Symbosis and Sequels

By A.J. Llewellyn
I don't know about you but I adore writing sequels. For me it's a chance to revisit characters I love and in the case of the current sequel I am working on for Amber Allure, it gives me a chance to finish telling the story I started with "Tame."
"Tame" is a story that came to me in dreams, especially the first scene where LAPD detective Cavan Carmichael discovers a beaten, chained man in a shack in the back of a Hollywood movie collector's house. The story for me was one of the most unusual I'd written because I'd never tackled the subject of werewolves but I read a legend about Argentine werewolves and became hooked.
This became the basis of my story and I do believe I made it clear I'd be doing a sequel, and then, I got caught up in other things...
Until...
I had a visit from an author who came and spent a few days with me. Tibby Armstrong and I went to Venice Beach and parked. We got out of the car and there ahead of us was this mixed-purpose property right on the boardwalk. It's a house and art gallery and the stone wolves out front just spoke to me. I snapped a photo and began to scheme.
Symbiosis.
I find for some reason a beautiful symbiosis when I am working on sequels...little things happen, things like the wolf house (as I began to call it) jump out at me. I am about to turn in "Tame2: Feral" and although I am excited to be able to deliver the story to my readers who keep asking about what happened to Cavan and Ludo, the were he learned to love,I will be sorry to say goodbye. Having never tackled wolves before they have become dear to my heart. Who knows...maybe the wolf house will revisit me in dreams...until then I'll live with the memories.

 Aloha oe,

 A.J.

Losing and Gaining, a novel by Heidi Champa

I've always been fascinated by the idea of reinvention. Can a person really become someone completely different? Even if you manage to pull it off for a while, how long before the old you, the real you, starts creeping back in. Those are the ideas I explore in my new novel, Losing and Gaining. I hope you enjoy it.

Losing and Gaining by Heidi Champa

Release Date: June 24, 2012
Amber Allure Press
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/LosingGaining.html

Blurb:

At three-hundred-sixty-seven pounds, Douglas Everett Smith spent his school years being teased and verbally abused almost every day. He was spared by no one, except for Jesse Billson, a classmate who treated him like a normal person. Douglas’s crush on Jesse kept him going when things got really tough, even though deep down he knew Jesse would never see him as anything other than a charity case.

After spending years hating himself and feeling miserable, Douglas finally took action. Two years of hard work and the support of a trainer helped him drop one-hundred-fifty pounds. And, his first name. Now, as the new and improved Everett Smith, he’s thrilled when Jesse Billson comes back into his life. Even more amazing, his schoolboy crush doesn’t even recognize him, but he does start flirting with him. Everett knows he should come clean, but as romantic feelings quickly develop between the men, the fear of losing Jesse makes it harder for Everett to admit the truth about his identity.

But nothing stays hidden forever. And when the old days collide head-on with the new, Everett wonders whether his improved life will fall flat before it gets fully started? Or can he somehow make his past disappear?

Excerpt:

Jesse slid closer to me and shocked my eyes open when he put his hand on my shoulder.
“So, I have to confess something, Evs.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“My reasons for suggesting the hot tub weren’t totally altruistic.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
“Then what are your nefarious reasons, Jesse?”
“I wanted to see you without your shirt on.”
“Oh. Well, then I’m sorry to have disappointed you. It’s not much to look at.”
“I have to respectfully disagree with you there.”

A wave of water splashed over me as he moved in, his mouth on mine in a second. With wet fingers, he ran a hand through my hair, my own hands gripping his shoulders to keep him close. Gone were the thoughts of doing things right or wrong; all my doubts replaced by feeling. As our tongues danced together, my cock hardened in the green swim trunks he’d given me. His leg brushed against mine, our feet tangling in the churning water. When his hand reached into the band of my bathing suit, I pulled away.

“What’s wrong, Evs?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. I’m moving too fast, aren’t I?”
“No.”
He ran his hands over my stomach to my chest, his thumbs circling over my nipples until I sighed.

“Then what?”
“I’m just not used to this, Jesse.”
“Don’t spend much time in hot tubs, I take it.”
I laughed, the momentary tension broken by his joke.
“No, actually I don’t.”
“Seriously, though, we can stop if you want to.”

A flash of my night with Kurt rushed through my head, but I pushed it away. I didn’t want Jesse to stop. Fear wasn’t going to ruin this. Not if I could help it.

“I don’t want to stop, Jesse.”
“Good. Me neither.”

The hot tub quit roiling just as Jesse started kissing me again, the air around us suddenly silent. His hand once again dropped to the waist of the trunks, but this time instead of reaching inside, he pulled them down to my thighs. His eyes never left mine as his hand closed around my cock. I gasped against Jesse’s lips, all my anxiety seemed to wash away with the bubbles. He stroked up and down my cock, the sensation absolutely amazing. His lips nuzzled my neck, the gentle nip of his teeth strafing my skin every few kisses.

“Jesse. Oh, God.”

He jerked me faster, our lips back together in a fevered kiss. It was still overwhelming, but unlike with Kurt, I had no desire to get away from it. My whole body started to tense up and I pulled back from Jesse’s kiss to try and get more air in my lungs. His voice was husky and soft in my ear and poured even more gasoline on my fire.

“You have a really nice cock, Everett.”

Nothing came out of my mouth but a groan, my hips rocking with the movements of Jesse’s hand. As much as I wanted things to last longer, there was no way I could slow him down. I knew I was getting close to the edge and I tried to let him know.

“Jesse, I’m really . . . I mean I’m gonna--”
“Come?”

Even though the word came out of Jesse’s mouth as a question, I took it as a demand. I cried out into the quiet of his back yard, coming into the warm hot tub water, spasms rippling through me until I was spent. Jesse’s hand slowed down to a stop, our lips meeting again in slow, sweet kisses. I felt heavy and tired my whole body loose as my heart rate returned to normal.

“You okay, Everett?”
“Great.”
“How are those muscles now?”
“Much better thanks.”

My eyes fell shut as the back of my head came to rest on the edge of the tub. Jesse brought me back to life in the best way possible. With a kiss.

“Maybe we should get out now, Everett.”
“Do we have to?”
“I thought maybe you’d like to lie down. I have a nice big bed, you know, since you’re so sleepy.”
“That sounds like a plan.”


Links:

Amber Allure Page:
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/bio_Champa.html

Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1382060273

Facebook Author Page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Heidi-Champa/151614298186577

Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/#!/heidichampa

Email:
hlchampa@comcast.net

Blog:
http://heidichampa.blogspot.com

I had a friend comment to me on the strange things blogger has been doing lately. Sticking mostly to my own blog, Between the Keys, I didn't really know what she was talking about. Well, blogger showed me tonight. Even the preview screen is all white and strange. Nor would the system allow me to add a post title. Is that a stampede to Wordpress I hear?

So with apologies for any weird formatting, and to my friend for stupidly going, "huh?", here's an excerpt from Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea. - KC

Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea
Contemporary gay romance available now at
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/BetweenMoon.html





Chad Collier’s had enough of providing stud service to rich men. It’s true he’s had more fun than any one man deserves, but now it’s time to make a plan for the rest of his life. At the urging of a mentor, he takes a leap of faith and breaks with his old ways. Yet a job interview lands him smack in the path of Darcy Paulson, the sort of rich man Chad vowed to avoid.


Darcy Paulson came of age as the prodigal son in a wealthy manufacturing dynasty. Every man he’s ever met has been after his money, until Chad Collier shows up on his doorstep. Darcy finds Chad prickly, standoffish, and utterly irresistible. Smitten by Chad’s dark good looks and determination to stand on his own two feet, Darcy is happy to give him an opportunity. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that some private, no-strings fun is what they both need.


An unexpected event brings them face-to-face with the truth. The magic that happens between the moon and the deep blue sea is something a man can’t own, and it can be fully experienced only in the arms of a lover...

INTRO:

…His low, husky voice rippled over me in the small space. I stood still, unmoving, caught between fight and flight, as his warm palm stroked my side. I looked up into his glittering eyes and fell into his intent. Hot blood pooled in my groin. My cock surged full in a handful of pounding heartbeats. Darcy’s dark pink tongue flicked over his lips, leaving them moist. He meant to kiss me and, against all better judgment, I wanted him to do it. I gripped his hips and pulled him closer.

Darcy’s lips touched mine, soft and clinging, whispering promises. The sweet contact jolted though me with its unexpected tenderness. His tongue teased my lower lip, and all too soon he pulled away and left me wanting more. Darcy’s thumb traced the path across my mouth his tongue had taken. He licked his lips, as though he could still taste me. All the while I stood rooted to the floor, aching for him to kiss me again, and cursing my own cowardice. I knew if I kissed him, he wouldn’t push me away, but I…

“I won’t hurt you, Chad. I swear.”

“Don’t promise me anything, Darcy. You don’t know where my head is these days.”

His hands skimmed my sides. “Fair enough. Just don’t lie to me and tell me you don’t want to be kissed again.”

I let my hands fall from his hips. “What I want and what’s best for me right now are several galaxies apart.”

Darcy studied me for the longest thirty seconds of my life, then nodded. “Okay. I’m backing off.” The corner of his mouth twitched in a quirky smile. “I don’t want to, but I will.”

The tiny spark of hope longing for him to push me past my reluctance died, and only when it faded did I realize what I’d done…

EXCERPT:

If the blowjob was hot, was it still stupid? I knew the answer was ‘yes’, but I kissed him anyway. I didn’t linger at his lips – I needed to catch my breath.

"So. Darcy. You always carry a rubber in your pocket?”

He snorted and rolled me onto my back. “I’m gay. What do you think? Don’t you?”

“I usually do, but this wasn’t in the plan, you know.” I grabbed his hands to stop him from pulling my pants completely off. “Let me up.”

“Oh no. I want you, Chad. I’ve got another rubber, and this was in my plan.”

His intent jolted through me. He meant to fuck me right here on the floor. I held him at arm’s length. “Now, wait a minute. This isn’t going to work for me.”

Darcy froze. His expression darkened as he moved toward anger. “You think it’s acceptable to leave me hanging, all hot and bothered, so long as you get off?”

“Don’t get pissy with me, Darcy. I’ve never let a guy up my ass, and this…”

“Never!”

“For God’s sake, don’t look so shocked. I’ll laugh, and you’ll be all hurt.” I twisted out of his grasp and tried to yank my jeans up. Strong hands closed around my hips to pull me back into the curve of his body. Soft lips nibbled on the back of my neck as his fingers teased my ass.

“I agree. The kitchen floor isn’t the place for auspicious beginnings. My bed is.”

I’d gone all shivery from what he was doing to my butt. The light strokes of his fingertips brought to memory the moans of pleasure I’d drawn from other men. Could he do that to me?

“Let me go, Darcy. I not ready for this.”

I felt the anger snap through him. It was there in the way the length of his lean body stiffened, the sharp intake of his breath. Abruptly, he shoved away from me and rolled to his knees.

“My mistake, Chad. You won’t get the chance to use me again.”

His words cut painfully into the part of me that struggled to break free of the mistakes of the past. I tripped my way to my feet, tossed the used rubber in the trashcan, and zipped up.

“I’m not using you. You started this. Yeah, I was wrong not to stop you, but you bushwhacked me – twice now!”

Darcy got to his feet with more grace than I’d mustered, and glared at me. Even pissed off, he had pretty blue eyes.

“Why the fuck didn’t you stop me? Oh, yeah. Must have been that woody you popped up for me, huh?”

“Pardon me all to hell for being human! I never said I don’t find you attractive.”

Darcy’s eyebrows slid toward his hairline. I refused to blink under his scrutiny.

“Andrew says you’re broke.”

Maybe I was broke in more ways than one, but Darcy referred to my lack of funds.

“What if I am? Do you think I’d come all this way looking for work if I had money?”

“Why didn’t the ex, what was his name? Sidney? Why didn’t he set you up?”

“Because I wouldn’t take his money. I didn’t want it. So now what are you going to do, Mr. Paulson? Offer to pay to fuck me?”

Darcy looked me up and down, then shrugged. “I’m going to eat my dinner, unless it’s charred to ash.”

I stood, my mouth hanging open, as he got the bottle of wine out of the freezer and a corkscrew out of the drawer.

I hadn’t even gotten my hands on his dick.

BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
ISBN 978-1-61124-107-5
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/BetweenMoon.html



KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
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Literary Inspirations in Sinders and Ash

Hi everyone--

I'm delighted to be blogging at AQP today and i'm happy to say that my recent release, Sinders and Ash, has been really well received by readers and reviewers alike. In fact, it was the number two bestselling book at Amber Allure in April. Thank you all so much! 

Today, I thought I’d talk about using an older literary work as some inspiration for a new romance novel (and if you've read Sinders and Ash, you know why i chose this topic). I’ve done this twice so far. The first time was for my LGBT beach romance, Fire Balls. I knew I wanted it to be a romance between a flamboyant artist and a more conservative firefighter. That was a fun premise but I wanted more complexity. I knew my artist was tiny and it occurred to me that maybe he didn’t think of himself as the type to appeal to the firefighter who he loves. What flashed into my mind was the classic story of Cyrano de Bergerac who has the big nose and helps his friend Christian woo the woman whom Cyrano loves. That gave me a wonderful twist to my story as I made my artist help his friend the surfer hook up with the firefighter. Plus, since Cyrano was a great swordsman, I made my artist a black belt in karate. Presto. Just enough patterning but not so much it was a take-off or satire.

And then i did it again! We all love Cinderella romances! And most authors have thought of writing a book based on Cinderella. I wanted to do something a little different. Far from a satire, I wanted to write a serious, contemporary LGBT romance based on the pattern of the Cinderella story. The result is Sinders and Ash. A poor young man, Mark Sintorella, who wants to be a fashion designer, earns money working in the housekeeping department of a luxury resort in upstate New York. There he meets a wild little man who convinces him to dress like a woman in order to show off his designs to some guest fashionistas. And Mark falls in love with the son of the fifth richest family in America--Ashton Armitage--who has to marry in order to receive his inheritance. Writing the book was terrifically fun because I got to ask the question, “What if Cinderella was real?” I got to imagine how the story might play out in today’s world.  As you read the book you’ll see that the story stands alone but at the same time it’s kind of fun to notice the parallels to the Cinderella tale. Cinderella is an old, old trope stretching back to the Greeks and Chinese. I'm happy to get to be a part of its history.   Enjoy!

Here is an excerpt from Sinders and Ash to give you a nibble. And thank you so much for dropping by!  

Excerpt: Sinders and Ash by Tara Lain; MM Contemporary Fantasy

Amber Allure  ARe  Amazon

Work hard, stay anonymous and don’t expect much. That’s resort housekeeper Mark Sintorella’s philosophy of life. After being kicked out of his family home at sixteen for being gay, Mark knows what it takes to survive. But how is he going to stay anonymous when he wants to be recognized as a great fashion designer? And how can he control his expectations when he’s desperately attracted to Ashton Armitage, the son of the fifth richest man in America? If Ash doesn’t find a woman to marry he’s going to lose his inheritance, but he can’t seem to resist the beautiful kid who cleans fireplaces while hiding behind a black cap and heavy glasses. And then this crazy elf of a man, Carstairs Pennymaker, has Mark running around looking like a fashion model wearing gorgeous women’s clothes. The clock strikes twelve and the wedding follows the ball. Two beautiful princesses line up for attention. But one isn’t interested and one isn’t a woman. Who will be the bride? Will the shoe fit? Only his fairy godmother knows for sure.

Pennymaker turned and looked at Mark. “What are you working on?”

            “Excuse me? I, uh, have to clean some fireplaces this morning. You know they keep the rooms cool just so they can use them? Makes work for me.”

            “That’s not what I mean, of course.” He turned back to the rack, pushed some jeans aside. “Aha!” His hand shot through the garments to the dress form. He made an opening in the clothes and stepped through to stand beside the red dress. “Perfect. Just beautiful. What a talent.”

            “Excuse me?”

            The little man beamed at him. “You have exceptional design skills.”

            God, it was hard to not be flattered. “Thank you, sir.” But how had the man known to look for the dress? Who told him?

            Pennymaker walked over to the chair and sat. Creak. Hopefully the tiny man wouldn’t strain the old wood too much. “I would like to show that dress to some people.”

            “Uh, who?”

            “Let’s say some potential investors.”

            No. He couldn’t get excited. “Uh, really, sir? You’re in the clothing business?”

            “I’m in many businesses, my boy.”

Okay, try not to be suspicious. “How did you know I was a clothing designer?”

 The little man waved a hand. “That lovely T-shirt, of course.”

“No one told you?”

“Who would tell me?”

Had him there.

Pennymaker stepped back and surveyed the dress. “Now, who is your model?”

            What? Mark cocked his head.

            “Who did you set the dress form to?”

            “Oh, uh, myself. I, uh, don’t have anyone else. I’m pretty slim so it works.”

            “Perfect. Perfect. When do you have to be at work?”

            This conversation was crazy. “In about an hour. This is my morning off. Unless they need me, of course.”

            “Good. Put on the dress.”

            “What?! Why?”

            “We’re going for a little walk through the hotel. You’ll be my…niece. Go on, go on.” He made a shooing gesture with his hands.

            Mark shook his head. “Sir, I know I fit the dress to me but that’s because I don’t have anyone else. I’m not a transvestite.”

            “Never said you were, dear boy. But these people I want to have see the dress will be much more amenable to taking your designs seriously if they think of the idea themselves rather than my telling them. That’s how we all are, now isn’t it? So I want them to see the clothes. We don’t have another model and we don’t want anyone else in on our secret.”

            Secret? “What if someone recognizes me?”

            Pennymaker cocked his head. “That is very unlikely. You do a good job making yourself plain and unmemorable with your cap and glasses.”

            Mark felt the blush. Shoot. The man had him dead to rights.

            “Besides, people see what they expect and they certainly don’t expect to see Mark Sintorella in a dress. Now, put it on.”

            Mark stepped behind the rack of clothing. He stripped to his boxer briefs and stopped. What the hell was he doing? He could jeopardize his job for this crazy-assed little guy with his hair-brained scheme.

The voice came from the other side of the clothes. “Do you have it on?”

            “Sir, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you sure about this? I really need the money I get from working here.”

            “Tut tut, my boy. Hurry. I want to make one tour around the lobby and public rooms before you start your shift.  Times a’wastin’. ”

            Mark pulled the dress over his head and let it fall into place. The skirt was just full enough to swing when he walked so no one would notice his cock under it. “Uh, I don’t have any boobs.”

            “Let me see.”

“See what? What I haven’t got?” He stepped out.

Pennymaker looked at him studiously. “Gorgeous. You don’t have breasts but then neither do some women to speak of. I’m more concerned about the hairy legs. Go shave, quickly.”

“What? Sir, I don’t think so…”

“This won’t be your only modeling assignment I suspect so think of it as a long-term investment. Consider that brilliant young model who walks the catwalks in both male and female shows. You’re at least his equal in beauty.”

“But…”

“No buts. This is your future.  Now go!”

E-mail:                   tara@taralain.com

Website:              http://www.taralain.com

Author blog:       http://taralain.blogspot.com

Book blog:           http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads:        http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain

Savvy Authors:  http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/member.php?2398-Tara-Lain

Twitter:               http://twitter.com/taralain

Facebook:           http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686

FB Page:               http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Lain/205042046209804

IN FROM THE COLD is a Finalist

I'm walking in sunshine today! Word arrived last night that IN FROM THE COLD, a gay erotic contemporary, is a finalist in the 7th Annual Passionate Plume Novella Contest. The contest is sponsored by Passionate Ink, a Romance Writers of America online chapter for erotic romance. That means my story is in the top five finishers. Winners will be announced at the RWA National Conference this summer in Anaheim, California.

I rarely enter contests anymore, so this was a fun surprise. I think the last time I entered one was four years ago, when TIE 'EM UP, HOLD 'EM DOWN, my first gay romance, was a finalist there.

THE STORY

East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet...

Jon and Wendell were fourteen when they first experimented with each other and discovered they were gay. Lovers and in love, they drifted apart after graduation when Jon left to follow his dream to rock ’n’ roll stardom. A heartbroken Wendell recovered by earning an animal husbandry degree at a California university. He returned to the small Oregon town where they’d grown up to raise sheep with his father.

Ten years later, Wendell’s contentment is shattered when Jon and his band arrive to play for their high school reunion. Love surprises both men by immediately flaring into liquid heat. Jon begs Wendell to give up his life in Oregon and live with him in New York City. Wendell refuses, however, asking Jon to move in with him instead. But Jon refuses to abandon his career and returns to Manhattan.

Will Wendell and Jon remain star-crossed lovers, or will they find a way to bridge the distance and discover the true meaning of “home”?

EXCERPT

...Wendell froze. He forgot to breathe. Warm lips touched the hollow just beneath his right ear and a tongue slowly tasted, savoring him. He closed his eyes as the tonguing changed to a wet mouth trailing kisses with agonizing slowness down his neck to where his sleep top began. Fingers slid beneath the neck and slid across his bare skin, following its line.

“I wore your gift tonight,” Jon said in a voice as rough as gravel.

Mesmerized by the touch of Jon’s mouth and hands, all Wendell could get out was, “I noticed.” When a lack of oxygen threatened to cause a blackout, he drew in a long breath through his nose. Not my soap, he thought. Not my shampoo. Only Jon’s scent. His soap, his shampoo, his arms strong and familiar around me.

His lips and tongue that I have missed so very much.

He crossed his arms over Jon’s and became aware of the rock-hard cock pressing against his buttocks and his dick growing long and big in response. That, too, was familiar. He didn’t want to move, to stop the mouth at his neck or destroy the pleasures rumbling inside him. He just wanted to stand there and feel Jon in the stillness, with the blazing fire shooting flickering shadows around them, and convince himself Jon was real and this wasn’t a dream.

Jon released his waist and turned Wendell to face him as his lips brushed over the corners of his closed eyes and his tongue lapped at the tip of his nose before zeroing in to devour Wendell’s mouth. As the kiss deepened and their tongues intertwined in an imitation of penetrating sex, Wendell wrapped his arms around Jon and ran his hands up and down the broad back. Jon thrust his pelvis against Wendell’s until they were so tight together he couldn’t tell Jon’s dick from his. It didn’t matter. Melding into him, becoming one with him was all that mattered as erotic sparks shot through him and lust caused his body to quiver.

Someone groaned, and Wendell realized it came from his throat.

Jon must’ve taken that as a signal to slip his hand beneath the band of Wendell’s sleep pants because he was there, and his hard knuckles stroked the tender flesh above Wendell’s bush.

“Lower. Go lower,” Wendell begged, hungry for and helpless against the sensual onslaught. He rocked his hips from side to side to increase the friction as the knuckles continued to rub.

Jon was trembling now. He slid Wendell’s sleep pants down and took his cock in hand.

“Not here,” Wendell warned, his voice thick and hoarse with what testosterone was doing to his vocal chords. “I’m on the verge.”

“Yes, here,” Jon insisted as he pulled down his own pants and wrapped Wendell’s hand around his tight erection. “I’ve wanted to fuck you for so long I’m not going to let you go. Besides, we have all night.”

Pleasure splintered Wendell, and he exhaled with a groan as he enjoyed those all too brief seconds when everything centered in his groin and drowned his entire body in feeling.

“Oh, God, Wendell. Wendell.” Jon moaned as he came, too.

Later, they wandered to bed, stripped, crawled under the covers and died to the world.

In the deepest part of the night, Wendell roused to the weight of someone, something on his butt, something hard and velvety gliding, sliding in and out of his crack. Something nipped at his shoulder. “Is that you, Jon?”

“Who else, lover?”

He started to turn, but hands captured his shoulders and kept him in place as Jon’s knees forced his thighs apart. Hands rubbed his back as Jon licked his skin, awakening nerve endings running the length of his body. Thinking he should only feel this in his groin, the sensations caused every nerve to spring to life. Awash in feeling, he decided to relax and enjoy it, not to miss even one little flicker of arousal...

If you have it, maybe you'd enjoy reading it again. If not, it's available as a download
http://www.amberallure.com/InFromCold.html

Carolina Valdez
http://www.carolinavaldez.com.html
http://www.twitter.com/carolina_valdez

New! NIGHT TRAIN TO VENICE - Erotic Gay Romance/Contemporary Dark Fantasy/Thriller

At last! Another chapter in the lives of Dante Rocco, Alexandros Nicolaides and Malcolm Mueller. I hurried as fast as I could for those of you who asked for it.
Carolina Valdez

Global Diamond Couriers in New Orleans chooses Dante, a human Italian who has been to Venice, to make a major delivery there. Pickpockets seem to be the major threat in Venice, but Dante’s wary vampire lover, Alexandros, also suspects the trip could be life threatening. Diamonds might be a collector’s best friend, but for a courier, the next delivery could mean death, so Alexandros convinces their CEO to send him and Malcolm, the other staff vampire, as bodyguards for Dante.

Malcolm’s steward on the night train to Venice is Nick, a hot, younger man who seduces him into a whirlwind affair. But when Nick appears unannounced in their secret Venetian hotel, he’s sucked into a maelstrom of danger and deceit none of them may survive...

EXCERPT - HOT, STEAMY MAN-ON-MAN

...When they broke their kiss, Nick, a little breathless, said, “It’s the same as it was then, isn’t it? The heat, the need. I wanted to see you again. To get to know you. That’s why I gave you my number, but you never called, and I had no way of finding you. Until my vacation was over, I even hung around some of the old cemeteries at night, but you were never there. I didn’t see a single vampire or a demon. Not even the ghost of Marie Laveau, the queen of voodoo.”

Laveau’s crypt was in the same burial grounds where the Louisiana undead held their business meetings in another crypt. Malcolm withdrew his hand and shuddered. “Don’t ever try that again. If you’d encountered one of my kind, you wouldn’t be here to find me now. You’d be drained of your blood and fish bait in the Mississippi River.”

Nick slowly unbuttoned Malcolm’s shirt. “But I didn’t and I’m here, wanting to know why you didn’t call. I’ve thought maybe it was something I said or did. Or maybe you didn’t like my junk.”

"Oh, I liked your junk very much,” Malcolm said, as he felt a weakening of his knees at the memory of the weight of Nick’s balls in his hands and the hot, velvety skin of his cock.

But Nick had reached the buttons over his stomach, and Malcolm stopped the clever fingers. He couldn’t hide the faint silvering at his temples, but he wanted to keep the paunch declaring his age covered, and his thirst was rising as he smelled the pulsing blood in Nick’s neck, in his throbbing cock. He remembered the same insatiable need with Nick at the ball and how hard he’d fought not to use his fangs and sip. Despite his age and the control he’d developed over the years, he’d been terrified he might not be able to stop.

He said, “I wanted to see you again, but you were too young. I’m old, and something you are not.”

“I’m older now,” Nick replied. “And you’re the same. I know your friend’s friend is human, and I’d lay money on what they’re doing right now in the next cabin.”

Giving up on Malcolm’s shirt, he shrugged off his jacket and pulled his shirt out from his waistband, then his deft fingers pushed buttons through holes. Standing, he drew his shirt off, letting it drop to the floor on top of his jacket.

The pain in Malcolm’s heavy cock grew unbearable as he watched Nick undo his belt and zipper, then push down his pants and briefs.

Nick stood there, exposed from neck to calves. “Well, do you like what you see?”

Malcolm was speechless. He’d never seen him naked. It had been dark in that corner of the ball almost four years ago where they’d fucked so furtively, climaxed so fast and deliciously. Now memories of what they’d shared that night coupled with the sight of what he was offering flooded Malcolm’s vision.

Nick’s hand closed on his thick cock and pumped. His voice was rough and husky. “Want what you see?”

For the tiniest of moments, Malcolm hesitated. He was on the job, working. This wasn’t something he should be doing. Then he thought of Alexandros and Dante together in the suite next door and all his inhibition fled. With his gaze fastened on Nick’s blue eyes, he walked to him and knelt. As he closed his hands on the smooth, firm buttocks, Nick guided his wet cock to Malcolm’s waiting mouth.

Malcolm looked at the engorged organ offered. Its coursing blood hammered his eardrums like a timpani being struck. The aroma of copper, mingled with the particular sweetness that was Nick, flared his nostrils and made his blood sing. The desire to clamp down, to suck and suck until his roaring thirst had been satisfied was overwhelming.

Oh, God, I’ll drain him. He choked out, “No!” as he stood and backed away.

Humiliation wracked Nick’s face. His erection began to waver and he bent to retrieve his briefs.

Malcolm understood immediately. Nick had exposed himself, made himself vulnerable, and Malcolm was rejecting him.

More than anything he wanted to reassure him. Most of all, he could not lose him. “We…I…it’s your blood. It’s strong and draws me to it in a quite savage way, I’m afraid. I don’t want to hurt you. I need to get used to its scent so I don’t lose control.”

To his relief, Nick’s face relaxed, as he said, “It was only hands in New Orleans, wasn’t it?”

Malcolm closed in on him as he pushed Nick’s briefs to the floor again. “Yes, it was.” As he angled in to capture Nick’s mouth, he wrapped his hand around the flagging cock and began a slow caress with thumb and fingers...

DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE NOW! http://www.amberallure.com/NightTrainVenice.html

Carolina Valdez
http://www.carolinavaldez.com
http://www.twitter.com/carolina_valdez

The Delaneys At Home: a VERY big step!

I don't know about anyone else, but I always think moving in with someone you love is a very big step indeed. An exciting one, yes, especially if it's something you've been looking forward to for ages, but also a scary one. My mother once said you never really know anyone until you've shared the same toothbrush with them and I think she might be right!

When my husband and I got married and started living together (the first time we'd lived in the same county for more than two or three months in fact!), we'd both had our own homes independently so merging our worldly goods together was quite some operation. Not only that but I'd lived on my own for about three years so having to readjust my thinking to there being more than just one person (me!) around on a permanent basis was also quite a challenge. It led to some very interesting conversations, such as:

Me: Look how good I am! - I remembered to bring in two yoghurts from the kitchen for pudding, not just one.


Him: (pausing ...) Um, but you've only brought in one spoon? Is there a yoghurt-eating rota system in place?...

Ah well. And yes, we did have the argument about what exactly is the best way to squeeze the toothpaste tube pretty early on. Do all couples have that? I'd love to know!

In my latest book, The Delaneys At Home (Delaneys *5), Liam has to cope with not just one significant other, but two as he moves in with the deliciously difficult Delaney twins for the first time. Here's the blurb:

Liam is ready for a whole new life with the dangerous Delaney twins, and dives into it with great enthusiasm. But when the men reveal they know he's not been entirely honest with them about his previous art career, the scene is set for a rather different experience of punishment. Can Liam rise to the occasion this time around?

More than that, Liam's gallery boss appears to be in cahoots with the Delaneys about the talents Liam's convinced he simply doesn't have. Will he find the twins' commitment to his profession rather more than even he can handle?

What a lot Liam has to learn ... Here's an extract to heat up your day:

By the time Johnny reached my chest, and Mark my knees, it was taking all my concentration not to move. More than anything I wanted Johnny's tongue on my nipples and Mark's lips round my cock. That would be heaven, but I wasn't convinced they'd do it. After all, punishment had been the operative word before they'd started on me. And I remembered what I'd told them before—how what I most wanted was not my own enjoyment but theirs. God help me, it was true, too.


Johnny's mouth trailed a line of kisses and small licks over my chest, but my nipples remained untouched. I couldn't help groaning at such a loss, then found myself panting as Mark started to stroke me with cool fingers at the back of my knees.
Up until this point, I‟d never realized the back of the knees could be an erogenous zone, but apparently it was. Why on earth did none of the top shelf gay magazines tell you this? I swore if he simply carried on doing that, then I might be able to give the whole of the rest of it a miss. Almost.


My gasp became a moan and then a series of pleas. “Mark, please, that's fantastic...please, don't stop. I really love you. Love
you both, please.”

Against my stomach, Johnny's breath of laughter made me shiver. I needed only to shift slightly on the bed and my cock would be touching his face. I thought I might even come from that faint brush of contact. No, I definitely would, especially if Mark kept on stroking my knees.


“Please,” I begged again, not even quite sure what I might be begging for. By now, Mark's mouth was pressed against my inner thigh, and my greedy cock was the only thing separating the twins.


Just when I thought I might actually die if one of them didn't touch me where I most wanted it, Mark pushed Johnny out of the way and then turned me onto my side, sliding me farther down the bed as he did so.


“Oh, no,” he said, his eyes dark with an intent I couldn‟t interpret. “You don't get to come that easily. Not if you're being punished. The same doesn‟t apply to us, though. Whatever happens next, you can't spill. Do you understand? This time there's no reward later, so don't expect one.”


“No, sir,” I managed to stammer out, wondering how in hell I was supposed to obey him.


“You can move if you need to,” Johnny whispered. “Isn't that true, Mark?”


As I lay panting and so near orgasm that the only thing keeping me from going entirely over the edge was the thin blade of the twins' orders, Mark nodded. Thank God. Because if I couldn't hold back the flow manually, then I didn't have a fighting chance of taking any of the punishment he'd decided on ...

You can buy the book at Amber Allure Press.

Happy reading!

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK

Reading to Penguins: On Getting Shipwrecked: A Review of Castaway Dream...

Reading to Penguins: On Getting Shipwrecked: A Review of Castaway Dream...: As promised, a review of a Castaway Dreams, by Darlene Marshall, a book that I read on a whim. Aren't whims fun? The setting is the Atlant...

Coconut and cocoa butter At the Southern Cross

Summer means sand and surf to a lot of folks. One whiff of the mingled scents of coconut and cocoa butter and I'm ready to pack a bag and head to the water, too. I can't do that every weekend, so I do the next best thing - I write about it. KC

AT THE SOUTHERN CROSS

A three-story paperback compilation containing Netting Neptune, Taming Triton and Poseidon's Pleasure, available now at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/At-Southern-Cross-KC-Kendricks/dp/1602728194/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261099817&sr=8-9

Netting Neptune, Taming Triton and Poseidion's Pleasure are also available individually by download in your choice of format at Amber Allure.

* * * * * *

When Fate and Lady Luck conspire to design the destiny of three sexy sea gods, they mix warm tropical breezes, white sands, and blue waters to create the perfect Caribbean retreat. Add one gorgeous partner for each and heat to sizzling.

NETTING NEPTUNE

Contemporary gay romance

 #6 Best Seller, Amber Allure, September 2009

 http://www.amberallure.com/NettingNeptune.html

Theron Bowman is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At forty, he needs to make some serious decisions about his future. He splurges on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean, and like everything else in his life, things go horribly awry and he ends up working to pay for his room.

Forced by his father to break ties with his family, Colby Denton came to rest on St. Lucia, and opened an exclusive resort. To celebrate his tenth year on the island, and his birthday, Colby arranges for a series of festive beachside parties. When a sexy sea god swims out of the ocean in front of him, Colby has a brand new plan – netting Neptune.

To read an EXCERPT and purchase, please visit http://www.amberallure.com/NettingNeptune.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-573-7
- - - - - -

TAMING TRITON
Contemporary gay romance #2 Best Seller, Amber Allure, October 2009 http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TamingTriton.html

Austin Michaels accepts his brother’s standing invitation for a Caribbean vacation at his island resort. Some time in the sun is just what he needs to map out a plan for his future. He gets lucky and meets a handsome teacher willing to have a little vacation fling with, as long as they can keep things fun.

Steve Guthrie’s secret longings have haunted him all his life. It’s time to face his questions and find the truth of who he really is beyond a staid college professor. His love of the sea prompts him to take a vacation at a Caribbean hide-a-way for relaxation and reflection. A sexy stranger with a tattoo tempts Steve to abandon his plans, enticing him to share a vacation romp.

Now Steve’s the student in a high stakes class of one, and to pass the course, he has to tame his very own Triton.

To read an EXCERPT and purchase, please visit
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TamingTriton.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-586-7
* * * * *

POSEIDON'S PLEASURE
contemporary gay romance available at #8 Best Seller, Amber Allure, November 2009
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PoseidonsPleasure.html

Brett Houston triumphed over his life. Raised by an abusive father, Brett sacrificed his personal happiness to keep the ones he loved safe. Ready to make big changes in his life, Brett treats himself to a Caribbean vacation. To his surprise, he ends up at a seaside ball, wearing a G-string and presiding over the festivities as Poseidon, the God of the Sea.

Mark Matthews left behind his hometown, and his first love, to put down roots in California. With vacation time to use, or lose, Mark books a holiday on the island of St. Lucia, unaware of the surprise reunion Fate has waiting for him. Brett cautiously examines the fractured bonds of the past, while questioning the possibility of a future with Mark.

It’s simpler for Mark. He won’t settle for anything less than a future tending to Poseidon’s pleasure.

To read an EXCERPT and purchase, please visit

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PoseidonsPleasure.html

ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-599-7

KC Kendricks

website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/

blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042

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