New Cover

Here's my cover for my upcoming Samhain release, Tabloid Star. It's finally up on the Coming Soon page...which means it'll be out Sept. 1. Woo-hoo! Done by the marvelous Anne Cain. :)

A little blurb action for you:

One hot night, one freeze frame…and one shocking surprise.

As a bartender at the Lucky Seven club, Josh Bauer could take a different guy home every night…if he wanted to. Working three jobs, however, makes it hard to connect with anyone. One man, though, is too much temptation to resist. A steamy encounter in a back alley leads to an explosive night of sex in Josh’s bed—a bed he isn’t surprised to find empty the next morning.

What does surprise him, though, is the front page of a tabloid. Apparently his one-night stand isn’t as anonymous as he thought it was.

Ryan Kellar’s career is taking off. Advance buzz about his movie says it’s a blockbuster, and going home with the gorgeous bartender is the perfect way to celebrate. And he thought he’d gotten away clean—until the picture in the paper shocks him into reality. Was Josh really just playing…or playing him for a fool?

Trust isn’t big on their list right now, but as their worlds fall apart, it’s all they have. At least until they figure out who took the picture. And why…

Warning: Hot manlove, gratuitous licking of tattoos and dealing with stalking paparazzi.

The gratuitous licking of tattoos is just for my girl, Jambrea, who inspired this story by sharing some hot pictures of Ryan Reynolds and mentioning tattoo licking. :)

Well, I got the edits for Nick of Time done. Or at least the first round of them. If those are okay, I'll have to go over the galley for it, so it's okay for print production..lol.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Hunk Day, anyone?

This guy reminds me of one of my characters in one of the zillion stories I'm workig on. He's an undercover officer with the A.S.P.C.A. (my character, not this guy..though I guess he could be..lmao..don't know.)

Okay, today started out much better than yesterday. That's always a plus...lol. I have my flash drive, so I can sneak in writing time at work. ;) Though I might sneak in some reading time. I downloaded Jordan Castillo Price's newest book, Hemovore (out yesterday at Samhain) and I meant to read it last night, but friends and dinner distracted me. But I will get it read tonight, if not sooner.

Oh, plus Dana Marie Bell has a new one out as well... Dare to Believe...that looks awesome. That's on my list to grab and read this weekend.

Writing is going well. My brain doesn't seem to want to focus on one particular story, so I'm working on a bunch of them, hoping one will grab me and force me to finish it. We'll see what happens over the next month or so. Maybe once summer is done, I'll knuckle down and get at least one story finished...lol

Hope you all have a great day.

It's a Conspiracy....

Heck, with Monday being the worse day of the week...I'm thinking Tuesday is going to be my day..lol. First, I leave my thumb drive with Understanding the Past on it at home. Woo-hoo! That's great. So I thought I could just write the next installment here at work since I didn't get a chance to write it last night.

Big Fat No. My computer doesn't want to run Word for me...ugh! Something's telling me I should have just stayed home. :)

I'm going to do my best to get it posted for you all today, but if my computer decides not to cooperate, I'll make sure to get the next part up for you tomorrow.

It's a conspiracy (which I probably spelled wrong...lol. That's the kind of day it's been.)

Hope you all have a great day.

Nowhere Diner: Finding Love available

Announcing my newest release, Nowhere Diner: Finding Love. Available now at Amber Allure. Click here.

Here's the blurb:

Leaving Minnesota, Timothy Gapin doesn’t have any plans except getting as far away from all the memories as he can before his money runs out. His secret lover has married, breaking his heart and making him chose a life in the open rather than a relationship built on lies.

Little does Tim know that four days later he would grab dinner at a diner and find a place to stop. Somehow this diner in the middle of nowhere becomes his home and the people who work there his family. In addition to the workers at the diner, Tim meets Bernie Capley, a long-haul trucker who isn’t all he seems to be.

Falling in love with Bernie is easy for Tim, but the past has a way of barging into the present, forcing decisions that affect their future...

And an excerpt:

She handed Bernie his change and he left a tip for Cookie. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me out of the diner over to where a large black and chrome semi sat. He led us to the other side where we’d be out of view from prying eyes. Staring down at me, he searched my face for something. He must have found what he was looking for because he cupped my chin in his hands and lifted my mouth to his.

As kisses go, this one was the softest I’d ever had. Aaron didn’t like to kiss. He’d always been in a hurry to get to the sex without any foreplay. I banished him from my mind and gave myself over to Bernie.

He slid his hands down my neck and sides to rest them on my hips. Three points of contact and I was ready to explode. A soft whimper emerged from my throat and I tried to press closer to him. His grip tightened and a low growl told me he didn’t want me to move.

I opened and he swept his tongue in to lick along my teeth and gums, learning every inch of my mouth. He sucked on my bottom lip and bit it. The sting made me jump and gasp.

Footsteps sounded on the pavement and Bernie drew slowly away, letting me go, reluctance in each inch. We stood, staring at each other, chests heaving and groins aching. He grinned at me.

“I’ll be coming back through here next Wednesday. Would you be interested in getting dinner with me? Maybe somewhere other than the diner.”

I touched trembling fingers to my swollen lips and nodded. “I don’t have a car though.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the transportation. Do you have a cell?”

“No. I left mine back home.”

He leveled a knowing look at me. “Didn’t want anyone to call you, huh?”

I looked over his shoulder and shrugged. “No one important. I’ll get a phone when I have a little more money and let my aunt know where I’m at.”

Frowning, he ran his fingers through my hair and nodded. “I’ll call the diner. I’m sure Cookie won’t mind it once in a while.”

“Okay.”

Were we starting a real relationship with dating and everything that went along with it? Or was the whole date thing just Bernie’s way of making each hook-up feel special?

My doubts must have shown on my face because Bernie caressed my cheek and grinned.

“I don’t do casual sex anymore. Being a trucker makes it easy to find a warm body at the rest areas or truck stops; women and men. It would become real simple to see sex as nothing but a release.” Bernie held my gaze and I could see how serious he was. “I’m too old to fool around like that. Now I like to get to know a guy before we end up in bed.”

I didn’t know whether to be excited or nervous. On one hand, it sounded like Bernie assumed we’d be sleeping together at some point. On the other hand, should I be worried about the possibility that once Bernie got to know me, he’d figure out I wasn’t worth the time and effort.

“Don’t worry. My gut’s telling me you’ll be worth every minute.”

Bernie leaned down and brushed another kiss over my lips before stepping further away.

Have a great day, everyone. :)

Weather's Messing with my Head

Due to the fact that the weather has messed up my head and it's pounding like someone's playing drums inside, I'm going to have to postpone the newest installment of Understanding the Past. Sorry, everyone, but as you could tell from the end of the last one, there will be some hot manlove coming tomorrow. Promise.

Hope everyone is safe and stays dry today. :)

What do you think?

This is a small part of a larger picture that artist Michael Breyette has done. It's one of my favorites by him. Click here to check out his other work. It's inspired more than one little scene in my mind..some of which I've written down.

I'm thinking of putting them all together and writing a story from them, but I'd like to know what you think about it. It'll be in the vein of Angel's Evolution, where it's in 1st person pov and present tense. Of course, it'll be a contemporary.

Here's a little bit of what I wrote yesterday.

Excerpt:

I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face against his chest. I try not to cry because I don’t want his fellow soldiers to ask about the tear stains on his uniform. I breathe deep, savoring his freshly showered smell, plus the faint scent of gunpowder that lingers in his clothes, no matter how often they’re laundered.

His arms embrace me, crushing me tight to him. His lips brush my ear and he whispers, “I’m so tired of all of this.”

Part of his weariness is because of me. I accept my guilt. My need for him and his love for me weighs him down.

Easing away, I meet his gaze and cradle his face in my hands. He stares at me with such exhaustion and pain in his eyes that I want to burst into tears.

“I’m sorry, love.”

He shrugs, not moving from me. “Is it all worth it?”

Fear races through my heart and I gasp. “Is what worth it?”

Hoping, praying he doesn’t say ‘us’.

He gestures to the uniform, to the duffle bag by the front door and to the picture of him graduating from boot camp without me there to see.

“Serving my country. Keeping you a secret.”

I grasp his hands and lead him to his favorite chair. The one I will sleep in most nights while he’s gone. He sits and I kneel, pressing a kiss to his scarred knuckles.

“Never say this isn’t worth it. This is all you’ve ever wanted to be and I would never have you be anything other than this. Your strength and belief has gotten you this far, don’t let them wear you down.”

“It’s not fair to you to hide who you are.” He pulls a hand free and runs his fingers through my hair.

I shake my head and laugh. “I don’t hide who I am. The only thing we hide is what we mean to each other. I will freely admit that it’s hard sometimes not to throw my arms around you after you’ve been gone for months. It’s hard not to come and meet you at the base, but I’ve learned how to deal with that. Don’t I make your homecomings special?”

Blushing, he nods and I can see he’s thinking of the last time he came home from a deployment and how I greeted him in the privacy of our home.

“None of them matter, love. None of it matters as long as you love me and know I love you. I can deal with anything as long as I know you will keep my heart safe in your hands.”

Dropping to his knees with me, he pulls me close and demands entrance to my mouth. I open to him like a flower to the morning sun. Denying him isn’t in my vocabulary or within my ability. He sweeps his tongue in and strokes mine, drawing a groan from me. I flex my fingers against the back of his head, his hair cut too short for me to hold on to. His large hands slide down to grip my ass and rock me into him.

A horn honks outside and we break apart. It’s time to say good-bye for another six months. My heart cracks a little more, but I smile, not wanting him to know how much it hurts to watch him leave.

“I’ll write,” I promise like always.

“I know.”

We stand and I follow him to the door where he grabs his bag. I give him another quick kiss before stepping back, so his friends couldn’t see me. They know me as his roommate, nothing more, and I know it kills him to not tell them the truth. Too much is at risk for him to share our reality with others.

He shuts the door behind him and I move to the window, peeking from behind the curtains to watch him toss his bag in the trunk and slide into the back seat of the car. He doesn’t look back and I understand, though it hurts.

Once the car is out of sight, I turn to stare into the living room, seeing only the picture of him in his uniform. I pick it up from where it sits on our mantel. I run my fingers over the cool glass covering his face.

Is all this pain worth it? The nights of loneliness when he’s not around and I have no one to talk to about my fears and wishes. I’m being over-dramatic. I have friends who know about us and who listen whenever I need to talk, but if I call too much, it sounds like whining and I don’t want anyone to believe I hate my life.

The circumstances surrounding my life suck, but it is a choice I made when I fell in love with him. The truth of it all is that every moment of doubt and pain is worth it for each minute I spend in his presence. It’s worth it for the knowledge that he loves me more than anything else in his life.

He doesn’t have to tell the world about me. He simply has to show me he loves me and I will stay with him forever.

What to say...

It's Monday and I admit my brain isn't working yet. I'm here at work, wishing I was somewhere else...lol. But don't most people feel that way on a Monday? :)

Oh well, the weekend was good, if a little cold. I'm not sure if we're having summer or still in the middle of spring.

Got some writing done and now I have to finish up edits on one of my upcoming releases. Woo-hoo! Actually I don't mind edits, so it'll go pretty quickly, I hope.

Have a great day, everyone.

BONES

I got hooked on BONES after watching the nightly marathon they have on one of the cable channels. :) So being the true geek that I am, I went and bought the first three seasons on DVD. I've been watching an episode or two a day when I get home from work. I finished them last night and now I have to wait impatiently for Season Four to come out since I didn't watch any of it except the last one...lol. I'm always behind on shows.

I love the relationships between all the characters, especially Boothe and Bones. That chemistry is something that even authors would love to have between their characters. Something that makes you care about each one of them.

The writing is going strong. :) Progress is being made on several stories and I'm seeing the finish line on a couple of them. So that's what I plan on doing this weekend, keep writing.

Hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Wednesday Hump Day

Middle of the week and it feels like I haven't really accomplished anything. lol. I did some writing last night, not much, but every word counts, right? Well, actually, that isn't the truth. Not every word counts and not every scene works. Sometimes I write a thousand words and end up having to throw away most of them because they just aren't working with the scene or the characters. That can get frustrating. :)

Better do some work at the evil day job. I hope you all have a grea Wednesday. :)

Ugh...it's Monday

I'm not looking forward to going back to work today. The weekend was nice. I got some writing done and hung out with C. Good weather. It was a good time all around. lol...Why do I have work my evil day job? :(

Hope you all have a great day.

Friday at last

Well, finally made it to the end of the week. For some reason, this week seemed longer than normal..lol. I'm looking forward to doing nothing over the weekend, except writing. But that's a given.

Been working on Derek and Max's story. I'm hoping that it'll keep going well and I can get it done by the end of July. That would be great. Because depending on if LSB picks it up and when it gets contracted, it could possibly be out this year. If not, then it would be the first part of next year. :) Keep your fingers crossed that the cowboys keep talking to me.

Well, I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful weekend.

Wednesday Update

First, I'd like to thank all of you who have picked up Death or Life. I'm thrilled by all the wonderful emails and comments (on the blog) I've received from you. :) Yes, there will be a story about Mars and Lord. I have a little bit of it written, but I'm afraid it has to be set aside until I get more pressing stories finished.

Second, for those of you who asked...Yes, Max and Derek have spoken to me. Yesterday in fact, they helped me add another 1k to their word count. Doesn't really get me to the finish line, but I'm in the homestretch (I think...lol)

In fact, I had a very good writing day. Over 3k of words written on three different stories, which makes me happy. I'll be seeing how far I can take Derek and Max before either they shut up on me again, or I finish the story. I'm thinking that I'll finish it and then allow them to ride off into the sunset. :)

I hope you all have a marvelous day.

Death or Life-Released This Evening

It's available...woo-hoo! Death or Life

Stop by and pick it up..if you've been waiting for it. :)

Okay, the first of my releases for July will be out tonight between 6-7 pm. That's when Liquid Silver releases their books. :) Woo-hoo! What a way to start the month, huh?

The cover is another awesome Anne Cain creation. Oh btw, I saw the cover for Tabloid Star. Anne did it again. Once I get the okay from Samhain, I'll reveal it to you all.

I'll post the link to DoL as soon as I get that as well.

But here's the blurb to get you interested.

Noah Wiltson wants nothing more than to be left alone. His father’s candidacy for President forces him to have secrets. Imagine his surprise when a hired killer gives him the means to live his life without doubt or fear.

The killer knows this hit is going to be his last. Whether he chooses to walk away or whether they kill him. He’s never been a team player, so he ends the game on his terms.

A few months later, Noah meets Cain Packert, a man who intrigues and excites him. Only one of them knows the truth. Can they find love amid secrets and threats?

Have a great day, everyone.

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July, everyone. Oh and Happy Canada Day for our Canadian friends (even though I'm a little late with that one.)

Have a safe and fun weekend.

Wet Wednesday

Okay, so the wet describes the picture, not the weather today...or at least not yet anyway. It's cold here though. I'm thinking we've reverted back to spring weather instead of summer.

hmmm..what to talk about? I'm glad to see you all are enjoying Understanding the Past. Now if I can just remember to wrap up all the little sub-plots and answer all your questions by the end of the story...lol. I might need to get some notecards and write everything down on them to keep it straight.

That's the problem with not plotting out the story. Things just happen and I have to remember to keep track and not forget about them as I write. I've done it before..lol. But I don't like outlining my stories because then I begin to feel stuck within the boundaries I created for myself and while I know I can change them, I have a tendency to become trapped by the ones I've already thought up. It's only when my characters decide they aren't going to do what I want them to, that things begin to morph into a different story and a better one usually.

Well, enough babbling for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday.