BooksComing Soon
Measured Doses: The Blurb
The blurb for Measured Doses is in, and since it's Tuesday, I thought it would be perfect to share it! Wouldn't want to wait until next Tuesday, right? I thought not. So without further ado, the official blurb:
After his father beats him, Chad escapes to the only safe haven he can think: his former teacher, Dion. But when he arrives at Dion's door, it's opened by a stranger—who promptly finds himself catching an unconscious man.
Unable to turn away the broken, battered Chad, Jeremy takes him in and tends his wounds, even if he would much rather have nothing to do with the student that his ex, Dion, cheated on him with …
This book is an all male menage. My first ever, actually. That's quite exciting! This story turned out quite different than what I imagined it would years ago, but I like this new story a heck of a lot better than that old idea. But that story will be told another day, closer to the release date, which is February 26th. Over two and a half months to go! Time flies though, so I'm sure it'll be sneaking up on me while I'm not noticing.
December 3rd, 2013|Coming Soon, Their Circumstances, Their Tuesday|0 Comments|
Thursday Throwback: Skin Deep
Kian is dragged along as moral support when his friend Chloe goes to get a tattoo done. What he thinks will be a boring few hours standing around a shop proves exciting instead, when an attraction to the tattoo artist proves to be both mutual and scorching.
And if they can survive the challenges thrown across their path, it may also prove to be something beautiful and permanent.
Pairing: M/M
Content: Contains some explicit content.
Skin Deep is available at Less Than Three Press for for $2.99!
November 28th, 2013|Their Circumstances, Throwback Thursday|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: A Second Excerpt
"That's enough!"
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Matt yelled as Mathilda ripped the covers off of him. "Get the fuck out of my room!"
"You've been lying in this bed long enough, Matt, and I'm sick and tired of it," Mathilda snapped. "I am going out tonight with my friends, and you are coming with me."
"No bloody way." Matt tried to snatch his duvet back, but Mathilda held them out of his reach.
"I am not standing by and letting you fall into a depression," Mathilda told him sternly. "Life has to move on and you're not even putting any effort into it."
"It's only been a week, Mathilda!" Matt yelled. "Let me have them back!" He held his hand out.
"No!" Mathilda clutched them tightly. "You're getting up, you're taking a shower, and you're coming with me!" The look in her eyes said she wasn't going to give up until Matt agreed to go with her.
"Maybe your mates will be there too."
"I don't want to meet my mates," Matt snarled.
"Then you'll meet new people! No matter what, you're getting out of that bed. I'm dragging you out if you don't do as I say."
"As if you could!" Matt snapped, but he got up. Maybe there'd be alcohol; that would be a really nice way to spend the evening. Plastered and blissful. That was the only reason he decided to go with her, because he certainly didn't want to meet any new people. Or old ones, for that sake.
"Serena is picking us up in half an hour. You've got a lot to do, so you better get going." Mathilda nodded towards the bathroom with her chin.
Matt glared at her, but did as ordered. She stood clutching his covers until he was out of the room, then he heard her dumping them on his bed before she too exited his room.
"I'll be in my room trying on clothes."
He slammed the bathroom door a little harder than was strictly necessary, just because he felt like it. She had no right bossing over him like that. She was not his mother. However, she might provide some alcohol, which would be good right about now.
Matt jumped in the shower and scrubbed himself clean. He washed his hair twice for good measure. When he was done he stood in front of the mirror and regarded himself as he used a towel to dry himself. He seemed thinner than he remembered, but then not having eaten much for the last few days did that to a body.
He wrapped the towel around his waist and took out a smaller one to dry his hair. He walked back to his room to find suitable clothes for a night of alcohol indulgence and he settled for his skinny, black jeans, a white tank-top and a tight, black sweater. Matt supposed he was rather fond of black. He grabbed his belt and a pair of socks, then went back to the bathroom. As he dressed and once again ran the towel over his shaggy, black hair, Matt's gaze fell on Mathilda's make-up, which lay scattered atop the washing machine.
Matt had always been rather fond of eyeliner, though he'd never actually used it himself. Mostly because of the whole keeping-his-sexuality-a-secret business, because his parents were bound to suspect if he started wearing make- up. Why had he never dared do it before, anyway? It wasn't like they would care about the make-up or the fact he was gay.
He felt a pang of regret and sadness and he stood clutching at his chest for several minutes before it let him go. Once the wave passed, Matt grabbed Mathilda's eyeliner and set to work.
When that was done he ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it up. It'd just have to be wet; he didn't have time to dry it.
"I'm done!" he called out to Mathilda when he finally exited the bathroom.
"I'll be down in a minute!" Mathilda yelled back.
Matt contemplated going over to ask what she was doing that was taking so long, but if she was standing there in her underwear, or worse naked, he did not want to see it. Instead he dashed into his room to get his phone, suddenly feeling excited about the prospect of getting plastered.
November 20th, 2013|Excerpt, Their Circumstances, Wednesday WIP|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears Blog Tour
11/16 The Novel Approach When Characters Switch Things Around + Giveaway
11/18 EM Lynley Author Interview + giveaway
11/19 Pants Off Reviews It's All About Love
November 15th, 2013|Blog Tour, Their Circumstances|0 Comments|
Thursday Throwback: Scarred Souls
With Yesterday's Tears coming out on Wednesday, I though I should do the first Thursday Throwback with the short story that introduced Josh and Damian, the short story in which they met and fell into a relationship. It's only 8K, but those 8K words contain so much of their backstory and characterisation.
Damian isn't convinced that group therapy is what he needs, no matter what his doctor says. He's managing just fine on his own—friends, school, job, everything. What could a group of strangers possibly offer him?
Warning: this story contains mention of subjects that may be triggers for some (cutting, sexual abuse).
Scarred Souls is available at Less Than Three Press, for $1.49!
November 14th, 2013|Books, Their Circumstances, Throwback Thursday|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: London, UK
When I first started writing this series, back when it was one huge 130K novel called Scarred Souls, it was set in an unnamed American town. I never went into specifics about it, because I'm not exactly an expert on American geography. When I dusted these characters off and brought them back to life, I decided to set it a bit closer to home. I debated setting it in Norway, but then I'd have to change all the names and I was set on their names, darn it.
So I decided to set the series in one of my favourite cities, London, which I visited for the first time in 2010. See, I went there to visit my cousin, who was studying over there, and I simply fell in love. London is so big, I didn't see one tenth of what there is to see, but I still love it. I didn't even go to all the touristy stuff (except Oxford Street, obviously!), yet I still fell head over heels in love. I'm going to live there one day, if I can ever manage it.
The tube was an awesome way to get around quickly, and I was a master at taking it for those ten days. I loved the British way of speaking. The British people are a lot nicer and more forthcoming than Norwegian, and I became nicer while there too. (This changed once I was back in Norway, because let's face it, Norwegian's are rude).
I did see the Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. We went to see a musical, though I don't remember it's name. Went out to eat most every day. Shopped on Oxford Street and Regent Street. I shopped so much clothes I had to buy a new suitcase. It was a wonderful ten days and I will always remember them. It was my first time vacationing all alone, without family or mates, and it was silly wonderful. I love London. I love the UK. I need to move there.
And that is why the Their Circumstances series is set there.
Yesterday's Tears will be released on November 20th, from Less Than Three Press.
November 12th, 2013|Behind the Story, Their Circumstances, Their Tuesday|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: Available for Pre-Order
Damian's world is irrevocably altered the night his aunt and uncle are brought into his A&E, victims of a terrible car accident. Grief-stricken and lost, with nowhere else to turn, he calls Josh—the man he loves, and who left him.
Meanwhile Matt does not know how to live in a world where his parents aren't, especially when the rest of his family seems capable of handling it while he wants only to hide from the world. His only solace is Adam, whom he wishes was so much more than the man he occasionally has sex with—and who apparently has been keeping a secret that ruins the only comfort Matt had left.
Preo-order it now and save 15% off! Normally $4.99, now only $4.24.
November 9th, 2013|Pre-Order, Their Circumstances|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: An Excerpt
That's what you get for calling it a slow night in the A&E.
Granted, it hadn't been Damian saying it, but the end result was the same; not ten minutes after the words were said, the A&E was swamped. There had been a car crash, involving several cars.
Some victims had gotten away with a few scratches and bruises and the fright, but there were also multiple traumas. Damian stepped outside just as an ambulance came to a halt.
The backdoors were slammed open and the stretcher lowered as the paramedic talked a mile a minute about the patient's condition. Damian didn't hear any of it, however, because he'd gotten a look at the patient's face, and his blood ran cold. Blood covered most of her face, but Damian still recognized her. He couldn't not after having lived all of his teenage years in her house.
Someone was yelling Damian's name and it broke him out of the shocked trance he'd gone into. Damian hurried after the stretcher inside the A&E, eyes only for Claire's limp, bloody body.
"Where's her husband?" He asked the female paramedic. "Were there teenagers in the car?" He grabbed her arm in desperation.
"No teenagers. Only her and a man. He was brought in before her," the paramedic informed him, casting a quick, worried look. "He was badly hurt, too."
Damian backed away. He heard someone call his name again, but he didn't have time. He had to find his uncle. He went to the trauma rooms, checking each one in turn. When he entered number four, he saw Ray's familiar face, pale and unmoving.
"Time of death … 23:45."
No! Damian pushed his way past a nurse and another doctor and took Ray's hand. It was still warm, still bloody, but there was no life in it, no pulse. No, no, no!
"Dr. Fielding?"
"Dr. Fielding!"
"Damian!"
Damian snapped out of the shock and he stared at the
doctor who'd called his name. Then he remembered Claire. He had to go to Claire; he had to be there for her. There was nothing he could do for Ray—Ray was dead and Claire was all alone.
He pushed his way out of the room again and found Claire in trauma two. She lay just as unmoving as she had when she'd been strapped to the gurney; her face was just as bloody. Some of it was coagulating, but fresh blood still trickled from a nasty gash in her temple. The blond hair on that side was a mess.
"Dr. Fielding, get out of here," the trauma doctor told him sternly when he caught sight of Damian in the doorway. "We'll do the best we can, but you cannot stay in here."
"I have to stay," he insisted, his voice low. "She's all alone. I don't want her to be alone when—"
The older doctor came up in front of him. "Dr. Fielding. Get out. You cannot stay in here while we work on her. Go to the waiting room. Now!"
Damian knew he couldn't be there, but part of him still held onto that he had to be there for her. The other part of him, the logical one, knew he would never be allowed, so he turned and walked stiffly back out into the A&E proper.
He could hear the beep of the machine as Claire coded and he knew, though it clawed painfully at his insides to admit it, that it wouldn't be long before her body gave up.
Yesterday's Tears releases on November 20th, from Less Than Three Press.
November 6th, 2013|Excerpt, Their Circumstances, Wednesday WIP|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: Playlist
Yesterday's Tears is a book filled with sadness, as the inciting event is the death of not only one, but two, loved ones. The whole series, in fact, is a sad one as it deals with a lot of heavy issues.
I thus have a playlist particularly for this series. It's filled with songs that puts me in the right mood to write about deep-lying issues, puts me in a sad mode, or in a hopeful one if that's what the story needs next. I thought, for this post, I should list some of the songs on my playlist, the ones I feel featured most heavily in the writing of this book.
There were certainly other songs than the ones listed here, but these are some of the ones on my current playlist titled 'Their Circumstances'. Most songs' lyrics does not reflect the theme of the book, but the lyrics and/or the melody gets me in the right mood to write this book:
4AM Forever by Lost Prophets.
Everything I'm Not by the Veronicas
Rooftops by Lost Prophets.
The Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin.
The River by Bruce Springsteen.
Scream by Kill Hannah.
Untouched by the Veronicas.
What About Now by Chris Daughtry.
I have started making playlist for most stories. This list is for the entire series, but I've recently also started one for each book, as I don't like to listen to all the songs for every story. Some doesn't fit right, while others fit perfectly.
November 5th, 2013|Behind the Story, Their Circumstances, Their Tuesday|0 Comments|
Yesterday's Tears: British English
When I started writing Yesterday's Tears, I was still writing in the American spelling. I wrote the entire book in the American spelling, but as I wrote the next book in the series it changed into the British spelling. Maybe because this series takes place in England? They use British expressions, and I found I really liked using them. So I went back and redid Yesterday's Tears to match the British spelling as well.
Back when we were taught English in school (from about third grade or so), we were told we were learning the British spelling. It is quite possible, because looking back at old stories I see I have the spelling in correctly. However, I grew up with American soap operas and American films and I hardly watched anything British.
Now though I find I really do like to watch British dramas and films. It all started with Hollyoaks, which I've now stopped watching, but I followed their first gay storyline vigorously years ago. I went on to Skins and Doctor Who and Sherlock, and most recently I've been watching the reality show Geordie Shore.
After all this, I've come to realise I love the British way to speak. I simply love the tone, the expressions, the words they have that doesn't exist in American. I love the British spelling and I went back to it. Most publishers seems to want American spelling, so I'm going to have to switch back at one time, but for now I'm quite happy writing with the British spelling and using British expressions.
October 29th, 2013|Behind the Story, Their Circumstances, Their Tuesday|0 Comments|