6/01/2013

It's Naughty Nursery Rhyme Month!



Awesome New Folks! 

It's Naughty Nursery Rhymes Month at my publisher 






My contribution to that line is called It's Simple, Simon. 

Don't let the fancy dress fool you. This is an erotic contemporary m/m romance even though it's based on a child's nursery rhyme. 

It's strictly for adults! 

COMING SOON! NEW RELEASE

COMING IN JUNE! 






After a hot interlude at a holiday party, Lake Wynters and Solomon Arsdale exchange phone numbers but not promises. Lake is fine with that until something happens he's never experienced. As days pass without Solomon calling, Lake discovers he just can't forget the sexy older man. Giving in to temptation, he takes matters into his own hands and visits Solomon at his office, breaking his own dating rules.
Waiting in Solomon's office, Lake is shaken to the core by how much Solomon's acknowledgement of their encounter means to him, and how much more he wants it to lead to.
But when the door he's eagerly watching opens, it brings new temptation in the form of Adonis Kosmias. Adonis isn't anything like Solomon. Not many would call him beautiful. His features are too harsh, his body too angular. But he moves with fluid grace and his hair falls in perfect waves and his eyes sparkle with warmth. From the first touch of his hand Lake is thrown into even greater confusion. So distracted by Adonis's touch is he, that when Solomon finally makes an appearance, their hands are still clasped.
Meeting Solomon again while holding hands with another man wasn't in Lake's plan. Neither was anything that happened afterward.



Regency Rakes and Gentlemen of Honor


A new story to steal your heart...


A Gentleman Never Does
Breathless Press
Regency/Historical M/M Romance
Available at  Breathless Press Amazon and All Romance 

Once they were the closest of friends...

Short of funds, Gareth proposes to wager for love. Does Gideon dare play out this hand?
Gideon Westwood is passing time at a debutante ball when he encounters a man from his past he'd give anything to avoid.
Unfortunately for him, Gareth Belmain isn't in the mood to be pushed aside.
A wager leads to a walk in the garden and a kiss to angry words.
Will a public challenge put an end to any hope they might have for a future together?
Teaser Excerpt:
"If you're short of funds, I don't wish to gamble with you for money." 
Gareth smirked, painted lips twisting. "Such an honorable man you are. Fine then, if we shall not play for money, then we play for love." 
A chill washed over Gideon. He shifted on the delicate chair, fearing it might splinter if he abused it too much. "For love?" 
Gareth whispered, "You were used to love me dearly. We could play for that." Gideon's dismay must have shown on his face, and again he cursed his inability to master the stoic boredom society expected of its young men and women. 
"Or maybe not. What stakes would you care to play for, my Corinthian friend?" 
The sardonic emphasis on Corinthian hurt a bit, as he had no doubt that Gareth intended it to. It angered Gideon that Gareth held such power over him still, to arouse his emotions, his body this way. Instead of answering the question Gareth had asked, he let his hurt and anger have sway. "Why are you without funds? Too many hours of shopping in Bond Street, my dear?" 
Gareth's blue eyes flickered and his narrow jaw tightened. Gideon's gaze focused on the tight pinch of his full lips. Those lips had touched his... He bit back a curse as his pantaloons grew uncomfortably tight. "Fuck." The coarse word was a hoarse whisper that he hoped no one else picked up on. 
Gareth's tension faded and his eyes sparkled with mirth. "No, dear heart. A gentleman never pays his tailor before his gaming debts. If you must know, I played a little too deep the other night at that new hell, off Curzon street." 
The lure of cards had always been impossible for Gareth to resist. They'd often played together at school and through long rainy days at home. So Gideon knew that Gareth might be susceptible to the lure of the cards, but he wasn't a bad player. While losing wasn't unheard of, it was rare. "I can float you a bit till quarter day if you like." Gideon offered. 
"Kind of you, but no. If you were inclined to lose to me, that would be one thing. But I am not in need of charity." The cards were snapped down onto the table sharply. "Cut."


And New series in Collaboration with author Raven McAllan

Randall's Romance

Randall's Romance by Lee Brazil & in collaberation with Raven McAllan
Behind Closed Doors Series, Book One
Historical/Regency M/M Romance
Evernight Publsihing
Available at Publisher / ARe / Amazon

When Randall Gretton's father leaves his family behind to seek out his lost love, Randall finds an unexpected sympathy in his father's actions. The dashing soldier takes completely to heart his father's advice to his children, "If you are fortunate enough to find love, then seize it."

Is a chance encounter at a masquerade Randall's chance at lifetime love?

Be Warned: m/m sex, sex toys

Teaser Excerpt:

He closed the door behind himself and turned the key in the lock. The book room was lit by a single porcelain candelabrum on the mantel piece. In the flickering candlelight he located Terence at the fireplace, swirling a snifter of brandy in his hand. Terence turned his head, tensing at the sound of the key turning in the lock.

"Never fear. It's just me. I'd about given up hope of finding you; there are so very many highwaymen present tonight. Next time you must choose a more singular disguise." Checking the room carefully for any other entrance, Randall realized Terence had chosen the perfect place for their encounter.

The highwayman glanced back at him, dark eyes glittering through the slits of his long mask. "I'd hate to draw attention." Hi voice was muffled by the mask, but Randall caught the faint foreign accent he aped and rolled his eyes.

Randall felt his blood heat as that hooded gaze traveled down his form. His cock stirred and this time he made no move to hide his interest. "Truth, Terence, attention is to be avoided, but there is something to be said for ease of recognition in these circumstances."

He crossed the Aubusson carpet to stand in front of his lover, drew the man to him. Terence came willingly enough into his embrace, but when Randall tried to raise the man's domino to reveal his features, Terence caught his hand in a gloved grip. "No. Just in case, we must be discreet."

"I did lock the door, you know." Randall buried his face in the fabric and tightened his arms, crushing Terence along his length. The man's costume was a miracle of tailoring, for he seemed to have even added padding to his narrow shoulders and lifts to his boots.

"Yes, but that might not be the only key."

Truly, Terence was more concerned than usual about being recognized! He'd even foregone his normal heavy drenching of spicy oriental scent in favor of a delicate sandalwood cologne that teased at Randall's senses quite delightfully. Reluctantly Randall released his crushing grip on the domino and let his hands slide down Terence's back to cup his taut buttocks through the thin pantaloons. "Very well, then. Come away with me for the night so we can be private."

"I cannot." Hard hands closed on his own buttocks, squeezed them meaningfully. Randall shivered. His cock thickened, his blood stirred. Terence pulled him closer still, so that their groins rested against one another. A few thin layers of fabric separated them, but the heat was as unmistakable as the thick ridge his prick rubbed against.

"But I leave tomorrow, I told you as much." Randall protested, grinding into the sweet pressure on his prick. "Never mind. If this is all the moment we have, then I want more than this." He wedged his hands in between their bodies, enjoyed Terence's gasp when he squeezed the man's prick through his pantaloons, and began working their garments open.

"You're very bold tonight." The breathless statement was followed by a swift, muttered curse as Randall caught their pricks in his hand and stroked them together.

"I?" Randall leaned into Terence and bit the man's ear lobe sharply. "I suggested we meet in the usual place, secure and behind closed doors. You were the one who had a hankering for challenging the ton. Is it turning you on, making you hot to think that just a few feet away the others are dancing and drinking and making merry?"

"Damn you, harder!" Terence's hand closed over his and Randall shuddered as the grip tightened, the rhythm roughened. He stared down between them, to where their hands slid up and down, squeezing drops of clear liquid from each prick that mingled and streamed down to slick the path of their movements. Terence's hand on his cock was more erotic than ever, and maybe it was the thought of being caught out, of the scandal that lurked, but his body was tensing, and beads of perspiration formed. He threw back his head, slipped his free hand down the back of Terence's pantaloons and into his small clothes. Terence trembled against him, Randall soothed him with a whispered word, cupped his buttock, and let his fingers trail along the crease of the man's arse.

"Have a care...we can't do that here."

"I am aware," he chuckled dryly, catching his breath. His fingers brushed over the puckered hole, Terence shuddered, his cock stiffening still further, the skin stretched so tight and fine Randal could swear he felt the man's heart beat in the blood that swelled his organ.

"Damnation...so very good." Terence was bucking into his grip, losing his rhythm. Randal rubbed the hole, pressed the very tip of his finger inside, and let the exultation flood him as Terence's seed spilled along his cock, in jet after jet.

"That's right." He murmured. "Give me your pleasure." He milked the softening cock of every last drop of seed, then wiped them both off with his handkerchief.

His cock throbbed with want, and he smiled at the man he'd come to realize was most decidedly not Terence. "At this point, Terence would drop to his knees and suck me. Are you of a like mind?"

"So you've realized I'm not your friend, have you?" The strange highwayman tucked himself away and refastened his pantaloons. "What happens now?"

"Now, I'm still in need of release, and you are a likeminded fellow it seems. If you cannot bring yourself to suck me, then your hand will do as well."

The black domino muted the man's laughter, but he obligingly dropped to his knees on the plush carpet and with a little deft maneuvering of his mask and Randall's cock, had him encased in wet heat and strong suction within moments.

Randall sighed and let his hands rest on the velvet of the mask, ordinarily he'd have twined his fingers in his lover's hair, to give his hands something to do. Idle hands are the devil's work his mother used to say, but then again...so was this sodomy. "You're very good at this," he sighed, sinking deeply into the wet mouth, enjoying the light scrape of teeth. His blood surged, an agile tongue toyed with the tip of his cock on each retreat, swirling and sucking, drawing rushes f pleasure from him as his body tensed, thighs stiffening. Heat pooled and exploded, and with it his seed pulsed into the receptive mouth.

As soon as his senses returned he withdrew politely. The stranger rose to his feet as Randall tucked himself away again. "I don't suppose you'd like to tell me your name, highwayman?"

"You don't suppose correctly. Unless, of course, you'd like to tell me yours, Robin of the Hood? No? I thought not." The man swept a deep bow and waved to the door. "After you, my lord thief."

5/31/2013

Breathless Press Round Robin: Welcome Dianne Hartsock!

Inspiration
Come on in! Sit down.  Just a second, let me say a quick 'thank you' to Lee for letting me borrow his delightful blog site or the day… Thanks Lee!
Now, I've just got to tell you about this outrageous thing that happened at work the other day. Well, at least it's outrageous for this small, family friendly town where I live. I'm always being asked where I get my inspiration for my stories. Would you believe that it mostly comes from work?
Let me set the scene. I'm the floral designer for an eclectic gift shop. It's kind of a blend between a Pier 1 Imports, with a tea bar, books, music, and indoor/outdoor plants. My floral department is smack dab in the middle where I see everyone's comings and goings.
Oh, and we also sell balloons. Anyway, one of the girls has just become engaged, so we were chatting about boyfriends and men in general while she blew up balloons for a customer and I did my thing with their flower arrangement.
And that's when it happened! This guy comes strutting straight up to my friend and whispers something in her ear. Not very quietly, mind you. Her eyes grow wide and she vigorously shakes her head. The stranger shrugs and walks away. A moment later I see him leave the store with his arm around a slim brunet, both men talking animatedly.
I look at my friend. She's blinking and there's an almost shocked look on her face. I couldn't help it! I burst out laughing.
"Did he just ask you to an orgy?"
"Yes. Yes he did," she stammers, blushing red.
"Oh my god, that's awesome!"
Probably not the most appropriate thing for me to say, and I'm still having trouble believing I heard him right. Maybe this kind of thing happens all the time where you're from. But here? Not so much. Of course everyone comes around to see what I'm cackling about. My friend tells her story. Some are surprised and others a little angry with the guy.
My boss is like, "He just asked her to have sex with him. That's disgusting."
And here's me, snickering into my sleeve. It would take some balls to walk into a crowded shop and ask someone that!  And he was a nice looking guy, compact body, big blue eyes, and those sexy blond curls some guys are born with. And his friend was breathtaking, so it's not like they were hard up for dates.
So, my boss is scowling, my co-workers are like, "Yeah, she would find this amusing." (They know I write erotic romances). And I'm busy plotting out this deliciously wicked scene for my current WIP.
Inspiration? Oh yeah, there's nothing like the daily life of a florist to find it! My very first m/m erotic romance is loosely based on a couple who occasionally come into the shop, one man with incredible blue eyes and is very shy, and his tall, dark and handsome partner who obviously adores him. Sigh. I love watching them together-in a professional capacity, of course.  I began writing a story of how they might have met, but then my characters took on lives of their own and ran away with the plot. Love when that happens.
SHELTON IN LOVE
Shelton's falling quickly for his sexy roommate, but can he forget the pain of past rejections and give Nevil what they're both aching for?  
Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil's dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton's desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil's mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton's secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.
You can find me here:











M/M/M Contemporary Ménage from Breathless Press

Meeting Solomon again while holding hands with another man wasn't in Lake's plan. Neither was anything that happened afterward.





5/30/2013

Crawl In Bed With....

Regretfully my friends, 

we're forced to take a break this week from 

the Crawl in Bed interview...

there seems to be a problem with the sheets




5/29/2013

Recipe Theme of the Month: Quesadillas- Spinach and Ricotta

This is the last of the quesadilla recipes. Not that there aren't dozens more...but this one is from Taste of Home, slightly modified.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh baby spinach
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozarella
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
6 flour tortillas (6 inches)
1/4 cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the spinach, onions, lime juice, cumin and garlic powder over medium heat until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat; stir in cheeses and cilantro. Divide spinach mixture evenly among three tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas. Cook in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over low heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until heated through. Cut each quesadilla into four wedges. Serve with sour cream. 

And voila! Enjoy!

The Park at Sunrise 
by Lee Brazil
Contemporary M/M
Buy at Amazon Kindle
First they were three, now there are two. Can Jason and Morgan make a relationship work without Paul?




What are readers saying about The Park at Sunrise? 

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!May 17, 2013 (Amazon reviewer)
This is such a beautiful story. Gut wrenching sorrow. My heart clenched at what these young men lost. How long it took them to grieve . . . 9 years. They are such richly written characters, it is as if they are alive and I know them. I felt their hurt.

5/28/2013

On Writing: Reviews and Stuff

Hey, thanks for stopping by today. Grab a cup of coffee, it's always hot! And I regret that I'm in the stage of life where I've decided to watch my food intake in lieu of actually exercising in the hopes that I'll stop putting on the pounds, so yeah. Long story short, there's no baked goods today.
*sigh* Normally, I don't court controversial subjects. Today isn't normal. I’m a bit stunned by something that I saw last night, and much as I’m usually of the opinion that when it comes to reviews and reader's responses, it's all good, I find that I'd just like to chime in my two cents on something that happened last night.
Let me first clarify by saying that I believe a reviewer has the right to his or her opinion whether it is complimentary or not. I also believe that kindness and respect are key factors in communication between people. Some say that civilization began when groups of nomadic peoples settled in one area and towns began to grow. I'm of the opinion that civilization began when people learned to deal with one another kindly and respectfully. Manners and a code of behavior are the basis of civilization, not housing and infrastructure.
Anyway, back to the point at hand, which I hope is connected to that little ramble somehow.  A friend last night shared a review from Amazon for some book, chastising the author for charging 99 cents for a 13 page short story. Apparently, stories that long should be FREE, and if they aren't then you're ripping off the readers.
Here's the review
Downloaded this for free, but it sells for .99 any other time, You Have To Be Joking!! For Only 13 pages!!!! You are another author who Rips Us Off!! Posting on all of your sites!! Just Stop!! Buying books are a luxury! You all sit back and laugh at the poor suckers who fall for this, not me I watch out for you, author who write 4&5 part books who charge the readers outrages prices. If I met you I would tell you right to your faces!!

Now, there are a lot of things that don't cost 99 cents to produce. A cup of coffee, a cheeseburger, an order of fries, and a print of a photo…The list goes on. A book though? Even a short one? Not the case. Cover Art isn't free. Editing isn't free. ISBN's aren't free. And that's only part of the expense of producing a story, even a short one.
And, on that 99 cent short? The author made a grand total of 35 cents for each copy sold. Do you have any idea how many 35 cent short stories it takes to pay for producing a book?
Add to that, Amazon doesn't allow for prices below 99 cents. So even if an author wanted to charge 50 cents for a short story, they can't.
This spreading belief that authors are ripping readers off by pricing their books to cover costs of production bothers me. But what bothers me more is that the only reason this reader was able to get that book for free was because the author made it free. And if you've dealt with Amazon lately, you know it takes a LOT to get a book that is not on their KDPS program free.
So the author is eating the cost of editing, cover and ISBN, and dealing with the corporate monster in order to give this gift to her readers. And this is the response?




Contact Links
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5/27/2013

Top Five: Books I hope to read this week....





Top Five
Deviating from what you've seen before on Mondays. I had intended to share a few of my favorite Journey songs for writing, but instead I’m sitting here staring at my kindle and the books I've just downloaded to read this week. So here's my reading list for the week:


A few of those I've been dithering over for a while, but Carol Lynne is an auto buy for me, as is Hank Edwards. The Fabian Black I've actually thought about buying more than once in the last two years. Yeah. Two years. I'll probably end up smacking myself and wondering why I didn't get it sooner.

My new bribery system is working wonders. I write 2500 words and then I get to buy and read a book. So far for the month of May its been great. I've read some fabulous books and written over 35000 words. 



The Park at Sunrise 
by Lee Brazil
Contemporary M/M
Buy at Amazon Kindle
First they were three, now there are two. Can Jason and Morgan make a relationship work without Paul?




What are readers saying about The Park at Sunrise? 

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!May 17, 2013 (Amazon reviewer)
This is such a beautiful story. Gut wrenching sorrow. My heart clenched at what these young men lost. How long it took them to grieve . . . 9 years. They are such richly written characters, it is as if they are alive and I know them. I felt their hurt.

Be Yourself

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955
The Romance Reviews