NaNo Week 1: “Na-Uh-Oh!”

Not nearly enough words were written last week. Not. Nearly. Enough. I missed NaNo’s goal by a mile. I missed *my* goal by a galaxy. I have reasons AND excuses (and no, I don’t think the two are synonymous), but the fact is, I need to prioritize better, and stop letting the whole adulting thing paralyze me. Ack.

So, MORE WORDS WILL BE WRITTEN THIS WEEK! Which should be somewhat less daunting than last week, as whilst *not* writing, I did a large amount of scene building in my head. Yay, me, lol.

So in honor of NaNo Reboot: Inspirational ManCandy!

NaNo Day 1.5 -ManCandy

So, I had a very lofty goal, but I fell so far short of it I’m not even going to say what it was, lol. I blame it on the World Series. I was really pulling for the Mets so we’d get at least one more game, and KC could take it at home. Ah, well. Half a cup is better than none, right?

As for NaNo, I got 506 words – and, to my horror, my porny little m/m erotic story grew a PLOT, and LAYERS, and MULTI-FUCKING-FACETED CHARACTERS! What the everloving fuck???

So, here’s my current inspiration picture (and the placeholder for my novel cover) AND your ManCandy:

And, for anyone who’d like to be a writing buddy, my NaNo name is the VERY original VJ Summers, lol.

Happy writing!

ManCandy!

I’ve been a bit absent lately, here & on Facebook. Mom gave us a scare, and the adrenaline crash kind of wrecked me. I wonder if that will ever stop – the flood of adrenaline when my phone rings & Bortz comes up on the ID.

ANYWAY… I didn’t want to skip ManCandy, & I should have a W3 this week. Also, I have a flashback 2nd Edition book coming soon! So hopefully you’ll see a bit more of me!

Now, here’s what you were waiting for, lol.

(I’m writing shibari right now. I L♡VE the spider Web pattern on his back!)

 

 

On Sale!

My LIGHT A CANDLE, and many other wonderful RIPTIDE Books are on sale now!

Here’s the ARe link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lightacandle-1806262-147.html

 

Friday Flash 500

So, here’s another sporadic feature I want to try to incorporate regularly – Flash Fiction. No, not SLASH fiction (though I suppose some of that may show up from time to time), but FLASH fiction. Basically little nuggets of writing, exactly 500 words long. It gives *you* (hopefully) something pretty to look at, and will help me (hopefully) prime the pump and work on my writer discipline (snort).

So, here’s Flash, the first:

Steven lay with his eyes closed tight. Maybe if he refused to open them, he wouldn’t have to wake up. He wouldn’t have to remember that this moment – the warmth of Tim’s body along his side, the hum of the fan, the languid buzz of physical satisfaction – was a lie.

The truth lived in a chic condo on the other side of Ann Arbor, wearing pumps and pearls, and serving red wine to her book club, cream carpet and pale peach upholstery be damned.

The *truth* was, Steven might-may-possibly be in love with the man sleeping contentedly next to him. The truth was that he most certainly *wanted* Tim, more than he’d ever wanted anyone or anything in his life. But the truth, the final, undeniable facts were that while Tim was Steven’s truth, everything about Steven was a lie.

Moving achingly slowly, Steven edged out from under Tim’s limp arm and off the bed. Sherry’s book club would be breaking up by midnight, and she’d expect him home from “drinks with the guys” by twelve-thirty. He huffed a near silent, bitter laugh. Drinks with the guys. Right.

This… thing. This whatever-it-was he had with Tim, actually *had* started out as drinks with the guys. One of the younger, very junior associates at the firm had dared Steven and several of the more senior associates to try a local club – called Candyland, of all the stupid things – that catered to a goth, slightly edgy, younger crowd. Steven hadn’t been particularly interested in going, but he hadn’t been particularly interested in hanging out in his empty office, and Sherry had made it clear that he was not to interrupt her networking under any circumstances. So, he’d let himself be urged along to the club, volunteering to be the designated driver, though as he took in the leering mural in the entryway and the spinning disco ball, he thought drunk might be the only way to survive the place.

The music, a harsh industrial/techno/nails-on-a-chalkboard mash up, started a low grade pounding behind his eyes. It was loud. Duh. Of course it was loud. But at that moment it struck Steven as *too fucking loud.* The air was thick with cotton candy scented fog that drifted across the dance floor, thick enough that the couples, trios and singles writhing around in time to the alleged music seemed to float over it.

Paul, the junior associate who’d nagged him into coming, seemed to melt into the fog, while Logan, Steven’s peer and best friend at the law firm, forged a path toward the bar, parting the way with his sheer physical presence.

With Paul swallowed up by the crowd on the dance floor, and Logan breaking a path to the bar, Steven was free to let his eyes and mind wander.

And if his eyes and mind wandered to the pretty boys dancing a little too close and a shade too slow for the music, well there was no one to know except Steven.

So, there’s Friday Flash the First! I hope you enjoyed it!

Saturday Snark – no really, there’s snark this time!

So, I’m going with a bit of a theme this week. New Years Day, many, many moons ago, Sierra and I signed the contract for Carrie’s Answer. Cue the confetti and champagne. Here is a bit of snark from Marcus (our sexy, Domly, NOT CHRISTIAN GRAY hero) and Daniel, his best friend, as they cruise the available… entertainment at Club Velvet Ice. Daniel, a VERY bad boy, encounters a blast from the past he’d prefer to forget…

“Heeey, Daniel.” A musical male voice spoke from a few feet away. “Long time no see.”

Marcus hid his smile as a perky couple approached the booth. Daniel slid closer to Marcus.

“I’ve been busy.” He didn’t look up from his drink.

Marcus held back his laughter. It was rare to see the smooth Daniel Ellis squirm, but this preppie-swinger-wannabe couple managed it easily.
This time the petite, redheaded female half of the couple spoke. “John and I were hoping to run into you again.”
Daniel looked relaxed. Only Marcus noticed the small lines of tension around his blue eyes.

“John, Susan, I told you the last time was really the last time.” Daniel was being cold and abrupt, entirely unlike his usual suave self.
Amusing as the situation was, he supposed it was time to come to his best friend’s aid. It would serve the arrogant bastard right if Marcus got up and left his ass alone.

Sending him a wicked smile, Marcus slid his hand across the table, covering Daniel’s fingers with his own. The couple, whom Marcus had privately dubbed “Bondage Barbie and Ken”, stared at Marcus for a brief moment before flicking their gazes back to Daniel.

Daniel grabbed the gesture–and Marcus’ hand–like the lifeline they were, flipping his own hand up to wrap around Marcus’ fingers.

“Besides,” Daniel added, finally looking up at the couple. “My schedule is pretty full.”

Only Marcus saw the relief in Daniel’s sultry smile.

The couple colored, murmured their goodbyes and turned, trying to hide their embarrassment. They left the room without looking back.

Marcus laughed at Daniel’s scowl. “What’s wrong, Danny-boy? Break another couple’s hearts?”

Daniel caught the bartender’s attention and signaled for another round.

“Broke their hearts? Let me tell you about John and Susan. She’s fucking the pool boy, and so is he. Neither of them bothered to inform the other. I found out and disengaged myself from the situation.”

Marcus barked out a laugh as Daniel continued. “I don’t know who was more broken-hearted, John, Sue or the pool boy. He hit on me too, and I let it slip when I informed them that I wasn’t going to see them again. It was a nice two weeks but, damn, it’s been over three years now. I am not traveling down that road again.”

“Well.” Marcus smirked. “You’ve gotta give them points for being persistent.”

Now, your snark doesn’t need to be nearly this long… Mine usually won’t be. It just needs to be fun and obnoxious.  And, because you waded through the snark, here’s another pretty man!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Five years ago tonight, at the Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview, Matthew Worthington and Daniel Ellis shared their first blow job in Daniel’s Surrender.  It was a fucking AWESOME blow job, too, if I say so myself!

(That’s Shannon. She’s sort of the heart of the boys’ relationship. So, yeah, LOTS of m/m deliciousness, but also a goodly amount of boobies, as well. The story wouldn’t have worked without her!)

THESE are some of the pictures that were my inspiration for Daniel’s Surrender. Matty… Daniel… Matty AND Daniel…

(That’s kinda Brady on the left, and kinda Dorian next to the last – the couples? Pure Daniel and Matty!)

Catch up with the new and improved Worthington Group series, Corporate Affairs, available right HERE at Ellora’s Cave, and on sale until the end of the month!

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas…

…my true love gave to me:

The Twelve Gays of Christmas

(The original…A true classic…I just wish I could find a better quality version of it…)

(Cute, in a very OneD, I wanna watch him make out with another pretty boy sort of way. And that is one DOCILE cat!)

(I can’t decide if this is filthy or funny or both… I think it’s the uniforms that does it for me!)

 

Eleven Sexy Santas!

   Ten Tighty-Whiteys

   

        Nine Naughty Nappers

Eight Edible Abs

 

Seven Leather Daddies

(Again, this bottom – heh, heh – pic? One of my FAVORITE EVER.)

Six Beautiful Boys into Bondage

  Five Guys with Chocolate

Four Oddly Disturbing Novelty Condoms

Three Cool Plot Devices

A Grumpy Santa, A Smokin’ Drag Queen, and a new definition of Relaxing Massage, all wrapped up in my new release!

Available HERE at eXtasy Books!

(And a bonus “3” BDSM Quickies: Birthday Licks, Hard Limits and Melting, which you can find at Ellora’s Cave by clicking on the titles).

Two more pretty boys kissing

And a Tequila Rose Fizzy (Which I already make, only minus the OJ, and with Cranberry Diet Ginger Ale – and it is YUM!!)

On The Eleventh Day of Christmas…

…my true love gave to me:

Eleven Sexy Santas!

(Although the “Genuine Article” looks a little confuzzled about it all…)

Ten Tighty-Whities

        Nine Naughty Nappers

 

(Okay, you got a bonus napper. Ya gonna bitch about it?)

Eight Edible Abs

 

 (Dude – you want coffee? Hell yes! Drink it off my tummy? Go for it! You are SO invited!)

Seven Leather Daddies

(Again, this bottom – heh, heh – pic? One of my FAVORITE EVER.)

Six Beautiful Boys into Bondage

 

Five Guys with Chocolate

Four colorful condoms (Fully Prepped and Ready to Go!)

Three Cool Plot Devices

A Grumpy Santa, A Smokin’ Drag Queen, and a new definition of Relaxing Massage, all wrapped up in my new release!

Available HERE at eXtasy Books!

Two more pretty boys kissing

(This is totally how I picture my Master Thomas and Ryan from my Birthday Licks, Hard Limits and Melting Quickies, which you can find by clicking on the titles).

And a Tequila Rose Milkshake (Which is now the official dessert of the holiday!)

My 8th Favorite New to Me Book & Author of 2013

 

 

#8 Free Falling by SE Jakes

Okay, so Free Falling actually was NOT the first SE Jakes book I found and loved. That was Catch a Ghost, out from Riptide. Having discovered *that*, I quickly devoured her entire Samhain back list and FB stalked her til she accepted my friend request. SE’s stories are action adventure – mercenaries and/or military men in the business of rescue – a business that sometimes gets very messy. The closest I can come to for a comparison is Abi Roux’s Cut and Run series – the stories are totally different, but the intensity, the hard, Alpha men, those are the same. So, it’s safe to say I could put almost *any* of her titles on here as my favorite… Except… I read an author interview thingy about how Prophet, one of the MC’s in Catch a Ghost had kept showing up in the Men of Honor series, and Free Falling was mentioned. THAT wasn’t a Samhain release! Nor a Riptide story! Nor was it listed on B&N or ARe (my go-to’s when I can’t get something from the publisher). So I asked and, dammit, Free Falling was an Amazon exclusive. Which meant I’d be reading it on my phone, which is lovely, but trying to read on it gives me a migraine.

So, for love of SE Jakes, I caved and bought the (absolute cheapest I could find) Kindle.

Free Falling was SO worth it.

As anyone who’s listened to me pontificate knows, I’m a sucker for a wounded hero, and both Mick and Blue more than fit the bill. The story is twisty, there’s enough kink to make even me happy, the plot is suspenseful (and feels like it could have a sequel, hint-hint). Mick? Delicious. But Blue is that special character – he’s Gabriel in Cara McKenna’s Shivaree series. He’s Angelo in Marie Sexton’s Promises series. He’s this incredibly damaged, helpless and vulnerable APPEARING, utterly kick-ass I can take care of my own shit thank you very much, painfully strong man who doesn’t give an inch – until he meets the man worth giving an inch for. And then, once that man – for Blue it’s Mick – proves himself worthy, he gives him everything. Blue is the reason Free Falling is book #8 and not Bound by Honor or one of the Hell or High Water books. I simply fell in love with Blue, and now I find myself looking for HIM to show up in the other stories (he and Mick actually do, there’s a lot of crossover, which I love) right along with Prophet.

You’ve seen the (drool) cover, here’s the blurb:

Sometimes falling in love is the most dangerous thing of all…

Blue’s a thief who lives for adrenaline and danger. When he meets Mick, a mercenary and a hitter, he feels an immediate attraction. But Mick reneges on a bet they’ve made, leaving Blue pissed and confused.

When they meet again a year later, Blue’s in terrible danger after having walked into the middle of one of Mick’s jobs. Mick saves him, and although the two men have fallen for one another, they have no idea how to handle that kind of intimacy that’s been forced on them.

But when Mick goes missing on a job, Blue’s the one to go after him, determined to save the man he loves no matter the cost.

And be sure to check out SE’s blog, HERE.