Thursday, September 27, 2012

TRR GLBT Blog Hop 27-30 September


My favorite GLBT book is the flavor of this blog hop.




To be honest, my favorite M/M BDSM Romance is Hurt Me Good due to be published on 5 November  from Dreamspinner Press. The character of Flame an arrogant ice-man stripper with a secret past, has stayed in my mind since I finished writing the book earlier this year. So much so, I’m writing a sequel.


I mixed Action/Adventure with this rollercoaster BDSM love story . Harper Cole a rock star/author badass Dom  is attracted to the vanilla stripper big time. The story is funny and emotional as the couple handles their differences. Harper’s desire is to melt his ice-man and take him for a walk on the wild side.
I don’t have any cover art yet but look out for Hurt Me Good 5 November.


Blurb:
Harper Cole meets a sexy stripper at the local gym and uses his persona as a bestselling author doing research for his next erotic novel to get close to the delicious man. Underneath, he is an ex-rock star and badass Dom looking for a sub .





To the world Flame is a self-confident male stripper and acclaimed modern dancer, but deep down, he carries a crippling secret that stops him from trusting anyone. When Harper saves him from a life-threatening attack, Flame starts to open up, and even though his vanilla preferences don’t exactly match with Harper’s plans, he finds himself attracted to the big Dom.



Their worlds collide and leave both men reeling. Harper is determined to show Flame the benefits of taking a ride on the wild side but Flame cannot trust his heart to another man. What will it take to bring these two men together? It’s up to Harper, as the Dom, to make it happen… if it’s possible at all.









The Pride Brother Series would be by second favorite stories of all time.


The bisexual shifter stories were a joy to write.

You can find the Series here:       


https://www.nobleromance.com/Books?author=40

One lucky person's comment will receive their choice of one book from my backlist . Don't forget to leave a contact email address. :-)

Kassandra is my winner :-)


Contemporary M/M  Comedy Romance



Leave your comment and click on the TRR Button to go to the next blog in the hop.

Thanks for dropping by :-)


H.C. Brown
www.hcbrown-author.com



The Romance Reviews GLBT Madness Hop

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

In The Hot Seat with H. C. Brown-Chris T. Kat



Title: Silver Lining
Release Date:   26  September  2012
Author: Chris T. Kat
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Bittersweet Dreams, contemporary, romance, ghost/spirits


Blurb: Riley doesn’t understand why his relationship with Scott went downhill overnight. For weeks, he’s been trying to get the other man to talk to him, but Scott is distant―most of the time he just ignores Riley completely. It isn’t until a mutual acquaintance arrives at their home that Riley understands the pressure Scott has been under―and the danger they’re both in.



A Bittersweet Dreams title: It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Welcome to the Hot Seat Author, Chris T. Kat! 

1-What is your Hot New Release?


Hi H.C, thank you for the opportunity to chat with you and your readers. My new release is Silver Lining from Dreamspinner Press. Release day is today!
H.C. Congratulations!

2- Can you tell us a little about yourself and your books?
I'm married with two children and work in the educational field. When I'm not taking care of my family or working I'm an avid reader and cross stitcher. I'm a big animal lover but due to a lack of time we only keep two guinea pigs at the moment. Since one of my kids is a passionate rider—I'd be too but I'm acting like a responsible adult because my doctor strongly advised me not get on a horse because of multiple slipped discs—I can be found in the barn at least once a week.
Before I started writing M/M original fiction I wrote fan fiction for about three years. I published my first novella Seizing It with Dreamspinner Press earlier this year. So far I've written mostly contemporary and shape-shifter romance stories.

H.C. Sounds like my back list.

3- Have you ever used events or stories contemporary or historical in your work?
Sometimes real life events or a short notice in the newspaper will catch my eye and inspire a story. I don't intend to deal with any historical events in my upcoming stories, I'd always fear to get something wrong.

4. Is there anything you find particularly challenging/ rewarding about writing?
The biggest challenge for me at the moment is to shovel free enough time to sit down and write. I'm always happy when I have a few days in a row to write because it allows me to emerge fully into my fictional world. Oh, another challenge for me is to find a title. When I start writing a new story the folder is usually simply labeled with one of the main character's names...
I love to see my characters story unfold and help them find their true love / soul-mate. When a reader writes how much he/she enjoyed reading my book that's a huge compliment and it'll always make me smile.

5. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?
I wanted to study archaeology or medicine, then I thought about becoming a translator. Medicine is still an important part of my day job because I work with special needs children so it's important for me to know about their medical conditions and how to treat them and act accordingly.

Q: Do you have a writing schedule?
At the moment I only write on the weekends but when I'm off work I try to write each day for at least two hours.
 
Q: What kinds of books do you like to read?
Oh, all kind of books! I love the M/M genre but I also love to read fantasy books (including the various sub-genres). The Belgariad by David Eddings comes to my mind immediately because I read this series recently. I also enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers. I mostly read fiction but I also read non-fiction regularly. The non-fiction books are mostly about animals, education/teaching and sometimes history.

Q: What can readers expect from you in the near future?
I have two novels coming out in December / January. Both are shape-shifter stories, called A Purrfect Match and Secret Chemistry. The sequel to Seizing It is scheduled for release in February / March 2013, and is titled Too Good to Be True. Right now I'm working on the sequel to Secret Chemistry. All these stories will be published by Dreamspinner Press.

Would you like to share an excerpt?
I'd love to! This is an excerpt from “Silver Lining”:

Chapter 1

Nothing was right between Scott and me anymore. Nothing. I lived in a nightmare, with no exit in sight, with no clue why my whole world had collapsed around me.

Everything was fine between us until I suddenly received the silent treatment. From one day to the next, Scott stopped touching me, stopped talking to me. He never listened to anything I said, just stalked off. Nothing I did could placate him, absolutely nothing.
Even the slightest touch made him jerk away whatever body part I dared to touch. His dark blue eyes blazed at me, the furious expression on his face sending shivers up and down my spine. Never in our entire time as a couple had he looked at me this way. It was almost... hostile.
It broke my heart, literally. I felt it shattering into tiny little pieces, every shred of it piercing through me, making it difficult to breathe, to think, to be.
Somehow, I managed. Though it became harder every time he pulled away from me. The more he withdrew from me, the more I clung, or tried to cling. I can't say I grew indifferent to his rejection, but I lived with it.
His sadness added to my concern. Scott came home and went straight to the sofa in the living room, where he spent hours staring into nothingness. It scared the living hell out of me.
This wasn't the Scott I knew. The Scott I knew and loved would never ignore me, nor would he ever let a fight get out of hand. In the beginning of our relationship I had been, uh, a tad on the campy side. Whenever something hit me the wrong way, I stomped or flounced off, expecting Scott to follow me and beg me for forgiveness. He never did.
He did, however, tell me to grow up and come back to him when I was ready for a serious relationship. I wasn't impressed and vowed never to talk to him again.
I avoided him as much as possible, an achievement in itself since we shared a dorm room. My avoidance lasted two days, then he caught me by surprise. He waited for me behind the door, pulled me in a tight embrace, and carried me over to his bed. There, he dropped me and lowered himself on top of me. We do not run out on each other, Riley, is that clear?
I shoved against his chest with both hands, enraged and indignant, but he didn't budge an inch. Leisurely, he grasped both my wrists in one hand and put them above my head. The first time he did this, I struggled madly, only to end up crying that I didn't want him to leave me while at the same time battling against the horrible feeling of embarrassment.
I'm not going to leave you and the same goes for you. You're it for me.”
He said it with so much conviction, so much compassion, that I burst into tears. Scott was all I'd ever wanted. He was fun to be around, had an easygoing attitude, and it didn't hurt that he had a body to die for. I never got what he saw in me. I was a whole head shorter than him, skinny, and never found the time to get a haircut, which naturally led to my curls growing into a barely tamable mane.
You can't say something like that,” I whined. “We're only nineteen. All nineteen-year-olds promise each other to stay together forever. It never works.”
That's not true and even if it were, then we'll be the exception to the rule.”
You can't just―”
He silenced me with a kiss. He deepened the kiss and the whole incident ended in us doing more fun stuff. I still flipped from time to time, but after a few months I stopped running. Scott told me he was proud of me when I stayed for the first time. I jumped him for that, muttering, “I don't get why you put up with me.”
I have a thing for drama queens,” he deadpanned.
For a fleeting second his comment hurt, then I discovered the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Asshole.”
He grinned at me before he lavished my asshole with attention.
I got better at the not-flipping thing, though I never got the hang of the not-being-jealous thing. To be fair, Scott never gave me a reason to be jealous. It was merely the way other guys or girls looked at him, the open hunger in their eyes. The man was mine and mine alone. I never failed to make this clear to whoever dared to sidle up too close to him.
Ri, cut it out, it's not a pretty sight,” Scott always said in those moments.
I made a show of batting my lashes at him, all fake innocence. “I don't know what you're talking about, Scotty. Aren't you the one who always tells me I'm the prettiest thing you ever saw?”
You're a scamp.”
I gasped in shock, put my hands above my heart, and widened my eyes before I gazed up at him. “Me? You're wounding me.”
I am? Hmm, would it help if I tell you that you're the prettiest scamp I've ever seen?”
I don't know, big guy, I really don't know.”
Scott pulled me into his arms, kissed me thoroughly, and asked, “You made up your mind now?”
Yeah, I'm keeping you even if you suck at giving compliments.”
That was how we worked. Scott was the calm one, grounding me, loving me in a way I never fathomed anyone would. If anything, we grew closer over the years. We forged a bond that nothing could ever destroy. Or so I thought.


 H.C. Great excerpt. Thank you for stopping by today .

Monday, September 24, 2012

Living with the faeries


As an author, I believe I see things a little different to most people. On the beach, most would see blue sky, sand, and waves. I see the retreating waves leaving a wash of gold in their wake, the rainbows in the bubbles of wash and the seagull hovering on an updraft of air. I believe authors collect and store such images deep inside their subconscious.
I have no doubt an active imagination begins in childhood. I find myself delving into my childhood memories many times during the creation of a story. Those images never leave us, or those wonderful times when we truly believed anything was possible. I'm sure if you asked one hundred people if they believed in faeries, you would be surprised at the result.  I sure do . . .  come on now ' fess up . . . do you believe in faeries?

 I had the fortune to have a mother who told me wonderful bedtime stories. If ever I fell ill, she would send me little handmade cards signed 'Faerie Blue Eyes.' My fondest memory is pushing a doll's pram around the garden at three years old. The grounds of the Victorian three-story house had many pathways that weaved around rose gardens. Toward the back fence, blackberry bushes sat in clumps with spiky tendrils waiting to snag the clothes or pull the hair of each passerby. Beneath the ancient oak trees, acorns littered the ground and pointed brown toadstools rose from patches of bright, green moss.

"Don't disturb the faeries." Mother pointed at the toadstools. "That is a faerie circle. At night the faeries come out and dance in the moonlight."

I would walk by, then pause and look over my shoulder, in the hope of glimpsing an ethereal being. At night, I would often press my nose to the window and peer at the garden. How different the night is to a child. The moonlight diffuses colors to every shade of gray; long shadows change the familiar rose bushes to gargoyles ready to pounce with each passing breeze. Trees blackened by night, reach up to the sky waving in silent devotion. The sounds of insects echo through the night, or could that be the sweet voices of faerie song? An owl hoots, and then appears, wings spread wide against the full moon. Across the lawn, moonbeams bathe the grass transforming each drop of dew into a myriad of diamonds. Is it any wonder the faeries dance at night?

 Those of you that read my books know my faeries are a little different to most. Human in size they feature in stories of love, and always finish with happy ever after.

I enjoy living with the faeries, and now I can share my stories with you, I love it even more.

Dragonfae: The Soul Catcher super novel coming 21 January 2013- M/F Fantasy Romance

Now when it comes to BDSM......

Hurt Me Good- M/M BDSM Romance- Dreamspinner Press 5 November.

Books co-written with KevaD

Sea Games- M/F Erotic Adventure- Liquid Silver Books 8 October

Night Games- M/M Erotic Adventure- Liquid Silver Books  17 December

Jungle Games -M/F Erotic Adventure- Liquid Silver Books  February 2013.

HC

Saturday, September 22, 2012

On D K Kentner's Blog Today



Check out  my in-depth  interview with Prize-Winning Author and Journalist D.K Kentner.




H.C.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

In The Hot Seat With H.C. Brown Author Rosanna Leo


Welcome Rosanna Leo!
What is your Hot New Release?
Thanks, H.C! I’m so thrilled to be here! My hot new release is entitled The Selkie. It’s a paranormal romance about a woman who has lost everything and a man who might be considered unusual, to say the least. Calan Kirk is a selkie. For those who don’t know, selkies are seal shape shifters from the Scottish Orkney islands. They can become human after removing their seal pelts. They have special abilities, such as being able to influence the weather. And they are reputed to be fabulous lovers. It is said that if a human woman is unsatisfied with her love life, she need only cry 7 tears into the sea to call an immortal selkie lover. He will love her as no mortal man can.

HC: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your books?
Sure- I’m a married mom of 2 young sons who will likely take over the world one day, thanks to their cunning brains. I’ve been writing much of my life, but have been a “published” author since last year when Liquid Silver Books made me my first offer. The Selkie is my fourth book in about 8 months…it’s been a whirlwind year and I’m loving each moment. J

HC: Have you ever used events or stories contemporary or historical  in your work?

Not much, although I do draw a lot on Greek mythology. Several of my paranormals deal with those sexy Greek gods, and I like to have a basis in the myths, but I play with the stories. My gods are never the same! I have written one contemporary so far, but like to keep things fictional.

HC: Is there anything you find particularly challenging/ rewarding about writing?

The feeling I get when I finish that last line in a manuscript is incredible, especially when I know it’s just as I wanted it. And the audience feedback has been tremendous! I so value all the comments and compliments that have come my way. Feedback is such a gift!

HC. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?

Ha! Well, it changed weekly! It went from being a stewardess (because that’s what we called them in the 70’s) to being a florist, an actress, a dentist….you see what I mean. I was pretty flighty and many of those childhood ambitions never got in the way of what I ended up doing. I always wrote, but it took me a while to think I could actually be an author.

HC: Do you have a writing schedule?

Basically, I write as much as possible! Mostly Mondays/Tuesdays because those are my days off work. I work part-time at my local library, so I try hard to focus on writing when I’m not there. However, I carry my notebook with me everywhere…work, the train, all over my house, so when inspiration strikes, I’m ready!

HC: What kinds of books do you like to read?

I’m a huge fan of paranormal romance, but read contemporary and historical too. Everything from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series to Syrie James’s Nocturne. I also love me some Maya Banks and Kathy Love.

Q: What can readers expect from you in the near future?

My newest Greek god adventure will be about the god Apollo…as you’ve never seen him! All I can say, is get ready for the beach. He’s taking us to Mexico!

HC: Sounds wonderful. I’ll add some details about your hot new release.

Title: The Selkie
Release Date: Sept. 3, 2012
Author: Rosanna Leo
Author Website: www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre : Paranormal erotic romance

Blurb:

This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancé cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother’s home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran’s things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.
To add to her frustration, Maggie’s dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she’s lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she’s never known before.
Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.
As a thief ransacks Maggie’s grandmother’s house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.

H.C. Would you like to share an excerpt?

I’d love to share an excerpt from The Selkie. Here you go:
She was attempting to stand on her wobbly legs, only to fall back down on her bottom, when she heard the sound of splashing water. Thinking it was her seal, Maggie turned to look.
Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t the animal at all.
It was a man. He was rising out of the waves, walking toward her. She froze. He was nude, utterly nude, and was staring at her with overflowing intimacy. As if they’d had, God help her, relations.
And she realized, with sudden panic, they’d had! In her dreams. He was the seal-man from all her sex dreams.
No. Impossible.
Her first instinct was to call for help, but there was no one near. And then she realized with frightening awareness that she didn’t want any help anyway. Glued to her spot, she couldn’t help but drink him in.
He was beautiful, if unnervingly wet and naked. He had long, shiny, brown hair that hung down past his shoulders. His face could have belonged on an ad for expensive cologne, and he had a body to match. Sculpted shoulders gave way to arms corded in muscle. His defined chest was blanketed by a smattering of sparse, brown hair that led tantalizingly to his rock-hard abs.
Maggie held her breath as her gaze traveled lower on his body, taking in trim calves and thighs a quarterback would envy. And, she noted with simultaneous hunger and horror, his penis was the biggest she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was thick and long and glistening with the droplets of water that yet cascaded over his body. And it seemed to be reaching for her. She gulped, and forced herself to look back up at his face.
There was a faint glow about his skin, a shimmery aura. Dismissing it as a trick of the moonlight, she shook her head.
He was almost upon her, and his full lips were taut in a teasing grin. Maybe he was a surfer who’d lost not only his board, but his shorts in the waves. She knew she should be frantic, but wasn’t. There was something in his brown eyes that was so familiar, so soothing, even as they swept over her own body with lustful appreciation.
He stopped in front of her, and stood boldly, unashamed of his glorious nakedness. She managed to spit out one hushed word. “You.”
“You,” was his equally awed reply.


HC. What a great story I can’t wait to read this book J
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, September 17, 2012

In The Hot Seat With H.C. Brown-Elizabeth Finn



Welcome Elizabeth ! Thanks for dropping by today.
1-What is your Hot New Release?
            I have The Devil’s Pawn coming out on September 17th, and I’m extremely excited about this release!
2- Can you tell us a little about yourself and you books?
            Of course! About me… Hmmm. I live a bit of a double life. I’m a Human Resources Specialist by day, the mother of a four year old twenty-four hours a day, and a part time student in business management—at least until I graduate in a little over a year.
3- Have you ever used events or stories contemporary or historical  in your work?

            Oh, dear. In my day job… absolutely not! We Human Resources folk are pretty straight laced people. In terms of writing, I can honestly say that life just feeds my writing. I take a snippet here and there from real events, whether it’s a name, an embarrassing moment, a beautiful setting, the personality of someone I’ve met – it all feeds in to this larger story that I’m creating.

4. Is there anything you find particularly challenging/ rewarding about writing?

            Challenges are easy – It takes time! Time away from your family, time away from sleep – it’s 1:00 am right now, and I have to be at work at 7:30 am! It’s a commitment for sure. But the rewards… I’m finally getting the stories that have floated around my head out on paper, and I get to share them. That’s awesome! There is little in this world better than that to me.

5. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?
            Truthfully, not in the least. I thought I wanted to be an architect, and aside from the fact that the hero that I’m writing right now happens to be an architect… nothing! I can change my mind about life five times before lunch on any particular day, and then change my mind back the following morning! You just never know, and that’s okay with me.

Q: Do you have a writing schedule?
            No. Should I? Probably, yes. I find that I write every day for some period or another. Some days, it’s hours, other days, it’s minutes. When I carve out time, I’m dry, when I don’t, I’m suddenly flooded. I wanted to be diligent and organized, but sometimes, the best stuff comes when you least expect it.

Q: What kinds of books do you like to read?
            If people are falling in love and doing fun things between the sheets, I’m in. I do also like paranormal, suspense, anything gritty and real. I’m a sucker for raw and honest emotion. I love to cry and fall in love with characters. I don’t mind a good quick read with lots of heat, but I have to admit, I want the emotion—real, honest, often painful, emotion!

Q: What can readers expect from you in the near future?
            Well, after The Devil’s Pawn, I have a November 12th release, Brother’s Keeper. I’m also nearly done with an as yet untitled 75,000 word contemporary romance that I’ll be submitting soon. And after that, I really want to write a vindication piece for one of my nearest and dearest that we plotted together, so who knows!

Title: The Devil’s Pawn
Release Date: 9/17/2012
Author: Elizabeth Finn          
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre :  Erotic Romance – Contemporary – Romantic Suspense
Blurb:
When Ashton is left orphaned after her parents are murdered, her life becomes a hell she could never have imagined. Left to fend for herself, and responsible for a debt she doesn’t owe, she is swept into a life as a gentleman’s escort at a private men’s gaming hall. Her new manager makes it abundantly clear he doesn’t appreciate her inexperience, innocence, and shyness. On the contrary, he despises everything about her.
Derek can be “difficult,” she’s been told. And however dark and handsome he may be, he terrifies her in a way that chills her to the bone, but leaves her begging to understand him. As they are pulled along together, more secrets and threats than either one could ever conceive are revealed, and a common enemy emerges. This enemy will stop at nothing to bring Derek to his knees while using Ashton as the greatest pawn in his torturous game.
Will Derek be able to let down his shield of cold, harsh emotion before it’s too late? Will he be able to sacrifice himself to save Ashton, or will they both be destroyed by the secrets of their pasts?



Q.Would you like to share an excerpt?

            Of course I would! Follows:

Once in the fitting room, Derek takes the chair again while I start to remove my clothes. I intentionally wore ugly, stretched-out, white cotton underwear that is entirely too big on me in the event he should be here. My mouth isn’t the only thing that can get me into trouble—my sarcasm knows no bounds when I’m unhappy.
As he sees the appalling excuse for an undergarment, his eyes move up to mine, narrowing darkly at my obvious defiance. I look coolly back at him before looking away dismissively. My anger and resentment of him from the humiliation he subjected me to the previous morning, not to mention his treatment of me over the past two weeks, have charged me into a bold, fiery bitch that no longer cares what retribution I might face. While my tongue usually gets me in trouble, today I decided to let my underwear do the talking.
Jacob enters with an armful of dresses for me to try on, and he cringes as he takes in my defiant granny panties, hated the world over by men, including, apparently, gay men.
He turns to Derek, and with a scrunched-up face, he worries out loud. “The dresses aren’t going to lay right over those…” He tosses a nod in my general direction.
Derek wastes no time at all reassuring Jacob and striking back at me. “No worries. Ashton was just taking them off. She won’t be wearing underwear anymore.”
I glare defiantly back at him as I drop the loose fabric to the floor. He returns the glare for a moment before letting his gaze travel down my body to my sex, and as it lands there, smoldering with heat, I turn abruptly from him, intentionally showing him my backside instead. I look to the mirror in front of me, and I catch his eyes flit away from me in annoyance. He worries his lip with his thumb and index finger as he contemplates, and the slightest of smirks crosses over his mouth. Jacob is standing by looking from one to the other of us, obviously wondering just exactly what he’s gotten himself in the middle of.
Derek finally looks back to Jacob. “Get on with it.”
I try on one after the other of the dresses. Some are perfect; Jacob pins in additional alterations in others. Derek sits by bored, only glancing up from his cell phone occasionally. One such occasion is when Jacob remarks that I’m “just not curvy enough for this one.”
Derek looks up to Jacob, but he shifts his eyes to mine before commenting, “Yes, well, if you can figure out some way of making her look female, you let me know.”
Jacob again lets his eyes pass between us, seeming to wonder all the while what he’s missing. As I hold Derek’s eyes with my own, my anger falters, and the pain that is behind my fury pushes through. I try to wrangle my tears into submission, but it’s no use. In defeat, first one, and then another spills from my eyes and slides down my cheeks. Jacob regards my state and excuses himself from the room.
I stand on the hemming block in the center of the room, refusing to look at Derek. But he’s looking at me, and as my hurt continues to work through my entire body, I let my tongue do what it does best. “Why do you hate me so much?”
He says nothing, but stands and moves to me. Reaching around behind me, he pulls the zipper of the dress down, and then, returning his hands to my shoulders, he pulls the straps down, exposing first my small breasts, and then the rest of my naked body as it falls to the floor.
He leans in to my ear and speaks. “You don’t know anything about me.” He then takes me by the hand and pulls me to stand in front of the mirror, and leaning to my ear once more as I watch him in the mirror, he speaks gently. “Lean forward and put your palms on the mirror.”

*****

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Review: Kantu’s Heart by KevaD





Blurb:Before the ice age, warrior Kantu lost his tribe, his mate Sanda, and his life to a vicious band of cannibals led by his most powerful enemy. He awakens in a world beyond his comprehension only to find his mate in the arms of her killer. Misery and strength meld into one goal—to win back his heart and kill his enemy.

With a nudge from her gentle guardian, Sandra Harn travels to Freewill, WY, looking for bargains at the annual rummage sale and, hopefully, answers to her mysterious past. Once there, visions of a time before the town existed make her question her sanity. When an exotic stranger with flowing raven hair and a body she can’t resist tries to kill her companion, logic tells her to run, but her heart and body have other ideas.

Can two hearts find their way across time or will fate be satisfied once justice is served?



Author: KevaD
Web: www.kevad.net


Purchased by reviewer.

Rating:



REVIEW



KevaD takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through time. In his own delicious imagery, the author creates a prehistoric world and highlights the values of the ancient warrior.  The contrast with Kantu’s beliefs and the atrocities of modern culture adds depth and realism.

 When I read this beautiful love story, I realized how many of the old values modern man has lost. The ancient warrior Kantu’s respect for nature is a touching part of this story.

Visions of a past life plague Sandra and add unique depth to the story. As the seemingly impossible love story unfolds, KevaD holds the reader on the edge. I found myself reading like a maniac to find out the conclusion to this fast-paced story.

In conclusion, Kantu’s Heart is a wonderful read and proves to the reader that  love transcends time.


H.C. Brown



In The Hot Seat With G P Keith

Welcome G.P Keith!

Q-Tell us about your books.

My most recent release was Out in the Back Woods, which came out last Christmas. I have several stories that I am currently working on.

Q- Can you tell us a little about yourself and you books?

Thus far I have tended to write novellas rather than short stories or novels. The novella length (15,000 to 60,000 words) allows a more complete sequence of events and a fuller development of the characters and their growth than does a short story. On the other hand I find the idea of dealing with the complexity of a novel-length story a little daunting.

Q- Have you ever used events or stories contemporary or historical in your work?

I have included a lot of my life’s events in my writing.

Q- Is there anything you find particularly challenging / rewarding about writing?

While writing “story” is something I find easy, namely event following event, writing “plot” is something I find challenging, namely connecting the events in a meaningful way that leads to a satisfying build of tension and then a satisfactory climax and denouement.
I also have a tendency to go inside my characters, to go on at length in their ruminations (which is how I live), rather than write action and interaction. Since my readers/betas tend to find rumination deadly dull, I face the challenge of producing stories with an action-oriented plot line.
Finally, one thing I learned about M/M romance from female writers is the power of describing the sense of finding a kindred spirit. This is something I find challenging.
There are two things I find rewarding about writing: first, the experience of being able to read my own work without seeing “flaws in the glass,” being able to read and become involved in the story; and second, when a reader comments on something in the story that indicates they “got” what I was trying to say, and that they were moved. It is the latter brings the most satisfaction.

Q. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?

I always wanted to be a scientist when I was growing up. I studied science and spent a number of years doing research, but found the intensely competitive atmosphere unhappy, and left. I am now trying to launch a career in writing, and am finding my science background helpful in writing stories about science and scientists.

Q: Do you have a writing schedule?

Nope. I just write whenever I feel the urge (often late at night). Often I can “seduce” myself into writing, though. This works when I deliberately start thinking about a story idea, often while doing some mindless physical task such as the dishes or exercising. Sometimes this causes the creation machine in my mind to start spinning out a sequence of events, and I work these out and go write them down when I am finished my task.

Q: What kinds of books do you like to read?

I am a big fan of science fiction and some kinds of fantasy. More than anything I just love a good story, whether it’s Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. LeGuin, Neil Gaiman, P.D. James, or Emily Brontë. Speculative fiction (sci fi and fantasy) has the element of wonder, which I like, the idea that almost anything can happen. I also like romance, and cut my teeth in the genre on the contemporary romances of Mary Stewart.

Q: What can readers expect from you in the near future?

Since my series of publications at Dreamspinner Press last year I have started literally dozens of different stories, some of which are near completion. There are two things I want to do: first, to publish a full-length novel (something I am finding quite daunting); and second, to write more in my favorite genres: sci-fi and fantasy. Recently I made a point of reading a number of M/M romances in these genres, and feel I now have a sense of what I want to write. I also want to try historical romance as well. There are some interesting gay historical figures from the 19th century here in Ontario that I would like to draw on.

Q: We want to know more, can you give my readers a list of your published works and where to buy them?




Title:              (1) Up at the Cottage
                      (2) “Statistical Outliers” in Higher Learning
                      (3) Out in the Backwoods

Genre:             M/M romance
Release Date:  (1) Jun 1, 2011
                        (2) Oct 17, 2011
                        (3) Dec 1, 2011

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press



  

Blurb:
(1)   Up at the Cottage   (novella)
Mark is looking forward to a dreamy summer at the cottage on the lake, before he leaves home to attend college in the city. To his dismay, he discovers that his parents’ best friends will be there—with their son, Tom. Mark remembers Tom as the bane of his childhood summers—a rowdy, energetic kid whose idea of fun was directly opposite his own bookish, imaginative interests, and sometimes close to actual bullying. Mark’s parents want the two young men to open the cottage themselves, preparing it for their parents’ arrival a week later. Mark and Tom haven’t seen each other for years, but they have a week to get reacquainted. For Mark these seven days hold the potential for a number of firsts: his first post-high school friendship, first sexual experiences, and maybe, if he’s lucky, his first love. But for these to happen, he must first challenge the resentments he’s carried since childhood.


(2)   “Statistical Outliers” (short story), in Higher Learning   (anthology)
Ben is a junior researcher at the local university who teaches a course in statistics for non-science majors, known as “Jock Stats” because it is taken mostly by athletic students. When one of these jokingly says in class: “I decided that the only way I was ever going to pass my stats course was to find out whose dick I needed to suck, and then suck it,” this begins a series of ribald exchanges in which Ben inadvertently outs himself. The revelation causes discomfort between Ben and Tom, his favorite student and someone he likes. But then Tom breaks his leg during a football game and is benched for the season. Ben suggests he spend the time acing his stats course offering him extra tutoring. Tom decides to stay on campus to study over the Christmas holidays, and Ben and he bond in Tom’s rooms in the deserted residence. When they inadvertently fall asleep on the bed, Ben awakes to discover that Tom wants to take their studies down an entirely different direction. But that just creates a difficult situation between teacher and student.

(3)   Out in the Back Woods   (novella)
In an effort to recapture the joy of his childhood Christmases, Matt leaves Toronto for a holiday in the interior of British Columbia. But citified Matt has forgotten his winter survival skills, and when he totals his car on a country road during sudden white-out conditions, it takes a rugged backwoodsman named Jens to rescue him. In Jens’s company, Matt starts thinking all sorts of romantic things about the beauties of Jens’s simpler life. But when an accident on the trapping line turns the tables and puts Jens’s life in danger, Matt must face a harsh reality and pit his limited wilderness skills against wolves and deep snow to save his friend and in the process discover whether he has the fortitude to survive out in the back woods.


HC. Would you like to share an excerpt or three?

(1)   From “Up at the Cottage”:

“To the lake!” Tom yelled. Running to the sliding doors, he leapt out onto the deck. There was the pounding of footfalls on the wood and then silence, followed after another thirty seconds by a distant splash. Mark hesitated only a second after hearing that sound. Filled with excitement he shucked his own clothes and followed, heading toward the splashing sounds from Tom leaping about in the lake. Mark ran straight into the water. He felt the icy cold against his calves and thighs, and finally thigh deep, he dove forward into the lake.
When he surfaced he yelled from sheer excitement and the feel of the cold water against his skin. The yell was echoed by Tom’s voice further out in the lake. The moon was up now, and Mark could see Tom’s head, shiny wet, bobbing in the water. He was swimming for the raft anchored a hundred feet out in the little bay. Mark swam after him. He was halfway there when he saw Tom’s naked form climb up the ladder onto the raft and then leap high into the air with another yell.
“Cannonball!” Tom shouted, clutching his legs and sending up an enormous spray of water.
The surface of the lake gradually settled, and Mark waited for Tom’s head to reappear. As the seconds passed and nothing broke the surface, an icy feeling of panic suddenly began to take hold of Mark. Memories had begun to flood back of one of the games that Tom liked to play in the lake. Mark turned around and started to swim as hard as he could back toward the shore, stifling the ancient fear that now threatened to overwhelm him.
He was almost within his own depth when he felt something grab his ankle. Despite himself he screamed. He wrenched his foot away and resumed swimming for all he was worth. Then he heard a laugh behind him and the familiar cry: “Shark!”
Mark stifled an urge to scream but at the same time also felt a desire to laugh. For the first time he was feeling the pleasurable aspect of this game: the excitement. Yet the fear was still there, which made him put all of his energy into swimming toward the shore. In another second he felt another grasp, more powerful and secure this time, and he was pulled under.
Mark surfaced several seconds later, once the hand had released his ankle. The terror was more palpable now. Even though he was in only about four feet of water, some primordial survival instinct had been engaged that he found himself unable to dismiss. It was only seconds later that he felt powerful hands grasp him again, around the waist this time. Tom erupted from the surface with a loud yell and threw Mark effortlessly into the air in the direction away from the shore.
Mark landed in the water with a resounding splash but found himself laughing now. Something in that powerful grasp had reassured, and more, excited him, changing his entire mental state. Suddenly he realized that he was enjoying himself and was also aroused. The terror was subordinated by these new feelings and instead made the experience more exciting. He turned, laughing, and saw the head lurking menacingly, eyes just above the surface of the water between him and the shore. Mark began to swim to one side, moving as best he could, but Tom was simply faster. He darted forward, and again those powerful hands gripped him and threw him up and through the air backward, away from the shore.
This happened again and again as Mark attempted to reach the shore. He made little progress, since each time Tom would catch him and throw him further out into the lake with those powerful arms. Mark began laughing so much that several times he swallowed mouthfuls of icy lake water. Finally at one point he was coughing up a mouthful of water and felt suddenly weak, tired, and cold. He held up a hand.
“Enough!” he said. His voice sounded loud, and, for once, authoritative, and as he made his way around Tom’s still lurking head, though Tom followed him with menacing eyes, there was no further attack. Finally Mark stumbled out of the last inches of water onto the shore and ran up the path toward the cottage, hoping to hide the erection that Tom’s electric contact had given him.

(2)   From “Statistical Outliers”:

“So anyway, boss, I decided that the only way I was ever going to pass my stats course was to find out whose dick I needed to suck, and then suck it.”
The speaker was Dylan, a burly young man with blond hair and a playful, good-natured disposition. I looked up at him from my lectern, where he sat in the upper row of seats, a big grin on his handsome face. There was scattered laughter from the other students. I shook my head.
The class was all male, so the rules of polite decorum had been left behind some time ago. I saw no reason to be stern with my students, and I have never liked rules for the sake of rules. Anyway, these kids were basically harmless. The course was Statistics for Non-science Majors, colloquially known as “Jock Stats” because the non-science majors taking it tended to be the athletic students. Since our college focused on arts and science, and we didn’t generally have strong collegiate teams, our athletes tended to be more scorned than idolized. This gave the jocks a slight air of insecurity and a real need to be liked, which when combined with their natural playfulness, made them a lot like overgrown puppies. I found them irresistible. And they, realizing this, basked in my goodwill, becoming more openly mischievous in a slightly fawning way—again, just like puppies.
On the other hand, I knew there had to be limits in acceptable classroom behavior, and I regarded Dylan stonily, considering whether he had stepped over this limit. Dylan just grinned back at me, eyebrows raised impishly. His friend Tom was seated next to him, and he wore a slightly uneasy expression, as though he too thought Dylan might have crossed the line.
I was still deciding whether or not to respond with censure, but instead found myself saying in a dry tone, “Oh, that doesn’t always work.”
Dylan wasn’t going to let that one go. “Why not?” he asked. “Everyone loves getting their dick sucked, right boss?”
The question was followed by a tense silence in which I could feel my face beginning to heat up. I hesitated again, but was unable to resist the challenge posed both in terms of the educational opportunity and just from the sheer outrage of the situation.
“Well,” I said, leafing through my notes and pausing to cough in order to clear my tightening throat, “it’s all subjective, isn’t it—individual. One man’s food is another man’s poison.” I paused before adding, “Uh, that is, some people prefer to do the sucking.”
I looked up and gave him a tight “so there” smile. His mouth fell open, but one second later a grin returned to his face, broader than ever, and now accompanied by a slight air of masculine aggression.
“That so?” he almost shouted. “You mean people like you, boss?”
There was a collective intake of breath from the other students, followed by a dead silence. My face was really burning now. I shook my head in dismissal rather than negation.
“Touché!” I countered. “Good one, Dylan.” Lifting my notes decisively, I began the lecture. “Today we are dealing with statistical outliers – s”
“But you didn’t answer, boss!” interrupted Dylan.
I frowned. “Uh, what was the question?”
“I asked, ‘You mean people like you?’”
This, then, was to be a sticking point. But even now I found myself unwilling to back down. And I was getting annoyed. I hesitated, closed my eyes for a second, leaning on the lectern, then looked Dylan straight in the eye and said quietly but clearly, “Perhaps.”


(3)   From “Out in the Back Woods”:       

When Jens was gone hunting, Matt found the question of how soon he would be leaving began to weigh heavily on him. He did various things around the cabin, tidying, cleaning, and in everything he did he felt a pang of regret, as though each—the dishes, the firewood, the dustpan and broom—were objects of great preciousness to him. As the afternoon wore on and the early dusk approached, a growing unease began to replace Matt’s confusion and sadness. Jens, he realized, should have been back some time ago. Matt went to the door and even stood outside for a minute, looking out into the fading daylight and listening for the sound of Jens’s approach.
But there was only the silence of the bush, which now felt not peaceful, but menacing. Then he heard the howling of a wolf. The sound always gave Matt chills, even though Jens had assured him that wolves ordinarily were no danger to humans. And now, when he turned to go back into the cabin, there came the sound of another wolf, and a minute later several more wolves, all howling. This would mean they were hunting, calling to each other to gather the pack to prospective prey. Matt shivered and went back inside, eager to close the door behind him.
Then there was the sound of a rifle shot in the distance. Matt’s skin prickled, and his hair felt like it was standing on end. Almost without conscious realization, he found himself racing to get his coat and boots. Once he had the clothes, he reached for Jens’s spare rifle, put some extra bullets into his coat pocket, and went outside. Jens was in trouble.
Snowshoes don’t make for rapid progress, and Matt’s heart was in his mouth as he moved as fast as possible in the direction of the howling of still more wolves. He had gone perhaps five hundred yards through the bush when there came a second rifle shot. It came from the same direction as the howling. Matt redoubled his efforts at speed, but it was getting dark in the forest as dusk proceeded, and he had to keep an active vigil as he moved. His skin was still prickling, his ears alert for any sounds.
Perhaps a minute later, there was another rifle shot from ahead. It sounded closer this time. But along with this came the growls of a wolf in combat and the distinct yelp of a dog. It occurred to Matt to signal his approach, both to Jens and the wolves. He raised the rifle and fired a shot into the air. Two seconds later, a fourth rifle shot came from ahead.
When he came over the slight ridge, Matt saw a small clearing. Jens was hunkered down, his back against a tree, the sled turned on its side to form a barrier on one side, creating a corner that Jens was defending. In front, barely visible in the dimming light, a motionless form lay on the snow. There were shadowy figures in the trees on all sides. The wolves had apparently pulled back at his approach.
Matt took aim at one of the forms and shot. There was no yelp, so he figured he must have missed, but the shadowy forms pulled still further back. He hurried forward to Jens, who, he now saw, had injured his leg. He was sitting awkwardly, the leg sticking out to one side, tied by cloth strips with several sticks to form a splint. Matt saw the whiteness of Jens’s teeth in the darkness. He bent down and hugged the man quickly before turning to the motionless form of Ben. He laid a hand on the dog’s chest.
“He’s still breathing,” Matt said. “He’s alive.”
Jens nodded. “Let’s get him onto the sled,” he said, making to rise.
“I’ll do it,” Matt said firmly, and Jens relented. Ben’s inert form was very heavy, but Matt’s adrenaline helped give him the strength he needed. When he had strapped him in place, he leaned his face close to Ben’s and whispered his name. There was a flicker of response and a slight moan. “We’ll get you home, boy,” he said. “You’re going to be okay.” He stood up again and saw Ben’s tail wag the slightest bit.
Jens was holding his rifle and looking around them, but it was clear he was in bad shape. The tightness of his face muscles showed the degree of pain he was in, and its general haggard air spoke of a near state of exhaustion.
“Stupid of me to break my leg,” Jens muttered as Matt helped him to his feet. “I almost made it back, though,” he added. “No, I can walk. Hand me that crutch. I must have come over a mile; slow progress, but Ben was with me and we did okay until my friends”—he nodded toward the shadowy forms that still lurked beneath the surrounding trees—“started arriving. God, it’s good to see you, Matt.”


 H.C.  Thank you for dropping by and sharing today.