Merry Christmas!

Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope today and tomorrow are filled with peace and happiness.  Of course, I wish it for you all year round, but I verbalize it more this time of year.  :-)

I haven't gotten much writing done lately, but I have been thinking a lot about my writing goals.  I made a lot of progress in 2013 but I want to build upon it in 2014.  I'll share more specific aims in a later post, but blogging more often is DEFINITELY in the cards.

Led By Desire excerpt

My latest story with Totally Bound, Led By Desire, became available for pre-order last Friday the 13th.  However, I refuse to give in to my superstitions and believe in any bad omens associated with that date.  To celebrate the pre-release, I'm sharing an excerpt from Led By Desire. 

You ever heard of the saying 'opposites attract.'  Well, that applies to the hero and heroine, Thomas and Karin, even though their first impressions of each other bring anything but the word "attraction" to mind.  It's more like 'hate at first sight.' Please check out Led By Desire and see how polar opposites Karin and Thomas go from antagonism to desire.

Excerpt

Grabbing his jacket, Karin searched it until she located his billfold. Finding a stack of bills, she took out half of them. “Consider this payment for the ride home and making me miss work tonight.”

Thomas snapped his neck forward. “It wasn’t my fault that manager made you drive me home. He wanted to provide good customer service.”

“Marc wanted revenge for me turning him down for a date. He knows I need every single penny I make in tips, and making me drive you home was punishment.”

“That’s between you and him, not my concern. Give me back my wallet and my money.”

Karin tossed the billfold onto the floor in front of him but tucked the money she’d already removed into her back pocket. “Sorry, you made it your concern when you cost me a night’s work. If you’d gotten into the taxi I hailed for you, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I had at least a thousand bucks in there, and you have at least half of it. You can’t tell me you would have made five hundred dollars tonight at the club.”

“Maybe not.” She shrugged. “I’m considering the rest of it payment for putting up with your sorry, uptight ass.”

“You’re not the only one who works hard for their money.” In one swift movement, Thomas stood up and lunged for Karin. She stepped back, but wasn’t quick enough to escape his grasp. Gripping her by the arms, Thomas couldn’t stay on his feet, and fell back onto the sofa, taking Karin down with him.

“Let me go!” Karin tried to push him away, but Thomas held her tightly.

“Not until you give me back my money!” She felt his hand run down her back to her behind, where it landed on the bulge the money had formed.

She didn’t know how, but somewhere along the way, the touch turned into a caress. Every sensible notion in her head told her to pull away and get out of there as fast as she could. Thomas had given her nothing but grief that night, and staying would only lead to trouble and likely more grief. However, her body had other ideas, as she found herself responding to his touch by pressing closer against him.

As if they had a mind of their own, her hands snaked their way across his chest, confirming what she’d thought when she’d helped him from her car into his house—the man had a hell of a body. Even through the button-down shirt, Karin could feel the outline of taut, sinewy muscles. Getting this kind of body took a lot of dedication and plenty of hours in the gym. She started to ask him where he found the time to make himself a rival to Michelangelo’s David, when Thomas started kissing her and the question no longer seemed important.

Led By Desire pre-order available December 13!

I originally thought Led By Desire would be available for pre-order last month.  However, the transition from Total-E-Bound to Totally Bound pushed back the date a bit.  But I'm thrilled to share that Led By Desire is still in the Totally Bound pipeline and will be available for pre-order December 13, with the general release scheduled for January 10, 2014.  Not only is Led By Desire my first stand alone story for Totally Bound, it's also my first M/F story for them.  I can't wait to share more details, including an excerpt in the coming weeks.  :-)

11/12/13!!!

Even though not much is going on, I couldn't resist writing a post on 11/1/2/13.  I read that this is supposed to be a lucky sequence.  Who couldn't use some good luck?

Hopefully, I'll have some news to report on here soon, there are a couple of things in the pipeline.  I'm waaaay behind on my NaNoWriMo project.  This is turning into an annual rite of passage for me.  Get all excited about NaNoWriMo, procrastinate when the day finally arrives, then beat myself up for not keeping up.  Except this year, I'm not going to beat myself up.  I've had some unexpected distractions, but it happens, life goes on.  I'm still excited about the project and I'll finish it, NaNoWriMo or not.  :)

I've discovered I write best in complete silence.  I wish I could write with the television on or with music playing, but I'm about 70% less efficient that way.  To get geared up for NaNoWriMo, I read 2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love.  If, like me, you need to increase your productivity, I highly recommend reading the book if you get a chance.  The suggestions that struck me the most were outlining what you want to write and writing in a place away from distractions.  I'm not an outlining fan, but the author made sense when she said that if you know in advance what you are going to write, you're more focused and you'll write faster.  Writing distraction free seems obvious, but I really noticed how much more I got done writing in silence as opposed to writing while trying to keep up with Homeland or Elementary.  Some people can write with the television on, and I envy them.  However, if I have any hope of reaching 50K by November 30, the television has to stay off.

Author Mia Catherine and Unexpected Consequences Excerpt

I'm happy to welcome my fellow Totally Bound author, Mia Catherine to my blog.  Not only has she agreed to answer a few One Last Time questions, she's also going to share an excerpt from her latest book Unexpected Consequences.

1.  Last person I kissed... My 8 year old son

2.  Last time I said "I love you"... At bedtime, to all three of my boys.

3.  Last celebrity crush... Jason Momoa....mmmmmmmm. Yummy!!!

4.  Last chore I did... Laundry - it's a constant.

5.  Last injury I sustained... Do the aches and pains of aging count?

6.  Last reality show I watched... Survivor. It's the one and only reality show I watch.

7.  Last time I cursed... In written word, daily. In real life, very rarely.

Blurb

Kelsey Braden has lived her life obeying the rules, but now that she’s back in her hometown of Brookfield after having accepted her dream job, she wants more. Stuck in her protective shell and desperately wanting a way out, she finally decides to be spontaneous and acts on impulse.

Nick Jensen has lived a life full of challenges and pain. An intimidating loner, his history of mistakes and bad choices have alienated those once close to him. Now that he finds himself working for the wrong people, he struggles with his current assignment – betraying his former best friend.

When Kelsey finds out the hot stranger she's fallen for is not only working for a well-known gangster, but that his target is her brother, she vows to cut him from her life. Unfortunately, the powerful men Nick is involved with have discovered the connection Kelsey has with both Nick and her brother, and decide to use her as an insurance policy. Nick has to find a way to save his new love, protect her brother, and prevent Kelsey from hating him, all while battling demons of his own.

Excerpt

     “Baby, first of all, you are no girl. You are a woman—a very beautiful, sexy woman. The fact that you don’t know that only adds to your appeal. I knew early on that you were more girl next door than you wanted me to know.” He lifted her chin with his finger when she attempted to look away. “But I also knew you were an adult and perfectly aware of what you were doing.”

     She sat a little straighter and he saw her confidence return. “You wanna know what I think, Kelsey? I don’t think you need to decide between wallflower and sex kitten. I think the real you is somewhere in between. You just need to find her.”

     “I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

     “Okay. I’ve got an idea. Tell me something you’ve always wanted to do, but have never done.”

     “I did it last night.” She smiled widely before nipping her bottom lip between her teeth.

He groaned and gave her a sneer. Damn, she’s sexy. Control yourself, Jensen. “Come on, there must be something you’ve always wanted to do.”

     “Well, there is one thing… Oh, but I couldn’t.”

    “What? Tell me, come on.” He was anxious to see her really cut loose. There was an incredible freedom that came from letting yourself go, and she’d only experienced a small part of it. He wanted to see her come to life.

    “Okay, well, when we were growing up, my brothers always loved to play cops and robbers and use weapons—you know, typical boy stuff. But I was always terrified of guns. I swore one of them was going to shoot themselves or each other.”

     “They had real guns?”

   “No, BB guns.” She giggled. “Now they have real guns, but are trained in how to use them.”

    “So you’ve never shot a gun?” he asked, trying to forget that she’d just told him she has two overly protective brothers who own guns.

     “No, and I’ve always wondered what it would be like. I could never try it, though. I was always preaching to them the dangers. If they saw me with a gun…”

     Nick jumped up off the couch and grabbed his coat from the nearby chair. “Let’s go, baby.”

     “What? Where are we going?” She stood from the couch, but made no move towards the door.

     “To the gun range. I’m gonna teach you how to shoot.”

     “But, I can’t. What if someone sees me?”

     “We won’t go to a range in Brookfield. I got a place in mind.” He stepped beside her and pulled her body against his. “We’ll take my bike out there. Go for a ride first. You like riding on my bike, don’t you?”

     She smiled as he felt her body relax. “You know I do.”

    He leant down and gently brushed his lips against hers. “Good. Now grab your things and let’s go.”

     “Why not?” She grabbed a light jacket and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

Purchase links:

Total E-Bound: http://bit.ly/16RdWTL

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17lRT1M

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/19RtbMM

Gearing Up For NaNoWriMo

I'm sorry I've been so bad lately about keeping up to date with this blog.  Part of the reason is that I haven't had much news to report.  I've been busy working on a new story and co-authoring another story with Anais Morgan.  I'm excited about both projects and will report back when there's news about either one.

I've attempted to write a novel for NaNoWriMo for the last few years with varying degrees of success.  I'm going to try again this year, and have an idea for a novel, the plot, and characters in place.  But lately, I've been tinkering with the idea of instead of writing a novel for NaNoWriMo, I would write four or five short stories that would total 50,000 words.  I know the "No" in NaNoWriMo means novel, but what's the fun in being a writer if you can't rewrite the script once in a while and create your own rules?  Basically, I'm going to aim for writing 50,000 words this month.  Whether it results in multiple stories or one novel, I still don't know, but I hope I make it to the 50,000 word goal line regardless.

The Difference Between Promoting and Bragging

For a few days last month, Chemistry With The Billionaire, hit the All Romance Ebooks bestseller list as well as Amazon's top 100 bestseller list.  Evernight Publishing was gracious enough to tweet the news, and of course, I'm thrilled by the success of the story.

However, I felt uncomfortable tweeting or emailing the news myself.  I know other authors do it, and I celebrate their success when I receive the emails or read the tweets, yet I can't bring myself to do it too.  I realize making the bestseller lists is a great marketing and promotional tool, but to me, it feels too much like bragging.  Yes, making the bestseller list is a great accomplishment, but I guess I'm scared if I send out a tweet or email touting the news, I might be jeopardizing my future success.  I'm superstitious enough to believe that if you get too happy or high on one success, the wheel of fortune might bypass you for more achievements.  Irrational, I know, but that's what keeps me from sending out self congratulatory emails and tweets.  I'm probably passing up some great promotional and marketing opportunities, but I suppose I need to get a little more comfortable with the idea of 'tooting my own horn' before I actually start doing it.

Chemistry With The Billionaire's First Review!

I know I've been slacking off on the blogging lately, and I promise promise promise to get back on track later this week.  But in the meantime, I want to share the first review (at least the first review that I know of) for Chemistry With The Billionaire by Rainbow Book Reviews.  The reviewer called it "short, sweet, hot, with just a little drama."

Led By Desire cover revealed!

I'm thrilled to share the cover of my latest e-book, Lead By Desire, which will be available in pre-release in November from Total-E-Bound.

This is my first M/F story for Total-E-Bound and I love how the cover captures the emotion and passion contained in the story.  Thomas is an ambitious banker who goes to a club where his ex-girlfriend works and ends up clashing with waitress Karin.  Though they are polar opposites, the undeniable chemistry between them ends up proving to be too much for Thomas and Karin to resist.  I'll post an excerpt in a few weeks but for now, I hope you all enjoy the cover as much as I do.  :-)

Author Anais Morgan guest post and Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now excerpt

I'm thrilled to welcome my fellow Evernight Publishing author, Anais Morgan, to Noelle Writes and even happier she's sharing an excerpt from her hot new book, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, which releases on Saturday, August 31.

Blurb:

When they finally find love, can it survive the scrutiny?

Vincent’s days at work are spent admiring a hot hunk of man flesh named Jason. Unfortunately, Jason is straight—or so Vincent believes. When Jason asks Vincent out to a sporting event, he confesses he’s interested, and Vince has no problem exploring these feelings with Jason. After a night of passion, they decide they’ve held back their true feelings for too long and want to try a committed relationship.

Just as things start to work for them, their boss finds out that they’re gay. He turns them in for on-the-clock PDA and tells their co-workers. Can Vincent and Jason’s relationship hold up against that kind of hatred?

Except:

A knock came on the door. I walked over and unlocked the deadbolt. Jason smiled as I opened it. He stepped on the threshold, his brows furrowing the way they always had at work. Something was bothering him.

“We good?” I asked.

He hesitated before answering. “Yeah. Can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure.” I stepped aside to allow him to come in farther. After closing the door, I asked, “What’s up?”

He waited a few seconds, concern warping his gaze. I began to worry.

Jason said, “Look, Vincent, I know you’re gay.”

My teeth chattered while my stomach dropped between my knees. How did he find out? I’d been so careful, always watching my back. My hands shook, my knees wanted to knock so I leaned on one foot, trying to play it cool. “How did … you … umm. Well you see—”

Jason held up his hands in defense. Smiling, he said, “Look, I’m not mad. Actually, I think you’re cute.” He paused. “I’ve always thought something was wrong with me. I love sex, but mostly anal. Women turn me on, but not the way men seem to. Maybe I’m bi? I don’t know. But I want to find out.”

And did I ever want to pull him to my side. I smiled at him, my hands quivering and whispered, “I’ll help you.”

Jason took a step closer. He wrapped his fingers in my hair and pulled me in for a kiss. At first he puckered, unsure of what to do. I led him, kissing his bottom lip gently. He molded his lips to mine, following my lead.

“Want me to help you figure that out?” I opened his mouth with my own, sliding my tongue in. He massaged mine back, licking and playing with it. My body, and my cock, reacted to his touch. I wanted to break away and hug him, maybe jump for joy. But no, I couldn’t. I didn’t want the kiss to end.

Jason let out a small moan and I wanted him even more. Fuck the game, we could do this all night. I slid my hand up to the back of his neck. His hair stood on end. What did this mean? Could he be turned on, too? Or was he mortified?

Jason pulled back, gazing into my eyes. His were wide. He hated it, I could tell. He didn’t want it.

“That was … weird,” he said.

“I’m sorry.”

He smirked. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

My cock twitched with his words. Wow. “That did just happen, didn’t it?”

Like what you’ve read? Want to read more? I’m hosting a giveaway. I’ll be on 13 blogs over the Labor Day weekend to promote Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now. All you have to do is comment on any of the blogs. Want more chances to win? Visit all of the blogs and comment! The more you comment, the better your chances. It’s that simple.

Visit www.anaismorgan.blogspot.com for a complete list of the blogs and dates. And as always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.

-Anais Morgan

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nothings-Gonna-Stop-Now-ebook/dp/B00EV9YOBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378528354&sr=1-1&keywords=anais+morgan

Facebook: www.facebook.com/anais.morganluv

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/

Chemistry With The Billionaire released today!!!

I'm so happy to announce my latest e-book, Chemistry With The Billionaire, is now available at Evernight Publishing!  This is my second story with Evernight Publishing and my first standalone e-book with them and I'm thrilled with the cover (the models are drool-worthy aren't they?!).  I hope you all check out my latest! :-)

When Sam Yates meets Elliot at a Harwin Biotechnologies office party, he can hardly believe the tanned and muscular Adonis is interested in a nerdy scientist like himself. However, the attraction between the two men is immediate and it doesn’t take them long to act on it. It is only the next morning that Sam realizes that he’s just slept with Elliot Harwin—the company president.

The revelation leaves Sam uneasy and afraid it will look like he's trying to sleep his way up the corporate ladder. But Elliot helps him to put aside these reservations, and it isn’t long before Sam achieves the professional success and personal fulfillment he has long sought. But this newfound happiness is threatened when a jealous co-worker tells Sam that he's not the first employee with whom Elliot has been involved. With his career and love life at stake, Sam starts to wonder whether the foundation he and Elliot have constructed has been built on lies.

Author L.M. Somerton guest post and Living On The Edge excerpt

I'm thrilled to welcome my fellow Total-E-Bound author L.M. Somerton to my blog!!!  Not only does she confess her secret celebrity crush, she shares an excerpt from her hot new book, Living On The Edge, the second book in the Tales From The Edge series.

Hi Noelle, thanks so much for having me on the blog! I’m very excited about my new series of MM BDSM stories, Tales from The Edge, the second of which, Living on the Edge is available now. I had great fun answering your questions, so here they are:

1. Last person I kissed...

My 12 year old as I shipped her off to her Nan’s for a holiday!

2. Last celebrity crush...

It’s still ongoing I have to confess… Matt Bomer in White Collar.

3. Last thing I do before bed...

Read. All my favourite MM stories.

4. Last vacation I took...

A cruise around the Baltic. Copenhagen and Tallinn were highlights, but the whole trip was fabulous.

5. Last injury I sustained...

Multiple scratches on my arms picking raspberries in the garden. It’s a jungle out there!

6. Last song that made me rock out...

The Riddler by Nightwish.

7. Last time I cursed...

This morning when my soaking wet cat decided that my computer keyboard made a great bed.

Tales from The Edge - Series Blurb

The Edge is a training company with a difference. Its weekend clients come for classes in bondage and domination, not team building and problem solving.

The management, staff and customers of The Edge do not lead boring lives. In fact they have a habit of getting themselves into all kinds of trouble. Put Dominant, possessive alpha males together with bratty, loveable submissives and sparks are bound to fly. These Tales from The Edge are their stories.

Living on the Edge - Book Blurb:

Sometimes it takes willpower to resist temptation but courage to give in.

Aiden Keller is a brilliant and intriguing young man. When he’s convicted of hacking, his sentence takes him to The Edge, a high-end corporate training company with a mysterious sideline. There he is given into the custody of its owner, the enigmatic and demanding Heath Anders, and his business partner Joe Dexter.

From the moment Heath takes charge of Aiden he recognises the boy’s submissive nature, even though it is well hidden beneath a veneer of snarky attitude. But for twelve months, Aiden will be his responsibility and Heath cannot allow himself to get involved whilst the boy is obliged to obey him.

Aiden settles into his new life with the help of Olly, Joe’s pretty, submissive boyfriend, who is very perceptive when it comes to noticing the sparks of attraction flying between Aiden and Heath. Slowly and gently, he teaches Aiden that submission is not a weakness and to accept his desire to be dominated.

Unable to resist, Heath starts to test Aiden’s willingness to be obedient, and against all the odds, love (and lust) start to bloom. Aiden, however, is not quite what he seems and his past is about to endanger all their lives.

  

Excerpt:

Aiden watched as he walked away. Broad shoulders topped a body wrapped in a dark fleece and black jeans. Every movement spoke of restrained strength. He moved confidently with a measured, unhurried pace. Aiden couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting down to a very nice arse—the guy was exceptionally well put together. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what it would be like to be held down by Heath, and somehow Aiden knew that held down was what he would be. Heath didn’t look the type for caring and sharing. He was so obviously dominant that it oozed from every pore.

“Probably straight.” Aiden hoped he had only thought the words rather than said them out loud. It was hardly appropriate to be thinking about the man in that way. Still, if he had to be stuck in some godforsaken place as slave labour for twelve months, at least there would be something nice to look at. Twelve months. Fuck. It felt like a life sentence, and Aiden wondered for the millionth time if what he had done was worth it.

Heath returned, levered his long legs beneath the table and placed a large cup of steaming coffee in front of him. Aiden’s hands shook just a little as he ripped open a sugar sachet and sprinkled a few grains into his drink. The fight with the miniature milk cartons proved a bit more challenging until a large hand closed around his own, took the annoying little pot away and opened it for him. The burning sensation would have been less if Aiden had plunged his hand into an open fire. Skin on skin contact with Heath short-circuited his brain and turned his cock into a very hard problem.

He shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t need your help.” He fought the second milk carton and sprayed white liquid across the table.

“Of course you don’t.” Heath wiped up the mess with a serviette. “Look at me, Aiden.”

Aiden suddenly found the tabletop very interesting indeed, but there was something about that voice that stripped away his resistance. Slowly, unwillingly, he raised his eyes.

“Better. I have one ground rule that we need to get out of the way. I know you don’t want to be here. Well, suck it up—I don’t care. You did something wrong and this is punishment, not a fucking day trip.”

Aiden blinked and clenched his fists beneath the table.

“From this point on, you do what I say, when I say it. Disobey me and you will be punished. Do as you’re told and we will get along just fine.”

“So, you say ‘Jump’ and I say ‘How high’? Is that how this works?” Months of frustration and worry brought sharpness to Aiden’s voice.

“How high, how far and what kind of fucking landing is required.”

© L M Somerton

Buy links:

You can buy Living on the Edge today from Total-E-Bound at:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?P_ID=2242&utm_source=bookpromostrategy&utm_medium=authorpromo&utm_campaign=livingontheedge

It’s also available on general release at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Café etc. just search for the title.

Author bio:

L M Somerton lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She’s fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

Links

http://lmsomerton.wordpress.com

http://www.facebook.com/lmsomerton

http://pinterest.com/lmsomerton

https://www.amazon.com/author/lmsomerton

Twitter: @lmsomerton

Banner and cover images attached.

Thanks again!

HIS: Manlove Edition Anthology available today!!

HIS : Manlove Edition anthology which contains my story, Campaigning For The Billionaire, is available today at Evernight Publishing!

Dylan Medford is a statistician working on the senate campaign of Charles Herridge, a self-made billionaire from a powerful and prominent family.  While Dylan is a low level staffer from a modest background, an attraction develops between he and Charles, and they give in to the temptation and act on their desires.  A bond begins to develop between them, but it is threatened when Dylan is implicated in a scandal that could put Charles's campaign in jeopardy.  Charles is left to decide which is more important to him: his relationship with Dylan or his political future.

I hope you all check out Campaigning For The Billionaire as well as the other M/M stories in the HIS: Manlove Edition anthology from Evernight Publishing!

HIS : Manlove Edition anthology cover art!!!

I'm so excited  to share the cover art for the Evernight Publishing anthology HIS: Manlove Edition, which includes my story Campaigning For The Billionaire.  The anthology will be available August 15.

Contract News!!

Sharing the news of book contracts are my favorite kinds of posts to write, so getting to blog about TWO new book contracts just doubles the fun.  :-) :-)

Earlier this month I shared the news that a story of mine, Campaigning For The Billionaire, had been accepted for inclusion in the Evernight Publishing anthology, His : Manlove Edition.  I'm thrilled to announce that Evernight Publishing is also going to publish my story, Chemistry With The Billionaire, as part of their Romance On The Go line.  Yes, I have a thing for billionaires and I'm happy I can sell the stories I make up about them.  :-D

I'm also super excited to announce that my story, Trusting The Army Captain, has been accepted for inclusion in Total-E-Bound's M/M military anthology, Stand To Attention.  I've been super nervous about this story because writing about the military is way, way, WAY out of my comfort zone, but I like challenging myself as a writer.  Besides, I like to change it up every now and then.  :)

Okay, here's the rundown:  Campaigning For The Billionaire ( His : Manlove Edition anthology) will be available next month, Chemistry With the Billionaire will be available in September, Led By Desire will be available in November, and Trusting The Army Captain (Stand To Attention anthology) will be available in January 2014.  Whew, and guess what?  I have more projects that I'm working on, so who knows...maybe you'll see me blog another "Contract News!!" post soon.  *crossing fingers*

Happy (belated) Anniversary!!

I meant to write a post on July 15th to celebrate a year from the date of my first submission to Total-E-Bound, marking my return to a 'professional' writing career.  About 10+ years ago, I used to write short stories for Sterling MacFadden publications, i.e. the True Confessions magazines.  I had a lot of fun and even made a little bit of money, but I eventually grew bored and stopped, focusing more on my day job.  However, I never totally gave up on my dream of turning my writing into a career.  I just decided to postpone it for a while until I could develop more focus and skill to write longer length and more complex stories.

In all that time, I'd never stopped writing, but spent more time reading different types of novels, trying to decide which genre I enjoyed the most.  Most writing books state you should write what you enjoy reading, but that's not easy advice to take when you read anything and everything like I do.  However I'm a sucker for romance, so I knew that's where I wanted to concentrate my efforts.  Around this time, I also read my first M/M story.  I'd picked the book, Supplicant by Gem Frost, up on a free ebook site thinking it was a typical M/F story with a hot guy on the cover.  But from the first page, I realized it not only wasn't a M/F story, it was a M/M story with some BDSM elements.  The super sexy erotic scenes hooked me and it wasn't long before I was reading every M/M story I could get my hands on.  From there, I made the leap from reading M/M stories to writing them.

After deciding that I was ready to get back on the submissions treadmill, I tried to find information for Sterling MacFadden but came up with nothing.  Apparently, they have been bought, sold, and bought again.  Even if I could have found submissions information for them, I don't think I would have pursued it because I came across many other publishers and submissions calls in the course of my research.  I hadn't realized how many opportunities existed now for all lengths of work, and how easy it was to get a foot in the door through submissions calls.

Total-E-Bound's Emergency Servicing anthology intrigued me because I love medical romances and I was eager to submit a M/M story to see if I really had what it took to write in that genre.  I submitted my story on the last day of the deadline, July 15th, and I received an email informing me the story had been accepted into the anthology on August 15th.  Since then, I've been a lot busier and had a lot more success than I could have anticipated.  There is still much more I want to accomplish, but I'm thrilled with how far I've come so far.

Harper Sloan's Axel Preview!

I'm thrilled to share a preview of Harper Sloan's latest book, Axel!  I hope you all check it out!

Fate hasn’t always been friends with Isabelle West. In fact, fate has been a down right bitch.

Isabelle has learned the hard way how hard life can be when fate isn’t by your side. It can hand you dreams on silver platters, but it can snatch them right back and hand you nightmares. One thing Isabelle knew for sure fate was consistent with was taking away everything she ever loved.

For the last two years Isabelle has been slowly clearing the clouds of her past. Happiness is finally on the horizon. She has a thriving business, great friends, and her life back. All she has to do is jump over the last hurdle…her ex-husband.

When problems start causing her to fear her new life, and memories that are better left forgotten start rushing to the surface the last thing she needs is a ghost from her past to come knocking on her door.

Axel never thought he would look into the eyes of Isabelle West again, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to now. He’s carried his anger for so long he isn’t sure he can just turn it off, but when he is faced with protecting her and an unexpected desire to have her again, life gets a little more complicated.

How will Axel and Isabelle deal when all their cards are put on the table and everything they thought was true blows up in their faces?

About the author:

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

Author Links:

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/Harper_sloan

Amazon:   (will send out once it is live)

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/harpersloanbooks

Twitter:  harpersloan

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/HarperSloan/

Instagram @harper_sloan

Email authorharpersloan@gmail.com

Author C.A. Szarek guest post and Collision Force excerpt!

I'm so thrilled to welcome my fellow Total-E-Bound author C.A. Szarek to my blog and I'm even happier she's going to share an excerpt from her new book, Collision Force.  If you love the romantic suspense genre like I do, then this book is a must read!

And best of all, C.A. is giving away a free e-copy of Collision Force to one lucky commenter!  Please be sure to leave your email address so C.A. can reach you if you turn out to be the winner.  Good luck!

Book one in the Crossing Forces series

Bad boy FBI agent and feisty widowed police detective collide pursuing a human trafficker in small town Texas on their way to true love.

Bad boy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent who sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she’d left behind when her husband died. Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardise their case and their hearts?

EXCERPT

“Goodnight, Cole.” Obviously, she didn’t want to talk to him about anything, let alone his overdue apology.

“So, that’s it? You’re not going to accept my apology?”

“Not tonight. I’m tired, and we have a long day tomorrow.” She turned to go.

“Andi, wait.” Why was he calling her back? He could respect that she was still upset with him—she had every right to be. He’d gone a bit overboard with some of the things he’d said.

Keeping Cass’ phone call from her had been unnecessary from the start. He hadn’t needed to carry it on in the car after they’d left the warehouse. It’d only served to get her so pissed off at him she’d barely uttered a word all day. So much for getting somewhere on the case.

Andi glanced over her shoulder and Cole grabbed her wrist. He yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.

He hadn’t intended to kiss her but as her soft, warm lips caressed his, Cole couldn’t have changed his mind even if he’d wanted to. Her curves hit his chest with enough impact that should have jarred him back into his head, but he was lost and overheated immediately. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her harder.

She fought him, but his mouth was demanding over hers, and Andi opened for him, melting against him, surrendering to him. She slipped her arms around his neck and Cole bit back a groan. Her taste, sweeter than he’d imagined, was like ripe berries. He needed more.

Andi whimpered against his mouth, her tongue dancing with his. His cock stood at attention, straining against his zipper. He moaned as her body melded to his, breasts to chest, hips to hips. Cole had to have her.

As he walked them back towards the couch, she pushed hard against his chest, breaking the kiss and shoving him away from her. They both panted hard.

“Don’t…don’t ever do that…again,” she stammered, the gorgeous swell of her breasts lifting and pulling her shirt taut as her chest heaved. He could see peaked nipples. His erection throbbed and he struggled for coherent thought.

Cole dragged his gaze to her face. Blue eyes wide, cheeks rosy, freckles noticeable, her lips swollen from his. Though she’d been appealing before, how she stood before him now blew that out of the water. She was gorgeous.

He needed to say something. Anything. Apologise? He wasn’t sorry in the least. Speechless just about covered it.

She trembled and rubbed her arm. It took all he was made of not to pull her back to him and kiss her again.

There was no chance to answer. Andi turned on her heel and fled down the hall, slipping into the room farthest away from the living room. She didn’t even pause to look at him as she slammed the door.

He winced. What the hell should he make of what had happened? He stared down the hallway for a moment, his heart pounding. Never in his life, not even when he was a teenager, had one kiss stirred him to the point that Andi’s had. Then she’d run from him. His body shook with unfulfilled need.

Cole couldn’t blame her, really. No way should he have given in to the urge to kiss her. But he had the sinking suspicion he would have to do it again—and more. He wouldn’t be able not to. And hell, she’d kissed him back.

The voice of reason chided that he didn’t get involved with women he worked with, but his cock certainly disagreed. He ignored them both and dragged his hand over his face. The morning would bring complications.

Cole sighed and glanced at the couch. It looked comfortable, but would he be able to sleep?

Biography

Sword's Call is C.A.'s first book, and is the first in the King's Riders Series, published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. C.A. also has a Romantic suspense, Collision Force (Crossing Forces Book 1), published by Total-E-Bound Publishing. BOTH ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

C.A. is originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She is married and has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. 

She works with kids when she's not writing.

She's always wanted to be a writer and is overjoyed to share her stories with the world.