Cover Art & Blurb for LOVING INSTINCTS

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to unveil the cover and blurb for my upcoming release, LOVING INSTINCTS, Book 3 in the Instincts series. Woo hoo! This cover was made by the talented Lex Valentine of Winterheart Design, who some of you may recall I've mentioned here before. She's done the covers for all the Instincts series, HEARTSTRINGS, and BLACK HEART DOWN, and I'm thrilled to have another cover by her!

LOVING INSTINCTS is going to bring things back to Titus and Andreas from the first one, NATURAL INSTINCTS. As of right now, the book is in edits, but my editor and I are hoping to have it ready for a July/August release. No promises, though! It just depends on how quickly we move through edits, and it's a very long book, so I'm predicting editing to take a while.

When it does release, I hope very much that everyone will enjoy spending time with Titus and Andreas again!

BLURB:

From the moment Andreas Nikandros looked into the silver eyes of Titus Antonius Calidus, his life was destined to change. They’ve faced challenges and dangers together, but all those did was make his love for Titus grow and strengthen his resolve to spend eternity at the side of his vampire lover.

Titus has seen centuries come and go, losing more hope with each one of ever finding love again, until Andreas entered his life. He’s found his eternal partner in Andreas, and is ready to make him so in every sense.

As they follow their loving instincts, Andreas knows he’s going to have to make sacrifices, but he also knows what he’ll gain will be so much greater; Titus – forever. What he doesn’t foresee is Titus’s enemies becoming his own and how difficult simply surviving is when he becomes the hunted. 

Reader Appreciation Day, June 2nd!

Hey guys and girls! It's that time again, Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot, the Yahoo Group run by Sloan Parker, Jambrea Jo Jones, and...me! We hold it on the first Saturday of every month, and with June right around the corner, here's the official announcement.

Fellow author, Sloan, Jambrea, 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, every month 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, June 2nd. 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 June 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 welcome 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!

Free novella, "Of Honor and Love", now available!

Hey guys and gals!  Some of you may have heard me mention that I was writing a free novella for the  M/M Romance Group's Love is Always Write event. Well, that story, "Of Honor and Love", is now live on the group over at Goodreads! It just went up today! Woo hoo!

Just like with the Hot Summer Days event, pictures were posted by group members, along with a prompt, and then authors could pick from them to write a story. I fell in love with the image I picked the instant I saw it. The image was posted by none other than a fellow author, the wonderfully talented, Megan Derr. I was so excited when I won the pic and thank her for giving me the chance to write this story!

As soon as I knew I had this image and prompt...and actually a little before...I started writing the story because the characters, Jonathon Addison and Kazuhiro Takezaki, were coming through so strong. It takes place in 1867 Japan, and it's my first attempt at writing historical. I have to say it was challenging, invigorating, and an all around blast to write something so different than my norm! I really fell in love with the characters and the story.

If you'd like to read "Of Honor and Love", here's the link to it: http://www.goodreads.com/facebook/topic/880228-sj-frost-of-honor-and-love-5-24

You do have to be a member of the group to read it for now, but I'm actually planning on having a cover made for it and posting it for free on AllRomance Ebooks, as well. Providing I can figure out how to do that!

And here's the beautiful pic and prompt that inspired the story.

Prompt:

Dear Author,

I think this man is much more, or much less, than he seems. Who is he really, and who or what is he pretending to be? What sort of trouble will his secrets cause him? I’d be grateful if you could answer these questions for me.

Sincerely,

Megan

I also wrote a blurb for it.

Blurb:

Japan 1867…

Jonathon Addison wanted a night of companionship, to be in the arms of a man – any man – and no longer feel lonely. But he picked the wrong man, and events led him to make a twisted deal to save his own life. Now he’s in the mysterious and distant nation of Japan, where the death of another means freedom for himself.

Kazuhiro Takezaki is a lord and samurai living in a country strained and ready for rebellion. He agrees to meet with Jonathon Addison, a representative of a foreign arms dealer, in an act of keeping his enemy close. Only, Jonathon isn’t anything like he expected, and Kazuhiro can’t stop himself from being drawn toward the man’s exotic beauty.

As Jonathon and Kazuhiro’s passion takes hold, danger looms close, much of it in the secret Jonathon keeps.

And there you have it! I hope everyone who reads this story will enjoy it :D

Weekly Inspiration - Men in Kilts ...again

Hello, everyone! Look at me go with posting more Weekly Inspiration! Lately "weekly" has translated to "monthly", but here I am actually posting inspiration two weeks in a row. But both inspiration posts actually go hand in hand. The one from last week featured David Garrett, my favorite violinist who was wonderfully inspiring for my character, Las Lamont, in my new novel, HEARTSTRINGS. This week's post is all about kilts, because they play a very important role in HEARTSTRINGS, as well ;-)  A long time ago, I had another Weekly Inspiration post for kilts, which talks about a certain story that was only just then beginning to form in my mind (you can find it HERE). So in honor of my Scottish rock band, Lions Rampant, I thought it'd be good to post some more! Hope everyone enjoys looking at men in kilts as much as I do!

Hop Against Homophobia Winner

Before I announce the winner for my giveaway with the Hop Against Homophobia, I want to offer my deepest thanks and appreciation to everyone who stopped by here. Reading all your messages, hearing all the ways you offer support and acceptance, how you believe in love and equality, showed there are many beautiful and wonderful people in this world. There are still many battles to be fought, but with people like all of you standing on the side of love, I believe that in the end, equality will win. Thank you, each and every one of you, for the kindness and support you give.

And now, for the winner of my giveaway. I used the same method for picking my winner that I always do, creating a list and plugging it into Random.org. It's really the best way for me, because my emotions won't let me pick on my own, so I make the computer do the dirty work, then just do what it tells me. And this time around, the tech gods picked....

Carnell!  Congratulations!  I'll be emailing you soon.

Again, my appreciation goes out to everyone who came by here. And another thank you to Erica Pike, K-lee Klein, and NJ Nielsen for the effort and dedication in organizing this hop for such an important cause.

New Release: HEARTSTRINGS

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to announce my newest release, HEARTSTRINGS!  It just went live at MLR Press! And a day early, because MLR rocks! It's available in many formats, and will soon be available at many other book retailers and in print. Woo hoo! You can find it here: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJFHEART

This story is set in the Conquest "world", but features all new characters. It's been a long time since I've had a full novel-length book released, and even longer since it was one featuring musicians. I'm very excited for this one, and I hope, very much, that all who read HEARTSTRINGS will enjoy stepping into this world again and meeting some new faces.

And remember, the Hop Against Homophobia is still going on until May 20th. I have my giveaway post right below this one, but also, there are over 200 wonderful authors united together to show their support for acceptance and equality in this hop, so be sure to visit them, too.

BLURB:
When violinist, Nicholas “Las” Lamont” would make his treasured violin sing, he could transfer the emotion of every piece to his listeners. That was before his passion faded. As Las performs the last concert on his tour, he realizes his lackluster playing goes against everything he used to love about music and he has two choices; rediscover his love for music, or stop playing.

Quinn Patrick, the leader and drummer of the Scottish rock band, Lions Rampant, lives for music. The instant he and Las meet, Quinn sees in him a man with a beautiful gift, but who’s lost his way.  He wants nothing more than to bring back the sensitivity and passion that made Las the virtuoso he is.

The more time Las spends with Quinn, the more he learns about what it is to love music. But if he’s to truly find happiness, he must open his heart not only to music again, but to Quinn as well.

Hop Against Homophobia Giveaway

Hey, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for another blog hop, and I'm offering up an ebook copy of a title from my backlist, winner's choice. To be entered in the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Please do include in your comment an email address where I can reach you. If you'd prefer to not have your email address posted publicly, you can also email me your entry privately at s.j.frost3@gmail.com  The hop is running from May 17th - 20th, and I'll be announcing my winner on the 21st.

This blog hop is a little different from ones I've been part of in the past. It's for a very special cause; to raise awareness against homophobia. May 17th is International Day Against Homophobia, and this hop was organized as a way for members of the M/M writing community to join together in a demonstration of support against discrimination and to raise awareness. I'm very happy to be able to take part, and thank my fellow authors, Erica Pike, NJ Nielsen, and K-lee Klein, for organizing this. To learn more about the hop and participating authors, please go here: http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com/

As many who have followed me know, I write gay erotic romance because I'm a strong believer in love. That it's the inherent right of all individuals, and no one should be denied the happiness of being the person they're born to be, or to openly love another person. To deny individuals such basic rights, make them feel like second-class citizens, treat them with derision, tell them they need to change who they are, is a gross insult to humanity. All people are deserving of respect and kindness, and to be cherished for the unique individuals that they are. After all, as I've said many times before, it's the diversity in the world that makes it beautiful. It would be a terribly boring place if we were all the same.

I've witnessed homophobia far too often in my life. I've stood up for friends being put down for their sexuality. For myself, I had people walk out of my life for the path I'd chosen to take as an author of gay erotic romance. But I think people from your past aren't part of your present for a reason. 

I believe all life is precious and valuable. I believe in respect, kindness, diversity, and love. And I believe that every voice that speaks out against hate will strengthen the fight for equality, until all our voices are united in a chorus of acceptance that will drown out those who would subject others to discrimination.

And that is why days like International Day Against Homophobia exist and why so many of us are joined together in honor of it now.

I do sincerely thank and appreciate each and every one of you who are participating in the hop and for stopping by. Thank you!  Best of luck to all in the giveaway!

Weekly Inspiration - David Garrett

You know, every time I post some Weekly Inspiration, I tell myself I really need to get back on track of actually posting inspiration "weekly", and then, life happens. Such is the case since the last Weekly Inspiration post featuring the very handsome and thoughtful, Jerome Kutscher. And I call him thoughtful because after that post, he actually sent me an email saying thank you for featuring him here. How sweet is that? I say very!

Since then, I've been working hard working with my editor to get my next novel, HEARTSTRINGS, set for release...which is going to happen this week...on the 18th. Eep! I can officially have new book release jitters now!

With my work done on HEARTSTRINGS, I thought I'd take a moment to post on someone who's been an inspiration to me while working on this book, famed violinist, David Garrett. He's been a favorite musician of mine for some years. It's a dream for me to see him play live someday. That dream was actually almost realized on his last tour when he came to Chicago, but sadly, it wasn't meant to be as I had no one to take care of my child so I could go to the concert. Oh, the sacrifices of a mommy. So when my violinist, Las, came to me with a story, to help educate myself on the works and career of a solo violinist, of course I looked to David Garrett. 

In honor of HEARTSTRINGS upcoming release and my violinist, Las Lamont, I present for your inspiration some of my true inspiration, David Garrett. For more information on him, please visit his official website: http://www.david-garrett.com/  He can also be found on Facebook. Enjoy!

May 5th Reader Appreciation Day Prize List!

Hey, ladies and gentlemen! I just wanted to post a little reminder note that this Saturday, May 5th, is Reader Appreciate Day at The Sweet Spot. Woo hoo! We've got a great list of generous and talented authors donating prizes as their way of saying Thank You to you, the reader! Want to know what you'll have a chance to win if you swing by and post to our giveaway thread? Here you go!

Erica Pike - ebook copy of College Fun and Gaysseries - winner's choice
Lori Toland - ebook copy of The Long Con
Michael Mandrake - ebook copy of Vertigo
Belinda McBride - ebook copy of Blacque/Bleu
JM Cartwright - ebook copy of A Change of Pace
Kendall McKenna - $15 gift card to Silver Publishing
Kendall McKenna - ebook copy of Brothers in Arms
Kaje Harper - Winner's choice of ebook from her backlist
Jambrea Jo Jones - Winner's choice of ebook from her backlist
Sue Holston - In the Name of the Law
H.L. Holston - Coffee, Tea, and the Mile High Club
Lex Valentine - ebook copy of Afterburner
Lex Valentine - ebook copy of Kissing Joan Collins
Allison Cassatta - ebook copy of Dear Diary and Pride (combo)
P.D. Singer - ebook copy of The Rare Event
Ellis Carrington - ebook copy of Immortal Valentine
TN Tarrant - ebook copy of The Absentminded Astrophysicist
Sloan Parker - ebook copy of Take Me Home
Sloan Parker - $15 in Ebook Bucks from AllRomance Ebooks
Me! S.J. Frost - Winner's choice of ebook from my backlist
Me again! S.J. Frost - $15 in Ebook Bucks from AllRomance Ebooks

All authors who donated a prize have been invited to hang out at the group to chat and post excerpts! So if you're a reader, be sure to stop by, say hi, and comment on the giveaway thread for a chance to win one of these awesome prizes! The giveaway thread will be posted throughout the day from 8:00am EST - 8:00pm EST.

My gratitude goes out to these wonderful authors for their generosity and for thanking those who take the time to step into our worlds as they read our works. I hope to see many folks at The Sweet Spot tomorrow for Reader Appreciation Day!

Reader Appreciation Day coming May 5th!

Hey guys and girls! As some of you may recall, last month the lovely Sloan Parker and I held our very first Reader Appreciation Day at our Yahoo Group, The Sweet Spot. It was a HUGE success. So now, with the first Saturday of May fast approaching, we're gearing up for another good time! Here's the official announcement:

Fellow author, Sloan Parker, 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, every month 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, May 5th. On that day, we'll post a full list of all prizes available. 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 s.j.frost3@gmail.com and sloanparker.author@gmail.com with what you'd like to donate for the May giveaway. 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 in the giveaway is welcome 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!