Thursday, February 28, 2013

Huge Giveaway at The Romance Reviews!

Hello ladies and gentlemen! I wanted to pass on some fun stuff going on over at The Romance Reviews. Starting on March 1st and running through March 31st, there's going to be a huge giveaway going on with over 400 prizes being offered up. More than 400! Certainly books are among the prizes, but also, the grand prize is a $100 gift card. If you'd like to see the full list of participating authors, CLICK HERE.

They're going to post questions each day on different books with multiple choice answers and links to clues for the answer. I'm going to be participating in the Question & Answer, and my question will go live on the event page March 6th. It'll be up until 11:59 pm EST, so make sure you get over there on the 6th to see if you know the answer! TRR will pick the winner, and for my prize, I'm donating winner's choice of a title from my backlist in ebook.

Good luck to everyone who stops by there!



Friday, February 22, 2013

Sneak Peek Excerpt: ADAPTING INSTINCTS

Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Just last weekend was Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot, and what a blast it was! With all the excerpts being posted and my TBR growing by leaps and bounds, I decided to post a little peek at my next release, ADAPTING INSTINCTS, Book 4 in my Instincts series. Since I shared it there, I thought it was only fair to share it here, too :-)

I picked this excerpt from Chapter 1 because I thought it gave a nice little re-introduction to Carl, Egill, and the rest of my vampire crew. Hope everyone enjoys it, and will enjoy the full story when it releases on March 15th at MLR Press!



Blurb:

A single soft kiss, just a gentle brush of lips…but was it meant as a beginning, or a good-bye?

Every day, Carl Anderson wondered if the man…the vampire…who gave him that kiss would appear in his life again. In that time, he’s worked to come to terms with the existence of vampires, and the dangers they and their enemies pose. Always looking over his shoulder for a vampire or hunter stalking behind him, Carl wishes he could feel safe again, like he did when Egill was at his side.

As a Viking warrior and member of vampire society’s ruling body, the Tribunal, Egill Dalgaard is used to being in control of all things. But months ago, he did something that started to unravel his orderly life. He gave a kiss to a man who he was drawn to, and now, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about. He has his reasons for keeping his distance, but when he sees Carl again, all logical thoughts begin to fade.

When Carl’s actions inadvertently put Egill’s immortal life in danger, Carl must decide which path to take; whether to walk deeper into vampire society, or turn his back on the only man who’s ever made him feel secure.

Excerpt:
Carl stopped outside the habitat for the spider monkeys. He released the cart’s handles to place his hands on his hips, fixing Davy with a disapproving look. “Really? Is that necessary?”

Davy quit banging the bowl on the mesh and stared up at him with intelligent black eyes.

Carl swore the monkey was trying to play innocent. A smile broke over his lips despite trying to stay stern. It was all Davy needed. The monkey scurried up the mesh to be at eye level with him, reaching through with his left hand, the one missing the index finger.

Carl held a finger toward him, and Davy wrapped his others around it. The warm, soft leathery feel of Davy’s palm made him grateful he’d been able to save the monkey’s hand. When Davy and the others came to the zoo, starved and sick from the poor care they’d received in a backyard zoo—or deathtrap, as he called it—Davy’s hand was so infected from a baboon biting his finger off, he didn’t know if he’d be able to save it. But he had, and after months of diligent care, Davy and his brothers were healthy and sassy.

Carl patted Davy’s hand with his other. “All right. Now that you’re behaving, I’ll get you your dinner.”

He reached in the cart, picking up half a mango. He handed it to Davy, who stuffed it in his mouth and bounded away.

Carl stretched to collect more food, pausing as a chill came over him. His sixth sense tingled with the sensation of being watched. He froze, thinking it was his mind playing tricks, like it so often did these days. Unable to resist the urge, he started turning to see behind him.

Strong arms clamped around him. A hard body pressed against him from behind. Panic held him in place, his throat too tight to breathe, let alone call out.

Warm breath washed over his ear as a deep voice whispered, “I vant to suck your blood.”

All panic fled before a rush of excitement and happiness. Not even the horrible fake Romanian accent could disguise that voice. He jabbed an elbow back, planting it into the ribs of his “attacker.” A hard grunt followed and the arms holding him dropped away.

Carl spun around to a laughing Andreas.

Andreas rubbed his side. “Well I see how much you missed me.”

Carl flung his arms around him in a crushing hug. “When did you get back?”

Andreas hugged him tight. “This morning. Now that we’re settled in our new house, we wanted to come back and collect a few things from here. You know we kind of left in a hurry.”

Carl nodded, still not loosening his hold on Andreas.

“And,” Andreas continued, “I wanted to give you a kick in the ass to get you moving faster so you can join me at the sanctuary.”

Carl laughed and leaned back from him. “You might not have to kick too hard. I was thinking I’d be on a plane at the end of the month.”

“That’s great!”

“Yeah, I…” Carl’s voice stopped, his gaze moving over Andreas.

Andreas still looked very much like himself, but even more attractive, and he hadn’t thought that was possible. There was a healthy glow to his olive-tinted skin, his blue-gray eyes seemed even richer in color. His curly, ebony hair shone in the fading sunlight, and it hit him how much harder Andreas’s body had felt against him, as if he’d gained extra muscle. Andreas didn’t look much more bulked up, but he could tell there was definitely a difference in him.

Carl took a step back to get a better look at him. “Damn. Look at you. You look incredible.”

Andreas flashed a glowing smile. “Yeah, it’s amazing how good lots of rest, sex, good food, sex, the blood of an Ancient vampire, and sex are for you.” He glanced over his shoulder.

Carl followed where Andreas was looking and met the silver gaze of Titus Antonius Calidus, Andreas’s boyfriend. Or eternal partner, as Andreas called Titus now. His white-gold hair captured the sunlight, and Carl swore the very air around Titus hummed with confidence and strength.

Next to Titus stood the beautiful Daniel Valente, who he’d lusted over terribly after first meeting him. With Daniel’s shoulder length black hair, dark brown eyes, and delicate features, he thought that lust was very well placed. Daniel had never given him much more than the time of day, and now was on the arm of Ryunosuke Kimura, the rock star looking samurai vampire whose beauty made him feel totally inadequate for even fantasizing about Daniel.

But at that moment, none of those past emotions touched him, because standing behind everyone, a head taller than Titus – who was the tallest in the group – was the man he’d wanted to see and speak to for months.

A smirk on his lips, Andreas leaned toward Carl. “Egill’s here with us, by the way.”

His gaze still locked with Egill’s, Carl said, “I see that.”

Egill lifted his hand in a wave, his mouth opening to speak, only to have his words blocked by a cultured English accented voice.

“Monkey Boy!” Daniel blurted out. “How lovely to see you. You look…well, honestly, you look like shit.”

Titus shot a glare at Daniel. “He looks fine.”

Daniel flipped a hand toward Carl. “You can’t be serious. Look at how pasty and thin he is.” He looked back to Carl. “And really, darling, those circles under your eyes. You should invest in some cream, or at the very least, a cucumber.”

Ryunosuke nodded at Titus. “Daniel’s right. He looks like shit.” His gaze moved to Carl. “Guilt will do that to a person.”

Carl’s joy deflated under Ryunosuke’s accusing tone. He felt like tucking himself behind Andreas and hiding. It seemed while the others had forgiven him for his role in Andreas’s kidnapping, Ryunosuke hadn’t. And really, Ryu had every right to hold a grudge. What he’d done was wrong, even if at the time he didn’t know what else to do.

Egill knocked Ryunosuke on the arm with the back of his hand. “Give it a rest. It’s been months and the man did what he had to. We’ve all been there at one time or another. And you,” he patted Daniel on the back, “not everyone primps like a peacock.”

Daniel folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not saying he should primp. Just do a little something with himself so he doesn’t look so much like his charges here, because I’m not sure if that’s food or monkey poo in his hair, but either way, it doesn’t belong.”

Andreas reached toward Carl’s head, plucking a small piece of papaya from his hair. “It’s just a piece of fruit.” He grinned at Carl as he spoke to Daniel. “Sometimes his little simian friends get carried away at mealtimes.”

Boosted from Andreas’s smile, Carl managed a grin himself. “Hey, it’s better than getting blood all over you from handling raw meat. But I guess you like that now.”

“I can’t deny it. But not animal blood.”

Carl saw the loving and lustful look Andreas aimed at Titus. He couldn’t stop his own gaze from going to Egill, and saw that Egill’s was already on him.

Egill stepped forward and offered his hand to him. “It’s good to see you again. I hope you’ve been well.”

Carl placed his hand in Egill’s, only to have Egill cover it with his other so it was held in both. Egill’s hands, so warm and large, the palms a little rough as if he worked with them. He wondered what Egill could do to make them so.

On Egill’s left index finger, he noticed a large gold ring, the band thick with runes etched into the side. The top of the ring was flat and round, and atop it was a beautifully carved image of a bear in profile. Carl knew it must be Egill’s signet ring, and couldn’t help but think how fitting the bear image was for him.

Carl looked up from the ring to Egill’s eyes. “It’s good to see you, too. I’ve been…okay. How about you?”

“I—”

The moment broke as the clanging resumed.

Carl snapped his head to the side, glaring at Davy. “Shh, Davy, no.”

All his words got him were a few high screeches.

He looked back to Egill with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry. I better feed these guys real quick.”

Daniel interrupted. “Yes, please do, so we can leave. I can’t take the smell much longer. I feel like it’s attaching to me.”

Ryunosuke slid his arms around Daniel’s waist, burying his nose in Daniel’s neck. “Don’t worry. You still smell like lavender and lust.”

Out the corner of his eye, Carl saw Daniel showing his appreciation to Ryunosuke for his words by delivering a passionate kiss to him. Once again, as if operating on their own, his eyes turned to Egill. At the same moment, Egill looked away from them to him. He glanced to the cart, his back to Egill, and allowed himself a smile. Not that he could’ve stopped it from the giddy rush going through him.

Friday, February 15, 2013

February Reader Appreciation Day - Prize List!




All right, ladies and gentlemen! Here it is! This is the amazing prize list for Reader Appreciation Day, which will be held this Saturday, February 16th, at The Sweet Spot, which is the Yahoo group run by Sloan Parker, Jambrea Jo Jones, and me! This fantastic collection of prizes has been donated by these talented authors as their way of saying "thank you" to all you wonderful readers out there. And what a prize list it is! To learn more about the author or book, just click their name.




AJ Kelton - ebook copy of UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN SKY

JP Bowie - ebook copy of HIGHLANDER IN LA

JP Bowie - ebook copy of HIGHLANDER IN LA (second copy)

Zoe Lynne - ebook copy of LOVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT (Young Adult)

Lex Valentine - ebook copy of BROKEN BONDS

Kendall McKenna - ebook copy of winner's choice for BROTHERS IN ARMS or STRENGTH OF THE PACK

Kendall McKenna - choice of swag: a set of Noah's and Lucas' dog tags OR a generic swag pack

Willa Okati - ebook copy of OPEN COVER BEFORE STRIKING

Cherie Noel - ebook copy of WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Lisabet Sarai - Lisabet Sarai: autographed print copy of GAYMES, including Lisabet's story "Crossed Hearts", as well as M/M tales by Carol Lynne, Kim Dare, Jenna Byrnes & Jude Mason, Devon Rhodes, and Gwendolyn Cease

Tara Lain - ebook copy of HEARTS AND FLOUR

L.M. Brown - ebook copy of SKIN DEEP

Diana Castilleja - ebook copy of MARK'S COURAGE

Missy Martine - ebook copy of MEREDITH'S PRIDE 

Karenna Colcroft - ebook copy of CHANCE MET

Sloan Parker - $15 in eBook Bucks to AllRomance eBooks

Jambrea Jo Jones - Winner's choice from her backlist

S.J. Frost (me!) - Winner's choice from my backlist



Readers, now that you see this incredible prize list and the generosity of these amazing authors, you've got to stop by! This is going to be an incredible Reader Appreciation Day! And authors, you know you're welcomed to hang out, share excerpts, chat, and get everyone updated on your latest news! To the authors who have donated a prize for RAD, Sloan, Jambrea, and I thank you so very, very much. We greatly appreciate it and I know the readers do, too!

As usual, the prize list will be posted throughout the day at The Sweet Spot Yahoo group, starting at 8:00 am EST. Reader Appreciation Day wraps up about 8:00 pm EST, with the winners announced shortly thereafter. Authors who have donated a prize will be contacted at about the same time with their winner so they can send their prize personally. To enter in the giveaway, just reply to any of the giveaway threads on the group. The Yahoo group is open to all M/M authors to post excerpts of their work on Reader Appreciation Day.

And there you go, ladies and gentlemen! Tons of great prizes and good times planned! Hope to see everyone tomorrow at The Sweet Spot!

 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

February 16th Reader Appreciation Day!

Hello, everyone! Over at The Sweet Spot, we're getting ready for another Reader Appreciation Day, and this is an exciting one since this is our first combined with our Open Excerpt Day! I posted a while back about that change and other fun changes, and you can see that post HERE, or just scroll down to the post before this one :-) But what it basically means is that in addition to holding our giveaway for RAD, now all M/M authors are welcomed to post excerpts of their work on the Yahoo group.

With the next Reader Appreciation Day right around the corner on February 16th, here's the official announcement about it!

                                                     *              *            *


It's almost time for Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot, the Yahoo Group run by Sloan ParkerJambrea Jo Jones, and me! This fun event on the third Saturday of every month. The list of prizes donated by many talented and generous authors 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.

This month's Reader Appreciation Day will be held on Saturday, February 16th. On that day, we'll post a giveaway thread throughout the day featuring a full list of all prizes available in the group. Just respond to one of the giveaway threads on the Yahoo Group between 8am and 8pm EST to be included in the drawing.

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.

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 February giveaway, a link, and a cover art pic. Other than books, gift certificates, swag, and other prizes are also welcomed! 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, authors are welcomed to post to blurbs and excerpts of their work, and of course, share any other fun news you've got going on!

Hope to see you all at The Sweet Spot!



Sunday, February 3, 2013

Changes to Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot

As many who stop by here know, Sloan Parker, Jambrea Jo Jones, and I run a Yahoo group called The Sweet Spot. It's a fun little group, open to all who'd like to join. Authors and readers are welcomed there to talk about books and any other kind of news they've got going on. Once a month, we hold a special event called Reader Appreciation Day. This little event has really grown over the months, with many talented and generous authors donating to the monthly giveaway as a way to say "thank you" to all the readers out there for the support you give us and the gay romance genre.

After some chatting, Sloan, Jambrea, and I decided to make a few tweaks to Reader Appreciation Day. Since it started, we had it that only those authors who donated a book were able to post excerpts and promote their work, and RAD (Reader Appreciation Day) was always held on the first Saturday of every month. On the third Saturday of the month, we'd hold an Open Excerpt Day where everyone was able to post excerpts of their work. But now, we're combining the two!

From now on, Reader Appreciation Day will be held on the THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH at The Sweet Spot and will be open to ALL authors of M/M Romance who'd like to share excerpts of their work. So that means the next one will be February 16th! We'll still hold our big giveaway and will be looking for authors who want to donate a book, some swag, gift cards, whatever you like, and we'll be putting out that official call and announcement for February's RAD soon. I just wanted to give everyone a head's up a little early that Reader Appreciation Day is now the third Saturday of every month, and is a giveaway AND open excerpt day! Yay!

Hope to see everyone at The Sweet Spot!