Truth or Dare: Featruring Remy and Jamie from Crash Pad and Beck and Zach from the Concepts Series

Truth?
Or Dare?
Risk or reward?
A morsel for your Friday reading pleasure, over at the Loose Id Blog. TRUTH OR DARE featuring Remy and Jamie from Crash Pad and Beck and Zach from the Concepts series. Secrets will be revealed...
http://loosenyourid.com/whitley-gray-coldhearted-crash/ 

What I'm Working On--Six lines for Rainbow Snippets

This is from the WIP, currently known as GT.

God, what he wouldn’t give to run like that again. When he’d been whole, he’d taken it for granted: running, sports, mobility in general. As a paramedic, he’d witnessed all manner of deformity and considered himself sympathetic, able to relate. Being on this side of it had slammed home how little he’d known about life with pain and disability.

He hadn't had a clue.

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My Sexy Saturday #124: Two Sexy Guys: Meet Beck and Zach from Coldhearted Concept

Welcome to the blog of Whitley Gray—cops and doctors in hot water. And My Sexy Saturday! Here are seven paragraphs from my new romantic suspense Coldhearted Concept.

Anticipating a much-needed weekend together, Beck gets a call from Zach.

“I’m not going to make it this weekend,” Zach said.

The pleasant expectation Beck had built all week collapsed into a black hole of disappointment. Not again, damn it. A month of relative solitary confinement—thirty days without a visit. Beck stalked through the warren of packed boxes cluttering the house. Damn it to hell. He struggled to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice. “This is the fourth weekend in a row you’ve canceled.”

“I know.” Instead of an explanation, there was silence.

This could only be… Aw, fuck. “Don’t tell me it’s a callout case.”

“ViCAP got a hit matching one of my assignments.” The words were filled with apology.

Beck felt the need to punch something. He tried to avoid sounding pissed off. “Christ, they’ve got other profilers. Can’t Ruskin handle it?”

Zach heaved a sigh. “Look, I’m sorry. I did the original profile, and Sands is insisting. It’s just one more case.”

One more case. The same refrain, fracturing their time together.

~*~

Coldhearted Concept is available at Loose Id,   All Romance Ebooks, and Amazon. 

More about Coldhearted Concept:

Detective Beck Stryker has a lot to juggle: his long-distance relationship with FBI profiler Zach Littman, the family issues of cop widow Marybeth Halliday and her two boys, and the ups and downs of being out and proud. To top it off, Beck must work with his closeted ex-lover Van on the case of a skeleton discovered in the woods.
FBI profiler Dr. Zach Littman has been working on an exit strategy for months. Every time he’s on the brink of resigning, Minneapolis Unit Director Sands comes up with “one more case,” one that only Zach can manage. It’s a situation that frustrates Beck. Zach has promised he’ll leave the FBI and profiling behind—as soon as his Colorado medical license comes through. It may be easier said than done. Zach has reservations about uprooting his life and moving to Denver.
A killer leaves a grisly invitation insisting Zach participate in a deadly game, the rules of which are known only to the psychopath. It’s clear he won’t stop until he’s taken out Zach. It’s a race against time for Beck and Zach to capture the killer before the psychopath finds Zach and declares Game Over.

~*~ 

www.whitleygray.com

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Painful Lessons and S.C. Wynne

Today S.C. Wynne stops by and gives us the skinny on her terrific new release, Painful Lessons.

What’s your name and your major? Brett Bridgeworth. I’m majoring in business because that’s what my dad wants.

Is college everything you’d hoped it would be? I have to say it’s more than I hoped and scarier than I imagined.

What is your biggest problem? Jeremy. No question it’s Jeremy.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d be more confident. Like Sam. I never would have gotten involved with Jeremy if I wasn’t such a needy mess.

Do you prefer playing sports or video games? Video games. Duh. I’m not the most athletic guy.

Who is the person you dislike the most? Jeremy.

Is there anyone special in your life? Sam. I’ve never had anyone care about me like Sam seems to. It’s almost too good to be true. But I’m trying not to think like that. I’m trying to be more open to good things these days. Sam is a good thing.

What’s your favorite meal, and do you fix it yourself or have someone fix it for you? Every meal is my favorite meal. I like everything. I eat anything. Just ask Sam. He can’t keep up so he picks on me instead.

~*~*~

BLURB:

As a freshman both in love and in college, sometimes there are painful lessons to be learned.

 

Excited to begin his first year of college, Brett Bridgeworth has just one problem: he sucks at math. Luckily there’s the sensual and mysterious math tutor, Jeremy Price, to help him out. It isn't long before Jeremy is tutoring Brett in more than just pie charts, but it isn’t until they split up that Brett discovers Jeremy’s twisted, obsessive side.

 

 

Sam Hawthorne is two years ahead of Brett, and they share a strong mutual attraction. When Brett breaks it off with Jeremy and gets involved with Sam, disturbing things start happening. It soon becomes obvious Jeremy isn't willing to let Brett go without a fight.

 

EXCERPT:

That was the night I met Jeremy. He was barely visible in the dark, leaning against a birch to the side of the path.

“Don’t look so sad, pretty boy. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

His voice was sultry, deep, and it startled the hell out of me because I had no idea anyone was there.

I pretended I hadn’t almost peed myself and started to walk away without answering, but his voice stopped me.

“Wait up. Are you Brett?”

He approached now, and I was surprised he knew my name. In the dingy yellow light of the streetlamp, I could see he was slender, with wide shoulders and black hair that brushed his collarbone. He had a sexy, dangerous vibe about him, and I took a step back as he reached me.

“Let me guess. Ted didn’t mention I was coming?”

I squinted at him, mystified by why this beautiful vision thought I should know him. “Ted?” Yeah, remember your roommate, dummy?

He smiled and flashed perfect white teeth. “I’m Jeremy,” he said confidently. “You look exactly how Ted described you.”

I put a hand to my blond hair, wondering what Ted had said about me.

“Ted said you’re looking for a math tutor.” He didn’t seem to mind at all that I was tongue-tied.

I think I’d mentioned once to Ted that I should get a tutor, but I’d never really pursued it. And yet here before me was the most delicious tutor anyone could ask for. My pulse sped up as I took his smooth hand in mine and something came alive inside of me.

“Oh, yeah. I do need help. I’m horrible at math.” He still held my hand, and I had the sensation of energy passing between us. I remember being hugely relieved I didn’t gasp like a little girl at the electric shock.

“But I needed to meet you first.”

Jeremy pulled me closer, and his gaze never left my mouth. I should have known then that he was acting odd for a math tutor, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I was blinded by a cloud of youthful lust.

“I don’t take on just anybody. I want you to know that.”

I remember I instantly felt special and impressed he was even considering me. I look back on it now, and it immediately strikes me that most math tutors weren’t in such high demand that they would pick and choose their tutees so stringently. But for whatever reason, I didn’t think twice about how strange he was. I was simply flattered I had been deemed worthy.

Later I was able to see I’d been chosen for reasons that had nothing to do with my being valuable. No, no. Far more attractive to Jeremy was that I reeked of need and a desire to matter to someone. I’m sure that’s why he wanted to meet me first before he agreed to help me. His type can smell self-doubt a mile away. My palpable insecurities were like blood in the water to a great white.

~*~*~

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Building a Better Villain

One aspect of writing crime is coming up with the bad guy. The badder, the better. But he can’t be pure evil—he has to have…heart.

I love writing villains. They’re wicked, they’re motivated by selfish ideals, and they’re unapologetic. Nothing sweet about them. A villain is vinegar. Pure puckered-up wickedness, right?

Um, not quite. Under that dastardly exterior beats a very human heart.

“No,” you say. “How can a bad guy even have a heart?”

Well, before he was a villain, he was just a guy. A man with a past, which shaped him and made him who he is today. Some of those experiences were positive, and the antagonist needs to have some of those positive traits. Some were negative, and resulted in psychopathology—adverse outcomes and negative traits. Add in a little predisposition to be unbalanced, and voila! Evil incarnate.

I started with a few positives—artistic ability, intelligence, good with kids—added a past involving parental criticism and unhealthy obsession, and topped it off with an inciting event, to get the antag started down his road to ruin. He’s sympathetic but still not a very nice guy; he knows what he’s doing isn’t socially acceptable, but his own goals take precedence. A villain you love to hate.

There were times he seemed too plausible, like someone who could really be out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to execute his plan. Sometimes I had to take a break and get a little perspective.

Here’s a little snippet from Coldhearted Concept:

The knife he could relate to. There was something arousing about the way it slid into the skin, about the way the blood welled in the cut. The past October, Beetle had completed his trials and reached the point in his metamorphosis where he’d been ready to advance his education.

The first one had been a novelty, back before he’d known what he was doing. It took time to adjust to the feel of the knife going into a sentient being—so different from carving cold, dead skin. The utter control and domination he’d exerted over the live girl had generated a much more gratifying response.

The female’s crescendoing screams of pain and terror had aroused him unbearably, as had the naked fear in her eyes. Especially the eyes. The Technicolor contrast of pale skin, silver blade, and crimson blood… Addictive.  

~*~*~

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Contact: www.whitleygray.com  Facebook
~*~
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Today Douglas Black joins me and brings a taste of his new re-release, Who He Used to Be.

Blurb
When Jeff, the man Connor moved across an ocean to spend the rest of his life with, announces their relationship is no longer working, Connor is caught unawares. Without Jeff, Connor has no reason to stay in Florida, but he doesn’t want to return to Scotland.

An impromptu visit to a nightclub leads to Connor meeting Parker, a man nothing like clean-cut Jeff and a lot more like the bad-boys Connor used to go for back in Glasgow’s biker bars.

A one-night-stand becomes something more, but the two barely have any time together before Connor is hit by another bolt from the blue.

Jeff decides he wants Connor back, and his offer to start over means Connor has to make a decision. Return to the security of his relationship with Jeff, or jump in at the deep end with Parker and find out if he still remembers how to swim.

Excerpt

“Hey,” Connor said.

“You don’t look like you belong here.” The man’s voice was deep, and he spoke slowly, almost lazily. Connor liked that.

“I just got out of work.”

The man nodded and gestured to the bartender. A few moments later, another bottle of beer was placed in front of Connor along with a glass of coke. Judging by the easy smile on the man’s lips and his complete disregard for personal space, Connor was willing to bet the coke wasn’t virgin.

“And you thought instead of going home, you’d come here. Somewhere that’s not your usual hangout. Somewhere you’re unlikely to be caught…by your boyfriend?”

Connor laughed and picked up his drink. “Partly,” he said, holding the bottle close to his lips. “Except for the boyfriend part.”

The man nodded and let go of Connor’s shoulder. He took a long swig of his drink.

“Is that why you’re here? This doesn’t exactly look like your scene either.”

The man smirked. He bit his bottom lip. “I’m babysitting,” he said, nodding at the bottle-blond guy Connor had been staring at before.

Connor knew dreadlocks weren’t hereditary, but, “Your brother?”

“Cousin. He’s just moved here. I thought he might need a little supervision.”

“Looks like he’s got things covered.”

The man shrugged. “I’m Parker, by the way. I caught you checking him out. You didn’t look very impressed.”

Connor took another swig from his bottle of beer before moving a step closer to Parker. In those baggy jeans it was hard to tell, and Connor wanted to know if Parker was really interested. Connor made a move he hadn’t used in years and rubbed up against Parker’s groin, concealing his real intentions by whispering in Parker’s ear.

“He’s not my type. I prefer my men a little rough around the edges.”

Connor felt a rush of heat on his neck as Parker let out a breath that was too heavy to signify anything other than arousal.

Parker drained the contents of his glass before looking at Connor again stepped to the side, moving away from Connor, teasing as he pulled his lip between white teeth. Connor waited and Parker reached for him. He locked his fingers in the long hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of Connor’s neck. He pulled Connor towards him, making Connor close the distance between them again. Connor didn’t resist.

The first press of Parker’s lips against his own seemed to amplify the alcohol in Connor’s system. The banging base of the music melted to a thudding beat that dictated how Connor’s hips thrust against Parker’s, how their hands wound and pulled in each other’s hair. When Parker’s lips parted, Connor dived inside, wanting to lick away the taste of cheap bourbon to get right down to the taste of the man himself.

Parker’s hands left Connor’s hair and landed back on Connor’s hips. He moved Connor, rubbing their erections together until kissing was becoming damn near impossible. Connor kept pulling away to suck breath down into his lungs and Parker stole it from him every time he brought their lips back together.

“Jesus,” Parker said, breaking the kiss. He rested his forehead against Connor’s. Connor couldn’t take his eyes off the smile playing on Parker’s lips. “Where’d you learn to kiss like that?”

Connor laughed, still rocking his hips against Parker’s. “Glasgow. Heard of it?”

Parker nodded. “I’m going to have to add it to my list of places to visit.”

“Do that… but, not tonight.”

“No. I have other plans for tonight.”
~*~*~
Bio
Born and raised in bonnie Scotland, Douglas Black writes contemporary MM erotic romance. Welcome to your fantasy.
~*~*~
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The Boys of Summer--Just in Time For Christmas!

Today the lovely and talented Sarah Madison is here to answer questions and talk about her rerelease, The Boys of Summer.

Why write M/M romance?

I’ve thought about this question a lot, and have written extensively about it in the past. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that when I was growing up, men had all the best roles. They got the best lines, the best parts, and they got to have the most fun! I never wanted to be Jane during role play—I wanted to be Tarzan!

As I got older, despite secretly pining for romances, I could never identify with the heroines I was offered. I liked pretty things but I didn’t like waiting around to be rescued by the hero. I wasn’t afraid to get dirty. I liked sex and didn’t think I should have to wait for a declaration of marriage or true love. I hated seeing the typical heroine become Too Stupid To Live as soon as she met the hero. I disliked the frank inequality I saw between the heroes and heroines in their interactions.

When I discovered M/M romance, for the first time I felt as though I’d discovered adult romance written just for me. I can’t tell you how huge that was. The main characters met on equal terms—and took turns rescuing each other. They both got to have the best lines and the fun parts. And best of all, the sex was unapologetic and hot.

The longer I do this, the more I realize I owe it to my childhood self to take a crack at creating a heroine I can admire. One that won’t make me roll my eyes three pages into the story. I recognize however, that because she will break the rules, she’ll likely be unpopular. That’s okay. I have to try. In the meantime, I enjoy M/M romance.

What subgenre is your favorite?  I’m a real sucker for mysteries, with sci-fi/fantasy coming in a close second.

What Star Wars character would your lead character choose to be? Han Solo, of course! Wouldn’t they all?

 

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Finding the energy to write after a long day at work. My job is extremely rewarding, but it can be emotionally and physically challenging too. Many days I plan in my head what I’m going to write when I get home, only to be too tired to do so when I finally walk in the door. I get frustrated sometimes because if I don’t write every day, it takes me a long time to get my head back into a story when I do pick it up again. As it is, I tend not to be as fast a writer as some—and I hate the idea I might be disappointing readers because I’m so slow at times.

 

What three essentials must you have in your writing room? A cup of tea, warm hands, and some uninterrupted time.

 

Blurb for The Boys of Summer:

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 Rick Sutton, the hot, ex-Air Force pilot who is flying him around.

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, mean David has to step up to the plate and play hero. While his days are spent fighting for survival, and his nights are filled with worrying about Rick, the two men grow closer. David’s research for his next movie becomes intertwined with his worst fears, and events on the island result in a vivid dream about the Battle of Britain. On waking, David realizes Rick is more than just a pilot to him. The obstacles that prevented a happy ending in 1940 aren’t present today, and David vows that if they survive this stranding, he will tell Rick how he feels.

Excerpt:

“I don’t think we’ve got much choice.” Sutton’s voice was grim. “We’re lucky to have that much. Hold on, these trees are coming up faster than I’d like.”

Still fighting to keep the nose of the plane up, Sutton guided the recalcitrant aircraft toward the so-called clearing, the ground rising up to meet them far faster than was comfortable. David found himself leaning back in his seat, bracing his hands on the console as the tops of trees scraped the underside of the plane. Branches swiped at the windshield, and David had the sudden impression of being in a car wash scene as written by Stephen King.

“Duck your head!” Sutton barked. “Wrap your arms around your legs!”

“And kiss my ass goodbye?” David shouted, raising his voice over the increasing noise as he obeyed Sutton’s orders.

Incredibly, Sutton laughed. It was an oddly comforting sound. Like everything was somehow going to be all right because Sutton was at the controls.

The moment of humor was gone in a flash. The plane screamed with the sound of tearing metal and the sharp, explosive crack of tree limbs and breaking glass. David kept his head down and his eyes closed, praying to a God he was pretty sure had more important things to do than to keep up with the well-being of one David McIntyre. There was a moment of eerie, blessed silence, and for an instant, the assault on the plane seemed as though it had lifted.

Someone had left the window open and it was raining on him. How incredibly annoying. He shifted, intent on reaching for the offending window, when a jolt of pain ran through his shoulder, and he gasped. When he opened his eyes, nothing made any sense at first. Then he remembered the crash, and realized that his side of the plane was pointing up at the sky. The rain was coming down in a steady stream through the broken windshield. The sound of the rain on the metal hull of the plane was nearly deafening.

He winced at the pain in his neck when he turned to look over at the pilot’s seat. Sutton was slumped to one side in his chair, unmoving. His sunglasses were hanging off one ear.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” David murmured, hastily undoing his seatbelt so he could reach across to Sutton. His skin was cold and damp where David touched it, and adrenaline pounded through David’s veins as though he could jumpstart Sutton’s heart by sending his own pulse beating through his fingertips. “Sutton! Rick!”

David fought to free himself of his seat, twisting for greater access to the other side of the cockpit. When the seatbelt came open, he fell half across Sutton. Sprawled practically in his lap, David could now see the nasty cut on the left side of Sutton’s temple. The pilot’s side of the plane had taken a lot of damage, and David yelped as he encountered a sliver of glass. Bits of the windshield and console were scattered like confetti over Sutton’s jacket. “Sutton!” The lack of response was unnerving. He tossed aside the sunglasses and worked a hand down into Sutton’s collar, feeling frantically for a pulse.

He could have kissed the man when Sutton suddenly groaned.

~*~*~

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BIO:

Sarah Madison is a writer with a big dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. She is a terrible cook, and concedes that her life would be easier if Purina made People Chow. She writes because it is cheaper than therapy.

Sarah was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and is the winner of Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for The Boys of Summer. The Sixth Sense series was awarded 2nd place for Best M/M Mystery Series in the 2014 PRG’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards. Walk a Mile (Sixth Sense series Book 2) was a finalist in the 2015 Rainbow Awards.

CONTACT: Website  Twitter  Facebook