Taking a LOOK at the backlist: Keeping House

LOOK

Look! A Writing Challenge!  This is revised from a challenge that was circulating in 2012.

The Rules are simple:

 Find the word LOOK in one of your back list books, and then post the three paragraphs surrounding it. Post your favorite three, the ones that are most intriguing and then tag three other authors who might like to share their back-list.  I'm tagging Tom Webb, Angel Martinez, and Havan Fellows. 

  

My excerpt is from KEEPING HOUSE, available at

Amazon

All Romance eBooks

Bookstrand

Breathless Press

“Sorry to wake you, Mr. Holloway,” he called, grateful that his voice came out sounding masculine instead of squeaky. Knowing there was nothing he could do to disguise his erection in his tight clothes; he turned quickly back to survey the jumbled interior of the small van.

 He heard Donovan’s approaching footsteps squelching in the soggy leaves and looked down to see the man’s long, elegant feet in flip-flops parked next to his own combat boots. Fuck. He even had sexy feet? There really was no justice in the world. If there were, the man would have some visible flaw to counteract his gorgeousness. Maybe he’s got a tiny cock, and that’s God’s little joke, or he prefers to bottom, too. In which case even if I got him into bed neither of us would know what the fuck to do with the other.

 Coughing, he turned to his friends. “Mr. Holloway, these are my friends, who were kind enough to help me move.” Actually, he’d quite recently discovered that they were his only real friends, but Donovan didn’t need to know that the hundreds of hangers-on who’d been happy to party with him when he was flush had disappeared when the money had gone. He pulled Bella forward from where she tried to hide behind him, “This is Bella, and that’s Dex and Trick.” He waved in the direction of the twins hoping their behavior at the moment was discreet enough not to turn Donovan off the idea of letting them in his house. 

Coming Soon: Holidays With Jacob

Releasing February 15, 2013 

Holidays With Jacob

Pre-order at BREATHLESS PRESS

In Loving Jacob they were torn apart, then brought together again for a fresh start. Follow Malcolm Jenner and Jacob Renault through a year of special days as their relationship grows.

Join Malcolm and Jacob as they forge their relationship amid the ashes of the past. From making love again for the first time, to letting go of past ties, these two men still make mistakes, but the past has taught them to be honest with one another and to consider each other's needs in addition to their own wants and desires.

 Celebrate a year of holidays, joys, failures, and triumphs as Malcolm and Jacob learn that it takes more than love to build a relationship that lasts. 

Excerpt

Malcolm stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "Let's take a walk on the beach while there's still some light and clean up later." He managed to make the suggestion sound casual though he felt as though his heart were beating out of his chest in a visible cartoon character manner. He patted nervously at his pocket for the items he'd placed there earlier.

Jacob nodded and twisted his wrist so that their hands were clasped together. Malcolm's heartbeat stuttered as he caught a brief glimpse of the fine scars that criss-crossed their way up Jacob's arm. They hadn't been good for each other all those years ago. What made him think that this time around would be any different? Hand in hand they descended the shallow steps to the sand from the deck. He started to speak a few times, and bit back the words. He wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. Damn it.

"Malcolm, what's going on here?" Jacob's voice was soft, tentative. He seemed very young and insecure suddenly, more so than Malcolm had ever seen him.

Bracing his spine and turning to face Jacob, Malcolm took a deep breath before finding his voice, husky with emotion. "If I tell you the truth…"

Jacob's gaze locked with Malcolm's. "Malcolm, you're creeping me out here. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but this is all just a little, well, creepy. The truth would be fine. Go ahead. I can handle it."

Malcolm smiled. He rubbed his thumb over the scars at Jacob's wrist. He felt on comfortable footing again. "But, is it more than you want?"

Jacob flushed and swallowed visibly, but answered without hesitation. "No. I want this." He gestured to the romantic moonlight with their clasped hands, towards where the incoming tide washed away the remains of the day. He hesitated briefly then rushed on as though determined to get the words out. "I love you. I always have, since the very first time in the elevator." Jacob laughed, a little darkly. "Hell, I moved back here from Vermont, gave up a good teaching position with the university, for a second chance with you, Malcolm. Whatever your truth is, I can handle it."

Malcolm paused in astonishment. On reflection, he realized that it was true, and recognized that on a certain level he had known all along that this was the case. The soft glow in Jacob's eyes hadn't appeared there suddenly, it had been there all along. The knowledge gave him the courage he needed to speak himself.

"I love you, too. I want to be with you. That is my truth."

Love is in the Air

Winner by random draw is 
pnelson6915@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone else who stopped by, I really appreciate your support! 

Love Is In the Air Blog Hop

Hosted by Under the Covers

THE NITTY GRITTY

1. Blog hop runs from 12:01 AM February 7th through to 11:59 PM February 14th, 2013.
2. You must include your email address for notification purposes if you win. Entries without email addresses will be disqualified.
3. Prizes must be claimed within seven days (by Feb. 21) or are forfeit.
4. Winners will be announced on this page and notified by email on Feb. 15^th.
5. Physical prizes are US only. E-books, gift cards, etc. are international.

The Sweet Talk

It has come to that time of year again – Valentine’s Day.

It is a time for the bad poetry and naughty underwear to be dusted off and put to use.

But if you want more than just barely-there underwear and a few sonnets,

how about a sexy romantic book to get you in the smooching mood?

Join us in our Love is in the Air blog hop for a chance to win

and make your Valentine’s Day perfect!

.Book Related prizes....

I have just the thing!

Designed by the fabulous Freia Inguz, especially for the season...

Plus, a collection of M/M romance Paperbacks Including....

Encounter 

Variety is the spice of life- here's a collection of short stories to heat up your day.

Encounter: A nervous wannabe actor slips away to steal a smoke at an audition and finds more relaxation than he expected. 

Finding Justice: When Justice figures out his boyfriend considers him nothing more than a piece of ass on the side, he takes matters into his own hands. 

Nick: Insecure nurse Nick discovers something about his rock star boyfriend he just can't forgive.

Loving Jacob (insert pic)

When Malcolm Jenner’s sex-on-the-side turns into more, he isn’t above begging for a second chance.

Malcolm is looking for a bit of fun, nothing serious.  He's got duties and responsibilities, after all. He doesn’t usually choose his lovers from the office, but his attraction to Jacob Renault is too compelling to resist.

However,  Jacob isn't interested in temporary.  He wants it all, Prince Charming the castle, the happily ever after.  There's no rule that says he can't have fun while he's searching for his prince though.

At first neither is willing to compromise their stance, but an agreement is reached, with each man planning to do his best to subvert the other to his viewpoint.  Lust turns to love, and what’s impossible becomes merely improbable, but is it going to be enough?

Like that taste? Want to see more of how our heroes reached this point?

The Librarian 

Valentine Michaels has just taken a vow of celibacy. Adrian Grey intends to take full advantage of that vow to re-create his relationship with Val.

Val is at a crossroads in his life. A college dropout, he's gone as far as he can in his career as a cosmetologist, owning his own style salon. He no longer finds satisfaction in it, though he's put years into proving to his bigoted parents that a college degree and the veneer of straightness aren't the only roads to success. They'd turned their backs on him, and he proved he didn't need them to make it.

His love life is no better than his working life. His relationships always start with a bang and fizzle into boredom, or worse, anger.

Adrian has his own agenda for helping Val: he's been in love with Val since they were freshmen. The intervening years of listening to Val's gossip about his lovers and relationships have taught Adrian just what it was he did wrong all those years ago, and he thinks this time around he now knows exactly how to get—and keep—his man.

Want to win?

Just leave me a comment below with

a.     your email address( for notification purposes)

b.     your idea of a perfect Valentine date

c.      Alternatively- a decadent treat you enjoy spoiling your loved ones with on special days...

That's all.

Click on over to the other participating blogs via the linky thingy.

Sometimes, linky thingies don't work- so here's the link to the master blog.

http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/2013/01/love-is-in-the-air-blog-hop-sign-ups.html

Tomato Rice Soup

Recipe Theme of the Month: Nostalgia

Hey there! I've been thinking a lot about recipes my mom used to make, tha I loved as a kid but never seem to serve as an adult. This is a really simple dish that we had frequently.

Tomato Rice Soup

My mom made this soup with a can of diced tomatoes, or sometimes with tomatoes she'd canned from the garden the summer before.  Beef or chicken stock, rice or even at times barley- though I guess not many people cook with barely anymore. It's hot, light, and filling. Perfect for an afternoon meal with a grilled cheese sandwich and a great way to use leftovers!

Ingredients:

1 can of diced tomatoes with juice

2 cups broth

1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves

1/2 bay leaf, crumbled (you can play with the seasoning... I made this yesterday with Italian seasoning)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup cooked long grain rice

Preparation: 

Bring tomatoes, broth and seasonings to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice and heat through. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.

You can kick it up with Mexican spices, use macaroni instead of rice, make it your own in a lot of ways. Do you have a homestyle favorite soup?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee

Who has lit your flame?

Yes, I know, the grammar's a bit flubbed. 

I think I owe that flame to quite a few people over the last 45 years. From the fifth grade teacher who had our class write legends explaining natural phenomena as part of a history lesson, to the sophomore literature teacher who gave us everything from the Wizard of Oz to the Great Gatsby to read, to the professor who asked if I had always written with grace...

I owe my "spark" to dozens of influences.

Where does yours come from?

February Releases Update

February Releases

Hi everyone!

Just a note about what February is bringing. I have three releases scheduled for this month. That sounds like a lot, but when I tell you two of them are 5K short stories, and the other is a collection of short stories I wrote over the course of 2012, you'll realize that I am not being over worked. LOL

First, I've had a short story that I wrote back in 2011 that I love. Its hard to find a publisher who accepts shorts though, outside of anthologies, and believe it or not, a lot of people don't buy anthologies! So, this story is finally seeing the light of day via Lime Time Press, my little self publishing venture. It's a Valentine story about a man with a secret, and the man who hopes to love him. While it's a romantic story, it doesn't end with a wedding or an avowal of love. It's a beginning with the promise of a future HEA. Look for Under the Pier at e-book dealers on Feb. 8^th. 

Second, my anthology of Malcolm and Jacob short stories is releasing form Breathless Press on February 15. This collection covers a year of holidays as Malcolm Jenner and Jacob Renault, heroes of Loving Jacob, try to put their relationship back together again. It is currently available for pre-order at BREATHLESS PRESS and will release elsewhere on Feb. 15.

Last, you may not know this, but I write stories that are more erotic, less romantic, quick erotic sex-capades without the HEA, under the name L.B.. The first series of those, A Rake in London, is releasing over the next few months Book #2, A Debt of Honor: Collected will release at the end of February. They are a lot of fun to write, and the Regency is a lovely era to visit. If HEA isn't a requirement for you, I hope you give them a try!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee

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