Showing posts with label Gay Rom Lit. Show all posts

Order form for Gay Rom Lit, October, San Diego

Gay Rom Lit (GRL) October 2015

I won't be selling books at GRL, but like last year I will be taking pre orders for any books you would like.

I will be emailing nearer the time with payment details and there is plenty of time to amend or update an order.




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Event attendance 2015

Queer Company Event

Oxford, England - http://manifold-press.livejournal.com/138690.html May 9th (Delegate)

Euro Meet

Munich - July 11/12th (Featured Speaker) - http://europridecon.weebly.com/
Bristol, England - 11-13 September 2015 (Featured Author) - http://ukglbtfictionmeet.co.uk/

Paperback pre-orders
 

Gay Rom Lit

San Diego - October (Featured Author) - https://www.gayromlit.com/

Paperback pre-orders

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Sue Brown

Sometimes when I write, I have early episodes of a long-running series on in the background because they’re on endless repeat and I don’t have to concentrate on them.

The episodes were first aired in the mid-noughties. I’m not going to name and shame, but I’m shocked at the overt homophobia and transphobia that permeates the episodes.

When I’m not watching the screen somehow the words become sharper and more in context. They whooshed over my head when I first watched the series. Now I hear it, and I’m ashamed I didn’t understand it before.

Two years before this came out, a British cop show, The Bill, had an openly gay policeman and a storyline with a young policeman struggling with his sexual identity. I only appreciate now that it covered some powerful storylines and didn’t hold back on cultural attitudes of the era.

I still watch the American series and I’ve seen the attitude and the scripts change. They’re much more respectful of LGBT people now. Sadly no major gay characters. Heaven forbid they would have evolved that far. But at least gay people are generally not treated as if they are diseased or have two heads. It will be good when gay characters just ‘are’, rather than something unusual.

As I typed this I started to watch an episode of the series. A later one, I checked. Oh yuk, they’re making a comment about sweaty woman on woman action. Maybe it hasn’t changed that much at all.


Hissed as a Newt 


Book 2 in the With A Kick series

A drunk clown rolling around in the gutter is not what David Wright expects to find as he walks to With A Kick, his favourite ice-cream shop. David has had a lousy day. A literary agent has crushed his dreams and all he wants is the consolation of alcoholic ice-cream. He’s about to walk away when he realises the clown has been dumped by his boyfriend. On a whim, David takes the clown into With A Kick before he gets arrested. Underneath the smeared make-up, he meets Stan, who has just discovered his boyfriend and best friend getting more than friendly. Over ice-cream, David and Stan discuss their problems and discover maybe they can help each other.

Excerpt

As he turned the corner into Covent Garden he noticed a small crowd had gathered, obstructing his path to alcoholic heaven. He huffed as he negotiated kids, parents and tourists with their cameras snapping incessantly. A large crowd was assembled in one corner and he expected to see a street performer in their midst, juggling or miming—or whatever other crap they called art. David was curious enough to walk over and take a look. It was indeed a street performer, a clown in fact, but the bloke wasn’t juggling or miming, he rolled around in the road, arms flailing as he mumbled to himself. David’s lip curled as he realised the clown was drunk; absolutely paralytic in fact. Lucky bugger!

“It’s a strange show, Vera,” an old man standing next to David commented to his wife.

She sniffed in agreement. “Nothing like our day, Bert. They were true artistes.”

The couple moved away, the woman still complaining.

The man in the road rolled over onto his side and vomited. A groan of disgust rippled through the crowd and they moved away en masse.

David was about to do the same when he caught the man’s words.

“I loved you, you fucking bastard. I loved you and you cheated on me.”

Bastard, not bitch. Huh.

Cursing his impulsive nature, David knelt by the man, careful to avoid the puke. “Are you all right?”

The man mumbled incoherently. His makeup was smeared, and David realised he’d been crying. At the moment he looked more like an Allison Schulnik painting than a clown.

“You really need to get out of the road, man.”

“Leave me in the gutter.”

Oh Jesus, a drama queen. “Listen mate, you can stay here if you want but you’re liable to be nicked. Why don’t you get up and come with me? I want to drown my sorrows. We can cry on each other’s shoulders.”

The clown opened one eye. It would have been a pretty, blue eye if it hadn’t been so bloodshot. “A drink?”

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

“Probably.” With David’s help the clown sat up then clutched his stomach. “Definitely. I’m going to puke again.”

Make sure you catch up with the first book in the series: A Twist and Two Balls by Clare London.

{AT&TWB cover}



About Sue Brown


Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot, and has become at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Come over and talk to Sue at suebrown.stories@gmail.com.

Her website can be found at http://www.suebrownstories.com/

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/suebrownstories

Blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.com/

Email: suebrown.stories@gmail.com

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Eli Easton, Bones

"Bones”, appearing in the anthology - Gothika #2 - Voodoo Drums for Halloween

Competition to win a copy of "Stitch" - Gothika 1, at the bottom of this post.

It was a little over a year ago that my skype buddy, Jamie Fessenden, and I realized how much we both loved horror and gothic fiction. We decided to start a gothic anthology and invite a few other m/m romance authors to join us. Thus was the “gothika” series born.

The first volume was called “stitch” and featured Frankenstein-themed stories written by myself, Jamie, Kim Fielding, and Sue Brown. I loved all the stories in it, and thought it turned out pretty darn well. (Is it weird that I find the idea of sex with manmade beings hot? Nevermind. It is.) The second volume, “bones”, releases for this Halloween on October 27th.

The “bones” volume contains four novellas—from me, Jamie Fessenden, Kim Fielding, and BG Thomas. Each novella features a m/m romance and with a voodoo theme. So if you like some chills with your erotica, check it out!

My “bones” story is called “The Bird”. It’s set on an English plantation in Jamaica in 1870. Lovely Colin, the third son of an English Earl, is sent to Jamaica to salvage the family’s sugarcane plantation. Like a true Edwardian gentleman, he’s curious about the local floral and fauna—and about the practice of Obeah, the native form of voodoo. When he does a service for a powerful Obeah woman, he gets a gift in return—one that brings out desires he’d long denied. I hope this story conveys the sense of swampy, tropical heat, and pounding voodoo drums I felt when I wrote it!

The Book


Vodou. Obeah. Santeria. These religions seem mysterious and dark to the uninitiated, but the truth is often very different. Still, while they hold the potential for great power, they can be dangerous to those who don’t take appropriate precautions. Interfering with the spirits is best left to those who know what they’re doing, for when the proper respect isn’t shown, trouble can follow. In these four novellas, steamy nights of possession and exotic ritual will trigger forbidden passion and love. You cannot hide your desires from the loa, or from the maddening spell of the drums. Four acclaimed m/m authors imagine homoerotic love under the spell of Voodoo.

And the blurb for my novella in this volume, "The Bird":

Colin Hastings is sent to Jamaica in 1870 to save his father’s sugar cane plantation. If he succeeds, he can marry his fiancée back in London and take his place in proper English society. But Colin finds more than he bargained for on the island. His curiosity about Obeah, the native folk magic, leads him to agree to a dangerous ritual where he is offered his heart’s most secret desire—one he’s kept deeply buried all his life. What happens when a proper English gentleman has his true sensual nature revealed and freed by the Obeah spirits?

Buys links:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5564
(pre-order. Releases Oct 27, 2014)

Connect with Eli Easton


Excerpt


Tiyah came to me the next day after I dismissed the laborers from their work. It was late afternoon, and the sun was like a fat egg yolk sitting on top of the tall, sickeningly green palm trees. We’d cleared another field that Tuttle had allowed to go fallow, and I was staring over the land, thinking about how best to measure out for the young banana tree saplings I’d purchased. I felt a chill, then realized Tiyah was standing by my side.

I only just managed not to startle. Her attitude was subservient, with her eyes lowered, but nevertheless I felt a twinge of the fear I’d had in the nightmare. I pushed it away with determination. I absolutely refused to fear Tiyah.

“What can I do for you?” I asked coolly.

“It is what I can do for you.” She raised her eyes. Her face had an expression somewhere between smugness and satisfaction, as if she knew something I did not.

“Yes?”

“Missah Hastings, Erzulie tell me de gift she offer you for saving Lily. It very special ting, a great honor.”

“Yes?” I asked, as if it meant nothing to me, but I could not help swallowing convulsively.

“She offer you a life of passion, Missah. De desire of your heart, dis she give to you.”

“What?” A stupid little laugh escaped me. I could feel my face burning.

Tiyah spoke with disgust. “I see de English marrieds. Man and wife like two cold fish. He spark quick only to make baby. And she not at all. Dis no life, Missah.”

My face had no idea what to do with itself. I had no doubt it was frozen in some ghastly rictus. I could not believe this woman stood there and spoke to me of such private matters. “Er, I-I don’t think—”

“No! Do not insult her, Missah. You tink well on it. Your heart’s desire. Love. Great passion! Dis what Erzulie offer you. I know many who would kill for de same, but Erzulie, she offer it to you.”

I shut my mouth and thought about it.

The nightmare had been so real, the feeling of the snake between my legs, the way it had bit into my chest, as if sucking out my heart’s blood.

I stared at Tiyah. “My heart’s desire?”

“Yes.”

“H-how does Erzulie know what my heart desires?”

“She taste it. Do you not remember?” Tiyah tapped my chest.

There was something sly in her face, like she knew damn well about the nightmare. Had Philip mentioned it? I wouldn’t put it past the servants to gossip over my night terrors. But then it occurred to me that I’d never mentioned the snake biting my heart to Philip or to anyone else. And when Tiyah had put the idea in my mind, that Erzulie might come to my dreams, she’d never said anything about my heart either. So how had she planted that particular suggestion in my mind? How could she possibly know?

“Tink on it, Missah. Tomorrow you answer. We must make de ritual dis Saturday when Erzulie’s power is full with de moon. Den or not at all.”

With that solemn warning, Tiyah strode away.

Good God. I thought about it.

This is the power of suggestion. Some part of my internal compass had spun off True North and down into the darkness. I didn’t believe Erzulie had come into my dreams and tasted the secrets of my heart. But I didn’t not believe it either.

I wished Richard were here so I could talk to him. I knew him so well that I often could hear his voice in my head even when he wasn’t there. But on this, my Richard was uncharacteristically silent.

Would he say, “What a lark! You must do this, old man, if only in the name of science! Think of the experience, seeing one of their rituals firsthand!” Or would he say, “Oh, Colin—stay far, far away! You’re too easily led, my friend. This is dangerous.” I could equally imagine Richard saying either, which was no help at all. As for my neighbors, the Pivots, I knew saintly Lester would advise me most strongly to steer clear of such “devil worship.” And Major Pivot, poor fellow, lived in a world of his own and would be no help at all.

What if Tiyah could really do what she said? What fool, when offered one chance to rub the genie’s lamp, refused? I was not that man. No, I was a different grade of fool altogether.

Tiyah was not wrong in her assessment of the English. I’d never seen my parents touch, not in my twenty years of life. There was no affectionate kiss on the cheek, as I’d seen the post master give his plump wife. There was no brush of a hand across the shoulders while passing, no warm look with promises for later.

I thought about Elizabeth, my darling girl. She was everything a man could want in a wife—cheerful, kind, beautiful, graceful, accomplished on the piano, and with a lovely singing voice. I was lucky to have found such an agreeable bride who also came with a dowry. Her family’s home, Robin’s End, was not palatial, but it was quite a tidy little estate, comfortable enough, and it would pass to me as Elizabeth’s husband. As an Earl’s third son, I’d inherit no property or title of my own, only a modest allowance. Elizabeth was my salvation in more ways than one.

I loved the girl. I did. I was thrilled when she accepted my proposal and admitted she loved me too. But passion? “Passionate” had never been a word I would use to describe our union.

I’d kissed Elizabeth three times, and I could recall each distinctly. There’d been novelty in the act, and fealty, and a desire to bind her to me. But it had not particularly stirred my blood. Then again, she was young, only seventeen, a sweet, innocent girl. It wouldn’t have been right to force myself on her, to play gross with her goodness.

But what if it was never there? What if Elizabeth and I ended up exactly like my mother and father? What if Elizabeth merely tolerated my attentions in bed? Lifted up the hem of a voluminous nightdress and turned her head away? Could I bear such an act?

I’d only been with one woman, at a house of prostitution the Cambridge fellows frequented. Richard and I had gone together for our first time, and afterward we’d agreed the experience had been over too quickly and was horribly underwhelming. We’d both decided we would rather wait for wives of our own. It was yet one more way in which Richard and I were in complete sympathy. But what if, after waiting for a wife, my bed with Elizabeth was cold?

And what if Tiyah could change that?

I drank scotch and paced in the sitting room. It was still so bloody hot, and the open windows and doors scared up but a ghost of a breeze. In the distance the drums had started again, damn agitating things. They made me feel restless in my own skin.

I’d been in Jamaica long enough to see things. I’d seen men and women pair up and walk off at the end of a work day, their shoulders touching, their eyes full of sin. I’d seen husbands grab their wives for a deep kiss, hands groping on the globes of the woman’s behind. One night, when I couldn’t sleep, I went to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk. I’d heard loud moans and the slam of a bed on the wall from the direction of Sally’s room. Philip, I knew, courted her, though they were not married. I’d said nothing, too embarrassed to bring it up with him.

My blood stirred thinking these thoughts, my groin tightening. Passion. It was like a miasma here in Jamaica. They were bloody shameless about it.

What if Tiyah’s gift could give me that? Make Elizabeth full of passion for me, and me for her? Could we be proper Englishfolk in the day and wild savages at night? Would I even want such a thing?

Yes, by God. I wanted it very bloody much. I wanted love, and lust, and passion, tangled bodies and sweaty sheets, at least once in my lifetime. Sometimes my very clothes seemed to choke me, as if the binding threads of civilization strangled the man in me, the flesh-and-blood man. I’d denied my urges for so long, pushing carnal thoughts down or stroking myself guiltily when I could no longer bear it.

I wanted to let myself feel it all, to touch and be touched. I wanted to breathe. I had to be insane for thinking Tiyah could give me that. Then again, this was a strange land, and strange things were possible, were they not?

My mind made up, I wrote a quick letter to Richard, telling him what I was going to do. He would sweat blood waiting for my next missive, telling him what had transpired.

I could hardly wait myself.

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LE Franks - GRL Blog tour

Last year GRL Atlanta was held in a hotel run by aliens.

And not the ones we find bandied about under thinly disguised rational slurs—no these guys were straight from The Mother Ship. In fact by the end of our stay I’d become convinced that the hotel was the mother ship.

There is evidence to back this up. The disappearing/reappearing carpet swamp springs to mind and I have the rest of the list jotted down on the back of something…but that doesn’t matter. I have witnesses. If you don’t believe me just ask Jade Buchanan, Jet Mykles, Allie Blue… (and I want to throw Amber Kell under the bus here but I’m not 100% certain).

But my recall ability is not the point (yet). My point is that we can ask them ourselves in just a few weeks. Or sooner, if we want to reach out to them through our virtual connections…

Connections that begin with the books we love.

Books that become our family, that make us laugh, make us think, make us feel, or just distract us from the grind our soul can take on a daily basis. We finish one, we fall in love, and we start tearing through virtual bookstores and author websites and social media pages searching for their next literary crumb, that hint of the next book in a series, or the next novella penned in a voice we’d follow to the ends of the earth and back.

But for fans of our genre (and let’s face it, those of us who write are some of the biggest fans out there), we don’t have to leave it there.

We have something very special in our annual Gay Romance Literary Retreat…an event where very real and random meetings with those same authors can happen at any time of day or night. We trip across them in the elevators or the lobby, squee when we realize we’re seated next to them at dinner, have quiet moments of conversation when we keep each other company as we go on morning walks or stand in line at Starbucks.

The connections we spark light the fires of friendship or camaraderie or collaboration growing beyond the handful of days we share together each year.

So while I might gripe that I’m not ready to embrace the heart of con season, that I haven’t figured out costumes and swag and all the many painful details of travel, the truth of the matter is in its own way—it’s like coming home. No one cares what you wear, only that you’re back… even if only for the first time.

We all seem to share a shy reluctance to impose ourselves on each other coupled with a deep-seated desire to connect. And it can be worrisome until you take that great leap of faith and walk up with your hand extended. Scary. But the rewards for doing so are vast.

I was reminded of that last weekend as I prepared to board a flight to Seattle for GRNW 2014. My special box of swag was still in transit and I was whining about it online only to be put in my place by a reader ‘as long as you show up, that’s gift enough’. Enough said.

I can’t wait to see my friends: personal and virtual. And for those as yet unmet? I can’t wait to meet you.

Safe Travels and I’ll see you in Chicago where I hear anything can happen, maybe even aliens.


Can This Be Real

Chef Christian De Guisse can’t trust a man who doesn’t love his food, Detective Andrew Simmons won’t let any man close who thinks he’s broken—somewhere between these two points, love is possible, but only if they get real.

When Chef Christian De Guisse accidently outs Celebrity Chef Jordan Slayer during a fight in front of The Times entertainment reporter—it only gets Christian ex-boyfriend status and a one-way plane ticket to culinary exile in Oregon.

But a fortuitous meeting with Detective Andrew Simmons at the Portland airport keeps De Guisse and his collection of exotic herbs out of the hands of homeland security, starting the chemistry simmering between them.

Andy isn’t much of a foodie and for a chef who communicates love through his cooking this may be one hurdle too high.

Excerpt


“You fucking bastard!” Christian slammed through the door to Jordan’s office without knocking. The executive suite was built on a mezzanine overlooking the dining room and faced with an entire wall of glass that revealed a private chef’s table at one end and Jordan’s desk at the other. From the dining room floor the executive suite always reminded Christian of a giant aquarium; Jordan’s relentless pacing mimicking the school of piranha circling their tank at the NY Aquarium.

“Chris, what the hell? I’m in a meeting with the network, this is completely inappropriate!” Christian barely spared a glance at the room full of suits before blasting back.

“You want to know what’s fucking inappropriate? It’s cheating on me with some twat while I run your goddamned restaurant making you look good to all these pretentious assholes!” Christian swept a hand out, gesturing to those seated behind him with the paper still clutched in his hand.

Jordan lost all color in his face as Christian slapped the newspaper down in front of him. The pages were folded back to reveal a cozy photograph of Jordan, arms wrapped around a statuesque blonde in a tiny silver micro dress as they left a trendy SoHo eatery.

Page Six had spent several column inches speculating that perhaps Jordan had met the future Mrs. Happy Monkey, given the number of times he’d been seen escorting her around town over the last six months.

“Christian, you’re overreacting—”

“Fuck you, Jordan. If anything I’m underreacting here. How long have you been sneaking around?”

Jordan froze and then seemed to pull himself together after a quick glance at the startled faces around them. For the first time Christian focused on the other occupants in the room. Among the seven suits seated, Christian recognized Mickey Nichols, Executive Producer for Jordan’s shows, along with Melissa Halprin, entertainment reporter for The Times. While the others were studiously trying to avoid eye contact, Melissa had the glazed look of someone witnessing a car wreck as she clutched her recorder in one hand.

“Back off, Chris!” Jordan snapped, every inch of him channeling his “Jordan Slayer, TV star” persona. “I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing but this is none of your business, and for the record I’m not gay.”

“Not gay? I find that incredibly unlikely since you had your tongue shoved up my asshole not three hours ago. In my experience, that’s usually a line a straight man won’t cross!” Christian would have been more satisfied by the horror on Jordan’s face if the view weren’t ruined by a sucker punch to his jaw.

The blow knocked him backwards into the glass wall, panels shuddering and pinging. Mickey jumped up to grab Jordan, pulling the cheating bastard out of harm’s way, while the sting of his mouth dissolved the last bit of Christian’s self-control.

“You can deny it all you want but there’s also the fact you’ve been inserting your cock into every orifice of sufficient size on my body since I was seventeen—you’re just one blowjob away from winning the award for World’s Most Prolific Cocksucker, Jordan!”

The mention of underage sex and blowjobs seemed to light a fire under Mickey. He shoved Jordan into a chair and started hustling everyone else out of the room. Melissa was no longer being shy about her interest and was furiously jotting notes into a small notebook—lingering as long as she could—Mickey finally shut the door in her face and turned the panels to opaque before making his own escape.

“Seventeen?” Jordan spluttered, shock ripping away his façade. “I thought you had to be eighteen to apply to the CIA?”

Jordan was probably thinking back to all the times he’d dragged Christian into an empty supply closet or the guest quarters at the venerable cooking institution during that long weekend eight years ago.

“Yeah, Jordan. You were so hot to get in my whites that you never slowed down long enough to ask, not that it took very long as I recall. You know, I never could tell if it was my tight ass you loved more or my perfect sauces. I guess it’s a moot point now.”

Christian couldn’t stop the memories from surfacing, overwhelming his pain. As an undergraduate attending the Culinary Institute of America, Christian had been assigned to help Jordan prep for a cooking demonstration; to say they’d hit it off would’ve been an understatement. In fact, upon graduation Jordan came calling, luring Christian into hitching his professional career to Jordan’s star. Bile rose in Christian’s throat at the choices he’d made.

“Christian?” Jordan broke into Christian’s reverie.

Staring at him, Christian barely recognized the man he’d thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. For Christian, their early professional partnership had quickly become personal— in Jordan he’d found not only a mentor but also a partner and friend.

They’d done everything together. And even though Christian spent all his nights at the loft with Jordan, except for the late weekend shifts, Jordan had always resisted Christian’s overtures to make it official by moving in together. Now he knew the reason why. Just the thought of it made a red tide of rage rise once more.

“I can’t believe I never recognized what a low-life, no-talent, has-been, cheating scum you really are...” Christian shook with emotion, the words snarled, hands clenched at his sides and jaw throbbing.

Jordan appeared tired and defeated sitting with his head in his hands, but the look he gave Christian as he rolled his head to the side was mostly pissed.

“You’re fired, Chris. Get the fuck out of my restaurant.”


About the Author


LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark.

LE Franks is a best selling author Published through MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and is a 2013 Rainbow Awards Finalist along with Co-author Sara York.

Her website can be found at http://www.lefranks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LE.Franks1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boxtersushi

Blog: https://lefranks.wordpress.com

Email: le.franks.books@gmail.com


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Five Things to Keep in Mind for GRL - GRL Blog Tour - Erica Pike

GRL is less than a month away! I’m so excited! Aren’t you excited? R.J. was kind enough to let me visit her blog to talk about a few practical things to keep in mind:

Clothes

I would like to say that clothing is optional, but I doubt the hotel staff would approve, so let’s all wear at least something. What to wear, however, is optional. Some choose jeans and t-shirts while others like to dress up a bit. The main thing is to wear whatever makes you comfortable. The same goes for shoes and the same goes for the themed evenings. If you like dressing up in costumes, then do it (most will, but it’s okay if you’re not comfortable with it). If you like to wear fancy clothes for the Casino Royale, then wear some. You won’t find small groups of people whispering about other people’s clothes. That’s not how GRL works.

Companionship 


If you’re nervous about meeting all the people, then don’t meet them right away. Watch them first, take in the scene, and hopefully that’ll relax you enough to eventually talk to people. GRL is like Christmas: no one should be alone. If you’re arriving alone, then see if you can find some of the people you’ve been chatting with online. Trust me, they’re just as eager to see you as you are to see them, and they’re probably also just as nervous. Find comfort and companionship in each other. Someone in the facebook group suggested printing and cutting out a small copy of your profile image, so it will be easier for people to recognize you, and I think that’s a very good idea. If finding your online friends fails (or you just don’t have any), authors are always ready to chat. We’re there to socialize with fellow authors and readers (because we’re readers, too!). Then there’s the Meet and Greet on Thursday morning, which is designed to get people to talk to each other (no one’s going to force you to do anything against your will though, so don’t worry).

Pens


Sure, there will be a free-for-all SWAG room with pens, but it’s a good idea to bring at least a couple. If you’re a general attendee, it’s good to have one in the neck wallet you’ll get at registration, in case you run into your favorite author and he/she doesn’t have a pen to sign. If you want an author to sign fabric, then be sure to bring a fabric pen because the author will most likely not have one. Authors, this is mandatory! Have pens in your neck wallets! Not just pens, but sharpies as well. It’s good to have at least two sharpies: silver to sign black surfaces and dark to sign on light surfaces. Also have a normal pen to sign books, because a sharpie will bleed through the page and ruin it.

Flu shot


Eat a lot of vitamins a few weeks before arriving and, if you can, get a flu shot! I didn’t get sick after my first GRL in Albuquerque, but last year in Atlanta? I was sick for three weeks afterward and it took me another month to become fully functional (or as functional as I can get). People will be hugging - a lot, and you’ll be spending a lot of time with a lot of people in a lot of small rooms.

Rest


This is something I need to learn to do. I’ve been to GRL two years in a row and I did not stop the whole time I was there. My cousin Thora can confirm this. I believe that this may have contributed to my after-GRL fatigue. I was on my feet most of the time, often well into the night only to wake up very early. I was always on the run, talking, smiling, laughing, and stressing about my panel and SWAG table. I want to do everything at GRL, talk to everyone, but being so eager will come at a price. So, rest! Go to your room (Erica!) a few times over the day, sit down in the comfy chairs, go out of the hotel a few times (I only left the hotel twice last year, to get food - I’m not counting the trip to the strip club), and even skip a panel or two to enjoy the peace and quiet of the nearly empty hallways. You need to recharge your batteries before going in again.


Thank you for having me over, R.J. See you all at GRL!

About Erica Pike


I haven't been writing since I was in diapers and I haven't been an avid reader since I learned my ABC's. I have, however, always been a daydreamer spinning tales after tales in my head involving me and a tall, dark, and sexy man who doesn't exist in real life. So far I've been a vampire, jungle nymph, time-traveler, ghost, noblewoman, survivor on a deserted island, a witch and so, so much more that it'd take months to count out every occupation and scenario.

I have been writing for several years now and reading became an obsession roughly in my late twenties. Of course I read books before that, but since I'm a university business graduate I really didn't have much time to read in my free time. My free time back then was time to party! I now only read/write gay male erotic romance fiction.

I live in Iceland and I often say that my real name sounds like Klingon to foreigners so I don't even bother revealing it. I took part in a Taekwondo tournament in the USA once and felt so, so sorry for the announcer. I'm a happy single mother of two adorable boys.

Anyway, I'm a friendly, easy-going person, so don't be afraid to talk to me. I have a weird sense of humor - either you get me or you don't. Unfortunately, sometimes my humor gets mistaken for me being insensitive - please forgive that, it's the Icelander in me. 

Erica Online



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GRL Blog Tour - Charlie Cochet

Hello all! Charlie Cochet here joining in on the GRL blog tour. A big thank you to the fabulous RJ Scott for hosting me today! Just a little over a month left until GRL is here again. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. Feels like only yesterday I left Georgia. What an amazing time! I can't wait to once again see old friends and meet new ones. This is my third year attending, but my first as a Featured Author, and I'm so excited!

It will be my first year with several new releases, including my fun new law-enforcement shifter series, the THIRDS. Thanks to the THIRDS, swag was a little easier to come up with this year. Since the team includes Big Cats, I had a lot to work with. There's all kinds of nifty animal print swag, as well as swag for the guys: Team Sexy-Pants, Team Cobbs, Team Cash, and Team Heb! There will also be swag dedicated to Dex's 80s obsession. Sadly, there will be no Cheesy Doodles on offer, but there will be a host of other fun items!

THIRDSBanner450

As soon as my panel session is confirmed, I'll be sharing it with you as well, and I'm so excited about it! I'll also be celebrating my newest release A Rose by Any Other Name, which is out on Friday, Sept 12th. A Rose by Any Other Name is a fun roaring twenties romance filled with bootlegged liquor, scandalous debauchery, sassy cabaret boys, society gents, dangerous gangsters, and more! You can expect some fun themed swag on that as well!

Swag aside, I'm looking forward to chatting with folks the most. So don't be shy. If you see me, stop by and say hello. If you're not attending, don't fret, there are lots of online events happening in honor of GRL with all kinds of goodies on offer. So who's going to GRL this year? Who hopes to go sometimes in the near future? What are you looking forward to the most?

rosedivider
Find the THIRDS series here. A Rose by Any Other Name is available for pre-order here. Released Sept 12th. Paperbacks ordered through Dreamspinner Press qualify for Free Shipping to GRL for pick-up! THIRDS paperbacks will be available from Sept 17th and on sale!
Use code: GRL2014
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About the Author:
CCochet100Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

THIRDS HQ: http://thirdshq.com 
Email: charlie@charliecochet.com 
Twitter: @charliecochet | http://www.twitter.com/charliecochet 
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Conventions and meet-ups 2014 - 2015

I am booked to attend the following events this year and next:

Gay Rom Lit Retreat


October 16-19, 2014 at the Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

I attended the Atlanta Convention last year and had such a blast! I met so many readers and authors and just had such an awesome time. I'll be taking swag, and also books to sell and sign.


MM Writers Retreat UK


May 2015, Horwood House, Buckinghamshire

A group of writers meeting in a country hotel in Buckinghamshire - watch this space for news. More here - UK Writer's Retreat



Euro Con 2015


10 - 12 July, Munich 

I am pleased to announce I will be one of two keynote speakers at the first ever Euro Con. This is to be held in the beautiful city of Munich right on top of Pride... I'm so excited, and yes, nervous at the same time!


The UK GLBTQ Meet



September 2015 in Bristol, UK 

A convention held in the UK with writers from all over - UK Meet.

I attended the meet in Manchester last year and met so many of my writery friends in the UK and some from overseas!

Had an awesome time in Bristol this year! I'll be taking swag, and also books to sell and sign.


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My diary for the coming year...

... is starting to fill up

UK Gay Romance writers signing - September 6th 2014

Lots of UK gay romance writers all in one place *be afraid*, talks, and cream teas, and coffee, and readings, and book signings... a book fair with a difference!

To find out more information check out details here on the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/events/478879022255681/

Gay Rom Lit - October 16-19th 2014

Chicago hotel, wine, talks, events, parties... and I'll be taking my own teabags and milk... more information here: http://www.gayromlit.com/

UK MM Writer's Retreat - May 2015

Read more here: http://ukwritersretreat.weebly.com/

An overnight stay in a baueatiful country hotel to talk writing, drink coffee, talk plotlines, cliffhangers, marketing strategies... you name it we talk about it!

Euro Con (Munich) 10-12th July 2015

I am pleased to announce I will be one of two keynote speakers at the first ever Euro Con. This is to be held in the beautiful city of Munich right on top of Pride... I'm so excited, and yes, nervous at the same time!

* * * * *

Still thinking about other options... not sure what else I can get childcare for! ROFL... x


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GRL Author Signing Competition Winners...



Congratulations guys...

1st Prize $30 Amazon Voucher = 177 marie-c (sent)
2nd Prize $20 Amazon Voucher = 210 Forreta Byles (sent)
3rd Prize Signed RJ Scott book = 008 frenchie29
4th Prize Harrods Teddy Bear + 1 RJ ebook = 248 dartagnan (book chosen - The Decisions we Make - sent. Package to follow).

Runner up prizes (RJ ebook)

151 = vahobbs
211 = marit41702
039 = vamps
082 = llogan24 (The Christmas Throwaway)
270 = terrilee (pre-booked Texas Christmas)

I will be emailing all winners individually in a bit...


RJ XXX


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RJ Scott's GRL 2013, Atlanta, Report

Here follows a random linking together of sentences...

I want to name check everyone I met in Atlanta, but I can’t. I have moments that I remember with great clarity and names that I will remember perfectly but if I begin to name check everything I swear I will leave someone out. All I know is that every single person I talked to made me feel like a million pounds, sorry, dollars…

As soon as we landed in Atlanta we were faced with something very different from what we were used to. The Brits have a reputation of unfailing posh politeness, but actually a lot of that is classic Brit reserve. When faced with four people at the bottom of the escalator welcoming us to Atlanta and asking us how we were, I was a little blown away. ROFL. I immediately thought we had done something wrong and this was security asking us to go home. Instead we had smiles, and yes ma’ams, and happy welcomes. Blimey.

This didn’t stop when we got to the hotel. The people we had met and the staff at the Melia were just a whole different breed of people to what we're used to. They talked to us as we walked past, they started conversations with us and my Brit reserve was severely tested. Not so much Mr RJ who made friends with everyone when he was outside in the *smokers corner*. Including disappearing for nearly one whole night with Devon and Jared in which time they fixed the world and ate Cody’s Cheetos.

I didn't really go to the evening events, I'm not a great fan of crowds and loud noise... I know, kinda pathetic really. But Mr RJ did his bit and apparently had a lot of fun up there in my place. He has said that next year he is dressing up...

Being overwhelmed doesn’t cover it. I had a few fans approach me and we hugged and they said lovely things, and I thanked them, then there was silence. I don’t do silence so well. I think in my fevered imagination the fan was looking for something that I hadn’t prepared for… intelligent conversation. It was only when a few fans explained they just wanted to talk books that I thought, *I can do that*. Of course asking them which of my books was their favourite was the wrong thing to do. Every single person I asked looked aghast that I should make them choose. That was such a lovely thing to hear. Although when pushed, the usual suspects rose to the top, Throwaway and Texas.

Then it happened.

Someone said their favourite book was Oracle and it’s sequel. NO ONE has ever said that to me. I nearly cried (Yes, I was an emotional basket case for nearly the entire convention!).

Amber and I joined TA Chase on the first night for early registration. Oh. My. God. It was sooooooo busy and so much fun! I am so going to volunteer for that again!


I met people that I spoke to online and I loved every minute of it. We were one of the first groups up in the convention rooms. I was with Amber Kell and Stephani Hecht talking about werewolves and paranormal. We were up against Klarvin, and
I expected maybe three people to attend ours, but we were so happy when we had a nicely filled set of rows and some really enthusiastic fans.

The highlight of the panel was Devon asking Mr RJ, Mr Kell, and Steph’s son Cody, what they felt about our writing. Mr Rj’s reply made me all teary-eyed when he talked about being proud, and how the first chapter of Throwaway makes him emotional. When Mr Kell and Cody added to the support it was a shining moment in our panel. We also managed to get a lot of laughter, which apparently they heard in the Klarvin panel… YAY us!

Ps... congrats to TJ and Eric on the engagement!

Mr RJ & me at The Aquarium, report to follow...
I collected a billionty-and-one pens from the swag table and most of my stuff disappeared. Hubby and I learned that transporting sweets on the plane was not a good idea as they all melted but the pens and postcards went well. Clare London had some awesome little wish jars and we talked beads for a while, which gave me ideas for swag another year.

I fangirled Rowan Speedwell, and tried my hardest not to jump Marie Sexton again. I had the most amazing meeting with Jordan Castillo Price *fangirls again* in which we talked self-publishing and she was incredibly gracious to give me her time and talk – I think I made a new friend there.

A yellow cab... yes, I was
THAT English tourist taking
photos of cabs.
As to LC Chase, well hell, I couldn’t find her anywhere. BUT… I managed to find her at the author signing and we HUGGED SO MUCH. I got a book from her and she signed it and I was a little lost for words, I just kept saying, I love your writing, I love your writing. ROFL. Yes, I probably scared her a little.

I saw some of Carol Lynne and the other organisers. They seemed to be constantly on the go, *pets Carol’s poor legs*. There were other volunteers that made life easier for us all. A big thank you to all of them.

Portia, I love you. Is all. This woman, Portia de Moncour, from FB and MM Good Book Reviews, simply blew me away. How much energy does one woman have AND how clever she was with the way she talked. I could listen to her for hours. Mr RJ was smitten.

Amber, Steph and I found a quiet space on the BR floor and ignored the noise of the escalator to come up with new projects. More details to follow…

The dine with an author event was a little strained. The tables were too big and the noise too much and I think everyone thought the same. BUT, I had fun talking books to the people I could speak to. As usual Mr RJ plonked himself in between readers and told them trade secrets about RJ Scott… harrumph… I tried my best to ignore him… LMAO

Stabby,,, stabby,,,
The author signing was intense. Utterly consuming, full concentration was needed at all times. I signed and hugged and talked and I cannot believe that those three hours went so damn fast. I loved every single tiny minute of it, alternating between the usual disbelief that people wanted my autograph and to talk to me, and pride that somehow I had achieved something bigger than me.

I met Sandrine Gasq-Dion and the Kindle Alexanders... and as much as I wanted them to move their books out of the way of Texas Family on Amazon, I actually liked them a lot... ROFL... guys I didn't really mean to say I wanted to hire a hitman. *sniggers*.

What I enjoyed most about GRL was the way I could meet someone in the elevator, or in the lobby and talk informally. I learned an awful lot from everyone.

I plan on trying to get a ticket for Chicago next year and will be sat at my computer waiting for the time the tickets go live.

Thank you to all the organisers who worked so hard to make sure this event happened. GRL rocked. 

What have I learned from GRL
  • That I have a super sexy and wholly cute accent and that just saying *bloody hell* made me very popular. (I actually think I had no accent - it was all the Americans that had the accent... nods)
  • That I can handle being told nice things without immediately running away and hiding or thinking the speaker had the wrong person.
  • That I rely too much on the Internet (Internet was bad in the hotel!)
  • That I really like bacon.
  • That three hours can sometimes seem like ten minutes, until the cramp from signing kicks in.
    • I love you.... Tea... I love you so much
  • THAT I REALLY MISSED ENGLISH TEA!


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What's in my diary for the next few weeks... aka The List Of Doom (TM)

A mighty fine erection near our hotel in Atlanta
So next Monday, 28 October, I need to crack on with my list... I have plotted and planned with Amber, and Steph, and also on my own stuff and with Meredith and this is the list I need to tackle...

Blogs

GRL 2013. SO much to tell you all...
E-Book Pricing
Erotica
Various guest spots I promised to do

Books to be writin'

The Model And The Agent (Ellery 7) - so nearly done... poor Mikey...

Christmas In The Sun (with Meredith Russell) - we're half way... ish

The Case Of The Purple Pearl (End Street 5 with Amber Kell) more news on this to follow

Texas 5 - for release week before Christmas

Incubus Agenda (Supernatural Bounty Hunters 5) - I may have to delay release of this by two weeks... from 15 November to 1 December, watch this space. GRL knocked me sideways and I am now behind... sighs...

Edit and add to Jesse's Christmas for release before Christmas

The Third Kingdom (Supernatural Bounty Hunters 6)

Collate the stories for the free Christmas Antho... (bully Meredith and Amber into adding short stories)

Triskellion book 1 (book 1 in a series with Meredith Russel and Chris Quinton)

Books Releases: Love Lane

RJ Scott

Sunday 15 December 2013 Texas 5
Sunday 22 December 2013 Jessie's Christmas

RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Saturday 7 December 2013 Christmas In the Sun (Sapphire 4)

Diane Adams

Saturday 26 October 2013 Clark's Story (MOM 4)
Wednesday 30 October 2013 That One Thing (MOM 4.1)
Saturday 2 November 2013 If The Stars Fall (MOM 5)
Saturday 9 November 2013 Last First Kiss
Friday 6 December 2013 A Home For Christmas (MOM 6)

Books Releases: Totally Bound

Friday 1 November 2013 Montana 1: Big Sky (Pre-order) 
Friday 15 November 2013 Montana 1: Big Sky (available to download and read from TEB)
Friday 13 December 2013 Montana 1: Big Sky (Third Party Release) 
Friday 13 December 2013 The Model and the Agent (Pre-order)
Friday 27 December 2013 The Model and the Agent (available to download and read from TEB)

RJ Scott & Amber Kell:
 
Friday 1 November 2013 End Street 4: Sinful Santa (available to download and read from TEB)
Friday 29 November 2013 End Street 4: Sinful Santa (Third Party Release)

Books Releases: eXtasy Books

Sunday 1 December 2013 The Incubus Agenda (Supernatural 5)
Wednesday 1 January 2014 The Third Kingdom (Supernatural 6)



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News before Gay Rom Lit. The Demons Blood. Texas Family out early!


The Demons Blood

The fourth in my Supernatural Bounty Hunters series is out with eXtasy books on Wednesday 15th October! I am so excited for you to read Simeon and Asher's story! You can buy it HERE.

When Simeon, a mountain lion shifter meets Asher, a blood demon, there is instant attraction. But, how can they act on the way they feel when there is an entire kingdom at stake.

Asherkan Iblis is a blood demon, a slave to elves, and a soldier. He keeps the fact he has royal elvish blood a secret. His half brother returns to broker peace but reveals he is actually there for much more and Asher faces a decision that could lead to his death.

Simeon Blue, brother of the leader of the Feline Guild, mountain lion shifter, is tasked to accompany Phin on a mission over the Red Mountains and into the Second Kingdom. He has to talk to the Guild but all they want to do is stay in isolation and his mission is fraught with danger.

When Simeon is wounded Asher hides him and suddenly, next to a kings death, a cousin's hate, and Ludvik's black magic, love falls on the agenda.

 Texas Family

I brought forward the general release for Texas Family when I realised I had placed the date slap bang in the middle of GRL!

Tuesday 15th, to celebrate my 9 hour flight to Atlanta (!!!), Texas Family will go live on Amazon and All E-Romance. Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc, should follow soon after.

We will update the Texas 4 page HERE with buy links as soon as we have them... :)

Review for the book have been awesome so far, so fingers crossed you all enjoy it.




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Gay Rom Lit

Awesome A4 poster by Meredith
*Not another last minute thing from RJ* Russell
A week today I am flying to Atlanta for my first ever Gay Rom Lit or GRL as it's known.

I am bricking it. Which is UK for being just ever so slightly bloody worried... My worries start with the suitcases and the weight of them, then the bleedin' long flight that is sooooooooo boring... I think I am okay with using MARTA, Mr RJ will be with me to help me...

Of course then I get to the hotel

  1. What if someone says *Oh my god, hello RJ, how are you, etc etc* and they have obviously met me and I don't recognise them? (I have a crap memory).
  2. What if someone says, *I love Riley/Joseph/Liam or insert any other name, and I can't remember their book because my brain dies on the flight over*
  3. What if no one wants to meet RJ Scott. I will die if my table isn't visited... I will go out and hire people to stand next to me.
  4. What if I fall over/stumble/do something stupid? This is likely.
  5. What if I fall asleep at ten pm (because it is some ungodly hour like 3am in England) and start snoring on the sofa
  6. What if I can't handle dealing with everything that has happened to me in the last year and do or say something stupid. Also likely.
  7. What if... hell... I could spend all day writing this list... ROFL
I don't normally worry about these things. I mean, I will say I'm worried about the flight, but when it comes to it, I'll eat and watch films and try not to recall a single episode of *Flight Crash Disaster Death Mayhem Awfulness* (Or whatever it is called) that hubby watches where planes have fallen from the sky because of a missing two inch widget that you could buy from a local store.

*Breathes*

On a good note, all my swag is organised. I'm running a competition at the signing table to win Amazon vouchers, and other goodies. I'm selling books, giving away postcards, pens, and all kinds of bits and pieces.

AND the amazingly wonderful Meredith Russell has made me an A4 poster that will sit on my table so you know who I am...

I am excited and terrified at the same time... Kind of like that moment when you are pulled up to the top of a roller coaster and you hang there for a second. That kind of excited/terrified...

If you want to follow my general shenanigans then my twitter is rjscott_author and my facebook is https://www.facebook.com/author.rjscott I will attempt to remember to hashtag with #GRL or whatever they want us to use... #GRLAtlanta... or something... 

RJ X

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Cover art for Supernatural Bounty Hunters Print (first three books)

The first three books are available in paperback ... I have just ordered a quantity of them for Gay Rom Lit to sell and sign... I couldn't wait to share the cover art - it's stunning.


More information on the three titles in the print books can be found here:

The Vampire Contract (#1)
The Guilty Werewolf  (#2)
The Warlock's Secret (#3)

Buy Links for the Print Book

Amazon (US)  |  Amazon (UK)



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RJ Scott Competition! Closing date 15 September

The Novel Approach reviews is hosting me today in their run up to GRL...  Don't comment here, go comment on TNA's website for a chance to win!

Competition HERE

Read about my nerves and my excitement and all the other things that GRL makes me think!

From their site:
One lucky reader is going to walk away with two pdf e-books of your choice from RJ’s backlist or will be the first to read two of her new books!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment right here and you’re automatically entered. All comments must be received by 11:59pm Pacific time on Sunday, September 15, 2013. The winner will be drawn at random on Monday, the 16th, and notified via email for prize delivery.

Books coming soon...Texas Family.The Barman And The SEAL.The Demons Blood

  



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Gay Rom Lit

Am so excited... I am a Featured Author at Gay Rom Lit in October 2013... I am so damn lucky to have got a place... they went in the space of three minutes.

My email and the one for hubby's booking are timestamped at 17:01... just 1 minute past the time they went live... ROFL... I spent all of today worrying.

So now I have new worries... what kind of promotion do I need to think about? Or swag... Any ideas gratefully received.

IN OTHER NEWS

I have an update post on Silver Publishing and taking time off here: On silver publishing and exhaustion

I am committing to getting The Christmas Throwaway, The Heart Of Texas and Guarding Morgan, into print in the next few weeks. Watch this space...

   

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Gay Rom Lit

After the last six months I really thought there wasn't a single thing that would make me leave groups on Facebook or have to listen to some of the nonsense  being plastered on my feed.

The whole situation with Silver Publishing and the way they treated their authors was bad enough, but to see what happened with 'the GRL thing' as it will forever be known in my head, was simply something else I couldn't get my head around.

I appreciate that some of my fellow authors are offended by how GRL have had to change the way they do things. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I fall into the camp of 'however it is done is the way it needs to be done'. I don't see what GRL is doing as elitist. I see it as bloody good business sense.

As I have mentioned before I attended four Supernatural conventions *nerdgasm*. The first year Jared and Jensen were there. But you didn't know they would be attending until way after you bought tickets. You were punting on the chance of the actors you wanted to see being there.

Then the year I met Jared it was manic but OMG I got to get very near to Jared Padalecki *swoons*. Of course nearly making him fall off of his stool was a little embarrassing but, hell, it was fun.

Despite the fact that I bought the tickets in the hope of seeing them the first year it wasn't meeting them that marked the weekend as a success. By the end of four days I had new friends, met up with old friends, had fun, drunk too much, and loved meeting and listening to the other actors.

My readers are not just RJ Scott readers, or *insert other author name here* readers. The readers who choose to read me like reading MM. End of. They are intelligent people who love the genre. Yes, each reader may have their favourite(s) but at the end of the day they will certainly have more than one author on their must buy list. I am a reader as well but I have so many favourite must-buys.

I will be at my computer on the day that the tickets are available and I will take any position I can, author or not. I just want to go. 

*smooches*

RJ xx

Other posts I read over the last few days that sum the situation up very nicely and a lot better than I do.
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