Monday, December 24, 2012

Love Is Always Write; Anthologies Now Available!

Hey, everyone! I have some fun news to share! Some of you may remember early this summer, I was talking about the Love Is Always Write event being held by the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads, and how I was taking part. I wrote a story for the event titled, "Of Honor and Love", my first gay historical romance.

I've talked about this story a few times, and you can read exactly how it came to happen by clicking HERE. This story is actually one of my favorites out of all I've written. I loved writing it, I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I just loved everything about it. Well now, the story is available in an anthology with more of the fantastic stories written for the Love Is Always Write event.

The event had a huge turn out. Several authors from across the gay romance genre came together to write stories inspired by pictures people posted, and they did this for free, as a gift to readers. And how many stories came out of the event? Enough to create an 11 volume anthology! 11 volumes! That's huge! The stories range in length from shorts to novellas, and they range in theme from contemporary to historical, paranormal to fantasy, and everything and anything in between. So to say among all these stories there's surely something for everyone is a very safe bet, I think.


"Of Honor and Love", is in Volume 7. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed taking part in this event, and how happy I am to be included in this anthology with so many incredibly talented authors. It was all made possible by the wonderful folks at the M/M Romance Group. I know they put in countless hours of hard work to make the event happen. They dedicated their time, their resources, their skills, and they did it all for free. My thanks and my gratitude goes out to them for all they've done for readers, authors, and the genre. Your work and time is very much appreciated!

The 11 Volumes are available for download in all ebook formats now at Goodreads. Last I checked this morning, Volumes 1-4 were available at AllRomance Ebooks, so the others will be there soon. All the anthologies, on Goodreads and AllRomance eBooks, are offered for FREE download. That's a whole lot of reading and a whole lot of talent for free! I know everyone will find many stories in these anthologies that they'll enjoy, and if you haven't already read "Of Honor and Love", I hope it'll be one of them!


Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Next Big Thing


Hello, guys and girls! Some of you may have seen on a few other blogs authors talking about the Next Big Thing. Well, the lovely and talented, Sloan Parker, tagged me to take part and answer a few questions about a WIP (work in progress) or my next book release, so here I am, talking about what will hopefully be my next big thing! My thanks to Sloan for inviting me to take part!

1.) What is the working title of your book?
      Adapting Instincts. This will be the fourth book in my Instincts series, so it needed to have "Instincts" in the title ;-) With each of the Instincts books, I try to have the first word as being relevant to the what the characters are experiencing or the theme of the story. "Adapting", fits these main characters rather well because they're both adapting and coming to accept changes in their lives and their emotions toward one another.

2.) Where did the idea come from for the book?
       This idea came about quite a long time ago, even all the way back to when I was writing Natural Instincts, Book 1 in the series. There's a character who returns throughout the series in a small role, Carl Anderson. I knew I wanted to write a story for him, and I was also fascinated with another character from that first book who had a small role, Egill Dalgaard. When I sat down to write the third book in the series, Loving Instincts, I felt there was chemistry between the two of them and somehow, someway, I needed to get them together.

3.) What is the genre of the book?
     Gay Paranormal Erotic Romance. Vampires, baby! Yeah!

4.) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
      Oh man, this is always the hardest question! I think most every author ponders with each book who you'd like to see play your characters in a movie, but for all my guys in my books, I still haven't found that right actor for any of them.

Gackt
Adapting Instincts would be tricky to cast, especially for the role of Egill, because  finding a six foot seven, burly guy with bright red hair and a Norwegian accent might be difficult ;-) I can't even think of any actors who would fit, even with dying their hair red and cutting out the accent. Carl would probably be a little easier to cast. I'd need someone with boy-next-door hotness, but not too young, since Carl is in his early thirties. See what I mean about how I can never find that perfect actor for my guys?!

It would be just as hard trying to cast the other guys, Titus, Andreas, and Daniel. Age Alex Pettyfer about 10 years, and he's got potential for Titus. For Ryunosuke, I'd be all over Gackt! Um...for the role, I mean. Okay, next question!

5.) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
     When Carl Anderson's actions endanger the life of his vampire lover, Egill Dalgaard, he must decide whether to walk deeper into vampire society, or turn his back on the only man who's ever made him feel secure. Or something like that. It's so hard to fit a 67k word novel into one sentence!

6.) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?
      It'll be represented by a publisher, MLR Press, where the others in the series are published.

7.) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
      It took me about three months to finish this one, which is actually very fast for me, but I was working under a hard deadline for it. Then after the first draft, I did about a month of revisions before turning it in. The average for me from first written word to submission is closer to six months. I had to really push hard to finish this one faster, which is what led to me needing to take a break from writing for a while. I was just a tiny bit wiped out.

8.) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
      Besides the other books in the series, I really don't have a clue. There are a lot of great vampire stories in the gay romance genre, but I can't think of any with vampires or a "world" quite like what I've created. Really, I don't like to compare books, whether to books I've written or that I'm reading. It may seem that comparing stories about vampires would be like comparing apples to apples, but to me, it's really not, because every author creates a unique vision in the story they've written. Rather than try to hold one book up against another, I prefer to enjoy each book I read on it's own strengths and individuality.

9.) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
      Even though early in the series, I felt I wanted to do more with Carl and Egill, it was really my readers who inspired me to give a story for them serious consideration. Emails, messages on Facebook and Twitter, asking about them and if they'd get a story were great encouragement. My thanks to everyone for that!

10.) What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
        Well, I really think this is a book that if you've read the others in the series, you'll enjoy it. Some familiar faces will pop up, a lingering question or two from the last book gets answered, and of course, it's got plenty of hot action in it. But more than that, it's a love story, and is focused on the building of a new relationship and overcoming doubts to find the courage to pursue your heart. If that's the kind of story you enjoy, hopefully you'll like Adapting Instincts!

My thanks again to Sloan for tagging me to answer these questions. And if you'd like to see some other big things coming from a couple fantastically talented authors, Jambrea Jo Jones will soon be talking about her Next Big Thing, and later next week, so will Melanie Tushmore. Be sure to swing by their places and see what they've got going on! Thanks to everyone who read about my next big thing, and I hope if you decide to give Adapting Instincts a read when it releases in March 2013, that you'll enjoy it!


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

My Reading Buddy, Keegan

Hey, everyone! I shared these pics on my Facebook and Twitter, and thought, why not share them here, too? Here's one of the reasons it takes me so long to finish reading a book. This is Keegan, my reading buddy and also one of my feline co-authors. Fortunately, he and I have similar tastes in books ;-)




Saturday, December 15, 2012

M/M Romance Group Best of 2012 Awards

Hey, ladies and gentlemen! I've got some fun news to share! Over on Goodreads, there's a large and very cool group called the M/M Romance Group with over 8,600 lovely readers and authors as their members. I'm sure many of you are familiar with them, probably even members, but for those who aren't, they're a community focused on reading and celebrating Male/Male Romance. I've talked about them a few times here, most recently when I wrote my historical novella, Of Honor and Love, for their Love is Always Write event. But now, the group is holding their Best Of 2012 Awards, and I was very surprised and flattered to find my books in several categories!

The voting for the awards began on the 10th, I believe, and I'm not entirely sure when it ends. I'm very sorry for only just finding out about that and posting this now! With being on my little writing break, I've fallen a bit out of touch with important news like this. I happened to be on Facebook this morning and saw a link posted to the survey for voting. As I was scrolling through the nominations, I saw my name, my books, and my characters in a few categories. I was absolutely thrilled and very touched that some kind people had thought of me and my work when the nominations were being accepted. I had heard during the nominations that Titus was nominated for Best Vampire, but I hadn't known of the other nominations until I was looking through the lists. Here are the categories I found my work nominated in:


Category 2 - Favorite All Time M/M Romance Book – Conquest

Catergory 3 - Favorite All Time M/M Series  - Conquest series

Category 4 - Favorite All Time M/M author – S.J. Frost

Category 5 - Favorite All Time M/M Characters – Jesse and Evan, Conquest series

Category 7 – Best Cover – Loving Instincts

Category 14 – Hottest Vampire – Titus

Category 19 – Best Story That Should/Must Have a Sequel – Loving Instincts

Category 37 – Best Musicians/Rock Stars – Heartstrings AND Feeling the Rhythm

Category 39 – Best Paranormal – Loving Instincts

I'm pretty sure these are all of them, but I'll admit, I was getting a little dizzy and star-stuck looking at all the amazing titles and authors in these awards! It's really incredible to be included with so many talented authors and great works, and I'm very grateful to those who nominated me. Thank you! And my thanks goes out to the M/M Romance Group, as well, for all their hard work and dedication to our genre, readers, and authors.

If you'd like to see all the amazing books and authors that are nominated, and possibly throw in your vote - for ANY book, character, or author - here's a link to the voting survey: http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=1af2af8b-773e-4236-ab9e-c4affac951c5

My thanks again and again for these wonderful nominations! I'm so very honored and flattered by them :-)


Friday, December 14, 2012

Giveaway at International Heat

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to drop a quick note to y'all and let you know that I was invited today, December 12th, to be a guest over at the very fun blog, International Heat. They're celebrating the end of the world ;-) I was asked to list a few items off my Bucket List, but I'm also offering a giveaway over there. Just leave a comment on the post with me and the lovely JR Patrick, and you'll be entered for a chance to win one of my books, winner's choice of title, in ebook.

Here's the link for those who'd like to visit: http://internationalheat.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/its-the-end-of-the-world-threesome-time/

My thanks to the ladies at International Heat for having me over today! Hope everyone who stops by there enjoys the post, and good luck to those who enter the giveaway!

Friday, November 30, 2012

December Reader Appreciation Day - Prize List!



Here you go, ladies and gentlemen! This is the amazing prize list for Reader Appreciation Day, which will be held this Saturday, December 1st, at The Sweet Spot. So many talented authors have donated prizes as their way of saying "thank you" to all you wonderful readers out there. To learn more about the author or book, just click their name.



Harper Fox - ebook copy of HALF MOON CHAMBERS

Marie Sexton - ebook copy of winner's choice from her backlist

L.C. Chase - ebook copy of LOVE BROKERS: MISTER ROMANCE

Bella Leone - ebook copy of DOWNPOUR

Tara Lain - ebook copy of winner's choice of Balls Books; VOLLEY BALLS, FIRE BALLS, or BEACH BALLS

AJ Kelton - $15 gift certificate to Torquere Press

Michael Mandrake - ebook copy of TRUE MEANING OF LOVE 2

Lynley Wayne - ebook copy of SCARS

Lily Sawyer - ebook copy of FROM THE DEPTHS

J.P. Bowie - ebook copy of MURDER BY PROXY

Jambrea Jo Jones - 2 ebook copies of AVENGER

Sloan Parker - ebook copy of winner's choice from her backlist

Sloan Parker - $15 in eBook Bucks from AllRomance eBooks

S.J. Frost (me!) - ebook copy of of winner's choice from my backlist

S.J. Frost (me, again!) - $15 in eBook Bucks from AllRomance eBooks



Is that an incredible list of prizes, or what?! And it's all for you, dear readers. Sloan, Jambrea, and I give our deepest thanks to all these amazing authors for their generosity. We're looking forward to another fun RAD! Hope to see you all at The Sweet Spot!




Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Wandmaker - Amber Kell Birthday Bash!

All right, ladies and gentlemen! I mentioned earlier today that I was going to feature a portion of the awesome story, Wandmaker, by the lovely and talented Amber Kell, and here you go! For her birthday, Amber has been sharing installments of the story on different blogs all through the month of November, giving readers a chance to follow it as it progress.

I'm a guest on Amber's blog today, also, where I shared about one of my favorite birthdays and am offering a title from my backlist in ebook, winner's choice of title, so be sure to stop over there for a chance to win!

I'm very pleased to be a part of the birthday celebration! Hope you had a great birthday, Amber!



Wandmaker


They gathered their things and headed downstairs to get some food. The knights were waiting for them. They sent Cebrus and Silvan amused glances.
“Sit,” Silvan pointed toward an empty seat.
Cebrus sat down with a glare at the prince.
“You don’t want food?” Silvan asked innocently.
“I want to not be treated like your dog,” Cebrus snarled.
“Don’t be ridiculous I’m really nice to my dogs.” Silvan smiled.
Cebrus waited until Silvan turned his back to grab the pitcher of water then beaned him in the back of the head with a roll.
“Hey?” Silvan spun around.
“What I’m just a disobedient puppy?” Cebrus fluttered his lashes at Silvan and the knights burst into laughter.
“We’re heading to the Dragon Breath Islands,” Silvan announced.
The knights groaned.
“Isn’t there an actual dragon there?” Meliv asked.
Cebrus nodded. “Rumor states that’s why the tree I’m looking for grows there. It needs the volcanic ash to grow. The heat of the magma attracts the dragon.”
“We’ll need to chart a boat in order to get to the isles,” Silvan said.
“I get seasick,” Meliv complained.
“We’ll get you a bucket,” Silvan replied.
“Thanks.” If looks could kill the crown prince would’ve toppled over dead.

It took them three days to reach the ocean. The only available ship was a questionable barge with a surly captain.
“Dragon Breath Island? Why would you want to go there?” The man who called himself Captain Renwy had the weathered skin of someone who lived his life on the water.
“I’m looking for a tree,” Cebrus offered.
Renwy looked around. “And you can’t find one here?”
“A specific tree,” Cebrus qualified. “I think it only grows on the island.”
Renwy rubbed his chin. “I don’t know about any trees but a dragon’ll kill you all the same.”
“Can we rent your boat or not?” Silvan asked, his temper all but crackling the air around them.
Renwy nodded. “I’ll charge you extra for your stupidity. Heading toward the islands with known dangers isn’t the mark of smart men.”
“Of course,” Cebrus said. “Or I could fix your wand. I see you have mostly weather and water magic but your wand is at the end of its life.”
“You’re a wand maker?” Renwy asked.
“Yep.” Cebrus nodded.
“And you can fix my wand?” Renwy confirmed.
“Well, I’ll actually have to replace it but it’ll be like new,” Cebrus promised.
A few minutes later they were sailing along with a happy captain waving a new black wand.

Day of Giveaways!

Hey, guys and girls! Today is a day of giveaways for my books!

I just found out this morning that over on the review site, Jessewave, MLR Press is offering FEELING THE RHYTHM for their giveaway title this week. If you head over there today and leave a comment on the giveaway post, you'll have a chance to win it! Here's the link for those who'd like to check it out: http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2012/11/28/mlr-press-free-book-november-28/

And y'all might have noticed the button over to the right for Amber Kell's Birthday Bash celebration. Well, today is my day of being her guest at her blog! If you stop by there, you'll get to read about one of my favorite birthdays, and if you leave a comment on my guest post, then you get a chance to win the title of your choice from my backlist, in ebook. Here's the link to Amber's place: http://amberkell.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/sj-frost-is-our-guest-today/

For Amber's Birthday Bash, she's been giving portions of a fantastic story called Wandmaker, for authors to post on their blogs. I'll be posting an excerpt from that story here later today :-)

Hope everyone enjoys these fun pieces of news! Good luck to all in the giveaway!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Reader Appreciation Day: December 1st


Hello, everyone! It's almost time for Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot, the Yahoo Group run by Sloan ParkerJambrea Jo Jones, and me! Hooray! We hold this fun event on the first Saturday of every month, and here's the official announcement for December. The list of prizes will be posted this Friday.



SloanJambrea, and I are thrilled to announce M/M Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot. This is one day every month for authors of M/M romance to say "thanks" to all you readers out there who support our writing efforts.

Readers, stop by the Yahoo Group  to chat with authors and enter for a chance to win free books and other prizes from a variety of m/m authors.

Reader Appreciation Day will be held on Saturday, December 1st. On that day, we'll post a full list of all prizes available in the group. Just respond to the giveaway thread on the Yahoo Group between 8am and 8pm EST to be included in the drawing.

Authors, if you're interested in participating in the giveaway, send an email to: thesweetspotmm@gmail.com

Please include what you'd like to donate for the December giveaway, a link, and a cover art pic. In the future, we'll include you in our monthly announcement for a chance to donate. You can participate as little or as often as you'd like. During the Reader Appreciation Day event, everyone who donated a prize is welcomed to post to the group with a blurbs and excerpts of their work. Other than books, gift certificates and other prizes are also welcomed!

Hope to see you all there!

Friday, November 23, 2012

New Release: FEELING THE RHYTHM

Ladies and gentlemen, it's with great pleasure and excitement that I announce the release of my newest book, FEELING THE RHYTHM!

It's currently available at MLR Press in all ebook formats: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJF_RTHM 


The print edition will be coming soon too, in about 2-3 weeks. 

I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I am to have Brad and Remmy's story go live for the world. Their story has been in the works for a long time, and I know many folks have been waiting for it for almost as long. I'm very thankful to everyone who's wanted to read this book, and who have offered me so much encouragement with your excitement about it. Now that the Conquest boys are back, I hope very much that everyone who decides to hang out with them once again will enjoy this new story, and getting to know Brad and Remmy a little better. 


Blurb:
Brad Delfini once had the world in his hands, but misfortunes and bad decisions showed him just how quickly the spotlight can go dark. For years, he was struggling to get by, until a fateful phone call brought him to famed rock band, Conquest. Since becoming their drummer, he’s hit the top of fame again, and he has all he could ever want. Except for one thing. As Conquest’s world tour draws to a close, that missed chance leaves him filled with regrets.

Remmy Laurent has been a roadie since he graduated high school, but years of being on the move have worn him down. He decides it’s time to quit and bring some stability into his life. He just wanted to finish out this one last tour with his favorite band; Conquest. It hasn’t been an easy tour, for many reasons, but most of all because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he lost his heart to a man who he thinks barely knows he exists.

When the last concert is played, Brad and Remmy both believe they’ll never see each other again, but a little friendly intervention brings them together once more. As they begin to know each other in a whole new way, Brad must somehow make peace with his past if he and Remmy are going to have a future.

Monday, November 19, 2012

FEELING THE RHYTHM Sneak Peek Excerpt

Hey, everyone! Since we're coming down the homestretch for the release of my next novel, FEELING THE RHYTHM, I thought it was time to share a little peek at it. I picked this particular scene from Chapter 2 because I thought it would be a good reintroduction to Brad, Remmy, and the guys.

As of right now, things are still on for it to release on November 23rd at MLR Press in all ebook formats. If anything changes with that date, I'll be sure to post an update here.

Hope everyone who decides to pick up the book, enjoys it!



Blurb:
Brad Delfini once had the world in his hands, but misfortunes and bad decisions showed him just how quickly the spotlight can go dark. For years, he was struggling to get by, until a fateful phone call brought him to famed rock band, Conquest. Since becoming their drummer, he’s hit the top of fame again, and he has all he could ever want. Except for one thing. As Conquest’s world tour draws to a close, that missed chance leaves him filled with regrets.

Remmy Laurent has been a roadie since he graduated high school, but years of being on the move have worn him down. He decides it’s time to quit and bring some stability into his life. He just wanted to finish out this one last tour with his favorite band; Conquest. It hasn’t been an easy tour, for many reasons, but most of all because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he lost his heart to a man who he thinks barely knows he exists.

When the last concert is played, Brad and Remmy both believe they’ll never see each other again, but a little friendly intervention brings them together once more. As they begin to know each other in a whole new way, Brad must somehow make peace with his past if he and Remmy are going to have a future.

Excerpt:
Remmy saw the stagehands gathering, ready to run out as Conquest exited to get things set for the encore. Jesse wished the crowd good night, but wasn’t halfway across the stage before the “En-core! En-core!” chant began. He jogged down the stairs and went into Evan’s arms, who hugged him, heedless of how sweaty Jesse was from the long performance. No matter how many times Remmy saw them interacting, his heart melted at the beauty of their relationship and ached to have something close to it in his own life.

That was another reason he needed to leave the roadie scene. Love didn’t seem to want to find him here. It was time for him to move on and look for it somewhere else.

Jesse and Evan walked by him, their arms around each other, both acknowledging him with smiles. Kenny followed behind them, his head tipped back with his lips locked around a bottle of water, but he still lifted his hand in a wave. Julian and Morgan neared, hand in hand. 

Morgan glanced toward him. “Hey, Rem.”

“Hey.” Remmy looked at Julian. “Great show, as usual, Jules.”

Julian nodded his appreciation. “Thank you. Just a few more songs to go. I think we may survive this tour yet.”

Remmy chuckled, but it was weak. There was only one more band member left to walk by him, and just knowing Brad was approaching sent his heart racing. He glanced to the side, and there he was, coming closer, walking while wiping sweat from the back of his neck with a white towel.

Brad paused to pull the sweat soaked tank top over his head, a crew member rushing up to take it from him.

Remmy gripped the equipment crate with one hand to steady himself. He’d seen Brad without a shirt on countless times, but each time it had the same effect; instant hard-on. The body on Brad…he wanted to touch him so badly. He could almost feel the solid, thick pecs under his palms, the skin warm, soft, and smooth. The deep grooves of Brad’s abs flexed with his quick breaths, as he was slightly winded from the energy he’d put out playing. And he couldn’t help it that as he looked at the sweat shining on Brad’s skin, small droplets dotting it, all he wanted was to taste the salt of him on his tongue. How could anyone look at that man and not want to lick him?  

Brad’s eyes flicked up, his gaze meeting Remmy’s. As Brad smiled and walked toward him, time passed for Remmy in his rapid heartbeats rather than seconds.
 
Brad clapped Remmy on the shoulder. “I forgot to tell you before the show, good job setting up my skins.”

Brad’s voice —deep, colored with a Brooklyn accent —made it so Remmy couldn’t find his own for a moment. “You’ve said that every night for the whole tour. It’s okay if you let it slip by once.”

Brad shook his head. “No, it’s not. Not for how hard you work to do things right by me, and especially now that we’re done. I gotta let you know I appreciate all you’ve done.”

Remmy stared at him. Brad’s words, his smile, the kindness in his eyes, all struck him speechless. Realizing he was staring, he quickly lowered his gaze, trying to catch something close to composure. He needed to say something. Anything! Just spit something out so he didn’t look like a total fool.

Remmy slowly lifted his gaze to Brad’s again, calling a soft smile to his lips. “Thanks, man. That means a lot.”

Brad held Remmy’s gaze for a moment longer, then cleared his throat and looked beyond Remmy. “I guess I should catch up with the guys.”

Remmy nodded, but as Brad moved by him, his mind screamed about something he’d forgotten. He spun around to Brad. “Hey, hold up a second!”

Brad stopped and turned back. “What’s up?”

Remmy picked up the package he’d left on the crate. He extended it to Brad. “I got something for you. To celebrate the end of a kickass tour.”

Brad slowly took the package, wrapped in blue paper, from Remmy’s hands, staring down at it. “You didn’t have to do this.”

Remmy shrugged. “It’s nothing big. I just thought of you when I saw it, so I had to get it.” He nodded at the package. “Open it.”

Brad tore the wrapping away, and started laughing at what it revealed; a black T-shirt with an image of The Muppets character, Animal, behind a set of drums, sticks raised as if he was wildly pounding, and the words “Drum Hero” stenciled beneath. He lifted the shirt free of the paper. “This is awesome.”

“You really like it?”

“Hell yeah. Animal was always my favorite. And his band was damn good!” Brad paused, glancing upward in a thoughtful expression, muttering softly, “What was their name?”

“Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.”

Brad snapped his fingers and laughed. “That’s right!” He looked back down to the shirt, a soft smile on his lips. “Thanks for this.”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad you like it.”

Brad set the paper aside and shook out the shirt, slipping his hands into the bottom of it. “I’ll wear it for the encore.”

Remmy’s mouth dropped open, a stuttering gasp of surprise leaving him. He watched as Brad pulled the shirt on, his abdomen and side muscles stretching with his arms over his head. As Brad tugged the shirt down and into place, Remmy saw what a perfect fit it was, tight enough to show Brad’s muscled body, his strongly formed biceps filling out the sleeves.

Brad held his arms out to the sides. “How’s it look?”

Remmy answered in a whisper. “Hotter than hell.”

Remmy’s eyes slowly widened as he realized what he’d just said. He could feel heat flooding up his neck to his face. His mouth opened, but no sound came out, as though his brain feared he’d say another embarrassing thing and wouldn’t let him talk.

Brad dropped his arms to his sides, his smile shifted to a smirk. “You think so?”

Between his brain keeping a tight hold on his mouth and his heart threatening to beat through his chest, Remmy couldn’t answer. He felt amazed he at least managed a nod.

Brad took a half step closer to him. “I really appreciate this, and all you’ve done for me.”

Before Remmy’s mind could form another thought, Brad’s body was pressed against him, strong arms wrapped around him. Shock froze him for a brief instant, but it was very brief, as his arms went around Brad in return. His hands placed on Brad’s back, and just as he’d imagined for so many long days and nights, he could feel the firm muscles. He breathed deep through his nose, pulling in the salty scent of Brad’s skin.

Brad’s voice came in a lower timbre. “I feel bad that I don’t have anything for you.”

Remmy shook his head slightly. “Don’t. That wasn’t why I got you something.”

Brad slowly released him, taking a short step back. “Yeah, but still, you’ve busted ass for us, and me. How about after the show, we head out somewhere and I buy you a beer?”

“Seriously?”

Wearing a bright smile, Brad clapped him on the shoulder. “Of course, man. Catch up to me after we wrap up these encores.”

Remmy nodded, his smile matching Brad’s. “All right, I will.” He caught sight of Jesse walking toward them, Evan at his side, Kenny, Julian, and Morgan behind him. He looked back to Brad. “Looks like it’s time for you to go on. I’m sorry, I took all your break time.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was worth it.”


Copyright 2012 by S.J. Frost and MLR Press



Sunday, November 18, 2012

Book News and a Great Review

Hey, ladies and gents! Yes, I'm still around! I know, I know. I haven't posted here in forever, and I'm so sorry for that. Sometimes I wonder where the time goes. I do know 40 hours of it goes to the EDJ every week. You know, if it wasn't for that, I could get so much done! But there's no way I'm going to taint this blog with EDJ talk. This is meant to be a happy place! And so, onto happy things!

First, an update on Conquest Book 7, FEELING THE RHYTHM. For those who have been following my progress with the book, you know my editor and I were shooting to have it release by no later than December of this year. Well, we're going to make that. In fact, we're going to beat that. I'm pleased to announce that as of right now, FEELING THE RHYTHM is slated to release on November 23rd at MLR Press! My editor and I have been hard at work on it to hit this date. Now, as always, the release date is subject to change, but it's looking good for the 23rd. I'm going to pull a little sneak peak excerpt from it to share with everyone soon.

So with the Conquest boys getting ready to hit the scene again, that brings me back around to the vampires in the Instincts series. Along with working with the rockers, I've also been writing like a crazy person to get  the next Instincts book in to my editor by a November 15th deadline. The good news is, I did it! And it has a title; ADAPTING INSTINCTS. It's another novel length book, though shorter than the others in the series. As it stands now, it's sitting at 67K words, but I could always gain some or lose some during editing. That book is slated for a March release, so it'll be my next release after FEELING THE RHYTHM.

With those two books finished, I'm currently between writing projects, and I plan to keep it that way for a little while. I'm going to take a break to recharge and refresh, and I'm not sure what my next project will be. Or even how long my break will be. It might be a couple weeks, a month, or until the end of the year. It'll last until the urge to write gets too strong to hold back. So you might not hear any new writing news from me for a while, but that doesn't mean I'll be a complete stranger. Who knows? Maybe I'll even have the time to get the Weekly Inspiration posts going again!

Last, but certainly not least, I'm very excited to share a great review for NATURAL INSTINCTS, Book 1 in the Instincts series. This review came in with perfect timing since I just finished writing the 4th book! It was reviewed at one of the hottest review sites around for paranormal themed stories, Bitten by Books, and I'm thrilled to say it received a 5 out of 5 rating! Hooray! My thanks to the reviewer, Booktaster, for taking the time to read it and write up the wonderful review, and to Bitten by Books for posting it on their site. If you'd like to check out the review, please click HERE.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that. An update on all I've been up to. I hope it sounds like good news!


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Howloween Blog Winners!

Yeah, I know some of you are looking at the title of this post, shaking your heads and thinking, "There she goes again. Making another typo in her writing. It's supposed to be winner, not winners. She was only going to pick one person." Surprise! That's not a typo! I played a Halloween trick on everyone! I picked THREE winners! Tricky, aren't I? Okay, I know it was the same I pulled last year, but hey, it was fun then, too!

As usual for selecting my winners, I used Random.org, because it's easier for me to just go with what the unemotional computer program says than trying to do it myself. And the three winners are:

Nancy - Please send me an email at s.j.frost3@gmail.com with an addy where I can send your prize.
Christopher
DiannaKay

Congratulations, you three!

And many thanks to everyone who stopped by for this giveaway and all your sweet words. There were a lot of entries between posts here and emails! I greatly appreciate all the interest and support you guys give me for my work. I usually do a couple giveaways around the holidays, so please do keep an eye out for those to have a chance to win again!

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Halloween!




Friday, October 26, 2012

Howloween Blog Hop Giveaway!

Hey, guys and girls! Yep, it's giveaway time again! Woo hoo! I'm taking part in the Howloween Blog Hop, organized by the lovely, Drea Becraft, with 300 other talented authors, and I'm offering up a free ebook, winner's choice of title. If you'd like to check out the other authors' giveaway, just click the button below to be taken to a list.

To be entered in my giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. In your post, please an email address where I can contact you if you win. Also, if for any reason Blogger won't let you post a comment, you can email me your entry at s.j.frost3@gmail.com, or catch me on Facebook or Twitter. The giveaway runs from the 26th - the 29th, and I'll be announcing my winner on the 30th!

I gotta admit, I love Halloween. Which is surprising since I'm about the biggest chicken you'd ever meet. I watch the scary parts of horror movies peeking through my fingers, and if you were to ever go to a haunted house with me, it's guaranteed I'll make you go in first. I'd have to! How else would I be able to scream in your ear and jump on your back to make you carry me back out? Okay, those are slight exaggerations ..very slight, but that's what makes this holiday so much fun! I do enjoy a good scare :-)

On a final note, unfortunately, the winner from the GLBT Madness hasn't gotten back with me, so I paid Random.org another visit and have a new winner from that contest. Congratulations, Tina! I'll be getting in touch with you soon! And I've yet to hear from the winner of my second giveaway, but I'll give them through the weekend, then will select a new winner if I don't hear from them by Monday the 29th . I just wanted to give a head's up to those of you who entered in that contest.

Thanks so much to everyone who's stopped by for this giveaway! Much good luck to all! Here's wishing you a happy, spooky, and safe Halloween!



Monday, October 22, 2012

Winner of my Birthday/Conquest Anniversary Giveaway!

So often I think to myself how fortunate I am to be an author and what a wonderful thing it is to have people who want to share in my words and worlds. Reading so many of the sweet comments and kind praise on the giveaway post reinforced that. I truly have the most wonderful readers! I can never thank you all enough for the support you give! It's one of the reasons I love holding giveaways, so that way I can give something back to at least one of you. I wish I could give a free book to everyone!

For this giveaway, like with all my others, I let the computer do the work using Random.org to select a winner. And that winner is....

Virg! Congratulations! If you could, please send me an email at s.j.frost3@gmail.com :-)

And don't worry, guys! There's still going to be one more chance to win a book of mine this month. I'll be taking part in the Halloween Blog Hop, running from October 26th - 29th. I'll be offering up winner's choice of any title from my backlist, in ebook. So be sure to swing by for that!

My dear readers, thank you again, so very much for all your kindness and support!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Birthday and Conquest Anniversary Giveaway!

Hey, ladies and gents! I know right now a huge number of the M/M community is partying it up in Albuquerque for the GayRom Lit convention, and many giveaways are going on there and free books handed out, but I wanted to hold my own little giveaway for my birthday and the three year anniversary of my first novel, CONQUEST. I'm not at GRL this year. I decided to pass since I wanted spend my birthday with my little guy, and even had I gone, I would've left early to come home to be with him :-)

So for my little giveaway, I'm offering up a free book, winner's choice of title and format. I was originally just going to give away print format, but I thought that wouldn't be fair in case the winner would prefer ebook. If the winner does pick print, I'll sign the book, if you'd like. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post! Please include an email address where I'll be able to contact you. And if for any reason you have trouble leaving a comment, you can also message me your entry on Facebook, tell me on Twitter, or email me at s.j.frost3@gmail.com  I'll run the giveaway from October 19th through the 21st, and announce the winner on the 22nd.

And if you'd like to know my backlist and what books are available in what formats, here you go. I do have other stories besides these, but they're free reads or included in anthologies:

Conquest - available in print and all ebook formats.
No Fear - available in print and all ebook formats.
Keys to Love - available in print and all ebook formats.
Finding a Dream - available in ebook only.
Black Heart Down - available in print and all ebook formats.
Beautiful Harmony - available in ebook only.
Heartstrings - available in print and all ebook formats.
Natural Instincts - available in print and all ebook formats.
Enduring Instincts - available in print and all ebook formats.
Loving Instincts - available in print and all ebook formats.

It's hard to believe that three years ago in 2009, on my birthday, October 21st, CONQUEST went live and everyone was introduced to up and coming rock star, Jesse Alexander, famed singer, Evan Arden, and their love for each other. It was a long road to bring their story to that point. I had started writing CONQUEST back in 2005, during my last year in college at the University of Toledo. But saying I graduated in 2005 makes me sound younger than I am. I had actually taken a few years off to work, then went back to finish my Bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. It was during that last year in school when Jesse came to me.

In one of my last creative writing classes, the professor gave an assignment for a dialogue exercise, but we couldn't use characters or a story line we'd already used in class. After class let out, I was walking across campus, mentally complaining about the assignment because I didn't know what the hell I was going to write about. That's when he showed up.

Jesse burst to the front of my mind with so much force, I literally stopped walking. In my mind's eye, I could see him more clearly, more vividly, than any character I'd ever worked with. I asked what his name was, and the name Jesse floated back to me. He said he had something to say, and everything started unfolding.

For my assignment, I wrote what would eventually become part of CONQUEST's first chapter, where Jesse's brother, Brandon, takes Jesse to the diner, and they talk about life and music. The story, as many of you know, was far from over. Even after I turned the assignment in, I kept writing, and writing, and writing. I didn't know what would come of the story. All I knew was I was driven to write it. And through it all, Jesse and Evan stayed strong and clear in my mind. When I did get my assignment back, my professor looked at me and said, "This is your best work."

With Jesse feeling pretty proud of himself and my young writer confidence boosted, I kept working on CONQUEST, and when I finished, went directly into NO FEAR. It took a few years of courage building before I sought a publisher, but in early 2009 I was sent that coveted acceptance letter by MLR Press.

CONQUEST has come a long way in that time. It's been voted for in many reader favorite awards and polls, was a finalist in the Epic Ebook Awards, and has earned several wonderful reviews. From it came an entire series, which still blows my mind. Back in those days as a new author, my biggest hope was to see it and NO FEAR published. That was all. I never imagined that three years later, I would be getting the seventh book in the series ready to go live and I would have an entirely different series focused around vampires. There are times when it still feels dreamlike. But I can say without a doubt, every book I've written has been thanks to Jesse and Evan. They started it all and gave me the confidence to continue.

And to you, my dear readers, thank you so incredibly much for being a part of my journey over the past three years. I can't express my gratitude enough for the time you take to read my words and share in my characters lives. For what you give to me in doing that, I'll continue to the best of my ability to give you a good reading experience with every book I write.

Thanks to everyone who's stopped by! Good luck in the giveaway!


Monday, October 15, 2012

Giveaway News and New Cover Art: FEELING THE RHYTHM

Hey, Brad! Can I get a drum roll, please?

Ladies and gentleman, it's with great happiness that I reveal the cover of my upcoming novel, FEELING THE RHYTHM! This is another beautiful cover crafted and designed by the wonderfully talented, Lex Valentine of Winterheart Design. I think she did a fantastic job, and she was even able to capture the spirit of some of the earlier covers, NO FEAR and KEYS TO LOVE, with the lights and stage faded in the background.

As some of you may know, FEELING THE RHYTHM, will technically be Book 7 in the Conquest series. If you're new to the Conquest series, the order goes:

Conquest - Book 1 - novel
No Fear - Book 2 - novel
Keys to Love - Book 3 - novel
Finding a Dream - Book 4 - novella (all royalties from this story continue to be donated to The Trevor Project)
Black Heart Down - Book 5
Beautiful Harmony - Book 5.5 - short story
Heartstrings - Book 6 - novel

As of right now, my editor and I are still hoping to have FEELING THE RHYTHM ready for a December release. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Also, I do just want to take a brief moment to let y'all know that this week, I'm going to be holding a giveaway for not only my birthday, but also CONQUEST's three year anniversary. Three years! It's hard to believe it's been out that long. I'll be offering winner's choice of one of my books in print, and if the winner would like, I'll sign it for them :-) I'll be getting the giveaway post up on the 19th and running it through the 21st.

And now for the cover! I hope everyone likes it, and I hope when FEELING THE RHYTHM releases, that you'll all enjoy spending some time with Brad, Remmy, and the Conquest guys!



Blurb:

Brad Delfini once had the world in his hands, but misfortune and bad decisions showed him just how quickly the spotlight can go dark. For years, he was struggling to get by, when a fateful phone call brought him to famed rock band, Conquest. Since becoming their drummer, he’s hit the top of fame again and he has all he could ever want. Except for one thing. As Conquest’s world tour draws to the close, that missed chance leaves him filled with regrets.

Remmy Laurent has been a roadie since he graduated high school, but years of being on the move have worn him down. He decides it’s time to quit and bring some stability into his life. He just wanted to finish out this one last tour with his favorite band; Conquest. It hasn’t been an easy tour, for many reasons, but most of all because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he lost his heart to a man who he thinks barely knows he exists.

When the last concert is played, Brad and Remmy both believe they’ll never see each other again, but a little friendly intervention brings them together once more. As they begin to know each other in a whole new way, Brad must somehow make peace with his past if he and Remmy are going to have a future.


Friday, October 5, 2012

Prize List for Reader Appreciation Day, Oct 6th


Hey, ladies and gentlemen! This Saturday, October 6th, is Reader Appreciate Day at The Sweet Spot. Many incredibly talented authors have donated prizes as their way of saying "thank you" to all you wonderful readers out there! Here's what you'll have a chance to win if you stop by the group this Saturday! And to learn more about the author or book, just click their name.




K-lee Klein - ebook copy of DOMESTIC RELATIONS

K-lee Klein - ebook copy of winner's choice from backlist

Tam Ames - ebook copy of SUMMER SCHOOL

Kerry Freeman - ebook copy of PINE TAR & SWEET TEA

Tara Lain - ebook copy of HALLOWEEN HEAT IV (three short erotic tales by Tara Lain, A.C. Fox, and Elin Gregory)

Lex Valentine - ebook copy of SCRAMBLING

Erica Pike - ebook copy of THE WALLS HAVE EARS

Vicktor Alexander - ebook copy of THE FAERY TRUTH

L.M. Brown - ebook copy of LET DOWN YOUR HAIR

Missy Welsh - ebook copy of YOUR BIGGEST FAN

Jambrea Jo Jones - ebook copy of ANNIHILATION

Sloan Parker - $15 in eBook Bucks from AllRomance Ebooks

S.J. Frost (me!) - ebook copy of winner's choice from my backlist




And there they are! Sloan, Jambrea, and I give our deepest thanks to all these fantastic authors for donating their work, and helping us to show appreciation to those of you who give so much to us all the time. We couldn't do this with all of you!




If you'd like a chance to win one of these prizes, just head over to The Sweet Spot, Saturday, October 6th, and leave a comment on one of the giveaway threads. The first thread will be posted at 8:00am EST, and then periodically throughout the day, with the giveaway ending at 8:00pm EST. Authors, if you've donated a prize, please feel welcomed to stop by! Say hi to the readers, post some blurbs and excerpts, let us know what you got going on!

Hope to see everyone there!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October Reader Appreciation Day


Hey, everyone! It's almost time for Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot, the Yahoo Group run by Sloan ParkerJambrea Jo Jones, and me! We hold it on the first Saturday of every month, and here's the official announcement for October. The list of prizes will be posted this Friday.



SloanJambrea, and I are thrilled to announce M/M Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot. This is one day every month for authors of M/M romance to say thanks to all you readers out there who support our writing efforts.

Readers, stop by the Yahoo Group  to chat with authors and enter for a chance to win free books and other prizes from a variety of m/m authors.

Reader Appreciation Day will be held on Saturday, October 6th. On that day, we'll post a full list of all prizes available in the group. Just respond to the giveaway thread on the Yahoo Group between 8am and 8pm EST to be included in the drawing.

Authors, if you're interested in participating in the giveaway, send an email to: thesweetspotmm@gmail.com, or shoot me, Sloan, or Jambrea an email directly. You can also message us on Facebook and Twitter.

Please include what you'd like to donate for the October giveaway, a link, and a cover art pic. In the future, we'll include you in our monthly announcement for a chance to donate. You can participate as little or as often as you'd like. During the Reader Appreciation Day event, everyone who donated a prize is welcomed to post to the group with a blurbs and excerpts of their work. Other than books, gift certificates and other prizes are also welcomed!

Hope to see you all there!

Monday, October 1, 2012

GLBT Madness Giveaway Winner!

Hey, ladies and gentlemen! First, I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to visit for the giveaway. It was wonderful to see so many folks stopping by. I greatly appreciate the interest you've all shown in my work, and for those who have read my books, I can't thank you enough for that and for the sweet words you've said about them. It's makes me thrilled beyond words to know you've gotten enjoyment from my books :-D

As always with giveaways, picking a winner is the hardest part for me. I use Random.org to select the winner , since the computer has no feelings, whereas I wish I could give everyone a free book. And this time, the computer selected the winner to be...

Urb!

Congratulations! I'll be getting in touch with you soon!

And for those who didn't win, please don't feel bad. I'll be holding more contests soon! October is a special month for me. Not only was I born in this lovely month, but also my very first novel, CONQUEST, was published in October. On my birthday, the 21st, no less! So, I'll be holding a birthday/anniversary giveaway around that time. Following immediately after, I'll also be taking part in a Halloween Blog Hop. Gotta admit, I LOVE Halloween :-) So do be sure to check back here often throughout October for more fun contests!

Thank you again to everyone who stopped by for the giveaway!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

GLBT Madness Blog Hop Giveaway

Hey there, ladies and gentlemen! I'm taking part in the very fun GLBT Madness Blog Hop, hosted by The Romance Reviews (TRR). I'm excited to be in on the fun, and for my prize, I'm offering up winner's choice of a free title from my backlist, in ebook. To be entered for a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. The hop runs from September 27th until the September 30th, and I'll be announcing my winner on October 1st, that way it gives everyone in all different time zones a chance to enter.

Those of us who are taking part in this hop are showcasing one GLBT title that we love. Not an easy task! As an author of gay erotic romance, I've read so many titles in the genre, I didn't know where to begin. There are so many beautifully talented authors who write GLBT stories, and the list of authors whose talent and books I admire goes on and on. So I had to really sit down and think of all the books I've read, which has impacted me the most. The answer came in the very first book I ever read which featured a homosexual character, Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey.



I first read this book and the trilogy that it's part of...do I dare say it?...nearly twenty years ago. And wow, now I feel old! Yet despite all the time that's passed, the books have stayed with me. The trilogy is called The Last Herald Mage, and the three books, in order, are; Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price.
                                                                                         


I was young when I first came across these books, about thirteen, but I've since re-read them as an adult and they struck me in the same way. Same as when I was a young girl, I cried and cried reading the stories, and once again, the main character, Vanyel Ashkevron, grabbed my heart with just as much force, if not more, because as an adult, I was able to fully understand him and empathize with him.

The books aren't light, fluffy reads. They're fantasy, not romance, so Happily Ever After isn't a requirement for the characters. Vanyel faces constant challenges, hardships, tragedies, and heartbreak. The series starts out with him as a young man, only just discovering his sexuality, and soon, the incredible power that exists within him. Throughout the series he grows, both in his power and in character. No matter the challenge or his personal pain, Vanyel continues to rise, fight for those in need, and make sacrifices for the greater good.

Back when these books were published (Magic's Pawn was published in 1983), gay characters in mainstream novels wasn't the most common thing. And when they were presented, so often it was in a negative light or as stereotypes, or they were secondary characters that got glossed over. And that's what makes the Last Herald Mage trilogy special. Mercedes Lackey pushed the boundaries of mainstream fiction at the time to present an openly gay hero who was layered, real, and flawed like any person, caring, brave, noble, honorable, and self-sacrificing. And for me, after being on Vanyel's journey with him through the three books, I was so emotionally invested in that him I've carried him in my heart for all these years. Now that's the mark of incredible story telling.

While the stories I write are different are different in themes - rock stars, vampires, samurai - I can say without doubt that Vanyel and the Last Herald Mage trilogy certainly influenced me as an author. So if you like fantasy and don't mind shedding a few tears, I very highly recommend the books.

And for other great books and authors, be sure to check out the other awesome blogs taking part in this hop! If you have an account at TRR and are logged in, all you have to do is click the button below to be taken to the next blog! You can also see all the participating blogs HERE.

I hope all who stop by my humble little blog enjoy it! And good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway!

                                                                                                                                                        The Romance Reviews GLBT Madness Hop