Blog Tour - Cock & Tails by Renee George

Renee George is visiting us today to talk about her Cock&Tails series. She is one talented lady! These books are not only self-published, but she did the cover art herself as well. And they are quite the covers!

Cock&Tails #1: The WallBanger

To celebrate his 45th birthday, Dr. Harvey Grace agrees to go on a blind date at a popular gay sports bar, The Other Team. His date turns out to be the bar's owner--gorgeous 32-year-old Jay Lincoln. Their attraction is immediate and hot as wildfire. Harvey begins to believe that Jay might well be "the one," but is the younger man serious about finding Mr. Right ... or is he looking for Mr. Right Now?

Buy from Amazon

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Cock&Tails #2: The Hot Toddy

Todd Nelson and Tucker Thompson both know what it's like to feel abandoned, lonely, and afraid. Since ending up in the same foster family together, they've been as close as brothers. Now in their early twenties, they still have each other's backs, sharing an apartment and working at The Other Team. Tuck avoids hook-ups while Todd constantly indulges in one-night-stands. Watching Todd go through a string of conquests in their home is brutal on Tuck, who wants Todd all for himself. What he doesn't realize is that Todd has strong feelings for him, too. Tuck has always trusted Todd to have his back, but can he trust him with his heart?

Buy from Amazon

Buy from iTunes

Cock&Tails #3: The Gin Rickey

Todd Nelson and Tucker Thompson both know what it's like to feel abandoned, lonely, and afraid. Since ending up in the same foster family together, they've been as close as brothers. Now in their early twenties, they still have each other's backs, sharing an apartment and working at The Other Team. Tuck avoids hook-ups while Todd constantly indulges in one-night-stands. Watching Todd go through a string of conquests in their home is brutal on Tuck, who wants Todd all for himself. What he doesn't realize is that Todd has strong feelings for him, too. Tuck has always trusted Todd to have his back, but can he trust him with his heart?

Buy from Amazon

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About the Author

Award-winning author Reneé George has been a medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing is her true passion.

Reneé loves creating stories about sexy alpha men (BEST JOB EVER!).

She and her family live in a small, mid-western town, sharing their home with two dogs and a very independent cat.

Renee’s Website: romance-the-night.com
Join Renee’s Newsletter for exclusive content, contests, and news!
“Like” Renee’s Facebook Page
Follow Renee on Twitter @reneegeorge2008

Tour Dates: April 17, 2014

Tour Stops:

http://www.mrsconditreadsbooks.com

http://www.prismbookalliance.com

http://shirleyfrancesbooksandmore.wordpress.com/

www.amandastonebooks.com

http://sidlove.com/

http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/

http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

http://www.nephylim-author.blogspot.co.uk

http://raineotierneyhatparty.blogspot.com/

http://myfictionnook.com

http://kimnsarah.co.uk

http://www.heartsonfirereviews.com

http://iyanajenna.blogspot.com/

http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/blog

http://www.parkerwilliamsauthor.com

http://cateashwood.blogspot.com

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Run for the Roses by Elizabeth Noble Cover Reveal

Elizabeth Noble is sharing her gorgeous new cover with us today! It's so beautiful, and lucky us, she's also been so gracious as to organize a giveaway! Make sure you enter because the prize is a beautiful etched mug based on the cover. So pretty!

Blurb

Wanting to end his pattern of choosing controlling and abusive men, Vladimir ‘Val’ Mihalic figures it’s better to live alone than live in fear. Just when things are settling down—his biggest trouble recently is a Kentucky Derby hopeful that won’t load into a starting gate—his best friend Janelle’s violent ex-boyfriend kidnaps her. After she’s seriously injured in a car wreck, Wyatt Harig, Janelle’s estranged father, comes around to tend to his daughter. Despite Val’s determination to avoid relationships, Wyatt interests him in ways that make his resolve waver. As complications and repercussions pile on in the aftermath of Janelle’s kidnapping—including a gambling charge and a murder—Wyatt and Val must work together to seek answers. And the closer they get to each other, the more Val wants them to stay that way.



About the Author

Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess named Rosie, and two cats, Murphy and Yeti. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening, winter and summer sports (go Tribe!). When she's not writing she's working as a veterinary nurse, so don't be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.

http://www.elizabeth-noble.com



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Blog Tour - Sweet Giordan, Please Remember by Raine O'Tierney

Raine O'Tierney is here today as a part of her blog tour for her new release Sweet Giordan, Please Remember. Giordan comes out today from Dreamspinner Press and you're going to want to head over there right now and buy it. Trust me on this one. In fact, here is the link so you can go order right now. It's such a beautiful story that pulls you in right from the very beginning, wraps you in loveliness, and keeps you there until the very end. I wish this story had been longer, but I have it on very good authority that there are going to be more stories in this series and I'm doing a happy dance right now just thinking about it.

She has stopped by to share with us, a letter to her brother, an excerpt and some pretty amazing prizes:

An Open Letter to My Brother, on This, My Release Day!

Dearest Andy,

How are you? I hope well. (This is for show, I speak to you almost every day and so I know how you are...nerdlinger. Also, you smell vaguely of farts. I love you.)

Today is my release day! Sweet Giordan, Please Remember is available for download. I already bullied you into pre-ordering it, so I’m just letting you know you can go and download it now. And read it. And call me. And talk with me about it. If you want, no pressure! (Pressure.)

I wish that was all this letter was about. Love, farts, and my release. Unfortunately, it is not.

Andy, there’s been this problem, this issue, this grumble, hanging between us for almost twenty-eight years and I think it’s time that you and I settle it. I’ve run to the refuge of Cate Ashwood’s blog to address this. Why?

Because she may very well be the only one who can stop your reign of terror.

Today this ends, Andrew.

Today you admit…you are not the only redhead.

I get it, I do! Your hair is beautiful. It glows so brightly red that one could light a candle off the flame-hue. I have never seen a red so beautiful.

But the tyranny has to stop, Andrew! You can’t go around declaring other people’s reds LESS red because your red is so magnificent! Cate Ashwood is proof positive other redheads exist. And this includes me, sir. I. AM. A. REDHEAD. Admit it, Andrew! I beg of you, before our relationship is torn apart by jealousy and lies. Is it as beautiful as yours? No! Have I been envious since I was a child? Yes! Am I blonde? NO sir, I am not!

And all I ask is that you admit that you can be the King of the Gingers, while still allowing the rest of us our brief moment in the sun.

Please.

I beg of you.

Love always,

Your sister

P.S. Download my book, dork!

(Thank you, Cate, for hosting me as my brother and I publicly tackle our darkest issues!)

Blurb

Sweet Giordan, Please Remember by Raine O'Tierney

Giordan Stone is lucky, all things considered. Sure, he spent five years in a coma only to wake with a right leg that’s practically useless and no memories other than his name. But now he’s under the care of sassy southern surrogate mother, Chloe Devereaux, spending his days painting and healing. Giordan wants for nothing at all… until he looks out the window one morning and sees Chloe's gorgeous son, Shane, standing there. Something very familiar stirs in Giordan.

When he sketches, Giordan is able to go into an “art trance” where pieces of disjointed memory come back to him without time or place. More and more of these flashes are of Shane Devereaux and the intense, intimate experiences they shared together. Even though Shane keeps his distance now, Giordan is convinced his flashes are real. But he doesn’t have the whole story. Giordan is determined to fill in his memory blanks and convince Shane his feelings are genuine.

Excerpt

Outside, the light of the morning was a gentle white. He was ready to go with Chloe to the orchard and paint anything and everything. Maybe she’d take him all the way down to the end of the lane so he could sit near the creek that separated the Devereaux’s property from county land.

Giordan was daydreaming about smearing blues across fresh canvas when something down below caught his eye. He looked closer.

His cane slipped through loose fingers, but he didn’t hear it clatter to the wood floor. He didn’t hear anything. Suddenly, his whole attention was intensely focused on a man standing down on the walk. He was talking seriously with Chloe’s husband, Mr. Devereaux.

Giordan couldn’t have torn his eyes away if they’d been burning, because something about the man he saw there was familiar and that familiarity strained against the mental veil. A hot feeling spread over him, and he flushed, at once both embarrassed and curious. He wanted to throw open the window and call out to this stranger, but of course, he didn’t know his name. What in the world was happening to him? Did he know the man standing below?

Giordan opened his mouth and raised his fists to the pane to call attention to himself when Chloe caught his arm and placed the cane back into his hand.

He’d never seen the look on her face before, and it startled him into obedient silence. She placed a finger to her lips and motioned him back to his bedroom. Giordan snuck one final look at the man standing outside before Chloe hurried him on, faster than his aching side wanted to go. That deep, familiar feeling lingered inside him, and Giordan felt achingly disappointed at his missed opportunity.

“Maman, who is that?” Giordan asked once she’d shut his door.

Her look softened and she placed a gentle hand against his cheek. “That’s my son, Shane.”

“Shane,” Giordan repeated. He was hoping once he had a name to go along with the handsome face that memories would flood in and everything would become clear. “But I know him, right?” he begged, certain she would confirm it. Seeing Shane’s face was like the trances Giordan went into when he drew: too familiar not to be real.

Chloe took one long, slow breath and replied, “Ah, not anymore, honey. It’s been a long time.”

“Well, then I’d like to meet him. I-I should reintroduce myself!”

“Giordan, I….” Chloe’s hesitation, much like the expression she’d had on her face, quieted him. She didn’t want them to meet. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Buy links

DSP: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_1024

Bio

Raine O’Tierney is an always-writing, boundlessly enthusiastic, exclamation point addict! (!!!) She is known for declaring every day “the best day EVER!” and every thing her “all-time FAVORITE!” Despite this (obnoxious?) exuberance, she still somehow manages to have a wonderfully encouraging husband and writing partner, Siôn, and an amazing group of friends and colleagues who continue to support (read: put up with) her. Raine spends her days working as a library lady, fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom.

Website and social media links

Website: http://raineotierney.com/

E-mail: Raineotierney@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor

The Hat Party (LGBT Author Interviews) http://raineotierneyhatparty.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @RaineOTierney

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RaineOTierney

Blog Tour and Prizes!

Sweet Giordan, Please Remember Blog Tour

March 17th--March 29th

Prizes:

*** Set of Sweet Giordan, Please Remember and Under the Table and Into His Heart ebooks

*** I Believe in the Sweetness Notebook

*** I Believe in the Sweetness Tote

*** 2x I Believe in the Sweetness Bumper Stickers

*** 2x Sweetness! Bumper Stickers

Please visit Home of the Sweetness to enter:

http://raineotierney.blogspot.com/2014/03/sweet-giordan-please-remember-blog-tour.html

Iyana Jenna's Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

I'm so excited that Iyana Jenna is here today to talk a little bit about her new book, A Single Black Rose. Please welcome her and make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

My new novella was released on November 17, 2013, from JMS Books. My story, A Single Black Rose, is the longest release from me so far and I’m very excited about it!

Please don’t forget that your readers can win some prizes. Just enter the Rafflecopter below.

Like I said before, this story is the longest being published so far. There will be a slightly longer story to be released in February 2014 but it’s also a novella. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t write longer pieces like other writers that I admire that seem to have no problem whatsoever producing one full novel after another. I think I know the answers. Let me see.

1.      Developing plots

I tend to write snippets of stories. Even if it’s a longer story, it’s just still a more elaborate fragment of the lives of the characters I write. I blame it on my ability to develop a plot and things I want to write. Perhaps I have to loosen my mind and let it wander freely anywhere it wants to go. I shouldn’t have restricted it. Plots have sub-plots, and sub-plots have sub-sub-plots.

2.      Patience

One of the things that keep me from having longer pieces is my patience. I seem to always want to finish my stories as fast as I can. I paid the price by having publishers and reviewers tell me that my stories could have been fleshed out more. This has something to do with my endurance to write longer stories, too. Writing a 30K story, although I managed to do it in the past, is hard work for me. I really had to be very determined about it.

3.      Slow writing

It’s going to sound as if I were looking for excuses but I promise it’s true. My RL work, teaching, and my language barrier keep me from writing faster. This is probably the hardest problem I have. I need to focus more and make use of every spare minute I have to write. The Internet is certainly not helping! LOL.

I know it’s not easy to follow my own advice as elaborated above. Let’s say those are my resolutions for next year. I will promise I will try my best.

A Single Black Rose

Blurb:

When actor Sean O’Reilly receives a flower bouquet containing a single black rose on set, he assumes they’re from his boyfriend Nate. But they aren’t. Flowers keep arriving for him after that, each with a black rose in the arrangement. Soon other things arrive as well, such as photos and a recording of Sean’s voice. As the number of flowers dwindle with each bouquet, Sean begins to worry they’re supposed to be some kind of a countdown ... but to what?

Fan Gene Scott worships Sean. He maintains a blog dedicated to the actor and writes out all his fantasies there. He wants Sean to belong to him, and only him, and he’ll do anything to make the actor his own. He can’t accept the fact that Sean has a boyfriend. To Gene, Nate might as well not exist.

Despite increased security and all efforts to keep him safe, Sean vanishes, and Nate feels as if his world has come tumbling down. When the police response is too slow for him, Nate enlists the help of his producer and bodyguard to find Sean. Will he manage to find his lover before Sean disappears forever? Or will Gene finally get what he’s always dreamed of, and make Sean the love of his life, instead?

Excerpt:

Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

Gritting his teeth, Nate hisses under his breath. He is standing in front of a cop, giving his statement on what has just happened. Not that there's much to say. His mind keeps replaying that scene when Sean turned to him, his face ashen, and Nate wishes with all his heart that he was the one who had opened the door, the one who found the flowers instead of Sean, sparing him the shock of seeing the seemingly innocuous pink bouquet with its single black rose.

Nate is angry with himself, feeling like a failure even though he knows what happened wasn't his fault. There was no way he could have predicted that the pervert was going to put the flowers inside their SUV. He runs his fingers through his hair, ends his statement, and turns to go to Sean who is sitting slumped on the pavement with Osborn by his side. Sean is staring ahead of him, his face expressionless, his hands clenched tightly into fists. Osborn is talking to him but Sean seems to not be aware of him, or of anyone else around him for that matter.

“Excuse me, Mr. Matthews.”

A man stops in front of Nate, a reporter, judging by the tape recorder he holds in his hand, and Nate feels his temper rising. This is so not the time for an interview and how in the world did the media get to hear of this so quickly anyway? Fucking reporters.

“Yeah?” Nate asks impatiently.

“Scott, Eugene Scott from The Vancouver Daily." The man is tall, almost as tall as him, and Nate rarely meets someone who is the same height as him here in Vancouver. "Are these the first flowers Sean got from the stalker?"

“We don’t know if he’s stalking Sean or not.”

“But it’s obvious that he is, right?”

Nate frowns, looking at the reporter more closely, "No, it is not obvious that he, or she, is stalking Sean."

“Oh, it’s just -- but back to my question --”

“No, they’re not,” Nate cuts him short. He really wants to get this over with without being downright rude.

“Huh?”

“These are not the first flowers.”

Scott nods. “Any weird thing?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, if there's something strange with the flowers or --”

“They’re just flowers, okay? Look. I’m tired and I really don’t have anything more to say. If you'll excuse me." Nate walks past Scott, going toward Sean who is still sitting at the same spot, alone. Nate glances over at Osborn who is now with the police, presumably giving his statements to them.

"Sean," he says softly as he sits beside Sean on the pavement. He puts his hand on Sean's knee, stilling it.

“Nate --” There's a tremor in Sean's voice.

Nate turns his head toward Sean who is looking even more agitated than before.

"Hey, man.” He puts his arm around Sean's shoulders, pulling him close, kissing him on the temple. He can feel Sean shaking. "I've got you."

“They found a picture,” Sean says abruptly. "Inside the flowers. The police showed it to me."

“What picture?” The police didn't say anything to him about that. Nate's stomach sinks. Sending flowers is one thing but pictures? Of Sean?

"It's one of me. Sleeping. Inside the house." Sean's voice is bordering on the hysterical now. "Whoever it is must have used a long-lens camera or something. How could they get through the gate, Nate?"

"Ssh, baby.” Nate tries to put as much reassurance as he can in his voice. Someone has to remain calm even though Nate is feeling anything but. He puts both his arms around Sean, can feel him trembling, and holds him even tighter. "Breathe with me, c'mon."

Sean stills and takes a deep breath. “Can we go home now? Have the police finished with us?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we can go home now." Nate stands up and holds out a hand to pull Sean up. They hold each other tight for a moment longer, both of them unaware of a pair of eyes watching them from a distance.

Buy Link

About the Author:

Iyana lives in Jakarta, a city famous for its traffic jams, a lot of cars and motorcycles, and people selling stuff on the roads. You can spend two hours on the road going to a place you can reach in half an hour in a normal situation. Thanks to the traffic jams, though, Iyana can come up with a lot of stories, mostly shorties, as she prefers to spend the time during her trips writing into her cell phone rather than sleeping.

Another thing Iyana loves is kitties. Right now she has five of them. Their names are Larva, Nyil, Cil, Mermood, and Horus. When she doesn’t write, she plays with them, or they would play with her when she writes.

Author’s Links:

Blog

Website

Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

And now, please enter the Rafflecopter to win the prizes!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjdiMTdlODkyYjFlMTFhODdlMDc0NzE4MjdhNzI3OjI=/

Pitch Tour: An Interview with Will Parkinson

I am so very excited that Will Parkinson, author of Pitch is here with me for an interview today. When I found out that he was doing a blog tour for his new book, I jumped at the chance to host, because not only is Will one of my favourite authors ever, he's also one of my favourite people. So an opportunity to pick his brain a little bit? Yes please. I got to ask him about his writing, and then things got a little more personal.

But before we get into that, let me tell you a little bit about his book. here's the official blurb:

The day Jackson Kern walks into Taylor Andrews’s classroom is a momentous day in Taylor's life. He's had crushes before, sure, but as time goes on, this is starting to look a whole lot more serious. Still, Jackson doesn’t return Taylor’s feelings.

Taylor has his own admirers, though. Kevin Richards is used to getting what he wants, and what he wants right now is Taylor, so when Taylor rejects him, Kevin retaliates. At first Taylor’s entourage rallies around him, but then Kevin takes his deception one step further and Taylor sees his support dwindle, teaching him the valuable lesson about who he can truly consider a friend.

Pitch is an amazing story that really does have it all. I really can't say enough good things about it. The story is one that will have you reaching for the tissues. It is crafted in such a way that you can't help but find yourself completely immersed, like you're right back there in high school (as painful as that may be sometimes). But the best part of this book, is the characters. They are dynamic, and complex, and well-rounded, but more than that is how real they are. They could be your best friends from childhood. The author has a knack for creating wonderfully flawed characters and Pitch is no different. The boys aren't perfect. Far from it, and that's what makes them so relateable.

This was one of the best young adult novels I've read, and touches on issues that are so important. Love, and friendship, and acceptance; doing the right thing and being true to yourself. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

A word of warning though (other than to bring the Kleenex), make sure when you sit down to read it, you have enough time to finish it. You're not going to want to put it down.



To celebrate the release of his novel Will is doing a giveaway. The Grand Prize is a signed copy of Pitch and a $25 gift card to the winner's choice of online book reseller, so make sure you leave a comment and enter below!

An Interview with Will Parkinson

Writer questions:
1. How old were you when you wrote your first story, and what was it about? 

When I was fourteen, I wrote “Free at Last”. It’s the story of Grant and Rusty, two young men in high school who find themselves embroiled in life and death. They were members of the wrestling team, and Rusty was forced out of the closet. Grant had to decide which side of the fence he stood on.


2. If you could say anything to the people who doubted you, what would it be? 

I hope you’re happy. You doubting me turned into me doubting myself for many years. You should have been there, giving me encouragement, setting a bar for me, pushing me to chase my dream instead of telling me that what I was doing wouldn’t amount to anything.


3. What have you found the most enjoyable part of writing Pitch? What was the most difficult? 

The most enjoyable part was getting my thoughts down on ‘paper’. It meant so much to finally know that I *could* do it, and that some people actually enjoyed what I was writing. The most difficult part for me was learning to slow my pace, to show more than tell, and to fill in visuals for someone who was reading the story. Working with a few authors, SJD Peterson, Eden Winters, and Kc Wells chief among them, I learned so very much about how to do that (even though I still have a long way to go).


4. Where do you write and what is your method? 

I usually write at my desktop computer. Occasionally I'll take the laptop to work when I know it'll be slow and do some there, too.


5. What advice do you have for new or aspiring authors? 

No matter what, don't give up. Not ever. If someone doesn't like what you're doing and can't give you some type of constructive advice, find someone else. You'll only end up disappointing yourself.


6. When can we expect the sequel to Pitch? 

:mumbles incoherently: I hope that’s soon enough!



Personal questions:

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

This is going to sound dorky, but when I was a kid, I really did want to write. I had story ideas in my head and letting them out on paper soothed me and made me feel less alone in my life. My characters became friends and family, and I let out things that were bothering me on the page.


2. How many times have you been in love? 

I've been in lust many times, but love? Only a couple. Sometimes it's hard to know the difference.


3. What was the best day of your life so far? 

My best day was when someone sent an e-mail and told me how much something I wrote meant to them. It was awe inspiring to know that I touched someone.


4. Who was your first kiss and how did it happen? 

His name was John. He was a doctor and used to hang out at a bar I went to. He invited me to dinner one day at his house. I'd been smooched before, but he held me in his arms and gave me my first 'real' kiss.


5. Who is on your elevator list? 

Sorry, I don't fantasize and tell.

Excerpt from Pitch

TAYLOR ANDREWS glanced toward the door and noticed a young man, shoulders hunched, waiting outside the classroom. As he continued to stare, the newcomer took a deep breath, threw back his shoulders, and lifted his head before he stepped into Mrs. Wagner’s homeroom. He walked with purpose toward the front of the classroom and handed the teacher a sheet of paper without saying a word.

After a brief moment of studying the paper, Mrs. Wagner smiled at the young man before turning to the students filling the desks of her classroom. “Class, this is Jackson Kern. It’s his first day here, and I need a volunteer to help him get acclimated.”

Taylor looked at the new guy and felt his face heat. He grabbed his ever-present sketchpad from his backpack, his desire to capture this stranger’s likeness overwhelming. The guy was… well, gorgeous. Taylor’s hands flew over the paper as he took in Jackson Kern’s beautiful well-sculpted face, rich chocolate-brown eyes, and dark, thick hair. He had a toned body, maybe a swimmer? God, what he wouldn’t give to….

“I’ll show him around, Mrs. Wagner,” Becca Monroe offered brightly, interrupting Taylor’s wayward thoughts.

“Thank you, Becca,” Mrs. Wagner said with a smile before turning to the newest addition to the class. “Jackson, please take a seat. Becca will walk with you and show you the building and where your classes will be. If you have any questions, just ask her.”

“Yes, ma’am, thank you,” the new kid replied. Taylor noted how polite Jackson was, unlike most of the guys in his tenth-grade class.

Jackson parked his tall, lanky body in the seat next to Becca and started talking. Taylor watched as Becca’s eyes roamed over Jackson’s frame, and she licked her lips. He could tell she was already on the prowl. She was a pretty enough girl, if you liked them. Long reddish-brown hair, big green eyes, and a big… ego.

She was hot and she knew it. She was also the kind of girl who was only out for one thing. Herself. She was junior varsity head cheerleader, something his best friend, Benny Peters, always had a lot of fun commenting on. She’d dated the captains of most of the sports teams, always switching to a new guy at the beginning of the season.

“Damn lucky girl,” Taylor muttered. If he hadn’t been enjoying the sight of the new boy, he’d have volunteered for guide duty. Oh, the things he wanted to show him… not that he had any experience; he’d never even kissed another boy. He worked hard at trying not to look at other guys. The thought of being outed in high school scared him, so much so that he’d sometimes have panic attacks when he thought about it—clammy skin, problems breathing, feeling faint. He hated those, really hated not being in control. It always made him feel weak and needy.

The bell rang, startling Taylor out of his reverie, and the students moved like cattle, heading off to their next class. Taylor scowled when he saw Becca take the new guy by the arm and lead him from the classroom. As they passed he heard Jackson ask, “Do you know who I talk to about the baseball team?”

“What position do you play, Jackson?” Becca asked excitedly, ignoring Jackson’s question.

“I’m a pitcher.”

Taylor could hear the excitement in Becca’s voice, and he knew the reason. Baseball tryouts would be in the next week or two, and she needed a new ball-playing boyfriend since her ex, Cody Daniels, graduated. It was as if she’d won the freaking lottery.

Jackson was hot and he played sports. For Becca that was definitely the best of both worlds.

Taylor chuckled. Oh, how he’d love to be that boy’s catcher.

But damn, Becca was probably going to be all over that anyway.

Not that he’d ever have a shot with someone like Jackson.

According to Benny, he wasn’t bad-looking. Benny often said he was jealous of Taylor’s curly blond hair, which he himself despised.

Besides, Taylor thought, Benny’s straight. What does he know?

Jackson was probably three inches taller than Taylor’s five foot eight, but it wasn’t his height that bothered him as much as the extra weight. He was no one special, and someone like Jackson Kern would never give him the time of day. That’s just how things went.

Over the next week, Taylor would see Jackson throughout the school. Other than homeroom they didn’t have any classes together, but he noticed him in the hallway or heading to the gym. Taylor’s heart fluttered every time he caught a glimpse of Jackson. He loved the way his lip curled when he was amused or the way he arched an eyebrow when he seemed to be curious about something. The thing that struck him most, though, was the fact that Jackson was so poised and confident when he was with a group. People hung on his every word. It almost seemed like he was holding court. People just tended to gravitate to Jackson. His rich baritone voice had a soothing, hypnotic effect on Taylor from a distance. He couldn’t help but wonder what it did to the people Jackson was actually talking with. He watched Jackson in the school’s weight room one afternoon and stood transfixed as the muscles in Jackson’s chest and arms strained with every repetition. Taylor began to sweat and unconsciously licked his lips as he watched Jackson working his leg muscles. His pulse raced when Jackson pulled off his shirt, the dusting of dark hair across the expanse of his chest matted from sweat. Taylor swore he could smell Jackson’s scent, musky but sweet. He wanted to get closer but knew it would seem weird, so he reluctantly tore himself away and went back to class.

Taylor was envious of Jackson’s build. He studied his own body in the mirror and sighed. He was plump. That was the only way to describe it. There was no muscle definition. He tried to maintain his weight but couldn’t resist pizza. He’d tried to work out with Benny, who seemed obsessed with his body, but it just wasn’t for him. Taylor sighed heavily. He was so far out of Jackson Kern’s league, he’d never have a shot with someone like him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the view.



TAYLOR glanced over at Benny, comfortably stretched out on the sofa, thumbing through Taylor’s latest sketches. At six foot one and weighing in at nearly 215 pounds, Benny had always been one of Taylor’s favorite sketch subjects. His eyes were the coolest brown color with small flecks of gold in them. His sandy hair was always cut short, but not like a buzz cut, which Taylor had to admit was his favorite kind of haircut.

Benny had always stood up for Taylor and it was that fact which made Benny the only one Taylor had come out to. No matter what else happened between the two, Taylor was sure Benny would always be there for him.

“Benny, what would you say if I told you I was crushing?”

Taylor asked, sitting up on his bed and tossing a rolled-up pair of socks into the laundry basket.

Benny met Taylor’s eyes as he laid the sketches across his chest. “I’d say who this time? Already over… what was his name?

Mason? Dixon? Something southern.”

“His name was Caleb,” Taylor groaned, rolling his eyes. “And he was a jerk. Remember how he humiliated and made Toby cry when he came into the locker room and found Caleb throwing his clothes into the shower?”

“Yeah, I remember. I was the one who got him something to wear for the rest of the day. I can’t stand bullies,” Benny snarled.

“So who has your undies in a bunch this time?

“I’m talking about the new guy, Jackson Kern. There’s just something about him. He’s… I dunno, different. He’s not loud or annoying. He seems really laid-back. And he’s totally hot. He just seems… perfect.” Taylor sighed wistfully. “I can’t imagine him ever doing a mean thing to anyone.”

Benny tried to suppress a snort. “And how long is this one going to last? A month? Two tops. You go through crushes faster than I go through underwear.”

“When you change them twice a year that’s not too difficult,”

Taylor snickered.

Taylor was surprised when Benny hit him with a pillow, and the fight was on. He grabbed the other pillow and swung at Benny, who dodged and laughed. For such a big guy, Benny was surprisingly agile. They smacked each other around, laughing all the while, until Taylor cried uncle.

After they were exhausted, Benny turned to him and said with a sympathetic smile, “Taylor, talk to the guy. Pretty much the worst that could happen is he’s not interested.”

Taylor stared glumly up at the ceiling, his thoughts turning once more to Jackson. “No, the worst that could happen is he’s a homophobic asshat who wants to kick the crap out of me.”

“Yeah,” Benny observed thoughtfully, “but at least he’d touch you. That’s more than you’ve ever gotten before.” He gave Taylor a gleeful grin, as if waiting for the comment to sink in fully.

And as soon as it did, Taylor lunged at Benny, and the fight was back on. Once Benny succeeded in pinning Taylor, his expression turned serious as he said, “Look, just be cool. Don’t obsess. If you want to impress him, show him the pictures you drew of him. You’re really good at doing these.”

Taylor’s cheeks heated. He could never show his work to Jackson. He didn’t think they were good enough to share with anyone other than Benny. He’d been puttering around with drawing for years. He had several sketchpads full of various things that caught his eye. He loved to do drawings of nature scenes, people, and animals. He’d done several of Trip, his Siberian husky, before the poor dog died that still brought tears when Taylor looked at them. It was just a hobby, though. His father always told him he needed a real career and constantly reminded him that art wouldn’t amount to anything in the real world. He shook his head sadly. No, there was no way Jackson would ever see his work.



STANDING by the bleachers near the dugout, Taylor couldn’t help but wonder why he was there. Baseball tryouts held no interest for him. In fact, he’d always found the game kind of stupid, yet here he was. His gaze landed on Jackson Kern. Yeah, that was something he really wanted, to see Jackson play the game.

Jackson took the center thingy… the mound or whatever it’s called. Taylor had spent a good deal of time reading about baseball.

He figured he should know something about it, just in case Jackson ever spoke to him. Still, he was having a hard time wrapping his head around all the rules and terms. Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try, though. He pulled out his sketchbook and did a few rough outlines, wanting to fill them out later. Jackson threw a few pitches to the catcher, loosening up. Mitch Daniels, Cody’s younger brother, stepped up and tapped his bat on the ground. Jackson brought his arms up near his chest, struck a pose, and shook his head slightly.

After a moment he leaned back and threw the ball. It went straight across the plate at blinding speed. Mitch swung at it and missed completely. When Jackson finished the inning, allowing no hits, he marched back to the dugout; the coach’s jaw fell open as he rushed out to meet Jackson.

“Kid, what’s your name?”

“Jackson, sir. My friends call me Jax.”

“Well, Jax, if you can throw like that with consistency, you’re gonna be our ace. I can tell,” the coach said, practically drooling over the young prospect.

Taylor thought he saw Jackson… Jax blush. By the end of the tryouts, not one person had hit anything Jackson threw. When the coach told him he had a spot, Jackson smiled so big and wide, Taylor was sure his heart would stop. Then Becca came running over and threw her arms around the team’s new pitcher. Taylor turned in disgust and started shuffling away, pausing to take a last look at Jackson. He was all hot and sweaty, and it looked really, really good on him. Taylor knew that’s what he was going to be thinking about when he went to bed.



TAYLOR found himself drawn to watch the practices. He kept trying to tell himself it was stupid, and he knew it was, but he really enjoyed watching Jackson. He’d been going to watch practice every day for two weeks when he saw Jackson turn in his direction. For just a second he thought, more like hoped, that Jackson was looking at him. His eyes locked on Jackson, and his mouth went dry, wishing that he’d come over to him, put his arms around him, whisper in his ear… but then the guy turned and walked over to the rest of the team, clearing the field for the next inning. Taylor’s heart sank, realizing it was all wishful thinking on his part.



“COME on, Taylor, crack a book. I came over to study, not to watch you stare at the ceiling,” Benny huffed, pushing a pile of laundry off the chair and parking himself at the desk. “And would it kill you to clean up a little bit? This place is a sty, man.”

Taylor never even registered the reproach in Benny’s voice.

All he could think about was Jackson.

“Benny, I’m going nuts. I know it’s never gonna go anywhere, but I can’t stop going to see him,” Taylor groaned.

Benny stared at him, eyes wide. “Wow, never saw you this bad before. You’d always crush for a few weeks and then see some new hottie that made you forget the old one. Maybe you really do have it bad for this guy,” Benny muttered.

Swinging his legs over, Taylor sat on the edge of the bed, grinning with excitement. “You’ve got no idea. Yesterday morning I saw him with a smear of toothpaste in the corner of his mouth. I swear it was one of the hottest things I’d ever seen, and I just wanted to lick it off.”

Benny’s lips tightened into a grimace. “Toothpaste is hot?

God, you’re so weird, Taylor. I hope you won’t be upset if I don’t admit to knowing you when we’re in public.”

Taylor smirked, remembering everything with vivid detail. “It was hot! If it wasn’t for the fact that Becca rubbed it off for him, which really pissed me off, by the way, I’d have stared at it all day.”

“So he and Becca are together?” Benny asked, putting the book down and finally turning to face Taylor.

“Yeah, I guess. She’s always hanging on him and hugging him. It’s totally disgusting,” Taylor sneered.

“Because it’s what you want to be doing?” Benny wondered aloud, keeping his voice low.

“Maybe.” Taylor sighed. “Either way, this just reinforces my dislike of public displays of affection.”

“So when are you gonna finally talk to him? How hard can it really be?” Benny asked patiently.

Taylor could see the look of pity on his friend’s face, but he snapped, “Well, you get a girl to notice you and then come back and give me some pointers, okay?”

Taylor knew it wasn’t fair. Benny was all about his schoolwork. His parents were always so strict about everything, and the schoolwork had to come first.

Benny quirked an eyebrow

and stared at Taylor

condescendingly. “I don’t need a girl to notice me, Tay. I’m not the one who needs validation. Maybe you should just join the monks.

I’m sure then you’ll get plenty of hot action,” Benny chuckled as he opened his math book. There was going to be a stupid quiz tomorrow, which, naturally, Benny was going to ace. He always aced them. Benny’s grades were important to him. As it stood Benny had a near-perfect GPA and would likely be valedictorian as a senior.

He and Benny had been the best of friends since kindergarten.

Taylor knew Benny would do almost anything for him, even if it included telling him things about himself he really didn’t want to hear, especially when it was the truth. Taylor knew he was a chicken, but he also knew unrequited love would be better than being humiliated in front of or by Jackson.

Where To Buy:

Dreamspinner Press e-book
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4077

Dreamspinner Press - Print
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4078

About the Author

WILL PARKINSON believes that no matter what obstacles are thrown in the path of young love, it will always find a way to win in the end. He wants his characters to have their happily ever after, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to come easily.
None of this would have happened if he had followed the advice he was given many years ago. “What are you wasting your time on that for? It’s never going to amount to anything.” He believed it for the longest time, abandoning characters he’d created in his childhood.
He picked up his very first m/m story by a writer named Eden Winters, who was an absolute joy when they corresponded. She asked him if he wrote and he told her the story. Eden explained to Will that the voices in his head would never go away and how he needed to let them out. With that thought in mind, Will put e-pen to e-paper once more. It was truly a liberating experience and one he has no intention of giving up again.

PITCH TOUR SCHEDULE

8/5/2013 Magnolias and Men True Colorz Hearts on Fire 8/6/2013 Cate Ashwood's Blog Guilty Pleasures 8/7/2013 My Fiction Nook  Madison Parker  8/8/2013 Cody Kennedy, author The Risque Redhead Reads 8/9/2013 Book Reviews & More by Kathy  The Land of Make Believe

8/12/2013 Author Susan Mac Nicol  N.R. Walker  8/13/2013 Iyana Jenna Dawn's Reading Nook 8/14/2013 Wild Wordy Women Mary Calmes Books A Bear On Books  8/15/13 House Millar  Joyfully Jay  8/16/2013 Elisa - My Reviews & Ramblings  Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books

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It's Release Day!

I can't believe it's actually here. Release Day. It feels like it took forever to arrive, and at the same time was here before I knew it. I am completely over the moon excited and have already had a few people tell me that they bought a copy, which is both extremely thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Being that I live in Canada, it'll still be a little while before I can hold my books in my hands, but it's one more thing to look forward to. There has been so many great things that have happened to me this week, I feel like I should be buying up lottery tickets. 


List of great things:

1. My book came out and I became a real, honest to god, published author (duh). 

This has been a life-highlight. I will remember this forever. The epicness of this is unbelievable. I am running out of descriptive terms.

I sat on the Dreamspinner Press website refreshing the page over and over until it moved from the "Coming Soon" page to the "New Releases" page, and then I saw this on the side and nearly lost it completely with excitement. (And yes, I did screencap that to commemorate the event. What?) And then when it actually released I may have screamed just a little bit and my mom called to congratulate me. Then my  husband called and we had this conversation:
Me: Hey, do you remember when I first got my contract and I wouldn't shut up about it for weeks and it was really annoying?
Him: Yup.
Me: This is going to be sooooo much worse than that.   

2. This amazing review on Mrs. Condit: http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=11064  that I was absolutely thrilled to read. Lucky gave it 4 1/2 sweetpeas and I couldn't be happier. (and P.S. there is a giveaway on there too, so many sure you stop by!)

3.  I am attending GRL as a supporting author: http://www.gayromlit.com/author/cate-ashwood
I am really really looking forward to going and have already been incessantly planning in my head. Those six months are going to crawl by, I just know it.

4. For a long time, Will Parkinson was the only person to review Sweets on Goodreads, (and it is a really great review) so for a while I was able to say I had a five-star rating on Goodreads.
You can read it here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/535838147

5. Monique from Monique's Musings posted this on facebook:

See that in the upper right corner? That is my book. The corner of my book is touching the corner of J.R. Ward's book. Not to mention being in the company of some other very well-know, very talented authors. The caption, which is far too small to read, states that these are some of the books she is excited to read in March.

She is excited to read my book!




6. The week leading up to release day was a stressful one for me. I have gone back to school and March 9th and 10th were final exam days for me. All I wanted to do was spend endless hours on the internet, but instead I was memorizing and studying and generally being a complete basketcase about the whole thing. I was super nervous for them, as I am used to giving the final exams, not taking them, but you know what? I frickin' aced them. Both.

7. My blog tour stars tomorrow (and I am giving away two copies of the e-book)! Here are the stops and topics:

March 12th: All about Sweets @ Kim Fielding
March 14th: Setting the Scene @ J.R. Loveless
March 16th: My Coming Out Story @ Charlie Cochet
March 18th: An Interview @ Chris. T. Kat
March 21st: Breaking the Romance Rules @ Andrew Q. Gordon
March 23rd: An Interview @ Skylar M. Cates
March 26th: What I've Learned This Year @ Jana Denardo
April 1st: It's About the Sex @ Anne Barwell
April 3rd: An Interview @ L.J. LaBarthe


8. I have even more to look forward to, because my birthday is at the end of the month and my family is coming out to celebrate with me. It's going to be the best month ever.


To top it all off, this is the graphic Google used today:

DON'T PANIC. Fitting, doncha think?



And here, in case you wanted to read it, are some of the links for buying Keeping Sweets.

Dreamspinner Press:
E-Book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3620
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3621

Amazon:
Ebook: Coming soon
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Sweets-Cate-Ashwood/dp/162380406X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363034368&sr=1-1&keywords=cate+ashwood

Barnes and Noble:
Ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeping-sweets-cate-ashwood/1046224271?ean=2940016268088
Paperback: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeping-sweets-cate-ashwood/1114813099?ean=9781623804060