Leta Blake

author. human. working hard to become stellar at life.

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“I don’t know how Leta keeps doing it!” Roger Grace’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams #mmromance #gay

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“I don’t know how Leta keeps doing it, each time I read one of her books, I have a new favorite by her. I just can’t stop getting pulled into the story and enjoying it so much. This book should be read and enjoyed. can’t say enough just know that the origami swan on the cover is there for a reason. there is a lot of pain and a lot of redemption in this moving story. And each of the stories are different from each other.”

read more via Amazon.com: Roger G Grace’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And now at KOBO.

“My first Leta Blake book, and I’m so glad I read it.” Alan Katz’s Review of Smoky Mountain Dreams #gay #romance

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“My first Leta Blake book, and I’m so glad I read it.

Ms. Blake is a talented author – in other hands, all the heartache might have turned into melodrama, which it did not. In fact, the book was very moving, the characters highly empathetic and it grabbed me from the very first page. I read it in a single sitting.”

via Amazon.com: Alan Arthur Katz’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And now at KOBO.

Santa Wishes from Characters – Jesse & Christopher – Smoky Mountain Dreams

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Now it’s Jesse and Christopher’s turn!

From All About the Writing:

It’s that glorious time of year when everyone whispers sweet nothings in Santa’s ear, hoping for a little extra something in their Christmas stocking. Fictional characters are no different.

So this is what I posed to my writer friends:

One of your characters is sitting on Santa’s lap, and whispers something in Santa’s ear. Who is it, and what did they say to ole Saint Nick?

(- See more at: http://www.allaboutthewriting.com/donna_j_cummings/2014/12/santa-baby.html#sthash.yzR7PW7c.dpuf)

Jesse: I’m not a big believer in Santa Claus but if I could have anything this Christmas it would be some sort of legal way to take over my wife’s care from my sister-in-law. The lack of resolution for everyone is still hard, though having Christopher in our lives makes it easier.

Christopher: I got everything I wanted for Christmas, Santa. Thank you. You really delivered this year. You’re the best. Now, if you’d maybe fix my family up a little that would be–no, never mind. I’m good. I don’t really need any of them nosing around in my life. So thanks anyway. I hope you have a nice holiday break, Santa, after all the presents get delivered. Thank you again. You’ve been so good to me.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And now at KOBO.

Can a Master Belong to a Slave? – A Master’s Fidelity (GQ Book 2.5) released! | Darrah Glass #free #gay

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“Can a master belong to a slave?

It’s a season for celebration, and Martin is falling in love. Henry has always been adamant he won’t share Martin with any other master, but when Henry accepts an invitation to a friend’s New Year’s Eve party, Martin wonders if Henry has changed his mind. Certain that this will turn out to be one of the masters’ notorious swapping parties, Martin resolves to do whatever Henry asks of him, with whoever Henry chooses, without question. But faced with the idea of Henry being intimate with any other slave, Martin despairs, wanting Henry all to himself. A good slave would never ask for a master’s fidelity, but that’s just what Martin wants to do.

This story is told from Martin’s point of view and runs parallel to events that take place in the final scenes of A Proper Lover, the second book in the Ganymede Quartet.

PLEASE NOTE: It is my intention to offer this story for free, but some retailers don’t allow authors to set a price of zero. If you want to pay $0.99 for this story, I won’t stop you, but I do encourage you to let Amazon know it’s available elsewhere for FREE. If they get enough requests, they should eventually match that price.”

via A Master’s Fidelity (GQ Book 2.5) released! | Darrah Glass.

AMF @ Amazon

AMF @ B&N

AMF @ Smashwords

AMF @ Kobo

AMF @ Scribd

Can a Slave Ever Really Be a Proper Lover? Book Two of Ganymede Quartet Begins to Ask #gay #amreading

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What does it mean to belong to someone?

Henry Blackwell is the happiest he’s ever been, and it’s all because of his companion slave Martin. Every experience, whether it be mundane or spectacular, is improved by having Martin at his side. The better Henry gets to know his slave, the deeper his feelings grow. Though the physical attraction between them is undeniable, Henry’s sure there’s more to their relationship than just sex. He can’t be certain, as it’s never happened before, but he believes he might be falling in love.

Henry’s friends are ready and willing to put their own slaves aside in favor of female companionship, and they’re beginning to wonder why Henry isn’t interested in girls. Henry only wants to be with Martin and doesn’t know how much longer he can use “late bloomer” as an excuse. The holiday season approaches, along with the promise of parties with friends and family. Henry doesn’t want to share Martin with his friends, but he doesn’t like being left out. Will he stand up for himself—and Martin—when it counts?

This is the second of four installments in the Ganymede Quartet, continuing Henry & Martin’s story from A Most Personal Property (Ganymede Quartet Book 1).

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A Proper Lover by Darrah Glass begins where Book One, A Most Personal Property, left off. The book begins to ask and explore the question of love between a slave and his owner. Can either man be a proper lover when one owns the other? This is a question to be fully explored later in the series but begins to be touched on in this book when Henry begins to investigate his deeper emotions for his slave Martin against a backdrop of other boys who want girls and a society where being queer just isn’t ever acceptable.

This alternate universe of 1900 New York City is so thorough and accurate to the time-period, including the style of the time, and so well-drawn that many times while reading I forget that this isn’t an actual historical book.

The Ganymede Quartet books are some of my desert island reads. They are so incredibly thorough and wonderfully long that I would want them with me to roll around in for ages and ages while I waste away on my desert isle. 🙂 I’d scribble fanfiction for them in the sand! I’d write an AU piece about Henry and Martin on a desert island! 😀 I eagerly await the next installment!

Available on:

Amazon

Kobo

Smashwords

Scribd

and soon to come at Barnes & Noble.

“Leta’s words are so good you always want more.” Smoky Mountain Dreams #gay #amreading

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“Leta’s words are so good you always want more. And I wouldn’t mind getting more of these two guys at all! I’m hoping there will be a sequel. *crosses fingers*”

via Goodreads | Pates Saint Louis, MO’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And now at KOBO.

“Tension, drama, misunderstanding and hope, all the things I like in my HEAs!” 5 stars – Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake #1Click #amreading

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“I have a list of hopelessly romantic authors…and Leta Blake just made the cut. There is tension, drama, misunderstanding and hope, all the things I like in my HEAs.Highly recommend.”

via Amazon.com: Portia’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

Smoky Mountain Dreams is a Bestseller! Wow! #mmromance #ebook

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Yesterday afternoon, I got this crazy message! 😀

Congratulations!

Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake has just hit the Allromance.com Bestseller List!

You can check out all of the Allromance.com Bestsellers here: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/bestsellers.html.

I am absolutely thrilled. Thank you, Readers, for loving this book! I’m so proud to be able to add the ARe Bestseller icon to this book’s page! (Uh, when I finally make it!)

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Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake AVAILABLE NOW #gay #mmromance

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My next book, Smoky Mountain Dreams, has been a wonderful journey for me and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to write the stories of Jesse and Christopher. I’d like to thank my friend Alice Springs for loving the book first and for encouraging me to finish it. I hope readers love it even half as much as Alice did from the start!

Sometimes holding on means letting go After giving up on his career as a country singer in Nashville, Christopher Ryder is happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee. But while his beloved Gran loves him the way he is, Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. Even when he’s center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.

Bisexual Jesse Birch has no room in his life for dating. Raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother, he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.

 

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And will soon be available at KOBO.

Cover Reveal: Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake #gay #mmromance #amreading

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I am so thrilled to present the cover for my next book Smoky Mountain Dreams. This gorgeous cover is the creation of Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs and I think she has once again outdone herself!

Smoky Mountain Dreams will be released to the wild on November 18, 2014. It’s a story that I started about four years ago and then set aside in favor of working on some other books. My dear friend Alice Springs, who had read the initial 20% of the first draft, asked out of the blue last spring when I was going to finish this book because, “I’ve never read a gay romance like that one and I loved it so much.” Cue me pulling up the unfinished manuscript, reading it over, and deciding, “You know what, friend? I think now is your time.” And so it is. Thank you, Alice, for reminding me to love this book. You’re the best.

Sometimes holding on means letting go Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he's still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He's raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There's no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He’s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart. Find out more on Goodreads.

ETA:

Buy links!

SMD at Amazon
SMD at Smashwords

EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL: Fated by Indra Vaughn | Smut Book Club

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After the quintessential gay romance novel The House on Hancock Hill, Indra Vaughn decided to dip her pen into a darker, more mysterious world. Be the first to take a look at the cover of book one in her new Shadow Mountain series.

via EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL: Fated by Indra Vaughn | Smut Book Club.

I absolutely love this series. I’ve had the pleasure of reading the first two books for this author and it just gets better and better. *bounces* Check it out.

99 cents in November! Fan Fave Training Season by Leta Blake. #sale #99cents #gay

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Just a reminder that Training Season is available for 99 cents through the end of November! Only at Amazon!

“Does Training Season by Leta Blake live up to all it’s crazy hype? IT SO DOES!” – Breann, Boy Meets Boy Reviews

“A tale told with such flair and tenderness, and with such insight into the two main characters that I will read it over and over again.” – Susan Mac Nicol, The Romance Review Site

“If you are looking something real with passion that leaps off the pages, read this book. Now. You will NOT be disappointed.” – Mama Kitty Reviews

“I am stunned. I am shocked. What did I just read? A wonderful story? A gorgeous tale of love, hope, loss, acceptance, forgiveness? All of the above? You bet your sweet ass.” – The Risque Redhead Reviews

“I loved it in pretty much every way it’s possible to love a book and its characters.” – Lisa, The Novel Approach

“I’m emotionally drained after finishing Training Season by Leta Blake! Nothing better than a story that keeps you thinking of the characters when you aren’t reading. And now that I’ve finished, I want to go back and reread it.”- Lady McNeill, Ms. Condit and Friends Read Books

“Highly recommended with 5+ glittery hearts and one unforgettable North Star!” – Wendy, Hearts On Fire Reviews

“I feel like I could talk about this book forever. It took me on an emotional journey that was really wonderful and I highly recommend it.” – Joyfully Jay, M/M Romance Reviews And More

“This book is the epitome of perfection.” – Yuki, Read Me to The End of the World

“A memorable story so sweetly told that it’s a real hardship when the story ends and you realise that even though Rob and Matty have their Happily Ever After, you don’t because you want to keep on reading!” – Susan Mac Nicol, The Romance Review Site

via Training Season – Kindle edition by Leta Blake. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com..

A Call for Help! #marketing #outsidethebox #fantasy finding an audience | @Darrah_Glass

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“I didn’t set out to create something problematic, yet somehow I ended up with a very long story divided into four books with teenage main characters who have lots of graphic sex in a historical setting featuring a non-historical version of slavery as a prominent fantasy element.Despite their ages, it’s definitely not  a YA book.

Despite the detailed 1900 setting, it’s not entirely historical because, hello, there are slaves. Because there are slaves, it’s a fantasy, but it’s certainly not classical fantasy with magic or dragons.  And despite the presence of slaves, it’s not a BDSM story.  All of these things are marketing problems.Of course, none of this seemed like it would be an issue while I was writing the books.”

via finding an audience | Darrah Glass.

Darrah is really hopeful she can strike up a dialogue with other authors who have successfully navigated the marketing of something that is quite outside any prescribed box. If you’ve got information or advice, click on through!

Autumn Sale! .99 for Training Season by Leta Blake – November at Amazon ONLY! #mmromance #gay

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Head on over to Amazon to get fan favorite, Training Season, for only 99 cents!

Only .99 at Amazon for the month of November. (Starts October 30, though, because I'm jumping the gun for fun.)
Only .99 at Amazon for the month of November. (Starts October 30, though, because I’m jumping the gun for fun.)

“Do you think it’s bad luck to talk about what sort of master we’d like?” A Superior Slave Excerpt #mmromance #amreading

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A FREE prequel to the awesome Ganymede Quartet series!
A FREE prequel to the awesome Ganymede Quartet 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.

 

BUY LINKS:

Smashwords

B&N

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.

5 Fantastic, Overwhelming, Obsessing Stars to A Most Personal Property by @Darrah_Glass

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A Most Personal Property (Ganymede Quartet Book 1)A Most Personal Property by Darrah Glass

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book that left you walking around for weeks in a daze of daydreaming about the characters? Have you ever read a book that tempted you to write fanfiction for the universe because you just couldn’t let it go? Have you read a universe so thoroughly realized that you just want to roll around in it for ages? This book (series, really) was all of that for me and more.

It hasn’t been since Ginn Hale’s Rifter series that I’ve been so taken with characters and their world. I have spent countless hours since reading an early draft of this book thinking of the completely realized side-characters, the intensely relatable main characters, and even making up little side stories in my head for their future.

I can’t fathom reading this series and not falling in love with Henry and Martin, not rooting for them and their dangerous relationship. I can’t fathom NOT reading this series, period, actually, because it has so impacted me and set my mind on fire with feeling and inspiration.

I’d tell you more particulars about the book, but I almost feel like every single bit of it is worth discovering for yourself. Every character, every interaction, every moment is so wonderful and intense that I don’t want to take any of it away from a reader by relating it in advance. Suffice it to say, this book comes with my absolute highest recommendation.

This is just the first book in a four book series (which will also have some side stories that go along with it, but are not required for the rest of the series) and I can’t wait for Book 2! This is just such a lush, wonderful, fantastic world!

View all my reviews

Available now at:
AMAZON

SMASHWORDS

Coming soon to B&N, iTunes, and more!

Superior Slaves? Shy Masters? It’s The Amazing Ganymede Quartet! A New M/M Romance Series by @Darrah_Glass #gay #amreading

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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! 

FREE on Smashwords, .99 on Amazon (help it be free by reporting the lower price at Amazon!)
FREE on Smashwords, .99 on Amazon (help it be free by reporting the lower price at Amazon!)

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.

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ORDER Book One in The Ganymede Quartet Series.

Preorder Book One!
Order Book One!

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!

A Superior Slave – Snippet from an Upcoming Free Book by @Darrah_Glass #mmromance #historicalfantasy

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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.

Artist Heinrich Vogeler, circa 1895, age 23.

Winston Churchill was a hot little twink. Dayum. Age 21, in his officer’s uniform, looking like a delicious thing. Unf.
Émile Nelligan, age 20 in 1899. First published at 16, this French-Canadian poet suffered a mental breakdown the same year this photograph was taken. He never recovered.

 

JAMIE LAKE – A NEW M/M AUTHOR ON THE SCENE #mmromance #.99

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Writing M/M gay romances are not easy as new author, Jamie Lake is the first to admit but when I connected with him, he told me his secret to the success of his book series ‘Bad Boy’ and what his writing process was in creating it.

 

For those who aren’t familiar with the Bad Boy series, tell us about it. It’s the story of a really hot teacher who becomes desperate for money when his hours are cut and the only choice he has is to moonlight as an erotic masseuse for men. The problem is, he has to keep is profession a secret from the school and it’s right when he meets the guy of his dreams, who happens to be not only one of his student’s dads but also a cop.

 

If you could be any of your characters in Bad Boy for a day, who would you choose and why? I’d say Chip cause he’s so hot. I’d touch myself all day. Haha. And also cause he’s a parent and I’d love to be a dad one day soon. I think I’d love a daughter but I’m open to whatever God blesses me with.

 

How long did it take you to write Bad Boy? The first Bad Boy book, I think might have taken me a few weeks. I can write a book in a week or less but by the time it goes through editing and copyediting, it can take a few weeks, sometimes longer.

 

How do you plan your writing day? Well, I get up first thing in the morning and after taking a leak and walking the dogs and procrastinating, I’ll try to write in 20 minute sessions. I usually, that early in the morning, manage to do a couple of sessions before I take my morning nap and then I wake up and try write at least until 3pm with those 20 minute sessions. If I have any drive left after that, I try to write more. I go to bed between 7:30pm-10pm every night but I always get up at 4am either way. Sometimes I’ll watch a TV show on Amazon Prime before I go to bed.

 

Writing so many different series from The Trainer, Boyfriend for Rent, Marked for Love, Stay Always and Bad Boy, do you ever get the characters mixed up? No, because I focus on just one book series at a time. I could juggle two probably, like write one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, but I prefer not.

What m/m books other than your own do you recommend people to read? I’m a big fan of what Kindle Alexander and River James are doing. And I love Sara York. They’re all awesome people.

 

What are some of the biggest misconceptions that you think people who don’t read m/m have about the genre? Many people assume the books are all about sex and that seems to be the consensus of what a lot of people think about gay relationships. They are so focused on the sex part, they don’t stop to think about the relationship. Many of my straight male friends talk about the exact same relationship problems with their girlfriends that I’ve experienced with my boyfriends.

 

Where can we get a copy of Bad Boy? You can get it exclusively on Amazon  or email me at JamieLakeNovels AT gmail.