Cover Love: 50 Gays of Shade #bookcover

50 Gays of Shade

What is it about getting a new book cover that makes you just want to squee like a little kid? This one is quite worthy of the squeeing, too.

The book is Fifty Gays of Shade, and is edited by the always awesome Kiernan Kelly.

Fifty Gays of Shade

At Shady Business, the hottest gay BDSM club in town, no good deed ever goes unpunished.

http://torquerepress.com

Short stories by:

Amelia June, CB Conwy, CC Bridges, DC Juris, Emily Moreton, Kayelle Allen, KC Burn, KC Wells, Kiernan Kelly, Lydian Harker, PT Walden, Sascha Illyvich, Sean Michaels, Wade Kelly, Winnie Jerome, Wt Prater

From Kayelle Allen: "Bill Me"

When an old member of the Shady Business BDSM club returns from a hiatus, he meets a new member searching for a proper identity -- and a master who'll help him find it.

I shared an excerpt from this book here so won't go into it again, but I will tell you that the excerpt ends with the line, "Not what I want licked tonight." ;) Proceed at your own delicious risk.

The book now has a release date: February 13, 2013 -- just in time for Valentine's Day. I'll update this with the exact link when I get it.

50 Gays of Shade

By the way, I didn't make the book cover, but I did make the banner. I create these via The Author's Secret. If you like it and want a banner for one of your books, come see me! If you're a member of Marketing for Romance Writers, when you buy a banner, you also get six months of advertising space on The Romance Studio free. For more details, click here.

2013 Goals: Beginning a New Cycle

Goals = Growth

I'm reblogging this post, which I shared with Dariel Raye on her blog, Musings of an Independent Artist. Click the link to visit her blog, where there is a giveaway, and info on goals by a dozen other writers.

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Dariel asked me, "On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how would you rate the attainment of your writing goals in 2012? Did you have goals? What will you change for 2013?"

My answer: Looking back, I set five specific goals for 2012, and met only one of them. However, I give myself a 5. I met the first because I made it a top priority and worked at it daily. I set aside the second goal for other priorities. I abandoned the third and fourth because I found better plans to follow. I completely forgot about the fifth one because I didn't go over my goals periodically, the way I have in previous years. I won't make that mistake in 2013. I set a new set of objectives for 2013 back in December 2012, and have already accomplished two of them. I am tweaking the list, and will be adding back the item I had forgotten. 

2013 is shaping up to be a successful year for me as a writer, a person, and as a wife, mother, and grandmother. For example, my husband and I are working through a workbook by Dr. Gary Chapman called The Five Love Languages, and together, we're reading Life Code: New Rules for Winning in the Real World by Dr. Phil McGraw. Both of these are making a difference in our personal and professional relationships. 

I have short stories scheduled in two anthologies so far, and expect to complete a long awaited sequel. I'm excited by the future I see. 

Okay, shoe on the other foot. What are some of your goals this year?

Luc and Rah Find the Kiss Channel #KissYou

Surrender Love

Setting up the scene: This is a continuation scene not found in the original book. Luc Saint-Cyr and Izzorah Ceeow from Surrender Love have had a long day. They're in their penthouse atop the two-hundred-plus story Nizamrak Building, chilling in front of the entertainment system. Imperinet is the Tarthian Empire version of Internet and every cable and satellite channel known to man. Luc is in charge of the remote. Let's watch what happens.

---

Izzorah brought a big bowl of popcorn over to the couch, and sat down next to Luc. "What are we going to watch?"

"I was looking for the Fists." He pointed the remote at the wall-sized screen. Images flashed past, too fast for Izzorah to follow. "Can't seem to find a game."

"The Fists are a sports team?"

Luc swiveled to look at him as if he'd just noticed he wasn't alone. "What?"

Uh oh. Guess I should have known that. "Sorry. I was blind for many years, remember? Kind of hard to get into sports when you can't see what's going on." The faint scent of melon drifted to him, and he recognized it as Luc's compassion for him. Being able to smell emotion had helped make up for that disability. He smiled. "Maybe I can learn."

"Of course you can." Luc leaned over and kissed him. "Come sit on my other side, will you?" He gestured with the remote. "I'm better with this with my right hand, and I want to cuddle with you."

Izzorah stood up and moved over. The man wrapped an arm around him, and Izzorah rested his head against Luc's shoulder.

"That's better. And now I can reach the popcorn." Luc grinned, grabbing a handful of the treat. He popped it in his mouth.

Izzorah picked up a piece that had fallen on Luc's shirt, and fed it to him. He lingered at Luc's mouth, tracing one finger along his lips.

Luc kissed his fingertip, and smiled at him. Pointing the remote, he scrolled through more channels, pausing for a moment here or there. He'd grab a handful of popcorn, and eat a few kernels, but then shove the rest in his mouth and change the channel. Just when Izzorah would begin to figure out what he was seeing on the screen, it would change again. After a few minutes of watching the switching images, he gave up on getting interested and focused on the popcorn. No matter what Luc was watching, it felt good being held.

Eventually, the screen stopped showing sports channels, and began showing other things. Music groups flashed on the screen, and then scenes from holovids. Nature programs came on, and images of animals flashed past. There were scenes of waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and deserts, but Luc left none of them up for more than a few seconds. Izzorah got dizzy trying to watch.

At last, he reached out and took the remote from Luc's hand, and changed the channel back.

"Hey!" He looked down at him. "I was watching that."

"No, you weren't. You weren't watching anything."

"I was trying to find something interesting."

Izzorah

Izzorah pointed the remote at Luc, and pressed several buttons. He thumbed the volume control, and then tapped a few more buttons.

Luc crinkled his brow . "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find the Kiss Izzorah Senseless channel." He slapped the remote against his other hand. "I don't think this thing is working."

Luc laughed. "Here." He picked up the popcorn bowl and set it aside, and then took the remote. "I think that channel's on this one." He pressed the Off button, and tossed the remote onto a nearby chair. "Let me show you."

He enfolded Izzorah into his arms, tugged him closer, and bent his head for kiss.

---

Surrender Love (a Tarthian Empire Story)

Not rebound, payback, loneliness, or great sex, and far beyond love. This is surrender.
Genre: Erotic Science Fiction Romance, Gay Romance, LGBT, Multicultural
Loose Id http://loose-id.com/surrender-love.html
Amazon http://is.gd/surrenderlove_amz
Barnes and Noble http://is.gd/surrenderlove_bn
Goodreads http://goodreads.com/book/show/6283134-surrender-love
ARe http://is.gd/surrenderlove_are

Naughty New Year: 50 Gays of Shade #amreading

"Bill Me"

Welcome to the Naughty New Year Hop! You'll find links to other cool sites below. Read on for a fun introduction to a new gay anthology coming soon...

"At Shady Business, the hottest gay BDSM club in town, no good deed ever goes unpunished." The hot, fun anthology Fifty Gays of Shade is coming in February 2013 from Torquere Press, and includes short stories by Amelia June, CB Conwy, CC Bridges, DC Juris, Emily Moreton, Kayelle Allen, KC Burn, KC Wells, Kiernan Kelly, Lydian Harker, PT Walden, Sascha Illyvich, Sean Michaels, Wade Kelly, Winnie Jerome, and Wt Prater.

Here's a peek at my story, Bill Me.

Excerpt

"Is that you, Erik?"

I turned to see who had used my name so freely in one of the country's premier BDSM clubs, and found the club's owner walking toward me. "Hello, Shade." I accepted his firm handshake. "Long time no see. You look fit as always." The man wore a black leather hat, black zipped leather shorts, boots, and had a chain wrapped around one wrist.

"I could say the same." He raked his gaze down me. "Damn, man. Where the hell have you been? I heard you relocated again."

I shrugged. "You know me. Never could settle anywhere."

"Let's grab a drink." Shade led me deeper into the club, away from the noisy stage and DJ.

We passed the elevator, and sidestepped around a laughing couple exiting the bathroom. From their tousled appearance, it took little imagination to guess what they'd been doing in there. Had house rules changed? Shade rubbed a spot between his brows and pretended not to notice. He continued through reception, and used a keycard to open a passageway to his office and the play room area.

Gesturing between the two, he quirked his brows, giving me a choice of location. I opted for the privacy of his office, and he opened the door.

Little had changed here, other than a few additional awards on the wall. I sat in the leather chair opposite his desk. He flipped open a cabinet and withdrew a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, handing me one. Shade surprised me by dropping into the chair next to mine. He poured generously, set down the bottle, and leaned back.

"You want to tell me what's up?" He gazed at me over the rim of the glass while he sipped.

I swirled the whiskey, gave it a sniff, and smiled over at him. "What do you mean?"

He pulled a face. "We going to play a head game or are you going to tell me what brings you here -- wearing a three piece suit-- after fifteen months away?"

"Fifteen months? What, were you counting the days?"

"You were here for my birthday party for the past five years, and then missed it last year. I happen to know yours is in three days. We always celebrated together when you were in town. So yeah, I fuckin' know the number of days." He downed the rest of his drink, set aside the glass, and folded his arms across his beefy chest. "What's with the suit?"

"In town on business." I hesitated, but remembered this was Shade I was talking to, and sighed. "Corey moved out six weeks ago."

"No shit? You okay?"

"Yeah. Now."

Shade shook his head. "I'm sorry, Erik. You here to get back in the saddle?"

I took a slug of the whiskey, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and then finished it. "Figured it's time."

He sat forward. "Looking for the same type?"

Sexy Blog Hop

"Hell, no. Older. He was twenty when we met. I need someone a little less..." While I struggled for the best description, Shade supplied an apt one.

"Full of shit?"

We both laughed. He poured me another drink. The sound of the liquid sloshing into the glass filled the silence in my head.

"Yeah. That'd work." I sipped.

"We've got some new talent. You walk in wearing that suit, and they'll be licking your shoes."

I polished off the drink, and refused another. "Not really what I want licked tonight."

Buy links:

Coming February 2013 from Torquere Press

Edited by Kiernan Kelly author of Weapon of Choice, and dozens of other gay romance stories.
Click here for more books by Kayelle Allen

All comments across the blog hop will be counted as entries towards winning the three gift certificates, so be sure to visit all of the participating authors!

One person commenting here will win a $5 gift certificate to Amazon.com from me.

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For the rest of the Naughty New Year Hop, click these links.

Adriana Kraft Adriana Kraft	Alisha Paige/Ruby Vines Addicted to Genre Bending	Ann Cory Ann Cory
Cassandra Carr Hot Blogging with Heart	Cherie Noel Great Expectations	Diane Thorne Diane Thorne - Erotic Romance Author
Donna George Storey Sex, Food, and Writing	Donna Michaels Romaginative Fiction-Donna's Dish	Elise VanCise Gladiator's Pen
Harlie Williams Harlie Williams, Writer	Helena Harker Open the Door to Your Fantasies	Jennifer Wright Jennifer Wright's Blog
Justus Roux Where Love and Erotic Know No Boundaries	Kayelle Allen Unstoppable Heroes	Kelli Scott Lip Service
Kendall McKenna Love and Dog Tags	Lisabet Sarai Beyond Romance	Lisa Carlisle Lisa Carlisle's News
Lyndi Lamont Lyndi's Love Notes	M. S. Spencer M. S. Spencer Tale Spinner	Marie Sexton Marie Sexton
May Water May Water's Erotica	Michelle Moon Ink Dipped Moon	Mona Karel Mona Karel Blog
Naomi Bellina Naomi Bellina Adventurous Erotic Romance	Nicole Morgan Bringing Passion To Life	Rose Anderson Calliopes Writing Tablet
Roz Lee Roz Lee	S. Dora S. Dora	Sapphire Phelan Sapphire Phelan's Passion Corner
Stormie Kent Stormie Kent's Musings	Suz deMello Fearless, Fast-paced Fiction	Synithia Williams Synithia Williams
Victoria Pinder Victoria Pinder Romance Author	Virginia Nelson Virginia Nelson, Author

Today My Husband Won't #poetry

My husband and me, 2011.

Today My Husband Won't

By Kayelle Allen

Today, my husband won't leave his socks on the floor, or miss the hamper.

He won't pull out a towel and mess up the way the others are folded.

He's not going to run over the newspaper as he comes down the driveway.

He won't leave the garage door open, or back the car into the grass on that tight corner.

My husband won't watch the early news instead of talking to me.

He won't ignore the family for a ball game.

He's not going to fall asleep watching the late news.

There won't be a magazine or book open in his lap.

He won't complain about traffic on the freeway tonight.

He won't sing off key in the shower.

He's not going to putter around in the garage.

He won't work overtime and end up being late for dinner.

It won't be because he's a perfect husband.

Nor because he's turned over a new leaf.

Today, my husband won't do any of these things...

Because my husband is now in Heaven.

I miss him.

Hug your husband today.

---

My husband is alive and well. I wrote this because I try to keep in mind every day that my spouse, like me, has a finite number of days on the earth. I want to enjoy every single one of them with him, while he's here. Never take your loved ones for granted. We have only this moment, right now, right here. Hug your husband. Think twice about complaining about what he says or does. You have so few moments together. Make each of them count.

When Critiquing Another Author's Work

Incubus.

This was written by my friend, author Janet Elizabeth Jones. I thought it would be especially fitting as a reminder for the new year.

Incubus - available at Amazon 

When Critiquing Another Author's Work

Let me be mindful that this piece I hold in my hand symbolizes a fellow writer's hard labor, hopes, tears, dreams, aspirations, and trust.

Let me not forget for a moment that her ambitions are no less fierce, full of promise, or all-consuming than my own, that her faith in me is precious, regardless of where she's been or where's she's going.

Let me always remember that nothing I have to say about this piece or the fellow writer who wrote it is as important as the inspiration she felt to set these words down.

Let me show in my words and actions the single, simple truth--that no opinion or critique I can give, no granite-hewn, all-powerful words of wisdom I think I possess, are one-tenth as important as preserving her spark of inspiration.

However harsh her words may seem to my ears, however unfamiliar the images she paints to my uninitiated eyes, however the fruit of her creativity may try me, dare me, or challenge me to see the world through her eyes--her spark of inspiration must not go out.

Because one of these long, weary nights, after hours of struggling to put my own words down, after my muse has deserted me, the stresses of life have defeated me, and my own fire has fizzled out to a cold pile of ash, I'll go in search of her, and I'll hope and pray that I find her fire still burning bright enough to light my own again.

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Happy New Year to each and every one of you. May 2013 be your most amazing year ever!