The Trouble With Tony by Eli Easton, 5/5

The Trouble With Tony by Eli Easton, 5/5

The Book

As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. 

This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. 

He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. 

But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them?

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

The Review

I don't often ask for sequels. As a writer I know that sometimes the story is the story, and there is nowhere else the characters could be taken. I don't know if Eli is planning another book featuring these two characters but GAH, I hope Eli does. I am a new reader of Eli (check out my review of Blame It On The Mistletoe, Eli Easton, 5/5 and a recommended read

This book was wonderful, funny, sexy, and I loved the two characters so much I didn't want to stop reading them even after they got their HEA. You should read, I did and I loved it.


Simon, Sex and the Solstice Stone, Kay Berrisford, 5/5

Simon, Sex and the Solstice Stone, Kay Berrisford, 5/5

The Book

Simon’s holiday season is looking grim. His boyfriend’s dumped him, and his self-esteem is rock bottom. Stuck in the UK where nobody celebrates Thanksgiving, the shy, geeky student drowns his sorrows at an ancient stone circle. When a gorgeous stranger, Aubrey, shows up and attempts to seduce him, Simon is flattered but also freaked—especially when Aubrey claims to be from an historic sex cult who’d uncovered the true powers of the circle. It’s a time machine. Aubrey intended to travel back three hundred and sixty-five days, but an error propelled him forward three hundred and sixty-five years into a world alien to him.

Simon reluctantly takes the lost time traveler under his wing, and Aubrey teaches Simon the ways of sex, love, and magic. Simon’s never felt so alive, but as their bond grows, Aubrey remains determined to perform a dangerous ritual and return home at the winter solstice. Fearing he’s no more to Aubrey than a sexual sacrifice, Simon must discover the dark secrets of Aubrey’s pagan past. Only then can Simon choose between risking all for the man he loves or a lonely Christmas without him.

Buy Links


Review 5/5

It is no secret I love Kay Berrisford and this latest book of hers I have read (published 2012) is a book I could not put down. There is a touch of light BDSM towards the end, but even though I am not a great fan of BDSM books in general, this was just enough to have me believing Simon and Aubrey could fly. The time travel aspect is dealt with very well also. I adored Simon, and Aubrey is a more complex character than when we first meet him.

If you like paranormal, with a touch of time travel, and you want a book you can really bury your teeth into then this is a recommended book from me.


The Case Of The Sinful Santa - End Street Detective Agency Book 4

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - End Street Detective Agency Book 4

Cover Art by Posh Gosh
The Book

Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the centre of it all—Mal.

Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?

When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.










"....I really do enjoy this series and how it’s progressing. You never know what we will face next, what interesting characters we will be introduced to, or what new problems will arise...."




End Street Detective Agency Series

Book 1 - The Case of the Cupid Curse
Book 2 - The Case of the Wicked Wolf
Book 3 - The Case of the Dragon's Dilemma
Book 4 - The Case of the Sinful Santa

Buy Links - eBook

Totally Bound  |  Amazon (US)  |  Amazon (UK)  |  All Romance  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  Sony

Buy Links - Print Book

Volume 2 incorporating Books 3 and 4 - Total E-Bound  |  Amazon (US)  |  Amazon (UK)

Reviews

The Novel Approach - 4/5 - "....I love this series by Amber Kell and Rj Scott. Not only are there some pretty cool paranormal beings, but the interaction between them all is very entertaining. There is a great mystery, some hot lovin’ and even a bit of humor. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Maybe we will FINALLY find out exactly what Sam is...."

MM Good Book Reviews - 4/5 - "....I really do enjoy this series and how it’s progressing. You never know what we will face next, what interesting characters we will be introduced to, or what new problems will arise. And we can’t help but wonder when poor Sam will get an actual paying case that doesn’t end up involving him, Bob or Mal in some way. Zeph and Nick make interesting additions to the little group of friends and they bring that extra angst as they face down those uppity Angels and they get a surprise visit...."

Mrs Condit & Friends - 5/5 - "....The thing I like best about the End Street series is that it doesn’t. End, I mean. This is book four and there are already hints about future stories. Bob and Sam still rule the roost, but the other characters from past books make an appearance, too, rounding out the cast and making for a heck of a read...."

The Jeep Diva - 4/5 - "....Ms. Scott and Ms. Kell have opened up a paranormal world not only of adventure but of very “human-like” people who love and trust each other and have banded together to form their own unique and special family.

The way Bob adored Sam was priceless and melted my heart. Zephariel and Nick were loving mates who would do anything for each other, including becoming human, if needed.

What I like best about the series is the progression the authors take the reader through. A journey of love and intrigue, where one book ends and the next begins. Best read in order to follow the story line, the End Street Detective Agency is worth the time to read...."

Paranormal Romance Guild - Penelope Adams - 4/5 - "....Once again the duo of Kell and Scott skillfully take us into the world of fantasy, erotica and humor with a little bit of Christmas magic thrown in for good measure. We’ve met Sam and Bob in previous novellas and fell in love with their give and take. Each new book takes us a little deeper into their world, introducing us to new characters and giving us new insight into old familiar ones. These two authors write as one, and if the reader didn’t know better they would swear they were hearing the story from one person...."

Paranormal Romance Guild - Gloria Lakritz - 4.5/5 - "....Amber Kell and RJ Scott have written this fun tongue-in-cheek fantasy series that I cannot get enough of… The give and take of the characters and the double entendres are written by very quick-witted authors with a sense of humor that is fun to read.

....I know this is February, and the holidays are over, but it would be to your benefit as it was ours to look into this wonderful series and wait along with us for another installment of “WHAT IS SAM?’....."

Excerpt

Nick Klauson pushed open the door to the tavern and climbed onto a seat in the back corner where it was dark and he could be alone. He needed somewhere to lick his wounds and this place was as good as any. The barman—woman? Nick could never tell with satyrs—waited expectantly and Nick didn’t keep him or her standing there long. He didn’t have to think about what he was going to order.

“Whisky. A bottle. One glass,” he said firmly. He waited for a reaction and was vaguely disappointed when there was none. The whisky was old, the crystal tumbler bright and there in front of him was the means to forget who he was for a few hours at least.

“Do you want any food?” the satyr asked. Her features coalesced into a feminine shape and she batted her eyelashes at Nick. If she only knew how freaked out Nick was to see a paranormal being able to change sex at the whim of the person they were with.

“Do I look like I want food?” Nick snapped. “If I’d wanted food I would have ordered it.” He stopped as he realised the residual anger from his last showdown with the family was spilling over into spite and irritation. “Sorry,” he mumbled before swallowing another mouthful of burning alcohol. He wiped his mouth. “Bad day.” Bad year. Bad life.

The satyr leaned over the bar, giving Nick an eyeful of newly fashioned creamy breasts in a low-cut top. “You look stressed,” she began with a low purr. “I can help you with that if you have the time.” Evidently the satyr was reading Nick all wrong. The alcohol was burning in his system and he clung to the buzz as long as he could. Unfortunately his family had this damn gene that meant they didn’t stay drunk for long. Sometimes he hated that…sometimes he wanted to drown in the haze of contentment and just stay there for an hour or two.

“Wrong…uhm…” He waved a hand at her breasts.

She chuckled and in the weirdest, unsexiest, most obscene way ever, she morphed into a male. Nick nearly choked on his whisky. The male bartender was so the absolute opposite of what Nick wanted in a guy. She…or he—or whatever the satyr was—had chosen a small blond twink of a thing. What he was faced with couldn’t have been more wrong. Nick loved his men big and dark-haired and strong enough to drag him to bed.

“Better?” the satyr said in a soft voice.

Nope. All wrong.

“I’m not interested,” Nick said quickly. “That isn’t what I came in for.”

The satyr reached out a hand and touched his cheek, startling him back on the stool. “Shame. You’re soooo pretty.”

Nick pulled away from the satyr’s reach. “Uh. Yeah. Just the whisky, thanks.”

“Are you really sure? I can be anything you want me to be.”

“Can you be a way out?” Nick snapped then regretted it. The satyr eyed him with confusion then opened his mouth to answer. “Never mind,” Nick interjected. “The whisky is fine.”

The satyr moved away and morphed as he walked, back into the buxom blonde. Nick could feel the disappointment emanating from her. He hated that. Not only was Nick the only skinny one in the family, but he had a broken form of the family trait of empathy. Not a useful skill when the only emotions he was capable of reading were misery and disappointment. He couldn’t even get empathy right. And as for ho ho freaking ho…

“Is this seat taken?” a voice rumbled to his left. Irritation flooded Nick. This was a big bar with a lot of spaces to hide, why would someone want to share his?

“Yes,” he snapped.

The owner of the voice chuckled and the sound cut through Nick’s melancholy. That was one low, sexy noise. He looked sideways and got an eyeful of man. Big man. Huge. Maybe six-four to his five-ten. Wide, solid, with dark hair, and even in the dim lighting at this end Nick could see the man’s eyes glint with amusement. Nick squirmed in his seat. Why had he said yes? The man, or whatever he turned out to be in this mixed human/para bar, was clearly interested enough to choose to sit next to Nick. Add to that Nick had a whole afternoon to kill.

“No,” he said.

“No what?” the big man said.

“When I said yes, I meant no. No one is sitting there.”

The man looked down pointedly at the fact he was already perched on the stool anyway. “Then I’ll stay,” he concluded.

The satyr behind the bar moved over to serve the new guy. Nick blinked furiously. The alcohol had clearly got to him because he could swear the satyr was morphing from male to female and was at times stuck as a bearded sixty-year-old man with the biggest chest he’d ever seen. He shook his head and concentrated on his whisky. He was obviously losing it big time.

“Zeph Constantine,” the big man introduced himself and held out a hand to shake.

“Nick Klauson.”

They shook hands and Nick winced at Zeph’s grip. Firm, maybe a little too firm. The shaking went on for some time. Neither man released his hold. Finally Nick realised he was still holding Zeph’s hand and embarrassment flushed his face. Thank the heavens they were in the gloom so Zeph didn’t see the tell-tale signs of Nick’s classic awkwardness around hot men.

“What brings you to the city?” Zeph asked as he sipped on what looked like water but could well have been vodka for all Nick knew.

“Toy convention,” Nick answered immediately. Then his mind went blank. What else could he add to that one? That was his cover story and he hadn’t spent any time embellishing it to be able to give details.

“Interesting. And?” Zeph prompted.

“I’m a statistician,” Nick lied on the run. “I look at trends in toy sales to support company marketing.” So it wasn’t actually lying, but he had fudged a little there. His actual job was to visit toy fairs and determine trends, but he was also there to investigate areas with any pockets of residual despair—the parts of the city and the surrounding countryside where there was a lack of joy. Not that he would tell sexy here anything about what he really did. His job description was a little screwy, but that was what he did and he did it well.



Sanctuary Christmas micro-short on Amber Kell's blog

Sanctuary Christmas micro-short on Amber Kell's blog

Just a heads up... I wrote a really short look at Morgan going to a Christmas party at Jake and Sean's house... go see...

There is also a competition to win The Case Of The Sinful Santa, or a future book from me...

http://amberkell.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/my-friend-and-co-author-rj-scott-is-our-guest-today/

Hugs, RJ X

Liam Livings Interview and a competition to celebrate the release of Christmas Serendipity

Liam Livings Interview and a competition to celebrate the release of Christmas Serendipity

Thanks to RJ for having me on her blog as a guest.

Today I’m answering some questions you’ve asked RJ on facebook, as well as telling you about my new release, a novella called Christmas Serendipity which is published on 8 December by JMS.  For a chance to be one of the first to read Christmas Serendipity, simply leave a comment at the end of this post.

What made you decide to start writing? What was your personal "kick-off"?

I had been thinking about writing a novel for a while, and I mentioned it to my friend, Louise. She asked me what I was waiting for, and said I should just do it. I went home that evening and plotted the whole story. The following weekend I wrote the first chapter. Seven months later I had finished it. It was a massive 200,000 manuscript which is being published by Wilde City Press as the Best Friends Perfect series from spring 2014. See here for more details.  

Tetley's or PG Tips?

Yorkshire tea I’m afraid. I am a huge lover of tea, and I’ve realised lots of my stories involve people drinking tea and sharing their fears/worries/misadventures.

What do YOU like to read? Do you read completely different genres, or do you read m/m?

I read a mixture of autobiographies, and ‘chick lit’ and also go a bit off piste with things like, Gone Girl. I love a good long multi character saga, with character names at the start, spanning the years. I do now read m/m, but I find my life is gay enough and I wasn't looking for any more ‘gay’ in it, in the form of fiction to read. When I wrote Best Friends Perfect, I didn't even think it was a m/m book, I’d just written a love story with characters based on people and experiences I’d had in my life. Turns out as I am ‘a gay man’ that was all pretty gay. See here and here for more details.

What are some of your plans for future books, plot lines, etc..?

Best Friends Perfect, a coming of age, friendship story about a man who realises his new best friend, isn't quite what he thought he was, is out in spring 2014.

I have a fairytale bedtime story in an anthology in the pipeline at the moment. It’s called, Frangipani Kisses and you can read more about it here.

My second novel, And Then That Happened, is about a man in a long term relationship who meets someone which makes him completely re-evaluate everything in his life: boyfriend, friends, relationship with his parents. That’s with beta readers at the moment and again you can read more about it here.   

My Nanowrimo novel is called Guardian Angel at the moment, and it’s about a man who falls in love with his guardian angel. I've just finished the very rough 1st draft and will leave that to rest until Jan/Feb 2014. 

I am currently plotting a novel about a writer who falls in love with a man through a mistake he makes at his local writers group and I also have an idea about a novella called The Bad Samaritan, but that’s still bubbling away in my unconscious brain.

Do you take a lot of ideas from your own personal life and experiences? 

Yes, I definitely do. Many of my friends are gay men. Much of what I write about is at least in small part, based on something I've experienced, or a close friend of mine has experienced. It might only be the nugget of their personal experience, but I will build a different character, a different story around that truth. 
For example, a character in one story has a chronic condition - the story is about how that affects his relationships. I have a number of friends who are living with this chronic condition, so I have tried to realistically portray how it affects those around the character. However, the character is not any one of my friends.

Christmas Serendipity - Available 8th December 2013

BUY LINK

Just before the Christmas holiday, in a snowy small town in England, refugees of Christmas bad luck, handyman, plumber Christian and office worker David find themselves thrown together at miss Organiser, Cathy’s non-family Christmas.

Christian thinks the world has ended as his parents get used to him being gay, and disinvite him to their Christmas. David has just been fired from his waiting job, and is still getting used to the fact that he has dumped him. Although David’s ex was a useless cheating, money grabbing waste of space, he was at least, David’s useless, cheating, money grabbing waste of space. And now David doesn’t even have that. He’s not in the mood for a night out with his best friend, camp Tony, just before Christmas. Instead they retire to Cathy and Tony’s place, to find a quiet Christian.

With Cathy’s organizational skills  and enthusiasm, these four spend a non-family Christmas together, making the best of it. Together they drink, eat and play their way through Christmas, surprising each other at how it turns out, and how well they all get to know one another during the short break.

Refugees of serendipity and luck, David and Christian realize that spending the holiday season together may be just what they both needed, when they both needed it. They find that apart from both just escaping from awful relationships, they also have much more in common.

Excerpt 

We talked late into the night, moving onto Cathy’s special Christmas spirits. “Only to be drunk at this time of year,” she explained. She appeared with a tray of snowballs—yellow advocaat and lemonade, foaming with a little red cherry perched on top of each one. “This’ll send us to sleep,” she advised. 

We took it in turns to throw more wood onto the fire, until we ran out. Cathy announced she was going to bed. She’d made up the spare room for Christian, and she pointed to the sofa in the corner for me.

I looked at her, feeling slightly light-headed from the alcohol, and started to ask if she’d show me how to make it up. Before I could say anything more, somehow she’d managed with just one hand, to turn it into a bed and cover it with perfect duvet and pillows. 

“Thanks, Cathy. Night.” I stood up, a little unsteadily.

 She kissed my cheek. “Night boys.” And she made her way up the stairs. 

Tony followed, waving goodnight to us both. 

And then there were two. I’ll admit I did consider, for a brief moment, just following Christian to his room. But I decided he wasn’t that sort of boy, and really, neither was I. So instead, I opted for an awkward goodnight hug/kiss, standing over the remains of the Indian takeaway in the middle of the floor. The gentle glow from the fire and a few candles around the room gave the only light. He kissed my cheek and I his, before lingering for a moment too long on his neck, holding the hug as long as I could manage without seeming creepy. I felt his breath on my neck and I felt myself responding in my boxer shorts. We both pulled back and stared into each other’s eyes, his warm breath mixing with mine as I breathed in and out. He smiled. I stared into his deep blue eyes and kissed him again, this time with our tongues exploring each other’s mouths. He gently bit my bottom lip and a jolt went to my groin. I felt his hand on my bum, trying to pull me towards him, despite our legs being a few feet apart, separated by the takeaway. We fell onto the sofa, his small frame landing gently on my muscly chest. He sat astride me, leaning down and continuing to kiss me. His hands caressed my pectoral muscles under my T-shirt, tweaking my nipples, harder and harder. 

Maybe he was that sort of boy, and maybe I was too. 

****

Christmas Serendipity will be published by JMS on 8 December.

About Liam Livings

Three things about him – there are five more on the website, one is a lie. 

  1. He lives, with his partner and cats, where east London ends and becomes nine-carat-gold- highlights-and-fake-tan-west-Essex.
  2. He was born in Hampshire with two club feet (look it up, it’s not nice) and problem ears, needing grommets: this meant he was in plaster from toe to groin until he was two, and had to swim with a cap and olive oil soaked lamb’s wool over his ears - olive oil bought from a health food shop, before it was sold by supermarkets.
  3. He started writing when he was 14: sat in French lessons during a French exchange trip, for want of anything better to do, he wrote pen portraits about his French exchange’s teachers. He wrote for his school’s creative writing magazine and still writes a diary every day.

How to get in touch with Liam Livings

His Website:  www.liamlivings.com 
Via Twitter: @LiamLivings 

He told me he’s new to facebook, so please be gentle with him :).




A Reason To Stay, Heroes #1

A Reason To Stay, Heroes #1

Heroes - Sometimes the wars you need to fight are the ones you left at home...

Remember Viktor in World's Collide? The love 'em and leave 'em SEAL from Joseph's team? He's in book one of a brand new series loosely titled as the Unexpected Heroes series coming Spring 2014.

Book 1: A Reason To Stay

When Viktor Holender left small town America for the Navy he made sure he never had a reason to return. He wanted to see the world and fight for his country and nothing, or no one, was getting in his way. He fights hard, and plays harder, and a succession of men and women share his bed.

But when his sister calls Viktor to tell him that his nephew is in hospital with a drug overdose he uses his thirty day down time to go home.

What he finds is corruption that holds a town in fear and the only man attempting to break through that fear and do something about it. His childhood friend and first love... Adam.

There were reasons he left. Not least Adam Coleman with his small town innocence and his dreams of forever.

See also... Story Idea, Unexpected Heroes - Book 2

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - teaser art for third party release..

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - teaser art for third party release..


The Case Of The Sinful Santa - teaser art

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - teaser art


Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the centre of it all—Mal.

Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?

When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.

Totally Bound Buy Link

Bad Case Of Loving You, Laney Cairo, 5/5

Bad Case Of Loving You, Laney Cairo, 5/5

5/5 and a very good well written medical drama.

Matthew is a medical student, trying to ignore his various room-mates' wild parties and get through his classes. Andrew is his instructor, a doctor at a prestigious British hospital. They're not supposed to be attracted to each other, but they can't deny their undeniable chemistry.

They come together with a heat that surprises them both, and through doctor's strikes, dealing with Andrew's teenaged son, and hospital red tape, Andrew and Matthew learn to live, and love together. Is their relationship just what the doctor ordered?

The Review

This Torquere book from 2006, recommended to me by Kris Jacen was so good. Doctor/student drama, patient care, dedication to patients, a strike. Delicious. I live in the UK but my knowledge of the internal workings of the NHS is limited to my own use of it and by what one of my closest friends tell me. This book may be wildly inaccurate but I wouldn't know, and neither would 99% of the people who read it. If you love doctors, hospitals, and want to read a book set in the UK then you have to read this...

I loved this book. The sex was hot, but it wasn't just about hot sex, the emotions that were written into the story were beautiful *takes notes*.

Recommended.

Buy Links

Blame It On The Mistletoe, Eli Easton, 5/5 and a recommended read

Blame It On The Mistletoe, Eli Easton, 5/5 and a recommended read

5/5, a brilliant Christmas Story

When physics grad student Fielding Monroe and skirt-chaser and football player Mick Colman become college housemates, they’re both in for a whole new education. Mick looks out for the absent-minded genius, and he helps Fielding clean up his appearance and discover all the silly pleasures his strict upbringing as a child prodigy denied him. They become best friends.

It’s all well and good until they run into a cheerleader who calls Mick the ‘best kisser on campus.’ Fielding has never been kissed, and he decides Mick and only Mick can teach him how it’s done. After all, the physics department’s Christmas party is coming up with its dreaded mistletoe. Fielding wants to impress his peers and look cool for once in his life. The thing about Fielding is, once he locks onto an idea, it’s almost impossible to get him to change his mind. And he just doesn't understand why his straight best friend would have a problem providing a little demonstration.

Mick knows kissing is a dangerous game. If he gives in, it would take a miracle for the thing not to turn into a disaster. Then again, if the kissing lessons get out of hand they can always blame it on the mistletoe.

Review

Perfect Christmas Read. I loved both characters so much. Told from Mick's POV we see Fielding, an isolated brilliant geek genius, transforming in front of our eyes. He hasn't done much in his life--his mother is controlling and wanted Fielding to achieve academically and up until now he hasn't had freedom. Then Mick happens in his life. Kind of a gay for you story, until you read more and realise that Eli is cleverly filling in back story.

Highly recommended, and a good solid length story. 5/5, the writing is excellent and the story of the geek and the jock is perfect! 

Buy Links

Texas Family now available in paperback

Texas Family now available in paperback

For buy links go to the Texas Family main page which is HERE

It joins The Heart Of Texas, Texas Winter and Texas Heat all in paperback over at Amazon.

Following emails some of my fans sent me, Mr RJ has been on to Amazon and sorted out the issue with the print books not being able to be found, and in some cases showing old cover art.

Texas Family buy links, excerpts and reviews

Thor 2: The Dark World, Film Review

Thor 2: The Dark World, Film Review

A solid entry into the Marvel universe... Loved Thor and Loki... 5/5

Meredith Russell reminded me that I didn't tell her what I thought of Thor 2 and so I added it to the list of things I wanted to do today.

I wasn't a great fan of Thor I. I mean I loved it, don't get me wrong, I loved Thor, and Loki, and Asgard, and the ice giants... I just didn't *get* the romance. Some said in a Marvel film you don't necessarily need a romance, and I understand that, but in Thor I it was like *the whole poignant part of having to leave her* meant nothing to me.

Having also not been over impressed with Iron Man 3 (and that review I couldn't even bring myself to write!) I was interested to see how Thor would work out.

I am so pleased I didn't give up on Thor (and I mean, who could, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston ... sighs).

The film, Thor, Loki, their mother, the wonderful part played by Idris Elba as the guardian... it was a really well crafted story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And... I enjoyed the romance this time. The humour was spot on and I ended up feeling this was a very solid film. One achingly beautiful scene in the prison with Loki had my emotions all upside down. Gah... that Thor could see him... sighs...

Then there was *that part of the film* I can't give anything away with spoilers but I am itching to write what I thought of *that part of the film*. I wont write anything about *that part of the film* and please, no spoilers in the comments if you leave one. But, DAMN MY WRITER'S MIND for knowing EXACTLY what was going on...

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

So, all in all, a solid 5/5 but you really need to have seen Thor I to appreciate Thor 2 properly. Also Thor 2 alludes in places to The Battle Of New York (TM, ROFL) which was in Avengers... so you may want to watch that as well...

Hell, watch them all. If you are a Marvel fan this Thor film does not disappoint. (Just don't get too excited by Iron Man 3)

RJ

p.s I LOVED the end theme... http://youtu.be/kWmfIacPS94


Round up of news and competition winner

Round up of news and competition winner

New Releases

The Demon's Blood released with eXtasy and has had some lovely reviews.

My wonderful friend Josie created a Supernatural Bounty Hunters - Character Sheet which I stole and added to. So if you want a quick look at what happened in the previous books before reading Demon's blood then have a look at this cool cheat sheet.

Crooked Tree Ranch (Montana, book 1) is available as a early download at TEB and first reviews are in with some nice solid 4/5s and 4.5/5s which we have added to the Montana 1 page.

Winner!

I ran a competition where people ticked boxes of where they got information on new releases from.

The winner, randomly drawn by Mr RJ is *fanfare*...

ku11aa

I'll be emailing you shortly for your choice of book.

Work in progress

First edits are back with Erika on Christmas In The Sun, and I am 25000 words into Texas Christmas which will be in editing at the end of this week. I think Texas 5 will come in at 40 - 45,000 words, similar to Texas Family. Things are going well on the book and I LOVE Liam/Marcus.

Amber is kicking off The Case Of The Purple Pearl, and I am sure that will land in my in-box this week for my turn on the story... excited to see what she has come up with.


Blog Story

Post 6 in The Things That Dreams Are Made Of was posted last week and post 7, next week, takes us up to the place I had gotten to before. So in a couple of weeks the brand new writing on Dreams will happen... yay.

Love Lane Books News

All five books in Diane Adam's *Making Of A Man* series are now out through Love Lane Books and are all sitting ready for Book 6 which is due out near Christmas.

Love Lane is where you will find Texas Christmas, and the re-written re-issued version of Jesse's Christmas in December. You can sign up for a newsletter over there as well, to keep up to date with any of my new self published books www.lovelanebooks.co.uk. We only do posts once a month or so and every month we run competitions to win free eBooks which you are entered for if you are a subscriber.

Things you may have missed...

I updated my Publishing Schedule on the 15th so you can see exactly what is coming out when.

Texas Family Print Cover Reveal - from the awesome Meredith Russell. Beautiful cover art and the print book should be available in the next few days.

Josephine Myles, Interview and Competition, celebrating release of Merry Gentlemen & my review Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles, 5/5 and a recommended read. Gah, I LOVED this book... just saying.

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - available on early release at TB - and has had some lovely reviews which is cool. This book is due out on Amazon 29th November.

Making it up as I go along - talking about how I go about writing a novel... and yes, I really do make things up as I go along.


Analysis of responses to how readers find out about new books

Analysis of responses to how readers find out about new books


You will recall I asked around for people to tell me how they find news on new releases from authors. The results from 218 people are below.

Things to remember when you look at this. I am most active on Facebook, hence results may skew that way as many of the people who replied did so after I posted the link on FB. Also the usual provisos with informal statistical analysis apply (bias, duplicates with alternative emails etc).

What the data does suggest is that authors and publishers are reaching the people asked through author and publisher websites and newsletters, with the Facebook checking in between.

A total of 218 people commented on the sources they use to find out about new releases from authors. 

What is most interesting in the other comments people made in the *other comments* area. These are all listed at the bottom of this post.

The raw data of who chooses to look at what is here:

Pinterest      2
Tumblr      10 
RSS Feeds      12 
ARe list of favourite authors      15 
Random searches via search engine      17 
Are you a reviewer who gets books sent to them      20 
Watch the top 100 best sellers list of books on Amazon      28 
Blog Posts that cross post to Goodreads etc      41 
Follow Publisher on Twitter      43 
Join a Goodreads Discussion Group      53 
Find books via review websites      61 
Follow Author on Twitter      63 
Get a Goodreads Newsletter based on authors on your bookshelf      64 
Through Friend recommendation      64 
I have certain authors on autobuy      65 
"Customers Who Bought This Book also Bought..." on Amazon/Publisher      75 
Bookmark and check author websites for news      111 
Check Publishers Coming Soon page      113 
Sign up for Publisher Newsletter      116 
Follow author on Facebook      124 
Sign up for Author newsletter direct from author      151 

In addition I looked at how many places people tended to check and this looks like this:


What this shows that 196 people check seven different places. Only 7 people check just one page, sixteen check sixteen different pages.

* * * * *
  • A great website. Fictfact com. I get a weekly email with releases due out that week. They also include stand alone books by the authors I've read in the newsletter. 
  • All of the above. :) generally I'll take time when I'm not busy and just search coming soons or the genre of what I want to read. 
  • Also there are a few Facebook pages that I liked that allow me to see whats new and what's coming especially new authors. 
  • And recommendations from friends and review sites. 
  • Always check the publication dates for new books on amazon kindle books 
  • Amazon coming soon.. 
  • Amazon has a notification system for emails whenever a chosen author issues a new book on Amazon. I follow several authors this way too. I don't mind multiple notifications. 
  • Amazon has an option where you can 'LIKE' authors and also click a button to subscribe to new release emails. I don't think they are very good at sending out these emails though plus I don't think they do it until the book is available for pre-order and I've usually already found out about it by then. 
  • As an assistant to the review site's owner, I upload the new release titles sent in by the publishers, I read the blurbs, check the author's website and select books to review based on the information. This is my way of finding new to me authors. 
  • Author yahoo groups 
  • Authors I've met at events 
  • Before grad school started kicking my ass and I was able to read more, I would fish through goodreads lists and reviews for new books. Since I don't have as much time, I am mostly just reading from authors I know or books I see coming from publishers I trust or that are recommended by my friends. I also listen to a lot of audio books and since the selection on audible is more limited, if it's on there, I will take a good hard look at it. 
  • Blogs I follow directly. 
  • check new releases and coming soon section of dreamspinner press, and check amazon ebook section of gay romance daily! Sometimes a few times a day. I check what my fav authours say is upcoming on goodreads, that's why I always ask for dates of publishing works. 
  • Check all websites that do ebups as i do not own kindle 
  • Every few weeks, I use amazon's search to lookup my favorite authors and series. 
  • Facebook freebies and direct emails from authors and publishers-----
  • Sid Love, mmbdsm@yahoo,DiDi, MreCondit, mmgoodbookreviews, onTopDownUnder, mmarvelous---
  • Facebook groups 
  • Get updates from authors 
  • Goodreads "recent updates". I see what friends with similar tastes are reading and how they are reviewing it. 
  • Goodreads is my main social site. Usually seeing friends add it to their shelves is how I end up finding the new ones. 
  • Goodreads listopia. I discovered this while playing m/m bingo - which is also how I find new to me authors. 
  • I already checked tumblr, but I thought I'd mention wtfbadromancecovers.tumblr.com - sometimes the covers are bad and sometimes she just makes a hilarious comment about a good one. I've found a few good books on that site! :)
  • Overwhelmingly though, my process is to look up a book/author I enjoyed and click on "Customers Who Bought This..." until I find another I like. Very scientific..... 
  • I also check out books my favourite authors recommend, especially if they say they have already read it and loved it. 
  • I also love and listen when favorite authors recommend other authors or books. 
  • I also stalk BookStrand, even though they don't have all publishers. I like that they often list wordcounts and excerpts, as that helps me determine if I'm interested. 
  • I am not sure if random searches also included searching Amazon. 
  • I avoid email newsletters & goodreads but find I get plenty of notice through RSS feeds & pick up any "slack" through FB shouts 
  • I check the book sites themselves for new books coming out, live Dreamspinner, Excasty, Totally Bound, etc and authors who have webpages they sell on. 
  • I check the new release page on ARe daily. 
  • I also am very active on Goodreads and see my friends feed and reviews/ratings for books.
  • I review for a blog and am often sent lists of new and coming soon books. 
  • I do check and follow review sites/authors/friends on twitter and see things there as well.
  • Newsletters and contests are also good ways to get my attention or if I love a book by an author I will be far more likely to keep an eye out for future work.
  • If an author is 'present' on the GR groups, twitter, FB, meets..etc and I feel an affinity I will also keep an eye out. 
  • I check the new releases each month on GR, but mostly I find out from GR friends who follow authors and sometimes from the authors' GR blogs I miss too much on twitter because I don't always check it. 
  • I check the recommended books on Amazon? 
  • I do check ARe daily (I'm a bit book obsessed) I also check Goodreads and Amazon (don't have a Kindle, but I still look) even if I know that "my" authors don't have anything new coming soon. 
  • I guess this kind of comes under the follow author on twitter but I have found so many awesome books from fave authors I follow gushing about what they are reading as much as their own books. I like when this happens because it feels more like the author is using twitter to connect with readers more than as a marketing tool. I definitely want to hear ALL about your new books but also about the silly things that happened on the way to the store and what hot new author you are loving on. 
  • I have "friended" a lot of my favorite authors on Goodreads, from here I frequently check their recommendations in trying other stories. I only read a couple of blogs (yours of course:). 
  • I have a list of authors that I check their websites daily. From there I may find a new book from guest bloggers on the websites that I check. Also I may find a new book through a contest. For example, The Romance Reviews is doing a month long contest with a grand prize at the end and in order to up my chances I have to answer questions about books that can be found in blurbs or excerpts. I have found a few books that way. 
  • I have authors bookmarked and check WIPs and coming soon - and often get free reads! I use amazon author pages and continuously check for new books and new authors. If reviewed, I read the reviews, check the first few pages for the reading style and the cover is often important - yours are fabulous! I share book information with family and often buy gift books of my favorites. Websites are also an area of information about new events and I love a good web site especially if the author shows inspiration photos for books. Thank you for many happy hours of reading. 
  • I like books to be put up early on Goodreads. That way as people notice them so do I on my home page and I mark them TBR and keep my eye on them. 
  • I love when my authors put the Amazon link on Facebook. Quick and easy. Also love getting updates and teasers. With so many authors it's hard to remember when books are coming out. I find this the easiest way :) 
  • I mainly read what the authors I follow on FB read or recommend. 
  • I mostly just keep checking on Goodreads. I quite often find out about books by searching there, looking at what other people are reading, and looking at group discussions and group bookshelves to find something new to read. I browse through Facebook as well to see of a particular author has mentioned new books, which is generally my "heat of the moment" buys - if they link a book and it sounds good I usually just can't resist ;) 
  • I often discover new authors and books through recommendations by, or co-authoring books with, other authors I already know. E.g. I first started reading Aleks Voinov's books because he frequently co-writes with L.A. Witt, who I discovered through the Tucker Springs books, which she co-writes with Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton, the latter of whom was mentioned a couple of years ago by both you and Alex Beecroft, the first MM author whose work I ever read.
  • I do also follow a few authors on Tumblr, however I've so far found that they seem to focus more on soft-core porn than book promoting. 
  • I think how I find new authors and books has changed as I've been reading longer in the erotic and/or MM genre. I got started getting free books for my Nook through BarnesNoble and All Romance. I looked more if you liked this you would like that. Now that I've got authors or publishers I like I tend to rely more on their newsletters but I still discover new people that way but I hardly every pick up a book now just because it's free. I'm much picker now. 
  • I try to keep up with the publishing schedules of all my authors but for new ones I will usually do a search on ARE or use listopia on GR. 
  • I used to buy mostly through Amazon which managed to figure out the books that I like and so they came to me as suggestions. I rarely saw things that didn't appeal to me. So I assume their algorithms helped to sift through and give me what would most appeal and most are usually fairly new releases. 
  • I usually bookmark an authors website whether I receive a newsletter or not if I like their books. That way I get the most up to date info on my favorite authors; this also helps introduce me to new authors they feature on their website. 
  • If I see a post on Facebook or a comment by one of my top authors who I always buy I will mark the expected date in my calender, I also do a quick search usually around once a week on amazon, and publisher sites to see if there are new releases I've missed 
  • I'm pretty active on Goodreads with enough friends reading/reviewing the same genre and word gets around quickly there. 
  • I'm sure Facebook and Twitter are good ways to find out information, but I don't have accounts for either one so that doesn't really help me much. Sometimes I discover new releases while searching Amazon. For me, the best way to find out if my favorite authors have any new releases is by checking out their websites. I love it when authors post info on their sites and keep them updated (like you do). 
  • Jambrea is my book pimp - I get a lot of recommendations and know about new books coming out from her. :) 
  • M/M Romance Group on Goodreads! 
  • Most all comes from websites from RSS updates thru Feedly. Aunt Lynn's "Reviews by Jessewave". I somehow got on a mail list from All Romance novels where I will glean M/M books from the promotional email. I have discovered a few western M/M books through Romance that I never heard before. I generally check a prospective novel against Goodreads. I prefer buying my books via Amazon kindle to keep my library in one place. If an M/M book is available on audible, I generally do no hesitate buying that version as well. Tumblr blogs are generally in the Abigail Roux realm who has an uneven following but I was weened on the the Cut & Run series that I discovered in audible. Your blog is one of the few author blogs I grab thru Feedly. 
  • Mostly through review blog websites that talk about upcoming releases or reviews. 
  • My authors that I follow when they have guess authors on there blog. 
  • My Goodreads friends/feed let me know what is new and what is good.
  • I love hearing about new releases /WIP on twitter. Giveaways on web/review sites always having me looking at the book as well. 
  • My main focus is FB groups with people that love the same genre's I do. Okay, really - just ONE genre! Word of mouth means a lot to me. Thanks for this post - now I have new areas to check. 
  • New York Times book section every Sunday.
  • Publishers Weekly book review section. 
  • Publisher and All Romance Books website, new, coming soon 
  • Random search on Amazon for Gay/MM ebooks 
  • Random searches on ARe and Barnes & Noble. 
  • Randomly browsing thematic shelves in real life bookstores 
  • search for particular types of books on Amazon 
  • Sometimes it's potluck, people buy me books as gifts. I. Often buy a book I have edited, if I've loved it while working on it, then I read it later. 
  • I also wander around bookshops, see what I can find in certain sections. 
  • The ones I've checked above are the main way I find new authors/new books but I have also just stumbled across interesting books on the internet or when I'm prowling through the local bookstore. 
  • There are particular authors that I read everything they write. For these I follow their coming soon pages on their websites so that I know when they have books due for release.
  • Via search engine on Amazon e ARe 
  • Visit Authors website. 
  • When my friends talk about something good, I go take a look.
  • And a very dear friend of mine send her my books to read for free..

Texas Family Print Cover Reveal

Texas Family Print Cover Reveal


Coming soon to Amazon... watch this space for news...

Also, re The Heart Of Texas in print. Seems like Amazon is having an issue with this at the moment. They have the old cover and haven't matched it to the new cover and so there are two separate books. Mr RJ is sorting this out for me at the moment with Create Space.

Meanwhile, these are the links for the print books so far in the Texas series.

The Heart Of Texas (book 1) - Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Texas Winter (book 2) - Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Texas Heat (book 3) - Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Texas Family (book 4) - Coming in the next few days

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - available on early release at TB

The Case Of The Sinful Santa - available on early release at TB


Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the centre of it all—Mal.

Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?

When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.

Totally Bound Buy Link

Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles, 5/5 and a recommended read

Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles, 5/5 and a recommended read

The Book

’Tis the season of goodwill to all men…even the one who dumped you.

Riley MacDermott’s ambitions are simple. Managing the annual Bath Christmas Market—which involves long hours in the cold and a whole lot of hassle—will secure the promotion he needs to afford to move out of his noisy, top-floor flat. Where not even his balcony is safe from an aggressive herring gull.

The last stallholder he expects to see is his ex. Riley never recovered from their break up, and five years on the old chemistry still sparkles. So does their habitual head butting.

Stan never wanted to leave the love of his life, but the pull of the woods was too strong—and Riley was firmly planted in the city. Reconnecting is painful, but Stan still jumps at the chance to stay with his old flame during the Market. And damn the consequences.

As the weeks pass, the two grow closer than ever. But despite scorching sex and cozy intimacy, they both know they face a cold and lonely future. Unless one of them can compromise.

Product Warnings
Contains sex in a shed, a seagull with a grudge, glamping, awful Secret Santa underwear, misuse of an Abba song, and as many wood-related puns as the author thought she could get away with. 

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) |  Samhain

Review

This is the second Josephine Myles book I have read that I want everyone to read! Oh book, how much do I love you?

Josephine Myles has a sense of humour that I adore. Getting inside Riley's head had me smiling from page 1 and this story ticks every one of my boxes. It's cute, hot, sexy, fun and romantic and added to all that it's based around Christmas. What more do I need?

Her characterisation is so spot on, and I absolutely adored Stan and his wood... The sex she writes is raw and dirty but at the same time is full of love and need. Perfect.

This is a lovely Christmas read set in a really beautiful part of England. If you are looking for a funny-hot-sexy-cute Christmas love story then you need to add this to your list.

On a side note, I REALLY want to go to the Bath Christmas Fair... REALLY...



Josephine Myles, Interview and Competition, celebrating release of Merry Gentlemen

Josephine Myles, Interview and Competition, celebrating release of Merry Gentlemen

Competition

Jo is giving away a title from her backlist to one lucky commenter. Comment here by Monday 18th November at 9pm GMT to be in with a chance of winning.

Welcome to fellow Brit, Jo Myles!

To celebrate the release of Merry Gentleman she has answered some interview questions posted by Facebook fans!

The Interview

Where do you get your ideas for sex scenes? Porn? LGBT friends? Personal experience?

All of the above! Actually, more from anecdotes and experience than from porn. I don’t watch much porn because I find it boring. My imagination is a far more interesting place ;) That said, the vintage smut photographs I post on my blog have definitely given me a few ideas—especially the amusing ones!

Tetley's or PG Tips?

I’m not dead fond of either, to be honest. I’m more of a Yorkshire Tea lass, and I get the stuff specially blended for hard water too. I like tea to be strong but not stewed. That said, I’m a total and utter caffeine addict and always have been, so if I’m craving tea I’ll take a cup of whatever you’ve got. I’m really not fussy. I remember one morning when there was a powercut and I couldn’t heat up any water because the stove was electric too. I had to eat raw coffee beans in the end, I was that desperate for my caffeine fix!

What is the best and the worst thing about being an author who writes in the m/m genre?

The best thing has to be the wonderfully supportive community of readers and writers. There’s a great atmosphere that I’ve heard is lacking in other genres.

The worst thing is probably the fact it’s still such a tiny niche. I’d love to see the big six publishers take a chance on gay romance. That said, I’m not sure if we’d be able to retain all that’s best about the tight knit and supportive community if it all went mainstream, so it’s probably a Catch 22 situation.

What inspires you?

Anything and everything! Anecdotes are probably my favourite, though. I have two friends in particular, and every time I visit them I end up scrawling something new in my notebook that I just HAVE to use some day. It’s not so much that they’ve had more interesting lives than any of my other friends, but they definitely know how to weave comic and entertaining tales out of the mundane occurrences of their ordinary lives.


The Book

Merry Gentlemen


’Tis the season of goodwill to all men…even the one who dumped you.

Riley MacDermott’s ambitions are simple. Managing the annual Bath Christmas Market—which involves long hours in the cold and a whole lot of hassle—will secure the promotion he needs to afford to move out of his noisy, top-floor flat. Where not even his balcony is safe from an aggressive herring gull.

The last stallholder he expects to see is his ex. Riley never recovered from their break up, and five years on the old chemistry still sparkles. So does their habitual head butting.

Stan never wanted to leave the love of his life, but the pull of the woods was too strong—and Riley was firmly planted in the city. Reconnecting is painful, but Stan still jumps at the chance to stay with his old flame during the Market. And damn the consequences.

As the weeks pass, the two grow closer than ever. But despite scorching sex and cozy intimacy, they both know they face a cold and lonely future. Unless one of them can compromise.

Warning: Contains sex in a shed, a seagull with a grudge, glamping, awful Secret Santa underwear, misuse of an Abba song, and as many wood-related puns as the author thought she could get away with.

The Author

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. She blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo is also one of the organising team behind the UK Meet, an annual event celebrating GLBTQ fiction. She publishes regularly with Samhain, and has also been known to edit anthologies and self-publish on occasion, although she prefers to leave the “boring bits” of the book creation process to someone else.

Website and blog: http://josephinemyles.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3499509.Josephine_Myles

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrQ4s

Competition

Jo is giving away a title from her backlist to one lucky commenter. Comment here by Monday 18th November at 9pm GMT to be in with a chance of winning.


Making it up as I go along

Making it up as I go along

Notes from my book, The Gallows Tree.
Technical issues with how watermills work and some brief characterisation.
This is an example of what I pin on the wall in front of me.
Eli L Sanne posted a question on Facebook:

To the authors out there. I love watching your posts here as you write and seeing how things evolve. So I have some questions ... and they will help me as I review.

First, do you start with the characters or a story idea?
Second, do you sketch out the characters and know who they are before you write.
Third, how do you know how important your secondary characters will be
Fourth, do you follow your notes from A to Z OR do you allow the characters to evolve and guide the story.

My answer which was instant and without thought was:

I totally make it all up as I go along... my secondary characters just happen... and my main characters grow as I write... I don't plan... I do research, and if I am writing a series book I have a sheet on the wall detailing characters from previous books, and scenes, and places... interesting question... 

Today's blog

Then after I posted, I thought about the question, then decided a blog post on the subject may be more in order...

So here goes... answering Eli's questions in turn:

First, do you start with the characters or a story idea?

Always a story idea. I have this epic post apocalypse story in my head born from reading National Geographic and the idea is a whole new world and I have the story in my head. Because of the story I am interested in writing I need two main characters who would live in this new world. They need to be different to other characters, resilient, brave, and hardy. I will go and look for stock site inspiration and photos will literally jump out at me.

Second, do you sketch out the characters and know who they are before you write.

No. I have nothing besides maybe eye colour, hair colour, height. My characterisation evolves as I write, and very often something I write in Chapter 4 may mean going back to Chapter 1 and amending wording in order that later actions are telegraphed in character. I know my post apocalyptic characters will be certain kinds of men, but the part of them  that drives them is unknown to me until I start to write.

I do however, sketch out maps, like for the airport in Sanctuary 7, or as above for the Gallows Tree where I sketched out where things were in the village.

Third, how do you know how important your secondary characters will be

I never know if I will have secondary characters until they happen. The secondary character in an RJ Scott book is a way of seeing interaction from the hero's through how they treat the secondary's. Sometimes I have one or two, or sometimes there is an entire cast of them.

Fourth, do you follow your notes from A to Z OR do you allow the characters to evolve and guide the story. 

I have no notes of direction only some notes from my research maybe (like the scribbled notes on the water mill and how it works including some technical terms). I sit with a blank word doc and type, and a lot of the story direction is already in my head from my research. My characters evolve and yes, I let them guide the story.

So my question is...

How do you write? Do you have rules and notes? Do you follow the notes religiously? Do you attempt to storyboard? Do you know how long a book is going to be when you start writing?


The Texas Series, reviews from Guilty Indulgence Book Club

The Texas Series, reviews from Guilty Indulgence Book Club


Guilty Indulgence Book Club read and reviewed all four books in the Texas series...

Thank you guys, the reviews are awesome...

RJ X

The Heart Of Texas

Through all the drama and intrigue is a wonderful love story. Jack and Riley couldn't not have started out further apart but when they come together it is all kinds of hotness. A strong secondary cast that added so much depth and heart the story would not have worked as well without them.

Strong, stubborn, sexy cowboys....hot, carnal sex and that is a recipe for success!

Excerpts and buy links

Texas Winter

Riley finds out he's a dad, which leads to some wonderful AWWW moments with the boys, and really solidifies them as a family.

Throw in the FBI and dicey oil deals and lets not forget that Jack's mom has started to date a much younger man!!! I really don't know how these men find time to visit their barn and get their sexy on, but thankfully they do.

Excerpts and buy links

Texas Heat

With fist fights, ex-boyfriends and a gay rodeo it's just another day in Texas. But the thing that always comes through in this series is the sense of family and how they are always stronger together. I love the relationship between Jack and Riley and the way that it seems to grow and mature but is still hot as hell.

Excerpts and buy links

Texas Family

But one thing that is never in chaos is the love between Riley and Jack. They are stronger than ever and have become one of my favorite couples of all time.

This series is high on drama and angst and all I want to know is when is the next one!

Excerpts and buy links


Supernatural Bounty Hunters - Character Sheet *Thanks Josie*

Supernatural Bounty Hunters - Character Sheet *Thanks Josie*

The Series


Micah - Vampire & Conner - Wolf Shifter


Declan - Wolf Shifter & Levi - Incubus

Book 3 The Warlock's Secret

Joseph - Vampire & Phin - Elf

Book 4 The Demon's Blood

Simeon - Cat Shifter & Asherkan - Blood Demon

Book 5 The Incubus Agenda

Brody Lennox - Incubus & Nicholas Tarrant - Wolf Shifter

Book 6 The Third Kingdom

Details to follow...

Characters:

Micah - Vampire - Joseph's twin brother

Conner - Wolf Shifter - Retriever for Glitnir (Alpha)

Declan - Wolf Shifter - Retriever for Glitnir (Beta to Connor's Alpha)

Levi - Incubus

Joseph - Vampire Leader of the Resistance Underground - Micah's twin brother

Phin - Elf - son of King - half-brother to Asherkan

Simeon - Cat Shifter - was ambassador for the Feline Guild in Glitnir

Asherkan - Blood Demon - Half-brother to Phin - unacknowledged Royalty - Blood Demons created by Vampires long ago to be a food source

Brody Lennox - Incubus

Nicholas Tarrant - Wolf Shifter

Reuben - 800 years old and keeper of the Vampire Book of Days (with the Resistance)

Ethan - murdered husband of Joseph

Jason - brother to Simeon and leader of the Feline Guild

Councillor Ludvik Peitrol (aka Lekland), of the Fae Alliance in Glitnir (enemy and secret magic user)

Cassius - Leader of the Vampire Clans Council

Place:

Glitnir - Corrupted and controlled by the Fae Alliance

Second Kingdom - (The Feline Guild owns a quarter, the elves half and the rest minorities with the Blood Demons (created by Vampires long ago to be a food source) a strong presence. A restrictive caste system with blood demons indentured, and no rights.

Third Kingdom - prophesied new world after unification of Glitnir and Second Kingdom


A Christmas Short story...

A Christmas Short story...

And the winner for the short story in the Christmas Anthology was... Deefur Dog...

RJ's hubby drew out three names from everyone who voted and the winners of the free ebook are:

aerith...
countrypri...
amasedo...

I will be emailing you separately...

Congratulations and I really hope everyone enjoys the one off short in the Deefur 'verse.

RJ, XXXX

To view more on Deefur please visit the Deefur Dog page.

Guest Blog - Morticia Knight - Hollywood Bound

Guest Blog - Morticia Knight - Hollywood Bound


Hi RJ, thank you for having me at your blog today!

Gin & Jazz – What was it Like for a Gay Man in the 1920’s?

     The 1920’s in the big cities of America was one big party scene. For a brief nine year span of history, decadence was the main course on the menu, despite prohibition laws. It seemed as though the more that it was emphasised that alcohol was illegal, the more it was consumed. Throw drugs into the mix, and for some, the party was over before it even got started. With promises of fame and fortune, as well as intense competition for a chance at it all, many people sold themselves just to survive. Amidst all of that, the film industry of Hollywood and the star-making machine came into its own. Never before had the general public been able to see such suave and dashing heroes or delicate and winsome heroines up so close.

There were other, lesser known aspects to the brand new glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Almost any type of sexual preference was not only tolerated, but encouraged. The conservatism that pervaded the rest of the country in general, was pretty much ignored behind the scenes in Hollywood. If you were gay, lesbian, bi or polyamorous, no one really cared, just as long as the public never found out. As early silent films became racier and racier (Erich Von Stroheim was rumoured to have filmed S&M orgies of which very little footage survived to be shown in theatres) the moral leaders of America became outraged. All performers had to sign a morals clause, and if the studio decided you had broken it – whether you did or not – you were finished.

In Book One of the Gin & Jazz series – Hollywood Bound – Jack and Nick dream of getting high paying set builder jobs at the studios. They believe their experience in off-Broadway Vaudeville theatres will make them shoo-ins at the studios. But there are other things both young men are thinking about. Jack has been secretly in love with the older, more street-wise Nick for a long time. Nick has been taking care of Jack ever since he arrived from an orphanage at the age of sixteen. Nothing has ever happened between them, and Nick is engaged to a gal back in Philly. Oddly, Nick has never gone back, and he is scared to admit why that might be. In this short excerpt the men - along with their co-worker - are working on the vaudeville sets. And Nick can’t get Jack off of his mind…



Jack and Nick seek fortune and adventure in the silent film era of Hollywood. But their newly-expressed love is threatened by the heady allure of fame, gin and easy money.



Nick wiped the sweat off his brow for what felt like the hundredth time. It was after midnight, and they’d been working under the hot stage lights for several hours. They had to get everything just right before they could leave, otherwise their boss Pearson would have a fit and use that as yet another excuse not to give them their past due wages. He was down to his last Chesterfield. They weren’t his favourite brand of cigarette, but at five cents for ten sticks, he couldn’t complain. When they got to Hollywood and were making the big bucks, he would only smoke Luckys from then on.

He checked his pocket. Thirty cents left. They were going to be in real trouble if Pearson didn’t come through the next day. He had to wash his and Jack’s shirts, and he’d have to feed the kid tomorrow. He’d only had coffee and a cheese sandwich all day. Nick still felt guilty about getting the hamburger. That had been another fifteen cents they could have saved, but Jack had insisted.

“You have to do all of the heavy stuff at the theatre. You need to eat something good.”

I could always dip into the Hollywood money. There’s close to fifty dollars in there.

Nick winced. It was so tempting when his belly was grumbling and their clothes smelled like an old hobo in Central Park, but they had to stay strong. Once they got to Hollywood they would be okay. Things would be different.

“Hey, Nicky, whaddya think?” Oscar yelled from the front of the stage. “I think it looks great and that we should get the fuck outta here.”

Nick went around the curtains that were pulled open to the side of the stage and hopped off the front into the orchestra pit. He surveyed the backdrop and the other sliding set pieces that had been arranged for Act One. Jack came down the aisle and stopped next to him.

“I think it’s okay. Whaddya say Nick?”

Nick looked down at Jack’s innocent smiling face. Nick was about a half a foot taller than the blond-haired, blue-eyed kid, and sometimes he felt so protective of him that he thought it would crush his heart. No one should ever be abused the way Jack had been. He was such a sweet guy, and he didn’t even have any family. No one to care for him. No one except Nick.

At times it felt like a burden—like Nick had taken on a responsibility that wasn’t his. But they had always looked out for each other, and it was great not to have to be alone in the city, to have someone he could rely on.

And there was the other thing. At first, Nick had thought it was just sympathy that made him feel so soft about Jack. Like the same way he might feel if a little puppy was lost and left in the cold. He’d want to take it in and feed it and hold it close. But lately he’d been wrestling with the idea that it might be something more than that.

I ain’t no queer. I’m engaged and everything.

He and Penelope had only ever kissed and done a little petting. It hadn’t particularly excited him, so he thought maybe he was just one of those guys who wasn’t that much into sex. Or maybe when he was a little older he’d like it more.

So maybe it’s just that I’m older now and Penelope’s not here, but Jack is. Maybe that’s all it is.

He wasn’t so sure that was it either. Because when he thought about Penelope he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that seemed more like feeling trapped that he had to marry her. But when he thought about Jack, his dick got hard.

I ain’t no queer. That’s all I have to remind myself of.

But it was getting more and more difficult every single day.

****


To get your copy of Hollywood Bound:

Totally BoundAmazon US  |  Amazon UK


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