Character Sketches and an Excerpt: Madd

I recently showed some sketches of Vorgell, one of the main characters in my upcoming novel Thick as Thieves. Vorgell's a fierce sex-crazed barbarian with a heart of gold when it comes to just one man. That man would be Maddog, the pretty male witch Vorgell meets when they get thrown together into a cell. They end up joining forces, but nothing comes easy to this pair of losers.

Madd was a heck of a fun character to write. He carries a chip on his shoulder that's bigger than he is. He may be small but he doesn't think of himself that way and he's determined to keep the entire world, including Vorgell, at arm's length. He'd rather bite someone's hand off than let them close enough to do him harm. Vorgell has his work cut out for him.

Here are some pics my wonderful artist Demacros worked up for Madd.

I also love this full length image.

And just for fun, here's a short excerpt where Vorgell and Madd have just met and managed to escape from their prison:

Madd could escape neither the barbarian’s stench nor the pain rattling inside his skull from being bounced up and down on the man’s shoulder like a sack of ill-gotten loot. Both threatened to bring his stomach up through his gullet. Beating his fists against the brute’s solidly muscled back only left his hands bruised and inspired a tighter grip across his legs. Out of respect for possible pursuers, he’d been cooperative in not struggling or yelling until now, but at the pace the blond barbarian was running, they’d outdistanced even the hounds.

“Put me down, you son of a she-ox!”

“Quiet,” grunted the brute. What was his name? Virgil? Vogull? “The Baron’s men are probably chasing us.”

“I think we’ve got enough forest between us and them for you to set me on my feet. I have two legs… I can walk!”

“You couldn’t even stand before.” That said, Vorgell—yes, that was it—stopped running and, putting his immense hands on his captive’s waist instead of his thighs, lifted him down. A long way down.

Madd’s legs, numbed by the tight hold on them, immediately buckled, and he lurched against his rescuer. Vorgell reached a brawny arm out to pull him tight against his towering body packed with muscle so dense Madd felt as though he’d just slammed against granite.

“What’s your name?” Vorgell helped him stagger forward until the blood returned to his limbs. “You might as well tell me. I already know you’re a blighted sorcerer.”

“Maddog. Madd will do.” His name was little enough to share, and the man could have left him to the soldiers—or the baron. Even the ringing in his ears and the pounding pain in his head was not too great a payment for getting away from that man.

“Here, sit down.” They’d come to a clearing thick with fallen moss-covered tree trunks. Vorgell helped ease him down onto one of the logs. “You took a nasty blow.”

“Why help me?”

Vorgell’s lips, the lower bloodied and swollen, slowly parted over large, white teeth. There was no mistaking the bulge in his trousers, or the sloppy, tattered fabric stretched over that twitching snake.

Madd groaned. “Fuck me, you’ve got to be kidding.” His head hurt, magic-laced blood tainted his mouth, and this man was suggesting he might want to ride a unicorn-enhanced stiff prick?

“It’s not my fault you’re pretty, and small—”

“I’m not small,” Madd pointed out, that being something of a sore point. “I only look small because you’re huge!”

“Which puts me at an advantage. Among my people, you’d be one of the men who keep men like me happy.”

Madd knew well enough what that meant. He’d been keeping the baron happy for months. Unfortunately, his attempt at reversing the screwing, so to speak, had not quite worked out as planned. Sure, he’d ended up in a cell and plotted a clever escape, but all that had gotten him was the company of a sex-crazed barbarian and the man’s impossibly large and erect cock, which Vorgell had freed of its tattered coverings and was displaying to him in all its glory. His tongue went silent as he stared. That cock might be a monster, but it was also magnificent… rosy, long, and thick, with a luscious, big head poking free of the foreskin and glistening like the jewel on a scepter. The only way that knob could be any shinier would be if he’d been licking it.

He was utterly mesmerized; it came as a shock to hear Vorgell still speaking to him earnestly.

“You don’t know what it was like, carrying you, feeling you all warm and nice, and the whole time all I could think about was your sweet bobbing ass. I don’t even like magic users, not usually. But you completely enthrall me. I can’t fight it anymore. Take your clothes off, or I’ll—”

“Keep your hands off my clothes!” He yanked his straw-flecked cloak tight to his body. “And you’re not getting that thing anywhere near my ass!”

“I don’t think you can stop me.” Vorgell lunged, and Madd dove headfirst off the fallen log and into a hollow filled with last season’s crumbling leaves. He barely registered the barbarian’s babble. He was frantically searching the surrounding trees, trying to find a moon oak. “You’re too little to overpower me, and I overheard the baron’s mages saying magic wouldn’t work on me, because of the unicorn horn in my blood.”

Screw me, he’s right. The giant stood over him, lust burning in his eyes. His cock dripped so heavily it looked as if he were watering the forest floor. Madd narrowed his gaze and muttered a spell. Maybe he couldn’t work magic on the unicorn-crazed oaf, but he could damn well enchant a tree.

With a resounding crack, a jug-sized burl broke from the trunk of a nearby moon oak and flew through the air. It cracked just as loudly when it slammed into Vorgell’s head. The big man blinked, staggered three steps—an amazing feat, considering—then dropped in a heap.

Madd rose, brushing leaves and litter from his cloak, and pondered his fallen nemesis. Vorgell was still breathing and, given the magic in his blood, would recover quickly. Until then… yes, Vorgell’s cock was still at full mast. Madd smiled. He could definitely do something with that, but he would have to be careful. Magic, even in the form of a lusty and beautiful cock, could be dangerous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More updates as they become available. I'm actually planning a few fun giveaways here on this blog only. Books, basilisks, gift cards, and... coffee mugs. :D

Oh, yeah.

Co-Authoring 101: A Guest Post from M.A. Church

If you know me at all, you know M.A. Church is one of my favorite writers. For one thing she is forever doing and discovering things about being a writer that I have yet to take a chance on. One of those things is being a co-author. I’ve never co-written a story with another author, but like most writers I’ve wondered what that might be like. So Michelle, what was it like co-writing with Julie Lynn Hayes on your latest ARe bestseller Be My Alien?

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To co-author or not to co-author...

Well now, that *is* the question, isn’t it, lol? When I first started writing, I really didn’t get the whole co-authored thing, and I also had dozens of questions on how it would work. *shrug* I dismissed the whole concept, actually, as something that wasn’t for me.

Then I met Julie Lynn Hayes, lol. Julie and I became friends when she edited my Nighttime series. As time passed, we became very good friends. Then the fateful day came and one of us made a joke about co-authoring something… and there you go, lol. Our first co-authored book, Be My Alien, was born.

My first question was how the devil did this deal work? Would I do a chapter, then she do one? Who was supposed to take notes? Could we both write each other’s characters? *laugh* Julie was very patient with me, and decided how we wanted to do this. I also found this isn’t for everyone. Stories written by two people can be a thing of beauty… or a flipping nightmare. I did worry about the nightmare part, to be honest. I found out very quickly in order to work together the co-authors had better be able to separate friendship from business. It’s give and take, and most relationships are, right?

I can’t speak for all co-authors, and this post is strictly from my perspective. But in Julie’s and my working relationship there’s a level of trust, which is needed for those times when bluntness is called for. I can tell you, this is no place for egos. Julie and I are good enough friends we can shoot down an idea, or twist an idea, or expand on it… and there’s no hard feelings. And we’ve done just that. It comes down to what’s best for the book.

We also share the workload. Meaning we both deal with edits, emails, setting up promotions, picking titles, choosing the cover, and anything else connected with our book. We both wrote it, so why should only one of us have to deal with all the little things? It’s sort of like a symbiotic relationship.

We’re also comfortable enough to write each other’s characters. Our voices are similar enough to do that and pull it off. She came up with Taz, and I created Reed. Why didn’t I take the alien when I’ve written aliens before? For that very reason. Julie has more experience writing than me, but scifi is one of my loves, lol. I’ve written aliens, so we agreed she’d do Taz for the experience. And God, Taz is a cutie.

Julie likes to say I got her into scifi, lol.

There are pros and cons to this too. One of the pros is working with someone. One of the cons is… working with someone, lol. When my hubby is off, I’m not usually on the computer. That’s our time together. So that means for a day or two I’m not available. Of course, that doesn’t include emergencies. Then there’s the fact I still have one child at home. Throw in she’s about to graduate this year and things can get busy.

I guess my overall point is co-authoring a book can be good, bad, or downright ugly. Friendships can be strengthened or destroyed. The whole damn thing can turn into a PIA of major proportions. I like to think this has helped my friendship with Julie grow. We haven’t scratched each other’s eyes out yet, lol.

As I said, these are just my thoughts. 

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3801

Blurb:

A man too busy for love…

Reed owns an upscale men’s boutique with a naughty back room. While making a late delivery to a client, he runs into Taz.

A man on a disastrous date…

When Taz agreed to come to Earth on a date, he didn’t expect to be dumped and left with no way home. Then he falls into Reed’s arms—literally.

A coffee date soon becomes a trip back to Reed’s apartment. But when Taz’s stripes begin to show, Reed discovers Taz comes from a planet far, far away.

Reed never believed aliens existed, but he’s facing one now. What in the world is he going to do?

Excerpt:

“Are you okay? Hello?”

Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”

Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”

The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.

“I really am sorry.”

“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most….world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”

For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”

A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 

Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.

Author bio:

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.

Michelle's links:

Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com

Twitter @nomoretears00

Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church

Publishers:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_650

Romance First Publishing: www.rfppublishing.com

Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=177

Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/authors/MA-Church.aspx

eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)

Author Bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing and No Boundaries Press, and coming soon with both Extasy Books and Torquere Press. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  

Julie's links:

Blog  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

Twitter @Shelley_runyon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7?fref=ts

My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

Publishers:

Museit Up Publishing:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222

eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)

Torquere Press http://torquerepress.com/  (coming soon)

Julie Lynn Hayes talks about Wonderland

One thing I can count on with Julie Lynn Hayes is that her imagination will take me somewhere I have never been before. Her new release Dallas in Wonderland takes readers right down the... well, let's hear what Julie has to say about it!

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I have always been fascinated by the story of Alice in Wonderland, and have re-read it many times over the years. Both Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, and the chronicles of her trip through the Looking Glass. I read the books to my kids when they were little, too.  What an imagination the Reverend Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, must have had. One could even say of the psychedelic variety! Caterpillars with hookahs, food and drink that made you grow or shrink, depending on what you ingested. A horrible creature known as the Jabberwock. Dodos and talking rabbits. And a great deal of poetry that is now inextricably tied up with my memories of this book. To this day, I can still recite Jabberwock, which I memorized back in grade school. (Trust me, that was a very long time ago!)

I’m also very fond of some of the movies that have come from the stories. Two, in particular, that caught my fancy were SyFy Alice, which features a very handsome Mad Hatter, and Malice in Wonderland. In the Sy Fy version, we have Colm Meaney as the Red King, and guest appearances by Tim Curry and Harry Dean Stanton.  In this, Alice is a very independent young woman who, because of her fiancé,  tries to save him and ends up going into Wonderland, where people are drained of their emotions in the Red Queen’s casino. It’s a fascinating twist.

So is Malice in Wonderland, which starts out with Alice almost being run down by a cabby in the streets of London. He turns out to be the Rabbit, and the adventure begins. The Rabbit is the cute one in this version. I watched it with a friend of mine and we seriously wondered if the writer was tripping when he wrote it. Especially the Cheshire Cat, driving around in his pot smoke-filled car, and speaking in rhymes.

There’ve been a couple of manga made from the stories, one of which is also a video game—Alice in the Country of Hearts. In the manga, Alice falls asleep while waiting for her sister, and finds herself a player in a strange game in a strange land, and the only way she can get out is to play. I haven’t finished reading the series yet, but I love it, and the Mad Hatter, aka Blood Dupre, is very easy on the eyes!

Having this great love for Alice, is it so surprising that I decided to write my own twist on the tale? In the m/m genre, of course. No surprise there! Alice became Dallas, and I wrote it as part of a series on my flash fiction group, the Wednesday Briefs. I never knew from week to week what the prompts would induce! It was a fun trip, though, and I enjoyed it. I self-published it briefly, when it was done, but then I pulled it from the market when I subbed it to eXtasy Books and they accepted it.

The rest is history!  Dallas was released on May 1^st and is available at eXtasy here.

Going down the rabbit hole has never been so sexy!

Blurb:

After finding his lover in the arms of another man, Dallas Crosby moves to a Victorian-style apartment building to begin a new life. A chance encounter with the mysterious and sexy Dr. Samuel Levi has Dallas in a tailspin. But the man comes and goes unexpectedly and Dallas doesn’t know what to make of him. Just when he thinks he’s getting somewhere with the unusual man, he finds himself in an unbelievable situation, and he has to struggle both to find the man he’s fallen for, and to get back to where he belongs.

Can Dallas find a way to leave Wonderland or will he be lost forever?

Excerpt:

The apartment building was conveniently located near the bus line, the grocery store, and the park. School, food and relaxation all within walking distance. What more could a guy ask for? Moving off campus was the best decision Dallas Crosby had ever made. Well, second best decision. The first had been getting rid of his lying cheating boyfriend. Right after he caught him in their dorm room with the RA’s cock rammed up his ass.

And then he’d had the nerve to claim nothing had happened. How stupid did he think Dallas was?

Never mind.

The last thing the jerk had said, as Dallas had removed every last trace of himself from their shared bedroom, was, “Dallas, please, don’t go breakin’ my heart. You can’t do this to me.”

He was so very wrong. Dallas could and he did. Right after he broke the cheating bastard’s nose.

The building was old, a converted Victorian mansion whose owner had fallen on hard times; she’d had to divide it into six units, two per floor. Dallas lived on the third floor, just beneath the attic. Sometimes he swore he heard rats scrabbling about, and he’d offered to place traps there for the landlady, but Mrs. Persepolis had laughed off his concerns. He was hearing things, she said. There was nothing there, she insisted. Hadn’t been rats in the building for many years.

Although Dallas wanted to believe her, one time he decided to see for himself that the attic was indeed rat-free, as she claimed. When he dropped the stairs leading to the attic, and then mounted them, broom in hand, he’d found the door at the top locked, and he gave it up as a lost cause, all the while thinking that rats didn’t use keys, so who was she locking out?

The basement contained limited amounts of storage space, as well as laundry facilities for the use of the tenants. Only two washers and two dryers, but that was enough to cover the needs of those that lived there. With their disparate schedules, there never seemed to be a conflict among the residents over the use of the facilities, for which Dallas was grateful. He juggled culinary classes during the day with working in the restaurant of a four star hotel at night. Usually the only time he had to do his laundry was in the wee hours, when the house was still, and there was no competition for the few machines.

Dallas would bring down either whatever Stephen King novel he was currently reading, or one of his cooking textbooks. While the washing machine agitated and rinsed, he’d prop his feet against it, his chair tilted back on two legs, the back of his head scraping the wall, the rhythm of life vibrating through his soles. It was a comforting feeling, and more than a little sensual. He sometimes daydreamed about what it would like to be fucked there, while the machine was going, either leaning against it or lying on top of it, while a big strong hotter than hell guy rammed into him.

With an imagination like that, he could have chosen to write porn for a living.

One of his favorite Stephen King novels was the Shining. He didn’t even care that they’d fucked up the movie, he loved them both. Jack Nicholson was sure hot. In a totally crazy kind of way. Maybe that was Dallas’ problem. He had an irresistible attraction to psychopaths. Or was that sociopaths? To paraphrase Doctor McCoy, I’m a chef, Jim, not a psychiatrist.

Dallas was also a big Star Trek fan.

What was that? He cocked his head, listening. Although, to be fair, with the washing machine thrumming the way it was, hearing anything outside of this room was rather difficult. Plus he had his iPod blasting in his ear. Bach. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Phantom of the Opera music. The movie, not the musical.

He turned the page, losing himself in Jack Torrance’s troubles. All work and no play…

He heard it again. This time he was sure. Footsteps. Coming his way. He hastily brought the chair back onto all four legs, placed his bookmark inside and closed the book. The hairs on the back of his neck began to bristle, in the way that they sometimes did just before a storm, when the air’s full of static electricity and mischief.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

If he didn’t get his mind off of men with axes, he’d never be able to go to sleep tonight, and then he sure as shit wouldn’t be able to function tomorrow. Probably one of the other tenants coming home. Maybe wanting something out of storage. The storage area was separate. Each tenant had a key to the room. Dallas didn’t keep very much there himself. He didn’t have very much.

Slipping back into his book, he was very much surprised to hear a cultured voice ask, “Pardon me, but is that seat taken?”

A slender figure stood in the doorway. At first glance, Dallas made his age to be somewhere in the forty-five to fifty range, not from his appearance, which was completely toned and fit, but something in his eyes seemed to hold the wisdom of the ages. Startling eyes they were. He wasn’t aware that copper existed in the palette of the human eye.  But here it was. Copper with hints of green. Hair of a muted red, pulled back from his forehead, and tied into a long plait which fell over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Um… um… no, you didn’t.” Too late, Dallas realized he’d inadvertently dropped his book onto the floor. Guess he was more rattled than he let on. With a deft movement, the newcomer bent to retrieve it, his movements sure and graceful. He presented the volume to Dallas with a smile.

“Allow me to introduce myself. Dr. Samuel Levi, at your service.” He made a slight obeisance with his hand, rolling it from his forehead to his chin, in a graceful gesture.

“Oh, a medical doctor?”

“Alas, nothing quite so useful.” His laughter was soft, cultured. “An honorary title given to those whom the world cannot decide what it wants to do with.”

Dallas thought this man looked more than useful. The back of his neck was tingling again.

“I’ll bid you good night, Dallas, I hope we meet again.”

Only after he’d gone did Dallas wonder how he knew his name.

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for having me, Tali! This is like my home away from home lol

Thick as Thieves: Have Blurb, Will Promo

Though it seems an Ice Age has passed since I subbed Thick as Thieves and it got picked up for publication, things at long last are starting to come to a boil. First, Thick as Thieves now has an official blurb:

After Vorgell the barbarian fucks himself with a unicorn horn, he ends up in a cell with Maddog, a pretty young thief. It’s lust at first sight for Vorgell—but honestly, he can’t help it. Unicorn horn is a potent aphrodisiac, and now he can’t stop thinking about sex. Luckily, Madd is one male witch who knows how to put Vorgell’s new magical body to good use when he tricks Vorgell into a kiss that helps them escape.

Vorgell may desire sex in general—and Madd in particular—but Madd has no intention of being screwed by a man twice his size. He has problems of his own, including an enchanted collar that causes him to desire his most hated enemy. He wants that collar off as soon as possible, but that requires stealing a basilisk egg from the castle they just escaped.

Drawn together by lust and magic, the two men join forces and soon find themselves up to their necks in witches, wizards, and trouble. Vorgell and Madd might just be perfect for each other, but first they have to survive long enough to find out.

Also, I just finished the first round of edits, and I have to say it was a delight to revisit this book. It's still the most fun I've ever had writing, and I've even been encouraged by the editor to consider writing more books in this world. How fun is that? Not to mention I nearly killed my editor with adorableness, certainly a first for me. Here's a picture of the kind of adorableness involved.

What all this means for me is I soon get to embark on my least favorite part of being a published author. That's right. Although I don't have a release date just yet, July/August is coming soon and I'll soon be promoting the book. What this means for readers who have not already hit the click button... cover reveal, excerpts, and numerous giveaways of both ebooks and paperbacks. I also hope to entertain and inform through a series of guest blog posts about magic, basilisks, unicorns, buddy novels, sword and sorcery as a genre, and Crosby and Hope Road movies.

I'll provide links here during the tour so anyone who wants to follow along can easily find me. I mean, you really want to find out more about unicorn horns!

Featured Author: Double Dose of Sean Michael

Sean Michael is one of those authors whose dialogue just leaps off the page. Moreover, he has a deliciously kinky imagination! After you enjoy the TWO tasty excerpts he's provided for today, pop on over to his blog where you can find more of his work.

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Thank you, Tali for letting me guest post on your blog today!

I have two brand new short stories I'd like to talk about today. One is set in the Hammer Club world and the other is a stand alone contemporary. So, the amusing thing is, you'd expect the Hammer Club story to be the kinky one, right? Except it's not, it's the contemporary stand alone that is. That's just how things work out sometimes.

The Favor (the Hammer Club story) turned out to be a sweet and sexy pairing of two Doms who are best friends. Erik's interested in knowing what it's like for his subs, so he wants to lose his virginity (oh, he's plenty experienced, he's just never been penetrated himself.) So he asks his best friend and mentor Lion, the man who has taught him everything he knows about BDSM and being a Dom, to find someone to help relieve him of his virginity. Lion won't hear of anyone else doing it and insists he's the only man he trusts for the job. Man, did I have fun writing these two best friends as they hang out together for the day, and then later as they get their loving on. I couldn't be happier with the results even if it is a Hammer Club story without whips and chains, oh my. Both men are members at the club, though, and that is where it starts. Jack and Oliver even get a mention! While this one is set in the Hammer Club world, it can be read as a stand alone.

Revving It Up (the kinky contemporary) on the other hand, turned out to be hot and sexy. It features a pair who are dating, sort of. They started out hot and heavy and kind of fizzled after that. They still see each other every few weeks, but if you were to ask either Bryan or Jon to be honest, they'd say that the relationship was on its way out. That is until Bryan has quite the day at work and shows up for a coffee date with Jon while wearing a plug up his... where one would have a plug. They leave behind cooling off and fizzling out at lightning speed and rocket right back to hot and heavy, with a side dish of very kinky! It was totally fun to write and not at all what I was expecting when Bryan and Jon showed up.

Erik wants to know what his subs feel, so he’s planning on losing his virginity. To that end, he enlists the help of his best friend and mentor, Lion. Things get intense when Lion insists the only man he trusts for the job is himself. How will this affect their friendship?

buy link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_180&products_id=3867

Excerpt (adult):

They relaxed together, side-by-side, idly listening to the post-game banter. At some point, Lion's hand slipped onto his thigh. His muscles tightened, rolled, like they were telling Lion hello. Humming, Lion rubbed slowly.

His legs parted, the barest bit, welcoming the touch. They'd played together, gotten each other off before. It was good between them, usually. Lion shifted closer, free hand touching his cheek, turning his face toward Lion's. He nodded, just as into this as his friend.

Lion's mouth covered his, tongue sliding, asking entrance. Erik opened, tongue caressing Lion's. Hey. A low humming filled his mouth, Lion pushing him against the back of the sofa. He pushed back, ending up straddling Lion's thighs.

"So cheeky," murmured Lion licking his lower lip.

"Uh-huh." He dove back in, eager.

Lion's tongue pushed into his mouth, sweeping through him. It was like a wrestling match, two gladiators crashing together. Holding his head in place, Lion took the kiss even deeper. Fuck, Lion's kisses were like drinking -- dizzying and sweet and edged with crazy.

Lion slipped one of his hands down Erik's back, sending tingling sensations along his spine. He pressed closer, rubbing idly over Lion's ripped belly. The hand on his back dipped lower, cupping his ass through his jeans, thumb rubbing along his crease.

"Gonna make it good for me?" Erik asked.

"Do you even need to ask, Ricky?"

He grinned, tugged Lion's bottom lip. "No. Not really." They were good together, they had fun. This was just another level.

"That's right, you don't need to ask." Lion squeezed his ass cheek. "Gonna make it good for you. Hopefully it won't spoil you for anyone else." Lion winked, eyes twinkling with humor.

"It's not like I'm going to suddenly turn into a size queen."

Lion burst out laughing.

Erik grinned, wiggled his ass. "Oh, baby. Give it to me, please."

They both cracked up.

"Dork," Lion accused once he'd caught his breath again.

"Uh-huh. That's not new."

"No, I guess it's not." Lion gave him a quick kiss. "I have supper being delivered for us from Chez Nous around six."

"Oh?" He loved that restaurant. Loved it.

"Yeah. You didn't think this was just going to be a wham, bam, thank you, Lion event, did you?"

Jon and Bryan have been dating for about six months. While things were hot and heavy in the beginning, they’ve since cooled down to a low simmer. Still, Bryan’s looking forward to seeing Jon again tonight after his shift at the bar. But a game of truth or dare has left him wearing a plug and it’s making him aware of every single step he’s taking.

Will Bryan be able to make it through his date with Jon without going crazy? Or will Jon find out why he’s got that extra wiggle in his walk tonight and do something about it?

Buy link: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/RevvingItUp.html

Excerpt (Adult): 

Jon grinned, laughed and hurried along faster. It was starting to get crowded, but they wound through people like they were on a mission. “God, who knew you had it in you.” Jon made a face like he was replaying what he’d said and started laughing.

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“I meant I didn’t realize you were the type to be into plugs and stuff, but the way it came out made it sound like I was talking specifically about the plug you’ve currently got up your ass.”

“Are you?” he asked. “The type?” And why didn’t they know that about each other? Especially if it was this hot. It should have come up already, shouldn’t it?

“I’ll show you my collection when we get home and you tell me.”

“Collection?” Collection? What? Jon had… They’d been seeing each other for almost six months.

“Yeah. What?” Jon shrugged. “It’s not exactly something you whip out to the new boyfriend.”

“No. No, I guess not.” Byron liked the term boyfriend.

“But once he shows up for a date with a plug up his ass, well, then it’s time to show it off.”

“I just… It was a dare.”

Jon stopped at the doors to his apartment building, turned to look him right in the eye. “You’re not enjoying it?”

“I didn’t say that.” He felt slinky, sexy, and with the way Jon was looking at him, desirable, like whoa.

“Good. Then I’m glad you were dared.” They started moving again, Jon opening the door for him.

Jon headed for the stairs, then stopped and grinned evilly. “After you.”

“What? You’re on the sixth floor!”

“I am. And I’m going to watch you take every single step.” In fact, Jon looked like he was going to start drooling any second now.

“No way…” Oh, God. How hot.

“Yes, way. Come on.”

Bryan took a step, the plug shifting inside him.

“Mmm, yeah. Look at that.”

“Jon…” His arms were covered in goose pimples.

“Keep walking.”

Oh, fuck. He made one flight, almost moaning. Jon’s hand landed on his ass, slid across his right cheek.

His steps stumbled and his heart pounded. “Oh, God.”

“You seeing God now, Bry?”

“I…” He was achingly hard.

Jon patted his ass, hard, managing to jostle the plug. “Five more flights. Let’s go.”

“Jon! No touching!”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” Jon pushed his ass this time, encouraging him to keep moving up.

“You’ll make me. Be careful…”

“Make you what? Damn it, Bry, I want to hear everything—how every step makes you feel, every touch.”

They were moving again, so slowly, up the next flight of stairs.

He’d never heard that tone in Jon’s voice, never wanted to just fall to his knees and beg the man. This was like the dirtiest fantasy ever. “Jon…”

“You heard me.” Yeah, he also heard that rough note in Jon’s voice.

He moved faster, so fucking turned on. Jon followed him up, touching and encouraging and distracting the fuck out of him.

“You keep touching…”

“Uh-huh.” Jon swatted his ass.

He stumbled a little, that sting stealing his breath.

“Careful, Bryan. I don’t want you falling down before we get to my bedroom.”

He made it to the top of the fourth story, sweating with effort. Jon stepped up right behind him, cock hard as it pressed against his ass.

“One more flight left, Bry.”

He pushed back, a deep cry leaving him as they met, rubbed.

Jon licked at his neck. “You can do it.”

“I’m so hard.”

Jon’s hand slid around, rubbed his prick through his jeans. “Yeah, you are.”

“Oh, fuck. Jon, I haven’t… We haven’t been together in weeks.” He was aching for it.

“Then it’s about time, huh?”

“Yes.” He’d been worried, a little, that the spark was completely gone. Looked like it has just been muted, waiting for the right catalyst.

“Up, Bry.”

“I am. Totally.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks again to Tali for hosting me today. I hope everyone's having a good, smutty Monday!

What's Your Name? Welcome to the World of the Face-Blind

♥KatB Photography♥

I've never been good at remembering people. I will meet someone and vaguely realize I should know them, but if I can't bluff my way to enough information to identify who they are...I have to ask. "Excuse me, but I can't quite place your name?" This has happened with neighbors and schoolmates and even first cousins and aunts I've seen plenty of times over the years. Just not every day. And it's been this way since I was a girl.

It's odd. I mean, I have a damn good memory for other things. Books. Plots. Where things are. I'm not kidding when I say if I have been someplace once I can always find it again. Anywhere in the world. I can do that. I can name paintings, buildings, countries by shape, match stock market symbols to companies, and put names to cartoon characters. But for the life of me, I can't always put a name to a face.

I've amused my husband for years because I confuse actors. All the time. Especially Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. I can't tell the two apart. I know they look different. Put their pictures side by side and I can see that. But I can't tell you which is which.

The other day I learned about face-blindness. Prosopagnosia. People who have this disorder struggle to recognize faces. They recognize people by context instead: mannerisms, hair style, voice, and other information. I read that and I said to myself, "That's me!" I recognize people by where they are, their height, their clothes. It even explains my love of quirky people and why I would rather speak to an auditorium full of people than approach a small group.

There was a test. I took it. It's free and simple. All you have to do is name that famous face. Here's the test.

My score: 57%

My husband: 98%

Most people score above 90%.

I am not severely afflicted. It might be argued I don't have it at all. People with severe prosopagnosia often don't recognize their own spouse or children by face alone. I haven't failed to identify a loved one yet. Still it's kind of comforting to know my faulty memory for faces and names might not be because I don't care enough or try hard enough. I do care. I do try. I really think I just...can't.

So if I meet you at a conference or convention...if we meet for coffee and have a great time (we would, for sure)...and I act like I don't remember who you are the next time we meet, just give me a clue. Your name would be a good start. Because I do remember YOU. I remember your name, the things we talked about, the name of your dog. I just may not recognize your face.

Want to know more about this condition? Here's a good article. 

So what about you? Is every face a stranger? Or are you like one of my middle-aged friends who can spy someone he hasn't seen since grade school and say, "Look! It's Jimmy Smith!"

Photo: ♥KatB Photography♥
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56695083@N00/4474085702/

The Purple House

I like quirky people and quirky things. Life is too short not to be interesting and some people and places are so darn interesting they become cultural icons. Take for example the Purple House. You know right away a place is special when it has a name everyone recognizes, maybe not everyone but definitely everyone on the south side of Milwaukee. How could you miss it?

The house occupied the corner of W. Howard Ave. and S. 43rd Street. I lived in the area and drove by it all the time when I went to college at Alverno, which was just down the street. The house wasn't always painted purple, which is why I never noticed it until one day in 1993 I drove by and saw this:

Well...that was different! I rather liked it for the high quirk factor, but it wasn't exactly something most people would want on their street. Because it wasn't on my street, I simply smiled as I drove by.

When I lucked into what became one of my favorite jobs, working for a Milwaukee County supervisor whose district just happened to include the Purple House, I learned quite a lot about the place and its owner. The owner had gotten a job with the city of Milwaukee and needed to live in the city. He was a bit of a free spirit and didn't keep up the property quite as his neighbors liked and they must have complained because he started getting fines for not having the place properly painted. So he painted it. He painted it purple.

Oh yeah, well how do you like THIS! I love that story.

My boss, the county supervisor, got along with the owner just fine and told me the story of the man's ongoing war with the city. He just didn't want to be told what to do. I could relate to that. I could also relate to the neighbors being unhappy. I eventually met him a time or two while delivering house to house notices about public sewer and water installation in the area. I always asked if the constituent had any questions for the supervisor about county programs and the like. He never did, but we had some interesting chats about development in the area and the decline of the parks. The house was near a park.

Two years ago when I was in Milwaukee visiting Mom, I learned that the Purple House was condemned and torn down. I was sad to learn the owner had died. I was even sadder to drive by the corner and see an empty lot. The house had been interesting. It was something special, a piece of pure Americana and Milwaukee up-yours spirit that will never be replaced. I mean, where else would anyone create a Christmas card like this?

I'm glad I got to see the Purple House, and understand it. It helped me understand that some of the best things in life are the things and people that stand out for being different. We try so hard sometimes to have neat, predictable lives. But there's something to be said for not being part of the crowd. I don't remember most of the many thousands of houses I've seen in my life...but I will always remember this one.