Just a quick note

We lost Julia's dad Thursday morning while we were out of town for a family wedding. We're home and dealing with all the details, so forgive my scarcity for a few more days.

Much love, y'all.

BA

Dying and Weddings and Books

I had all these grand plans, then last week involved dozens and dozens of strokes for my father-in-law. Julia and I moved him into a 24/7 care facility yesterday and we're leaving tomorrow for my baby-est sister's wedding in Texas. Then we come home and have 6 days to clean out and sort Dad's place.

I have books coming out tomorrow -- I'm incredibly proud of them both and I *hope* to squeal about them in the manner in which they deserve after I get to a hotel tomorrow night.

I'll be a little scarce for the next 2 weeks, but know that I love y'all dearly. 

Please pray for an easy passing for Julia's daddy, a non-rainy day for Tiffy's wedding, safe flights, and peace.

Much love, y'all.

BA

What I'm Working on this Week

A surprisingly good writing week, what with the constant interruptions.

 

Active Writing:

Cereus: Training (co-write with Julia) -- Weed and Feed -- This one's going long. Silly puppies.

Better as a Memory (m/m, cont) -- OMG the love.

Beauty and the Butch (working title) -- f/f assassin piece for Ellora's Cave. Going very well. Yay!

On hold:

m/m/f novel (co-write with Julia) -- fun, sexy menage. This one doesn't have a home or a deadline, so it keeps getting pushed back. I need to get this one open, or it's going to die.

 

In edits/rewrites:

The Four Horsemen: Ace and Kitty: I will open this up week after next.

Absinthe: In Julia's hands for her rewrites.

 

Next week's plan?

Moving J's dad to a facility on Monday and Tuesday, leaving Wednesday for my babyiest sister's wedding. There's no hope. ;-)

 

Much love, y'all.
BA

2013 CHARITY SIP BLITZ!

Our Bloghop Starts Here: Torquere Press

 

Happy Wednesday and happy 2013 Charity Sip Blitz!

I've been participating in this drive since it started and every year I'm so pleased and proud of the readers and authors who make this happen. I donate all my royalty and Torquere Press matches my donation. :D

This year we're honoring our GLBT folks in uniform -- now, the charity OutServe is for military, and I admit, I wrote a sheriff and a cowboy that's recently out of the service, but uniforms are important, no matter who wears them, right?

I'm so glad that the people who serve can now serve openly, can acknowledge their partners, can have benefits for them -- it was a long time coming and I'm tickled it came in my lifetime.

 

My story is titled, Acts of Kindness and it features Evan, an East Texas sheriff's deputy, and Russ, an Oklahoma man whose rough stock riding brother took a bad fall and is in a coma in Evan's local hospital. 

Excerpt:

It never ceased to amaze Evan how the rodeo cowboys that came in looked like car accident victims.

He'd been the on-duty officer when all the shit went down at the fairgrounds. There were always accidents at the country fair, always, but when Rowdy Parker when down in the bareback event...

Whoa.

You never wanted that much blood on the dirt. Ever.

Evan Masters shook his head, goosepimpling up at the memory. He'd been lecturing a group of teenagers who'd been hassling one of the carnies at the fairway when he'd heard the siren of the only bus the county had, had heard the panicked sounds over the radio, and he'd gone running, only to see parts of Parker's skull on the dirt.

The man was just... fucked.

Totally.

He nodded to MaryLynn, the charge nurse. "Hey, lady. How's it going?"

"Same old, same old. He's still with us." She gave him a sad smile. "You still visiting every day?"

"They're good folks, honey, and not close to home. They need someone to talk to, so sure I am."

He'd been coming for eight weeks, now. First, he'd sat with Brittany Parker, held her hand, trying not to look at the size of her daily-growing belly. Then, when Brittany had that baby girl and had to head home to Oklahoma, he'd sat with Parker's momma. Then, about four weeks ago, he'd started sitting with Russell Parker, the man's oldest brother.

Russ was... Well, even he had to admit the man interested him personally as well as in a public servant kind of way. Evan took a deep breath, giving his cheeks a chance to cool off and headed to Room 323, knocked at the door as quiet as he could. He was here to visit someone who was sick, not come on to the man's brother, right?

***

The Charity Sips are available at Torquere Books.

Please, get yours today!

Much love, y'all.

BA

Guest Blog Post: Chris Owen and Tory Temple

Hi BA!

Thanks for inviting Tory and me to your blog. It's pretty cool in here, I gotta say. I like what you've done with the place. The dogs are a great touch.

Speaking of dogs, it's no secret that that we're all dog mad. Tory has three, I have two, you and Julia have your hands full as well; we all know how it goes with the pups around -- big messes, big noises, and big love. None of us would have it any other way, even on the days when I find yarn being turned into Ottawa's latest toy. Sydney would never do such a thing, thank goodness. And neither of mine are as smart as Tory's Justice -- that pit is far too smart for anyone's safety!

I guess that's why we have so many dogs in our stories -- they're such a huge part of our lives that we need to drag their personalities into everything we do. Q and her pups are good dogs, for the most part; Trey and Deuce have enough on their hands that they should be grateful for such mellow puppies, really. With a seven year old girl around there's enough mayhem. Well, the girl and her mom. And a wanna-be-grampy.

So, essentially, family is mayhem, which sounds just about right now that I see it written out.

Tory and I had a couple of guys, see? They were great together -- a fireman and his nerd, a nerd and his hero. They liked sex, they liked sex with each other. All was bliss. But then there was the complications of real life. Tory and I poked at them. Then poked harder. All that Trey and Deuce wanted to do, frankly, was have more sex, but we wanted more. Thankfully, they both had some strong feelings about Holly, Lacey, a blended family, and what people do in order to make each other happy.

It wasn't an easy story to write, aside from the fact that Tory and I love working together. The actual writing part is easy -- like breathing -- this story was a challenge. Neither of us comes from a blended family (we come from dogs!!), and it's been years since my children were seven. Tory, thankfully, spends a lot of time with seven year olds and got Lacey's voice easily. And Holly was a character we had to be very careful with; she is a woman who was hurt, a woman who was slightly bitter. Trey was very wary with her, giving their history, but I was stuck with Deuce and his dad. Two guys just grooving along and being all idealistic. Meanwhile, Tory and I were trying to make sure that we didn't paint Holly horribly while still making it clear that Trey had reason to be wary -- too far one way, he'd look silly, too far the other way and we'd wind up with Tory + Chris = misogyny and THAT wasn't going to happen, either. Poor Deuce just wanted everyone to get along and be happy! To my great glee -- and hopefully yours! -- Trey didn't just let that happen. :D

Of course, it's a romance. We can't fool you guys into thinking that the end of all the boys smooching is at hand. But we can give you a good story. :)

Tory and I hope you enjoy Adding it Up: By the Numbers II! It's available now at Torquere Press.

Best wishes and love to everyone!

Chris Owen

Happy 10th Anniversary Julia!

I love you!

BA

What I'm Working on this Week

Trying to get back to work. It's working, slowly, especially with a broken finger.

 

Active Writing:

Cereus: Training (co-write with Julia) -- Weed and Feed -- Chugga chugga chugga.

Better as a Memory (m/m, cont) -- new Eat My Brain novel without deadline or publisher. Playlist is up to 50 songs. Hitting angsty scene #2

Beauty and the Butch (working title) -- f/f assassin piece for Ellora's Cave

Absinthe (co-write with Julia) -- m/m paranormal sequel to Moonshine. Two new guys showed up -- next book will be titled Cognac.

On hold:

m/m/f novel (co-write with Julia) -- fun, sexy menage. This one doesn't have a home or a deadline, so it keeps getting pushed back. I need to get this one open, or it's going to die.

 

In edits/rewrites:

The Four Horsemen: Ace and Kitty: working on the rewrites

 

Next week's plan?

Praying for back to some semblance of normal.

 

Much love, y'all.
BA

What I'm Reading This Week

Been a terrible reading week. I just haven't had any time. :P

I'm reading The Late Night Horror Show by Bryan Smith still.

And I'm working on Alice in Deadland, as well. I'm not 100% sure of this one yet.

I started Steamy Afternoons written by my fellow Sex Goddesses, Brynn Paulin and Isabelle Drake.

Have any of you read Gone Girl? You think I'd like it?

 

Much love, y'all.

BA

Yay Shane and Galen

There's a new Shane and Galen story coming, y'all.

The 18th.

The story is set a number of years after Hurricane and answers the question, what would happen if Shane decided to get ambition?

:D

There's drama, smut, bars, Florida, dogs and boats. Also, Wade is back. ;-)

I'm tickled as hell to share space with Sean, Kiernan and Julia in the anthology and I'm already plotting next year's novella. :D

Wayback Wednesday -- Mates (m/m/f, paranormal, with Sean Michael and Julia Talbot)

Oh, Jamie, Brett and Melody -- these three did it for me. I love writing action/adventure and, more than that, I love old lovers coming back together. *sparkles* These three were very early in my menage writing days and I was fascinated by the dynamic.

Also, Julia's story cracks me up and Sean's story is blisteringly hot. Nummy!

Looking for a world where danger lurks around every corner, where Mates mean three werewolves taking on the world together, and where the men love their girls as much as they do each other? Look no farther than the Mates anthology.

Julia Talbot presents Fur and Phobias, a story about a sweet girl named Abby with a terrible fear of dogs. Aaron thinks he might just be the one to cure her, but he and his lover, Lee, have a secret that may send Abby running for the hills. Can they work together to ease Abby’s fears?

In Sean Michael’s Running with the Wolf, a roving pack of werewolves have made terrible trouble for artist Vicki, who’s been bitten and has no idea what to do about it. Swan and Dibs know what to do, though, and the two boys are determined to help Vicki, whether she wants it or not. Can they show her what it’s like to run with the wolf?

Finally, BA Tortuga presents For Life, Jamie and Brett both know something terrible is about to happen to Melody, and they come back into her life after years spent apart, turning her carefully ordered world upside down. Someone is determined to make them pay for a mistake from the past, but these three are older and wiser now. Can they find a way to stay together?

If you want compelling, hot werewolf stories, Mates is the book for you! Don’t miss it!

***

Excerpt:

Jamie shook a little, hands clamping down on hers, the skin wavering a little. She groaned, growled low, her lips parted as she fought to keep her shit together.

Jamie finally just brought her finger up and licked it, tongue scraping across her skin. Oh, that was so not helping.

Her muscles rippled, the world going from bright colors to pure scent and sensation. She could smell male wolf, could feel the air ripple as Jay came with her. Everything became fur and the wild urge to run.

She headbutted him, muzzle sliding against his. Pack. Pack. She’d missed him!

Licking her nose, Jay whined, low in his throat, body bumping against hers. His eyes glowed for her, his teeth closing on her ear gently.

She hopped up on the counter, tugging the meat down onto the floor, barking happily. Eating, then running.

Jay came after her, chasing her tail, his big paws sounding like thunder against her floor. Frannie barked at them from the front room, staying far away. He’d grown. She ducked under his forelegs, scrambling away to steal a chunk of meat, snapping it up happily. Growling, Jay snapped back, trying to take her down, but it was all play. She knew that sound.

He might be bigger, but she was faster, and she zoomed around him, claw skittering on the tile.

They smacked up against the cabinets, slamming against the trashcan, which stopped Jay for just long enough for her to skitter out the doggie door.

She took off like a shot, scrambling across the pasture, muscles burning.

Jay ran right behind her, then beside her, nipping at her ear again. Probably to let her know he was the big male. She threw herself against him, hoping surprise would knock him over if her weight didn’t.

Skidding, Jay barked, tongue lolling in a toothy smile before he caught his balance and headed right back for her.

Damn it. She took off, claws digging into the dirt, chuffing happily as they played.

They were playing king of the hill behind the barn when a brown blur shot past her, knocking Jay off the little knoll he stood on, barking. A sharp yelp sounded, Jay rolling over and over in the dirt.

Her ruff puffed up and she snarled, scrambling to her feet. Her land. Her territory.

HERS.

The big brown male stood over Jay, barking and snarling, snapping his teeth. He never even looked at her. She leapt without thinking, teeth grabbing the brown male’s ruff as she flew by.

He took her right down, slamming her to the ground. Then he closed his teeth on her throat, so gently that she hardly felt it. Like he was family.

She chirruped, sniffing. Eyes going wide.

Brett.

Their Brett.

She scrambled to her feet, staring, panting at the males.

What the hell?

***

Available at Torquere Press, Amazon, and All Romance Ebooks.

Guest Post: Sean Michael

Thanks, BA, for letting me blather about my Jarheads on your blog today.

So my dear Jarheads, the boys who gave me six big novels and countless novellas and short stories, are having their first novel -- Three Day Passes -- come out in hardback from Torquere Press as a part of their 10th anniversary celebrations!

Yes, hardback!

Three Day Passes was the Jarheads' first novel, released as an ebook ten years ago on September 15 (2003). Who knew when that happened that they'd wind up with so many words? Well, I maybe had an inkling as I already had the next novel written and most of the third as well... Ten years later, though, Rock, Rig and Dick are still going strong. They've got a story in this year's Charity Sip Blitz, which benefits Outserve. Flack Jacket Love will be available on September 18, with all royalties being donated to Outserve.

All I have to do is think of them and my trio come to the front of my brain and look hopeful for another chance to be together and screw each others' brains out in a new story. The Jarheads don't actually say "I love you" very often, but those boys know it deep in their souls that they always have pride of place in each others' hearts. There isn't anything -- anything -- that they wouldn't do for each other.

Writing them again is always like coming home.

Sean
smut fixes everything
www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Dog Park

Usually the bassets spend their time outside like this

But on Sundays they come to us like this

And this

And say, "TAKE US TO THE DOG PARK, MOMMIES!"

And we do.

Much love, y'all.

BA

Six Sentence Sunday -- Acts of Kindness

You could put the boy in the army but you couldn't take the cowboy out of him once he got through high school.

Evan had been... well, a lifesaver. The quiet cop had been there every day, pretty and polite, caring and calm and solid as a rock. Russ wasn't sure why Evan had taken to visiting Rowdy, but he'd been doing it well before Russ had shown up. Evan never asked for anything, never acted weird. The man was just a comfort.

He was also hot as hell.

***

This is from my short for charity that releases on Wednesday, September 18!

Much love, y'all.

BA

What I Worked on this Week

Been a crappy week for writing, to be honest. Julia's daddy is very, very ill and we're spending a lot of time in the hospital and stressing. :P

 

Active Writing:

Cereus: Training (co-write with Julia) -- Weed and Feed -- they're all in bed together, sharing steak.

Better as a Memory (m/m, cont) -- new Eat My Brain novel without deadline or publisher. Playlist is up to 50 songs.

Beauty and the Butch (working title) -- f/f assassin piece for Ellora's Cave

Absinthe (co-write with Julia) -- m/m paranormal sequel to Moonshine. Finally wrangled the plot on this one and it's moving.

On hold:

m/m/f novel (co-write with Julia) -- fun, sexy menage. This one doesn't have a home or a deadline, so it keeps getting pushed back.

 

In edits/rewrites:

The Four Horsemen: Ace and Kitty: working on the rewrites

 

Next week's plan?

Actually get a few minutes to write. O.o

 

Much love, y'all.
BA

What I'm Reading This Week

Read Dead Clown Barbecue by Jeff Strand -- totally recommend it, it's an anthology of horror shorts with a lot of humor.

I'm reading The Late Night Horror Show by Bryan Smith right now. It's cracking me up.

(yes, I am waiting impatiently for Doctor Sleep to be released. 18 days. I pre-ordered it in May. *taps foot*). 

I imagine I'm going to have a Joey Hill fest after the Smith novel is read up. 

:D

Much love, y'all.

BA

What's on my Needles

As you all know, I've got the attention span of a gnat on crack, so there are always multiple projects on multiple needles. 

This one? The world's biggest hat. OMG, y'all. It's the hat of hugeness. I'm going to have to find someone with a GIANT HEAD to give it to.

This is Mother's shawl. It's gorgeous and soft and designed to stay on her shoulders without her having to fasten or anything. All the yarn is hand-dyed by JulieSpins and I'm stupid for it.

This is another, super simple shawl that's entire purpose is to highlight the yarn and give me mindless TV knitting.

Lace dishcloth for Julia.

Mitred square blanket. I'll be making this when I'm 80.

What's on the loom right now. :D

Much love, y'all!

BA

My Boys Touch Street Team!

Join the My Boys Touch Street Team

What happens when Kiernan Kelly, Sean Michael, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga put their heads together and decide to cause trouble? That’s right, y’all. STREET TEAM!

*sparkles*

So, what in heaven is a street team?

A street team is a group of readers and bloggers and folks that want to help their favorite writers spread the word about books. Simple as that. How? Host one of us on your blog. Like the books online. Share covers. Give your honest reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and tweet about releases. Vote in contests.

Basically stuff y’all already do, but you get stuff!

What are the bennies of being on the MBT Street Team?

Ha!

Free books. Swag. ARCs. Access to a private Yahoo group where you can directly interact with Sean, Kiernan, Julia and BA, get your questions answered, and get involved in the crazy process that is writing life. See WIP ideas, get excerpts, cover reveals, and more. You get deleted scenes, book details, first chance to be a part of Release Tours.

How do I join?

Click here to join the My Boys Touch yahoo group.

Guest Blog: Julia Talbot -- What happens when two stories want to have the same title?

Hey, y’all! BA is letting me play today, and I want to tell you a story! Well, more like an anecdote.

I was writing along on my story for the bar anthology, Bar None, which comes out this month from Torquere. The 25th, in fact, and has Sean Michael, BA Tortuga, Kiernan Kelly and me! Woo. Anyhoo, the working title for my story was the Full Moon Bar.

Can you tell it’s shifters?

But then? I had this idea for a paranormal dating service. And Full Moon Dating: Aiden and Ben was born. It came out last month, and has been a great seller, going to number 8 on All Romance’s bestseller, and number 45 on Amazon in gay romance. Again with the woo.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=3965

When Aiden and Ben came along, though, I had a quandary. Which one should I change? I wanted Full Moon to be the dating service, so I thought on Seamus and Hugh from the bar story. What suited them?

So, I decided that it would be a blue moon before a bear shifter and a wolf shifter bonded over getting beat up by a lion, and Blue Moon bar was born. I loved the idea of a hotheaded wolf shifter and this happy go lucky bear bartender, and I have to tell y’all, it’s funny and hot. I won’t spoil you, but it left me howling when I re-read it.

So, that’s what happens when 2 stories want the same name. You let the boys fight it out, basing it all on who suits the title more. This way I got rid of the confusion and got at least one new series out of the deal!

Pretty good thing, if you ask me.

Thanks for hanging out, y’all!

XXOO

Julia Talbot

www.juliatalbot.com

Happy Labor Day, y'all!

I suppose I should get my brisket on the fire, huh?

(Also, where the HELL did August go?)

Oh, and Monday Mancandy for y'all.

Much love, y'all.

BA

Six Sentence Sunday: Weed and Feed (m/m, paranormal with Julia Talbot)

Cian groaned, keeping him close. “That’s right, Boone. Yours. I’ve never eaten a whole werewolf anyway.”

“No?” Jackson snorted. “You’re not working hard enough.”

 

***

 

This is coming in October in the Cereus: Training book. :D

Much love, y'all!

BA