Sorcerer's Lover and Sorcerer's Lover 2

Now available from Amber Allure: Sorcerer's Lover and the sequel Sorcerer's Lover 2

Sorcerer’s Lover

When Warin, a sorcerer, needs a large amount of coins to rescue his sister from her abductor, he chooses to abduct someone himself. And he selects the man he has been lusting after ever since sharing a secret, sensual moment at court months earlier—Benedict, the beautiful and illegitimate son of the king.

At first, Benedict is reluctant to give into forbidden desires, but he cannot resist the enigmatic sorcerer’s pull. Yet when he surrenders to his lust, he’s also not sure whether it’s of his own free will or because of a spell Warin cast on him.

As the men grow closer, however, they realize that when the ransom is paid, Benedict must be released and Warin must flee from punishment. Will they be able to end their passionate affair and separate, or will they fight to stay together, even if it means facing the king’s wrath?

Sorcerer’s Lover 2

The sequel to Amber Allure’s Best Seller Sorcerer's Lover...

The sorcerer, Warin, and his lover, the illegitimate prince, Benedict, were torn apart just as they were on the verge of escaping to their new life together. Imprisoned for his own good by his half-brother and heir-to-the-throne, Henry, Benedict dreams of being rescued and reunited with his sorcerer.

The lovers subsist on a handful of stolen encounters even as Warin plans to free Benedict from his prison. As the king lies near death, a rebellion against Henry is secretly plotted when he is most vulnerable.

But when the chance to escape during an attack on the castle presents itself, Benedict and Warin stay behind to fight for Henry. Will they be forced to sacrifice their chance for love and happiness for honor?

Now Out in Paperback! M4M

My new paperback collection, M4M is now available from Amber Allure (the GLBT imprint of Amber Quill Press). The book combines my best-selling, happily-ever-after romantic comedy stories, VGL Male Seeks Same and NEG UB2, both previously available only as ebooks. M4M combines them in a nifty paperback edition, perfect for summer beach reading. This edition is ideal for those of you who might want to see how a horror writer does romance (apparently, surprisingly well, because the two stories above sold almost better than anything I've written!) but who don't want to go the e-book route.

To get your copy, go here or here.

Synopsis:
Two great stories. One great love. Get between the covers with Ethan and Brian, the men whose hearts connected online and offline in the best-selling VGL Male Seeks Same. Follow them on their continuing journey in NEG UB2, where a shocking health diagnosis derails the couple’s blissful romance and teaches them both a lot about acceptance, forgiveness, and faith...especially when it comes to love.

Previously available only in electronic format, these twin novellas of gay erotic romance have now been combined for a paperback edition!

Reviews of VGL Male Seeks Same

"5 Stars!...Rick R. Reed has a wonderful sense of humour and timing. His characterization of Ethan was superb. This is the first story I have read by Rick R. Reed and if this is at all representative of his writing he'll become an auto buy for me. His timing is superb, his prose is exceptional and his characterizations are to die for. I was totally invested in Ethan and I felt every slight, imagined or real, that he experienced. Parts of this story were so poignant as Ethan looked at his life stretching before him with no one to share it that I could feel his pain...Buy this book."--Jessewave, Reviews By Jessewave

"5 Divas!...A Recommended Read!...Could easily be made into a movie...Deeply erotic, satisfying...The crisp dialogue and brutally honest portrayal of two lonely men, who at heart really are very good looking, is a story for all romance lovers…not just fans of gay romantic fiction. It's a story to be treasured, in all its intimate splendor."--AJ Llewellyn, Dark Diva Reviews

Reviews of NEG UB2

"...One of the best aspects of Reed’s book is his unpredictability. Nothing is sacred and every possible topic can be tackled. Here the author takes the happy ever after ending from his first book and turns it on its head when one of the characters is suddenly HIV positive. From the panic at his initial diagnosis to understanding medication and costs, this emotional story shows the scary and realistic aspects often overlooked when HIV changes someone’s life. Well written with an intensity to the prose, this wonderful story shows the positive and negative elements associated with the first brush of HIV while showing it’s not the death sentence it used to be and happy endings are still possible."--Kassa, Manic Readers

"There's no protection from Reed's quick wit and ability to craft a winning and thoroughly enthralling love story."--Shawn Decker, AIDS activist, speaker, and author of My Pet Virus

Another Side of Sloane Taylor

Sorry to be so late today. I'm working on blurbs for my next book, FINNISH FANTASIES, releasing in September. Let me tell you how much I hate writing them. It's easier to create an entire novel and struggle with self edits or go to the dentist. Now they're done and I can go on to my next favor job after writing - cooking!

I'm an avid cook. My dad used to tell me he ate to live while I lived to eat. So true, Daddy.

Several centuries ago when I was a young woman starting out, I wanted menus to plan meals, not have to search through dozens of cookbooks and magazines to come up with a total meal. It just wasn't available.

Over the years I've collected cookbooks from all over the world. The frustrating thing is that they too only gave me recipes, not menus.

Time to take matters in my own hands.

On my website is a section What's Cooking. Each month it's updated with user friendly menus, meaning easy. Dozens of people have sent me their favorite recipes and/or menus and you're welcome to do the same. Every one is taste tested by Studs and must receive his two spatulas up before it goes onto the site.

Below are a few menus for those of you who like cooking as it should be - easy.

• Salmon on the Grill
• Rice
• Grilled Veggies
• Chardonnay Wine

Salmon on the Grill
1 salmon filet per person
1 bottle Italian salad dressing – I prefer the low or no fat type
1 fresh lime
Pam

Set the salmon in a plastic bag. Pour in enough salad dressing to cover the filets. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the fish. Seal the bag and gently move it around to mix in the juice. Insert the salmon bag into a glass or aluminum bowl just large enough to hold the marinade in place.

Heat grill to medium. Spray Pam onto a doubled sheet of aluminum foil. Lay the prepared foil on the grill then add the fish. Grill 7 minutes each side. Turn once. Scrape off the silver skin before you serve the salmon.

Grilled Veggies
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Onion
Yellow & Red Peppers
Potatoes
And anything else that strikes your fancy!

Slice all the veggies into thin to medium pieces. Making one package per person, Pam aluminum foil then layer veggies onto foil. Season with pepper and several pats of butter or margarine. Seal tight.

Grill 25-30 minutes on medium.

Rice
Use your favorite brand of rice, adding packaged chicken broth in place of the water. Save some of the red or yellow pepper from the veggies and toss into the rice at the beginning.

Cook per package directions.

• Glazed Carrots
• Baked Potatoes
• Grilled Steaks
• Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon

Glazed Carrots
1# cello wrapped pre-cleaned carrots
1 stick butter
Canned or boxed chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
2 tbs. Sugar
Mint leaves if you like that flavor

In a Teflon type pan melt the butter and add the sugar. Add the carrots and enough chicken stock to come half way up the carrots. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Shake the pan periodically to move the carrots around. Cook until carrots are fork tender. If the glaze hasn’t reduced enough, lift the carrots to the serving dish and drape with foil. Bring the frying pan to a boil and cook until the glaze is reduced. Be careful here because the butter and sugar can burn easily. If it does, it’s very bitter.

Add the glaze to the carrots. Grind pepper to your taste on top then sprinkle with a few chopped mint leaves.

This freezes well for a future meal. If you freeze, do not add the mint leaves.

Baked Potatoes
1 baking potato per person
Bay leaf for each potato
Olive oil
Kosher or rock salt

Preheat the oven to 375°. Wash the potatoes under cool running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub the skins with a small amount of olive oil. Slit across the top large enough to fit in a bay leaf. Roll in the salt and wrap in aluminum foil.

Bake for about 45 minutes, depends on the size of the potato. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick. If the potato is cooked enough the pick will slide in easily.

If you use an outdoor grill wrap the potatoes in two sections of foil to prevent burning.

Either way, set them onto of a warm stove or inside a 200° oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Grilled Steaks
1 Steak of your choice per person
Fresh ground black pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Heat your outdoor grill to medium. Sprinkle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce on each side of the steak and spread out with your fingers. Grind your quantity preference of fresh pepper on one side. Grill for 3 minutes each side for rare, 4 for medium rare, 5 for well done. Turn only once.

Remove the steaks and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to sit on top of the warm stove for at least five minutes. This will draw the juices back into the meat and will also cook the steak to the right doneness.

If you use the oven broiler, follow the same cooking times.

• Tomato & Cucumber Salad
• Jane’s Potato Salad
• Greg’s Deviled Eggs
• Sautéed Mushrooms
• Hamburgers Sloane Style
• Crisp White Wine - Chardonnay

Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Peeled cucumbers quartered and sliced
Tomatoes cut in eighths
Some onion sliced thin
Balsamic Vinegar
Basil

Put the cucumber into a glass or ceramic bowl then sprinkle with about ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and toss. Add the tomatoes, onion, and toss again. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of Basil and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use. This is very good if made the day before.

Jane’s Potato Salad
1 Red Potato per person
Hard boiled eggs 1 for every 4 potatoes
Celery
Onion
Mayonnaise
Pepper

Boil the potatoes in their jackets until just fork tender. Drain and allow to cool. Scrape the skins off. Slice in half lengthwise then widthwise. Slice into the eating size pieces.

While the potatoes are cooking boil the eggs then peel under a slow stream of cool water. Cut in half then into eating size pieces. Set aside with plastic wrap or a paper towel over them to eliminate them drying out.

Chop fine one stalk celery for every seven potatoes. Put in large mixing bowl.

Chop fine ½ onion for every eight potatoes. Put in mixing bowl with the celery. Scale these two ingredients down or up to match the number of potatoes used. Grind in a healthy quantity of fresh pepper. Add to that several large spoonfuls of mayonnaise then stir together.

Add the cooled, boiled potatoes and mix well. Check for dryness. The salad should be moist but not swimming in mayo. Add the sliced eggs and stir again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Greg’s Deviled Eggs
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
Pickle relish
Paprika
Pepper

Place the eggs in boiling water. Cover and turn off the heat allow to sit for 10 minutes. Peel under a slow stream of cool water. Pat dry. Slice in half lengthwise. Set whites onto a platter, hollow side up.

Scoop yolks into a mixing bowl. Add mayo until moist then add a small amount of yellow mustard, pickle relish and pepper. Your mixture should be a bit thinner than paste.

Scrap yolk mixture into a Ziploc bag. Clip one end at the bottom then squeeze into the hollows of the whites. Dust with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sautéed Mushrooms
Baby Portobello mushrooms
Onion sliced thin
Olive oil
Butter/Margarine
Dry Vermouth or White Wine

Clean the mushrooms under slow running cool water. Set aside onto paper towels to dry. This can be done early in the day.

In a small frying pan combine a small amount of olive oil and butter or margarine. When the solid has melted add the sliced onion. Sauté for a few minutes but don’t let the onion brown.

I prefer to slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise. They cook better. Add them to the frying pan and sauté for a few minutes until well coated with the oil mixture. Pour over about 2 tablespoons of vermouth or wine onto the mushrooms then cook a few more minutes. These can be served hot or room temp, but not cold.

Hamburgers Sloane Style
Ground Sirloin about ½ pound per adult
Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg per 1 ½ meat
chives snipped, fresh or jarred

Beat the egg slightly in a small bowl. Combine the meat, Worcestershire Sauce, and handful of chives into a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is well combined, break off clumps of the meat and form patties. Set them onto waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to grill outside or on the stove.

Cook turning once on a medium to low flame until they are done to your preference.

Use any type roll that suits your fancy and dress with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion, tomato and the mushrooms. You can also add cheese for the topping. If you do then lay it over the burger about two minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Bon Appetite!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey...Hotter than Hell
CZECH MATE http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/CzechMate.html
www.sloanetaylor.com www.myspace.com/sloanetaylor

Hot off the press June 14th – from Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure.

THE STORY

Stan Gordon, M.D., is well aware of the unwritten code forbidding sexual liaisons between a physician and those in his charge, but when he provides intimate care for Brian Storm, a seriously injured police detective, he comes dangerously close to crossing the line. When he does, he’s shocked to find desire is forbidden, not by the code but by the emotional demons with which Brian wrestles.

Tortured while working undercover before they met, Brian knows police policy prevents him from sharing the full story with Stan, yet not revealing the trauma in order to heal his emotional scars threatens to destroy their new and deepening love. If Brian can’t overcome what’s been done to him, will Stan leave him to look for a more responsive man? And will Brian be able to resolve his secret fears that he’ll be unable to function as a cop again?

EXCERPT – GAY

It had been a bad day at work. A multi-car collision on the nearest freeway had filled every available paramedic ambulance and brought them to Stan’s hospital. He and every surgeon on staff they could muster had been in operating rooms all day repairing damaged bodies. Now fatigue had soaked into his bones. Too tired even to remove his clothes and shower, all he’d managed to fix was a sandwich for supper, and he was holding half of it in one hand when the doorbell chimed.

A glance out the peephole showed a police officer dressed in a thick black jacket and hat standing with his back to the door. Stan’s heart lurched. Something must have happened to Brian, and they’d sent an officer to tell him. Before the illogic of that--because no one so far knew they were an item--had soaked in, the man turned, and joy sent Stan’s blood racing through his body. He flung the door wide.

“Hi,” Brian said, his face solemn as he removed his hat.

“What a wonderful surprise, Officer Storm.” He addressed him formally,
tongue-in-cheek. “I didn’t expect you tonight. I just got home, and I haven’t listened to my messages.”

“Didn’t leave one. Took a chance you’d be here.” Brian stepped across the threshold and shut the door behind him. He removed his jacket and let it and his uniform hat fall to the floor. Taking Stan’s sandwich out of his hand, he laid it on a nearby table before drawing him into his arms. He pressed Stan’s face into his shoulder and rocked with him as if he never wanted to let him go.

Tired enough to drop, Stan rested in the strong arms that held him, in the feel of their bodies tight together from head to toe and the rhythmic movement of the two of them set by Brian. Suddenly, the fatigue of the day slipped away and all was right with the world because Brian--a Brian who must’ve conquered the images that had ruined sex and desire for him--was here, holding him. Stan kissed his neck and pulled back. “Hmm. You’re skin’s chilled despite that heavy jacket.”

Brian’s face showed determination as his mouth closed on Stan’s. At first soft and searching as he kissed Stan’s mouth at the corners, his tongue traced the line of his lips and upon reaching center, sought entrance. Stan opened so their tongues could intertwine to taste and seek out the warm moisture inside and draw them closer as lovers. The pressure of Brian’s mouth increased, growing hotter and subtly demanding in an almost frantic way, as his fingers threaded through Stan’s hair and loosened it out of the conservative way it was combed and into a mass of soft curls. Then his hands made a slow journey across his shoulders and down his back, following the long curve of Stan’s spine until they slipped beneath slacks and briefs to cup his butt cheeks. One finger slid in to caress and play with the pucker between them.

Desire, hot and forbidden, flared in Stan’s chest, then shot down through navel and belly to unleash in his groin, instantly causing him to fill until he was hard and ready, every nerve in his being primed for love. Breathless from the delicious sensations roaring through him, he held back and let his lover make love to him.

When the hands slid around from the back to the front to cup and stroke what waited there for Brian’s touch, pleasure caused a soft moan to escape the doctor’s throat. When Brian unhooked Stan’s trousers and slid his briefs and slacks down, he fought to stay upright and not give in to knees weakened by longing. When Brian knelt and took the length of him into his hot, tonguing mouth, Stan fought not to explode that instant, but to let the feelings crescendo to a mind-blowing eruption. Brian’s turn to be loved would come next.

He looked down on the kneeling figure and the dark head so dear to him, so intent on coaxing him to climax. . .and saw a flat trouser front with no tenting created by an aroused dick.

Through a throat so filled with desire and need he almost couldn’t voice the most difficult words he’d ever had to utter, he begged, “Stop, Brian. . .

Available now at http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ForbiddenDesire.html

Carolina Valdez

http://www.carolinavaldez.com
http://www.myspace.com/sensualstories
http://www.twitter.com/carolina_valdez

Read Carolina’s Deadly Liaisons column at http://www.novelspot.net
To subscribe to her newsletter send a blank email to sweet_ecstasies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Passion – Heat - Ecstasy

Sorcerer's Lover 2 by Shawn Lane

To be released this weekend is my sequel to last year's Sorcerer's Lover. I am also giving away a copy of the books on my blog: http://smlgr8.blogspot.com/

Here is the blurb:

The sequel to Amber Allure’s Best Seller Sorcerer's Lover...

The sorcerer, Warin, and his lover, the illegitimate prince, Benedict, were torn apart just as they were on the verge of escaping to their new life together. Imprisoned for his own good by his half-brother and heir-to-the-throne, Henry, Benedict dreams of being rescued and reunited with his sorcerer.

The lovers subsist on a handful of stolen encounters even as Warin plans to free Benedict from his prison. As the king lies near death, a rebellion against Henry is secretly plotted when he is most vulnerable.

But when the chance to escape during an attack on the castle presents itself, Benedict and Warin stay behind to fight for Henry. Will they be forced to sacrifice their chance for love and happiness for honor?

Check this out for a steamy excerpt: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SorcerersLover2.html

My Pottery Peter is Up

You always hear it: write what you know. In Pottery Peter, my new ebook from Amber Allure, I did just that: wrote about a dark-haired, skinny, young freshman boy working a summer job at an industrial pottery in eastern Ohio.

Hey, I did that! For two summers...at Hall China in my home town of East Liverpool, OH, a little pottery town nestled on the Ohio River and home to the annual Pottery Festival and the Museum of Ceramics.

So, I know all about the ins and outs of working at a pottery (pun intended). I hope you'll give this rather unique setting a look. I can promise you that it's one of my hottest tales, sexually speaking, and also one that's near and dear to my heart...because it comes from my own experience.

My own sexual experience? Well, for the answer to that, I will simply give you a mysterious cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.

Buy Pottery Peter now for only $2.25.

Need more convincing? Here's what it's all about:

Synopsis
Josh, between his freshman and sophomore years of college, gets a job at the pottery, a place where sweaty men dressed in sleeveless T-shirts, with biceps glistening and bulging, hoist heavy molds and liquid clay.

For Josh, it’s an eye-opening summer, building his own muscles and falling in love for the very first time. But falling in love is never uncomplicated, especially when two hot men have caught Josh’s eye. Which one of them will claim Josh’s virgin territory? Will it be Dale, the heavy-metal blond God with the tattoos and rough demeanor? Or will Kevin, Josh’s beefy, red-haired Irish boss, steal his heart, along with a few other parts further south?

Come along for a ride during one long, hot summer where the job benefits for an aroused young man are way more than what Human Resources promised!

And here's a little taste (for adults only!!):

...I was wrong about Dale. It took until the end of the summer to find out. I was almost ready for my last day of work and the beginning of the fall semester when I caught Dale.

Caught him beating off.

It was one of the few times, I guess, when it was unavoidable for us both to be in the basement at the same time. But I had no idea what a scene I would run across! For a while, I watched silently from behind a stack of molds. I knew his cock was big, but I never imagined how big. Erect, it almost seemed to be touching his chest. Rising from a mass of pale pubic curls, the rosy plum of its tip oozed pre-cum. Dale had slicked his hand with spit and was running it up and down the shaft, then quickly over the knob of its head.

Quietly, I took out my own cock and began pumping it. I closed my eyes, imagining the taste of Dale’s pre-cum, the slight gagging sensation as the head of his dick nudged the back of my throat. I guess I got a little dizzy, because the next thing I knew the stack of molds I was standing behind toppled over. There was a crash, a lot of white dust and several of the molds broke.

I was left staring at Dale with my dick throbbing in my hand. For sure, I thought, this is it for me, imminent death. I grinned anyway, sure I was in for a good left hook to my face.

But he grinned back at me. “College boy, I never had you figured right. I thought you were Kevin’s boy. We missed a helluva lot of fuckin’ this summer.” His voice was raspy, already scarred by too many cigarettes.

“You serious?” My voice cracked; he could have been teasing me.

“No.” He stood, his long, fat pole jutting out like a club. “This is serious. And it needs some serious suckin’.”

I closed my eyes, feeling my own dick twitch in anticipation. I dropped to my knees and opened my mouth, forcing him to come to me. Jeans around his ankles, he waddled to me, holding the blood-engorged cock level with my mouth.

Once again, I closed my eyes, this time when he shoved it in…all the way. No priming, no licking, just nine inches of hot, pulsing man-meat snaking all the way down my throat. I held my breath, felt my eyes water, but I didn’t choke. Slowly, lubricating his dick, I slid my mouth back up to the tip, swirled my tongue around it and scooped some pre-cum out of the piss slit…and then went back down. My nose was buried in the matte of curly, light brown hair, taking in the smell of his sweat, his manliness. I grabbed his ass cheeks and bobbed my head up and down, up and down. I lowered my head all the way to the base of his shaft and paused there while my middle finger found the warm, pulsing bud of his asshole. Slowly, I slid my finger in through the ring of hot muscle. It felt like Dale’s asshole was gobbling every inch of my finger.

“Damn, college boy, you know how to make it good.”

Dale wiggled his ass, swallowing my finger down to its base. I resumed bobbing up and down, slicking his hot dick with my spit, which was now dribbling out of the corners of my mouth. I felt Dale’s hand on the back of my head, stroking my hair. He stopped.

“Lay down on your fuckin’ back, college boy.”

Dale got into position over my face and crammed his dick into my mouth. He started doing push-ups above me, thrusting his dick deep in my mouth, then withdrawing it all the way to the tip before forcing it back down my throat. I closed my eyes, letting him fuck my face. After a while, I looked over to watch his sweating biceps constrict, bunch and tense with each thrust.

“If I’m not careful, I’m gonna shoot down that college boy throat…and I can think of a lot better place for my scum...”

Buy Pottery Peter now for only $2.25.

Seducing Light by KC Kendricks

No matter how many times I have a new book release, I still get that little ball of nervous excitement in my stomach. It tells me I'm still writing for all the right reasons - I love it! I used to worry I'd run out of ideas. Now I worry I'll never have time to write all the stories.

Each story is my favorite - until I begin the next one - but Seducing Light is special to me. I hope you'll enjoy it, too.




SEDUCING LIGHT
Contemporary gay romance
Now available at Amber Allure
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SeducingLight.html

INTRO

Asher Myles struggled to put his life back together after an identity thief stripped him of everything but his talent for capturing light and shadow with a camera lens. With a new job and a new start, Asher’s on his way to Montana – and a meeting with the man he’s fantasized about since he first saw him on the silver screen.

Nick Light, actor, director, and Hollywood royalty, doesn’t like paparazzi. When he agrees to have his Montana ranch photographed for a style magazine, the unexpected happens – he falls for the man with the camera. Nick’s secret comes out when he realizes Asher is also gay.

If there’s one thing Nick can’t resist, it’s a man with a talent for seducing light.

EXCERPT

Nick stopped on the porch and turned around, putting one large hand in the middle of my chest. No bolt of lightning from the approaching storm could have singed me more. Suddenly he was flesh-and-blood man to me, not a movie star.

“Hold on a minute, Myles. Let’s get one thing straight before you invade my space.”

I nodded. Hell, I’d agree to anything he wanted.

“Your equipment stays in the case until I tell you that you can get it out. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nick opened the door to the house, and I followed him inside. He set the case down in the spacious, two-story foyer and motioned for me to tag along behind him. The hallway opened into the grandest kitchen I’d ever seen. Taking up the entire southwest corner of the house, the room was modern, warm, and inviting. Bay windows with red and white gingham covered cushions on the window seats flanked the massive stone fireplace.

My photographer’s eye filled the room with afternoon sunlight. I had a vision of Nick Light sitting at the table in the large bay of windows, in that sunshine, smiling at me. That would be a money shot I’d never share with anyone. His voice, sharp with annoyance, brought me out of my reverie.

“Do you want something to drink, or not?”

I squared my shoulders and replied I’d take a soft drink, cola, if he had it. He nodded and pointed at the oak table in the sunny corner breakfast nook.
“Set your notebook up. I want to see your work.”

Nick placed a full lead crystal tumbler down in front of me as my laptop booted. I thanked him and drank, grateful for the cold, dark liquid fizzing its way down my parched throat. He spun the computer to face him, typed in his access code for his wireless connection, and turned it back to me.
I cleared my throat and typed the URL for my website.

“Okay, Mr. Light, here’s a little—”

“Nick. Call me Nick.”

I nodded, and hoped I didn’t stutter when I tried to say his name for the first time. “Nick. I’ll just point out that all my professional information is on the website and move on to the photos.”

“I see you have references. Are they valid?”

Fuck. He had heard the stories.

I rolled the cursor over the link and the page opened for him to see. He read the names, then nodded. “I don’t know any of them, so you won’t mind if I call them, right?”

“Sure. Call ’em. Just don’t be surprised if they don’t believe you’re Nick Light.”

He snorted again, the corner of his mouth quirking up in what might actually be a little smile. “I get that a lot, boy.”

I didn’t answer, just clicked on the slideshow and leaned back to watch it with him. His focus shifted to the screen. I watched him as the pictures scrolled. Every so often, he’d nod or cock his head, but he didn’t speak. We sat there in silence as the clouds slid past the sun and the rain dribbled down the outside of the windows. Finally, he spoke.

“Okay. You’re good. But with your reputation, how’d you get this job?”

I met his gaze. “Don’t believe everything you hear about me.”

His chin lifted. His eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not true.”

Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me your version of it then.”
My temper flared. “I was hired to do a job—take a photo shoot of your ranch. I have a copy of the contract in my case, and nowhere in that contract does it say I owe you any explanations.”

His response was unexpected. “You want that sandwich now, boy?”

Tired of him referring to me as “boy,” I shot him a look, and froze at the glittering curiosity in his eyes. He studied me, his green gaze a mix of wary caution, grudging respect, and more. I fell into those mystical depths, forgetting to breathe as the blood pooled in my groin.

My heart stuttered, then hammered in my chest. I couldn’t look away, even as my face grew hot under his scrutiny. My cock swelled, rising as the phantom of my nights stared at me with witchy interest.

Nick Light was gay.


SEDUCING LIGHT
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-530-0

Also available:
GIVE ME ONE NIGHT
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-490-7
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/GiveMeOneNight.html

SURRENDERED VICTORY
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SurrenderedVictory.html
2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner
ISBN 978-1-60272-283-5

PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-330-6

SHINING VICTORY
One of the Top Ten Bestsellers at
Amber Allure November and December 2008
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ShiningVictory.html
ISBN 978-1-60272-422-8

A TASTE OF VICTORY (PAPERBACK)
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TasteVictory.html


Coming soon - NO ONE BUT YOU
Coming soon - TANGO IN THE NIGHT


KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Blog: Between the Keys at http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
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My first Amber Quill Press book!

My first Amber Quill Press book was released yesterday, and it’s such a thrill! I remember a few years back when I started on my journey to publication, I was researching e-publishers to submit my work to and I kept coming across Amber Quill. I was disappointed when I learned that they don’t take submissions, you have to be invited. I so wanted that to happen, so you can imagine my delight when I got that email! And now here I am celebrating my first release with them. And yeah – it was worth waiting for!

Worth Waiting For, my first Amber Quill Press book, comes from wondering what it would be like if that someone you loved, that someone who ended up leaving you and broke your heart, came back into your life – how would you react? Would you both have changed? Would things work out? Could things work out after something like that, after your heart's been broken? There’d have to be forgiveness, maturity, and a whole lot of trust. How difficult would that be?

In my story, Ainslie reflects on how she’s imagined she’d react upon seeing Griff again. Ainslie thinks about ignoring Griff. Or slapping his face for what he did to her. Or even feeling genuine happiness at seeing an old friend, someone she’d cared about, and finding out what was happening in his life. I think your reaction would depend on a few things – the depth of feelings you had for that person, whether you’d really moved on, whether you had someone else in your life and how deeply you cared about that person, how committed you were.

I recently read another book that explores similar themes, Love the One You’re With, by Emily Giffin. Her story turns out differently than Worth Waiting For, but she raises interesting questions about having the chance to choose. When someone dumps you, it’s not your choice, but if you had the chance - would you choose a different path?

The reality would be different for all of us, different personalities, different relationships, different times in our lives. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if that person came back into your life?

Kelly Jamieson

It's hard to believe but this weekend's release of Car Wash will be my tenth release with Amber Quill. Coincedentally, a year ago this month was my first release with Amber Quill, The Squire.

Car Wash is related to a previous release of mine, Pulling Away. One of the heroes in Car Wash, Kevin, was a secondary character in Pulling Away but Car Wash can be read as a stand-alone.

Here is the blurb for Car Wash:

Kevin Flaherty’s life really sucks. He’s already been laid off from his job, compelled to sell his motorcycle, and now faces eviction from his apartment. Things can hardly get worse. Now, forced to work a low-paying job at a car wash and barely surviving, Kevin is too embarrassed to even tell his friends.

Hotshot lawyer, Michael Bennett, comes into the car wash to have his Maserati cleaned. Kevin knows Michael well. When Kevin was fifteen, an openly gay twenty-one-year-old Michael was Kevin’s dream. But when the teenaged Kevin made his move, Michael rejected the young man.
Nine years have passed and Michael is surprised how attracted he is to Kevin. He soon takes him out, then takes him home. This time the beautiful man is not too young.

When he learns of Kevin’s situation, a smitten Michael makes it his job to clean up the disaster that Kevin’s life has become. But his take-charge, bossy way irritates a sensitive Kevin, who starts a fight, ending in the breakup of their budding relationship. A breakup neither of them really wanted.

Can they repair their fractured relationship or will their differences and hurt feelings keep them apart for good?

And the Excerpt:

...Michael watched Kevin spin around the front hallway of his two-story house. The younger man had a natural energy Michael had always admired and envied. And there was a sexy elegance to the way he moved, too.

It hadn’t been a lie when Michael had said he had rejected Kevin because of his young age. Kevin’s energy and enthusiasm alone drew Michael to him. Now, all these years later, Kevin had finally fulfilled what the cuteness of his youth had always promised, and he was absolutely gorgeous.

“This is a great place,” Kevin said after a while. He stopped in front of the stairs. “Must’ve cost a pretty penny.”

“Mmm.” The only pretty thing on his mind was Kevin. There was nothing stopping him. Kevin was definitely old enough now. He held up the doggy bags from the restaurant. “Want to see the kitchen? I’ve got to put these away anyway.”

“Sure.” Kevin practically bounced toward the archway leading to the kitchen.

Michael’s mouth watered as he kept watch on the man’s tight ass. He figured he’d better get it together or he’d be taking him in the kitchen.

Kevin was smiling when Michael caught up to him. It was an almost innocent smile and it tugged at something inside Michael he didn’t want to analyze.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked, walking to his refrigerator to stash the leftovers.

“I always wanted a big kitchen with one of these islands,” Kevin said. “Sometimes I go to model homes and check out the amenities and usually go straight for the kitchens.”

Michael laughed. “Do you cook?”

“Well, I did when I had my old job. Not so much since I got laid off.”

Kevin ran his hand along the black marble island almost lovingly. To Michael’s surprise Kevin jumped up to sit on the edge. Michael swallowed heavily, his gaze taking in the height of the island. About waist high.

Michael stood between Kevin’s slightly spread legs and closed his hands on his hips. “Kiss me, Kevin.”

Kevin didn’t hesitate. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Michael’s. Kevin’s lips were warm and soft and still tasted faintly of the wine they’d shared. Michael slipped his tongue inside to collide with Kevin’s, and pulled the younger man closer.

“Tell me,” Michael said, breaking their kiss, but staying less than an inch from the young man’s amazing lips. “When you thought about wanting one of these islands, did you ever think of being fucked on one?”

Kevin’s breath hitched, his long dark lashes dropping over his intense blue eyes. “No,” he whispered. “But I think I could be persuaded.” His hand closed over the bulge in Michael’s trousers.

Michael sucked in a breath and pressed against the other man’s hand. A moan escaped his lips. “Wait here, I’ll get the lube and a condom.” He placed a quick kiss on Kevin’s lips and hurried out of the kitchen.

He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought to leave condoms and lube downstairs. He’d have to remedy that and store some in the downstairs bathroom. He took the stairs leading to his bedroom and bathroom two at a time. Michael found the lube and strip of condoms under the bathroom sink and took them back to the kitchen.

His heart racing, his pulse beating rapidly, he stopped to admire Kevin lying stomach down on the island, his worn blue jeans stretched tight across his perfect round ass.

Kevin looked back over his shoulder, a small grin playing across his sensual lips. “Going to just stand there all night or what?”...

For information on Shawn's other releases, please see http://www.authorshawnlane.com/

Now Available :: "Playing the Field: Play On" by JM Snyder

Now Available

Playing the Field: Play On
by J.M. Snyder

Buy your copy today!

BLURB:
A junior at Patten University, Sean Mason plays a left winger position on the men's intramural soccer team. In the three years he's been playing the pitch, he's never been interested in any of his fellow teammates ... until Cordero Jefferies joins the team.

This is Cordero's rookie year with the team, but he catches Sean's eye the first day of practice. Sean wastes no time letting this fly brother know just how sprung he is. The feeling's mutual, and when the two hook up after practice, there's no denying the spark between them.

Soccer is the only thing the two guys have in common. They share no classes, no mutual friends, and don't see each other outside of practice. Unfortunately, Sean is easily distracted by Cordero out on the field. Can he get his mind back on the game before the coach throws him off the team?

EXCERPT:
Cordero walks Sean to the bench. As Sean sits, the coach blows his whistle, goading the team back into their positions. "You a damn wimp," Cordero murmurs, but there's no malice in his voice, nothing mean about what he says. He's teasing, and this time when he touches the bump on Sean's head, his hands are gentle. Grabbing a hand towel, he opens the nearest cooler and scoops out a handful of ice. He twists the towel shut, then tamps it in his hand to create a makeshift ice pack. "You know most pro players actually go out their way to hit the ball with their head, right?"

"I ain't pro," Sean mutters. "If Beckham took a shot like that, he'd be down same as me."

Cordero points out, "Beckham'd be paying attention during the game, not flexing with a rookie."

Sean leans forward, head tilted so Cordero can hold the ice pack against his temple. Biting his lower lip, he moans softly, gaze lingering on Cordero's bare chest. "Beckham ain't my type. I like my boys a little darker. You hear me."

"Yeah, yeah. You gonna make me hold this?" Cordero jiggles the ice pack until Sean takes it from him. For a brief second, their hands brush together -- Sean's surprised the ice doesn't melt at the touch. "You been checking me out all day."

Sean grins up at Cordero. "I like what I see. You got a problem with that?"

With a laugh, Cordero teases, "If you'd look at my face instead of my ass, you'd know I was scoping you, too."

A thrill runs through Sean at Cordero's brazen reply. Despite the game in progress before him, despite their other teammates and the coach nearby, he reaches out again to touch Cordero. His forefinger carves a trail in the sweat beading on Cordero's bare stomach, down his abs to his dark navel. The flesh flutters beneath his fingertip, interested, but when he drifts a little lower, Cordero slaps his hand away.

"So now what?" Sean asks. The sun shines like a halo behind Cordero, draping his face in unreadable shadow. When Sean looks up, all he sees are the whites of Cordero's eyes and those impossibly bright teeth. "We just gonna sit here or we gonna do something about it?"

Buy your copy today!