it’s happy to wait for all of us, but its certainly not going to come and find us. We have to go find it! Kade learns that in The Bucket List. If you want to find out how he does it, you can pick up your copy now!

The Bucket List was released by Loose Id Publishing in August 2014. It is available from all good ebook retailers now. Find below the blurb.

Blurb

When Kade Doherty gets dumped, he expects sympathy from his friends. Instead, he gets a bucket list. His friends want to help him enjoy life again, but Kade isn’t convinced a list of outlandish leisure pursuits will help much with that. To keep the peace he goes along with the plan and in the process, he meets Blake.

Blake’s Australian accent and surfer-boy looks are the stuff of sexual fantasies and Kade surprises everyone – including himself – when he wastes no time making a move.

Kade goes with Blake into the Scottish highlands, but just as he is beginning to get used to life with his very own Mr. Australia, reality comes knocking. Kade’s newfound happiness falls apart when his abusive ex demands they meet. Blake senses something is wrong and he wants to help, but Kade knows he can’t confide in Blake.

After all, Kade hasn’t exactly been honest. He might feel like a different man when he’s with Blake, but Kade knows he’s still just an accountant from Glasgow with slight obsessive compulsions and a bucket list that someone else wrote. He knows Blake won’t hang around, let alone help, when he finds out the truth.

Or will he?

And now for even more goodies... Here's a snippet of The Bucket List... 

Kade made his way slowly over to Blake, keeping close to the relative calm of the curving bar. He stepped in beside his Mr. Australia. Blake didn’t turn to look at him.

Kade assumed that, even given the circumstances, it was still acceptable to start with, “Hello.”

Blake turned his head, and Kade felt that warmth he had felt with his back to the fish tanks in the Asian supermarket. “Hi,” Blake said, his voice deep enough to carry against the music.

He turned, opening up his body and inviting Kade to step closer. Kade did. He wanted to, wanted to see if that strange connection he had felt earlier was still there between them.

“Who’s your friend?” Kade asked.

Blake just shrugged. “Don’t know. Just some kid. Art student, apparently. He was a good dancer, though.”

“Not a good kisser?”

Blake looked Kade up and down, taking his time doing so. Kade had always thought the idea that someone could undress you with their eyes was a concept fit only for the cheap romance novels his mum used to read, but he couldn’t think of a better way to describe what Blake’s eyes had just done to him. The words needed to describe how that made Kade feel wouldn’t be fit for polite company. Not that Kade was really in polite company.

“I wouldn’t know. Didn’t want to kiss him.” Blake reached out and stroked his hand down Kade’s right arm, from his shoulder to his wrist. He left it there for a few moments, holding tight, and then he pulled Kade’s wrist toward him. Kade’s hand landed on Blake’s hip, his thumb teasing Blake’s tight, strong stomach muscles. When Blake let go, Kade didn’t move his hand away.

“Why didn’t you want to?” Kade couldn’t stop staring into those bright blue eyes.

Blake shrugged and wrapped the hand that had been around Kade’s wrist around Kade’s neck. “He’s not my type. And I was hoping I would meet someone else here tonight. I thought it was a long shot, but I didn’t want to take the risk and ruin my chances.”

Despite his recent drink, Kade’s throat felt dry. He didn’t even care if that was a lie. Blake’s strong fingers rubbed Kade’s neck just below his hairline.

“Who were you hoping to meet?” Kade asked.

Blake tugged him in close so their bodies were pressing together. Kade’s hand slipped around to Blake’s back, holding on tight as Blake put his lips to the side of Kade’s neck.

“You,” Blake whispered. They were so close to the loudspeakers that the word should have been lost, but Kade heard that loaded syllable and felt it translate like heat through his body, like he had just stepped into a hot bath.

“Are you here with somebody?”

Kade shook his head. He felt Blake spread his legs. There was barely any distance left between them.

“Then would you mind if I did this?”

Kade turned his head to find Blake’s lips less than an inch away from his own. He smiled and tried for one of those winks he was so not used to giving, and then let Blake close the distance between them.

Want more? Get your copy here: 

http://www.loose-id.com/the-bucket-list.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MG4LA20

http://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-Douglas-Black-ebook/dp/B00MG4LA20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407313872&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bucket+list+douglas+black

Douglas Black was born and raised in bonnie Scotland. An archaeologist by trade, Douglas started writing MM erotica - as a means of avoiding starvation at university - before returning to the genre in 2012.

Welcome to your fantasy.

You can find Douglas here: 

Blog: http://douglasblackerotica.wordpress.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Douglas-Black/e/B00A93HUHO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406885803&sr=8-1

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Douglas-Black/1632968396841732?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark

Twitter: @DBlackErotica

Thanks so much for stopping today Douglas. It was great to learn more about Kade & Blake! 

~ Rach 

How did Mistletoe come to mean a kiss? #EroticCravings #giveaway

Although many sources say that kissing under the mistletoe is an English custom, there's another explanation for its origin. In Norse mythology there is a story of a loving, if overprotective, mother.

Frigga was mother to the Norse god Balder, the best loved of all the gods. Frigga was the goddess of love and beauty and she loved her son. To ensure no harm would come to him, she went through the world securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder.

Leave it to Loki, a mischievous spirit, to find the loophole. Mistletoe and an arrow made from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart and Balder fell dead.
Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the murderous reputation of Mistletoe, making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it.

So hang some mistletoe and pucker up!

Information gleaned from numerous online searches for mistletoe lore.

 Now for a naughty excerpt from the Naughty List.

T’was a week before Christmas and Mrs. Claus conspires. Proposition Jack Frost to give Santa his greatest desire…

The deviant Dominant Jack Frost can be good…very good. But for being so good at being so bad, Santa keeps him on the naughty list. What would Jack do to get on the good list? Kidnap Santa? With the help of Mrs. Claus, Jack could force Santa’s submission and give him the one thing he’s always wanted—to be on the naughty list himself. Then Jack could show Santa just how very good he can be.

Adult excerpt

Jack tugged on the black buckle of Santa’s belt. “Come into my workshop—my toy shop. We’re going to play.”

Adrenaline like molten lava, blazed through Santa. Jack’s workshop wasn’t like the brightly lit jovial environment where Santa and his elves put in their fifteen-hour shifts. His gaze darted around the spacious room in the secluded log cabin. Instead of rustic comfort, Jack’s lair was a den of iniquity. Tools for torturous pleasures lined wooden shelves along the wall. Chairs, benches and machines were situated around the room. Santa swallowed hard, the collar biting into his neck. His heart pounded. He’d seen this room many times in his magic snow globe—when he was checking to see if Jack were being naughty or nice. Santa fought to keep from glancing to the far corner, the corner hidden in shadow.

Santa slowed his breathing, tried to keep from becoming aroused, but he knew what hid in the darkened corner—a padded bench. A BDSM bed. Iron girders built the frame. An iron canopy offered fasteners for wicked delights. Straps, belts and bindings. Cuffs, chains and torturous tools. Would Jack leave him bound to the bench, keep him immobile while Jack sucked his dick, or fucked him with the machine. No, Santa wouldn’t be victim of Jack’s deviant machinations. Santa didn’t want to want in the corner, locked to the table, his ass exposed and the fucking machine ramming into him. But he did.

In the center of the room, Jack positioned Santa. “Don’t do this,” Santa begged.

“You’ll have to be more specific Santa.” Jack secured the O-ring connecting Santa’s cuffed hands to a steel chain. The chain was mounted to the ceiling. Jack tugged the chain, sliding the steel links through a pulley until Santa’s arms rose over his head.

Santa’s arms stretched high, muscles bunch and ripped and his wrists were bound together. His fingers were already numb. He relaxed his fisted hands and tried to calmly reason with Jack. “I can’t be more specific. What is all this tomfoolery?” He uselessly tugged on the chain. He was Jack’s hostage.

Jack smoothed his palms over the bunched muscles of Santa’s arms, along his shoulders and onto his chest, toying with the silken hairs on his pectorals. “There is more than one way to have fun. We’re going to play with my toys.” Jack dropped to his knees on the floor. He secured the leather cuff around Santa’s left ankle to the steel hook in the flooring. “Spread your legs, Santa.” He did. The click of the lock on his right ankle heightened his anxiety. “Now that I know you’ve accepted my invitation to stay, I can help you get more comfortable.”

“But I didn’t accept.”

Jack tsked. “You haven’t put up much of a fight.” Jack pivoted and took a long pair of shears from the worktable.

“I can’t fight you, Jack.”

Jack smiled. “I know. That’s what makes your submission all the sweeter.” Jack slid the edge of the sheer under Santa’s T-shirt. His stomach quivered with the touch of cold steel. The first snip echoed through the room. “Mrs. Claus told me what you were hiding under all this finery. I want to…well, I was going to say I want to see for myself. But I’m going to do more than look. I’m going to touch for myself.” Jack snipped the shirt from waist to neck. Each quick cut sent rousing frissons skittering through Santa.

Jack slipped the fabric over the hard ridge of Santa’s shoulder, his fingertips scoring Santa’s flesh. Santa sucked in a breath. His exposed skin shivered in the cool cabin air. His nipples beaded and yet he was hot. Sweat trickled along his spine. “What are you going to do to me?” Would Jack detect the thrill beneath the concern?

“Ah, Santa, you should know it’s better not to tell.” He tapped Santa’s cheek. “Half the fun is in the surprise.” Jack had unbuckled Santa’s belt in the sleigh. Now he slowly slid the leather from the loops. He snapped the belt. Santa jerked at the crack of the leather. His cock swelled, hard and pulsing against his groin.

Santa was in a quandary. He could not lie nor could he partake of the naughty pleasure Jack promised. “I want to return to my workshop. Christmas is only a week away.”

“Hmm. That poses a problem.” Jack took the shears in hand and slipped the blades into the waistband of Santa’s trousers. Cutting the fabric along Santa’s thigh, Jack stripped him of the last of his clothing. “You have nothing to wear.”

Naked with Jack. Anchored to the floor by his ankles, arms stretched toward the ceiling, collar and cock. Santa was at Jack’s mercy and a plea for more was on the tip of his tongue. “No,” he mumbled. He shook his head and slowly closed his eyes. This secret desire would destroy all he cherished. His role in the world gone for a chance to be ravished. “No.”

Jack snapped the belt across Santa’s exposed buttocks.

“No!” he bellowed, arching away from the sting.

“I told you no one will hear your cries.” Jack pulled his arm back then unleashed another powerful blow. The belt snapped, smiting Santa high on the buttocks. Muscles tensed. The chains pulled taut. Santa nearly bit his tongue as a blistering heat bloomed beneath his skin.

“If you continue to say no—” Jack crisscrossed the strikes with another. “I’ll be forced to gag you.” Jack heaved a breath and lowered his arm. “You should have rosy cheeks.” Jack slowly circled Santa, his hungry gaze eating him up. “Now you do.”

Santa dropped his head forward, feeling the pinch of the collar on his neck. The chains attached to his wrists held him up. His muscles burned and they’d only just begun. “Please.”

“Please what?” Jack closed his fist around Santa’s shaft. His fingers were strong as they squeezed and stroked. Santa was used to Abby’s feminine touch and her sex kitten ways—all the time craving something more. Craving Jack. Abby had known, had realized that like her, he wished for something more. But unlike Abby, he’d never had his wish.

Lust unfurled in Santa, washing over him and making him ache to be naughty. Could he? What would happen if Santa found himself on the naughty list? He was Santa after all. Who would tell?

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Five Awesome #Gay #Erotic #Romances

EDIT 1/13/13--It's been brought to my attention that some of the stories that I earlier categorized as "Gay for You" really aren't. For example, Hard as Teak is actually a Coming Out story. Jessie's Girl and Widows Weeds might also fall into this category. My apologies. It was not my intention to miscategorize any of these titles. I've changed the title of this post as well as my intro.

ANOTHER EDIT 1/13/13--I've really gotten myself into a tangle here. I've now realized that Rough, Raw and Ready might be considered more of a menage romance than a gay romance. Oh, the hell with it! These are all really good erotic romances that broadminded folks will enjoy.  

Today, in my Five for Friday segment, I want to focus on some gay erotic romances that I've enjoyed.

Above the Law by Danica St. Como 

Of course I have to start with my fellow Diva's book, in light of the fact that this, her newest release, has been nominated for Best Romance Novel in the Preditors and Editors Poll! (If you haven't voted yet, please do so here.) Above the Law features security consultant Glennon Garrett, a tough as nails former military man, who's been married and widowed, and as the book opens is in the midst of a hot affair with game warden Abigail.  He's not someone who remotely considers himself gay. But when Deputy Joe enters the picture, the twosome of Glennon and Abigail becomes a threesome. Joe's feelings for Abigail are strictly friendship, but he realizes he's falling hard for Glennon. Glennon's feelings are complicated as he deals with guilt from the past.  Things get downright dangerous for all three when they're threatened by a mysterious psychopath.  This story has plenty of romance and angst as well as HAWT sexy MMF and MM scenes.

    

Rough, Raw and Ready by Lorelei James 

Trevor and Edgard, the heroes of this book, first appeared in secondary roles in Lorelei James's earlier erotic romance Long Hard Ride, where their relationship was in full swing. Trevor was basically a man-whore who'd never been with another man besides Edgard. When RR&R takes up, the men have broken up and Trevor is now married to Chassie, who has no idea about the man from his past. When Ed shows up at their ranch, Trevor realizes how much he still cares for him. But he loves his wife, too. When Chassie finds the two men kissing, she's shocked and heartbroken. But after some thought, she decides "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." She's not willing to give up her husband. This leads to plenty of scorching MMF loving and as time goes on, Chassie and Edgard become more than sexual partners –their feelings develop toward each other as well. But of course things can't go smoothly as family troubles to tear the three of them apart. This being Lorelei James, there's plenty of realistic, gritty details about ranch life and lots of studly cowboys—be still my heart.

Hard as Teak by Margie Church 

Kevin is a photographer who feels in a rut professionally and in his love life as well. Although his girlfriend Chiyo is a gorgeous woman any man would seemingly want, Kevin's just not feeling it. He goes off to clear his mind and search his soul at a cabin in the woods where he meets Teak. Teak is bisexual, handsome as sin, and Kevin is immediately attracted. Is this what he's been missing all along? He and Teak become friends, then lovers. The sex is awesome, but it's much more than that for Kevin and Teak. But this little idyll in the woods can't last forever. Kevin has his gallery at home, not to mention his faithful girlfriend. Was this just an episode in his life or meant to be something more? Lovers of MM romance will find plenty to enjoy in this story.

Jessie's Girl by Amber Scott

Jessie meets her brother Kyle's girlfriend Sabrina and falls hard. They share an intimate evening, but the next day Sabrina's gone and Jessie's heart is broken. Six years later, Sabrina engaged to another man, but has never forgotten Jessie. When the two women meet accidentally, both of them are thrown into emotional turmoil. With Sabrina's wedding only weeks away, will she follow her heart and go after Jessie? Will Jessie let down her guard enough to risk being hurt again? And how will Jessie deal with the fact that she's not the only one still carrying a torch for Sabrina? This is a very enjoyable sweet and sexy FF romance.

Widow's Weeds by Beth Williamson

Veronica has been a widow for five years and is still in mourning for the man she loved. Everything in her life seems dreary and dull, like the black garments she wears. The only bright spots in her life are her two friends and her bowling. Her friends even got her to sign up for a doubles bowling tournament. Veronica finds herself teamed up with Patrice, a lively, fun-loving "pixie" with a penchant for colorful clothes. Patrice is openly gay, but Veronica is shocked by the feelings she's experiencing for her new teammate. She's always lived a very sedate life and has never done anything the least bit scandalous. Still, the heart wants what it wants, and the two women fall in love. But Veronica may not be brave enough to face social and family disapproval when their relationship comes to light.

What gay romances have you enjoyed? Please share your recommendations!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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Going Balls to the Wall with @taralain, #author of #erotic #romance!

We're thrilled here at the Divas of Desire to have Tara Lain with us today. She's an award-winning author of MM, ménage, and most recently MF romance. Her most recent release is Snow Balls, part of the Balls to the Wall series from Etopia Press. She's also published with Loose Id. Thanks so much for joining us, Tara, and for letting me ask you five nosy questions. Let's get started!

             1.    Most of your titles are male/male romance. What about that particular genre appeals to you?  

              

      There are very few gender roles in MM romance. All the expectations we place on women in love aren’t present. So for both a writer and a reader, MM gives lots of unexpected combinations. I write tiny, flamboyant men who are tough alphas at heart, and big, football players who are more queen than quarterback. I love mixing it up. Plus, men in love have fewer societal expectations--marriage, family, etc--so that too can be inventive. And because there is no female character with which women feel they must identify, readers like me can choose which of the men they want to relate to. I also love crawling into the minds and hearts of men. They’re just as sappy and sentimental when they’re in love as women are and I love expressing that from a male POV. Of course, gay men still bear huge burdens of discrimination in our society and that provides a source of conflict in a book even if that discrimination isn’t the subject. Sigh. I love men. Two is better!  LOL

      2.    I never thought about how writing romance featuring two men could enhance one's freedom as an author. That's fascinating. You also recently took the plunge into m/f sensual romance and self-publishing with your holiday release Be Bad, For Goodness Sake. Have you any words of wisdom for authors considering self-publishing?

      I purposefully self-published that book so I could get the experience. I’m not at all technical and I would never trust myself as an editor of my own work, so I called in the experts. I hired a freelance editor, a cover artist, a proofer and a formatter who prepared the documents for Amazon and Smashwords and guided me through the uploading process. I don’t think people should do all that themselves no matter how good they are at editing. You need an outside viewpoint to create a good book. I guess you could do it with an excellent critique group. But seriously, these experts don’t cost a lot. So find good people to help. With that said, I think self-publishing is great for established authors who want to take control of their backlists or for authors who are really willing to work at their craft and put out professional quality regularly. I fully appreciate all the hard work my publishers put into my books and I plan on staying with traditional publishing, at least for the short term.

      3.    You've certainly put a great deal of work and thought into it. You've had a career as a nonfiction writer and you've fed your creative side as an author of erotic romance. But you're also a painter [several of Tara's paintings appear at her website]. How long have you been painting and does that type of creativity differ from writing? 

      I started painting and doing mixed media collage only about eight or nine years ago. I’ve always been a writer, but never thought I would have any proclivity for visual arts. One day I just decided I wanted to try it and found some great teachers. I love painting though I don’t have great skill and started rather late to acquire it. My real love is mixed media collage. I adore the free-form, “can’t make a mistake” quality of it. It’s a very non-judgmental art!  LOL. Extremely left brain. I don’t have a lot of time for it since my writing career heated up, but I still make presents for friends.  

4.     A black cat named Aloysius figures prominently in your paranormal romances Spell Cat and Brush With Catastrophe. Do you have any animals in your own life? 

      I am a cat adorer. I grew up with cats but I don’t have one these days. My husband is allergic to cats. So instead I have a very catlike dog. I have a papillon named Jolie. Papillons are the only toy breed of dogs on the list of the top ten smartest dog breeds. You’ve got border collies, Dobermans, German shepherds and this itty bitty furperson. She weighs 9 pounds. She is very finicky about food, washes her face with her paws -- very catlike. I actually love animals. I’m enjoying creating my Aloysius in the paranormal series and my next new series will feature animals as well. I’m already starting to plot the first book in my head.

      5.    She's adorable! I had no idea Papillons were so smart. It's been so much fun talking with you, Tara. Before we finish up,  would you like to share any information on current or future releases with us? We're all ears! 

      My next book after my current release, Snow Balls, will be Hearts and Flour. It comes out Feb 1^st for Valentine’s Day and tells the story of a passionate raw food fanatic who falls in love with a cupcake baker. BTW, it has a great cat in it. I’m currently writing a MM family and wedding drama, and then, of course, there is another Aloysius tale in the offing. And it will be fun! Plus two more Balls books at least -- also fun. And the new series. Oh my, so many books, so little time!

Thank you so much for inviting me! It’s been a treat to be here. : )

Excerpt:  SNOW BALLS by Tara Lain; MM Romance -- The Cop and the Creampuff

Available December 7^th from Amazon  ARe 

Big, handsome and hunky, JJ LaRousse looks like an alpha male but acts like an interior decorator. And he’s trying to be happy about it -- until a robbery at the famous Laguna Winter Fantasy brings JJ face-to-face with tough cop, Ryan Star. JJ hears Ryan likes guys who are manly men, so he drops his voice an octave, colors over his pink hair, and tries to pass as a football fan. Ryan Star may be tough but he hides in the closet at work since he learned in New York that being a gay cop can cost you your life. His attraction to that big, handsome kid threatens his anonymity, but he can’t seem to resist. JJ is just his type. But then JJ goes skiing and comes face to face with his greatest nemesis-- and all the secrets come out of the closet. Can Ryan love JJ for who he really is? More important, can JJ?

JJ turned to Ryan. “OK, why don’t you go off and have fun while I learn? No sense you wasting time here.”

Ryan shook his head and with every shake JJ’s stomach flipped. “No, I’d rather be with you.”

Well hell, how could he argue with a sweet rationale like that?

How hard can it be? How hard can it be? Following the instructor to the beginner’s area, JJ fell back into the litany. Three other people waited where they stopped. An older woman and two men who looked like they drove trucks. Very big trucks.

Their instructor who turned out to be named Bronson—seriously?—gathered them together. He spoke with an indeterminate accent that would have been great saying, “I’ll be back.” The woman introduced herself as Michele and proudly announced she was sixty-three. The two guys, Ron and Paul, turned out to be a stockbroker and an English teacher.

Bronson pointed at his boots. “Okey dokey, we’re going to fit our boots into the skis. Be sure you remove all snow from the boots before inserting.”

Instant problem. JJ stood on one foot and tried to wipe the snow, which threw him off balance and he had to put his foot down which introduced yet more snow. Damn, he felt like a leaning tower. Ryan stepped up beside him and provided a shoulder to lean on. JJ tried to smile. “Uh, thanks.” Jeez, he was such a klutz. Finally—last out of the group—he got his boots in his skis, locked them on, and stood up. His skis slid forward, his ass flew into the air, and he fell instantly to his butt with skis crossed. “Oh no!” He clutched his hands in the snow to keep from shaking them. This didn’t portend well.

Bronson walked over and looked down at him. “No problemo. You just leaned back too much. Keep that weight distributed and slightly forward. Okey dokey?”

JJ nodded, and Bronson offered an arm. OK, but what in the hell did you do with the skis when you’re trying to get up? After thirty seconds of pure slapstick comedy, JJ finally got the skis separated, his weight arranged, and made it to his feet. Heat flushed his cheeks. At least the cold could explain that.

God, who knew it would be so slippery?

Bronson stood at the center of their circle. “Now, plant your poles by your sides and slide your skis back and forth.”

JJ planted. He slid one ski, the other, back to the first. OK. Working. One more slide. He slipped, caught himself with the pole, and stayed upright. Yes. He glanced at Ryan who was following the directions too, with perfect balance and symmetry. Ryan gave JJ a smile.

Bronson held up a hand. “Good, everyone. Now, we’ll cover some ground. Put your hands through the pole straps.”

JJ did it but he felt wobbly. That must be normal.

“Now plant your left pole and slide your right ski forward.”

JJ followed direction.

“Now plant your right pole and slide your left ski.”

Wow. He did it. Maybe he could make it on those trails after all.

“Keep doing that, everyone. Good. See, you’re skiing.”

Cool. Yes, he was skiing. Left. Right. In front of him, a little dip in the snow curved downward. In his boots, it wouldn’t have been noticeable, but suddenly he was sliding. Sliding without trying. His arms came up like a helicopter, poles flying. Vaguely, he saw Michele duck as his skis flew out from under him. It felt like he actually rose in the air, suspended for a second, and slammed onto the snow on his ass. His head flew back and smacked hard, throwing ice up into his eyes. Ouch. Shit that hurt.

“JJ, are you OK?” Ryan sounded really worried. JJ must look bad. Damn. He’d like to cry. Probably not a wise decision.

He tried to smile. “I’m fine. Just clumsy.” He looked down and found one ski lying beside his leg and the other crossed over his thigh. What a mess. Dying sounded good. Or sinking into the snow.

Bronson stared down at him, hands on his hips. “Okey dokey. Let’s get organized.”

Find Tara here:

Website    Author blog       Book blog       Goodreads 

Savvy Authors     Twitter               Facebook           FB Page               

Amazon              B&N                      ARe        

What an awesome interview and excerpt, Tara! Thanks so much for joining us today.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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Fabulous Friday #Interview with Lisa Henry, Author of M/M #Erotic #Romance

Hello, all! I have an early Christmas present for everyone today in the form of an interview with multi-published author Lisa Henry! She writes male/male romances for Loose Id and Riptide Publishing and has kindly agreed to let me ask her five nosy questions. So let's get started!


1.    Your newest release, Dark Space, is a male/male romance that has a science fiction background. Are you a big fan of sci-fi books and movies, and if so, which are your favorites?

I’ve been a sci-fi fan since before I ever saw any — literally. When I was a kid living in Papua New Guinea, we didn’t have a TV. There were no TV stations there then. One day, the kids over the road came back from leave in Australia talking about this movie they’d seen called Star Wars, and we all got roped into playing it. I got to be Han Solo, which was a pretty big role for a five-year-old kid wearing nothing but underpants and a banana leaf on her head to keep off the rain. I think they gave it to me because I already had a Chewie — Oplika Spot, the dog from down the road who used to come and meet me every morning so we could go roaming. I remember when we moved back to Australia and I actually saw Star Wars, I was a bit confused. That’s not how we’d played it at all.

I do love sci-fi though. My most recent sci-fi love was probably the new Battlestar Galactica. All those hot guys in uniforms? Yes, please. Oh! And also Firefly! I like what I suppose you could call gritty low-tech sci-fi, where stuff breaks down, people get dirty, and if you injure yourself they don’t just fix you by running a light over you like in Star Trek. Star Trek was very clean, wasn’t it? I don’t think I’d fit in at all in that universe.

       2.    Oh my gosh! I can't help but chuckle at the image of you with a banana leaf on your head and your faithful Chewie at your side.  *Ahem.* Back to being serious. Your genres are very eclectic: you've written a sci-fi romance, one with a historical setting, another that's historical/fantasy and a contemporary with thriller overtones. Do you have a preference or do you just like to "mix it up"?

I have absolutely no preference at all! Each has its own unique challenges. I love history, but the downside to writing historical fiction is the sheer amount of research involved. With He Is Worthy, my Roman historical, it was fairly easy because I’ve loved Roman history forever, and already had a pretty solid background. But I’m working on something set in the American West in 1870 at the moment, and I went in almost totally blind — watching Deadwood doesn’t count. So I’m writing and researching at the same time, which has slowed down my pace a bit, but I’m learning a lot of fun facts about Wyoming!

Sci-fi and fantasy are great in that you get to build your own worlds from scratch. Contemporary is probably the easiest of all — unless, like me, you agree to set something in America, and then your poor co-author has to fix all your rookie mistakes. Like calling money “notes” instead of “bills”. American terminology will get me every time.

Wait…I was answering a question, right? I’ve got no real preference at all. I’ll come up with the character pairing first, and then look for a setting that fits. 

      3.   It's very interesting what you say about American terminology. I'm just as fascinated by things Australian.  But again I digress. One of your blog posts advises authors not to behave badly when they receive a bad review. Sooner or later, all of us writers have to deal with negative reviews. What do you do to soothe yourself after a bad review (if you've received any)?

I’ve received plenty! Ice cream helps. But I’ve also got a few really excellent reviews printed out, and those are good to refer to in times of “What the hell am I doing? I can’t write! I should just throw it in and go and find a steady job!” And then I remember that I already have a steady job, and I write to escape it. 

      4.   You live in a tropical part of Australia. We're big animal lovers here at The Divas of Desire. I know you've mentioned these on other blogs you've visited, but please, please tell us about the geckos and the possums and the frog that lives in your toilet!

Oh god. The possums. Don’t even get me started!

There are at least five possums. The first two I called Sid and Nancy, because of the screaming violent domestics they had in my ceiling. Evicting them was a nightmare. First, I got the hole in the roof fixed. Then I set up a complicated escape route for them from the manhole in the spare room, down a knotted sheet onto a ladder, then across a plank to the window, then out the window onto the bin. I put pieces of banana the whole way along the route to make it easy for them.

One of them figured it out the first night and was gone, but the second was in denial. I used to lie in bed at night listening to it scrabbling around where the hole in the roof used to be (right above my bed) and then screaming in frustration when it wasn’t there anymore. It took three days for it to finally figure out to go down the ladder.

After Sid and Nancy, I thought my possum problems were over. That was before Johnny Rotten stared breaking in through the shutters every night to steal bread and bananas. We finally reached a compromise. He won’t break in as long as I leave food outside for him. I tell myself it’s a compromise, but it’s not, is it? I’ve lost.

And then we have Siouxie and the Banshee. Here they are, in my bathroom. On what were supposed to be my clean towels. 

The thing I hate most about possums is that they’re so cute I can’t hold a grudge. I try though. I try.

Speaking of bathroom intruders, there is Fidel Bonaventure Jumping-Castle, the second. He is the green tree frog who swims in my toilet. He is the reason I always remember to turn the light on, even in the middle of the night. He’s okay, and doesn’t even struggle anymore when I relocate him to the windowsill.

I used to name all my geckos as well, but I have way too many for that. So they’re all called Gordon. There are at least five on my ceiling as I type this. I don’t mind the geckos. In the tropics it’s impossible to keep the bugs and mosquitoes out, so my geckos are in charge of eating as many insects as they can.

I also have three cats and a dog, not that you’d guess. One night I actually sat on the lounge and watched as a possum climbed in the window, wandered past the snoring dog, and gave one of the cats the evil eye as it headed for the kitchen bench.

“Aren’t you supposed to be predators?” I asked them, but they ignored me. They know a losing battle when they see it. 

      5.    Wow, I love hearing about the possums. Is the little one in the picture a baby? He looks like he's trying to climb into the big one's pouch.  I keep getting distracted from the questions I should be asking, lol. Is there anything you'd like to share with us regarding your current or future books? We want to hear all about it!

At the moment I’m co-writing with the fantastic J.A. Rock. The book is called The Good Boy, and we’ve just signed with Loose Id. Yay! Merry Christmas to us! It’s a BDSM m/m contemporary, about the son of a pair of Wall Street types who, when their Ponzi scheme is exposed, suddenly finds himself homeless, penniless, and alone. Which is only the start! I’ll let J.A. Rock do the blurb, because she’s better at it:

Introverted college student Lane Moredock, the son of white collar criminals, learns to trust again after he’s made the victim of a revenge plot by a former investor in his parents’ company.

I’m also working on the historical Western, but that’s very much a work-in-progress. As in, I progress a chapter, then I go back and rewrite it.

Meanwhile, there’s a Samoan-Australian police officer in my head who wants his story told. And the story of the kid he rescued eight years ago who has grown up into a very damaged young man. Do you risk a relationship with a guy like that, when you’re supposed to be his anchor? I think that one will definitely get written in 2013, because neither of those characters are letting me go at the moment. And let’s not forget that space opera that keeps teasing me. “They’d be like the Borgias,” the idea whispers to me, “but in space!”

That’s the best thing about being a writer, isn’t it? Whatever story you can imagine, you get the chance to tell it. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.

Thanks so much for having me, and happy holidays!

Happy holidays to you, too, Lisa! The Good Boy sounds like a fascinating book, and the theme is so timely! The  police officer story sounds awesome, too. And what's not to love about Borgias in space? 

This was so much fun. Thanks so much for being with us today and may you have much success with your current and upcoming releases! 

Lisa' s latest release, Dark Space, is available now from Loose Id, Amazon, and B&N. 

Blurb: Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.

Lisa's bio:

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with a long-suffering partner, too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

You can find her blog here: http://www.lisahenryonline.blogspot.com

Have a wonderful weekend, all. I wish you a very happy holiday!

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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