Welcome Chris T Kat

Good morning. Please welcome fellow Wednesday briefer, Chris T Kat for an interview to promo her newest book, The Wolf and His Diva. 

How long have you been writing?

I wrote as a kid and young teenager, but dropped this hobby because other things became more important. I picked it up again in 2008.

Before you started, had you done any fanfiction? If so, what fandom?

Yes, I did! That's what got me into writing again. :) I started out in the House MD fandom, then wrote a bit in the Live Free or Die Hard fandom and also in the White Collar fandom. I also wrote one story in The Sentinel fandom and a couple of drabbles for the Manga Fake and the TV show Stargate SG 1. I loved writing fanfiction and would do it again if a show or movie would really catch my interest.

Are you in agreement that writing fanfiction is a great way to practice ones craft, why or why not?

Yes, I am. It was a great way to start, especially because the characters were well-known and the settings/locations too. I could concentrate on the characters or the plot or just write about them having sex. 

;-) Although I admit freely that I didn't belong to those fanfiction writers who view canon as something holy. Most of all I wrote was AU (alternative universes).

What is your favorite subgenre to write?

I enjoy a lot of subgenres and it really depends on my mood. Still, my favorite subgenre to write is the paranormal genre, especially shape-shifters. I love writing about my guys changing into animals. Often I have them change into babies because that increases the cute-factor to the max.

Would you ever write a hetero romance? Why or why not?

I would. I like pretty much everything under the sun. As long as the characters and the setting are interesting, I'm game. If I'd write a hetero romance, I'd probably go for an older woman and a younger man. I haven't had much luck in finding these kind of stories, so if anyone has any recs, please tell me about them. :)

Your first published book?

My first published book is Seizing It. Dreamspinner Press published it in April 2012. In this story, veterinary assistant Nikita (“Kit”) Jenkins meets Dale Miller. Kit suffers from epilepsy, and also from the aftereffects of an abusive relationship. He has a hard time opening up to Dale, even though he falls head over heels in love with him.

What are you working on now?

At the moment, I'm wrapping up my first science fiction story. Honestly, if I'd known I'd have such a blast writing a sci-fi story, I'd have done so a long time ago. Of course that story features aliens, as well as a snarky main character who falls head over heels in love even though he doesn't want to—not at all. There's lots of suspense and action involved, and as soon as I'm done with the first novel, I'll start on the second.

If you write gay romance or erotica, just how descriptive are youin their sex scenes?

I write sex scenes that fade to black, but also explicit scenes. It depends on my mood and the development in the story, which kind of scenes it contains.

Do you believe it’s important for you to know the gender of the author?

Honestly? I don't care at all. I've never cared about the gender of an author. As long as the story grabs me, all is well in my world.

What promotional method works best for you?

I'm really not sure which method works best. My first book did really well and I didn't promote it at all. For other books, I used paid blog tours and some worked very well while others didn't help with sales at all. I'm still trying to find a good way for me. At the moment, it's a combination of guest blogging on other author blogs and review sites (sometimes including giveaways) and occasionally buying ad space on different websites.

Your favorite gay celeb? 

Matt Bomer! He's such a pretty guy, and from everything I've read about him, he seems to be a very nice man too.

Do you feel that celebs who are gay or bi should come out of the closet?

Celebs should be treated with the same courtesy as everyone else. If they want to keep their sexual orientation private, that's fine with me. I think we should always respect a person's privacy.

For the men in your books, commando or underwear?

Most of them wear underwear because it's more fun for me to write about them undressing each other. ;-)

Favorite character in one of your books?

For a long time that has been Riley in Silver Lining. Now I'd have to say it's Billy in The Wolf and His Diva. Both characters are different from each other but they both love their partners above anything else.

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4765

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewolfandhisdiva-1447789-145.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-His-Diva-Chris-Kat-ebook/dp/B00IY66WM2

Blurb:

George Owens is comfortable with his life just the way it is. A wolf- and fox-shifter, George leads a reclusive lifestyle with his energetic and diva-ish mate Billy, a fox-and squirrel-shifter.

George has no desire to take over leadership of the pack, despite his father’s wishes. Edward Owens is feeling his age and wants to make sure the pack is in good hands should he not be able to win his next challenge. However, George is adamant that he wants no part of it.

But events rock George from his complacency, and he realizes he has to take a stand and fight for what he cares about. If he remains in the past and cannot change in order to do what he must, he risks losing everything he loves.

Excerpt:

Billy pushed George’s face away and stepped aside. For a moment, George watched him nose the ground and paw at the snowflakes sticking to his snout. George sighed inwardly before turning his gaze back to their house, gauging how long it would take them to clear a path until they could open the front door.

Paytime! Billy squalled.

George jerked his head around, but before he could do anything, Billy had already tackled him to the ground. He oomphed but played along, relieved Billy obviously wasn’t too put out by the prospect of snow shoveling.

They tussled in the snow, enjoying their time together. When Billy’s playful bites became too much for George, he shook him off easily.

It’s not fair that you always win! Billy complained.

But I’m the big bad red fox!

Uh, big bad red fox? You got something wrong there. Isn’t it the big bad wolf?

George growled in response and shifted into his other animal form—a large, dark-gray wolf. It always amused him to see Billy’s reaction—a surprised yelp and a jump backward.

This time Billy’s yelp turned into a helpless gasp. George blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. For whatever reason, shifting from one animal to another played havoc with his eyesight. When he finally had a clear view again, he stared ahead, trying to understand what was happening.

Billy scrabbled for purchase on the frozen ground, his eyes wide in fear. Nothing he did stopped him from sliding down the slope of the hill faster and faster. George gasped when Billy gave up the fight against gravity, curled himself into a tight ball and shot down the steep hillside.

Chris T. Kat

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Links:

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

10 Days of Xmas - Day Three Michael Mandrake

      

Greetings

My turn to join the party

And my question is, name my characters from my first book!

A: Brandon and Larry

B: Brendan and Luscious

C: Brandon and London

D: Brad and David

Winner gets an ebook from my backlist and a gift from N'awlins Exotica

Blurb: New Orleans is supposed to be the big easy. One night changes everything for Frankie Choteau.

New Orleans. A city rich in tradition, diversity, and on the comeback trail from hurricane Katrina. Francois “Frankie” Choteau, a resident of this town, a cop with a hot temper and low tolerance for bs. Kajika Fortier, a transplant from Oklahoma came here looking for a dream and unfortunately it’s turned into a nightmare. On a hot summer night, they meet and cross paths during a very difficult situation. Despite this, the attraction between them is evident and loneliness for both men is a fate worse than death. They’d both like a chance at happiness but will the circumstances and Frankie’s uneasiness prevent their happy ever after?

Amazon    Allromance  Smashwords 

Here's a sexy scene for you. I loved writing it!

Bass line started, the white light shone over a tall muscular figure dressed all in black, with a fedora and overcoat. The music cued and Frankie recognized the tune immediately.

“I Get So Lonely, by Janet Jackson. Wow, Kajika!” His eyes affixed to the platform, he stared at the man walking slowly to the front. The crowd still yelling and whooping at the sight of this gorgeous individual.

With the first part of the song, Kajika slid from the left to the right, moving along with the rhythm. His body tensed up to perform the moves. Kajika waved his arms and puffed out his chest. 

I remember that dance back in the day.

Kajika removed his hat, revealing his gorgeous, slanty eyes, and the audience lost it. Immediately, women and men lined up on the sides, money in hand, ready to give it to him once he stripped off the layers. That included all the older women at the table; one of them, with a walker, scooted quickly to take her place.

A stunned Frankie looked on, mesmerized by Kajika and his expert moves. His timing and rhythm perfect with Janet. He looked as if he were in the video along with her. A hush filled the room, everyone in the same haze as Frankie while they stared at him, seemingly waiting for the first piece of clothing to fly off. In a matter of seconds, he gave them what they wanted, throwing the hat and coat, revealing the beautiful face and black hair in a long ponytail.

That body!

“Ahhh! Oh my God, Kajika! I wanna have your babies!” A woman screamed from the center stage, holding a fifty in her hand, waving it in his direction.

Kajika stalked her like she was his prey and danced his way down to accept the gift. He rolled his hips and pressed his body against hers, nuzzling her neck, and smiling the whole time.

She gave him the bill gladly and stayed there, frozen, while he continued his routine. He held up one finger and when the song chorus hit again, he tore his pants off, tossing them to her as a souvenir.

At first sight of those tanned legs the crowd yelled again, calling out to him. Frankie’s breaths quickened and his dick jutted against his own trousers. He’d seen the upper half of that body nude and now, except for the underwear, he was seeing more.

“Whoa!” Frankie couldn’t believe his eyes. He finished his beverage. The bitter taste did nothing to curb his thirst, it only coated it. He knew the only thing to quench it completely lay in front of him. “Kajika, ooh…” Frankie shook his head, amazed at how well the man could dance.

Where did he learn to do all this?

How does a small town Oklahoma boy learn to do all these moves? He didn’t mention dance school or any formal training and yet he performed as if he should be on one of the dance shows on TV.

Expecting more, the lady stayed in the front and Kajika rolled his body down to her level again, bending backwards for her to rub it. She did and it instantly made Frankie very jealous but he knew Kajika had to satisfy this woman since she tipped him well. To add insult to Frankie’s injury, Kajika’s brown eyes met her gaze and his lips collapsed on top of hers while he held her head close to his own.

Fuckin hot!

The crowd went nuts looking on, most likely wishing they were in this woman’s place right now.

“Ooh God, take me with you!” The woman bellowed and held onto him, not allowing Kajika to move. 

He kissed her again and pulled away quickly. Kajika somersaulted backward and landed on the floor, once the midpoint of the song ended. While still there, Kajika pressed his body against it and did pushups, showing his strength and stamina. He arched his body again and looked up at the ceiling, rolled his neck around, and jumped up once more. This time he tore off his shirt and tie, allowing the light brown chest with perky nipples and outtie navel to make an appearance. Again, the crowd roared while Janet wailed in the background. Now, only covered with the G-string, Kajika cartwheeled before sliding on his knees to the front of the stage, allowing the women and men to touch all over him, throwing money, pushing cash between the strings.

In a daze, Frankie looked on, not knowing what had hit him. Lust filled his mind. His engorged cock ready to spring free he continued to keep his eyes on Kajika and his adoring fans. He wished he could rescue him from the mauling, but he looked to be handling it quite well on his own. “Damn, baby.” Frankie marveled at the moves some more and when Kajika released the hair from the rubber band, his heart thumped in his chest.

“You go, Kaj!” Naomi yelled out next to him, clapping loudly.

Kajika only nodded in her direction and spun on his toes at the end of the song. Bills all around him, he did one more move then strolled toward the edge of the stage, gazing out at the crowd with hungry eyes. More music started, this time another song with JJ’s voice that Frankie loved. Finally, he recalled they talked about their favorite music and how both agreed that Janet would be the only woman they’d want to sleep with.

You did it for me? This made Frankie feel special. Now he wanted to show his appreciation in a different manner. “Gonna make your body wet…” Frankie sang along and snapped his fingers to the beat. Kajika’s eyes met Frankie’s and, at that moment, Frankie wanted to grab him off the platform and fuck his brains out.

Instead, he watched him come off the stage and toss his shoes to the side. With the music still going, he slinked up to Frankie, taking a place on his lap. Kajika raked his own hair with his hands and shook it out until it cascaded over his broad shoulders. He traced the outlines of Frankie’s face with his fingertips. 

“Ooh…shii…” Frankie froze, not able to move a muscle with Kajika this close in proximity to him. Mouth dry like the Sahara, he moistened his lips and eyed the pretty man while he gyrated on him and wrapped his arms around Frankie’s shoulders.

“I want you so bad, Frankie,” he hissed and traced his ear with his tongue.

Fuck.

Just the voice, coupled with his movements, caused Frankie to spurt in his pants. He closed his eyes, envisioning them in bed together, enjoying each other. It was sex without even removing his clothes while Kajika was almost naked in his arms. And although the club was filled to the brim, loud people chanting his name, Frankie could only see Kajika on his lap, feel the hard and muscled body under his fingers. Seemingly everyone disappeared for that minute and he grasped Kajika’s buttocks, pressing him down onto his crotch.

Passion brewing between them they were in the midst of a heated exchange. Kajika softly kissed his lips, their tongues tangled in a hot embrace.

“I want you too!” Frankie forgot all about what was occurring around them, including the older women behind them yelling and clapping loudly. He reciprocated the kiss, then again, they explored each other’s mouths with reckless abandon until both stopped abruptly, and looked at each other, starry-eyed.

“Be right back,” Kajika whispered and pressed his lips onto Frankie’s once more before hopping off and jumping back on stage. With the music ending, he dropped to the floor and rolled once again, to give the people a chance to maul him.

All Frankie could do was stand there and watch. “Good God, Kajika. You are−” 

Despite his dick’s response to Kajika, Frankie remained hard as a rock. His own nipples pebbled under his silk shirt and the adrenaline raced through him like an electric current.

Damn, baby.

Kajika Fortier was indeed the star of this place. If the crowd reaction didn’t prove that, nothing would.

Still gawking, Frankie clapped along with the other audience members showing their appreciation for Kajika’s performance. He wondered how on earth anyone would be able to top what just went on there at N’awlin’s Entertainment over the last ten or so minutes.

If there were someone to come behind Kajika, they wouldn’t be able to best that. This Frankie was sure of. And now, he wished to have this pretty man all to himself, to ravage the rest of the evening. 

I won the fight over the HEAD'S Space!

I won the fight

Find out more at 

Taboos and Perversions!

Welcome Avril Ashton!

Welcome fab author Avril Ashton to Michael's promoting her latest book, A Sinner Born!

I love a delicious fetish. Something fun, sexy and um, all kinds of naughty. I’d read any hot fetish and I’d always wanted to incorporate it in my own writing. When time came for me to brainstorm ideas for A Sinner Born, Book three in my Brooklyn Sinners series with Ellora’s Cave, I had just the thing. And I knew just who would have that particular kink.

Syren Rua was introduced in book one of the series. Readers have only seen one side to him, the sexy, flirty side. Beneath his delicate, gorgeous features and custom-made suits, our tortured Syren likes his girly drawers. I loved that. Loved how he embraced it, didn’t shy from it. It’s all a part of who he is and he lets his lover know if he can’t accept that part of Syren, they wouldn’t be getting on at all.

His love of women’s underwear isn’t one Syren broadcasts, obviously, but in the circles he runs, with the men he deals with; drug runners, gun dealers and sex traffickers, there’s added pressure. No way can he let that kind of information slip. Yes, in that environment, he keeps his secret safe, but in the home of the man he loves, the man he’s wanted for so long, he leaves it all on the kitchen floor. He’s taking a chance, showing himself to Kane, being as vulnerable as he is with him. Only one other time did Syren feel safe enough to do it, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. He’s afraid of Kane’s reaction, afraid to think his would-be lover would accept that part of him, that part of Syren so much at odds with who he should be, the image he projects.

Something tells me Kane is gonna surprise Syren. 

A Sinner Born

Book three in the Brooklyn Sinners series.

One man buried in secrets. Another still grieving the love he lost. Their worlds collide in a battle between memories, old and new, while trust hangs by a fragile thread.

Syren Rua is at war. He battles painful childhood demons and his intense need for the first person who makes him feel. As Faro, Syren makes deals with the worst while taking the steps necessary to bring his family’s killer to justice. He isn’t one to indulge in selfish needs, but he’ll make the time in this instance. Syren has been watching Kane Ashby, craving the grieving man for his own. He’s always stayed away from temptation, but that’s about to change.

Kane isn’t over the death of his long-time partner. He’s certainly not ready for a relationship, sexual or otherwise, but Syren isn’t a man who takes no for an answer. The unpredictable Syren offers nothing but secrets and brings with him memories so dark, they could wipe out any chance the two might ever have. Syren brings Kane’s heart back to life. But it is also Syren who could inflict the most damage.

Inside Scoop: One of our heroes has a panty fetish. And it’s hot. This book also contains brief references to rape and child abuse.

A Romantica® gay/lesbian erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

http://www.ellorascave.com/a-sinner-born.html

EXCERPT

“I like wearing women’s underwear.” He spoke the words in one endless breath. “I wear panties, have since I was eighteen. That is who I am, all of me. I want to share myself with you, but you have to let me know—” He gave up trying to make his voice stop wobbling. “You have to let me know now if you can’t handle it. Please.” The idea of a rejection wasn’t fun, Kane turning from the sight of him would cut him to the quick, but he needed to deal with it now and put it to bed.

Kane’s expression hadn’t changed one bit. “Did someone reject you before, because of your…preference?”

“I was twenty-one.” Syren shrugged. “I had the stupid notion I could simply be myself.” That particular memory didn’t hurt as much as it once did. “He laughed and pointed, and that’s after letting me know he wasn’t interested in boys trying to be girls. I knew after that to keep my secret, this secret to myself.” Not that he’d had anyone to keep it from except Delatorre. Lovers, he’d had none.

Kane’s jaw tightened with each word he spoke, the anger in his eyes on Syren’s behalf sparking irrational hope that Syren pushed down.

“I have to admit I’ve never given it a thought until the other day.” Kane’s lips curved. “When I felt it on your skin, when I caught a glimpse under your clothes. I can’t stop thinking about seeing you in them and nothing else.”

Syren blinked. Twice.

“Do you always wear them?” Kane asked.

“Except when I go to business meetings or meet with Delatorre.” Syren searched his face for any clue as to what Kane was thinking, but he got nothing.

“Strip.”

Syren gaped at him. “What?”

“You heard me.” Kane’s nostrils flared. “Don’t make me come over there and tear off that fucking suit.”

Jesus H. Syren’s fingers trembled as he fingered a button on his shirt. “Kane.”

“You look so put together, neat and tidy in that suit,” Kane spoke softly. “I bet it costs a pretty penny, all expensive. It’s like fucking armor and I want to rip it off, get you dirtied up.”

Syren exhaled loudly and shrugged out of the shirt. He dropped it on the countertop.

“Don’t stop.”

He unbuckled his belt with shaky fingers, the fluttering in his stomach getting more and more pronounced. The moment of truth. He never thought it would happen, but he suddenly wished to be anywhere else but there, undressing for Kane. He’d be the first man, the first to see Syren naked in so long. Naked, from head to toe.

The pressure in his chest grew and grew, hindering his breathing. He didn’t look down at himself as he stepped out of the pants and kicked them away. He knew what he looked like; smooth, pale skin, lanky limbs, the scars on both hips and back and the panties. They were a pair from the most recent purchase Isa made for him, black, flirty boy shorts in allover lace, decorated with tiny golden butterflies. They hugged his body and rode low on his hips, rising just over the crack of his ass and cupping him gently in the front. He loved it, the look and feel of those pretty things on his skin.

He cleared his throat, trying to find a way to vocalize what he felt. “I feel desirable and untouchable when I wear them,” he whispered. “No one knows what’s under my clothes but me and yet I feel powerful and in control.”

Kane’s eyes gleamed. “Do you want to know what I see?”

Syren shied away from meeting his eyes and bit his lip. “Yes.”

“Then look at me.”

He did. Something blazed bright in the depths of Kane’s blue eyes, something that would’ve made a lesser man bawl, but he was made of tougher stuff so he only sniffled.

“Kane.”

“You’re perfection.”

Those words touched him in that cold prison where his heart resided, melting the ice bars holding him caged. Syren’s head spun and he gulped in a lungful of air, only then realizing he’d been holding his breath, waiting for the hammer of rejection to come down.

AUTHOR BIO

A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a tolerant spousal equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing the plot points of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother.   

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Addicted to cake, the ID Channel and the UFC, Avril writes Erotic and GLBT Romance for Ellora's Cave, Evernight Publishing, eXtasy Books, Secret Cravings Publishing and Total-e-Bound.

 Visit: http://www.avrilashton.com

Friend Avril on: http://www.facebook.com/writeravrilashton

http://www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh

http://avrilashton.tumblr.com/

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/author/avrilashton

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Avril+Ashton

Wind Down Wednesday

Good morning!

Now that Mon Amour has been released, it's time for me to turn my attention on I Love it Rough, the sequel to I Like Em Pretty

Of course, I've insisted to Shar because of comments from readers and my own pushiness we add more about Frankie's job as a detective and less on the romance. 

How do we weave this into Kajika's book is still being worked out but I'm sure when we start writing more details we can come up with something.

Since this is Kajika's novel, this song by DM just speaks to me.

My character saying how much he wants to be involved with someone and needs someone to feel fulfilled.

By Kajika's actions in this upcoming book, you'll discover how much he enjoys being in a relationship long term despite his immature actions that make his lover furious!

*snort*

Look for ILIR to be out in late September/October

Wind Down Wednesday

Good Morning!

So, you might've read Shar's blog post the other day about a new story she and I thought about.

It was a gay romance with a man in the military who falls in love at first sight with a young man he assisted while in Afghanistan. Upon seeing this gentleman, the officer is smitten immediately but their backgrounds and the circumstances force them apart.

Later on in the story, the guys get a second chance but the situation has changed and my protagonist isn't ready to give my secondary character what he wants.

Yep, that's all i'll say for now. 

How does it relate to this song? Well, the song is In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.

The words just spoke to me. My main character falls in love as soon as he sees this man's eyes. The words that Peter talks about embody hope and since the story takes place during modern day war, I thought it appropriate to use it. The song I believe was performed during the South African struggles with Apartheid. And even though the song is not truly a love song, it fit my characters state of mind.

I'm really excited about it. Not sure when we'll write it but I can guarantee it will be written in 2013!

Where in the World is Michael Mandrake?

The promo for me and ILEP continues with a short interview at LRC

http://loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/2013/05/meet-michael-mandrake.html

Wednesday Briefs #27

Good morning and welcome to another Wednesday briefs by me, Michael Mandrake. Well, Katlin and Lacey really want their story to be written. Each week they bug me about a new part and I succumb to the muses. *laughs* I do love this couple and hopefully after Mon Frere and Pretty's sequels are done, I'll find the time to write their book.

For now, here is another part for them with the picture prompt, rain drops on glass. 

Rain Drops on Glass
(Kat and Lacey M/M)

After more kisses and gropes, Kaitlin and Lacey finished undressing and headed for Kaitlin’s bed. Thank goodness the baby didn’t wake when they made so much noise but Lacey had a feeling the night would still be short lived. After all, little Larita was barely one and from experience with his little baby brother, he knew at that age they still craved a parent’s or loved one’s touch in the middle of the night. Still, Lacey would enjoy the moment regardless of the circumstances. They finally had a moment alone after months of playing around with no action. Finally, Lacey and Kat were able to spend the night in each other’s arms. Lord knows, Lacey had been wishing and begging for it to happen for quite a while.

Lacey crawled in first on the side facing the window, not knowing which his desired partner preferred. Kat didn’t seem to mind at all since he said nothing when he took his favorite spot.

“Hey babes, lemme go take one last look at Larita and I’ll be back. Make yourself comfortable in there. Keep looking sexy,” he added with a grin. Kaitlin pulled a pair of sweatpants out the pile of clothes in the corner and tugged them over his naked thighs. He blew Lacey a kiss and left out quickly.

Lacey returned the smile and settled underneath the white cottony sheets. He leaned his head against the board and sighed when the soft fabric touched his skin. Kaitlin’s mattress was firm just how he liked it too. Seemingly another thing they had in common with one another.

Content, Lacey turned his attention to the window on his right. Small clusters of rain drops pelted the glass and a rumble of thunder followed by a flash of lightening lit up the night sky. “Good thing, we made it in just in time to avoid the storm.” If they were still outside, the date would’ve been ruined but making love with the rain as a backdrop would be romantic. Sometimes he was sappy like that and he laughed at himself because of it. He wondered if Katlin felt the same way about those lovey dovey things. The kind of shit they talk about in love songs. Lacey couldn’t recall the last time he had that kind of relationship with anyone. Hopefully Kaitlin would want that kind of lasting connection with Lacey now that they’d gotten over the initial hump. There were still many to come but Lacey was prepared for the long haul because Kaitlin was well worth it.

“She’s good for now.” Kat came back in, stripped off his pants, and jumped in bed making Lacey laugh. He cuddled up next to him, lay his head on his chest, and yawned while fingering the small patches of curls that lead to Lacey’s navel.

Lacey jerked a little and planted a kiss on Kat’s scalp, enjoying the warmth from his potential man’s body. Though shorter and slimmer than Lacey, the man was built solid like a brick house which had to come from Kat’s job working for delivery company as long as he did. Nothing hotter than muscle on muscle. Lacey had always been attracted to men who took good care of themselves much like he did. Kaitlin surely fit the bill. “You think Larita will allow us some more time in the wee hours of the morning?”

“Hope so. She’s a great kid, Lacey but she is teething right now so we’ll see what happens. Really, I should text Shanna and tell her to come back to the apartment and do her job as a momma.”

Lacey silently agreed, not wanting to stir up an argument with Kaitlin about his baby’s mother. Perhaps later on Lacey could talk to Kaitlin about taking over primary custody of Larita since it seemed Shanna wasn’t ready to be a proper parent. No real caring mother would leave a young child in a crib alone, even if it was to go right across the hall. How would she hear if the baby was crying? Thank goodness nothing had happened while she was out.

“Why so quiet, baby? I know what you’re gonna say…” Kaitlin’s brown inquisitive gaze met his.

“Then I won’t have to repeat it,” he interrupted him with a small peck on his lips. “I don’t wanna start a fight. It’s best for me to keep my opinions to myself. We’re having a good night and I don’t wanna ruin it.”

“You won’t and I suppose that’s something else we’ll talk about over coffee,” Kaitlin sighed and settled back against Lacey’s body. “I know what I have to do, babe. No worries there.”

“Good.” Lacey cradled Kaitlin’s firm torso close to his own and massaged his back underneath the covers. “Besides, I don’t wanna chat about that right now, anyway.” Lacey pointed at the window. “Did ya’ notice the rain outside, love? Sure makes for a perfect scene don’t it?”

“Mhmmm…” Kaitlin shifted until they were face to face again and softly caressed Lacey’s chin. “I love nights like this and even more so when I’ve got my hot man right next to me to share it with.”

That last statement brought Lacey out from his lust filled haze. “Yeah? Is that what I am? I hoped I would be.”

Kaitlin chuckled and pressed his lips on top of Lacey’s once again. “Of course you are, silly man. I don’t bring just anyone around my family, Lace. You gotta know that. Ever since De died, there hasn’t been anyone else in my life because I didn’t think I’d ever find another man that would make me happy but I should’ve known better. You and I had that thing when we saw each other on the court that day and it never left even though we didn’t get together right away.” Kaitlin looked away a moment and moistened his lips. “De was my man but there was no question I wanted you from the first time I saw you, Lace. Now that we’ve this chance, let’s make the most of it.” A stray tear slid down Kaitlin’s face and he sniffed but didn’t break their moment of staring at one another.

Lacey’s breath caught in his chest and he kissed the moisture from his lover’s face. “We will baby. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my whole life.”

* * * *

Hope you enjoyed.

Please make sure you check out the other authors participating this week!

Lily Sawyer

Cia Nordwell

MA Church 

Renee Stevens

Andrew Gordon 

Julie Lynn Hayes

Welcome Julie Lynn and MA Church - Be My Alien Promo

Good morning folks. Ah lovely day here at Michael's and I'm happy to have Julie Lynn Hayes and MA Church, two awesome authors and even more fabulous friends. I love this cover too!

There comes a time when a writer sets a fresh piece of paper in the typewriter and is faced with the age-old question – what shall I write? All right, maybe I’m dating myself a bit here, and no, I haven’t used an actual typewriter in many years. Nor would I want to. My fingers are spoiled by the light touch of the keyboard, and I never wish to go back again. 

But I digress.

First question is often what genre do I wish to dabble in today? I admit that science fiction has not been my first choice when deciding which genre to write in. Granted, I do enjoy science fiction and, at one time, read a lot of it. But it was a different field back then, with writers like Asimov, Clarke, Henlein, Bradbury... I knew I didn’t have the science background to even begin to attempt the things they did. Science fiction today is just not the same as it was then. In fact, I didn’t read it for a long time.

A long time ago, I did begin a sci fi story, which is now long lost in my notes somewhere. It had to do with a time when people entertained themselves by plugging into their TV’s, attaching themselves through electronics in such a way that they could participate in the story. HOPAVI, I called it, short for home participation video. Guess it wasn’t that story’s time.

I began writing a sci fi story with my friend, author Sui Lynn, and we’ve posted snippets of it on our blogs, and we really love it, but real life has derailed that story, at least for now.

In the meantime, my friend and author, M.A. Church and I decided to write something together. What do you want to write, she asked. As it so happened, I had the privilege of editing two of her novels, Nighttime Wishes and Nighttime Dreams, and also The Harvest, which she has subbed and is waiting to hear about. All three novels deal with the romance between an alien and a human, and I am here to tell you these stories are hot, hot, hot! So much so that when she said what do you want to write, I knew the answer. I wanted to write about an alien too. An alien/human romance of our own.

As is usual in collaborations, each author creates a main character, although both should be capable of writing for each of them. Thus Michelle created Reed Hatcher, and I got to make up the alien, whose name is Taz. The result of this first collaboration is Be My Alien, which we subbed to Dreamspinner and which they accepted, and which published May 8^th.

Taz is from the planet of Trygos, from somewhere far far away. He comes to Earth on a date with another alien, Vorlod, and is excited about it. It seems that to the other inhabitants of the universe, Earth is not much of a destination, so it’s like going on a cheap date. But Taz is happy, and they’re up in the Empire State Building together when Taz figures out Vorlod’s real reason for being there... when Vorlod dumps him for another alien.

Reed Hatcher is a successful businessman without a love life. He expends all his energies into his shop, A Touch of Class, which specializes in upscale men’s clothing, as well as what is in the naughty backroom. It’s two days until Valentine’s Day, and Reed is about to close up shop and go home to his lonely apartment when a late night call from a good client changes everything, and he agrees to make a last minute delivery to the Empire State Building.

There, Taz falls into Reed’s arms—literally. What happens?  ‘Fraid you’ll have to read the book to find out!

Michelle and I are hard at work on book two of what will probably be a three book series. I have to tell you, it’s been great fun writing with her, and I fully intend to inveigle her into more books after these. With or without aliens? Who knows! Whatever they will be, they will be fun.

What does it take to write about aliens? You are only limited by your imagination. I got to create our alien, since Michelle had two other series and I never did, so I came up with Taz, who has some distinctively feline features. I know, big shock, right?

But more than just what he looks like, I needed a background, and knowledge of his home world, so that means worldbuilding, which I happen to enjoy. And even if all of the details are not revealed in the books, at least they are there to draw on, a firm foundation for making him believable.

If you want to create an alien of our own, let’s assume for the sake of argument, that he is some sort of humanoid. This makes it easier for the audience to see and relate to him. If there are differences, such as the “dreadlocks/tentacles”  of Michelle’s alien in the Nighttime series, then let us see them, and tell us what sets them apart. Or, in Taz’s case, it’s his stripes... and his tail.

Like any other character, your alien needs a background, family, friends, etc. A job or something he does to spend his time while waiting for his human/true love to appear.

See? Basically, underneath the differences are the similarities. The alien is still a man, and he still has dreams, wishes, desires and hopes, among them to love and be loved.

The rest is window dressing and a lot of fun.

So go on, build yourself an alien of your own, and see what I mean!

* * * *

Blurb:  Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

Excerpt:  “Are you okay? Hello?”

Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”

Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”

The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.

“I really am sorry.”

“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most….world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”

For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”

A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 

Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.

 * * * * *

And now, a little information on the authors of Be My Alien.

Author bio:

M.A. Church

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.

My links:

Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com

Twitter @nomoretears00

Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church

Publishers:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_650

Romance First Publishing: www.rfppublishing.com

Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=177

Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/authors/MA-Church.aspx

Author Bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing and No Boundaries Press, and coming soon with both Extasy Books and Torquere Press. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  

My links:

Blog  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

Twitter @Shelley_runyon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7?ref=tn_tnmn

My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

Publishers:

Museit Up Publishing:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222

eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)

Torquere Press http://torquerepress.com/  (coming soon)