Head on over to Amazon to get fan favorite, Training Season, for only 99 cents!
Autumn Sale! .99 for Training Season by Leta Blake – November at Amazon ONLY! #mmromance #gay
books
Unf! She nails it! This is what I loved, too! | Anne-Marie’s review of A Most Personal Property by @Darrah_Glass
“Darrah has captured very well how severely a boy can repress and fear his sexuality. It was heart breaking at times. Henry is a passionate, sensitive, giving boy who has a strong moral compass that none of his peers have. When he finally shows Martin his true self, it was such a victory over himself. A powerful, exhilirating scene, my instant favourite. Martin, I adore. He is an innocent, generous, loving soul. He is tremendously professional in his role as a companion and I was amazed by his composure every time Henry turned him away. Together, they are endearing.
The dynamic between a master and his slave fascinated me and there is much still to explore. There’s Martin’s servitude, who almost leaves himself out of the equation, and there’s fair-minded Henry, who can’t make himself order Martin around or abuse his right of power as so many of his peers do. There’s the longing to be equal, to be treated as a man instead of a master, a person instead of a slave, when none of that is acceptable in the outside world. And there’s a master expected to take a wife once he’s of age and a companion who can’t afford to get romantic feelings.
Reading this is like wrapping yourself up in a soft blanket, in front of a roaring fire with an amazing glass of wine and getting lost in another world for a while. I’m ready for that world to continue. Bring on book 2.”
via Goodreads | Anne-Marie Netherlands’s review of A Most Personal Property.
“Do you think it’s bad luck to talk about what sort of master we’d like?” A Superior Slave Excerpt #mmromance #amreading
Martin of House Ganymede, trained as a companion slave, is eager for a master of his own. Everything he’s done in his short life has been to prepare him for auction day, and now all that waits is to be chosen. In being sold, he’ll be separated from the boys he’s lived and trained with his entire life, and it’s possible he won’t see them ever again. Goodbyes are hurried and emotions are raw as the slaves go on display for prospective masters. Martin has ideas about what he’d like in a master, though of course he’ll have no say in who will buy him. When he meets tall, handsome Henry Blackwell, he’s found the one he wants, but does this shy master want him?
A Superior Slave is a prequel introducing the books of the Ganymede Quartet, a fantasy of Gilded Age New York in which young men from the richest families form intense bonds with the slaves who serve them.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon (.99 — they haven’t price-matched despite efforts!)
Excerpt:
Charlie, who was a notoriously fast eater, finished his sandwich and said, “Do you think it’s bad luck to talk about what sort of master we’d like?”
“Yes,” Noah said firmly.
“No,” Georgie said at the same time. “What do you want, Charlie?”
Charlie thought about it a moment. “I just hope he isn’t actually ugly. Hideous, I mean. It would be nice if he was handsome, but we’ve been warned so often that most masters aren’t that I’m pretty well reconciled to my master being homely.”
“I hope he’s clean,” Stuart said, making a face. “We all keep so clean for each other, but I don’t imagine free boys even think of such things.”
They all contemplated gamy cocks for a minute, noses wrinkled in distaste.
Georgie said, “I just hope he’s not a mean little bastard. I don’t want one who’ll be bossing me around for no other reason except he can.”
“Yes, I want a kind master,” Charlie agreed. “A nice boy, more or less. He doesn’t have to be an angel or anything, but a decent guy. That’s what I want.”
Noah cleared his throat self-consciously. “Not too fat.”
They all looked at him.
Noah blushed. “I don’t want some great huge boy squashing me,” he said, sounding somewhat defensive.
“Well, of course not.” Georgie put his hand on Noah’s arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “No one wants that.”
“In that case, you get on top and ride him,” Stuart pointed out. “Let him just relax and enjoy you, and no one gets squashed.”
“It would be nice if he wasn’t terrible at sex,” Charlie said. “I know I’ll have to teach him everything, but I hope he’ll learn. I hope he’ll listen to me.”
Martin thought the things his friends hoped for were very reasonable, very modest. He did not want to share his hopes because they were not reasonable at all. He wanted a handsome master, kind and affectionate, who’d touch him like a lover and treat him like a friend, and these wishes were desperately, unrealistically romantic. He’d been taught as much at Ganymede and it had been made very clear: his master would be an ordinary boy with an extraordinary bank account, and he would be under no obligation to think of his slave as a person.
Writer Research Help: some words NOT in use in 1900 | @Darrah_Glass #slang
“With Ganymede Quartet, I tried to make all the things that weren’t slavery in the 20th century as historically accurate as possible, and that included the language I used. Here are some words that would have come in handy but were not appropriate for the time period.”
click through to Darrah’s site to find out what those words might be –> some words not in use in 1900 | Darrah Glass.
Superior Slaves? Shy Masters? It’s The Amazing Ganymede Quartet! A New M/M Romance Series by @Darrah_Glass #gay #amreading
1. The books of Ganymede Quartet are unlike any I’ve read before, containing elements of non-magical fantasy, gay romance, and historical fiction. Tell us about the books, especially A Superior Slave and A Most Personal Property, your two upcoming releases, and what they’re like.
The Ganymede Quartet series is set in New York in 1900, and it’s a recognizable version of turn-of-the-century New York except that a system of slavery that resembles an intensification of Britain’s servant classes is part of the culture. The books tell the story of a relationship between a young master and slave.
A Superior Slave is a prequel written from the point of view of the slave. It introduces the character, but also introduces the slavery scenario for the universe. Slavery is based on economics, not race. It isn’t like American historical slavery, and it’s also not a BDSM version of slavery. The reader gets to know the slave and his world right before he’s auctioned off to a master. He’s a smart, capable person who’s quite ambitious in his own way.
A Most Personal Property is written from the point of view of the master, as are the other three installments in the quartet. The book details the master’s struggle to reconcile his far-ranging desires with what is allowed and considered proper behavior. The master is a young man, not entirely sure of himself, and quite concerned with other’s opinions and judgments. He doesn’t feel he can simply fall in love with whomever he pleases, so there’s a bit of an internal struggle!
2. You’ve said that the idea for the book came from a popular television show. What show was it and how did that influence these books?
The initial impulse to write this story came when I saw the first season of Downton Abbey sometime in early 2011. I was extremely taken with the setting and the costumes, of course, but I was also intrigued by the way the servants deferred to their masters and the degree of devotion and near-reverence they showed. Even Thomas and O’Brien, with all of their scheming, only schemed against other servants. The psychology of servitude and the way the servants seemed to buy wholeheartedly into the class system brought up so many questions for me.
I don’t really know why my brain made the leap to thinking, “Huh. What if those were slaves instead of servants?” but once I started thinking that, I couldn’t stop. I imagined slavish devotion amplified to an interdependent extreme. I imagined a slave who was well-trained, proud, and eager to prove himself, and then a master who was bashful and nervous and afraid to make full use of the slave. Obviously, the story veered pretty far afield of Downton Abbey right away!
3. Your book does not depict American historical slavery. How is slavery set up in your universe?
Slavery in this universe is not based on race. While there are black slaves in this series, there are also black masters. The two main characters in the Ganymede Quartet stories happen to be white. The slaves readers will meet in these books were bred and trained by slaving Houses; they know no other life, and for the most part are eager and willing to serve. This is not a story about slaves railing against their bonds!
4. What research did you do on the historical elements of the book, and how did you make your fantasy world fit in with the actual history?
I did a lot of research into Gilded Age New York, the history of sexuality, late-Victorian/Edwardian men’s clothing, the history of restaurants and fine dining, Coney Island, turn-of-the-century baseball, boys’ adventure stories, robber barons’ mansions, and virtually everything to do with daily life circa 1900. Even though this is a fantasy series, I wanted everything that wasn’t related to the slavery fantasy to be as realistic as possible, to give a real sense of the era.
It was surprisingly easy to fit slaves into the landscape. The people who own slaves in these stories are the sort who would have had grand houses full of servants in reality. Giving them an additional, very personal servant who was a combination social secretary, valet and bed partner wasn’t really such a stretch.
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The FREE prequel to the main four books in the series!
Martin of House Ganymede, trained as a companion slave, is eager for a master of his own. Everything he’s done in his short life has been to prepare him for auction day, and now all that waits is to be chosen. In being sold, he’ll be separated from the boys he’s lived and trained with his entire life, and it’s possible he won’t see them ever again. Goodbyes are hurried and emotions are raw as the slaves go on display for prospective masters. Martin has ideas about what he’d like in a master, though of course he’ll have no say in who will buy him. When he meets tall, handsome Henry Blackwell, he’s found the one he wants, but does this shy master want him?
A Superior Slave is a prequel introducing the books of the Ganymede Quartet, a fantasy of Gilded Age New York in which young men from the richest families form intense bonds with the slaves who serve them.
***
ORDER Book One in The Ganymede Quartet Series.
In the heat of August 1900, Henry Blackwell—rich, handsome, and painfully shy—anticipates the purchase of his companion slave, that most personal of properties, with equal parts excitement and dread. There are limits to what a gentleman might do with his slave and still remain a gentleman, and what Henry craves goes far beyond what’s allowed.
Martin, a slave from House Ganymede, is the most beautiful young man Henry’s ever seen, and he’s ready and willing to do as Henry commands, but Henry’s afraid to ask him for what he really needs. A master needn’t care what a slave thinks or how he feels, but Henry can’t help wanting Martin to like him anyway. If Henry could be certain Martin wanted the same things he does, he might be bold enough to reveal his secrets.
Unfolding against a backdrop of progress, privilege and turn-of-the-century amusements, the four installments of the Ganymede Quartet present an erotic coming-of-age fantasy of Gilded Age New York in which young men from the richest families form intense bonds with the slaves who serve them.
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Soon to be available at Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Sony, and more!
40% Off For Leta Blake’s 40th Birthday! Get The River Leith and Training Season Now! #mmromance #gay
Leta is turning 40! In celebration, she’s offering 40% off her books The River Leith and Training Season over at Smashwords! Find the coupon codes below.
OFFER ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2014!!!
The coupon code for THE RIVER LEITH at Smashwords is SG45C (not case-sensitive).
The coupon code for TRAINING SEASON at Smashwords is WR24Y (not case-sensitive).
Are You A Runner? Or A Fighter? — The Running Zachariah #mmromance #amreading
The Running Zachariah
(a word from Zachariah Stevens, a character in The River Leith)
I’ve always thought that some people are fighters and some people are runners. Leith’s always been a fighter. He fought for his addict dad, he fought in the ring, and he fought hard when it came to figuring out his sexuality. But, see, being a fighter isn’t always good. Sometimes people get hurt that way. Leith knows that all too well.
The way I see it, the main difference between a fighter and a runner is in their instincts. A fighter attacks the problem, clings to it, rolls around and wrestles it into submission. This is one way Leith hasn’t changed since the injury: he’s still going to wrestle with his demons—and my demons—until he’s beaten the fight out of them, until he has them in his grip.
I admire that about him. But I’m not the same.
See, I’ve always been a runner. I remember the summer I was nine. My friend Jeremy’s mother caught us with our pants down and our hands on each other’s little dicks. I barely got my shorts up before I was running out the door, running, running, running down the sidewalk, running into my house, running up to my bedroom, running back out again with a bag of clothes, running down the street toward the park, running until I realized I had nowhere to run to because I was too little to escape the consequences of what I’d done. So I walked back home, terrified. I had to fight the urge to run again when I faced the belt my grandmother wielded with a fierceness my mother could never muster.
My first instinct is always to run.
When I was older, I ran the circumference of the earth more than once. The cruise ship I worked on was nothing but me in constant running mode. No place to call home, no relationship to call permanent, and no commitments or mistakes stayed with me for more than a few weeks’ time.
It was during my cruise ship years I started my vlog. It was perfect for a runner like me: a place to dump my emotions and record my experiences, and then just leave them there to run away into the ever-changing world. It was like a cyber-anchor of sorts, a place I could tell myself I’d dropped meaning, off-loaded a piece of me, and yet the consequences of that deposit were, once again, something that didn’t stick around and impact my daily life.
My cruise ship years were exciting and emotionally superficial, but ultimately unsatisfying. My sister called it growing up. I called it loneliness settling in. Even runners need someone to love.
In New York, I found that someone. His name was Leith and he identified as straight. It wasn’t easy. He’s a fighter and I’m a runner after all. When he realized his attraction for me, he fought it hard, and I desperately wanted to run away from him. But I’d put myself in a situation where I was committed to a job and to running a bar, so I couldn’t leave.
Even though Leith fought his affection and attraction, it was only a matter of time until he wrestled the meaning of his feelings for me into a heated and intense conversation that ended up with us naked on the floor of his bedroom. After that, he stopped fighting his feelings and started fighting for me. And I stopped wanting to run away, and instead ran to him.
Then the accident happened and he lost his memory. I admit, I did some stupid things. I struggled with my urge to run as far away from the pain as I possibly could. But even though it took me awhile, I’ve learned that you can’t run away from pain. It finds you and you’ll feel it. It’ll take you down and wrestle you until you submit to it. Pain’s a fighter. Like Leith. Pain will get its grip on you.
But I’ve also learned that pain isn’t merciless. It lets joy have its way, as well. And that’s what this book, The River Leith, is about. It’s about me, Zachariah Stevens, learning not to run. It’s about Leith and his beautiful, merciless desire to fight for what he can no longer understand or remember feeling. It’s about how a runner and a fighter wrestled their way to a beautiful new life after losing the one they’d already fought to win together. It’s about love and how it never forgets.
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Twitter Users Freak Out About A Forbidden Rumspringa #gay #amish
A Superior Slave – Snippet from an Upcoming Free Book by @Darrah_Glass #mmromance #historicalfantasy
So, basically, Darrah Glass has written an amazing book series, and recently, after some discussion, decided to write a short, free story to introduce the world of the series. This short book is called A Superior Slave and should be available very soon, definitely by the end of the month at the very latest. And, again, it will be FREE. But, in the meantime, Darrah has posted a small snippet that should give you some idea of what to expect. Gah, I love this series so much. You will too!
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This is from A SUPERIOR SLAVE, a prequel I wrote as an introduction to the universe of the GANYMEDE QUARTET. The prequel and the first book are to be released imminently. Anyway, this is 6 lines from page 24:
Martin thought the things his friends hoped for were very reasonable, very modest. He did not want to share his hopes because they were not reasonable at all. He wanted a handsome master, kind and affectionate, who’d touch him like a lover and treat him like a friend, and these wishes were desperately, unrealistically romantic. He’d been taught as much at Ganymede and it had been made very clear: his master would be an ordinary boy with an extraordinary bank account, and he would be under no obligation to think of his slave as a person.
SOURCE: Darrah’s Facebook
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I tried to find some nice, old, Victorian photos to go with this post, since Darrah’s books reflect a fantasy, sexy, slave-y alternate history at the dawn of the Gilded Age. These all came from mydaguerrotypeboyfriend.
“Beautiful book!” The River Leith is a September Top Read! #mmromance @DiverseReader
“I heard so many praises over The River Leith! I had it on my TBR list and was going to buy it when I WON IT! A signed copy from Leta Blake. I got it in the mail and devoured it! I couldn’t put it down. It was heartbreaking and glorious! All I kept think as I read this was, Love is felt more than it’s remembered. I don’t know what I’d do if I was Leith or Zach! But they figured it out. One knowing and remembering the other going strictly on his gut and his heart. Beautiful book! ”
via StraightNotNarrow: We all have an opinion, here’s mine…: September Top Reads.
“where the heck have you been, Amelia?” Making sexy books apparently! #gay #erotica @ACGormley
What has Amelia Gormley been up to this summer? Apparently being part of this military men box set!
“My story is titled The Houseboy: Initiation, and is nothing short of pure, unadulterated erotica. Seriously. There are a lot of stories where I go for “smut with substance” and there is a lot happening behind the sexytiems. This…is not one of those times. It’s Daddy kink. It’s BDSM. It’s age difference, virginity kink, gangbang, objectification, semi-public sex, exhibitionism, and God only knows what else. In many ways, it’s what Strain would have been without the angst and the fuck-or-die element driving the plot. If that sounds like your cuppa, I’ll be sharing an excerpt in my next post.”
via The summer in review or: “where the heck have you been, Amelia?” | The fiction of Amelia C. Gormley.
Click on through to read more of Amelia’s upcoming books, or click the photo above to go purchase this massive box set! Only 99 cents!
There’s plenty of butt sex! This is not an inspirational #Amish romance! #gay
“It seems that if you write a romance featuring Amish characters, it is automatically classified as “sweet” i.e. no sex and “inspirational” i.e. Christian. During the pre-order period on Amazon, A Forbidden Rumspringa has simultaneously ranked on these bestseller lists:
Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Erotica
Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Amish
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance >Inspirational > Amish
Er, that’s quite a combination, Amazon! For the record, A Forbidden Rumsprina is not sweet or inspirational. There is explicit sex, and while religion plays a major role in Isaac and David’s lives, this isn’t a Christian romance. I suppose I might be reaching a whole new audience thanks to Amazon’s algorithms, but I hope it won’t end in backlash from unsuspecting readers. I did add a note in the blurb that there’s copious butt fucking and no authorial bible thumping I might not have used those exact words, so we shall see. I’ve been fiddling with the keywords as well.”
read more about Keira Andrew’s new book and pre-order via This is not an inspirational #Amish romance.
“M/M romance fans won’t want to miss out on this one.” The Reading Room Blog: *Review* The River Leith by Leta Blake
“M/M romance fans won’t want to miss out on this one. Leith and Zach are two lovable heroes and their love story is one that I won’t forget any time soon.”
via The Reading Room Blog: *Review* The River Leith by Leta Blake.
Buy at ARe. Buy at Amazon. Buy at Smashwords. Buy at Kobo. Buy at Barnes & Noble. Buy at iTunes.
Looking for M/M Book Recommendations! Help a Girl Out! #wannabereading #reading
Book recommendations, por favor! What I’m looking for specifically includes any of the following:
1) Your absolute go-to m/m book.
2) Good effeminate character in a m/m book.
3) Favorite nerd/jock trope, yay!
4) Favorite comfort read.
5) Best m-preg because I’m a contrarian and when people hate something, I gotta have some of it.
Anything else you think I need to check out! I’ve got a ton of books on my e-reader right now, but for some reason none of them are really speaking to me. I need to spend some money. 😛
Artemis in the Desert: adventure on two wheels @FlickerJax @AnniePearsonOK
“It’s the newest book in my mom’s Rain City Comedy of Manners series, Artemis in the Desert. Just in time for beach reading, bed reading, park reading, weekend reading, airport reading, or really any kind of reading there is. Like the other books in the series Nine Volt Heart–likeable rock stars, and The Grrrl of Limberlost–punk rock nerd girl coder it features strong female characters, crazy bad guys and such lush backdrop descriptions that you’ll wish you were there inside the book well except maybe camping in the cold rain in the desert, you won’t wish for that but you’ll really feel it. And like all her other books, even though I’ve already read it a couple times in various stages of completion I’m going to read it again now that i can just enjoy it.”
Find out more about Annie Pearson’s books via not far from the tree part one | Ajax Bell.
Writing Big Books: How To Keep Track of Many Characters/Storylines #writing @anniepearsonOK
“I began writing big books like the Accidental Heretics series because I like to read big books.Right now, I’m buried in the last 10% of Book 3 in the series. One of my writing friends Leta Blake, who is fantastic commented about what it takes to manage the complexity of big books with many characters. At her prompting, I’m sharing more here about my methods.”
via Getting to the End: Crux Lunata « Heresy and Rain. <–Check out Annie Pearson’s process for keeping up with multiple storylines and characters. Impressive stuff!
Sizzling Arctic Fire! A hot #gay military novella from Keira Andrews! Plus 16 sizzling other stories!
From the link below:
“Meet Jack and Kin from my novella Arctic Fire.
Haunted by what he lost in Afghanistan, Captain Jack Turner is at a crossroads. A routine mission to the Arctic gets him out from behind his boring new desk, but he starts off on the wrong foot with the Canadian Ranger guiding him across the forbidding and dangerous land. Jack doesn’t know where he belongs, but he’d rather be anywhere than sharing a tent with Sergeant Kin Carsen.
The Arctic is in Kin’s blood, and he can’t seem to leave the tundra behind. He wishes he could live openly as a gay man, but the north isn’t as accepting as the rest of Canada. Although he’s lonely, he’s proud of his responsibility as a Ranger, patrolling the vast land he knows so well. But he’s on unfamiliar ground with Jack, and when they’re stranded alone by a blizzard, unexpected desire begins to burn. Soon they’re locked in a struggle to survive, and all these strangers have is each other.”
Click the following link to read an excerpt of Keira’s new novella! And, in even better news, there are going to be 16 sizzling gay military men stories for only 99 cents!.
Five Stars for A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews! #gay #mmromance Love This One!!
A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a beta reader of this book, I should admit my potential bias up front. But, having said that, I think this is Keira Andrews’ best book to date. The forward momentum, the sexual tension, the sexual fulfillment, and the quandary the characters find themselves in are all wonderfully drawn. Both protagonists are relatable, lovable, and sexy. This one has such an exciting ending that I’m excited to see the rest of the series! Cannot wait for more of these sexy, sweet Amish boys!
As an aside, the research that went into this book is phenomenal and I loved learning about this particular sect of Amish. (Apparently, there are many different groups of Amish who have different rules and regulations.) The religious situation is set up well without dwelling too heavily on God-y concerns or dragging the book down with a lot of religious angst. The angst mainly operates out of sense of identity/family/home and how one moves through that when all of one’s urges and romantic feelings defy what is acceptable.
But, most importantly, the book is about Isaac and David, and their sweet, stumbling need for love and each other. Oh, just delightful stuff! I think Keira gets better and better with each book she writes. Readers will not be disappointed! And, to reiterate, I really, really, really cant wait for book two!
Oh, and just to be clear, this is not an “inspirational romance” kind of book. There is plenty of sexual conent in these pages. Just in case one might imagine this to be a Christian romance. Nope. It is not a Gay Amish Janette Oake. 😉 Not at all.
The River Leith is an I Heart Indies Finalist! #gay #contemporaryromance
I got this in my email yesterday! Oh my goodness! Exciting!
Dear Leta,
Congratulations! It is our honor to let you know your book The River Leith is a finalist in the contemporary category of the 2014 I Heart Indie Contest! The competition was tough since we had so many excellent entries. We are thrilled you made it to the final round.
Other than celebrating, there’s nothing you need to do at this point. Your book, along with the other finalists, will be submitted for final judging to the agent assigned to your category. The winner will be announced at the Las Vegas Romance Writer’s booth at the Vegas Valley Book Festival on October 18, 2014. You are welcome to join us at the festival, but if you are unable, you will be notified of the results on that day.
http://lvrwa.org/i-heart-indie-contest/
“Leta Blake has given us a compelling love story” Geoffrey Segebarth’s review of Training Season #mmromance #gay
“Leta Blake has given us a compelling love story that carries the reader through both rural Montana and New York City. (I had to remind myself that I was really here in St. Petersburg.) It is beautifully written and it portrays the harsh demands of top level figure skating. Another great feature of the novel was the absence of any villainous or homophobic characters. Training Season is a fairly long novel and this reader shed tears on a number of occasions. It you’re interested in a love story that enwraps you in the worlds of both Matty and Rob this is a sure bet.”
Amazon.com: Geoffrey Segebarth “Geoff Segebarth”‘s review of Training Season.
