Category Archives: Books

Well, would you look at this?

ColbyDoesAmerica

I love everyone who’s working to help Colby meet his goal. I especially adore erotic romance writer and brilliant graphic artist L.D. Blakeley for putting Storm Season right over Colby’s groin. Because let’s be honest, that is the closest anything of mine is ever going to get to that man’s lap. Ahem.

Don’t have any money at the moment? Don’t fret — there’s still plenty of time to get a cameo! Head over to https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/big-shoe-adventure-1-colby-does-america-and-canada-too before July 13 and contribute.

And we have winners!

I’ve picked the three winners of my Two to Tango release day contest and will be contacting them tonight to confirm prizes, addys, etc. Thanks to everyone who participated, and a HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who’s purchased a copy — I just found out this afternoon that TtT earned its silver Bestseller star on All Romance eBooks! If you heard a squeeing sound from the clavicle of Texas, that would have been me! TtTAreRSMT

Help Colby Do America (And Canada, Too)

ColbyDoesAmerica

As you know (Bob), I have the immense pleasure of knowing artist, blogger, and performer in Cinema Sans Culottes Colby Keller. In addition to meeting him in Baltimore last April, I also contributed to Cameron Stalheim’s merman sculpture that used Colby as the model, and participated in Colby’s poetry contests for National Poetry Month (and even won one!). He is an intelligent, talented, incredibly nice guy with an open mind and heart, and his mindset never ceases to fascinate me.

And yes, he looks nice naked. Well, it’s true.

Anyway, after becoming a casualty of gentrification and giving away almost everything he owned in a massive art project he called Everything But Lenin, Colby has left Baltimore and is about to start off on a grand adventure careening around this great continent of ours meeting his fans, making art, and having sex with hot guys (and recording it all for posterity). He plans to detail this adventure on his blog, but to do this he needs a reliable van, a decent mattress, video equipment, bandwidth, and funds for the occasional hotel room. Because sometimes you just want to sleep in a room with a shower and toilet, you know?

Merman07After much encouragement from his friends and fans (i.e. us screaming “DO IT!” at him on Twitter), he’s started an Indiegogo campaign called Big Shoe Adventure 1: Colby Does America…And Canada, Too to help raise funds for this endeavor. If you have a few spare shekels and like the idea of becoming a patron of the sexy arts, I highly encourage you to throw them his way. If you’re broke, spreading the word would also provide the support he needs. I guarantee you, the results of Colby’s adventure will be hot and thought-provoking.

What more can you ask for? Well, there’s something more! If you contribute to Colby’s campaign and send me proof (screenshot of your donation, confirmation email, etc.) I will add you as a character to my eco-thriller paranormal erotic romance series Olympic Cove (book one, Storm Season, is here). The best way I can describe this series is, “A rag-tag group of humans, gods, and mythological creatures must band together and stop an insane goddess from destroying humanity and remaking the world in her own diseased image. Oh, and there’s lot of sexy times, too.”

For you SF fans out there, you will recognize this offer as Tuckerization. Your character will appear in the M/M/M Breaker Zone or M/M/F Deep Water books (extending to books 4-6, depending on the popularity of this offer), and you can choose whether you’re a hero or villain, and what species you want to be (mer, triton, selkie, human, god, ilkothella, kelpie, satyr, nymph, oracle, etc.). Such a deal, people! So go, contribute, and become part of the adventure.

UPDATE: NINE! Nine donors have already signed up to be characters, and the first of them is going to get a very heroic death rescuing Nick and Aidan in Breaker Zone.

Release Day: Two to Tango (and yes, I’m running a contest!)

twototango_smHappy Thursday, you gorgeous people! I was planning on having a huge, splashy release day event, but we wound up adopting two young cats on Monday and I’ve had to be the Cat Whisperer and integrate them with the current feline population.

But enough of my new little fuzzbutts — today is  the official release day for my rollicking romp of a SF erotic romance caper novel Two to Tango, now available from Evernight Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Bookstrand, and other purveyors of fine erotic romance.

Rory MacLellan, AKA the Highlander, may be the most successful interstellar art thief in the Known Worlds, but he still has a conscience. So when he runs into a suicidal museum worker during his latest job, he has no choice but to stun the man and rescue him from certain death.

Dr. Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a disastrous dig left his career in tatters. Hungry, broke, and desperate, the last thing he expected was a dashing thief to come along and save his life.

Thrown together by accident and with interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?

But wait, there’s more! I’m also running a contest with the following prizes:

  • A $25 Amazon Gift Card
  • A pair of 14K gold and opalite earrings from Belaurient Arts

TtTEarrings01 TtTEarrings02 TtTEarrings04

  • A grand prize package of all my ebooks, plus a sneak peak at the first three chapters of the second book in the Olympic Cove series, Breaker Zone.

To win one of these prizes, simply leave your name and email address in the comments below before midnight CST on June 13, 2014, and answer the following question: What is your favorite gemstone? You MUST answer the question to be entered in the contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with the contest!

Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease

MidWeekTeaseHappy Hump Day! Courtesy of Sandra Bunino and her Mid Week Tease, I’m bringing you yet another tense scene from my current WIP Breaker Zone. In this teaser, Nick’s been rescued from Barnard by his two sexy mers Aidan and Liam and is about to have a well-deserved minor breakdown, poor bastard.

Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!

With his life in ruins thanks to a psychotic ex, Dr. Nick Gardiner winds up at Olympic Cove looking for sanctuary (and free beer) with his friend Ian. The last thing he expects to find is Ian living with two redheaded sea lords and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. Nick soon learns that the handsome mer and his partner Liam have their own plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.

A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in Ian’s battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.

###

“You moron,” Chiron snapped. “Why the hell did you decide to wander off on your own?”

“Yeah, hello to you, too,” Nick replied sourly. He stood in the middle of Ian’s cottage, the mers behind him, and the translucent centaur took up the other half. Ian leaned in the hallway leading to the guest rooms and kitchen, arms folded across his chest. “Just out of curiosity, when did you find out I was going to be in danger? Because some advance notice that my whackjob ex was in town looking for me would have been nice.”

His teacher shrugged. “I didn’t find out until it was happening. I’m a centaur, not Miss Cleo.”

“How did you find out?” Liam asked.

Chiron made a decidedly horsey-sounding snort. “Grandma decided to drop some knowledge on me. Since I can’t go among the slobbering masses I laughingly call humans anymore, I had to rope in the Tiny Titan for an assist.” He jerked his head at Ian, who gave him the finger. “He wanted to beam into the middle of the damned town and start looking for you. I talked him into calling you first.”

“I know where I can show up safely,” Ian grumbled.

“Don’t care. No apparating among the mundanes.”

“Back up a bit,” Nick cut in. “Grandma?”

“Gaia.”

“Who?”

“Oh, fuck me,” Chiron groaned. “Gaia, the Mother of All, the earth goddess, the avatar of the whole goddamn planet. For some reason she decided to step in and save your narrow ass from getting hauled off to Chi-town and turned into Barnard Whitfield’s personal pumpkin.”

“Shit.” The adrenaline rush he’d been riding since Barnard appeared finally began to fade, and he started shaking. “Shit. Why is all this happening to me?”

Chiron stopped, frowning. “Syncope. You two get him on the couch.”

Two arms slid around his back, easing him into a sitting position.

“Push his head between his knees. He needs to get blood back into that noggin.”

“I know, Lord.”

A large hand slid into his hair, gently cupping his skull and pushing it down. He found himself hunched over, staring at his sneakers and the area rug underneath them.

“Just breathe, Nick,” he heard Liam say softly, hand still in his hair and rubbing his scalp. Aidan performed the same motion on his back, rubbing in wide, gentle circles. “It’s all going to be okay.”

He huffed at that. “The fuck it is. I’ve got a psychotic ex-Dom who wants to carve his name into my chest, and a god’s staff that I don’t know how to use,” he said raggedly. “Oh, yeah, and apparently an earth goddess likes me. Woo fucking hoo.”

“More like the earth goddess,” Chiron said, “but whatever.”

Ian’s blue-jeaned knees appeared in his line of sight, then dropped to the floor. “I am so sorry, Nick. I never wanted to drag you into any of this,” his friend said regretfully. “And I know just how confused you are right now, trust me. But if it’s any consolation, you’ve got a lot of people who will help you figure out what you’re supposed to do, and I’m number one on that list.”

Taking in a deep breath, Nick slowly sat up. The mers’ hands tactfully disappeared, Liam and Aidan leaning back to give him space. He wished they hadn’t stopped touching him. It had helped keep his panic at bay. “Dude, I don’t know if I can do this,” he said. “I’m just an ER doc. I’m not a god, or a merman, or anything special.”

“Sorry to rain on your pity parade, Junior, but that’s not true,” Chiron said, clopping up to Ian’s side. “You’re the Bearer of Asclepius’s Rod. That makes you a pretty powerful player in this game.”

“What game?” he said, almost yelping the words. “Fighting a crazy goddess who’s pissed off at humans and wants to destroy the Earth? That game? Jesus, I don’t even know where to start.”

“I often find,” an urbane voice said, “that it’s best to start at the beginning.”


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Cover Reveal for Two to Tango

twototango_smFinally, it’s here! My M/M SF caper erotic romance (say that in one breath, I dare you) Two to Tango will be out from Evernight Publishing on June 12, and this week I’m going to be holding a contest and offering some nifty prizes!

• A $25 Amazon Gift Card
• A custom piece of jewelry from Belaurient Arts
• A grand prize package of all my ebooks, plus a sneak peak at the first three chapters of the second book in the Olympic Cove series, Breaker Zone.

The fun starts tomorrow — stay tuned!

Rory MacLellan, aka the Highlander, is one of the most successful interstellar art thieves in the Known Worlds. Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a deadly dig left his career in tatters. Thrown together by accident and with interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?

Excerpt

Dmitri turned over, glancing down the line of their bodies. Rory’s erection was very obvious in his kilt, almost comically so. The other man must have been contorting himself to keep it off his ass. Of course, now that he was face up, his own erection started filling out nicely.

Rory started massaging his shoulders and arms, going nowhere near his nipples or other erogenous zones. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Um, you’re hard.”

“I know,” Rory said evenly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Kind of difficult to do that when it’s right over my stomach. Besides, so am I.”

Rory gave a half shrug. “Totally normal. Lots of guys get an erection during a massage. Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m going to make a move on you or anything.”

He didn’t understand why that admission annoyed him, but it did. “Of course not,” he muttered. “Why would you?”

Rory stopped at that, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know.” He turned his head, staring at the bulkhead. “Never mind.”

“Hey.” Long fingers cupped his chin, urging it back. “I’m not making a move on you because I don’t believe in hitting on someone when they don’t have a way out of the situation. I mean, yes, I think you’re incredibly hot, which should be obvious by the fact that my cock can now cut diamond.” Rory glanced down at his crotch and grinned. “But that’s my problem, not yours.”

That’s what you think. Dmitri could feel Rory’s body heat moving through him, lighting up nerve endings. He’d been sure that his life would be one long, slow slog through museum workshops, getting older and more bitter with each passing year until he was shunted off to some sterile senior station to die.

Instead, he had been kidnapped during a heist by the Known Worlds’ sexiest antiquities thief, rescued from CAPOD by said thief, been given the chance to restore a shattered Saolao ceremonial bowl, and now had the same sexy thief kneeling over him with a rock-hard erection after giving him the best massage of his life. Except he’s backing off like I’m a nervous virgin.

It was time to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. He cupped his palms over Rory’s exposed knees, feeling the other man twitch from the unexpected contact. “What if I said yes?”

Rory frowned. “I’m sorry?”

“What.” Dmitri slowly ran his fingertips under the tartan, up Rory’s thighs. “If I.” He pressed the heels of his hands against the soft prickle of hair and the lean muscle underneath, continuing his upward slide. “Said yes?” His fingers reached the top of each thigh, dancing over the crease where leg met groin. The skin was smooth there, but he could just feel the beginnings of crisp pubic hair brushing his thumbs, and the heat from what had to be an aching cock.

He wouldn’t let himself touch it. Not until he was sure they both wanted this. “Or do I have to spell it out for you?”

“Nooo, I think I’m catching on.” Eyes gleaming, Rory leaned over and kissed him. “Is this all right?” he whispered, each word the softest puff of breath against Dmitri’s lips.

“Definitely.”

“Good. Because if you don’t put your hand around my cock in the next thirty seconds, my head is going to explode.”

Dmitri couldn’t help chuckling. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

I have a cover and release date for Two to Tango!

Two to Tango will be available from Evernight Publishing and other fine retailers of smut on June 12. I’m going to hold off a little and do a cover reveal this weekend, but in the meantime let me tease you with a couple of ads!

TtTRoryBlurb

 

TtTDmitriBlurbv2

Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease

MidWeekTeaseHappy Hump Day! Courtesy of Sandra Bunino and her Mid Week Tease, I’m bringing you yet another tense scene from my current WIP Breaker Zone. Nick’s been cornered by his dangerous ex-Dom in a secluded park in Olympic Beach, and things do not look good for our ER doc.

Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!

With his life in ruins thanks to a psychotic ex, Dr. Nick Gardiner winds up at Olympic Cove looking for sanctuary (and free beer) with his friend Ian. The last thing he expects to find is Ian living with two redheaded sea lords and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. Nick soon learns that the handsome mer and his partner Liam have their own plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.

A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in Ian’s battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.

###

“You were the very devil to track down, you know,” Barnard said, sounding amused. In his Armani button-down and tailor-made linen slacks, he looked cool and in control in the June warmth. “I had you all the way to this dreadful little town, and then you disappeared. Poof, like smoke.” Slim, elegant fingers flickered in the air like a dissipating cloud. “I was afraid I’d have to call in some favors and have your cell phone tracked, but here you are. It’s almost a sign from God, don’t you agree?”

“Not really,” Nick said tightly. “I thought I told you we were over, Barnard.”

The other man tsked. “You’re still upset about my slip-up. Well, I suppose I can’t blame you. But in all honesty, pet, I didn’t hear your safeword. If I had, I would have stopped immediately, you know that.” Tilted teal eyes shone with innocence. “I’m a Dom, not a monster.”

Yes, you are a monster. I screamed at you to stop, and you smiled and said ‘just a little more.’ “I don’t care. Blood and knife play are my hard limits.”

The bastard had the nerve to tut at him. “You know it’s a Dom’s responsibility to push his sub and find his true boundaries.”

“You don’t involve hard limits in a scene, Barnard. You know that,” Nick fired back. “And I told you when we started, no knives and no fucking blood play.”

The other man’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and squeezing the bones there. “Language, pet,” he warned. “You know better than that.” He frowned suddenly, staring at Nick’s neck. “Are those … bruises?”

Shit. Nick wrenched his wrist loose, stepping back. “I am not your pet. I withdraw my service. You are not my Dom anymore.” His gut churned, but he spat out the words anyway despite Barnard’s increasingly cold expression. “Now get out of here and go back to Chicago. I’m sure you can find plenty of pain sluts who would love to have your name carved into their chest.”

“Of course I could, but I don’t want them. I want you, Nicholas.” Barnard smiled, a shark’s grin. “You’re so delightful, with your exceptional responsiveness and desire to serve. And such smooth, pale skin. I just want to bite it until it bleeds.”

Nauseated, Nick took another step back, the terrier following him. “You’re sounding a lot like Hannibal Lecter right now.”

The smile disappeared, and Barnard’s eyes went glacial. “I don’t enjoy being compared to a cannibalistic psychopath, Nicholas.”

“And I don’t enjoy having my safeword ignored. I’m not coming back. Ever. Get that into your head.”

Unexpectedly, the Dom’s expression changed. He snapped his fingers. “Oh. Now I understand. You’re staying with that writer friend of yours, aren’t you?”

Nick went cold. “What does Ian have to do with this?”

“That man puts the oddest notions into your head. He never liked me, you know, and I haven’t the faintest idea why.”

Because he could tell right off the bat that you were dangerous. I was fooled by the nice clothes and the fancy car. “I’m not staying with Ian, so leave him out of this. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

He tried to step around the other man, but Barnard deftly cut him off. “Nicholas, don’t make this difficult. I have a plane waiting. Come home with me and we’ll forget all about the last three days, yes?”

Short of a lobotomy, there was no way he would ever forget the events of the last three days. Sea gods and mermen and Rods, oh my. “Get out of my way, Barnard.”

His former Dom sighed. “Oh, pet. I’m afraid you’ll have to pay for that.”

Norma started barking loudly, dancing on the edge of her leash and baring her teeth. Something moved beyond Barnard’s shoulder, coming into focus.


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Note to self

Must stop haunting the Evernight website to see how close Two to Tango is to the top of the Coming Soon list (it’s currently at number 3, by the way). The final edits have been turned in with a most appropriate dedication, I dare say, and I know Sour Cherry Designs are currently working on the cover, so I could have a cover and publication date any time now.

Checks inbox.

Yep, any time now. Aaaaaaany time now.

Have I mentioned how much I love ebook publication? It soothes the impatient 3-year-old in me.

Okay, on to other news — as of yesterday I hit the midway point on Breaker Zone (also had an almost 6K day, which was astounding), which means it’s all downhill from here. I really was hoping to have the MS done by tomorrow, but when you get handed not one but two sets of edits to be turned in within two weeks those get first dibs on your time. But it’s all okay because with any luck I’ll be typing The End in a week or so.

And that’s just fine with me because, Lord, Iron Cross is singing a siren song and I really, REALLY want to polish that baby off and 1) get it sent off to my betas, 2) clean it up, and 3) start the submission process to agents. I’ve got a really good feeling about this one, people.

Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease

MidWeekTeaseHappy Hump Day! Today’s Mid Week Tease is a rather tense scene from my current WIP Breaker Zone, where Nick and Aidan get interrupted in flagrante delicto by a dangerous intruder. Or is he?

Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!

With his life in ruins thanks to a psychotic ex, Dr. Nick Gardiner winds up at Olympic Cove looking for sanctuary (and free beer) with his friend Ian. The last thing he expects to find is Ian living with two redheaded sea lords and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. Nick soon learns that the handsome mer and his partner Liam have their own plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.

A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in Ian’s battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.

###

“You dared to touch my chuisle?” the other merman shouted, rage throbbing in his voice. “I’ll kill you!”

Panicking, Nick scuttled along the wall, crabbing backwards the adjoining bathroom. He could hear Aidan shouting something at the intruder.

“Aidan, run!” he yelled. Rolling onto his hands and knees, he lurched to his feet and stumbled into the hallway, heading for the kitchen and the knives there.

He never made it. A huge hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, abruptly changing momentum and throwing him onto the living room floor. Grunting in pain from the impact, he flipped over and backed into the corner of the couch.

The tall man strode after him, spear poised to strike. “You bastard,” he said, lips peeled back from a brutal snarl. “You filthy, disgusting—“

A blue glow exploded in the room, dazzling both of them. Nick shut his abruptly stinging eyes against the light, only to hear Bythos shout, “Stop!”

There was a dull thud that he could feel through the floor. “How dare you threaten our guest, mer!” Ian’s boyfriend bellowed, infuriated.

Nick forced himself to crack one eyelid, then eased open the other eye. The intruder had dropped to his knees like a puppet with cut strings, spear thrown to the floor. In front of him stood Bythos and Aphros, surrounded by a sparkling nimbus of sea blue light. The redheads were dressed in simple tunics and hefting ornate silver tridents, and both of them were glaring at the intruder.

The man — mer — bowed his head. “Lord Bythos,” he said raggedly, his voice full of fear, “I beg your forgiveness. But he was molesting my mate—”

“No, he wasn’t!”

Aidan was panting and clinging to the corner of the hallway, staring frantically at all of them. “Dammit, Liam, I told you to stop!”

Liam? The giant was Liam, Aidan’s friend and Elder-in-training? Nick started to say something, and could only choke as his throat flared in sudden agony.

“Nick!” Aphros crossed to him and knelt down, one strong hand clasping his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

All that came out was a froggy croak. Between the tall mer’s hand on his throat and the scream for Aidan to run, he suspected he’d sprained his vocal cords. Gingerly, he shook his head and gestured towards his larynx.

A second nimbus of light appeared, golden this time, and Ian stepped out of it, holding a dark trident. His eyes went comically wide when he saw the scene in the living room. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded.

Nick stared at the man he’d eaten with, gotten drunk with, sat with during Diana’s wake. Then at the trident in Ian’s hand.

That was enough for one night. Very gently, he fell over.


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