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New release

Posted in New Release, tagged , , , , , on June 5, 2014| 2 Comments »

Bollocks! out today.

That’s not an instruction, by the way. Not a reference to some exhibitionistic gent giving his danglies an airing. No, this refers to the very British anthology of short stories from Wayward Ink Publishing – Bollocks!

Here’s the cover and blurb:

Bollocks as a word is a little naughty. It’s a little cheeky. It’s a little rude.
And it’s the tongue-in-cheek theme for this collection of short stories celebrating all things English.

You’ll discover a bonk is not a typo for somewhere to keep your money. A shag isn’t something thick and plush under your feet to keep them warm, though it is guaranteed to heat you up! And as for a snog, the boys of Bollocks! can assure you it’s worth finding out what that Brit term means.

The stories will make you laugh. They’ll make you snort. They’ll make you blush. Sigh—they’ll probably make you shake your head. They may even make you want to catch the next flight to England to find something a little British of your own!

It’s not just cricket, or jolly hockey sticks, it’s more… it’s the very British, Bollocks!

This is a fun bunch of stories, folks, with something for everyone – tension, passion, erotica and the daftest story I’ve ever written. 🙂 Would I recommend it? Of course I would. Short stories are briliant for filling in that little gap between going to bed and sleep, or waiting for a bus or to read in your lunch hour. These stories are fun, good humoured and generally life affirming – something we all need from time to time.

But don’t take my word for it.Those lovely people at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews have already reviewed it and you can see their opinion here plus a terrific Rafflecopter giveaway!

If you’d like your own copy you can do the Rafflecopter thing there, or you could buy it directly from Wayward Ink, from B&N, from Amazon US and from Amazon UK

Click read more for the list of stories and watch this space because I’ll be offering a copy when I get back from UK Meet in Bristol.

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Not Quite Shakespeare – Sue Brown

Posted in contest, Guests, New Release, tagged , , , , , on June 4, 2014| 4 Comments »

So this is my last interview with a contributor to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology from Dreamspinner Press. I’m really going to miss all these marvellous guests and the terrific variety of excerpts I’ve enjoyed reading.

The book is available NOW from Dreamspinner – just click on that rather lovely cover to go to the page. As promised I have bought two copies – one for me and one for a commenter to one of the interviews. Please comment to this interview or any of the others for a chance to win. I’ll be announcing the winner on Friday.

My guest today is a contributor who has not added a story to Not Quite Shakespeare but is equally important – Sue Brown the editor of the anthology! Many thanks, Sue for visiting today, and congratulations on your own new publication, Stormin’ Norman, which will be released on Monday.

Hi Sue.

Have you always lived in the UK? If not what drew you back?

I’m a south Londoner born and bred. I live about ten miles from where I grew up.

Is there any place that is a must-see for any visitor to the UK?

London. It’s hardly a surprise I’d say that, is it? I think that London is unique in its feel compared to other cities.

Is this the first time you’ve been the editor of an anthology?

Yes, I was a virgin in all ways.

What did you enjoy most about it/least about it?

Reading the stories. Rejecting great stories.

Could you please tell me about your other work?

I write a mixture of so many sub-genres, contemporary such as the Isle series, or cowboy such as Morning Report series, or just plain tear your heart out, such as Final Admission.

What are you working on at the moment?

A follow-up to Frankie & Al, called Ed & Marchant. If you’ve read the first you’ll remember Frankie’s nasty boss, Ed.

Please could we have an excerpt?

Yes, here’s an excerpt of Stormin’ Norman: Out 9th June 2014

Blurb:

Dan had been Jesse’s partner for many years, and always there for Jesse on his return from difficult assignments. However, after breaking his promise not to leave again, Jesse learns to his cost that Dan can be pushed too far. When he returns home, broken in body and spirit, Jesse finds his house empty and Dan in the arms of someone else.
To fill his life, Jesse decides to get a dog. His friends and neighbours take him to choose a puppy. What he doesn’t expect is for Norman to choose him. As Jesse takes on a new job, with Norman’s assistance, he realises that Dan isn’t far away, and he still loves him. Dan has moved on with his life. Can Jesse do the same?

Jesse knew he was being scoped out from the minute he entered the bar. It was his job to be vigilant, to be aware of any potential danger to himself or others. The man with his gaze fixed on Jesse had the potential to be dangerous, but it had nothing to do with harm and a whole lot to do with a sexual package wrapped up in lean muscle and topped with dark eyes and tousled hair.
He had come to the gay bar knowing it would be quiet this time of day. He just wanted a beer and a chance to unwind without being hit on by hopeful women. In this bar, he could head off any potential interest easily enough and relax. The guy watching him was destined to be disappointed, even as cute as he was. Jesse wasn’t interested.
The barman stopped polishing the glasses and grinned at Jesse. “You’re back again. It’s been a while.”
Jesse inclined his head. It had been ten months, three weeks and five days. He was anal enough to keep records of his whereabouts in case his handler needed to know.
“I’ve been working. It’s good to be back.” He scanned the pumps, searching for the real ale. “Hobgoblin, please, Sean.”
The barman gossiped about the recent gas explosion in the pub down the road Jesse listened with half his attention, keeping an eye on the dark-haired bloke in the corner.
The man didn’t disappoint. As soon as Jesse had his beer, he came over and sat on the bar stool next to Jesse. To give him credit, he didn’t piss about.
“Hi, I’m Dan.”
Jesse assessed him carefully. He was older than he’d appeared in the shadows—early forties maybe, the start of lines around his eyes and a sprinkle of grey at his temples. Not Jesse’s type. Jesse was in his mid-thirties. He usually went for men younger than him, searching for uncomplicated hook-ups and nothing more.
“Hi.” Jesse didn’t say any more, hoping his off-hand tone would tell the guy he was wasting his time.
Dan ordered another beer and turned back to him. “I haven’t seen you in here before.”
“I’ve been away.”
“Do you want a beer, a chat, and then see what happens?”
His approach caught Jesse’s attention. Normally blokes started off with “Do you wanna fuck me?” Nine times out of ten Jesse said no.
“I’m not the marrying kind,” Jesse said.
Dan blinked. “I asked you for a beer, not a ring.”
Jesse shrugged. “You’re older than me. I thought I’d get that off the table.”
“Thanks,” Dan said drily. “So all older men are desperate for a ring and kids. I’ll remember that next time I ask for a hook-up. I’ll only go for the younger twinks.” He got up and smiled sadly at Jesse. “Sometimes a beer is just a beer.”

Author Bio: Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn’t following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot, and has become at ignoring the orders.
Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she’s made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Come over and talk to Sue at suebrown.stories@gmail.com.
Her website can be found at http://www.suebrownstories.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suebrownstories
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/suebrownstories
Blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.com/
Email: suebrown.stories@gmail.com

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Not Quite Shakespeare – S A Garcia

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , on June 2, 2014| 4 Comments »

Monday 2nd of June – which means it’s only a few more days until you’ll be able to get your copy of Not Quite Shakespeare from Dreamspinner Press and a list of terrific authors.

I’m really looking forward to getting my copy and if you comment to any of the interviews in the NQS series your name will go in the hat to win a copy of the anthology as a gift from me! On the other hand, if you don’t want to wait you can pre-order it HERE.

My guest today is S A Garcia. 🙂

Have you ever visited the UK?

Yes, seven times. In 1977, I visited my brother who was stationed in Scotland. My last visit was in 2003… I am long overdue to return.

Where did you go?

My partner and I have traveled through almost all of the UK. We love ruins: churches, abbeys, castles… hell, we’re easy to please. Throw in standing stones, barrows, tombs; the weird and wonderful mystical places not found in the US. Granted ancient Native American sites in the Western US have the same special dynamic, but the dry desert settings are so different.

Desolate moors, jagged mountains worn down by time, and crooked timbered buildings capture our fancy.

I just studied a UK map and realized, to my surprise, the only English county I missed is Isle of Wight. The only English National Park I haven’t visited is Pembrokeshire… see below as to why! I visited New Forest and the area comprising the South Downs Park before the government granted those beautiful areas National Park status.

In Wales, I visited every county except Pembrokeshire, because our landlord told us the coast wasn’t that great. Let’s hear it for Dave Davies’s advice. As far as Scotland goes, I’m been as far north as the Isle of Sky but have yet to visit the Hebrides, Shetland, or the Orkneys, although I dearly want to see them some decade.

As you can tell, I’m in love with the UK.

What would you most like to see if you were able to visit again?

Although I already have visited Cornwall, I need to return. Back in 1984, during my second UK trip, I missed many standing stones in the area. Worst of all we arrived at Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of King Arthur, five minutes after it closed. My string of angry curses probably still floats above the place. At least Merlin’s Cave was still open, although the tide was coming in.

What inspired you to write your story for the anthology?

Our stay on a wonderful pig farm bordering the Yorkshire Dales.

Could you tell me a little about it?

A delightful couple had purchased the tumble down farm and had worked for years to restore the large old farmhouse while they lived in a trailer behind the barn. We rented the house for a week during the final rental year— the next year they planned to move in to live there year round.

The thing is they had gone over the top in decorating the house— there really was an abundance of silver and blue furniture. Much of the description of the house from the story is accurate, including the spectacular conservatory featuring views on three sides and the lush walled garden.

Could you please tell me about your other work?

You’ll be sorry you asked me that question! I am definitely a late bloomer. I always seemed to be writing, but sending out stories to publishers terrified me.

That all changed in 2009. I started sending out short stories and novellas. Bold Strokes Press accepted my vampire novel to the Blood Sacraments anthology for a 2010 release. Directly after Dreamspinner Press released the romantic Serpent Prince and elf slave fantasy Canes and Scales, the dark fantasy comedy To Save a Shining Soul, sad short “Baron’s Last Hunt” and the sci-fi dramedy Divine Devine’s Love Song. The former Silver Publishing released Temptation of the Incubus, a dark supernatural comedy about dangerous incubus Amando. Yep, now the novel needs a new home.

My next short stories, “Love in Focus”, and “The Colors of Pastor Saul”, were released in 2012 via DPS’s summer and winter anthologies. An Elf for All Centuries, a comedic fantasy introducing sexy, bratty Prince Fabion, released through Silver. Yes, it also needs a new home.

In late 2012 my first contemporary comedy in what I call the Cupid realm, Cupid Knows Best, arrived via Dreamspinner. I followed it up with The Gospel According to Cher in late 2013.


In late 2013, MLR Press released Love in the Shadows, a romance mixing contemporary and historical together. I don’t think anyone knows about it yet. I’m still working on the problem.

Early 2014 has been quiet. That ends in June. I’ll have a story in the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology, a wild sci-fi comedy involving spliced species, space smugglers, and tunnel ghouls in Mended, DSP’s Daily Dose anthology, and the release of Canes and Scales: The Novel.

I also have stories in various charity anthologies and way too many free stories roaming around.

My writing is strongly character-driven. The stories blossom around their growth. My characters are seldom heroic or cliché, not unless I write a cliché to make fun of the cliché. They also tend to drink lots of wine. Wonder who they inherited that habit from?

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m finishing up the edits of Canes and Scales: The Novel for Dreamspinner. I took the initial novella, overhauled it, added new chapters within the novella part, new storylines and characters, and then topped everything off with plenty of tasty angst and danger. The novella is now a 120,000 word epic. Verbal Miracle Gro really works!

I’m also finishing a short story for submission to DSP’s YA anthology First Time for Everything. In-between work and gardening this summer, I want to finish a fantasy trilogy series titled A Fairy in Rittenhouse Park and find new homes for my orphaned Silver novels. Realistically I’ll probably fail on finishing the trilogy but better to aim high, eh?

Please could we have an excerpt?

Of course! Here’s the opening of “Apollo, Heathcliff, and Hercules”, my Not Quite Shakespeare story.

Simon arched his brow. “Excuse me, you want to holiday where? Did I hear you say on a pig farm in Yorkshire? Dear boy, are you barking mad?”

Damn, why did Simon use such a mocking tone? His lofty tone made me feel like I owned ten working brain cells, which was far from true. His new trick of firing snarky questions at me needed to stop. I should be pleased; sometimes I thought vain Simon incapable of learning anything new aside from styling his wavy blond hair.

Another thing—my sanity was intact, although why I endured Simon’s self-centered nonsense—well, maybe I was Bedlamworthy.

Simon’s dismissive expression prodded my normally even temper. Heavens, the good boy in me—the calm, level history professor—wanted to scream at Simon like a raving diva. Could I channel Maria Callas’s operatic volume? Hmmm, better to channel her than Jack the Ripper. Less messy all the way around.
Instead of screaming with frustration, I imagined wearing a ball gag, a little trick I had learned during my university days. Quite a wonderful way to center my thinking. “Please look at the photos, Simon.” I swiveled my tablet toward Simon. I deserved a peach tart for not smacking it against Simon’s handsome head. No use breaking my toy. “The quaint cottage is a beautiful place with views of nothing but nature. Isn’t the setting perfect? Imagine the two of us, alone, far from the madding crowd.” I added a positive smile.

Instead of cooperating, Simon scowled at the burgundy Lincrusta wallpaper. He still refused to look at the tablet. Come on, even a three-year-old would at least look out of curiosity. Not Simon. When he wanted to act petulant, he put a three-year-old to shame. Some ex-amore must have told Simon he looked adorable when he pouted. I couldn’t deny it; he did look fuckable. He also looked sluggable.

Thanks, Elin, for hosting me today!

My absolute pleasure 🙂

Readers, you can follow S A Garcia on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of the anthology.

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New Release – Rent Me by Brina Brady

Posted in New Release, tagged , , on May 29, 2014| 1 Comment »

Rent Me by Brina Brady

Blurb:

Brennen Brady is a 21 year-old escort and USC law student who falls in love with Dmitri Dubrovsky, a 36 year-old Russian mafia man who saved him from an abusive home. When Brennen turned 18, he became Dmitri’s lover. Dmitri controlled every inch of his life in and out of bed. Dmitri set up a domestic discipline type of relationship and Brennen wants Dmitri to be his Dom. The story captures their struggles to define their relationship. When Dmitri marries Nika to protect his name from his friends and family, their relationship shakes their love. Brennen does not understand his lover’s Russian culture not allowing homosexuality. Two different cultures and age difference clash.

Brennen works as an escort for Dmitri’s Forbidden Desires Escort Service. Each use sharp emotional weapons to protect their relationship.

The story begins with Brennen upset over Dmitri’s marriage. Dmitri moved Brennen to his own apartment while he attends USC and works as an escort. Devastated Brennen did not know how to deal with being number two to his lover while they continued their sexual relationship as if nothing changed.

Brennen is coming of age and wondering if he is gay or bisexual. Dmitri torn between his love for Brennen and his Russian pride that demands him to be straight with a wife and family.

Stubborn Brennen refuses to quit being an escort, which upsets Dmitri who loves him. The battling of two stubborn men who want to be together without giving up anything. Brennen wants to remain an escort and Dmitri can’t accept being gay. Dmitri’s brother Mischa pushes Brennen in the direction of women, which upsets Dmitri. Can their relationship survive Brennen’s clients? Can their relationship survive Dmitri’s marriage? How will they save their relationship?

Available now from Smashwords and Amazon US.

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Not Quite Shakespeare – Theo Fenraven

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , , , on May 28, 2014| 5 Comments »


Happy Humpday. And since it’s Wednesday that means another interview and excerpt from an author contributing to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology from Dreamspinner Press which is available for pre-order HERE.

My guest today is one of my favourite authors, whose cerebral mysteries and paranormals are a delight. Welcome, Theo Fenraven.

Have you ever visited the UK? If so where did you go? If not, what would you most like to see if you were able to make a visit?

I’ve never been to England. I’ve always wanted to go, though. There are a lot of places I’d like to see, but because my story is set in Manchester, that would be my first pick.

What inspired you to write your story for the anthology?

I liked the idea of setting a story in the U.K., and I’ve never been part of anthology before. As it happened, the idea for the short story occurred to me only a day or two before I heard about this. Talk about fortuitous!

Could you tell me a little about it?

Very little, or I’ll give the plot away. I’d rather readers came to it with fresh eyes. Wag is in IT and as the story opens, he meets Silver, a new employee, and is instantly in lust. That’s all it takes; Wag doesn’t get out much.  The story of these two misfits plays out against the background of Canal Street in Manchester and at their shared office.

Could you please tell me about your other work?


My latest release is Transgression, a story that looks at different kinds of sexuality in our culture and what people think about it. A male bisexual meets a MtF transwoman, setting various events in motion, some of which are life-threatening. My books are rarely straight romance. I would soon be bored to death! Instead, I weave in elements from thrillers, mysteries, and adventure tales. Precog in Peril is a paranormal murder mystery centered on the life of two young men who live on a houseboat; The Blue Paradise is set in Florida and the world of pro baseball, and concerns a stalker; Phoenix Rising dramatically brings a myth back to life in the shape of a charismatic rock singer; and in Blue River, a talented photographer goes back in time to 1863, where he has to grapple with a disturbing lack of amenities while attempting to court a deeply-closeted young rancher.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently wrapping up a first draft of my next book, which is called Wolf Bound and is a shifter story. I always swore I’d never write one based on a human-to-wolf transformation, as it’s been done over and over in the genre, but the characters leaped up in my head one day, waving their arms wildly, and I was hooked.

Please could we have an excerpt?

Here’s part of the first chapter from Wolf Bound.

I bought the old farmhouse in July, moved in on September tenth, and discovered the lake island in October. The body of water I lived on was Heron Lake, and it didn’t have islands. It did have a few summer cabins, a couple of year ’round residences, and my farm-turned-country acreage for a guy who knew nothing about growing food or keeping animals. It had been abandoned some years back, long enough that the pasture that had once fed beef cattle was now overgrown with thistle, and trees had sprung up in the long grass. I had my work cut out for me, taking down and disposing of the old barbed wire fence, but I thought I might get it accomplished by the time winter set in.
I knew there was another, smaller lake in the area, but I didn’t find it until I threw down my wire cutters one Saturday afternoon, wiped the sweat off my brow, and walked down the road, impulsively turning into an unmarked gravel lane that led into the trees. There was no mailbox to indicate it was a private drive, so I followed it past towering oaks and maples until it ended at a small lake. Out in the middle of it, on an almost perfect circle of raised land, was a small one-and-a-half-story cabin circled by a tall, graceful stand of birch and ash. Between the island and the shore was a wide, wooden dock, one end of which lay to my right behind thick woods. The other stopped short of the island by what I guessed was around thirty feet.
On my left was a large, well-cared-for house with a neatly trimmed lawn and intermittent explosions of late-blooming flowers. On the shore, a canoe and kayak were turned over on the beach. A dusty SUV was parked in the drive, but no one was on the porch and the lights were off. An old windmill turned lazily in the breeze, and there were solar panels on the roof.
I backed away uneasily, realizing this was someone’s private property and I was trespassing. Giving the tiny island cabin another admiring look, I retraced my steps to the road and went home. I decided it was high time to quit for the day, sit on my porch, and suck down a cold beer.

The summer people were mostly gone, but someone from the cabin closest to me wandered up my drive as twilight was setting in and sank into a rocker with a sigh. His name was Sam Malone. “Same as the guy on Cheers, remember that show? But I’m not a professional bartender, and my hair is real.”
Sam didn’t look like the actor, either. He had a head of curly black hair, was on the short side at around five foot nine, and was lean as a piece of crispy bacon. His parents owned the cabin, and sometimes he came out to get away from his stressful job as an ER nurse.
The breeze was picking up and had a distinctly chilly edge as it swept leaves off the trees and along the ground. Fall was here and winter not far behind.
“How ya doing, Jon?” he asked.
“Good. Got about ten feet of wire down.” I glanced at my hands, which looked beat up despite the gloves I wore when working. “Hardly any barb cuts today.”
I fetched him a beer, and we rocked and gazed at the small whitecaps ridging the water. I asked, “Who lives in the house on the other lake?”
“Egret? That’s the writer, Harrison Kalmes. One of his books was bought by Hollywood and turned into a movie. Must be nice, eh?” Sam drank and burped. “Keeps to himself.”
“Does he have a family?”
“Not that I’ve seen.” He grinned. “You interested?”
I’d told him I was gay the first time we met. Smiling, I swung back in the rocker and lifted my work boots to the porch railing. “Don’t know him. I’m interested in him being a writer, though. That’s sort of my secret dream.”
“Yeah? That’s cool.” He slid farther down on his spine, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankle.
Sam was straight, but my orientation didn’t bother him. It was nice having someone nearby I was comfortable around. I’d miss him when winter shut things down and he no longer visited. However, after what I’d been through the last few years, a little isolation didn’t sound half bad.
We drank in companionable silence while the first stars came out and a sickle moon rose in the sky. An owl hooted nearby, and I remembered someone telling me owls and hawks didn’t share common territory. I wondered if that was true.
“What’s with the cabin on the small island?” I hadn’t been able to get it out of my mind. I wanted to see what it looked like inside, and what the view of the lake was from there. I’d been reading about “tiny houses” off and on for a few years, and while this one obviously hadn’t been built recently, it had that same feel about it, like the whole of someone’s life could be tucked neatly away in small spaces. I’d even considered buying one, but then this property became available for not much more, and I decided to risk it. Also, practically speaking, resale value on “normal” houses was much better.
“Don’t know. Knock on the door and ask him.”
“Maybe I will.”

Many thanks, Theo, for answering my questions, and good luck both with NQS and with Wolfbound, which I understand has now been released to very good reception from reviewers and is available here.

Readers, if you would like to follow Theo’s progress you can find him on his blog and on Facebook.

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Not Quite Shakespeare – Penny Hudson

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , on May 16, 2014| 5 Comments »

TGIF and if that wasn’t enough to bring a smile to your face here’s another author interview drawn from the list of talented scribers contibuting to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology from Dreamspinner Press, an anthology which will be available in time for the UK Meet. As soon as it’s possible I will get two copies – one for me and one for a commenter to these series of interviews so don’t forget to leave comments because that’s the way to get a chance to win.

My guest today is a shiny brand new author and since reading her snippet I’m looking forward to seeing more of her work. Welcome, Penny Hudson.

Have you ever visited the UK? If so where did you go? If not, what would you most like to see if you were able to make a visit?

I have not, unfortunately. Which means I could write an entire novella to answer this question! But I’ll spare you and narrow it down to what comes to mind first. I’d go to London and watch every live show in town, then visit the National Theatre archive with a bag of snacks and revel in the recordings. I love theatre, but I don’t get to see live performances very often. Especially not that quality!

What inspired you to write your story for the anthology?

I saw a picture of a cow happily curled up on the bonnet of a car, like an oversized cat. It made me laugh, and I kept thinking about it throughout the day.

Could you tell me a little about it?

That situation had story written all over it, it just needed some characters. Who would really be infuriated to discover a cow sleeping on his car? Especially if it was an expensive car he treasured? I know! A fastidious solicitor who hates visiting the countryside, and yet is required to go there anyway during his search for a missing heir. Add in one sexy Welsh pub owner, and Misadventures of Mislaid Men almost wrote itself.

Could you please tell me about your other work?

I have a novella forthcoming this summer called Winter’s Risk from Dreamspinner Press.

Veteran park ranger Alexander Doyle is tracking a nuisance bear when he runs across obnoxious environmentalist Martin Ramirez. He and Martin have clashed before, when Martin and the protestors under his leadership ended a plan to expand the network of paved trails and improve accessibility. Given a choice, Alex would rather face the bear.
When the dangerous grizzly attacks them and Martin is gravely wounded, his only chance of survival is Alex’s determination to keep him alive through the night. But they’re stranded miles from any hope of rescue with the year’s first snowstorm coming in fast.

What are you working on at the moment?

A novel with the working title Finding Figaro. It’s about a prissy young author called Jasper who clings to his literary pretensions while he secretly searches for his favorite romance author’s real name, having no idea Figaro is the pseudonym of popular political-thriller author Isaac Wright- whom Jasper despises for churning out what he considers to be mass-market junk. Isaac is thoroughly bemused by his snobby attitude, and sets out to change Jasper’s mind without revealing himself.

It’s a lot of fun playing around with assumptions about why people write what they write. What it secretly means about who the author is as a human being, and what sort of personality they’re going to have. You really can’t judge a book by the cover, or predict a person because of their books.

Please could we have an excerpt?

Certainly! This is my story from Not Quite Shakespeare, Misadventures of Mislaid Men. This scene is set right after Gavin discovers the cow napping on his car. Much to his irritation, several men have come out of the pub to point and laugh about it.

Gavin refused to be their amusement. “I’ll sue the lot of you,” he snapped. He also refused to be a diplomat. “You lot look like you speak cow. Come and shift her off my car, and I’ll buy you a round.”
The one with the cane shoved at the younger man’s back. “Go on, speak cow for the Englishman. I expect it’s too advanced to be covered in English schools. Poor lad needs a translator, bless.”
Gavin waited dourly whilst beard-man jogged over and said, “I dunno. Cow’s pretty complicated. I’m not fluent or anything. I only took a few classes in nursery school. Basics really, mooing to ten, shades of grass—”
“Ha-bloody-ha.” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look important. “What’s it take to get you to move this walking steak factory?”
The Welshman tipped his chin down a little and let his gaze linger on Gavin’s trim form, highlighted in the well-fitting suit.
“Ask me nicely,” he suggested with a grin that promised more than laughter. That was the sort of grin Gavin expected to see when he was being chatted up in a club. Not way out here. He must be mistaken. Or so desperate for sex he was hallucinating interest when there was none.
Gavin licked his lips whilst he decided what to say and didn’t miss the way the other man’s pupils dilated slightly as he did. Perhaps he wasn’t mistaken. Perhaps this errand wasn’t going to be as tedious as he assumed. The intense hazel eyes peering at his lips certainly suggested that was within the realm of possibility.
“Please,” he finally said, feeling slightly off-balance somehow.
“That’ll do. I’m Lewellyn, by the way. This is my pub.”

Many thanks, Penny for answering my questions today. Readers, don’t forget to comment! You may follow Penny on her blog and she can be found on Twitter as @AnyPennyH.

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Not Quite Shakespeare – M A Ford

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , on May 14, 2014| 3 Comments »

Doesn’t Humpday come around fast? I hope you’re having a good Wednesday but, if you’re not, this interview from another author contributing to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology from Dreamspinner Press might cheer you up a bit. Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of the anthology.

My guest today is M A Ford.

Have you always lived in the UK? If not what drew you back?

I was born in the UK, but left as a child, and only lived there for a short while in my twenties. But despite rarely being a resident, I’ve always been drawn back there, to visit relatives, on holiday or even just to go to the theatre or concerts. It may seem silly to fly to London to watch a recording of ‘Cabin Pressure’, or to watch a Matthew Bourne ballet, but there are some things you just have to do …

Is there any place that is a must-see for any visitor to the uk? In how many counties have you lived? Cosmopolitan or rural?

I’ve lived in Kent, Essex and Derbyshire, mainly in small towns.
It might not be on the general list of must-see things, but when I want people to see the UK I love, I try to take them for a drive up in the Peak District, mainly around Castleton… I also love the New Forest. And it’s not the mainland, but I adore the Shetland Islands, and if I ever have the chance, that’s where I’d love to live.

What inspired you to write your story for the anthology?

Inspiration actually hit at Victoria Station while waiting for the Gatwick Express – not very romantic. I generally write about motorsport, and wanted to try something that could only be set in the UK. And Silverstone Circuit, with its history as a WWII airfield, seemed a perfect backdrop.

Could you tell me a little about it?

Racing driver Chris Bryant has been issued with an ultimatum by his boyfriend, fellow driver Charlie Stebbings: come out and be open about their relationship or the romance is over. At the final race of the season, a sudden rain-shower turns the track into a river, and Chris cranes When he wakes up, everything has changed…

Could you please tell me about your other work?

My first book was published by Dreamspinner at the end of December 2013. It’s called ‘Track Limits’, and is a contemporary story set in the world of motorsport, about a racing team, Randolph Racing, and their drivers. It revolves around the romance between Mark Hunter, team manager and driver, and his team-mate Jordan Matthews. I also had a short story as part of Dreamspinner’s Valentine Rainbow, called ‘Love and an (orange) Lamborghini, and another story in the forthcoming ‘Mended’ June Daily Dose. That’s also set in motorsport, with a driver waiting for his team-mate to come round after an accident.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on two sequels to Track Limits, carrying on the love story between my heroes, Mark and Jordan. The first, Overtaking Manouvres, sees them face tensions and separation as their careers take them in different directions. The third, Unavoidable Contact, introduces a new hero, a young driver struggling with his sexuality, love life and career, who needs some help from Mark and Jordan.

Please could we have an excerpt?

Here’s a short snippet from ‘Track Limits’:

Excerpt from ‘Spa Francorchamps’

On leaving the pits, Jordan was lying twelfth, his best time on the old tires and two seconds slower than the provisional pole. Immediately, his sectors began to come down. There were only a handful of cars still out on the track, a number of them having decided to forfeit the final session after the rain spoiled the earlier qualifying.
Mika came over and stood behind Mark, following number 63’s progress with a finger. “He’s doing well,” he said, close to Mark’s ear. “Come on, Jordan… yes… I wish we could see what he’s doing… that was a good sector! Come on, yes…. Yes! Fourth!” He thumped Mark’s shoulder and grinned. “Second row. That’s not bad!”
Mark nodded, his gaze still glued to the screen. He knew Jordan could go faster, if he was confident enough. The cars that had taken the time to make the most of the drying track were all improving. It was going to be a case of the last man out with the freshest tires who took pole.
Another lap. First sector suddenly flashed up in pink, as Jordan set the best time so far. Then the Ferrari on provisional pole improved again. Jordan improved his second sector too—green for personal best. It was all down to the third sector….
Mark was still listening, but there was no sound on the radio. Jordan was going for it. As for him, he realized he was holding his breath. “Come on, Jordan,” he muttered, picturing those bright-green eyes focused on the dark. So gorgeous….
Where had that come from? Mark, briefly shaken by the thought, shivered. He stared down the pit lane, trying to recognize the Porsche’s headlights. Was that it? And as he looked back at the screen….
“Pole!” Mika screamed behind him.
“Too soon,” Mark said between gritted teeth. “There’s five minutes to go.”
But suddenly the flag in the bottom of the screen flashed red. “Nissan 23 off at Radillon,” he read on the message screen. And then, a second message underneath. “Session will not resume.”

~~~

You can follow M A Ford at her Website and on Facebook.

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New Release – Spring Affair by B G Thomas

Posted in New Release, tagged , , on May 13, 2014| 1 Comment »

First of all kudos to Paul Richmond for yet another memorable cover, with shades of Mucha plus a welcome variation on the ‘naked guys getting close’ theme seen on so many M/M romance covers. Good art with implications of sweetness and light, very appropriate.

Secondly, I’ve been asked by the author to make it absolutely clear that this book is a standalone novel. It is the first in the Season of Love series but the books are only loosely linked, much as Ben’s other books are linked by characters who live in the Oscar Wilde apartment block who may appear in subsequent titles. The linking is a little more formal in this case, being the about romantic relationships of a group of friends, but I’m assured that every book will be able to be read independently of the others. There also isn’t too long to wait if you are a B G Thomas completist. The next book will be published in July, with Autumn written and Winter well on the way.

Here are the details:

Spring Affair by B G Thomas

Blurb: Sloan McKenna is going through a tough time. His beloved mother has recently passed away, leaving him her house and beautiful garden. But should he keep the house? Sell it? To make matters worse, he’s in love with one of his best friends, Asher, a man who can’t (or won’t) love him back.

Sloan’s neighbor, Max Turner, is married to an ambitious woman with far-reaching dreams, including moving the family to France. But Max is happy teaching at the local college and living in their nice, quiet town. Then he discovers his fourteen-year-old son is not only gay, but out and proud as well. That throws him into complete disarray, for more than one reason….

When Max’s wife leaves on a two-month business trip to Paris, circumstances throw the two men together. As they become friends, Sloan finds himself falling in love with Max, who is completely unavailable… just like Asher. As for Max, he is discovering that both his son’s coming out and his new friendship with Sloan are stirring up feelings he thought buried long ago. Spring is a time for rebirth—Is there any way the two men can find happiness and a new beginning?

Excerpt:

Sloan was lucky to have all of the dear friends who had gathered here with him tonight, especially after the last month. Month? Hell! Six months. His shoulders sagged, and he felt the tears almost prick at the corners of his eyes. Almost. But it wasn’t happening. And that was a good thing. He didn’t want his friends to see him crying. Not tonight. Even though he could. Even though it would be fine. He wanted to be brave tonight. Impress the hell out of them.

Were they talking about him now, or were they delving into a discussion of whether John the Baptist was real or not? At least Scott wasn’t going on and on about one of his online romances—men he fell madly in love with and rarely met in real life. And when he did? Disaster every time. The last time Scott had actually flown to Chicago and checked into The Four Seasons, a very expensive hotel, so he could meet the man he just knew was Mr. Right. The two of them were supposed to share the costs of not only the room, but the plane tickets as well. That didn’t happen. Scott and his romance du jour met, fucked, wound up having a huge ugly fight, and it was over. Scott had been devastated. For a couple of weeks. Maybe a month. Then Scott was right back online.

Scott, Wyatt, and Asher. They were the best friends a man could have, despite their eccentricities.

Scott was always there for him at an instant’s notice, no matter what. He had actually been the first one Sloan had called on the worst day of his life, not more than a month ago. Scott had had a plan already set and instantly took over so Sloan could just throw himself on the couch and, well, not cry. That hadn’t happened yet. He’d been too afraid to let the tears go until the funeral was over—he had wanted, needed, to maintain a sense of decorum until then. He could cry later.

Except he hadn’t yet. Not really.

Read more at Dreamspinner Press

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Not Quite Shakespeare – Megan Reddaway

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , on May 9, 2014| 6 Comments »

Doesn’t Shakespeare have a way with words? I tell you who else does too – the authors who have contributed to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology of British themed stories from Dreamspinner Press [cover and links to follow].

Don’t forget – I will put the names of all commenters to all of the interviews into a hat and pick a winner to receive a copy of the anthology in the format of their choice. Comment to win, that’s the ticket!

Today’s interviewee is Megan Reddaway.

Hello, Megan. Have you always lived in the UK?

Mostly. I’ve spent a year travelling and a year living in France. I remember arriving back at Heathrow airport after my travelling year and thinking how low and closed-in the sky over England seemed, like a blanket of cotton wool over my head, but at the same time knowing I was home and not wanting to live anywhere else.

In how many counties have you lived? Cosmopolitan or rural?

I’ve lived in six counties, all in south-east or central England – in three market towns as a child and three cities as an adult, one of them London. I’m happiest living in small to medium sized cities.

Is there any place that is a must-see for any visitor to the UK?

It may sound bizarre since I hated growing up in one, but I think it’s the small towns that are truly representative of the UK – in fact, I think small towns are the most interesting places to stay wherever you go in the world. You pick up on the attitudes and everyday life of the nation at a much deeper level than if you were visiting a big city or going round castles, museums and beaches.

This might be because I’m a writer – I’m more interested in observing people than sights. But I do also love the medieval buildings of Oxford where I live now and the landscape of the west coast of Scotland, among other places. Then almost every village has houses and gardens that are just lovely. To look at, I mean. Don’t make me live in a village. Please.

What inspired you to write your story for the anthology? Could you tell me a little about it?

Ha. I was hoping you’d ask that. My story, Wrong Number, is about a guy who phones his best friend – so he thinks – for sympathy about his lack of a sex life, telling him exactly what he’d like to have some guy do to him, and finds to his horror he’s called one of his bosses by mistake.

So, the inspiration. I live in an area of Oxford with a big student population. The house next door is always let to students and last year a group of gay guys moved in, which was interesting for an M/M romance writer – especially when one of them decided to make an explicit phone call from outside on the front step one night.

In my street all the houses are joined together and their front door is right beside the window of my living room, where I was sitting quietly reading. It was dark and my curtains were drawn so we couldn’t see each other, but when he started telling another guy exactly what he wanted in very graphic terms, I could hear every word.

Some people might turn on the TV or move to another room, but a writer grabs a notebook 🙂

From there, I started thinking about what might have happened before and after such an explicit call. In my final story the situation and the characters are completely different – it’s set in London, they’re not students and I changed some of his words, but it all grew out of that real phone call.

Could you please tell me about your other work?

I’m a freelance non-fiction writer in ‘real life’. In the M/M genre, I don’t have much else finished and published yet, but there are a couple of free stories available from my website at http://meganreddaway.com

My own favourite is The Luck of the Irish, a paranormal M/M comedy about a guy who’s been cursed by a leprechaun.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have two novels at the first draft stage. The one closest to being finished is a contemporary M/M romance set in Oxford (but not in the University). The main character is a man in his 40s who’s lost his much older partner and now finds he’s unexpectedly attracted to a younger guy.

Not sure when it will be published. I seem to have to leave things, do something else and come back to rewrite or edit them.

Excerpt from ‘Wrong Number’, Megan’s contribution to Not Quite Shakespeare:

I’d had a few drinks, to be honest. I’d had a few drinks, and I got home, and the cramped little studio flat in Croydon where I lived looked exactly the same as when I went out. Of course that was a good thing, really, because if the place looked a lot different, it could only be due to a burglary, flood, fire, unannounced landlord visit, or similar disaster. But there’s something so depressing about coming home and finding everything the same. Especially when you’re simply longing for your flat to contain another living creature such as a boyfriend, or at least a cat.

My landlord didn’t allow cats, or I’d have had one. There was no clause forbidding boyfriends, but unfortunately you can’t just grab the cutest-looking stray man from the nearest gay bar, take him home, feed him twice a day, and expect him to love you for it. All I had was pictures, of both cats and men. It wasn’t the same.

So I decided to call my best friend, Gavin. I knew he’d be awake and alone, because I’d only said goodbye to him ten minutes ago outside East Croydon station. I sat on the edge of my bed and opened the address book on my phone.

“I need to get fucked,” I complained as soon as the call was answered. “I want to feel cock plunging into me. I want to worship a big warm dick. I want to lick it all over and get it all wet and rock hard then take it in my arse, take it in deep and get fucked so hard I’m screaming!”

Then what was supposed to happen was that Gavin would be like, “Oh petal, I know, isn’t it awful to have nothing but silicone to play with at the end of the night, where have all the gorgeous hunks gone?”

Instead there was a short silence, and a dry voice that was definitely not Gavin’s said, “Well, Connor, this is unexpected.”

For a moment I was paralysed. Then I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it. Where it should have said “Gavin,” it said “Gary Bayes.”

“Oh my God,” I breathed.

~~~

You can follow Megan at her website or on her Facebook page

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Not Quite Shakespeare – Sarah Madison

Posted in Guests, New Release, tagged , , on May 7, 2014| 9 Comments »

Happy humpday, and here is the second interview in a series from the list of terrific authors contributing to the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology of British themed stories from Dreamspinner Press [cover and links to follow].

Don’t forget to comment – I will put the names of all commenters to all of the interviews/posts into a hat and pick a winner to receive a copy of the anthology in the format of their choice.

Today we have a guest post from Sarah Madison. Welcome Sarah

~~~

I grew up reading stories set in the UK. Horse and pony books. Dog stories. Mysteries. Regencies. My love affair with England in particular was fostered by a steady diet of novels written during the Golden Age of Mystery–so lots of Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Dorothy Sayers. I suspect Lord Peter ruined me for many a man, especially considering that I grew up in the Southern US, where the Dukes of Hazzard was king. I find it highly amusing, therefore, that I ended up with a British boyfriend. Last Christmas he took me to meet his family in West Sussex, and I felt like I’d come home after a lifetime of wandering. It’s difficulty to explain the impact that trip had on me. Every footstep, every ‘familiar’ sight, spoke to me.

The towns were so picturesque. I loved how everyone lived among their history and it was just a way of life, not something to be cordoned off in a museum. You learn so much about a country by actually seeing it–the way the ground gives beneath your feet, the sweet mulchy smell of the wet earth and the slickness of white chalk. The cars are small because the streets are small, and they in turn follow the course of public right-of-ways and boundary lines of great estates that have been present for centuries. The choir at the Cathedral at Winchester transported us back in time, as their voices soared into the vaulted hall, and the pasty shop is a black-beamed and dark wooden building that has stood since the fifteenth century. Everywhere I turned, I saw something from my ‘past’, and I suspect my BF got tired of me punching him in the arm and saying things like “Look! A yew garden! Oh! It’s a twitten! A magpie! I saw a magpie!”

And yes, there were pheasants on the lawn.

At one point, my boyfriend pointed out that since our trip was of necessity a short one, that I wouldn’t be able to go see all the touristy landmarks. I know I must have gaped at him. “I’m in ENGLAND. Do you see that? That’s English mud! I don’t need to see anything else.”

We did, however. We walked the South Downs, toured Winchester, and took the train up to Oxford to meet friends (and I admit to a little bit of fangirling as I ran around pointing out places that Lord Peter and Harriet Vane met and did things in that city of dreaming spires). It was, without a doubt, one of the best weeks of my life. I would go back again in a heartbeat. I’d love to see more: go to Cornwall, and Yorkshire, and Wales. See Scotland. Go pony-trekking across Ireland. I loved every minute of it.

I loved my time there so much that when I saw the call for the Not Quite Shakespeare Anthology, I knew I had to submit a story–a love poem to the UK as much as a tale of two lovers separately by circumstance who reconnect again after many years. My UK memories were so vivid in my mind, even a year later. My main character, a young American named Denny, spent a summer as a young man with relatives in the South of England, where he met and fell in love with Tarquin. But they were hardly more than schoolboys at the time–and once the summer was over, Denny went back to the US and they had no further contact.

But Denny never forgot his first love. Over a decade later, circumstances bring him back to Chanctonbury Ring, where some of his fondest memories were made. When Tarq shows up almost like a ghost conjured from Denny’s imagination, Denny has to decide if there was more to that glorious summer than first love–and if there is enough between them to try again.

Bio:

Sarah Madison is a veterinarian with a big dog, a big horse, too many cats, and an extremely patient (and supportive!) boyfriends. She writes because it is cheaper than therapy.

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sarah-Madison-Author/106445646104338
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic
Tumblr: http://sarahmadisonfiction.tumblr.com/
Website: http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/

Links and information for specific stories:

The Boys of Summer
Genre: Contemporary/Historical M/M Romance
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00CCUVR7G
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306320

Blurb: David McIntyre has been enjoying the heck out of his current assignment: touring the Hawaiian Islands in search of the ideal shooting locations for a series of film company projects. What’s not to like? Stunning scenery, great food, sunny beaches…and a secret crush on his hot, ex-Air Force pilot, Rick Sutton.
Everything changes when a tropical storm and engine failure force a crash landing on a deserted atoll with a WWII listening post. Rick’s injuries, and a lack of food and water, make rescue imperative, but it takes an intensely vivid dream about the war to make David see that Rick is more than just a pilot to him. Will David gather his courage to confess his feelings to Rick—before it’s too late?
Finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards. Nominated Best Historical in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards. Selected as a Best Read in 2013 by Jessewave. Winner of Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards.

Crying for the Moon
Genre: Paranormal M/M Romance
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2422
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B005DZPNYU
Blurb: Vampire Alexei Novik may have the teeth and the coffin, but he’s given up the lifestyle for an old fixer-upper in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Weary of his past, Alex plans to keep to himself, but it seems his sexy, new neighbor, Tate, can’t take the hint—a good thing, since it turns out he’s handy for all kinds of things around the house. Tate even gets along with Alex’s werewolf friends, though one of them pointedly reminds Alex that their friendship is a bad idea.

If a platonic relationship is a bad idea, the growing attraction between Tate and Alex is a disaster waiting to happen. Loving Tate will draw him into Alex’s dangerous world, and Alex is torn between having the relationship he’s always craved and keeping Tate safe. Tate won’t take no for an answer, however, and seems to handle everything Alex can throw at him without blinking. Just when he thinks things might turn out all right after all, Alex’s past catches up with him—forcing him to make a terrible choice.
Winner of the Coffee Times Romance Recommended Read Award. August 2011 Recommended Read by Reviews by Jessewave. First Runner Up in the Love Romances and More’s Golden Rose Awards for Best Paranormal of 2011.


Unspeakable Words (novella)
Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal M/M Romance
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2058
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B004CRTD4G

Blurb: Special Agent John Flynn is everything Jerry Parker is not: dangerously handsome, coolly charismatic, and respected by his peers. Special Agent Parker is dedicated and meticulous, but his abrasive personality has given him a reputation for being difficult. When new information on a cold case appears, Parker is assigned to work with Flynn, and the sparks fly as their investigative styles clash. Contact with a strange artifact changes everything when it bestows unusual and unpredictable powers on Flynn… and the two men must learn to trust each other before a killer strikes again.
Part One of the (planned) four part Unspeakable Words series. Part Two, Walk a Mile, will be released by Dreamspinner Press in Oct 2014.

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