Release Day!! Finding Home

Hey all!

I'm actually a day late /o\ blame it on summer vacay, ants, a house in dire need of repair, and a hubs that has just started a six week (not all in one go) round of travel.

ANYWAY! First Timers is out from Torquere! WOO HOOOOO It includes my little story, Finding Home. CHECK IT OUT!

Blurb:

Brian and Duncan are werewolf shifters who have lived their lives on the road, never settling down in any one place. They’ve been invited to celebrate Beltane with René LeClaire, the Alpha gator shifter they ran afoul of last year when they camped on his land without permission. After accepting the invitation and having lunch with both René and his second Lexa, they follow them out to join René’s pack in the Bayou for what can only be described as a Bacchanalia, complete with food, wine, naked dancing around a Maypole, and of course sex. Because a Beltane celebration wouldn’t be complete without it. Before the night is over Duncan and Brian find themselves in their first ever threesome with René and with an invitation to stay and make the Bayou their home.

Buy Link for Finding Home: At Torquere

Amazon and ARE to come later.

Blurb for First Timers Anthology:

First Timers brings you a collection of eleven stories about first experiences. From sweet and innocent to smoking hot, these stories capture the exhilarating feeling that something wonderful is about to happen.

Humor and passion blend in Rob Rosen’s “Come Hell or High Water,” Gacy Grant treats us to a heartwarming first in “The Pickup,” long-time friends become lovers in “The King’s Guard” by Evelyn Burkhardt and “One Sneeze, a Wish, Two Sneezes, a Kiss” by Jacey Mills, and revelations abound first time away from home in Andrea Dalling’s “What a Man Wants” and Helena Maeve’s “Initiation.” “Sample and Hold” by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese, Megan McFerren’s “Just Like That,” and Val Prozorova’s “Guitar Lesson” explore the intensity of a first coming out, first time, first kiss, while love can be found where you least expect it in “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by McKay and “Finding Home” by Katherine Halle.

Whether contemporary or fantastical, past or present, a sweet kiss on a riverbank or reveling in the Bayou, these stories are all uplifting, fun, and did we mention hot?

Buy Links:

At Torquere

At ARE

Amazon Coming Soon.

Cover Art:




Also, if you get the chance, take a look at my friend LJ Hamlin's Pale Light, her first M/M/M and it's SHIFTERS. You can find more out here: At Torquere

AND as a bonus for those of you that read this far, you can get 35% off using the code BTS2015 during checkout! GO SAVE MONEY AND BUY BOOKS!

That's all for now.

<3333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Hi!

Long time no see! We are mostly settled in, meaning, we are unpacked and have most of the stuff put away and pictures up on the walls. The hubs still has to finish 'his' wall, and the 'library' still needs things on the walls (but those have yet to be framed so....)

As some of you know, the renters & rental management company were NOT kind to our house and we have a LOT Of repairs to do. Which would be fine if they had come one at a time over the last five years? But yeah, no, so, I'm job hunting which is taking the majority of my time so my writing & editing has taken a SEVERE backseat. I'm still doing it, but yeah, I need to find a job that will be a steady paycheck so...sacrifices have been made. I do have a short story coming out this month, the 17th, I believe. More about that later this week, maybe?

I can't really tell you what I'm going to work on, because I haven't exactly figured out which story/stories to prioritize when I do, I'll let you know.

That all said, Congrats go out to my fellow author Lillian Francis who is self-publishing a novel that was originally published elsewhere, it has a GORGEOUS new cover, she's doing a blog tour and everything!!! I'm copying her info below, go check it out.

Have a great Monday and I'll hopefully see you later on in the week!

<333
Katherine

TITLE: Lovers Entwined

AUTHOR: Lillian Francis

PUBLISHER: Finally Love Press

COVER ARTIST: Meredith Russell

LENGTH: 98,950 words

RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2015

BLURB: Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.

Purchase links for Lovers Entwined. 

Amazon US 
Amazon UK 
ARe 

The price will be going back up to $3.99 at some point today it just depends on how quick each of the particular sites are, at the moment they all still stand at $2.99.

Quickie Update

Hi all,

Just wanted to check in and let you know I'm still alive!

We are moved in, mostly settled, still have some work to do, still getting used to the new/old place. My kitchen is smaller so there's that :( And after five years of renters our townhouse is in desperate need of some TLC which we can't really do right now (too much all at once) so we'll have to take one thing at a time. Including me getting a job O__O - prayers, well wishes, whatnot for that would be appreciated.

I do have another short story/anthology coming out in August with Torquere. It's the First Timer's Anthology and my story is called Finding Home - my first time writing a M/M/M story O__O. Also, it's shifters :D

I really need to update my what I'm reading list because there's a lot, but that'll be for another week.

Hope all is well.

<333
Katherine

Release Day! Life Happens!

It's here! It totally snuck up on me and I apologize for that. I didn't even have time to organize a mini-blog tour OR a giveaway :((( I apologize for that as well because I LOVE this story, it's fluffy and happy and all things good. And I am in FANTASTIC company in this anthology!

Without further ado - I give you - the Family Time Anthology out from Torquere today. You can also purchase my story Life Happens separately.

Here's the blurb:

Dominic Antonelli and his boyfriend Kit Thomas have been together for over four years, and Dominic thinks it's time to make things official. He plans for an elaborate proposal, including a quiet dinner for two and a romantic evening at Kit's favorite place, the local aquarium. When the weather refuses to cooperate and his car breaks down, Dominic knows the night can't get any worse. That is, until his fourteen-year-old daughter, supposedly at a friend's house to study, calls distraught and drunk.

With his night in shambles, Dominic considers throwing in the towel. After all that has happened, surely Kit wouldn't want to tie himself to their messy little family unit. But caught up in his grand plan, Dominic has forgotten there is more to being a family than a piece of paper and a circle of gold.

Here is the ADORABLE cover:


And here is a special release day Excerpt for all of you <3333
The timer dinged startling Dominic out of his thoughts. He plated the paella and went back out to the dining room to join Kyla and Kit. Kyla had her head down but Dominic could see the red hue to her skin. Concerned, he glanced at Kit who winked at him and something inside him settled.

"So." He looked at Kyla, who turned her brown eyes to his. "Tell us about school."

"Dad," she said, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "School was fine. Same old same old. You should ask Kit about his day." Her eyes lit up in excitement. "He said someone came in with an axe in his chest! He said they had to take about five different x-rays because he just couldn't see how the guy was still alive. It was the most amazing thing, right, Kit?" She turned, giving Kit her brightest smile.

Kit laughed, the rich sound filling the room and Dominic catalogued every aspect about the man in front of him. His light brown colored skin, dark brown eyes, bright white teeth spreading into a wide smile that showed the dimples in his cheeks. The cream-colored Henley he wore clung to his chest and biceps leaving little to the imagination.

"Ahem," Kit cleared his throat, quirking an eyebrow at Dominic.

"Gross," Kyla said, rolling her eyes. "Dad, do you have to drool over Kit at the table? Come on, yuck." She grimaced but then ruined the effect when she obviously couldn't help cracking a smile at their affection for each other.

"Hmm, I don't know." Dominic set his fork down and waggled his eyes at Kit. "I could go drool ON him. Would that be better?"

Kyla mimed gagging and pushed her empty plate away. She slumped in her chair and rubbed her belly. "Ugh, Dad, don't make me sick. That paella was yummo and I would hate to lose it." She shot him a steely eyed glare.

Laughing, Dominic held his hands up in surrender. "Okay. You win. Take your plate into the kitchen and go finish your homework. And don't--" He pointed at her. "Don't tell me you already did because I know you have a paper due at the end of the week and a math test on Monday. I expect to see a rough draft before you go to bed and hear that you spent at least thirty minutes studying your math. Or no phone."



And all the obligatory buy links:

Torquere Full Anthology

Torquere Life Happens

Amazon Full Anthology

Amazon Life Happens

ARE Full Anthology


So, go buy some fluff! And have a great rest of your week.

<3333
Katherine

Surprise Saturday

SURPRISE! I'm here on a Saturday. Need to catch all of you up on a few things!

First, move is going and stressful. One more week until packout /o\ (hence my lack of presence here, trying to get things squared away here and at our destination so the move goes smoothly)

Second, Fixing the Hole is now available on AUDIO!! How cool is that?? A few weeks ago Dreamspinner contacted me about auditions, I listened to them, chose my favorite, and now it's OUT! And it's AMAZING!!! You can find it here: Fixing the Hole

Third: Just signed a contract with Torquere for Finding Home, it will be part of their First Timers Anthology and also sold on its own (I believe, more on that later). It's a sequel of sorts to the free read included in Please Don't Feed The Alligators which came out a year or so ago. Let me tease you with - not only is it the characters' first time threesome - it's my first time writing one! More to come :D

Fourth: I have a RELEASE NEXT WEEK! How did this happen? How did it sneak up on my like that? No blog tour, no fanfare, just little ole' me trying to get the word out. *sigh* It's called Life Happens and it's part of the Family Time Anthology from Torquere that comes out on the 17th!

Here's a quick blurb:

After a night of mishaps, Dominic Antonelli doubts his boyfriend Kit Thomas would want to tie himself to their messy family. But Dominic has forgotten there is more to being a family than a piece of paper and a circle of gold.

Just a fun little romp about how life often throws a wrench into the best laid plans. It's definitely more on the sweet side (with all the stress in RL rn it had to be). I hope you give it a shot. There's some great stories in the anthology and look at the cover!



And that's all from me for now! Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll be around next week doing some promo!

<333
Katherine

What I'm Reading Wednesday

EPIC FAIL /o\ It has been OVER A MONTH AGAIN *sigh*. I honestly intended to post last week but RL got the better of me. With baseball coming to a close, school coming to a close, and a move looming ever closer, not to mention deadlines /o\, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off /o\

Okay, it's not REALLY that bad. This is not our first rodeo *coughmovecough* and it WILL be our shortest move, but still stressful. And you're not here to read abt my complaints so ON WITH THE BOOKS!

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts M/F - the final installment in The Gallagher Brothers Trilogy. I enjoyed this a great deal, mostly because the heroine was definitely NOT your typical "swoon and fall at the feet of the hero" type woman. She was strong-willed (almost to the point of me wanting to slap her AND him upside the head) and independent. Believe me, I was almost finished and had NO idea how this was gonna end up HEA, but ...SPOILERS :D

What Wendy Wants by Nikki Sex M/F - Author's name aside, I LOVED the premise of this book. Husband finds out wife's secret fantasies when he accidentally takes her Kindle to work instead of his and then proceeds to make them come true. I mean, COME ON, who WOULDN'T want this to happen? IN the end they had some massively hot sex and it strengthened their marriage - because COMMUNICATION!!!

Once In A Blue Moon by Delilah Devlin M/F - This is the first in a series I think? The Beux something Coven series. It's about a coven of witches that are in hiding because if found demons can enslave them. The leader falls for a local construction worker who turns out to be a troll (the lowest on the supernatural food chain) her coven and his 'group' must band together to save the witches from the demon they escaped from years ago. Being a Charmed fan, I LOVED this book and I'm planning on buying the next book in the series. The sex happened fast and was a little rushed, but I still enjoyed the chemistry and the plot.

Kink by Nikki Sex M/F - This was actually mentioned in the previous Nikki Sex book so I thought I would give it a shot. This was almost a DNF for me, but I pushed through. I had some issues with the consent in this book. And also some of the BDSM is definitely not to my taste, but mostly for me it seems the consent, although given freely, seemed IDK...not necessarily forced but it just made me uncomfortable. I bought a third book by her, it will probably be a long while before I attempt to read it, if ever :(((

Cupcakes by Sean Michael M/M - Cute, short novella. Chef owns a cupcake shop and falls for a customer, cupcake shop gets swindled out from under him >:( (that really made me angry tbh) but I still enjoyed the book. It was a quick fun read and ended satisfactorily :D

Cut and Run Series by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux M/M - I'm not going to go through ALL the books here outside of listing them - or at least the ones I've read so far...nope I didn't finish it yet...I needed a breather before tackling the end of the series /o\ as Button calls it, a palate cleanser before the final course :D

Cut and Run, Sticks and Stones, Fish & Chips, Divide and Conquer, Armed and Dangerous, Stars & Stripes (and I also read a few of the oneshots Abigail has on her Tumblr). I had forgotten JUST HOW GOOD THIS SERIES WAS. I was immediately sucked back in. I LOVED that Ty and Zane started out hating each other, I always find that is such an interesting dynamic, how such a volatile relationship can be volatile in the completely opposite direction. They are both such interesting characters, Ty with his Force Recon background along with PTSD and secrets galore and Zane with his dead wife, guilt, and addictions. Neither of these men are perfect and they don't pretend to be and yet somehow they are perfect together. I love that theirs is a SLOW BURN and that the relationship is realistic and they aren't spouting "I love yous' immediately. It makes it so much more believable. I'm almost ready to go back and finish the series off :((((

I needed some light-hearted stuff after that run...

A Piece of Cake by TM Franklin M/F - really cute novella about a matchmaker who refuses to use her talents to match people and instead uses a computer. But her talents cannot be denied when they recognize her own match. I loved the touch of supernatural and just the hint of Gypsy touch to this pairing. I plan on reading more of TM's work in the future.

Laying Down the Law by Delilah Devlin M/F - Woman flees her cop boyfriend when it's clear he's framing her for the bank robberies he's been committing and runs right to her ex, the man she hasn't seen in 16 years and is now the Sheriff of her hometown. There's a hint of D/s to their sexual relationship and the first time it happens it's a little shocking but overall, it made their sex SPICY and definitely added another layer to why she ends up trusting him with saving her life. I enjoyed it and will probably read more in this series in the future.

Sea Change by Darlene Marshall M/F - I don't normally read historical fiction, but apparently I've found my niche? This is the second Woman disguises herself as a male physician on a ship book that I've read. I REALLY enjoyed this one. Although several people found out throughout the book, her identity is kept a secret from the male lead for almost 2/3 to 3/4 of the book. Which enabled some interesting sexual tension and some rather funny situations. I love the social implications of her trying to do a man's job as a woman, and how it's important to her that the crew accept her even after her identity is revealed. This is one I'll probably read again. And if you have any more like this? Send them my way.

Next up - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - M/F? - Yes, I know this became a movie and apparently the movie sucked, but given how much I enjoyed the Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine (and she and Richelle seem to be Twitter buddies) I thought I would give this one a try. It was made into a movie for a reason. I've read the first three books so far - Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, and I'm reading the fourth right now, Blood Promise.

The premise is that vampires are real and there are different kinds. The Moiroi who are actually alive and the Strigoi who are dead. The Moiroi blend in with humans and fear becoming a Strigoi - who are dead and without souls. The Moiroi are protected by Dhampirs (Half Moiroi Half Human) called Guardians. Vampire Academy is the story of Rose Hathaway, a guardian in training who has bonded with her best friend Lissa, a Moiroi. Rose is impulsive, reckless, and a complete and total BADASS. She ends up falling in love with her mentor, Dimitri, another guardian who is seven years older than her. Because of their society, their love is forbidden, because Dhampirs are destined to guard Moiroi and cannot have children together anyway. So, take living and dead vampires, half vampires that are either Blood Whores or Guardians, mix in politics (because ofc the vampires have royalty and a Queen that has a secret agenda) and Hogwarts style high school, throw in a little elemental control ability, the ability to heal and walk in dreams and super strength and speed, and mix it all up with a little star-crossed love...and yeah, there's so much to these books, way more than meets the eye. It's been an enjoyable read so far and I'm anxious and dreading finishing the series. (Although there is a spinoff series called Bloodlines that I will probably start at some point). Also, it's making me want to REREAD The Morganville Vampires - but that series is like 16 books long so....

But when I finish, I'm going back to Cut and Run and read the final adventures of Ty and Zane.

And THAT is What I'm Reading :D

<333
Katherine

Guest Authors: Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese on Midsummer

The May/December trope is one that Racheline and I keep coming back to. Sometimes, it happens almost accidentally; as cowriters, we are sixteen years apart in age, and having characters with a large age gap between them lets there be a character we each relate to. Sometimes, we do it more deliberately: We’re interested in how people navigate power dynamics within relationships, and how a couple navigates disparities in age, experience, and expectations.

In Midsummer, the May/December relationship between John and Michael is a little different than other age-difference stories we’ve written, because it is also a gay-for-you romance. Michael -- who is twenty-five -- has been out and proud since he was in high school. Forty-two-year-old John, on the other hand, has never found himself attracted to men until he falls in love and lust with Michael. He insists that his attraction for Michael isn’t some sort of mid-life crisis; although he totally gets why his friends accuse them of that.

As much as we enjoy writing May/December for the fun of watching a character teach another something awesome in bed, we also enjoy the negotiation and conflict that arise when two characters are so far apart in age. And in Midsummer, the gay-for-you dynamic interacts with the May/December dynamic in ways we really enjoy. On the one hand, John is seventeen years older than Michael, and has a great deal of experience with life, the world, and relationships. On the other hand, John is very new to being a part of the gay community, and has to learn how to navigate questions of his own outness.




Blurb:

John Lyonel, a long-time theater professional and teacher, heads to Virginia to play Oberon in the Theater in the Woods’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, intending to focus on his work. John is recovering from the tragic loss of his family and needs a break. The last thing he expects is to become captivated by Michael Hilliard, the professional actor playing Puck, especially since John has never been attracted to men, let alone one so much younger.

They rush headlong into an affair which falls apart dramatically over secrets that John and Michael are keeping from each other. A steep learning curve, the gossipy cast of the show, and the sometimes sinister magic of the woods conspire to keep them apart. But stage lights and stars might work their magic and help them define a new future.

Bio:

Erin McRae is a queer writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. She has a master’s degree in International Affairs from American University, and delights in applying her knowledge of international relations theory to her fiction and screen-based projects, because conflict drives narrative.

Racheline Maltese lives a big life from a small space. She flies planes, sails boats, and rides horses, but as a native New Yorker, has no idea how to drive a car. A long-time entertainment and media industry professional, she lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their two cats.

Together, they are co-authors of the gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry -- Starling (September 10, 2014), Doves (January 21, 2015), and Phoenix (June 10, 2015) -- from Torquere Press. Their gay romance novella series Love’s Labours, set in the theater world -- Midsummer (May 2015), and Twelfth Night (Fall 2015), is from Dreamspinner Press. They also have a story in Best Gay Romance 2015 from Cleis Press and edited by Felice Picano. You can find them on the web at http://www.Avian30.com.

Connect with Erin & Racheline online:

Blog | Facebook Page | Erin's Twitter | Racheline's Twitter | Erin's Goodreads | Racheline's Goodreads | Erin's Amazon Author Page | Racheline's Amazon Author Page

Buy Links:

Amazon | AllRomance | B&N | Dreamspinner

Excerpt:

Costume fittings and dress rehearsals means that John finally gets to see Michael costumed as Puck. The human characters are dressed contemporarily, in suits and cocktail dresses that become increasingly disheveled as the show goes on. The fairies, though, are dressed in greens and browns with crowns of strange wildness -- thistles, cornsilk, and Queen Ann’s lace. Michael as Puck looks deeply inhuman, covered in leaves as if dragged in from the wooded grounds. For their first dress rehearsal, it takes all of John’s considerable experience and willpower to actually focus on the play and not Michael. As taken as Oberon is meant to be with Puck, he should actually be able to remember and deliver his lines.

“Whose idea was this?” he asks Michael afterward, catching him before he can change. Michael blinks at him with eyes done up in silver and green. John wants to devour him.

“Do you like it?” Michael asks, more distant and coy than usual, sliding his hands up John’s chest which, like his own, is bare.

All John can do is groan when Michael looks up at him from under his lashes. He stands on his tiptoes to kiss John briefly, and then vanishes. When he reappears he’s Michael again, in t-shirt and shorts, but John can’t forget the image of him transformed.