Keeping Sweets Excerpt 3

Evan has been waiting eighteen years for his life to begin. He doesn’t know a lot about the world, or even himself, but once he leaves home he begins to understand where he fits into the bigger picture. This is from a little ways into the story when Evan begins to understand where he belongs.

     He was beginning to realize that his desire to be normal, to fit in with a loving family and friends who cared about him had fueled a sort of denial about what would really make him happy. He had been searching for all these years for a magic trick to instantly make everything better, but there was no magic.
     The forest opened to the cliffs that outlined the beach. A set of well-worn wooden steps carved a path through the low brush toward the water. He walked toward the ocean, listening to the sounds around him. He crossed the dry sand and sat down, then pulled off his shoes and socks before dipping his feet in the water. He wiggled his toes, burrowing into the loose sand, letting the waves splash against his shins.
     The water was cold, and felt a bit like needles piercing his skin, but the calm that overcame him with being this connected to the sea overrode any discomfort from the temperature.
     Slowly, his skin numbing slightly, he became accustomed to the cold. He stared out past the slowly rolling waves toward the calmer water at the horizon. He closed his eyes and thought of how peaceful it was here. He would be happy to stay like this forever. Quiet, serene, and tranquil, it was such a change from the quiet that had permeated his life until now. What had once been loneliness, separation, and isolation had become a quiet strength and acceptance of himself.

Keeping Sweets Excerpt 2

This is from near the beginning of the story. Bran has taken Evan shopping with him for supplies they need for the porn shoot. They started off easy, so Bran wouldn’t scare Evan, but eventually ended up at a sex toy shop.

     Evan gulped audibly. “Nipple clamps? What’s the draw of those?"
     Bran laughed, his good humor returning despite his best efforts to remain impartial and distant. He slid his hand through Evan’s hair, ruffling it slightly as he pulled the other man toward him. “We really do need to get you an education, don’t we? Now’s as good a time as any.”
     They walked into the store, closer together than two platonic friends should be. Evan didn’t make any attempt to pull away with Bran so close. It made Bran feel warmer, happier. He was totally fucked.
     Evan’s first foray into sex toys was quite the experience for him, or so Bran assumed. He had taken all the teasing and ribbing like a champ, smiling and laughing instead of freaking out every time Bran tried to shock him with a story or new toy.
     They explored the world of cock rings first—something relatively innocuous—and picked out a few to use on set. For the most part, cock rings weren’t needed, but they came in lots of colors, and Bran let Evan choose a handful to buy.
     The next destination on their journey of discovery was the dildos. Bran tried his best not to crack up at Evan’s expression. Bran of course had seen it all before, but watching Evan experiencing the different shapes, and especially sizes, was a sight to behold. He was like a kid at the zoo, seeing an alligator being fed close up for the first time. There was deep fascination thinly veiling sheer horror painted across his face.
     In the end, Evan seemed to have made a smooth transition from naïve and innocent to curious and horny as hell. He wasn’t a small guy in the dick department, and he was visibly excited over some of their purchases. Although when you were an eighteen-year-old, it was tough to hide your enthusiasm over anything, so Bran tried not to put too much stock into his reaction. He remembered being eighteen. He might have even fucked a girl if one had let him.

Keeping Sweets Excerpt 1

This is the first time Bran and Evan meet. This is Evan’s casting couch interview and Bran is not so sure hiring him is a good idea.

     Evan raised his eyebrows, which made him look tempting as sin. Bran absolutely wanted to attack him, show him how good it can be when two people want it, and Bran definitely wanted it.
     Evan’s breathing was already becoming ragged as he dragged his fist up and down. Bran flushed with desire. He needed to remember the rules. He wouldn’t get attached. He would keep this compartmentalized.
     Get yourself under control, Bran, he mentally castigated himself.
     He pulled off his own T-shirt, trying to lower his temperature and get his body back under control. His cock was pressing insistently against his zipper, begging to come out. He was used to coming multiple times per day and he hadn’t gotten off at all today. It was borderline painful.
     Evan had increased his speed, his breathing quickening along with the rhythm of his strokes. His eyes fell closed as his head bobbed back, mouth open slightly. He was far too tempting not to touch.
     Bran reached over and ran his hand from Evan’s knee to hip, feeling the soft skin, the light dusting of pale hair, and the tensing of muscles beneath his palm. Watching Evan’s expression carefully for any signs of discomfort, he allowed himself to continue lightly trailing his fingertips farther north over his left nipple.
     Evan let out a small moan of pleasure. So, he had sensitive nipples. Bran could work with that. He leaned over and placed his lips on the side of Evan’s neck. He sucked gently, eliciting more moans from Evan, who was now so far gone in his pleasure that all he could do was feel.
     That was exactly what Bran wanted him to do. Feel good. He pressed gentle kisses down his neck and over his shoulder before dropping lower to lave and suckle at his nipple. Evan lost it then, increasing his pace and thrusting up into each counter movement of his hand.
     The sound of Les’s voice shook them both from the erotic spell that enveloped them.
     “Noah, pull Jackson into your lap. Touch him.”
     Bran lifted his head and looked at Evan, raising his eyebrows in question. Evan’s pupils were blown and his gaze glassy with need, but he managed to give a slight nod. That was all the permission Bran needed.
     He reached over, hooked Evan under the armpits, and pulled him into his lap. The few inches difference in height made for a perfect fit. Bran reached beside the couch for the bottle of lube they kept there. He poured a healthy amount into his palm and pulled Evan’s hand away to replace it with his own. Gripping tightly, he ran his fingers over Evan for the first time. Evan hissed and arched against him, bucking up into his hand.
     “Oh my God, Noah. So good. So, so good,” he whimpered.
     The friction of Evan’s ass against Bran’s raging erection was torturous. It felt good, but wasn’t enough to give him the relief he craved. He used his other hand to push Evan’s hips back down, holding him close against his body. He could feel the heat rising off the boy, driving his passion to a fever pitch.
     He once again tried desperately to get his own body under control. This wasn’t about him. This was Evan’s first time, and he wanted to make it as good as possible. He leaned forward and brushed soft kisses against Evan’s temple.
     “Shhhh, it’s okay, just relax and let me take care of you.”
     Evan let his head fall back against Bran’s shoulder, surrendering his body to him to do with what he pleased. Bran wanted desperately to bury himself inside the younger man’s body.
     He could feel Evan trembling with the need for release. He was close. Bran could feel it. He snaked his hand down and pressed his fingers firmly against the sensitive skin behind Evan’s balls. Evan cried out as he came. Thick ropes of come splashed over his stomach and coated his abs and Bran’s fingers.
     Bran slowed his strokes to bring Evan down slowly. He laid kisses along his neck and shoulders as Evan relaxed back against him.
     That was so hot Bran had almost come in his pants. He needed to get a grip before he lost it entirely. Maybe one too many years of denying any sort of connection with the guys he worked with had come back to bite him in the ass. He was going to have a hard time denying the attraction he felt for this one.

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

Red Letter Day

Yesterday was a really amazing day. After incessant refreshing of the Dreamspinner Coming Soon page, my book finally showed up. There it was, right at the bottom of the page, the gorgeous cover Brooke and Paul did for me, and there was my name right next to it. And the icing on the cake is that it snuck on there just in time for people to take advantage of the Mardi Gras sale!

Here it is:
Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3620
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3621


I wrote a book. I did. A real book. That is now for sale. I am no longer just a writer. I am an author. A real one.

I didn't know how happy seeing my book on the website would make me. I've been envisioning it for months and when it finally happened, I was home alone. I didn't have enough phones to call everyone I wanted to tell all at once.

So that was exciting news chunk number one. In fact, here is a section of a screenshot to commemorate the event.


Number two came at the same time in the form of my ad pack. I have been drooling all over my cover since I got the final draft, and now I have a whack of stuff to go with it. I am beyond happy. In fact, that banner you see at the top right there? That's one of the files. Awesome, is it not?

Number three came a few minutes later when I realized that the Dreamspinner website was not the only place where my book could be found. That's right. It's on Goodreads. Despite the nightmare that I had last night it was exciting to see (not a single person read my book, DSP cancelled my contract and banned me from submitting ever again, and somehow, even though no one had read the book, it had a rating of negative six on Goodreads... and I was a tango teacher on a cruise boat).
Seeing it on Goodreads made it seem more real, somehow. So that was number three. I also got to apply to link the author profile with my personal profile, so I am now officially an author on Goodreads.

The final bit of super awesome exciting news is that my unconscious prophecy has already been avoided. Someone ordered my book. Henrietta Clarke tweeted about it, and here it is so I can remember forever. SO EFFING EXCITING!

So that was my day, and it was one of the best days I've had in a long time.

Any ideas on how I should celebrate?

Baby, What's Your Number?

Just over a month left until my first book is on shelves all over the place. With so many exciting things going on in the next month, I wanted to take a step back and look at everything coming up. So let's see the numbers:


Three
The number of days until Keeping Sweets should (theoretically) show up on the Coming Soon page at Dreamspinner Press. I am embarrassingly excited about this. I've been periodically checking the page just in case they decided to put it up early. I won't tell you how long I've been doing that, because it would be far too humiliating.

Nine
The number of stops on my blog tour

I will be visiting:

Kim Fielding on March 12th
J.R. Loveless on March 14th
Charlie Cochet on March 16th
Chris T. Kat on March 18th
Andrew Q. Gordon on March 21st
Skylar M. Cates on March 23rd
Jana Denardo on March 26th
Anne Barwell on April 1st
and L.J. LaBarthe on April 3rd

I'm not completely sure on the topics for all of them yet (nothing like leaving things to the last minute), but there will be a couple of interviews, I'll be chatting about what went into writing Keeping Sweets, and there will be a giveaway!


Eleven
The number of days until the Casting Couch interviews start. I am really excited about this. Stay turned on February 19th for the first one.
If you'd like to read Evan and Bran's casting couch interview, click here for an excerpt from chapter two.

Nineteen
The number of authors participating in the Casting Couch interview. We have Grace R. Duncan, Jana Denardo, Jacob Flores, Talia Carmichael, Isabelle Rowan, Jamie Fessenden, Andrea Speed, Andrew Q. Gordon, Zahra Owens, Matthew Lang, Faolan Kurayami, Eden Winters, Anel Viz, Skylar M. Cates, L.J. LaBarthe, Charlie Cochet, Jessica Skye Davies, Anne Barwell, and Lex Chase.
They will be answering questions about their writing process, their favourite books and their guilty pleasures.

Thirty-One
The number of days until Keeping Sweets is released. I have been counting down the days for this since I received the email with my release date. It's been pretty much all I can talk about lately, much to the annoyance of those close to me. :D
Six months ago, I thought that it would take forever for March to arrive, but looking back it has gone so quickly that I really can't complain. It's been filled with a multitude of brand new experiences, and I am brimming full of new information. I have learned so much through this whole process and I can't wait to apply that knowledge and do it all over again!

Casting Couch Excerpt from Keeping Sweets

In just a few days, the casting couch interviews will start with nineteen different authors from Dreamspinner Press. In preparation for those interviews, I wanted to give you a taste of Keeping Sweets, in the form of Evan's casting couch interview with Bran and it gets a little steamy (no guarantees the author interviews will end up the same way).

Evan is from a little town called Fairfax. This is the first time he's been in a larger city and has been called in for an interview with Les, the owner of the company, and Bran, who stage name is Noah, the star. Evan has already undergone the initial interview, and this is the scene where he films his "casting couch" interview to go live on the website.

Keeping Sweets will be out March 11th from Dreamspinner Press.

“Here we go.” Les gave the signal and counted down to the camera rolling.

Bran looked directly into the camera and gave the half smile that was his trademark.

“So we’ve got a new boy here with us at Sonic. Why don’t you tell us your name?”

“Jackson.”

“How ya doin’, Jackson?” He kept his tone confident and lighthearted. Despite his reservations, he wanted Evan to feel as relaxed as possible.

Evan laughed a little. “I’m good, Noah, thanks.”

“So we’re here to learn a little bit about you, so let’s start with where you’re from.”

“I was born and raised in Idaho. Never actually been anywhere else.”

“Anywhere in particular you’d like to visit?”

“Well, I guess I’ve always wanted to see the ocean. You know, hang out at the beach all day and play in the waves? Sounds pretty good to me.”

“I’m sure everyone at home would like to see that. I know I would. How old are you?”

“Eighteen.” Evan licked his lips and smiled. He was a natural at this, even though he didn’t know it. He flirted easily with Bran, seemingly unaware he was even doing it.

“So are you in college?”

“Not yet. This was my last week of my senior year of high school, but I’m hoping to go to college in the fall.”

“What are you going to study?”

“Microbiology and ecology.”

“Wow. Smart and hot. You’re the whole package. Speaking of packages, we’re going to see yours in a few minutes. When’s the last time you jerked off?”

The tips of Evans ears turned a light pink. “About two days ago I think.”

“And do you masturbate a lot?”

“Not really sure what qualifies as a lot, but it varies. Sometimes a few times a week, sometimes four or five times a day.”

“Sounds pretty normal to me. Why don’t you tell us about your first sexual experience.”

Evan blushed deeply, scarlet staining his cheeks. “How about I let you know in a few minutes.”

Bran’s breath stalled in his chest. “Cut, Les. Now.” He turned to Evan. “You’re a virgin?”

“Uh, yeah. Is that a bad thing?”

Les chose that moment to insert his two cents. “Not at all, sugar, in fact, that is a very, very good thing. Our members are going to love you.”

Bran leaned in closer to Evan. “You sure you want to do this? I mean, you might be in a bit over your head with all this.”

Evan looked even more embarrassed but hardened his expression to one of neutrality. “I’ll be fine.”

Bran hoped Evan knew what he was doing, but he wasn’t the kid’s keeper. He was eighteen, old enough to make his own decisions.

“Alright, let’s keep going then.” Bran put his game face back on and smiled at Evan.

“So, Jackson, are you straight, gay, bi?”

“The jury’s still out on that one. My theory is gay, but I’ve never had a chance to test it out.”

“This should be interesting then.” Bran gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Why don’t we get a bit more relaxed; can you take your shirt off for me?”

“Sure.” Evan reached behind him and dragged his T-shirt up over his head once more. His stomach muscles tensed with the effort and Bran felt the effect the boy’s body had on him again. He felt himself harden inside his shorts. He hadn’t expected getting it up this afternoon. He hadn’t taken his little blue pill. This was all Evan. Bran was impatient to see all of him.

“Nice. You work out a lot?”

“Not really. Not at all. Good genes I guess.”

“Why don’t we see how good the rest of your genes are? Why don’t you take off your pants?”

Evan stood and undid his belt, then wiggled a little as his jeans pooled on the floor at his feet. He kicked them away and sat back on the couch. Instinctively, he reached for his rigid shaft and stroked slowly to bring it to full length.

Bran was having a hard time concentrating on the questions he was supposed to be asking. “Even nicer. You have quite the body. What are your stats?”

“Uhh, I’m about five seven and about 125 pounds. I’m pretty small.”

Bran gave an easy laugh. “You’re not small everywhere.”

Evan smiled and nodded. “Lucky with proportions. Dick looks bigger because I’m so small.”

“I dunno about that. Looks good to me. Should we see what you can do with it?”

Evan raised his eyebrows, which made him look tempting as sin. Bran absolutely wanted to attack him, show him how good it can be when two people want it, and Bran definitely wanted it.

Evan’s breathing was already becoming ragged as he dragged his fist up and down. Bran flushed with desire. He needed to remember the rules. He wouldn’t get attached. He would keep this compartmentalized.

Get yourself under control, Bran, he mentally castigated himself.

He pulled off his own T-shirt, trying to lower his temperature and get his body back under control. His cock was pressing insistently against his zipper, begging to come out. He was used to coming multiple times per day and he hadn’t gotten off at all today. It was borderline painful.

Evan had increased his speed, his breathing quickening along with the rhythm of his strokes. His eyes fell closed as his head bobbed back, mouth open slightly. He was far too tempting not to touch.

Bran reached over and ran his hand from Evan’s knee to hip, feeling the soft skin, the light dusting of pale hair, and the tensing of muscles beneath his palm. Watching Evan’s expression carefully for any signs of discomfort, he allowed himself to continue lightly trailing his fingertips farther north over his left nipple.

Evan let out a small moan of pleasure. So, he had sensitive nipples. Bran could work with that. He leaned over and placed his lips on the side of Evan’s neck. He sucked gently, eliciting more moans from Evan, who was now so far gone in his pleasure that all he could do was feel.

That was exactly what Bran wanted him to do. Feel good. He pressed gentle kisses down his neck and over his shoulder before dropping lower to lave and suckle at his nipple. Evan lost it then, increasing his pace and thrusting up into each counter movement of his hand.

The sound of Les’s voice shook them both from the erotic spell that enveloped them.

“Noah, pull Jackson into your lap. Touch him.”

Bran lifted his head and looked at Evan, raising his eyebrows in question. Evan’s pupils were blown and his gaze glassy with need, but he managed to give a slight nod. That was all the permission Bran needed.

He reached over, hooked Evan under the armpits, and pulled him into his lap. The few inches difference in height made for a perfect fit. Bran reached beside the couch for the bottle of lube they kept there. He poured a healthy amount into his palm and pulled Evan’s hand away to replace it with his own. Gripping tightly, he ran his fingers over Evan for the first time. Evan hissed and arched against him, bucking up into his hand.

“Oh my God, Noah. So good. So, so good,” he whimpered.

The friction of Evan’s ass against Bran’s raging erection was torturous. It felt good, but wasn’t enough to give him the relief he craved. He used his other hand to push Evan’s hips back down, holding him close against his body. He could feel the heat rising off the boy, driving his passion to a fever pitch.

He once again tried desperately to get his own body under control. This wasn’t about him. This was Evan’s first time, and he wanted to make it as good as possible. He leaned forward and brushed soft kisses against Evan’s temple.

“Shhhh, it’s okay, just relax and let me take care of you.”

Evan let his head fall back against Bran’s shoulder, surrendering his body to him to do with what he pleased. Bran wanted desperately to bury himself inside the younger man’s body.

He could feel Evan trembling with the need for release. He was close. Bran could feel it. He snaked his hand down and pressed his fingers firmly against the sensitive skin behind Evan’s balls. Evan cried out as he came. Thick ropes of come splashed over his stomach and coated his abs and Bran’s fingers.

Bran slowed his strokes to bring Evan down slowly. He laid kisses along his neck and shoulders as Evan relaxed back against him.

That was so hot Bran had almost come in his pants. He needed to get a grip before he lost it entirely. Maybe one too many years of denying any sort of connection with the guys he worked with had come back to bite him in the ass. He was going to have a hard time denying the attraction he felt for this one.

A Good Day

Today was a really excellent day for a lot of reasons.

First, I got to sleep in, because this was the first Saturday in a long time that I didn't have to work. Sad for my bank account, but happy for me. Also, Xto was home, so we were able to spend the day together.

Andrew Q. Gordon was doing a chat on the DSP facebook page this afternoon. I stopped in and chatted with everyone for a while. I really enjoy the author chats. It's a great place to get the inside scoop on the story and personal little tidbits about the author. Andrew hosted a giveaway, throwing everyone's names into a hat, and having his adorable little girl pick one... and she chose mine!

I am really looking forward to getting my copy of The Last Grand Master. It sounds really interesting, and I can't wait to read it. Plus, it's even more exciting because I actually won something. I think that is the first time I've ever won anything. Ever. Pretty exciting stuff.


After that, Xto and I went out for a walk. We just went down the road to the urban forest again where we usually walk, but today did three laps instead of the usual two. It was a beautiful day, but my hips were cursing him by the time we'd finished. I was one sore little girl.

Then we got home and I received an email from DSP saying that my bio was up on the website. I actually squealed... out loud. Loud enough that Xto came out of the kitchen where he was cooking me dinner (another plus for today) and asked me if everything was okay. I lifted my laptop up and proudly showed him what had me so excited.

I'm up there. I am officially (at least according to the internet) one of DSP's authors. I am over the moon happy. I immediately spammed everyone I knew with the link so they could share in my joy. Lex Chase, whose novella is coming out two days after my novel, checked the website, and lo and behold, there was her name too. We were both so excited, and she made me this to commemmorate the event.

Isn't it great?

So Many Projects...

Last night, my phone buzzed at 9:30. It was my boss letting me know he needed me to work this morning. I had planned to stay up studying/writing and had had a double cup of coffee at 6. I tried to go to bed at midnight. I really did, but my mind was racing and I couldn't seem to shut it down. I read J.P. Barnaby's Mastering the Ride (pretty good, by the way), but I still wasn't tired, so I spent the next three hours plotting out a new novel in my head.
The plan was to get home from work, write down what I had thought about and then set it to the side until I finished Ironhearted. It didn't work out so well. I can't seem to get it out of my head. Part of the problem might be that it's centered around dance, and now that I've started thinking about it again, it's hard to stop. Ten years ago, my entire life revolved around dancing. It was who I was, then life got busy and university happened and it fell to the side. I haven't been inside a studio in years, but I still dream about it. I miss it. And now the prospect of being able to recreate those feelings is making me itchy to write.
I don't want to abandon Trevor and Haydn though. Their story isn't even close to being finished and the other two couples are waiting for me to finish the third book before submitting. I have a lot of work to do and such a short time to finish it all. Now really isn't a great time for another project to creep in, but that is exactly what has happened.
And rather than tackling one or the other I am on here, rambling about it. Is there an award for worst use of time? I think I could be a contender.
I did manage to get a couple of the casting couch interviews set up to post though. They're going to be so good. I am so excited about having so many authors participating. It makes the weeks leading up to Keeping Sweets' release that much less painful now that I have something to look forward to for all those days. 

My New Home

Welcome to my brand new blog. There really was nothing wrong with the old one, except the TOS wouldn't let me post adult content, and we can't have that, can we?

With the casting couch interviews that are coming up next month, I wanted to make sure everyone was free to post as many sexy scenes as they wanted to.  In addition to that, Keeping Sweets is coming out in a mere 46 days (and yes, I am counting them down). Pretty quick I will be posting the excerpt from their own casting couch interview, and to be honest it gets a little steamy. Don't want anyone getting offended.


The second round of edits went back last night for Keeping Sweets. Let me just say, thank god for editors.  I've heard horror stories about other authors' experiences with editors. I was prepared to have my ego destroyed, but the editors I've had the privilege of working with at DSP have been amazing. They were encouraging and thorough. They found issues with my manuscript I missed in all those many readings I've done. They really have made my story so much better.

Everything is coming together and it's actually starting to feel real now. I realized today that in a few weeks, Keeping Sweets will be on the Dreamspinner Coming Soon page. It is almost a real book!

Et Voila, Keeping Sweets

It really has been a great week. First off, I have to mention that Paul sent over my finalized cover that Brooke designed. I am so in love with it. I had such high expectations from the Dreamspinner Art Department because they have turned out so many beautiful covers and I was not disappointed in the least.

Secondly, I now know my (scheduled) release date: March 11th! Two and a half weeks before my birthday, my first book is coming out. Pretty damn good birthday present, I think.

I received the first round of edits for Keeping Sweets, and looked through them all. My editors and I didn't seem to disagree on anything, which was really nice. I was a little apprehensive about the whole process. A part of me was worried that the person editing would try to change too much, or too many edits would shatter my fragile writer's ego. Instead, I was lucky enough to be paired with editors who seemed to understand what I was trying to achieve with my story, and an unforeseen perk of editing was getting to go back and visit with my boys. I'd forgotten how much I liked my characters and this was a nice little reminder.

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It also helped to solidify my gut feeling that I was meant to be writing. The nagging self-doubts build up in my mind and I think back to the story, all I could remember were the little things I didn't like so much about the manuscript. I had myself convinced that I am a terrible writer and the only people that will buy my book will be family members who feel obligated because my name is on the cover. Reading through it made me remember all the things I loved about the book and it really is pretty good, if I do say so myself! Maybe other people will agree, and maybe they won't, but I really love doing what I do and that's really all that matters.

In any case, I managed to get the first round finished up and sent back last night. Everything is finally coming together. It's almost a real book!

An Exciting Start to 2013

We are only one week into the new year and life has already been interesting. Busy, but interesting.
In my personal life, I am finishing up the last part of my course, and so will have a limited online presence for the next couple of months. The course is fairly intense and as much as I would rather be writing, school has to come first.

For Keeping Sweets, I have received a comp for my cover and have been working with Paul Richmond and Brooke Albrecht towards my perfect cover. So far, things are looking good and I can't wait to see the final product! The manuscript has entered editing and I should have the first round of edits in the next few weeks. I know I still have a while to wait, but I keep checking my mail. I really am impatient.

In the meantime, I have been working on writing my dedication, which was more difficult than I thought it would be. There are several people in my life who have been my cheerleaders when it comes to writing and I'd love to mention them all, but I think I'm supposed to keep the dedication to less than twelve pages!

Also, fellow author Lex Chase and I will be doing reciprocal guest blog postings in the next few months (both out books come out around the same time). She will be taking part in my casting couch interview series (check back for updates) and will be interviewing me about Keeping Sweets and writing in general. The interview is tentatively scheduled be to posted April 13th. My very first interview as an author. I am so excited.

The Hope Cove series is going almost exactly as planned. Installment Brokenhearted and Wholehearted are both finished and Brokenhearted is in beta editing. I am currently about one fifth of the way through the third installment, Ironhearted. I've set a deadline for myself of the end of January for completion of the series, but it may be a little too ambitious with the overload of school work I have looming. I will do my best to finish on time, but sometimes, life gets in the way, and that's alright. Lots of time to write once I've finished all my final exams.

So that is the update of what is going on so far this year. 2012 was so amazing for me and 2013 is shaping up to be even better. A banner year, and the year before I turn 30. I think that's something to be pretty proud of

Happy New Year!

I had a serious pair of grumpy pants on earlier today. I mean the really, really tight ones that pinch and rub in all the wrong places.

This year, I spent New Years Eve alone. First time ever. Xto is away working and my family went to Maui. Now, before you get to feeling all very sorry for me, I was invited out to a party, but I chose not to go. I wanted to stay home and get some work done. That didn't stop me from throwing my own pity party though.

All sorts of little things went wrong today. Getting ready for work, I ran out of eyeliner (complete disaster), I was at work on New Years (horrible tragedy), I forgot the right pen (cause for meltdown), etc etc etc.

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Now there is just under an hour left until midnight -- the joys of being the second to last time zone to change over -- and I am feeling much better. Know why? I thought about all the amazing things that have happened to me this week alone. There have been too many to count over the last year (some of the highlights were: I got married, my first novel was contracted, I began the process of changing careers, I traveled to some really amazing places, and I met my new niece Isabelle), but three of the highlights from this week:

1. I got my cover comps from Brooke Albrecht, who is amazing, and they were everything I could have hoped for. I had a hard time choosing, but I think I've picked one and I should have the final copy soon. Of course the moment I have it, I will post it here because it needs to be shared. So gorgeous.

2. I finished the first book in the Hope Cove series. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would, but I was working on a few other projects at the same time. I actually finished it, did a happy dance, went to bed, and then at 5:00 the next morning, woke up to the realization that I had written the ending all wrong. So I rewrote it in my head, went back to sleep, then got up and rewrote it for real.

3. I finished the second book in the Hope Cove series. You know those other projects I just mentioned? This was one of them. And I finished it about an hour ago.So yeah. Two books in one week. It was my goal to have them both finished by the end of December, and I did it with two hours to spare! So those are done. One more book and the series is complete. I've started the third and hopefully it will be done by the end of January, which makes February the Month of Epic Edits before I can submit it in early March.

There have also been a host of other, smaller accomplishments this week, like, for example, me flying all by myself without completely losing my shit during takeoff and landing (I am not a good flyer), and making it through Ikea during boxing week without being trampled to death.

So looking back on 2012, some really great things happened, but I am hoping for even better, even greater things from 2013.

Happy New Year!

Next Big Thing Blog Chain

Last week my fellow author Rebecca Joyce tagged me in her Next Big Thing, so this week it's my turn. The idea is that I answer ten questions about my latest project, Keeping Sweets, and tag a few more authors who will talk about their next big thing next week.

What is the title of your book?
Keeping Sweets

How did you come by the idea?
This is a tough question to answer. Since this is my first book I think it was kind of a culmination of many mind wanderings over the years. Who wouldn't want to know what boys get up to on and off the camera on a porn set?

What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary m/m romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
I'm not sure about actors. I have a fairly specific idea in my head of who these guys are and what they look like. I can't think of actors that would fit them perfectly, but maybe Matt Lanter and this guy:

Evan is young and fairly small, with brown hair and brown eyes. He looks something like this.

Bran is bigger; broader. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He looks something like this.

Delicious, are they not?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Love blooms on the set of a porno.

Will your book be self-published or traditional?
It will be published with Dreamspinner Press and it set to be out in March or April of 2013

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me almost six months from word one to submission, but it was a very lazy six months. I would write for a couple of hours, then pick it up a few days later and write a little more. Since Keeping Sweets was contracted and I realized that people may actually want to read what I've written, my current WIPs have been a bit speedier.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Blatant curiosity more than anything else. For me, one of the best parts of reading romance is the aspect of fantasy that is created in each and every book. Keeping Sweets was like that for me. I wondered what those boys get up to when the cameras aren't rolling on set, so I imagined the answer for myself.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
One of the reasons I enjoyed writing this story so much is the setting. It takes place on the coast of Oregon, which has always been one of my favourite places to visit. It is so beautiful and there is something there for everyone. I enjoyed putting the characters there and living vicariously through them for a while.


And that’s my Next Big Thing. Here are the writers I’m tagging...
The multi-talented Lex Chase, whose Superhero novel will be out in March from Dreamspinner Press
The supremely creative Jamie Fessenden, who will talk about his upcoming Occult Murder Mystery
and the Ever So Romantic Skylar M. Cates, who will be blogging about her contemporary romance, Exposed.

They will be posting their Next Big Thing on December 18th, so make sure you check them out!

A Good Month

The past six weeks have possibly been the most exciting weeks of my life. I got married to a wonderful man in one of my favourite places on Earth. It was beautiful, magical, and for once after a big party, I didn't have to clean up the mess! The next day we jetted off (after a four flight delay in a crappy airport) to beautiful California to spend a week in honeymoon bliss at one of the nicest hotels I have ever seen.

We got back a couple of weeks ago and were just beginning to settle back into the mundane when I received an email from Dreamspinner Press. They want to publish my book! I am over-the-moon excited. I think my friends and family are a little less so, as I haven't shut up about it since.

This is my first experience with the publishing world and I'm not entirely sure what to expect. All I know is that I can't wait to get started, and that the six month road to publication will be exciting, nervewracking, way too long, and way too short.

Wish me luck!