Leta Blake

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

writing

Cloud On My Tongue and Decimate: Training Season Extras! #music #davidford #toriamos

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I always write to music. The following songs definitely influenced or inspired aspects of Training Season. This first song? Absolutely inspired the meet-cute in the book.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Tf8oNq9uTPU]

For some reason, “Decimate” by David Ford has always been Rob’s song in my mind. I’m not sure why, but I think this represents how he feels about Matty. I’d listen to this one when I was trying to figure him out. If anyone can figure out what makes this a Rob song, let me know. 😉

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Xe7d7141m4Y]

Blood Jacket #pregnancy #milwaukee #winter

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I was looking for something else entirely and found this old bit of writing. I don’t think I had any plans for it. It was never intended to be more than this. It was written in response to a photo taken by an acquaintance of mine. I, uh, can’t find the photo. I’m sure I have it on a computer somewhere. She took it in Milwaukee, though, and looked a lot like this shot, but was not this shot.

milwaukee

Blood Jacket

Long-johns weren’t the cotton pajamas that she’d worn to sleep in growing up. No, they were slinky, silky and stretched so tight over her legs that she almost forgot about them except for the amazing layer of warmth they provided, all the more noticeable because now that she was pregnant, they didn’t fit quite right, and her lower legs weren’t covered, leaving them exposed to the biting wind which her jeans didn’t even begin to block out.

Layers. Layers upon layers.

Out tonight, with her camera, she’d worn a sweater, a turtleneck shirt, and long-johns, and then there was her skin, her organs, her uterus, and another living person kicking away in there. The baby’s movements were a constant reminder that she was just another layer another life.

She’d always believed that when she was pregnant, she’d feel like she knew the child as it grew within her, but most of the time she felt occupied by a stranger, and while that didn’t lessen her devotion to the new person inside, it did make it strange at times. It was like she had a constant witness to her life, someone whose judgments and thoughts she did not know: a friend or foe?

She turned the corner and saw the river icing over, as it did every winter since she’d arrived. The South and its mild winters now seemed like a fairytale that she told herself. Once upon a time there was a land of great warmth and beauty, where the grass stayed green even in January.

It wasn’t that she hated the cold, it just made her feel trapped. Trapped in layers and layers of clothes. Trapped in small heated apartments. Trapped by cold air that burned her lungs as she raised the camera and took her first shot of the night.

Another step forward, a small hunching of her shoulders for the perfect composition, and the shutter snapped. Not digital. Not yet. But she could feel the pull, the allure of the pixels calling to her. There was the ease, the lack of expense, the fact that her favorite photo developing shop was closing down for want of business. The world was moving forward into the future, taking her with it, and this was the world her daughter would be born into.

The weight in her pelvis seemed to hold her fixed to the pavement, even drilling down into the earth, pinning her to this world. The ice shone on the river, and the buildings reached up into the glowing city-night sky. She paused and breathed deeply. Luminescence poured over her from the scene ahead, and raising her camera, she took a picture of a different kind of layers: the city’s layers.

These represented simple reality, layers of beauty and light, while her own reality was layers of confusion and illusion. What was she in this world? A photographer? A woman? A mother? Or a blood jacket for a growing stranger? All of the above.

Nights Like These and Maybe: Training Season Extras! #music #lucero #ingridmichaelson

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In my little series of music posts about my soundtrack while writing Training Season, here are two more of Rob’s songs. Both of them are very much how he thinks about Matty, the situation, and all of his hopes, dreams and fears. “Nights Like These” is the most despairing of the two and the reference to the only boy who ever broke your heart is a Figure Skating reference, but of course. “Maybe” by Ingrid Michaelson is a bit more upbeat, though I think hopeful resignation is the name of the game with that song.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/_r4Ymyeuw_E]

[youtube=http://youtu.be/FKU3UuJhIxU]

Heteronormativity or Misogyny? How About Both! #lgbt #gay #mmromance

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Interesting discussion at Brandonshire’s blog about heteronormativity in M/M Romance. I replied there with the following and wanted to post it my comment on my blog. It’s a bit out of context, but I think sense can be made of it. Otherwise, you can check it out at Brandon’s blog for full contextual understanding. 😉

**

What you’re describing is not actually this, “Even the most effeminate gay men are still that, they are men, they aren’t women, they shouldn’t be written like women” but rather this, “That is writing a stereotype of a woman, who is not a woman.” Because what you’re describing are BADLY WRITTEN CHARACTERS. Women don’t behave in those ways either.

So, to me, the issue is not if the gay man is effeminate, or horny, or not horny, or “alpha male”, or whatever else…the issue is whether or not they are written as well-rounded, true-to-life human beings. Basically, when I see people complaining about gay men being written like women, I start wondering just how they see WOMEN, you know? I mean, when was the last time I read a woman in a book–especially a romance–that I related to as a woman? It’s sadly been awhile.

So, I have no problem with you or anyone else pointing out that some of the characterizations of gay men (and of women) in books are deeply problematic because they are unrealistic, stereotypical, and lacking in creativity, but I guess I do end up having a problem with the idea that it is because the men are being portrayed as ‘like women’…because generally I don’t even know any women who behave like these stereotypical characters we see in books.

Maybe a better phrasing would be “gay men who behave like the worst and most unrealistic stereotypes of women”. That’s a phrasing I could probably get behind.

**I have been told that I should shut up about this and that female authors of m/m can write whatever they want because women are the biggest readers of the genre.**

and

**I’ve had gay friends of mine (authors) who were told by female readers of the genre that their gay men were wrong, because they didn’t fit how they see gay men.**

Well, obviously, that’s shitty and short-sighted and homophobic and fetishizing on the part of those who have said these things. I’m certainly not expressing that opinion. I’m just challenging the idea that these characters are written “like women” because I think that they’re just crappily written characters who are not like women at all.

Hope this made sense! I haven’t had my coffee yet!

The Promise & At This Point In My Life: Training Season Extras! #tracychapman #music

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I almost always write with a soundtrack. Either music is playing as I write, or I have certain songs in my mind that capture the vibe of what I’m going for with a certain section of the book. Sometimes it’s the lyrics that speak to me and other times it’s the music. In this case, it was definitely both.

The last third of Training Season was stamped with these two songs. I had them on repeat as I worked out the end of the book. I wanted the tenderness and growth to be all over those words.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/wlCJKsyQXMo]
The words at 4:19 through the end of the song are what I wanted Matty to be expressing during that part of the book.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/cQ0kh3k0LKE]
Oh, this song. Is there anyone on earth who doesn’t have the feelings in them that this song expresses? Matty definitely had them and I wanted there to be that kind of longing and tenderness in the book. I hope I succeeded.

We Need Worlds Free of Prejudice to Play In #trockadero #ballet #fairytales #mmromance #kindle

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The beautiful swan.

In June, I was lucky enough to see the male ballet corps, Trockadero de Monte Carlo. To quote a YouTube user named MozartGirl1756: The Trocks are trying to tell the world that you don’t need to have giant sticks up your ass, noses up in the air and serious for it to be this to be wonderful art form. They’re all amazing and talented dancers who are doing what they love, doing it beautifully AND showing us that ballet isn’t a stuffy form of entertainment.

What I found most amazing about seeing them was how, yes, as you’ll hear in the videos below, there was always a bit of laughter and comedy, but there were also times when the audience would go so still and quiet, emotionally absorbed by the beautiful dancing and the story playing out before them.

Here is a beautiful video of Swan Lake as performed by Trockadero de Monte Carlo:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/LLmcc1r1P4U]

Another video:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/xgTnwwFQGPI]

Seeing them, I was reminded of the Chorus Line song, “At the Ballet”, because, yes, everyone is beautiful at the ballet, every prince must have his swan, and the fact that the dancers are male and covered in chest and armpit hair make them no less beautiful. It was a real treat and I’d like to thank my friend, Pun, for taking me to the show.

Today I’m OVER HERE talking more about Trockadero de Monte Carlo, ballets, and how fairy tales and certain other stories can provide us with a world free of difficult, realistic baggage so that we can explore emotional touchstones in a more open-minded, open-hearted way.

Wow, that sounds super wanky. Go read and let me know if it’s wanky as it sounds. LOL!

As a reminder, Love’s Nest is available on Amazon now. Barnes & Noble and Sony are coming soon! It’s also up on Goodreads where you can mark it as “wanna read” or rate it if you’ve read it already! Hooray!

7/7/7 – Falling

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The lovable Skylar M. Cates also tagged me for this game. A few days ago, I answered Amelia’s tag with some paragraphs from the recently released Love’s Nest. Yesterday, I answered Kade’s tag with some paragraphs from a current work in progress called Everything Is Yes. And today, I’ll answer Skylar’s tag with the opening scene of another work in progress currently titled Falling.

The rules: Go to Page 7, 70, or 170 of a current Work in Progress or recently published work and choose either the first complete paragraph or 7 lines of dialogue to share. Paste to FB and tag 7 other authors to do the same.

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male angel

Source: Free Wallpapers

Angel wings aren’t easy to fold into the shape of human scapulae. But Michael is accustomed to the strain and hardly breaks a sweat. He forces the long primaries to bend into the upper wing coverts, and then, in moves like feathered origami, he tucks it all in again, before smoothing them under flawless human skin.

He glances in the modest hotel room’s bathroom mirror and pulls on the dark brown shirt that will set off his eyes, before running a hand through his blond, curly hair. The light of his angelic grace glows from his pores, too bright to escape notice, and with a small exertion of will he tamps it back.

Though human form is confining and uncomfortable, the time has long passed when dropping down in a blaze of angelic righteousness was appropriate. Now covert operations pay the dividends of souls delivered from jeopardy. Even if Michael’s skin feels too tight, and his wings are already aching, protection is his business and discomfort is a small sacrifice.

After tightening the laces on the leather, soft-soled Clarks he keeps for nights of trawling the bars of Mercy Street, he kneels by the sliding glass door of the balcony and looks up at the stars peeking out in the night sky. It’s a fallacy that heaven is up there somewhere. Heaven is everywhere all at once, and yet when Michael dons human skin, he finds his eyes drawn to the sky when he prays.

He rises. Time to go.

***

Cup o’ Porn – Friday Free For All – Love’s Nest Raffle! #free #ebook

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At Cup o’ Porn today, Keira and I are offering up a free copy of our latest sexy fairy tale, Love’s Nest, in a random raffle! To participate click HERE!

For more information about Love’s Nest, and to determine if it’s a book you’d be interested in winning, please check out these blog posts:

1. Love’s Nest Release Day! It has a blurb and additional information about this sexy fairy tale. Gotta love hot gay fairies! 🙂
2. Love’s Nest 7/7/7 which has a small excerpt from the book.
3. The Next Big Thing which talks about the inspiration for Love’s Nest!

And I’ll include some of that imagery below, too.

So, head on over to Cup o’ Porn and sign in for the raffle to win Love’s Nest!

7/7/7 – Everything Is Yes

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The amazing Kade Boehme also tagged me for this game. Yesterday, I answered Amelia’s tag with some paragraphs from the recently released Love’s Nest.  Today, I’ll answer Kade’s tag with some paragraphs from a current work in progress.

The rules:  Go to Page 7, 70, or 170 of a current Work in Progress or recently published work and choose either the first complete paragraph or 7 lines of dialogue to share. Paste to FB and tag 7 other authors to do the same.

Here are ten paragraphs from Everything Is Yes, a short story about diving into risk and fear. (Seven paragraphs didn’t seem to really capture the moment, so I broke the rules.)

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He’d had the dreams his whole life, and they’d only ever stopped during his brief affair with David. At the time, Alex had thought it was because he’d discovered the truth about sex—it was fun, it was sometimes really good, but it was pedestrian, common, and every day.

He really wanted the kind of sex that transformed him—a phoenix from the flames.

“Yeah, that’s not how sex works,” Mandy said over her vodka tonic.

“Not with David, not with just anybody,” Alex admitted. His mind tumbled back into the dream he’d had the night before—strong arms, bristles from an unshaven face, darkness, and big hands. He’d given himself up to it entirely, body and soul, handing over his life to the hands of his partner, with no clear sense whether or not he’d get it back. “But when he comes for me, it will.”

“When who comes for you?”

“The man who makes me burn for him.” Alex always tried to remember what the man looked like, but he never could—he was just sound and touch. There was no face to search for in a crowded bar.

“You are so drunk,” Mandy replied.

And he was. But he still waited for the man who would set him aflame.

Mandy had never mentioned their conversation again, and Alex suspected she’d been too wasted to remember it. But when she harassed him to get laid, or when Alex pretended to ask himself just what was he waiting for—deep down he knew it was the dream man.

But now someone was reaching out into uncertainty, hoping by chance an answering hand— his hand—would reach back and grab hold.

***

7/7/7 – Love’s Nest by Leta Blake & Keira Andrews

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The awesome Amelia Gormley  tagged me for this game.

The rules:  Go to Page 7, 70, or 170 of a current Work in Progress or recently published work and choose either the first complete paragraph or 7 lines of dialogue to share. Paste to FB and tag 7 other authors to do the same.

Here are seven paragraphs from page 70 of Love’s Nest, released yesterday, and soon to be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and other online stores.

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Cover by Dar Albert.
Cover by Dar Albert.

“While it’s true that what I do know I’m enamored of, I fear these feelings are based in something not entirely real.”

Ópalo looked queasy. The birds clicked and made barking noises of agitation.

Mateo swallowed against the odd sense that he was telling a lie, even though every word he said was true.

“This is real. And I believe you will choose it. You will choose me.” Ópalo’s hands shook, but he seemed convinced of his own words.

The shimmer of Ópalo’s eyes pulled at Mateo. He felt rather convinced himself, which was deliriously ridiculous and deliciously reassuring all at once. Still, he couldn’t keep his mind from supplying an argument. “For all your talk of choice, telling me not to eat the fairy cakes so I can be completely free to come and go as I like, where is your own choice in all of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Only that you’ve waited for your ‘bride’ your whole life, and now that I’ve arrived, you’ve accepted me without a second thought. How can you be so certain I’m the man for you? You might not even like me once you’ve known me more than a day or two.”

***

Love’s Nest is inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses and explores, in part, the function of destiny in fairy tales, especially when one of the heroes doesn’t believe in fate or love at first sight.

Love’s Nest! Release Day is Here!

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Cover by Dar Albert.
Cover by Dar Albert.

Love’s Nest is here! Whoot, whoot! Let’s all dance!!

This third book in the Tempting Tales series is currently available at Ellora’s Cave and coming soon to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Sony, All Romance eBooks and more. Also, be sure to check it out and add to your Wanna Read list at Goodreads!

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Love’s Nest is based on the fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses. You can read more about the inspiration for the story here in my The Next Big Thing Blog Hop post.

Also, I’d like to say that somehow we managed to get this thing published without any front material. We shall look into fixing that. In the meantime, we’d like to enthusiastically and publicly thank Alejandra for her awesome help in making sure the Spanish words in the book were used accurately and with all the right accent marks! And for giving additional feedback and help on the book! We’d also like to thank Alice for her feedback on the earlier drafts.

And I’d like to dedicate this book to Jed, who is my bird, my best friend, and who loved this book more than I did, probably. I’d like to thank her for her help, her friendship, and for patiently listening to me babble about books for hours. This book was written  for her. There is another book that is being finished because of her, but this was for her, and so I’m glad she loves it as much as she does.

Cover by Dar Albert.
Cover by Dar Albert.

There’s no greater mystery in the kingdom than how Prince Mateo’s sisters wear out their shoes each night while locked away in their chambers. Using old magic, Mateo discovers their secret and follows them through a portal to an enchanted world of fairies and lusty delights. Ópalo has waited years for his male human, and he knows Mateo is his destiny. Mateo soon succumbs to the pleasures of the flesh, but as their worlds collide, Ópalo has to risk everything to win his man forever.

A Romantica® male/male erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Each Character Is His Own Self

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600full-river-viiperi
I wonder if I made this guy a character if he’d be willing to discuss his feelings about and motivations for having this cat on his head? I hope it’s not anything we’d need to consider fading to black over. *shudder*

I’ve been writing for a long time now and almost every character I’ve written has been more than happy to share everything about their sex lives in rather graphic ways. That’s why I write erotica and romantica. My characters have always liked to overshare.

Until one of my more recent books! My latest character is quite shy and very vanilla. While he’ll tell me a little about the sex he’s having, it’s not nearly so graphic or wild as some of the other characters I’ve written. He’ll go into it some, but when pushed he just sort of clams up. So, I haven’t pushed him much and just let the scenes stand as they do. They aren’t fade to black for the most part, but they are not nearly the same degree of graphic that I usual end up writing.

My friend asked me why this was the case and wondered if I was trying to tone things down. The reason is the character. I’m not trying to tone my writing down, not at all. It’s just this particular character has a lot of reluctance and so I don’t push him. It’s a good reminder that our characters aren’t entirely of our design. They don’t do what we say or what we want. They are their own creatures.

I had another character who was pleased as punch to tell me all about the sex he was having but when it came to his emotions and motivations? He wasn’t interested in sharing. Which, uh, made things quite difficult let me tell you. It also made for a lot of rewrites. *shakes character hard*

What about you? Every had an experience of a character not giving you information that others have spat out willingly?

Managing Expectations: Stalking Dreams & LHNB & Stalking Novel

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stalking-dreams-web-copy First off, wow! I’m so happy with the response to Stalking Dreams! I am thrilled that so many people read the story and enjoyed the offering. I’m happy, especially, with the generosity of readers and the enthusiasm with which they greeted the story. I’m even happier that so many folks are looking forward to the novel set in the same universe and I absolutely can’t wait to get in the trenches to finish it. So, thank you, readers! You made this girl happy!

Now, regarding the novels that will be set in this universe. I wanted to take this opportunity set clear expectations because, as was evident with Stalking Dreams, when readers are expecting one thing and are delivered something else, there is an element of possible dissatisfaction. (Side note: I definitely learned a lot about readers’ expectations for this event, which will be good should I choose to participate next year.)

In the comments for Stalking Dreams, some people mentioned that they believed it to be the first few chapters of the novel that I couldn’t finish in time to submit to the event. In actuality, the first novel is set before Stalking Dreams and will cover the beginning of River & Shane’s relationship, the trauma of being stalked, and learning to trust someone again. It will also explore the mystery of River’s stalker’s identity and there will be an in-novel resolution to many of the initial problems.

The second book in this universe will, indeed, as speculated, cover the events of Reed’s wedding and will resolve the issue of River’s stalker’s identity once and for all. Stalking Dreams fits smack in the middle of these two novels and was intended to stand alone there. There’s no doubt that the presentation of these stories, in terms of order, is problematic, but, as I mentioned elsewhere, given my responsibilities (full-time day job, motherhood, wifeliness, friendships) in addition to my writing, there was simply no way to have the first novel completed by the LHNB deadline.

In addition, several people mentioned wanting to see Kelly Maybedog’s (yay, Kelly! so grateful for you, lady!) written prompt play out exactly as it was written. I cannot promise this. I do intend to employ the prompt to the best of my ability, but hopefully readers will be generous (as they were with Stalking Dreams) and give the muse a little leeway in terms of how the actual beginning of River & Shane’s relationship takes place.

All in all, I’m incredibly in love with this universe, and I’m hopeful that when the time comes, some of you readers will fall in love with it, too. Thank you again for your generosity, your time, and your confidence in me. May this year bring me much writing time. May I write like the wind. May the books pour forth without too much wrangling. And may the force be with me.

Thank you all! You’re the best!

Stalking Dreams – by Leta Blake, a FREE Love Has No Boundaries Story

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stalking-dreams-web-copy
Cover by Dar Albert!

I’m excited to announce that my FREE story for the Love Has No Boundaries event is now available! You can read it HERE!

I was so inspired by the prompt at Goodreads for a story about a young man who had dealt with being stalked by a stranger and the resultant issues that might bring up for him that I’ve already written 45k words of a corresponding full length novel and have a plan for a full length sequel, too. I hope to have the first novel done and out by the end of the year, if luck is on my side. And the plan is to have the sequel available in 2014.

I’m very happy with this short story. I feel like it accomplishes a lot and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the situation and these characters. At least, I hope that’s true because see above about the upcoming novels based in this universe!

Thank you to everyone who reads it. I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to spread the word! It will also be available for free download to ereaders very soon and I will post about that when it happens. In the meantime….

STALKING DREAMS BY LETA BLAKE

Flipping Gender Changes Meaning — Examples

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Photobucket
Photo by Michel Dierickx

A question I get a lot is “Why m/m? Why do you write so many books with gay main characters?” I’ve got a lot of reasons behind that, some of them incredibly deep and involved, based in feminism and gay rights and freeing the mind. But let’s leave all that behind for now, and focus on how things change meaning when you change the sex/gender of any particular person within a certain expected dynamic.

I feel like the easiest way to illustrate this is with music, so let’s start there.

Everyone knows Adele’s song “Someone Like You”. What happens to the meaning and to your understanding of the song when a man sings it without changing any lyrics.

Jay Brannan also did a cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”. When he performed it live, he said, “My favorite thing about this song is knowing that by singing it I make you all picture me in a sundress.” I practically jumped up and down when he said that because it told me that he gets it and isn’t just covering it because he likes it, but that he sees a wider implication in his choices.

Another example might be Tori Amos covering “I’m Not In Love”. As she said in an interview, people grew up in the 1970s and 80s slow-danced to this song, not really listening to the lyrics. She covered it to point out how the meaning of it changes when it’s sung by a woman. What opinions do we have about a woman who sings, “I’m not in love, so don’t forget it. It’s just a silly phase I’m going through, and just because I call you up, don’t get me wrong, don’t think you’ve got it made. I’m not in love, no no, it’s because…I like to see you, but then again, that doesn’t mean you mean that much to me.” How do we feel about her compared to how we might feel about a man singing the same thing.

And then there is the more obvious commentary of “Real Men”.

For me, aside from just wanting to tell good stories with characters that I like, I enjoy the challenging nature of writing away from expectations and exploring how changing the sex, gender, sexuality of characters changes the consequences of certain behaviors within relationships. As I said, this is only the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a nice fat tip. Enjoy it. (Heh. See what I did there? LOL!)

Writer Wednesday: Casey Cox & Finding King

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finding king

 

What are your names? And tell us a little about yourselves?

Merrick: My name is Ged Merrick. I’m Captain of the Breaker-one-Niner. It’s a military class ship designed for deep space missions. And she’s fast, she is mighty fast when we need her to be.
Jessie: And sometimes we need her to be.
Merrick: Yeah, we don’t always work within the law.
Jessie: You can’t say it, can you? We’re pirates. We never work within the law.
Merrick: It’s a small crew, usually just ten men. It fluctuates. We work mostly in the Zeta Quadrant, but have been known to drift closer to the homelands from time to time. More lately, I guess, in the search for Jessie.
Jessie: You went back into homeland territory for me?
Merrick: Of course we did. I thought he might have been sold back to Rexalon for reconditioning. Oh, that’s our home planet. Where we were trained. Farmed really. They pay big money for runaways.
Jessie: I’m King Jesson. I used to be second in command on the Breaker but for the last six years—
Merrick: You don’t have to tell them about that Jessie.
Jessie: Sure I do. For the last six years I’ve been working as an erotic dancer all over Zeta and the surrounding quadrants. There was a … we got caught up in … some bad stuff and I was uh … captured. And sold. But that’s old news. Now I’m back with the Breaker.
What do you believe is your worst or most frustrating quality? What about his/hers?
Jessie: He’s stubborn, boneheaded and never thinks of himself.
Merrick: Uh, I was going to say the same about him.

What is your best quality? What about his/hers?

Jessie: He’s stubborn, boneheaded and never thinks of himself?
Merrick: Oi, cut it out. I said he was very bendy, didn’t I?

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be and why?

Merrick: I only had one wish, and that came true.
Jessie: He’s playing you. He wants a Helden 54 fighter platform with duel relay.
Merrick: You’re right I do. It’s the latest in military tech. Full cloaking, quantum generators and she can be remote piloted from five hundred clicks.
Jessie: I knew it. You bastard. I’ve only ever wanted Merrick.
Merrick: Except when you didn’t.
Jessie: Yeah, well. I was lying.

How did you meet? Was it love at first sight?

Jessie: It was for me. Merrick didn’t know I existed for a long while.
Merrick: I did. I just didn’t want you to know I had a thing.
Jessie: You had a thing for me? That’s too sweet for you Merrick, you didn’t have a thing.
Merrick: I was a kid, of course I was sweet. And who didn’t have a thing for that stupidly bendy body of yours?
Jessie: And I thought it was my eyes, and my charm that got you. We met in training. On Rexalon. Pair of kids being forced to make hard decisions. He blew my world. All that anger and compassion bleeding through his skin. Hot as hell. And I should know—I’ve been there. It was a precise military operation to get his attention.
Merrick: Don’t be daft.
Jessie: Took a lot of effort to hook him, but once I did—
Merrick: I basically didn’t stand a chance.

BUY FINDING KING

***

Casey, tell us a bit about yourself! From your back catalog, do you have a secret favorite? If so which book and why?

Ooh, that’s a difficult one. It’s got to be The Rise of Alec Caldwell series. I’m addicted to the characters’ lives and Alec never shuts up, he’s always up to something in my head and the muse is crazy about him. I can’t ever imagine a time when I won’t be writing about Alec and his adventures, even though the published version will end with Volume Four.

What is the most rewarding aspect of writing and/or publishing? The most terrifying/frustrating?

The best part is when a reader really gets the characters. I’m amazed at some of the reviews and emails I’ve had. It feels good to share a little bit of love and inspiration and to brighten someone’s world for just one day.
The most terrifying is the same with any creative venture, sharing a story is like sharing a little piece of yourself. That and the fact you always think people are going to hate it, and of course, sometimes they do.

What’s next for you?


Finding King is the first in a trilogy, so the next installment is on the drawing board. I have Alec Volume Four in progress and a couple of new WIP’s, a novel length paranormal fantasy, a psychological thriller and a couple of contemporary novella’s. I am also working on a sequel for Be My Boy.

1 – Twenty-Five Things Tuesday: Become A Woman

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mother-and-daughter-vintage

Before I die, I’d like to see my daughter grow up to be as authentic a person as she can possibly become. I want to see her grow into her body and her spirit, which as always been so large. I want to be present as she her grows into her warm, sensitive, beautiful heart. I want to see her adult smile, her womanly strength, her rounded edges, her beauty in whatever form it takes. I want to learn from her as she learns from the world. I want to be the student to her teacher as she matures into someone I had no idea would even exist when she started out in my womb. I want to witness the end result of her genes, her upbringing, and her own special nature. If there is one thing in this world that I want to the exclusion of all others, this would be it.

Before I die, I want to see my daughter become a woman.

Straddling the Language and the Kiss

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stellar

I’ve always tried to straddle the choice laid out in this song. It’s my responsibility to always straddle it. And because of that, I doubt I’ll ever be actually very good at either the language or the kiss. I suppose the pain of that stretch is something to love because while it means mediocrity all around, I’ve still got a damn excellent life.

Maybe I should change this tag line from “working hard to become stellar at life” to “working hard to be okay with mediocrity and failure because of all the beauty and love”. Or maybe that is how one becomes stellar at life.

Writer Wednesday: Kate Davies and Most Likely To Succeed

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Most Likely Succeed Cover

What are your names? And tell us a little about yourselves?

Kelsey: My name’s Kelsey Moore, and I’m…kind of floundering right now, to be honest. Back in high school I was really driven – they even voted me Most Likely To Succeed. But when my dad bailed on the family and our flower shop was about to go under, I turned down my scholarship and stayed to help out. Ten years later, and I’m still there, no college, no job mobility, and certainly no success. Is it any wonder I want to avoid the reunion if at all possible?

Nathan: I’m Nathan Barrow, and I haven’t been back in my hometown since graduation. I’ve been working all over the world as a water systems designer for an international relief organization. My ten year high school reunion seemed like a good opportunity to get back in touch with the people I knew back then, especially my lab partner, Kelsey. I’ve always wondered what happened to her, and can’t wait to catch up.

How did you meet? Was it love at first sight?

Kelsey: I’ve had a crush on Nathan since, oh, forever. But nothing ever came of it, mostly because he was just so focused on his studies. I was, too, of course, but that didn’t keep me from checking him out.

Nathan: Love at first sight? Um, no. We were just buddies, lab partners. Kelsey was my closest friend. It wasn’t until I saw her at the reunion that my feeling started to change.

What do you believe is your worst or most frustrating quality? What about his/hers?

Kelsey: I’m kind of an Eeyore, always focusing on the negative side of things. I should be more positive. As for Nathan, he has this irritating habit of trying to fix things.

Nathan: I’m not the most observant person, at least when it comes to interpersonal skills. I get caught up in whatever I’m working on and tend to miss the nuances. Kelsey is way too hard on herself. She doesn’t see how amazing she is.

What is your best quality? What about his/hers?

Kelsey: I’m fiercely loyal. Nathan is smart, driven, and an all around good guy. I mean, really? He could be making tons of money in the private sector, but he’s working for a relief organization instead.

Nathan: I’m pretty supportive of people. Whatever makes them happy and fulfilled, I’m in favor of it. And Kelsey? She’s one of the brightest, most fascinating people I’ve ever met. I love watching her mind work.

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be and why?

Kelsey: I’d love to be the person that Nathan sees me as.

Nathan: I wish Kelsey and I could find a way to work together again, both personally and professionally. We worked as lab partners – I know we could work as partners in every sense of the world.

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What makes your current offering a different and compelling read?

To me, what sets The Girls Most Likely To… apart from everything else I’ve written is the way they intertwine. Most trilogies follow one after the other, where the second book picks up sometime after the first book ends. In this series, all three novellas are set over the same weekend, so the three couples interact throughout all three books. (So a couple interacting at the bar in one book will be observed by another couple in the second book, and the third couple will hear about it later!) It was challenging to find ways to intertwine the storylines without being repetitious – and all the books had to stand on their own, as well. But I love the way they turned out!

How do you juggle writing and working outside the home? Or how do you juggle writing and your family life? Or writing, working, and family life?

Ummm…lack of sleep? 🙂 It’s definitely a challenge. I’ve got a very active family, a full time job, and the writing. I find that I work better when I have deadlines, because otherwise, it’s too easy for writing time to fall to the wayside. I’ve also gotten very adept at writing in the car, whether as a passenger or while waiting in the parking lot for practice to be over.

What’s next for you?

Well, books two and three are coming out in April and May, so readers can find out what happens to Bree and Marc, and Tess and Nathan. After that, I’m finishing up a rodeo novella for submission, and deciding which of my other projects I want to tackle next.

Lastly, provide me with covers, blurbs, buy links, and where you can be found on the web! 🙂

Buy Links:

Amazon Preorder

Barnes and Noble Preorder

Carina Coming Soon Page

Find Me:

www.kate-davies.com (currently being revamped)

www.kate-davies.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/KateDaviesRomance

Twitter: @kate_davies
Group Blog: www.ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com

Blurb:

Book one in The Girls Most Likely to…

Ten years after being voted Most Likely to Succeed, Kelsey Moore is still living in her hometown, still working in her family’s flower shop, and too embarrassed to attend her high school reunion. Only the chance to reconnect with her study buddy—and secret crush—Nathan Barrow tempts her to go.

Nathan isn’t sure why he came back for the reunion after spending the past decade working abroad. But when he runs into his former lab partner, Kelsey, he’s sure glad he did. The chemistry between them is as potent as ever, and when she offers him a weekend of wild, no-strings-attached sex, Nathan knows he’d be a fool to say no.

Nathan can’t be tied to one place for long. But the more time they spend together—in and out of bed—the more Kelsey wonders if their reunion could become something more permanent. That is, if Nathan is still interested when he finds out she’s been less than honest with him about her life since graduation…