Leta Blake

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

romance

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.

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!

“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.

Writer Research Help: some words NOT in use in 1900 | @Darrah_Glass #slang

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“With Ganymede Quartet, I tried to make all the things that weren’t slavery in the 20th century as historically accurate as possible, and that included the language I used. Here are some words that would have come in handy but were not appropriate for the time period.”

click through to Darrah’s site to find out what those words might be –> some words not in use in 1900 | Darrah Glass.

 

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!

free ebook: A Superior Slave Ganymede Quartet Book 0.5 | @Darrah_Glass #mmromance #gay

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“I’m pleased to share the first story in the Ganymede Quartet, a gay coming-of-age historical fantasy. The fantasy aspect involves a version of Gilded Age New York City that is quite recognizable except that slavery exists in a form that differs in significant ways from historical slavery.

There are four books in the main series thus Quartet and there will be several side stories in addition to this one. While this is not required reading to enjoy the series, it’s FREE, and it offers an in-depth introduction to one of the main characters.”

via free ebook: A Superior Slave Ganymede Quartet Book 0.5 | Darrah Glass.

I beta read the books in the series and absolutely loved them! The entire series is one of my all-time favorite reading experiences. I adore Darrah’s writing style and her characters! The depth of emotion that I felt in just reading this short, the loss, the excitement and anticipation, the anxiety for the outcome were overwhelming. It was intense and delightful. In this free short book, you get to meet Martin, the slave who goes forward into the rest of the four main books. It’s available for FREE on Smashwords and for .99 on Amazon. (Hopefully it will be free on Amazon before long too, too. But unfortunately Amazon hasn’t price-matched yet.) Coming soon to Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and more.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Smashwords

PRE-ORDER THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH BOOK OF THE SERIES! A MOST PERSONAL PROPERTY! ON AMAZON!

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.

“M/M romance fans won’t want to miss out on this one.” The Reading Room Blog: *Review* The River Leith by Leta Blake

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“M/M romance fans won’t want to miss out on this one. Leith and Zach are two lovable heroes and their love story is one that I won’t forget any time soon.”

via The Reading Room Blog: *Review* The River Leith by Leta Blake.

Buy at ARe. Buy at Amazon. Buy at Smashwords. Buy at Kobo. Buy at Barnes & Noble. Buy at iTunes.

The-River-Leith-Animated

The River Leith is an I Heart Indies Finalist! #gay #contemporaryromance

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I got this in my email yesterday! Oh my goodness! Exciting!

Dear Leta,

Congratulations! It is our honor to let you know your book The River Leith is a finalist in the contemporary category of the 2014 I Heart Indie Contest! The competition was tough since we had so many excellent entries. We are thrilled you made it to the final round.

Other than celebrating, there’s nothing you need to do at this point. Your book, along with the other finalists, will be submitted for final judging to the agent assigned to your category. The winner will be announced at the Las Vegas Romance Writer’s booth at the Vegas Valley Book Festival on October 18, 2014. You are welcome to join us at the festival, but if you are unable, you will be notified of the results on that day.

http://lvrwa.org/i-heart-indie-contest/

The-River-Leith-Animated

 

Bookish Madness: Book Excerpt The River Leith

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“Leith snorted. “You’re kind of a hippie romantic.”

“You’re kind of determined to beat yourself up about stuff you can’t control. And you’re a romantic, too, so we’re matched there.”

“You make me feel good,” he blurted. “Really good.”

Zach crawled over, pushing him down on the ground and climbing on top of him, running his hands over Leith’s chest. “I can’t help it. I just know exactly what you need.”

Read more of the excrept via Bookish Madness: Book Excerpt The River Leith.

Flash Fiction: The Running Zachariah Meets The River Leith #mmromance #extras

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Flash Fiction

The Running Zachariah Meets The River Leith

 

New York City was far enough from Louisville that Zach felt safe. He’d run far, far, far away from home years ago, traveling the world with his job on a cruise ship for years, and he never intended to go back. Now it was time to put down some roots, though. And if he didn’t like the roots he put down, he’d just tear them up and run off again. After all, running far away from places and things that hurt him was what he did best. But, in the meantime, he needed a place to crash.

Park Slope was baby-land from what he could tell by the number of strollers and actual children running, laughing, and hopscotching up and down 7th Street, but he didn’t mind. He liked kids. If life worked out the way he hoped, he might even have one someday. He’d enjoy showing a child the world, holding their hand by the Eiffel Tower, or throwing them in the air in the Riveria sun. He’d never, ever hit them or tell them they were shameful or make them want to run away from home forever.

Dismissing memories of his grandmother’s belt and his mother’s hateful words, he jogged across 5th Ave and hooked a right. He glanced down at the paper in his hand, double checking the address. Yes, he was on the right street now. He grinned at a little Asian girl on a tricycle, and nodded toward her German-looking nanny while hunting for the building number on the doors. The one he was hunting for was nice enough, with windows that jutted out toward the leafy green of a nice-sized tree.

He folded the paper carefully and squinted up at the apartments above the bar below. Then he looked around, taking in the prime location—close to the subway, the shops of 5th just down a block, and the shops of 7th Ave just a little further upslope. It was perfect. Now, he just needed to make them like him. He was good at that. He could be charming and sweet, loving and open, and they’d like him. Well, so long as they never saw the dark spots his family had left on his heart, anyway. He could hide his wounds. He was almost as good at that as he was at running when someone got close enough to spot them.

And, really, all that mattered was that they liked him for just long enough anyway. He could leave again. There was always Italy, or California, or Alaska. There was always somewhere to escape to and a way to forget if things here went bad.

The doorbell chimed and Zach sucked in his breath, stunned at the sight of the sweaty, flushed, goddamn-gorgeous man who answered: blond hair, hazel eyes, and a body to fall to his knees for. All displayed beautifully in a white sleeveless t-shirt and jogging shorts. “Hey, yeah. Can I help you?”

“Hello,” Zach said, sticking out his hand and telling himself to pretend he was vlogging. He could do anything and say anything if he was vlogging. He could be real without having to suffer for it. It was a good trick he’d learned over the last few years. “I’m Zachariah Stevens. I’m here for the extra room?”

“Oh. Right.” The guy took his hand and they stared into each other’s eyes. A handshake failed to form and the touch turned into an awkward almost-hand-holding clench that morphed into further weirdness, until the guy jerked his hand back. “I’m Leith.”

“Nice to meet you, Leith. Been out running?” Zach asked, gesturing at his sweaty state when Leith looked confused.

“Yeah. In training.”

“For a marathon?”

“No. I box.”

“Oh.” Well, that explained those muscles and his tough-guy look. Zach’s knees went a little weak.

“Uh, come in. The girls are upstairs.”

Zach followed him up the stairs to the apartment, his eyes on Leith’s firm, muscular ass, and he shivered. A hot, boxer roommate? Oh, hell, yes, this could be a good place to live for a while. How much fun could he have seducing the guy? And if by some miracle things actually got real between them? Well, that’d be awesome for as long as it lasted.

And if things turned bad? Well….

Leith looked over his shoulder at Zach, his hazel eyes confused, as though wrestling with something down deep inside. “The room’s kind of small.”

“That’s fine. I don’t have a lot of things. I travel a lot. I don’t keep much to hold me back.”

“You gonna travel a lot while you’re living here?” Leith turned and took the next flight up to the third floor.

“No. I’m sticking around for a while. Trying to build a real life for a change. It’s an experiment.”

Leith stopped on the landing and waited for Zach to join him. “You’ve got a job?”

“Of course.”

Leith gazed at him and the air between them seemed to thicken. Zach nearly took a step forward into the space separating them, but held back. Get the room first. Then see what happens.

“A real job?”

“Do I look like a vagrant or something?” Zach laughed. He was wearing jeans, sure, but they were expensive jeans and he knew he looked nice.

“Uh, no. You look….” Leith swallowed. “Like you’ve got a job. But, you know how it is. You can’t be too careful. We’ll check your references.”

“Of course. And, to answer your question, yes, I have a real job.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Well, come in and meet the girls.” Leith keyed open the door. “It’s up to them if you get the room, anyway.”

Zach followed him into the small but clean apartment. The sofa wasn’t new but it’d obviously been quite nice once. The throw on the loveseat matched nicely, and the tv was big, but there were a lot of books stacked around, too. Always a good sign.

Leith clapped him on the shoulder as he called out, “Marian! Ava! A guy’s here for the room.”

His hand was warm and stayed just a moment too long. Zach shivered. Yes, this could be nice and if things didn’t work out here, he could always go. He’d made a career out of leaving.

Leith smiled at him, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “Would you like some water while they grill you?”

“Sure.” Zach licked his lips. “Thanks.”

But maybe, if he was lucky, he might find a reason to stay.

 

***

The above is a prequel sort of flash fiction set three years before the start of my book The River Leith.

Memory is everything. After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain. For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him. Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

 

Love For Leta Blake’s “The River Leith” Runs Deep – 5 Stars from The Novel Approach

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“The River Leith is a FANTASTIC book. It will immediately grab you, and hold you, and you won’t want the ride to end. I’ve been looking for a long time for a book to recommend as a first time M/M read to one of my best friends, and I think I might have finally found it. I highly recommend this book, folks. And, I plan to rush out and get Leta’s other stories!!”

via Love For Leta Blake’s “The River Leith” Runs Deep – Reviewed by Jules « The Novel Approach.

 

Memory is everything. After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain. For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him. Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

“It’s a Leta Blake book so caring deeply for the main protagonists is a given.” The River Leith | 3 Chicks After Dark #mmromance #gay

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“It’s a Leta Blake book so caring deeply for the main protagonists is a given. Along with the excitement of love and the hardship of sustaining harmony. The River Leith is a poignant journey with Leith and Zach. Their difficult task to find the high ground as the banks of their lives are flowing over and carrying with it the potential to drown them.”

RATING: BAD ASS BOOTS!!

via The River Leith by Leta Blake | 3 Chicks After Dark.

Memory is everything. After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain. For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him. Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

The River Leith Blog Tour Starts Today! #mmromance #atouringwego

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Hooray! Today starts the blog tour for The River Leith. Yes, yes, it’s been out a while now and I’m getting such a late start because travel and real life obligations made it difficult for me to do it before. But there’s no time like the present, right? So let’s get the party started!

 

First stop is over at I Heart Reading where you can find a list of all the other stops on the tour. There will be book reviews, guest posts, and more! I’ll keep you in the loop as we go along. In the meantime, hop on over to I Heart Reading and have a look at what’s coming up! 🙂

 

Memory is everything. After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain. For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him. Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

Jenni Lea’s breathless review of Training Season will never not make me happy! :) 5 Stars! All Caps! #mmromance #gay

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Jenni Lea’s breathless review of Training Season will never not make me happy! 🙂

“After reading everyone else’s reviews I know there is no way I can put it as eloquently and intelligently as those so I’ve decided to just tell you how this book made me feel. Filters off, this is gonna be real and raw.

Ready?

Ahem.

*deep breath*

OH MY GAWD YOU GUYS THIS BOOK IS SO AWESOME I CAN’T BELIEVE I GOT TO READ SUCH AN AMAZING STORY I LAUGHED AND CRIED AND LAUGHED SOME MORE I LOVE MATTY I LOVE ROB I LOVE BEN I LOVE MATTY’S MOM I WANT HER TO BE MY MOM TOO SO I CAN CALL HER DONNA I WANT TO MARRY ROB AND HAVE HIS BABIES HE’S SO HOT I WANT TO LICK HIM ALL OVER I WANT TO FEED MATTY AND MAYBE TRY HOT WATER WITH BITTERS EVEN THOUGH IT SOUNDS AWFUL I’M SAD ABOUT THEIR STORY BUT HAPPY TOO I HATED THE PAIN THEY WENT THROUGH IT TORE MY HEART RIGHT OUTTA MY CHEST AND STOMPED ON IT AND CAN I PLEASE HAVE THEIR BABIES I WANT THEM TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND BE A PART OF THEIR LIFE I WANT TO BE A GAY BOY FIGURE SKATER TOO AND FALL IN LOVE WITH A SEXY RANCHER MOUNTAIN MAN AND CAN THIS PLEASE BE A REAL THING I WANT TO MOVE TO MONTANA AND ICE SKATE ON A FROZEN LAKE I WANT A RUSSIAN SKATING COACH AND TO DO A TRIPLE AXEL I WANT TO HAVE SEX LIKE THEY DO OK MAYBE NOT SOME OF IT BUT I WANT TO FEEL WHAT THEY FELT AND CAN I PLEASE HAVE A FEW DAYS OFF FROM WORK SO I CAN DEVOUR THIS BOOK AGAIN I NEED FOR LETA BLAKE TO WRITE MORE STORIES HOW HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF LETA BLAKE BEFORE THIS IS GOING ON MY BEST OF THE FREAKIN BEST SHELF CAN I PLEASE HAVE MORE LIKE YESTERDAY I WANT TO FEEL THIS KIND OF LOVE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

Whew!

Got it? Good.”

via Goodreads | Jenni Lea (Alpharetta, GA)’s review of Training Season.

 

Unquestionably talented figure skater Matty Marcus is willing to sacrifice everything for his Olympic dream, but his lack of discipline cost him the gold once before. Now the pressure’s on. He needs a coach who can keep him in line, but top coaches don’t come cheap, and Matty can’t afford to stay in the game no matter how badly he wants to win. When a lucrative house-sitting gig brings him to rural Montana, Matty does his best to maintain his training regimen. Local residents turn out to be surprisingly tolerant of his flamboyant style, especially handsome young rancher Rob Lovely, who proves to be much more than a cowboy stereotype. Just as Matty requires a firm hand to perform his best on the ice, Rob shows him how strong he can be when he relinquishes control in the bedroom. With new-found self-assurance, he drives himself harder to go straight to the top. But competition has a timetable, and to achieve his Olympic dream, Matty will have to join his new coach in New York City, leaving Rob behind. Now he must face the ultimate test. Has he truly learned how to win—on and off the ice—during his training season?

9/10 pots of gold to The River Leith | Rainbow Gold Reviews #gay #mmromance

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“I love Leta Blake’s writing. It’s so smooth and flowing. The River Leith is told from Leith’s POV, but the reader is able to take an agonising peak in Zach’s mind when he makes these vlog entries. Let me tell you – those are heartbreaking!

The River Leith is a very real book. Don’t expect any magical solutions or convenient plot turns. This is the story of two people who manage to find their way back to each other despite all odds being stacked against them.

I highly recommend this book! Give it a try, and check Leta’s other amazing stand-alone Training Season. You will not be disappointed!”

via Teodora gives 9/10 pots of gold to The River Leith by Leta Blake | Rainbow Gold Reviews.

 

Memory is everything. After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain. For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him. Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

“I absolutely adored this book!” 5 Stars! Training Season | Live Your Life, Buy The Book

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“I absolutely adored this book! Definitely one of my favourite ‘feel good’ books. Ever!! It was perfect. Just perfect ♥ Normally I don’t particularly like swishy MC’s but Matty swished his way right into my heart! He and Rob were just delicious together.”

read more of the review at Training Season | Live Your Life, Buy The Book.

 

trainingseason

 

Guest Post and Giveaway: The River Leith by Leta Blake #gay #mmromance

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“Today I am so pleased to welcome Leta Blake to Joyfully Jay. Leta has come to talk to us about her latest release, The River Leith.  I reviewed this book last week and totally adored it.  She has also brought along a copy of the book to give away!  Please join me in giving Leta big welcome!”

Please click on through to comment for a chance at the giveaway –> Guest Post and Giveaway: The River Leith by Leta Blake — Joyfully Jay.