Leta Blake

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

Reading

“I loved every bit of this book and found myself longing for more!” 5 stars – Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake #mmromance #bestseller

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Wendy at Hearts On Fire Revews says:

This book is set in the fall of the year leading up to Christmas. It’s my favorite season leading to my favorite holiday. I love the scenery that Mother Nature puts on display – the vivid hues of reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves on the trees and bushes. Not everything is beautiful because there are also the darker browns and almost colorless debris that can be found as well. It all seemed kind of symbolic of the depth and complexity, the bright spots and struggles that can be found in this story. And just like my favorite season, I loved every bit of this book while it lasted and found myself longing for more in the end.

The reds, oranges and yellows:

• Christopher – humble and good to the core. He’s a man who adores his Gran and hears her advice in his head when he needs a little reality check. He has reconciled himself to always being second best (in life and in love). He puts others first even if it means heartache for himself. He secretly longs to belong in a family and to have someone really “see” him and actually make him their first choice. I would so totally make him mine if I could (or hug the stuffing out of him trying).
• Jesse – devoted and loyal. He’s open and honest and sincere about trying to do the right things whether it’s caring for and advocating for his wife, guiding his children or speaking openly with Christopher (I loved how Chris and Jesse could actually communicate and share their true thoughts with one another). He may have been bi-sexual, but it really seemed to be a one-off with his wife. He was a man’s man in all other respects.
• Strong women – Christopher’s Gran and Jesse’s sister Amanda were both awesome in their ability to give the best advice and guide their respective men with a swift kick in the ass when needed!
• The passion and the sex – reds, oranges and yellows definitely represent how hot and colorful these guys were when getting down to business. From the exceptional love of rimming (so very intimate), to down and dirty talk, to the creative use of, um, pearls, to their own special post anal sex soothing ritual, I loved being privy to their private moments and very glad they were quite plentiful!

READ MORE OF HER REVIEW AT HEARTS ON FIRE!

Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:

AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER

And now at KOBO.

“AMAZING EVERYTHING!” Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake ~ #free at Crystal’s Many Reviewers #gay

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Crystal is giving away a copy of ANY one of my books to a commenter on her blog. Go comment for your chance to win! 😀

“I feel as though I should start this review off with this statement, I personally do NOT pay more than 4.99 for an eBook and the fact that I bought this book with its price of 5.99 should tell you something right there. I have yet to read a book by Ms. Blake that I haven’t loved, and this book didn’t disappoint me in the slightest.  Ms. Blake was able to create a world that was so fascinating and involved that while reading, I literally felt as though I was going through everything that the characters were going through.”

Read more and comment via Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake ~ Crystal’s Many Reviewers.

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.

 

Smoky Mountain Dreams #1 Bestseller on Amazon’s Gay Romance, Gay Fiction, Hot New Releases #1Click #amreading

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On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up to so much to be grateful for…and that was before I was alerted by text that Smoky Mountain Dreams had gone to #1 on the Amazon Gay Romance, Gay Fiction, and Hot New Releases charts!

SMDat1

THANK YOU, READERS! A book is nothing without a reader and you guys are amazing! Thank you for buying, reading, and trusting the book with your time and money. It’s an honor to be given that kind of trust. I hope not to ever abuse it.

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.

Another 5 star rave for Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake! #gayromance #ebooks

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“Oh my gosh. I loved, loved, loved this book. I stayed up until 3:30 am finishing it because I could just NOT put it down. There are so many different scenes I could reference- scenes that took my breath away. I have been reading M/M romances for several years now and I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore. This book surprised me in the best way possible. The emotional connection between Christopher and Jesse was so intense, beautiful, and honest. Stop whatever you are doing and it read it now. But clear your schedule because you won’t be able to stop reading until the last page!!!”

via Amazon.com: Lori Hinsdale’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.

Leta Blake’s Writing/Release Plans for 2015 #bythepowerofbono #gayromance #loveislove

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So, when Smoky Mountain Dreams came out last week I had a lot of people saying, “Wait, what? You have a new book? We didn’t know anything about that! Why didn’t you say? I can’t believe I didn’t know!”

I was a little surprised by their reaction since I’ve done little else since June except think about Smoky Mountain Dreams (and the hopefully upcoming Training Season sequel, tentatively titled Training Complex), and surely my mental thought processes are broadcast worldwide every day at 3:15pm, right?

*wanders off into mental playland for the next paragraph; you can probably skip it*

Oh, yes, via the Power of Bono, my thoughts and dreams and aspirations are downloaded onto your iTunes playlists and inserted into the middle of that new Taylor Swift or Foo Fighters song, thus invasively keeping you abreast of my every thought and feeling. So cool, right? No? Well, it’s probably for the best that I don’t have that horrific power. I’d hate for all of my stuff to clutter up the mental space meant for all your stuff. And my beloved Sinead O’Connor would consider it an act of terrorism for me to use the Power of Bono in such an intrusive way. And I would too, actually.

But, uh, I’m babbling. About bullshit. Excuse me. Sometimes I get silly.

Anyway, I suddenly realized based on readers’ surprised reactions to the release of Smoky Mountain Dreams that, hey, maybe I didn’t talk about the upcoming book in a public way very much at all. And, jeez, maybe I should probably try to do that sort of thing a bit better.

The trouble is that I’m a bit superstitious about talking publicly about release dates and upcoming books. I don’t like the idea of getting anyone’s heart set on a book, only to find that my fitful muse has taken off down a new path with a glittery new friend, (temporarily) abandoning the project I’d already told everyone to expect. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.

[BREAK: OMG HOW AMAZING, HOW UTTERLY AMAZING, THAT I HAVE READERS WHO MIGHT BE DISAPPOINTED IN A BOOK’S DELAY!?! PINCH ME! IS THIS REAL LIFE!?! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE!]

But I do want people to have some idea of what I’m working on. Though, I admit springing a new book on folks is a bit fun. LOL. But despite that, I’ll go ahead and tell you what I’ve got cooking.

Attention: my muse insists that I tell you all that this is subject to change at her whim. But if we all tread lightly and speak very quietly, she might not get contrary on us.

1) Training Complex – the sequel to Training Season (which, by the by, is on sale for 99 cents until the end of November). I’m hopeful this book will be ready to release this spring. Probably late spring, but, yes, this spring is what I’m aiming for. I’m a little bit of a mess about this book. I can’t decide if it’s any good–though beta readers tell me it is–and so I feel like I’m wrestling a massive stone as it rolls down a hill completely out of control, bumping and bruising me along the way. At least it hasn’t cracked any bones…yet. Anyway, Matty and Rob are having…well, a lot of intense sex, honestly. *bites nails* I’m a bit uncertain of the reception this book will get because, well, yeah. Loads of intense sex. Let’s put it this way–they aren’t backing down from their Training Season sexual antics into some staid, sweet sex life. They’re into button pushing and…so they’re gonna push buttons. Hopefully these will be good buttons for many of you and if not…well, it’s all Matty’s fault. It was his idea to begin with.

2) Pictures of You series – This is a four book series that is more like one very long-ass book told in four novel-length parts. I try to end each book at a natural breaking point, a pause in the action so to speak, but the full resolution of any particular storyline doesn’t come until Book Four. I am 100% committing to having Book One out in September of 2015. I’ve had it mostly done for well over a year, but I am superstitious, like I said above, and didn’t want to put the first book out until I had a draft of the last book. Well, that’s still my aim, but even if I don’t have a full draft by September? Out Book One goes. Pictures of You series is set in the early 1990s and follows the main character, Peter, over the course of his senior year of high school and his first year of college. It’s a definite coming-of-age story arc with a lot of growing up, a focus on romance, and sex. Yay for sex! 😛 Hopefully it will be embraced by readers, but I recognize it isn’t necessarily everyone’s cupp.

3) Priest/Rockstar with Indra Vaughn – I threw out the idea for this combo on Facebook the other day and Indra jumped on me via email about writing it with her and next thing I knew I’d committed to starting this with her in March (or April). It’s gonna be an angsty one, guys. OMG YAY! 😀 I’ve started reading a on of rock star bios in preparation. Indra’s taking the priest POV and so I’ll leave that research mostly to her. Though I did read a bunch of books about the modern priesthood about six years ago (is that still modern? life moves so fast!) when I was researching a novel that I call Japanese Saint and which hasn’t even been started yet.

At this point, once these books are done, I’ll reevaluate about what to tackle next. I have quite a long list of works in progress and story ideas. I have three books that are more than half complete–Stalking Book One (the prequel to the freebie Stalking Dreams), a very dark erotica piece with a lot of very bad choices made, and an angel book that I’m quite fond of but requires a lot of work to finish off–and I’ve got a heterosexual romance novel idea that won’t let me go. I feel like if I want to work on the het book at all, then I need to have a year’s worth of m/m books “in the bag” to allow myself the time to complete a full novel in a different genre. (Though, really, why is it a different genre? Romance is romance. Love is love. Pfft.) Some of my other book ideas have been screaming at me for awhile–a heist book, a young adult book, a trans novel. And I have really fun ones planned in the Training Season Universe (Angus/Bill, Elliot/his love interest, etc). Then I also have ideas for continuation of the Smoky Mountain Dreams Universe (SEQUEL!), and, of course, new universes that I haven’t written yet.

All the books and too little time to write them! I always have new ideas for books! Any way, there y’all go. My current plans for writing/releasing books. Here’s to this next year being as productive or more productive than this year. Let’s do this thang.

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

Seattle? Club Kid? Older Man? Fall In Love with This Charming Man by Ajax Bell #gay #amreading @flickerjax

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WILL SEATTLE MAKE A MAN OF HIM YET?

It’s 1991 and Steven Frazier has danced away half a decade in the Seattle club scene with his beautiful-but-poisonous best friend, Adrian. Two glittering princes against the world, too high above life to care about what they might be missing.But everything changes when a chance meeting with older—not to mention handsome—businessman John Pieters, reveals a cosmopolitan world and possible futures Steven’s never considered.Flashy club clothes won’t impress John, this charming man who knows so much about many things. Motivated by fantasies inspired by his crush on John, can Steven finally fight Adrian’s sick hold?As he steps out into the larger world, supported by new friends, Steven must prove to John—and to himself—that he’s not a hedonistic rhinestone club kid, but a true diamond in the rough.

via This Charming Man Queen City Boys Book 1 – Kindle edition by Ajax Bell. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com..

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.)

Unf! She nails it! This is what I loved, too! | Anne-Marie’s review of A Most Personal Property by @Darrah_Glass

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“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.

Unf. So good!
Unf. So good!

“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.

“Beautiful book!” The River Leith is a September Top Read! #mmromance @DiverseReader

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“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.

 

The-River-Leith-Animated