training season

5 Stars! “So much detail and emotion!” Robbi Kay’s review of Training Season #mmromance #gay

July 18, 2014 by Leta

“This book was filled with so much detail and emotion! I love this, the author, and the story. You should definitely read this.”

via Amazon.com: Robbi Kay’s review of Training Season.

"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 — “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

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

July 1, 2014 by Leta

“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.

Yes, I’m Insane! That’s How I Do It! – My Writing Process Blog Hop by Leta Blake #amwriting

May 25, 2014 by Leta

I was tagged by Rory for this Blog Hop!

1) What am I working on?

Currently I’m working on another contemporary m/m romance titled Smoky Mountain Dreams. I started this one about four years ago and when I needed to take (yet another) break from the four book series I’ve been working on for nearly ten years (omg it will never end! probably because I keep taking breaks from it!), I planned to finish up the prequel to Stalking Dreams, but when I opened that file none of the characters felt like talking to me.

Around that same time, a friend said, “Hey, whatever happened to that book you were writing about the theme park performer and the jeweler with the angsty past? I’ve never read another m/m book like that one and I’ve always wanted you to finish it.” Assuming, as I always do, that the unfinished book was crap, I opened it up to see just why my friend thought it was special, and lo and behold…well, IT DID NOT SUCKETH.

(Confession: I have a problem with thinking everything I’ve left unfinished actually sucks. Luckily, my friends tend to remind me that I should look at those books again just to make sure. Then I realized I might be wrong after all. Training Season and The River Leith were both books with this unfinished-so-must-suck history.)

So! I had the epiphany that if I managed to get Smoky Mountain Dreams done by July and hold it to release in November, then I will have almost a full year before I’d need to put out the first book in the four book series. Then, since I’m (hopefully) 2/3 done with Book 3 of that series, I’d have nearly a year and a half to have Book 4 finished, and hooray! The twice yearly timeline works out for me! Though I plan to put the series out one book every two or three months, so it will be more than twice annually in that year.

Holy crap, no one wanted to know that! This must be the most boring blog post I’ve ever written so far!

To sum up: I’m working on a book about a theme park employee and his jeweler love interest and it’s a lot more complicated than that makes it sound.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Hmm. You know, the only way I can answer this is to say, simply, they are written by me and I don’t think anyone else writes just exactly the same way that I do? There’s no value on this reality, just that I’m pretty sure I have a voice that is my own. I will say that I think I’m unapologetic. I write what the characters want and that’s that. If that makes someone unhappy then I can’t really be sorry about that because characters are who they are and I don’t always approve of their behavior either.

3) Why do I write what I do?

This is a big topic. I write romance because I have always loved the joy of them, the happy endings, the trials on the way to them. They’ve always made my heart beat faster. I write m/m romance for a ton of reasons, one of the biggest being that if I ever write a m/f book, then I want to make sure I’ve broken my mind free enough of the traps society has instilled in my mind about women, heroines, and what that looks like. Quite frankly, writing m/m helps with that. What is that saying? You can’t imagine freedom if you don’t know what it looks like? Well, m/m helps me imagine a m/f reality that doesn’t fall back on the rules and regulations that society has drilled into me.

4) How does your writing process work?

It’s a process made up of three prongs:

1) Inspiration

First, I need to be inspired. Where that inspiration comes from is always a mystery and it can hit at any time. Music, poetry, taking a walk in the park, getting dinner in a restaurant, a random comment from a friend. Boom! Characters show up in my head and start talking to me and I’m all, “Wait, wait, let me get this down. Hold up!” (Or sometimes I say, “Wait, wait, I can’t with you right now. I’m swamped with another book, you see. Come back later.”) I can never tell what’s going to inspire me, but there’s no doubt that inspiration is required and part of the process.

2) Work

Second, I put in the time. I make the time. I have to make time because there are only so many hours in a day, a week, a year. And writing’s in my blood. It makes me go. I have to do it and I have to work at it. So, I am a writer. What am I not? Let’s make a list:

a) I’m not the perfect mom! Why? Because, oh, sometimes I tell my kid to make her own dinner (PB&J and some applesauce) because Mommy is writing. Or I hire a babysitter so I can write. Or I set her up on her iPad and say, “Play on this and when you’re bored watch tv or read a book, but don’t come talk to me because I’m writing.” Now, am I a good mom? Hell yeah. I’m a damn good mom. I’m at the important things and by writing I teach her that moms have reasons to be on this earth that don’t consist of “being focused on the kid 100% of the time”.

b) I am NOT a good housekeeper. In fact, my house is a disaster. I should take pics. Okay, fine, I actually will! Here is what my sink looks like RIGHT THIS SECOND. This is reality. I work a job, do a ton for my kid, spend time with my husband and write books. Something’s gotta give.

Yep! That’s what being a writing mom looks like! Aren’t you glad you don’t write? Yep, yep.

3) Dogged Determination

My process involves ignoring new inspiration in the interest of finishing an older work that is no longer making my blood pump with joy. My process involves ignoring the very loud chorus of voices in my head saying, “You can’t do this. This books can’t be finished. It’s stupid. Everyone will hate it. You’re going to make an ass of yourself. Who do you think you are writing this book???”

Luckily for me, I’m a bit of a contrarian. If you tell me I can’t do something? God, that just makes me want to do it so much more. Even if it’s me telling myself that. Sure, I’ll whine about it–(sorry friends who have had to endure a lot of this!)–and take to my bed for a day or so and feel like I suck and want to give up. BUT I DON’T. I eventually say, “Can’t do it, huh? SHUT UP. WE’RE DOING THIS.” And I do it.

So, the last part of my process is simply NOT STOPPING.

“Well-written. Heartbreaking. Funny. A journey that is a testament to the drive of the human spirit.” Review of Training Season #gay #ebook #romance

March 1, 2014 by Leta

“Well-written. Heartbreaking. Funny. A journey that is a testament to the drive of the human spirit.”

“This book takes you on a wonderful journey!”

Amazon.com: Island Lover’s review of Training Season.

cover-web-copy — Training Season can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, ARe, and Smashwords. And also on iBooks.
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?

LGBT Month: Interview with Leta Blake – Im With Geek #books #amreading

February 28, 2014 by Leta

LGBT Month: Interview with Leta Blake – I’m With Geek.

Click above to read my interview for I’m With Geek. Hayley asked some wonderful, thoughtful questions that I really enjoyed answering. Go have a peek! Also, check out their whole site! It’s very interesting and well-done!

“A+ Would sit home on a Saturday night to read again!” Carly’s review of Training Season #mmromance #gay #kindle

February 26, 2014 by Leta

“A+ Would sit home on a Saturday night to read again!”

Goodreads | Carly (The United States)’s review of Training Season.

Crap Happens! AKA The Truth About Anal Sex #davywavy #gay #sex

February 20, 2014 by Leta

Reading a gay erotic romance novel, you’d never know that anal sex between men wasn’t clean, easy, and fuss-free. However, as the following videos with Davy Wavy attest, that’s not always (or possibly even often) the case.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/EzH5kIEGmBk?t=2m27s]

[If the above YouTube video isn’t cued to the right place, it’s at 2:27.]

It’s interesting that in the video above they are discussing the tendency of the porn industry to also present anal sex as totally poop free. From that, I think we can all concur that lots of poop on dicks isn’t considered an ideal turn-on for human beings in general. There’s a reason it’s left out of porn and erotic romance scenes.

But, as Davy points out, it does happen. That’s why many gay men douche or use enemas to try to keep it from interfering as much as it might otherwise. It’s one reason, I think, that not a single gay man who has reviewed my book Training Season has made any noise at all about the scene where one of the MCs uses an enema as part of a non-sexual BDSM scene with his boyfriend. [Perhaps that’s another topic for another day: BDSM scenes are not always sexual.] Many straight female readers, however, have really clutched their pearls over that scene.

I can’t say that surprises me. When the characters started that scene when I was writing it, I said, “Hey, guys, readers are going to hate this. Stop.” But they didn’t stop. So I wrote it. And then editors didn’t hate it. So, we left it in, and went with it. I’m glad that we did. I feel like it’s something that is real and isn’t seen in every book out there.

I remember when I was in college an older friend said to me, “You know you’re with a man who really loves you if you can take a shit in front of him and he still finds you attractive later.” At the time I pondered that comment a lot, but I do think she was on to something there. I appreciated the characters in the book going to a place that few people seem entirely willing to even think about going. The scene was intimate and intense, but not sexual, and advanced the story in an important way.

Anyway, yes, shit happens during anal sex. Porn and the erotic romance might not want to show those realities very often, but I think that there is something almost fetishistic about refusing to contemplate the potential realities associated with a certain act. And I think the fact that gay male readers haven’t found the scene problematic speaks rather clearly to the fact that they’re cool with enemas and other preparation for anal sex that might include the dreaded poo. It’s straight female readers, who often aren’t as familiar with anal sex or the prep that goes with it, who are reacting so negatively to a preparatory scene, and, well, I think that says something interesting, too. Something worth mentioning and thinking about.

Anyway, below is Davy Wavy giving some life tips from his bedroom. Two are applicable to this post: when it doubt douche it out, and shit happens so don’t buy white sheets.

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

Homophobia on Ice? What’s the problem? The judges. #figureskating #gay The Frozen Closet – #lgbt

February 18, 2014 by Leta

“The issue with figure skating is the judge/athlete environment and relationship is completely uncontrolled and chaotic… There is no other sport where the judge holds so much power outside of the arena, and the relationship with the athletes and coaches can seemingly affect the overall outcome of the competition. Figure skating judges offer input on costumes, personal life, hair and makeup, music choice. With so much interaction, impartiality becomes increasingly challenging.”

via The Frozen Closet – Newsweek.

Truthfully, this is a great article that sums up so many issues with the male figure skating world. I liked another similar article slightly better, and I’ll be posting about it over the next few weeks, too, with pulled quotes. But, in the meantime, I think this article is a good place to start.

All of these issues played into the figure skating storyline of my novel, Training Season. It’s sad how these problems play out in real life, too.

Romance Lives Forever: Character Interview: Matty Marcus from Training Season @LetaBlake #RLFblog #LGBT

February 17, 2014 by Leta

Romance Lives Forever: Character Interview: Matty Marcus from Training Season @LetaBlake #RLFblog #LGBT.

Today I’m over at Romance Lives Forever doing a character interview with Matty. He was in a subdued mood when answering the questions, apparently, but hopefully he’s still interesting! 😛 Click the link above to read the interview!

“Unbelievably good, and Matty and Rob’s story will stay with me for quite some time.” – Review of Training Season #mmromance #gay #ebook

February 14, 2014 by Leta

“5 Double Toe Loop Golden Glittering stars for this story that has left me an emotional wreck.”

“Unbelievably good, and Matty and Rob’s story will stay with me for quite some time.”

via Goodreads | Bev’s review of Training Season.

SMASHWORDS COUPON CODE: XU64P

50% off! Coupon expires February 15th!

50% Off Training Season for Valentines Day! #Coupon Expires February 15! #mmromance #ebook

February 12, 2014 by Leta

nyc-valentines-day

SMASHWORDS COUPON CODE: XU64P

Everyone Has Imposter Syndrome But You #success #writing

February 9, 2014 by Leta

Everyone Has Imposter Syndrome But You.

The above hilarious article hit a note for me. See, not too long ago, a fellow author I was thrilled to meet in person for the first time, said to me, “You must just be thrilled beyond belief over how amazingly well Training Season is doing!”

I stuttered in surprise, not sure what to say, and finally just copped to the truth, “Well, actually, I probably should be, but instead I spend most of my time convinced this isn’t real and that it’s only a matter of time before everyone figures out that the book is no good and I can’t write at all.”

For the first month, I kept expecting to log in and see that Training Season had not only plummeted down the charts but that those who had bought the book were returning it in droves. Now, the realization has begun to be unavoidable that people do love the book and they aren’t returning it, which is, yes, completely thrilling. But my inner critic who loves to tell me that I’m an imposter has now shifted their nasty whispers to tell me that Training Season was a fluke and no one will ever like or buy another of my books again. I ignore this voice most of the time or just say, “That’s not the point. I write because I have to and I’ll keep on regardless.”

And that’s true and I don’t need every book to be Training Season, but I’m fascinated and frustrated by the fact that over the last two months I’ve experienced some of the greatest success of my adult life (in terms of my career) and I’ve barely allowed myself even ten minutes of true enjoyment of it. I still feel like it’s preliminary to celebrate. The truth is, I should go pour myself a drink, have a toast, and dance, and sing, and give myself a million high fives. Instead, I’ll probably open my manuscript and poke at it while mildly panicking about whether or not it will be well-received and if that matters and just who do I think I am anyway? That sort of thing. Should be fun. Ha!

Will figure skating ever be fair? – Romancing the Jock #figureskating #olympics #sochi2014

February 8, 2014 by Leta

Will figure skating ever be fair? – Romancing the Jock. <– Keira asks and answers a great question about figure skating. Read her awesome post and give her your opinion.

I can tell you right now that Matty from Training Season doesn’t think it will ever be fair, but he’s not sure that’s what matters most about skating.

Training Season Nominated! VOTE TODAY! January Author of the Month – Prelims Round 1 Jan. 1-15 Reviews |

February 3, 2014 by Leta

VOTE TODAY! January Author of the Month – Prelims Round 1 Jan. 1-15 Reviews |
Oh my goodness! I’ve been nominated (by virtue of the five sweet pea review earned by Training Season) for Author of the Month at Mrs Condit and Friends Read Books!

Click the link above to vote for me!

“Enjoyable Fun Read” – 5 Stars -Brad’s review of Training Season #mmromance #gay #ebook

January 31, 2014 by Leta

“I don’t write many reviews but this one for me deserved a shout-out. The characters were fun to get to know and the HEA was a good ending.”

Read more of Brad’s 5 star review here: Amazon.com: Brad’s 5 star review of Training Season.

Humiliation #kink–getting the appeal #bdsm #amwriting #mmromance

January 29, 2014 by Leta

Humiliation #kink–getting the appeal #bdsm #amwriting #mmromance.

Amelia has many interesting things to say about humiliation kink and also a few things to say about Training Season in her above linked post. Love it. She’s a smart one.

***

Love and Praise from Satin Sheets Romance! Training Season Review! 4.5 Stars! #mmromance #gay

January 28, 2014 by Leta

Nanee at Satin Sheets Romance has a lot of love for Training Season!

“Wow! This book was a pleasant surprise, I’m not into figure skating but you don’t have to be. I cried, I laughed and I fell in love with these characters!”

Read more of her review at Satin Sheets Romance!

Training Season Out In Paperback! Comment to Get Yer Signed Copy Here! #mmromance

January 27, 2014 by Leta

No foolin’ this time! It’s the real deal!

TRAINING SEASON IS AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!!

Here is a copy sitting on our piano bench! IT IS A REAL BOOK, Y'ALL! I'm giddy! Giddy, I say! — Here is a copy sitting on our piano bench! IT IS A REAL BOOK, Y’ALL! I’m giddy! Giddy, I say!

I got that whole back cover thing fixed right up, so go forth and pick up your copy!

(Though, hey, nothing’s perfect, and apparently it might take a few days for the change to reflect on the Amazon site itself, but any books sold will have the correct blurb!)

AND I’m giving away two signed copies to two folks who comment here on my blog. I’ll use the random number generator thingy from the interwebs to choose from the comments and contact you. Oh, and the end date for signing up for this little drawing will be on February 3rd!

If you’d like to be considered for this giveaway, please leave a comment below!

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed and loved on Training Season! You guys, I never imagined this book would be so well loved! THANK YOU! And thank you again! And again! AND AGAIN!

Montana Cowboy College, Or Everything I Know About Ranching #research #writing #extras

January 25, 2014 by Leta

I would say the most helpful online resource when writing about Rob’s ranch in Training Season was the site Montana Cowboy College. It is full of fantastic information like Lessons in Ranching, which gives information on calving (needed for a scene that was deleted).

Another helpful page was the ranch hand job description. (Did your dirty mind read that the wrong way, too? No? Just me? Typical.) Which allowed me to figure out what would be some realistic activities for Rob and hands.

In addition, the Photo Gallery is full of amazing ranching and Montana pictures. Have a look to see some really cute pics of cows, some cool shots of ranchers, and some lovely scenery.

The absolute most helpful part, though, was the blog associated with the page, Millenium Cowboy . Basically, it helped with forming really realistic ideas of what a day of ranch work looked like, felt like, and, most especially, what terms were used in discussing the cattle or the work itself, because ranching, like all specialties, has it’s own little language.

Oh, and look at that, a new update on that blog shows there was knee deep snow on October 4th of this year! So, hooray, the snow in my book is possible! *gives self high five* I definitely made the right choice in changing the setting to Montana! *does a boogie*

Those of you looking into writing a book about ranching in Montana, definitely check out these links and buy his book! Extremely good stuff!

Gay Games and Inclusiveness #gaygames9 #lgbt #gay

January 24, 2014 by Leta

Because of all the terrible things happening in Russia right now, I’ve had mixed emotions about the Olympics this year, especially on the heels of releasing Training Season, an erotic romance which features an Olympic athlete. I wanted to find a way to feel like I was making even a small difference and that’s when I read up on the Gay Games and found that they are inclusive in every way, representing the true ideals of the original Olympics. Well, so long as you were male and not a slave and yadda. Never mind, forget my comment about the original Olympics. The Gay Games are much more inclusive than they ever were!

Regardless, I’ve pledged to donate 10% of the first six months of Training Season profits to the Gay Games to support an organization that is truly inclusive and open.

Now, Training Season might not be a read for everyone. It’s a gay erotic romance with some (smokin’ hot) graphic scenes that aren’t for every reader. But, in this post-50 Shades world, many people are looking for material of this nature and if you are, then this might be a book for you. With that reference alone, one should be able to determine if the book is for them or not.If you do purchase any time from now until May the 10% of your purchase price goes to support the Gay Games!