In which Sue Brown answers a Silly Question.

So, the lovely Sue Brown is answering all sorts of silly questions from her fellow authors today.

As usual, my mind is in the gutter and my question to Sue reflects that. Hey, it's an important subject, yannow?

Question: Boxers, jockey shorts, tidy whities or commando?

Sue's answer: They all have their place... um... boxers, let those puppies breathe.

Sue, I couldn't agree more. I love a man in boxers. Oh yeah....

Sue has a new book coming out, 'Stolen Dreams'. It's on the top of my TBR list, like all of her new releases are.

And, for more on Sue, don't forget to visit her blog.

Sue's Lucky Seven

Here's a new game for writers:

1. Go to page 77 (or 7th) of your current ms
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other authors. No cheating.

It's a great way to have a snoop at what our fellow authors are up to. :)

Pass it on.

This is from the freebie I'm writing for the Goodreads M/M Readers Group annual write-in. 'Love is Always Write'

The story's called 'Tumbleweed' and this is from page 7.

*******

“Not by choice. I just take jobs where I can find them these days.” I sprinkled cheese onto the chilli and added a glob of sour cream.

“So you’re not living anywhere permanent?”

I took a sip of beer. “I was living in LA. My … partner and I broke up after five years. I decided to make my way back home to Pennsylvania. It’s taking a while.”

“Where are you headed to next?” Riley spread butter over a piece of

A sudden change of plan.

For anyone who's waiting with baited breath for my next release, 'Orion Rising', it's now being released tomorrow, Monday 19th March.

I'm thoughtfully providing a link here. :D

For my next trick - Biscuits and Bunting!

Total E-Bound is releasing a series of books to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year. My own modest contribution, 'Biscuits and Bunting' will be one of them. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you all have a lot of fun reading it.

In the meantime, here's the blurb. Enjoy!

Sara York has taken over my blog!

Happy Weekend, everyone. Today, the lovely Sara York is taking over my blog to talk about her latest release.


I want to thank Sue for having me today. It’s an honor to be on her blog. Last fall my writing turned dark, as in thrillers and mystery. I began work on Not That Type of Guy, a dark thriller that ask the question of what would you do if your lover ripped apart the very foundation of what you believed.

You may think you know someone, share the most intimate encounters with them, then find out what you assumed about them wasn’t the whole truth. It seems like everything is going well with their relationship until disaster strikes.

Then Torn to Shreds came to me in a flash, demanding that I write Lucas’s story. Lucas is young, sweet and innocent—that is until he’s abducted. Lucas is at the end of his rope, ready to end it all. Brett is pissed that Amos, his biggest enemy, asks for help, but since it’s really for Lucas he can’t turn down that request.

Torn To Shreds was the story that had to be told, forcing me to write past exhaustion. I hope you enjoy both of these stories and their dark tales.

Blurb for Not That Type of Guy
When CIA assassin Aiden Johnson is trapped between a bathroom wall and a hard man, he chooses the hard man, much to his surprise. Aiden doesn’t want to admit he’s gay, but his first stumble into man love leaves him disoriented, searching for answers and desperate to find the truth. He covers his real desires by dating an ultra hot girl, but it’s the guy sitting a few tables away that draws his attention.

Super nice and attractive Doctor Trace Williams is so special he seems like an angel to Aiden. Their first kiss blows Aiden away. That Trace sees into his soul, even when Aiden is trying to hide everything, pisses him off. Aiden needs Trace in his life, but once Trace finds out the truth about Aiden’s job, will they have any part of their relationship left?

Blurb for Torn To Shreds
When Lucas Spires goes missing his brother, Amos, turns to Brett Hutchings, an ex Marine, kicked out for being gay. After Amos betrayed him, forced him out of Lucas’s life and ended his career, Brett vowed to never to never to speak with, much less help Amos, until the end of eternity. But Brett can’t deny his need to save Lucas, the one guy he’s never been able to get out of his system, even if it means working for Amos.

The trail is cold, with Lucas missing for more than a month. The cops are clueless, unable to find even a hint that the young man was abducted instead of just wandering away. When Brett latches onto a trace of evidence, it looks like he’ll find Lucas, but the clue doesn’t pan out the way he thinks it should.

Lucas can’t take the abuse any longer. He’s at the end of his chain, literally. If he could escape into the mountains, he would, but the sick bastard attached a manacle to his leg, exerting his control physically. Lucas is desperate to escape his captor; all hope has vanished, crushing his spirit. Lucas dreams of a savior, but Brett walked away a long time ago, and he’s the only man strong enough to save Lucas.

Torn To Shreds releases on March 15th.

Excerpt for Not That Type of Guy

The debriefing went smoothly. Aiden didn’t say anything about the sex. He thought he was totally home free when Wayne, one of the analysts, looked him in the eyes and frowned.
“In Chuck’s report, he said you and he escaped the tail by going into the bathroom. What exactly did you do in the bathroom?”
Aiden’s stomach turned. They were asking him the impossible. If he and Chuck didn’t answer the questions in a similar manner they were both screwed. This type of operation called for total transparency, no one lied on the team. You lie, you die. Sure, they lied to everyone on the outside from congress to the president, but in this room, truth was the only option.
When you worked with the types of stress he and his team lived with on a daily basis, you had to trust everyone on your team. Liars could kill a mission, exposing everyone to harm or even death. He’d never lied before, but he would today just to save his ass.
“I walked in and entered the stall, unzipped my pants and did my best to sound like I was using the bathroom.”
Wayne shot him a quizzical look. “The tail believed it?”
“Must have,” Aiden said.
Wayne didn’t look like he believed him. This was going to shit real fast. Aiden wouldn’t tell the team about the best fucking blowjob he’d ever received. Couldn’t tell them. Fuck, it wasn’t any of their business. He didn’t understand what had happened. That was a lie; he knew exactly what had happened to him. Those moments when he was in high school playing sports, and he’d felt something brewing in his cock while watching the guys running around the locker room naked, he’d known. He’d always passed it off as the excitement of playing the game or some other excuse, but the truth haunted him.
He’d grown up in a very conservative household. Guys didn’t like guys. It was impossible for him to like a guy because he wasn’t gay. His father drilled the idea into him daily, especially after the calendar incident. No way could he ever be gay. Gay was wrong. His father and brothers hammered it into his head every chance they got. Any feelings he’d had for guys weren’t real, just figments of his imagination, and if he kept telling himself the way it was supposed to be, according to his father, he could overcome this small issue. Liar, Liar.
“Let me see.” Wayne slid his chair over to the computer and camped out for a few minutes.
“What are you doing?” Carol asked as she hung her head over Wayne’s shoulder. “If the guy said he was taking a crapper, then he was.”
“Just looking,” Wayne said.
The seconds stretched into minutes as Wayne pored over reports. At one point he picked up his headphones and listened to an audio file. His face remained impassive, just like a CIA trained agent should be.
“Ahh, I’ve got it.” Wayne jumped up, the smile triumphant on his face.
The world tilted and Aiden wondered what Chuck had said. He had no idea where Chuck lived--Europe, Asia or even the US. They must have already conducted the interviews with him, and Wayne found the part about the bathroom.
“Chuck said the same thing,” Wayne said.
“God, Wayne, you’re being ridiculous. What the hell else do you think our guys were doing in there? They're professionals, and they don’t lie about their activities,” Carol growled.
Wayne shot her a look, and Aiden tensed again. This wasn’t good. The team blew off steam every debriefing session, but this was worse than normal. He didn’t like the tone in Carol’s voice.
“Damn it, Carol, I know we can trust our team, but I had to check. It’s strange that the tail would accept they were taking a crap. Aiden, was the tail on the train?”
“From what I could tell, no. He stayed behind at the station. Sharif was traveling with only three other men.”
“Good, good. Next I want to hear about the poison delivery. You weren’t supposed to trip against him.”
Relief washed over Aiden. Any chance of them guessing about his gay moment disappeared as they got back into evaluating his performance and hashing out exactly what happened during the mission. Improvements were suggested, and everyone agreed he and Chuck worked well together.
The mention of Chuck’s name brought heat to Aiden’s crotch. He didn’t want to see Chuck again. Didn’t want to have thoughts about men. The thoughts of men touching him, invading his body and sucking him dry had him worried about his future. No way would he give into this crazy temptation. Jessica hadn’t been right for him. Sure she was glamorous and beautiful, but she was rather aggressive. Maybe he’d call Sue. She was as docile as a kitten with low ambition outside the bedroom.

Purchase Not That Type of Guy
Visit me at my website, http://sarayork.com

The Beat the Winter Blues Tour - Today's Stop.

Good morning from a grey and damp and non-blizzardy England. Today our guests talk about what to do in a blizzard. So without further adieu...



Things to do in a Blizzard – Blaine D. Arden.




I'd like to start with things do to before a Blizzard. Being prepared is a large part of how successful our Blizzard-night-in will be.
- Keep a generous stock of food and drink. Don't go wild on the beer, leave some room for bottled water. And, remember, canned is better than frozen, but only if you remember to buy a NON-electrical can opener.
- Keep every rechargeable item you own charged. Don't bother with the robotic hoover, using a broom will keep you a lot warmer during a power-out, and don't forget the gameboys if you want to keep the kids happy. (using the term kids very loosely here)
- Check your flashlight(s) for batteries and keep extra batteries nearby. Keep flashlights in places you can easily reach in the dark. The basement may seem like a good place, but don't call me when you end up at the bottom of the stairs with a broken leg
- Stock up on candles, matches, and wood if you have a fireplace. Splurging on candle-holders is not a luxury, unless you don't mind spending days de-waxing every possible surface in the house
- Do you have enough fleece plaids, socks and thermal underwear? If not, go shopping, now! I know those snuggies look ridiculous, but you won't be laughing when it starts freezing and you don't have one.
- Keep a shovel in the house. Yes, IN the house, not in that shed at the back of the garden. Trust me, you'll look foolish trying to dig your way over there with your bare hands.
- For a more naughty Blizzard-night-in: don't forget to stock up on lube, condoms and a variety of preferred play items :)

Well, I think that concludes the preparations. Unless you think of something else, of course. Better to be safe, than sorry.



Blaine D. Arden is a purple haired, forty-something writer of gay romance with a love of men, music, mystery, magic, fairies (the pointy eared ones), platform shoes, and the colors black, purple, and red, who sings her way through life. Born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, Blaine spent many hours of her sheltered youth reading, day dreaming, making up stories, and acting them out with her Barbies. When not writing, reading, or at choir practice, Blaine has singing lessons and hopes to be in a band someday. Blaine can be found at: http://blainedarden.com



Andrew Grey:

During a blizzard I invariably retreat into the house and spend the day doing absolutely nothing. I love to hear the wind whistle around the house knowing I’m inside where it’s warm and I don’t have to do anything in particular or go anywhere. The last blizzard we had, Dominic and I watched it snow form our kitchen windows and then he made hot apple cider and we curled together on the sofa in front of the television. Of course, the blizzard didn’t last that long and I had to go to work the following day, but it was definitely nice while it lasted.

Andrew Grey grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew's hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle,, Pennsylvania. You can find out more at www.andrewgreybooks.com , on facebook, twitter, or email him at andrewgrey@comcast.net


Clare London:

Things to do in a blizzard
Of course I have extensive experience of blizzards, living as I do in … um … balmy London. We only need a light fall of snow for 36 hours, and the country’s train network grinds to a halt in shock. I think I’ve worn my snowy-weather boots twice in the last year!

However, what the London weather *does* prepare us for is rain – long hours of cold, grey, sleeting, spiky, soaking rain.

Unlike the romantic white of snow, the grey rain seeps in down the back of your neck and up through the too-thin soles of your shoes. I still remember the Great Storm of 1987, when the weather forecaster is (in)famous for telling everyone the night before that of course there wasn’t any chance of a storm.

Next morning, we woke to widespread power lines down, fallen trees, floods, damaged property, many injuries. The famous seven oak trees in Sevenoaks, Kent had lost six of their number in one terrible night.

Amazingly, Hubby and I slept through the whole thing. We woke up to our alarm blinking away because power had been cut during the night, and wondering why there was no traffic noise outside. And, I have to admit, we just snuggled back down into the safety and warmth of our bed LOL. That’s OUR favourite thing to do in a blizzard – or equivalent!

About Clare: Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters. Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home. All the details of her books and free fiction are available at her website and blog.


From S.A.Meade: - What Not to do in a blizzard.

Years and years ago, my ex and I did the annual Christmas present run to Birmingham. We didn't have a car so we took a bus. The journey up was uneventful but the journey back to Cambridge was...interesting. The weather forecasters predicted snow. We really didn't give it much thought. After all, someone else would be doing the driving. All we had to do was sit and admire the view.

A few flakes fell when we left Birmingham. By the time we reached the next stop, Coventry, there were a few more. The bus headed on to Northampton, by which time there was a healthy amount of snow. We still weren't worried. It was pretty, right? In Bedford the snow was really coming down. The bus headed for St. Neots, up the hill and onto open, flat land. Big Mistake. The wind piled up drifts across the road and the foolish souls who'd ventured out were stranded and so was our bus.

We sat in the bus while babies cried and the wind slammed into the side of the bus. After an hour or so, I began to envy the men of the party who could pop out for a quick pee. No such luck for the women. My eyes started to water. I fidgeted and worried and wondered whether I could ask for a diaper because I wasn't confident that my bladder could hold out much longer. Finally, one brave woman said ... "To hell with this, I need a pee." Half a dozen visibly relieved women followed in her wake, myself included. We blundered into a snowy, freezing hell and did what needed to be done, in the teeth of the gale and blowing snow.

A little while later, the police made their way to the bus, we were all loaded into a wagon and taken back to the Police station in Bedford, where the generous souls of the local Womens' Royal Voluntary Society had provided beds, biscuits and that great British pick-me-up, tea. After a sleepless night trying to bunk down on the floor with fifty other stranded souls, we were loaded back onto the bus and we made it back to Cambridge.

So my advice. Don't go out in a blizzard. If you must, make sure you (a)pee first and (b)have a cast iron bladder.

About S.A.Meade: lives in deepest Wiltshire and is pathetically happy to see rain after eight years in the desert of south central Arizona. She stumbled into writing m/m by accident when she realised that her historicals put agents to sleep. Since then she’s realised she’s addicted to the genre and keeps writing more dirty books. She loves cooking and eating what she cooks and shares her home with a patient husband and son and two heat-seeking cats. S.A. can be found boring people witless with her blog - kestrelrising.blogspot.com/">

There's a give away today. My new book, 'Orion Rising' is released on 26th March, by Total E Bound, so I'll be giving a copy away to the best answer to what to do in a blizzard.
And remember, our other authors will be doing give-aways on their release days. So keep following and keep posting!

Our books are all released in March. Don't forget to check them out!

Blaine D. Arden 3/9/2012 The Fifth Son
Andrew Grey 3/15/2012 A Helping of Love
Ethan Stone 3/25/2012 Subject 13
S.A. Meade 3/26/2012 Orion Rising
Clare London 3/28/2012 Ambush


Sixteen authors are here to do their best to make your winter brighter in January, February, March, and April. (Unless you’re south of the equator, and then we’ll just be jealous of your summer.) Every Wednesday will be a new stop on the tour (see schedule below). Be sure to leave a comment at each stop for up to sixteen chances at the grand prize: a $200 USD gift certificate to the e-retailer of your choice. Also keep an eye out for links to individual authors’ sites on their release dates for a chance to win some free books.


March 7: Things to Do in a Blizzard (hosted by S.A. Meade)
March 14: St. Patrick’s Day (hosted by Clare London)
March 21: Spring Break (hosted by Blaine Arden)
March 28: Join us for a March Getaway (hosted by Tales from the Writing Cave)
April 4: Favorite Winter Movies (hosted by Stumbling Over Chaos)
April 11: Signs of Spring (hosted by J.P. Barnaby)
April 18: Join us for an April Getaway (hosted by Marie Sexton)
April 25: Farewell (hosted by Joyfully Jay)
April 30: Grand Prize Announcement (hosted by Heidi Cullinan)