Hello.
It's been a nice break, here with the holidays, but I'm ready to get back to work.
In January, I'll have more stories from the erotic Meredith Medical Center serial, commentary on issues surrounding writing GBLTQ, guests galore with books coming out, give aways and contests.
If there are topics you'd like to see covered, let me know. Research is my forte (one of them, anyway).
Join me in making 2013 a great year!
All the best,
Whitley
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Real Men Don’t Say These Things
Well, it happened again. I browsed Kindle M/M books, looking for an author I hadn’t discovered, hoping to find a cache of books to get through the holiday travels. Read a few blurbs, then found a seven book series that looked like a good bet. Downloaded the sample on Kindle.
The first couple of pages weren’t bad—I liked the characters. Then all hell broke loose in the form of head hopping. For the next few pages, I persevered—rereading every bit of dialogue to see whose head I was in. Then the onset of the kind of intimate scene I hate. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent):
“Oh, Johnny. Want you. Need you now.”
“Need you too, baby. Now. Right now.”
“Can’t wait, Johnny-cakes. Pleease.”
ME: Johnny-cakes? Seriously? And so forth. I admit. I caved—couldn’t take any more of the free sample. How anyone made it through seven books’ worth is beyond me.
Real men do NOT have these kinds of conversations at work, then seek out a closet.
Accurate male characters in fiction do not act like this. I’ve read enough to be pretty sure on this point. I’ve written enough to know I’d not submit these two characters to an editor.
Sooo…back to the browsing. Hope something appears.
What are your pet peeves in M/M?
~*~
www.whitleygray.com
Available from MLR Press: Going For Gold
Available from Redhot Publishing: Everything Erotic
The first couple of pages weren’t bad—I liked the characters. Then all hell broke loose in the form of head hopping. For the next few pages, I persevered—rereading every bit of dialogue to see whose head I was in. Then the onset of the kind of intimate scene I hate. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent):
“Oh, Johnny. Want you. Need you now.”
“Need you too, baby. Now. Right now.”
“Can’t wait, Johnny-cakes. Pleease.”
ME: Johnny-cakes? Seriously? And so forth. I admit. I caved—couldn’t take any more of the free sample. How anyone made it through seven books’ worth is beyond me.
Real men do NOT have these kinds of conversations at work, then seek out a closet.
Accurate male characters in fiction do not act like this. I’ve read enough to be pretty sure on this point. I’ve written enough to know I’d not submit these two characters to an editor.
Sooo…back to the browsing. Hope something appears.
What are your pet peeves in M/M?
~*~
www.whitleygray.com
Available from MLR Press: Going For Gold
Available from Redhot Publishing: Everything Erotic
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Santa Baby, Hurry..
Key Eartha Kitt--Santa Baby.*
For Christmas this year, I'd like a helping of inspiration wrapped up in XY chromosomes. That's medical-ese for "a guy."
Not a real live flesh-and-blood one--a hero.
This month I started a new MS. The last one is on the submission launching pad, and it's time to do something new. I didn't do NaNo as I was fine-tuning the last MS, so I suppose I'm having a private NaNo ala December. Just need a character to get started...
With my head full of the Christmas stories I've read the last couple of weeks (yeah, Christmas anthologies are my favorite) I seem to be at a loss for a hero or two of my own.As far as I'm concerned, he could fall out of the sky in a clump of snowflakes; whatever it takes.
Back to daydreaming. Otherwise, I may be asking for more under the tree than Chritmas cookies. So please, Santa Baby...
*To see Eartha sing Santa Baby, click here: Eartha!
For Christmas this year, I'd like a helping of inspiration wrapped up in XY chromosomes. That's medical-ese for "a guy."
Not a real live flesh-and-blood one--a hero.
This month I started a new MS. The last one is on the submission launching pad, and it's time to do something new. I didn't do NaNo as I was fine-tuning the last MS, so I suppose I'm having a private NaNo ala December. Just need a character to get started...
With my head full of the Christmas stories I've read the last couple of weeks (yeah, Christmas anthologies are my favorite) I seem to be at a loss for a hero or two of my own.As far as I'm concerned, he could fall out of the sky in a clump of snowflakes; whatever it takes.
Back to daydreaming. Otherwise, I may be asking for more under the tree than Chritmas cookies. So please, Santa Baby...
*To see Eartha sing Santa Baby, click here: Eartha!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Next Big Thing
So here we are, talking about the WIP, the work in progress. In this case, the work nearly ready for submission.
What is the working title of your book?
High Concept
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Not sure—just occurred to me.
What genre does your book fall under?
M/M contemporary romantic suspense
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?
Mmm…Not sure about this.
What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
A detective and an FBI profiler must ignore their past and collaborate to solve a series of deadly home invasions before they become the next victims.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? --Likely a small publisher.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Four months.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre.
Mmm…LA Witt, maybe. She's got a couple that are of a similar genre.
Who or What inspired you to write this book? A police shooting.
What else about your book might interest the reader?
Blurb:
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, and one man will sacrifice anything to have it, including human lives. Beck Stryker, homicide cop and shooting survivor, lives to solve the case that left him with chronic pain and killed his co-investigator four months previous; now his career hinges on his ability to work with the FBI profiler who shut down his advances two years ago. After parting ways with Beck, Zach never anticipated working with him again, let alone on a series of killings that continue after the only suspect died in a shootout. Businessman Isaac Olivetti has his sights set on winning the governor’s race, but he’s behind in the polls—until a series of home invasions leaves his wife and daughter dead. The killer will stop at nothing to protect his investment, and as they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.
Link: http://lanirhea.blogspot.com/?zx=9e259c67fcc2d284
Link back: www.sarahmadisonfiction.com
What is the working title of your book?
High Concept
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Not sure—just occurred to me.
What genre does your book fall under?
M/M contemporary romantic suspense
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?
Mmm…Not sure about this.
What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
A detective and an FBI profiler must ignore their past and collaborate to solve a series of deadly home invasions before they become the next victims.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? --Likely a small publisher.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Four months.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre.
Mmm…LA Witt, maybe. She's got a couple that are of a similar genre.
Who or What inspired you to write this book? A police shooting.
What else about your book might interest the reader?
Blurb:
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, and one man will sacrifice anything to have it, including human lives. Beck Stryker, homicide cop and shooting survivor, lives to solve the case that left him with chronic pain and killed his co-investigator four months previous; now his career hinges on his ability to work with the FBI profiler who shut down his advances two years ago. After parting ways with Beck, Zach never anticipated working with him again, let alone on a series of killings that continue after the only suspect died in a shootout. Businessman Isaac Olivetti has his sights set on winning the governor’s race, but he’s behind in the polls—until a series of home invasions leaves his wife and daughter dead. The killer will stop at nothing to protect his investment, and as they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.
Link: http://lanirhea.blogspot.com/?zx=9e259c67fcc2d284
Link back: www.sarahmadisonfiction.com
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Kiss Me Straight
Michael Thomas joins me today to give us a taste of Todd Eisenbraun, the hero of Kiss Me Straight. Todd's an international kind of guy, a flight attendant with a wicked sense of humor, and he's agreed to answer a couple of questions.
What is your name and occupation?
My name is Todd Eisenbraun, and I’m a flight attendant for a big international airline, based in San Francisco. Actually my name is Walter Todd Eisenbraun, but only my dad calls me Walter. And I really wish he wouldn’t.
How old are you?
I’m starting to come to grips with the fact that I’m thirty. Which is probably a good thing, since I’ll be thirty-five on my next birthday.
How did you come by your current occupation?
I needed the hell out of Ogallala, Nebraska is how. I studied French and Spanish in college, and Globe Runner Airlines was hiring Spanish speakers for their flight attendant base in Buenos Aires.
Do you like your job? Why or why not?
It’s a living. I loved it when I started! We had a blast in Argentina, and the Hong Kong base was good fun for a couple years. I’m always down for a good time on my layovers—Sydney’s a blast!—but lately I’m starting to wonder if I really want to be so far away from my friends in San Francisco all the time, you know? But my rent won’t pay itself, and I love how much time off I get at Globe Runner. I can rock out the First Class galley like nobody’s business, and I’m still a great flight attendant. As long as you keep me away from the people.
Who is the person you dislike the most?
Bobby Dutta! Just kidding. He’s a great guy. Who needs to keep his hands to his damn self.
Who is the person you respect the most?
My little brother Bertie. I don’t always understand him, and our lives are very different, but he stands by his values, and he challenges me to stand by mine.
Is there anyone special in your life?
You know there’s a whole book about how nuts I am about this guy Josh, right?
What’s your favorite meal, and do you fix it yourself or have someone fix it for you?
Anything made by my friend Chris. He’s the chef at our friend’s café, and he’s a genius. And the boy can eat, too…
Favorite color?
Blue.
Football or baseball?
Definitely baseball. Way better butts on baseball players.
Favorite exercise?
I ride my bike out to Ocean Beach every once in a while, just because I grew up in Nebraska and I think it’s pretty cool that I live close enough to the ocean to ride my bike to it. And hiking up to the Great Wall of China in the middle of the night on a Beijing layover turned out to be pretty rewarding.
Favorite holiday?
My family makes a pretty big deal out of Christmas. It’s a good excuse for me to home, and time with my brothers is cheaper and more fun than therapy.
Favorite song?
Chris has brought an awful lot of Judy Garland into my life. She sings, “The only bridge that’s a real gone bridge is the bridge across the Bay to San Francisco.” Pretty hard to argue with that.
Excerpt:
“So,” I said, not beating around any bushes, “tell me about this new guy.”
“Oh, he’s wonderful!” she gushed. “He came into the café the other day, and we got to talking. He’s an incredible sweetheart, and I think he’s got some talent. So I offered him a job,” she told me, “I want for you to meet him. I think you and he just might hit it off, Todd.”
“Katie mentioned that you might have something like that up your sleeve,” I told her. She flashed the briefest cross expression at Katie for spoiling her big idea. “You’ve never had a man behind the counter that I wouldn’t willingly marry,” I went on, “and you know my taste, so I am sure I would be delighted to meet him.”
“Oh, Chris won’t be counter help,” she said. “He’s my new chef, and I have only the highest hopes.”
And he’s a chef. This keeps sounding better. “But whatever happened to your motto?”
Marzipan flashed another look at Katie, this one slightly guilty. “Which motto is that, darling?”
“‘Never trust a skinny chef,’” I reminded her.
“Todd, those are words to live by. Chris is no one’s vision of skinny. In fact, he’s rather … abundant.” It took her a second to land on the exactly right euphemism, I couldn’t help but notice.
“Abundant?”
“Abundant.” She sipped her tea, not meeting my eye.
“You mean he’s fat?”
“I mean he’s positively a treasure, and the more of him, the better,” she said, without contradicting me.
“But I’m into skinny guys,” I pointed out.
Groans from both Marzipan and Katie. “Todd,” Katie insisted on reminding me, “You’re into unattainable guys. You’re into torturing yourself over straight guys and men who live three continents away.”
It is a particularly prickly thorn in the side of many of my friends, including these two, that I spend much of my free time whining about being single, and yet I seem unable to break free of a counterproductive and irresistible attraction to straight men. I mean, I’ve been out of the closet for years, to all of my friends and my conservative small-town family, and I live in the city known throughout the world as the Center of the Gay Universe. I am more confident in my looks and comfortable in my skin than I was when I was a hunky twenty-two-year old new hire — in an industry, no less, where to even get close to a straight guy, I have to push three or four hot gay guys out of my way. And yet, surrounded by eligible gay men, I throw myself again and again at guys who invariably have to sit me down and explain how they’re flattered, but …
Ignoring Bobby Dutta’s taunts of internalized homophobia and Katie’s diagnosis of a Fear of Intimacy, I prefer to think I just like a challenge. After all, if a man’s worth loving, he must be worth some psychic torment, mustn’t he?
Marzipan arched an expertly-plucked eyebrow at me. “Do you suppose,” she asked, “you might be able to overlook something like your waist size preference if the otherwise-perfect man came along? I think you might really like this guy, Todd. He struck me. He’s handsome, sweet, funny, he’s an excellent cook.”
“And,” Katie chimed in, “unlike the last fifty guys you’ve chased around the world, he’s gay.”
Okay, she did have a point there. The idea of a lean, muscled straight guy renouncing women because he can no longer ignore his smoldering love for me has been my requisite for “Happily Ever After” since I set out after my first straight guy in high school. Traveling the world for a living, I have certainly had my share of one-night stands with straight (and “straight-acting”) guys, a couple of which were fantastically hot. And, at 34, I am decidedly still single. A guy could do a lot worse than the men who usually surround Marzipan.
“You don’t have to become life partners just because I want to introduce you,” Marzipan continued, after I had gone several beats without responding. “I just thought maybe you’d like to sample a new dish from the man buffet that is your life. You can always go back for something else if it doesn’t satisfy.”
A dyed-in-the-wool monogamist, Katie burst out laughing at this description of my dating style. “And it sounds like this Chris guy might be all you can eat!” she cracked, getting into the spirit.
Thanks, Todd.
**Michael has a couple of book signings in the Denver Metro area in November:
Michael will read from and sign copies of Kiss Me, Straight at Spark Theater, in the Santa Fe Art District at 985 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, on Saturday, November 24th, from noon to 3. There will be a drawing for prizes, including CDs, Pablo's coffee, and copies of the book!
BUY: JMS Books Amazon
Contact: Facebook Twitter: @MrStewardess Email
My name is Todd Eisenbraun, and I’m a flight attendant for a big international airline, based in San Francisco. Actually my name is Walter Todd Eisenbraun, but only my dad calls me Walter. And I really wish he wouldn’t.
How old are you?
I’m starting to come to grips with the fact that I’m thirty. Which is probably a good thing, since I’ll be thirty-five on my next birthday.
How did you come by your current occupation?
I needed the hell out of Ogallala, Nebraska is how. I studied French and Spanish in college, and Globe Runner Airlines was hiring Spanish speakers for their flight attendant base in Buenos Aires.
Do you like your job? Why or why not?
It’s a living. I loved it when I started! We had a blast in Argentina, and the Hong Kong base was good fun for a couple years. I’m always down for a good time on my layovers—Sydney’s a blast!—but lately I’m starting to wonder if I really want to be so far away from my friends in San Francisco all the time, you know? But my rent won’t pay itself, and I love how much time off I get at Globe Runner. I can rock out the First Class galley like nobody’s business, and I’m still a great flight attendant. As long as you keep me away from the people.
Who is the person you dislike the most?
Bobby Dutta! Just kidding. He’s a great guy. Who needs to keep his hands to his damn self.
Who is the person you respect the most?
My little brother Bertie. I don’t always understand him, and our lives are very different, but he stands by his values, and he challenges me to stand by mine.
Is there anyone special in your life?
You know there’s a whole book about how nuts I am about this guy Josh, right?
What’s your favorite meal, and do you fix it yourself or have someone fix it for you?
Anything made by my friend Chris. He’s the chef at our friend’s café, and he’s a genius. And the boy can eat, too…
Favorite color?
Blue.
Football or baseball?
Definitely baseball. Way better butts on baseball players.
Favorite exercise?
I ride my bike out to Ocean Beach every once in a while, just because I grew up in Nebraska and I think it’s pretty cool that I live close enough to the ocean to ride my bike to it. And hiking up to the Great Wall of China in the middle of the night on a Beijing layover turned out to be pretty rewarding.
Favorite holiday?
My family makes a pretty big deal out of Christmas. It’s a good excuse for me to home, and time with my brothers is cheaper and more fun than therapy.
Favorite song?
Chris has brought an awful lot of Judy Garland into my life. She sings, “The only bridge that’s a real gone bridge is the bridge across the Bay to San Francisco.” Pretty hard to argue with that.
Excerpt:
“So,” I said, not beating around any bushes, “tell me about this new guy.”
“Oh, he’s wonderful!” she gushed. “He came into the café the other day, and we got to talking. He’s an incredible sweetheart, and I think he’s got some talent. So I offered him a job,” she told me, “I want for you to meet him. I think you and he just might hit it off, Todd.”
“Katie mentioned that you might have something like that up your sleeve,” I told her. She flashed the briefest cross expression at Katie for spoiling her big idea. “You’ve never had a man behind the counter that I wouldn’t willingly marry,” I went on, “and you know my taste, so I am sure I would be delighted to meet him.”
“Oh, Chris won’t be counter help,” she said. “He’s my new chef, and I have only the highest hopes.”
And he’s a chef. This keeps sounding better. “But whatever happened to your motto?”
Marzipan flashed another look at Katie, this one slightly guilty. “Which motto is that, darling?”
“‘Never trust a skinny chef,’” I reminded her.
“Todd, those are words to live by. Chris is no one’s vision of skinny. In fact, he’s rather … abundant.” It took her a second to land on the exactly right euphemism, I couldn’t help but notice.
“Abundant?”
“Abundant.” She sipped her tea, not meeting my eye.
“You mean he’s fat?”
“I mean he’s positively a treasure, and the more of him, the better,” she said, without contradicting me.
“But I’m into skinny guys,” I pointed out.
Groans from both Marzipan and Katie. “Todd,” Katie insisted on reminding me, “You’re into unattainable guys. You’re into torturing yourself over straight guys and men who live three continents away.”
It is a particularly prickly thorn in the side of many of my friends, including these two, that I spend much of my free time whining about being single, and yet I seem unable to break free of a counterproductive and irresistible attraction to straight men. I mean, I’ve been out of the closet for years, to all of my friends and my conservative small-town family, and I live in the city known throughout the world as the Center of the Gay Universe. I am more confident in my looks and comfortable in my skin than I was when I was a hunky twenty-two-year old new hire — in an industry, no less, where to even get close to a straight guy, I have to push three or four hot gay guys out of my way. And yet, surrounded by eligible gay men, I throw myself again and again at guys who invariably have to sit me down and explain how they’re flattered, but …
Ignoring Bobby Dutta’s taunts of internalized homophobia and Katie’s diagnosis of a Fear of Intimacy, I prefer to think I just like a challenge. After all, if a man’s worth loving, he must be worth some psychic torment, mustn’t he?
Marzipan arched an expertly-plucked eyebrow at me. “Do you suppose,” she asked, “you might be able to overlook something like your waist size preference if the otherwise-perfect man came along? I think you might really like this guy, Todd. He struck me. He’s handsome, sweet, funny, he’s an excellent cook.”
“And,” Katie chimed in, “unlike the last fifty guys you’ve chased around the world, he’s gay.”
Okay, she did have a point there. The idea of a lean, muscled straight guy renouncing women because he can no longer ignore his smoldering love for me has been my requisite for “Happily Ever After” since I set out after my first straight guy in high school. Traveling the world for a living, I have certainly had my share of one-night stands with straight (and “straight-acting”) guys, a couple of which were fantastically hot. And, at 34, I am decidedly still single. A guy could do a lot worse than the men who usually surround Marzipan.
“You don’t have to become life partners just because I want to introduce you,” Marzipan continued, after I had gone several beats without responding. “I just thought maybe you’d like to sample a new dish from the man buffet that is your life. You can always go back for something else if it doesn’t satisfy.”
A dyed-in-the-wool monogamist, Katie burst out laughing at this description of my dating style. “And it sounds like this Chris guy might be all you can eat!” she cracked, getting into the spirit.
Thanks, Todd.
**Michael has a couple of book signings in the Denver Metro area in November:
Michael will read from and sign copies of Kiss Me, Straight at Spark Theater, in the Santa Fe Art District at 985 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, on Saturday, November 24th, from noon to 3. There will be a drawing for prizes, including CDs, Pablo's coffee, and copies of the book!
BUY: JMS Books Amazon
Contact: Facebook Twitter: @MrStewardess Email
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
What kind of Book Do You Get for a Buck?
99-cent books, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
A hundred books for a hundred bucks. What a bargain for the book hound.
Or is it?
These buck books are everywhere. Amazon sends a list of their newest ones, their top sellers, their "Books [I] Might Like" based on my buying history.
I’ve gotten a few excellent reads this way, discovered new authors whom I’ve followed on to their more expensive works. I’ve also purchased my share of not-so-good books for 99 cents.
Recently, I analyzed my eBook buying habits on Amazon over the last two years--not counting textbooks. :)
**I've learned to check how long the work is before I hit "Buy." Nothing worse than paying $5 for a twenty-page story that's so-so.
**The reviews actually can be helpful. Check them out.
**I don’t like to go over five bucks unless it’s an author I know and love. If I get a free sample of an unknown and love it, I buy it.
**Publishers sometimes have better deals--specials going on, volume discounts, etc. Most authors make more on buying direct, and the publisher certainly does.
**Seven dollars is my "ouch" point. Only for my tried and true authors, or for a sample book I love som much I know it'll be worth it.
**My average per book is $3.23.
With all the e-publishing going on and the many e-readers out there, what are you willing to pay? What do you average? Do you wait for a book to go on special, or try the publisher first for a better deal?
AND—
If you set the price of your book, where do you set it? Do you raise/lower the price depending on sales?
A hundred books for a hundred bucks. What a bargain for the book hound.
Or is it?
These buck books are everywhere. Amazon sends a list of their newest ones, their top sellers, their "Books [I] Might Like" based on my buying history.
I’ve gotten a few excellent reads this way, discovered new authors whom I’ve followed on to their more expensive works. I’ve also purchased my share of not-so-good books for 99 cents.
Recently, I analyzed my eBook buying habits on Amazon over the last two years--not counting textbooks. :)
**I've learned to check how long the work is before I hit "Buy." Nothing worse than paying $5 for a twenty-page story that's so-so.
**The reviews actually can be helpful. Check them out.
**I don’t like to go over five bucks unless it’s an author I know and love. If I get a free sample of an unknown and love it, I buy it.
**Publishers sometimes have better deals--specials going on, volume discounts, etc. Most authors make more on buying direct, and the publisher certainly does.
**Seven dollars is my "ouch" point. Only for my tried and true authors, or for a sample book I love som much I know it'll be worth it.
**My average per book is $3.23.
With all the e-publishing going on and the many e-readers out there, what are you willing to pay? What do you average? Do you wait for a book to go on special, or try the publisher first for a better deal?
AND—
If you set the price of your book, where do you set it? Do you raise/lower the price depending on sales?
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Scrambling with Lex Valentine
Have you ever read a book and wanted to just hug the main characters? When I wrote Scrambling, that is how I felt about both my heroes.
Of course, I also wanted to crack their heads together. Holding onto their childish fears of losing their best friend caused them no end of trouble and kept them apart for years. Most people who read Scrambling want to knock some sense into these two guys, but I wonder if they also wanted to hug them like I did. It’s rough to be plagued with fears like theirs even if it was their own stubborn faults for feeling as they did.
So when you read, do you laugh and cry and get angry along with the characters? If you do, the author has truly done their job. The book that leaves you going “Meh” is a book I don’t want to write. I want to engage the reader even if it’s just to piss them off. Granted, there’s always a percentage of books you read that turn out not to be your cup of tea which is why you go “Meh.” But then there are others that definitely are a story you could love if only the author had gone the extra mile to imbue the story with enough emotion to capture your attention and your heart.
I love books that make cry when the main character achieve their HEA or when their heartbreak breaks my heart too. Those are the books I end up reading again and again. Those are the authors I tend to gravitate toward when it comes time to buy a new book.
As an author I sincerely strive to give my readers the sort of book they would want to read again and again and the characters that make them want more. When a reader emails me and asks for a sequel, I know I’ve done my job. When a reader emails me and says I made them laugh and cry and spit nails in anger, I know I’ve done my job. Oftentimes I want to write sequels because the characters call to my heart too. It’s hard to let them go…
I hope that if you read Scrambling or any of my books that you will love the characters and want more of them. I encourage my readers to email me or speak to me on Facebook because I love talking about my books and characters. I’ve just started a new thing on my Facebook author fan page where I post snippets of my characters, bits that weren’t in the book or bits of WIPs. Come on by and see what my people are up to! It’s meant to be a fun interactive thing and it’s a brand new thing for me to do.
Many thanks to Whitley for the chance to guest blog here today. Below is a bit of Scrambling and I hope you like Evan and Reed as much as I do!
Lex Valentine
http://lexvalentine.com
http://sunlightsucks.com
http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Scrambling
BUY LINKS
Loose Id
Amazon
Book Trailer
Blurb:
Evan McAdam has two constants in his life--football and his friendship with Reed Matthews. From the age of six, Evan's played football alongside Reed. In his teens, he realized he was gay and loved Reed, but fear kept him from confiding his deepest emotions to his best friend.
When he and Reed are drafted to the L.A. Stars, Evan decides to come out. His decision impacts Reed who's been in the closet too. The two men struggle with secrets of unrequited love while facing the world as the first two openly gay NFL players.
When injury forces Evan to retire, the love he bears Reed can no longer be hidden. But will Reed be able to reciprocate, or will Evan lose both football and the man he's always loved?
Excerpt:
Reed held his breath and watched the play of emotion across Evan’s face. He probably shouldn’t have been so blatant about what he needed, but he couldn’t stop himself. All he could think about was that Len lay dying and it could so easily have been him had he ever given in to Len’s whining about his use of condoms. Right now, he needed Evan to make him feel alive, to chase away the specter of death and disease. He needed to feel whole, and only Evan could give that to him.
“You’re overwrought. You don’t know what you’re asking.”
Evan’s voice quivered a little, and Reed could feel the tension in his friend’s body. He could also sense an underlying current of fear in Evan’s voice although he had no idea what Evan could fear.
“Yes, I do. I want you to make love to me.”
There. He’d said it aloud. All his hopes and dreams since he was fifteen years old, laid out for Evan in words of one syllable. No mistaking them for anything except what they were, a blatant invitation for Evan to fuck him. He opened his mouth and made the invitation even more clear, the words driven by the emotion he’d held so long inside.
“I want you. I need to feel you touch me, taste me. I need to be with you. I want your arms around me, your cock inside me. I need to be with someone who cares about me. For sixteen years, it’s been you and me. Even Len and Bryce haven’t come between us. It’s always been you and me.”
Reed poked Evan’s chest with a finger when he said you and his own when he said me. Evan blinked and shook his head as if he were dazed. “I-I don’t understand. Where is this coming from?” he asked with a frown.
“It’s coming from deep inside me, Ev. Whenever something is wrong, you’re there for me and vice versa, although God knows it’s usually me with problems not you,” he said with a tinge of bitterness at the life destiny had given him. “This time, I need more than just hand-holding. Will you give it to me?”
He stared at the man he’d loved since they were kids. The man he’d shared everything with. The one he couldn’t imagine his life without. And he willed Evan to say yes.
A long, soft breath escaped Evan, tension leaving his big body. “Yes. You know I love you. I could never say no to anything you ever asked of me.”
Reed pushed himself against Evan’s chest, his hands coming up to frame the handsome, beloved face of his best friend. “Then just love me. Death is cold. I need to be warm.” He pressed his mouth to Evan’s, and a pleasure like none he’d ever experienced exploded inside him.
Evan’s lips were soft and warm, gentle in a way Reed hadn’t known men could be. He took control of the kiss, took control of Reed, his hands and his mouth leading Reed to ecstasy. Their tongues slid together, tentative in the way of new lovers but without urgency or fear, just a growing awareness and heat. Evan’s hands slipped over Reed’s shoulders and down his back, causing a slow burn in Reed’s veins.
The limo turned a corner, and they rocked, swaying with the movement of the car. Reed pulled his mouth from Evan’s, and they stared at each other, breathing hard.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want,” he asked as pain threatened. He needed Evan, but he could walk away if Evan didn’t want him.
The big man pushed a trembling hand through his sandy hair. “I want it,” he replied, reaching for Reed’s hand. He pulled it toward him and pressed it into his lap.
Beneath his fingers, Reed could feel the hard ridge of Evan’s erection, and his heart sang in triumph. The evidence of Evan’s desire was enough for him tonight. He didn’t need to own Evan’s heart although he yearned to.
So when you read, do you laugh and cry and get angry along with the characters? If you do, the author has truly done their job. The book that leaves you going “Meh” is a book I don’t want to write. I want to engage the reader even if it’s just to piss them off. Granted, there’s always a percentage of books you read that turn out not to be your cup of tea which is why you go “Meh.” But then there are others that definitely are a story you could love if only the author had gone the extra mile to imbue the story with enough emotion to capture your attention and your heart.
I love books that make cry when the main character achieve their HEA or when their heartbreak breaks my heart too. Those are the books I end up reading again and again. Those are the authors I tend to gravitate toward when it comes time to buy a new book.
As an author I sincerely strive to give my readers the sort of book they would want to read again and again and the characters that make them want more. When a reader emails me and asks for a sequel, I know I’ve done my job. When a reader emails me and says I made them laugh and cry and spit nails in anger, I know I’ve done my job. Oftentimes I want to write sequels because the characters call to my heart too. It’s hard to let them go…
I hope that if you read Scrambling or any of my books that you will love the characters and want more of them. I encourage my readers to email me or speak to me on Facebook because I love talking about my books and characters. I’ve just started a new thing on my Facebook author fan page where I post snippets of my characters, bits that weren’t in the book or bits of WIPs. Come on by and see what my people are up to! It’s meant to be a fun interactive thing and it’s a brand new thing for me to do.
Many thanks to Whitley for the chance to guest blog here today. Below is a bit of Scrambling and I hope you like Evan and Reed as much as I do!
Lex Valentine
http://lexvalentine.com
http://sunlightsucks.com
http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Scrambling
BUY LINKS
Loose Id
Amazon
Book Trailer
Blurb:
Evan McAdam has two constants in his life--football and his friendship with Reed Matthews. From the age of six, Evan's played football alongside Reed. In his teens, he realized he was gay and loved Reed, but fear kept him from confiding his deepest emotions to his best friend.
When he and Reed are drafted to the L.A. Stars, Evan decides to come out. His decision impacts Reed who's been in the closet too. The two men struggle with secrets of unrequited love while facing the world as the first two openly gay NFL players.
When injury forces Evan to retire, the love he bears Reed can no longer be hidden. But will Reed be able to reciprocate, or will Evan lose both football and the man he's always loved?
Excerpt:
Reed held his breath and watched the play of emotion across Evan’s face. He probably shouldn’t have been so blatant about what he needed, but he couldn’t stop himself. All he could think about was that Len lay dying and it could so easily have been him had he ever given in to Len’s whining about his use of condoms. Right now, he needed Evan to make him feel alive, to chase away the specter of death and disease. He needed to feel whole, and only Evan could give that to him.
“You’re overwrought. You don’t know what you’re asking.”
Evan’s voice quivered a little, and Reed could feel the tension in his friend’s body. He could also sense an underlying current of fear in Evan’s voice although he had no idea what Evan could fear.
“Yes, I do. I want you to make love to me.”
There. He’d said it aloud. All his hopes and dreams since he was fifteen years old, laid out for Evan in words of one syllable. No mistaking them for anything except what they were, a blatant invitation for Evan to fuck him. He opened his mouth and made the invitation even more clear, the words driven by the emotion he’d held so long inside.
“I want you. I need to feel you touch me, taste me. I need to be with you. I want your arms around me, your cock inside me. I need to be with someone who cares about me. For sixteen years, it’s been you and me. Even Len and Bryce haven’t come between us. It’s always been you and me.”
Reed poked Evan’s chest with a finger when he said you and his own when he said me. Evan blinked and shook his head as if he were dazed. “I-I don’t understand. Where is this coming from?” he asked with a frown.
“It’s coming from deep inside me, Ev. Whenever something is wrong, you’re there for me and vice versa, although God knows it’s usually me with problems not you,” he said with a tinge of bitterness at the life destiny had given him. “This time, I need more than just hand-holding. Will you give it to me?”
He stared at the man he’d loved since they were kids. The man he’d shared everything with. The one he couldn’t imagine his life without. And he willed Evan to say yes.
A long, soft breath escaped Evan, tension leaving his big body. “Yes. You know I love you. I could never say no to anything you ever asked of me.”
Reed pushed himself against Evan’s chest, his hands coming up to frame the handsome, beloved face of his best friend. “Then just love me. Death is cold. I need to be warm.” He pressed his mouth to Evan’s, and a pleasure like none he’d ever experienced exploded inside him.
Evan’s lips were soft and warm, gentle in a way Reed hadn’t known men could be. He took control of the kiss, took control of Reed, his hands and his mouth leading Reed to ecstasy. Their tongues slid together, tentative in the way of new lovers but without urgency or fear, just a growing awareness and heat. Evan’s hands slipped over Reed’s shoulders and down his back, causing a slow burn in Reed’s veins.
The limo turned a corner, and they rocked, swaying with the movement of the car. Reed pulled his mouth from Evan’s, and they stared at each other, breathing hard.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want,” he asked as pain threatened. He needed Evan, but he could walk away if Evan didn’t want him.
The big man pushed a trembling hand through his sandy hair. “I want it,” he replied, reaching for Reed’s hand. He pulled it toward him and pressed it into his lap.
Beneath his fingers, Reed could feel the hard ridge of Evan’s erection, and his heart sang in triumph. The evidence of Evan’s desire was enough for him tonight. He didn’t need to own Evan’s heart although he yearned to.
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