Enemies to friends? Talk about Mayhem!

Actor Colin Colton is tired of dealing with the paparazzi. One night he snaps and breaks the camera of pushy Zach Jarlson. Within a few hours, guilt sets in and he replaces it.

Colin has a contentious relationship with the press--especially Zach. Then one day, trapped in a cable car together, they discover something more....

They go from enemies to friends and lovers...and then back again, as a sex tape of the two hits the market for a cool two million. Colin thinks Zach made it, and Zach thinks it was Colin. And neither man is ready to take it lying down.

Just what does a guy have to do to convince his paparazzo he's serious about having a real relationship?

Colin tracks Zach to a cabin in the woods as heavy snow cuts off all access. Their private interlude reveals the truth--and the real culprit. ~But Colin still has to convince Zach he wasn't just a fling. Gun-shy after being outed by the press, Zach disappears from Colin's life.

• Length: approximately 33,000 words
• Heat level: Low

From the Author:

A life-changing decision:

Zach makes a life-changing decision when he decides to sleep with

Colin.  Zach only recently admitted to himself that he was gay.  While he's been feeling so much more free emotionally, he's not ready to come out yet, and hasn't yet trusted anyone enough to sleep with him.  

Colin is his first--and the repercussions are huge, because someone was secretly filming Colin's room.  Zach is suddenly outed to the whole world.  While he does recover, and the relationship between the two men eventually re-ignites, it's a painful road for him as he starts a new life and tries to put the humiliation behind him.  Most of all, he feels like he's lost his family.  He wanted to wait and tell them when he was ready, and that was taken away from him. But don’t worry; there are plenty of happy moments in the story.  Zach and Colin have a lot to deal with, but their strong pull toward each other leads to a happy ending.  

Why I wrote this story:

I had these mental images I couldn't get out of my head!  They were two men, an actor and a paparazzo.  Somehow or other, they’d been trapped together in an isolated cabin during a raging snowstorm.  The paparazzo was a short, cute, pushy guy with a lot of chutzpah, and the actor pretty much hated his guts.  And yet...and yet...

The story changed a lot as I finally sat down to write it, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  I like these character a lot.  I especially love the part when they're in Hawaii.  ;)  

My paparazzo is a lot more sympathetic in the final version than my original image of him.  And, while the scene in my imagination never quite happens, the two men are trapped together at one point, and at another point, they stay overnight together in a cabin during a snowstorm.

EXCERPT:

There was a soft knock at the door. Colin snapped shut his laptop and sat up.  

"Come in."  

A smile was already on his face.  He tried to smooth it down and play things cool.  He crossed one leg over the other and stretched an arm out on the bed to look relaxed.  Then he grabbed his laptop and shoved it down beside the bed.  

Damn it, not cool at all.

"Hey."  It was Zach all right, wearing holey jeans and a tight-fitted, red long-sleeved shirt.  He seemed to be looking everywhere at once.  His hair was damp, as if he'd just taken a shower.  He smiled nervously.

"Ah, c'mere," said Colin softly, sitting up straighter and patting the bed beside him.  "It's okay.  You look freaked."

"Well."  He shrugged awkwardly and tugged his red shirt down tighter.  It really showed off his slender, muscular build.

Handsome little bugger.

"We don't have to do anything.  Just stay and talk a little bit, yeah?"

Zach nodded, and his smile looked relieved.  He joined Colin and sat down on the very edge of the wide, soft bed.  It didn't even creak, it was that well-made.  "I'm sorry.  I'm not very experienced.  This is all sort of new to me."

Wait, what?  Just how inexperienced was he?  How new?

"Don't worry."  

Colin nodded for him to move closer, and then motioned for his hand. Hesitantly, Zach gave it to him.  Colin turned it over and examined it closely. This was a slender, creative hand, strong but not body-builder strong.  There were veins on the back, as though he used his hands a lot, but they were still fairly soft.

Colin stroked Zach's palm lightly with his fingertips.  "It's all right, you know," he said quietly.

"Um, yes," gulped Zach.  He cast Colin a quick, embarrassed smile.  "I just can't believe…I mean…you're you.  And I'm me."

"Tell me about you.  I'd like to know more."

Zach shrugged broadly.  "There's not much to tell.  I'm just a guy.  I like to photograph."

"All kinds of things, or just celebrities?"  He raised an eyebrow.

Zach gave a small, embarrassed smile and ducked his head.  "I've worked some different jobs.  Newspapers.  Wedding photographer.  And I sell stock photos."  He ran a hand back through his hair, scratching his scalp and attractively disarraying his short, brown hair.  "I can't believe you're asking me this stuff.  You're the interesting one."

"Not really.  I don't have time to be interesting lately.  I'm always working.  Acting means long hours, little sleep, and always having to redo the work, the outfit, and the makeup."  He sighed, holding up his hands.  "I know, dream job, shouldn't complain.  And I'm not, really. Just…tired."

"You should rest."  Zach sprang up from the bed.  "I'll leave, and let you rest."

"Zach," said Colin.

Zach halted and stood still, his back to Colin.

"Just to be very clear," said Colin softly.  "If you go, it's not about me needing rest."  He could've heard a needle drop.

"You, uh, you want me to stay?" asked Zach softly.

"That would be a yes," said Colin.

"Then, um…"  He gulped.  "I, um, I think I'd like that.  And we can take things slow?"

"Oh, Zach, of course."  He rose and moved toward him, taking the shorter man into his arms, and kissed the top of his head.  "We can take all the time in the world."

#

They propped all the pillows up on the headboard and sat against it like a big couch, legs stretched out comfortably side by side over the bed.  It should've felt sex-charged, but it didn't, not to Zach.  Colin was so easy to be with—especially considering the circumstances.

"You can pick the movie," he said, and Zach did, flipping through channel after channel on the huge television that faced the bed.

"Ho ho, found it!  The perfect movie."  He cast Colin a triumphant grin and flipped on Her Scottish Man, one of Colin's earliest American films.  In it, he played a romantic lead instead of an action role.  A Scotsman in America, with an accent and humorous but big-hearted ways of life, met an ordinary American lady who worked as a chef, and she fell in love with the fish-out-of-water heartthrob.  

"Oh, no!" groaned Colin.  "Turn it off!  Anything but that!"

"Nope.  This is a great movie!"

"I have Scottish friends who still rag me about what an awful accent I did.  Nobody cares that I can actually do a real Scottish accent!  I had to follow what the director thought was better for the American public."

"And you did a great job.  Let's watch!"

"Augh!  Have mercy."  Colin slumped his head against Zach's shoulder and groaned aloud.

Zach chortled evilly.  "I bet you still get stopped on the street by people asking if you wore anything under that kilt."  The movie had a long running scene near the end, with Colin in a kilt, chasing down the female lead's taxi cab for his final declaration of love.

"Don't remind me!  A dozen takes, and I still have to hear about it."

"Oh, but it was so artistic."

"I'll give you artistic."  He made a grab for the remote.

Zach yanked it away, holding it out from his body on the opposite side from Colin.  "Not fast enough."  He gave Colin a challenging look.

Colin's eyes flashed.  "No?"  He reached for Zach, fingers finding his armpits.  Zach yelped and squirmed under the tickling fingers, helpless enough that Colin could crawl right on top of him, retrieve the remote, and sit down again with dignity, changing channels before Zach could sit up again, wipe the tears from his eyes, and stop giggling.

His Paparazzo: http://www.amazon.com/His-Paparazzo-sweet-romance-ebook/dp/B00CQOV4IK

While currently only available in Kindle format, it is without DRM and can be converted to other formats using Calibre.

blog:

http://hollisshiloh.blogspot.com/

Zombies are full of MayHem!

It may surprise you to know that I don’t really like horror, gore or any type of scary type movies or books.

Then why did you write a zombie story, Jaxx? Well I’m glad you asked.

I wanted to write a story where love would conquer all no matter the situation.

I let a friend of mine read this story just before I subbed it. He is a fan of zombie stories and has a longtime lover who is also into creatures of the night type stories. He shared the story with his lover and they both enjoyed it however they had issue with it. The loved the camaraderie between the characters, the mayhem they endured and even the twist I did with the zombies, but they disagreed with the ending. This couple has an apocalypse clause in their relationship. If one is bitten by a zombie, werewolf or vampire the other has permission to kill the other and go on with their life.

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt for a time afterwards. I had never heard of such a thing, but it made me think. I didn’t want my characters to have such a clause. To me forever means forever. If that’s the commitment you are entering into then you must honor it. That’s why you must be very careful AND picky with who you enter a lifetime relationship with.:)

 To start their lives anew, Mike and Bill are leaving the chill winters of Chicago behind for the warm breezes of San Fernando Valley. On their cross country road trip they experience different foods, cozy country towns and…zombies??

 Excerpt:

Bill stared at the food in front of Mike. Though he couldn’t tell what the ingredients really were, the dark brown, lumpy piece of meat wrapped in pastry didn’t look like any pie he had ever seen. It also didn’t have the same effect on his olfactory senses. Instead of the sweet smell that tickled your nose and made you smile when one came in proximity with pies that were considered desserts, the aroma of this pie made him want to hurl. 

When Mike’s fork scraped the tip away, the food made a sick squishy sound. Bill’s breath caught as he watched in awe as the utensil rose to Mike’s mouth without hesitation. Mike ate the foul smelling dessert with gusto then swallowed.

“Well,” Bill asked eagerly.

Mike pushed the plate away. “Oh, yeah, that tastes gross.”

“This surprises you?” Bill asked on a chuckle.

He shrugged. “Not really. I figured it would, but I didn’t want to assume,” Mike admitted with a laughing grin.

Bill rolled his eyes and his arms relaxed. “Can we just get out of here now?”

“Oh yeah, I’m done.” Mike looked around. “What the— Where did everyone go?”

“Folk started leaving just before you started in on that delicious pie of yours. Only the two bubbas are left at the counter. I guess these little country hicks are afraid of the dark,” he added in a lower tone.

“So how do we pay for the food?”

“Okay, you boys ready?” Mabel said returning to their table.

Bill jumped at her sudden appearance.

“We’re closing right now. It’s past time.”

“I’ll wait in the car,” Bill said hurrying away from her.

Mike chuckled and followed Mabel.

The sky darkened quickly as the sun settled behind the mountains in the distance. Bill lingered a moment to take a picture of the beautiful colors in the sky. Grinning at the image on his phone, he continued across the parking lot to the car. Before pulling the door open, he caught sight of a man coming toward him. Dressed in dark blue with a wide brim hat, the man had a large intimidating presence like the cops Bill knew in Chicago. A dull golden star on his shirt pocket glinted in the dwindling light as he came closer. Bill turned to intercept.

“Hello Sheriff. We just ate in the diner and were wondering if you could tell us how far the next town is. We need to get some gas.”

The officer didn’t answer but continued to close the distance between them. Bill stopped walking and his brows furrowed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

“Sir, is everything all right?”

The sheriff reached Bill, grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him forward. Bill gasped, trying to pull away, but couldn’t break the strong grip.

“Hey! What are you doing? Let me go!”

The man’s pale skin and vacant stare was horrifying. He continued to pull on Bill trying to bring him even closer, but Bill jerked himself from side to side struggling. The cop gave no explanation as he leaned down to bite Bill on the shoulder.

“Oww!”

Shock shot through his system followed by pain. Swinging wildly, he beat the man on the head. Finally, the sheriff reeled backward, tearing a chunk of Bill’s shoulder away. Bill screamed again. His assailant’s grip loosened momentarily as he chewed Bill’s flesh. He took the opportunity to jerk away and make a run for the car. As Mike came from the diner, Bill waved frantically to get his attention.

“Mike, get in the car quick!”

Bill swung the door open, then slammed it shut behind him. He reached toward the backseat to grab his jacket. Balling up one of the sleeves, he pressed the material to his shoulder. He looked out the window. To his horror the sheriff walked slowly toward the car. Other people appeared in the street gathering behind him. He pushed the lever down to lock his door. The driver’s door swung open and he shrieked.

“What the hell is going on?” Mike shouted, sliding behind the wheel. “Oh my God! Baby, what happened to your arm?”

“Drive, Mike! Just get us out of here!”

I Love You to Death is available now. All links to buy are available at Secret Cravings Publishing.

Find Jaxx at his website and Facebook 

Follow Jaxx on Twitter and his Blog.

Who causes more mayhem than a pirate!

"A short life but a merry one"

That was the philosophy of the pirates who roamed the seas in the early 18^th century. By the laws of the time all a pirate could look forward to was a short dance at the end of a long rope. There was no incentive to be merciful to the passengers of vessels that pirate crews attacked. Indeed, some pirates were psychotic murderers, riddled with STDs and with atrocious personal hygiene, who prided themselves on their savagery. Edward Teach, L'Ollonais and Edward Low revelled in their savagery but others took a far more measured approach to their piracy. Bartholomew Roberts, for instance, took over 400 ships in 2 years, without killing a single crew member. His crew, in common with many others, operated on soundly democratic principles.

They may have taken ships with blasts from their long guns, grappled them then poured aboard with bloodthirsty roars to terrorise and pillage, but they had generally had a meeting about it first where every man was entitled to have his say. The officers of a pirate ship were elected by popular vote from amongst the men best suited to the job and each had specific duties laid down in writing. They had to work as a team and to do that successfully every man needed to know his duties, the penalties for failing to do them and the rewards he could expect if they were successful. Punishments were brutal and immediate, the worst – marooning—being  reserved for social crimes such as stealing from another crew member, but every man got his share of the booty and if he was injured he would be paid from the common fund, so much for an eye, so much for an arm or leg.

Drawn from all walks of life, all creeds, nationalities and races, pirate crews were remarkably tolerant of each others foibles. They were literally all in the same boat. This tolerance extended to same sex relations. They even had their own word for it – matelotage. In 1700 a pirate ship was the only place in the western world where two men could make a lifelong commitment to each other in front of their peers, signing a document with the same legal clout as a marriage. This document would be honoured by the courts, especially in the old buccaneer havens of Hispaniola. Stories abound of the devotion and affection between members of the crews. Harry Glasby, the sailing master of Robert's ship, a forced man, was captured after an attempt to escape and was sentenced to death by firing squad but one Valentine Ashplant spoke up in his defence:

"By God, Glasby shall not die, damn me if he shall ... I love him, Devil damn me if I don't. I hope he will live and repent of what he has done. But, damn me, if he must die, I will die along with him!"

Impressed by his devotion, the pirate court allowed Glasby to live. Elsewhere there are records of a pirate trapped on a sinking ship whose matelot chose to stay and die with him. Bartholomew Roberts and his matelot, George Wilson, swore a suicide pact "to blow [the ship] up and go to hell together".  Before battle, buccaneers exchanged embraces, keepsakes and promises of a happy meeting after the battle either on deck or in the hereafter. I think it likely that gay men and gay couples chose to become pirates because it was the only way of life where they didn't have to hide and where they could show their affection for each other in public. A 'moral' life meant constant stress, persecution, loneliness plus the fear of the noose should they be caught together as opposed to piracy with a pocket full of gold, rum and good company where their relationship would be celebrated and they would be free to kiss or more with only the piratical equivalent of 'get a room' as criticism- it's no contest really.

Elin Gregory enjoys writing about mayhem in all its many forms, car chases, chariot races, the Macedonian phalanx, SAS black ops, cavaliers or commandos, but has a special affection for pirates.

Her novel, On A Lee Shore, is available now.

"Give me a reason to let you live..."

Beached after losing his ship and crew, and with England finally at peace, Lt Christopher Penrose will take whatever work he can get. A valet? Why not? Escorting an elderly diplomat to the Leeward Islands seems like an easy job, but when their ship is boarded by pirates, Kit's world is turned upside down. Forced aboard the pirate ship, Kit finds himself juggling his honor with his desire to stay alive, not to mention his desire for the alarming--yet enticing--captain, known as La Griffe.

Kit has always obeyed the rules, but as the pirates plunder their way across the Caribbean, he finds much to admire in their freedom. He deplores their lawlessness but is drawn to their way of life, and begins to think he might just have found a purpose. Dare he dream of finding love too? Or would loving a pirate take him too far down the road to ruin?

Excerpt:

There was no question of standing to fight. Outgunned and outnumbered, the only thing the Hypatia could do was run. So run they did, the crew hurling themselves in all directions in response to the master’s shrieked orders.

Kit joined them, kicking off his shoes to scamper up the rigging. The wind tossed his hair across his face and plastered his shirt to his back as he raced Forrest to the top. A quick glance back made his breath catch. The two ships were coming apace, a brigantine much larger than Hypatia and the other, closer, sloop rigged with a huge spread of white sails. The black flags were more apparent now, and Kit’s heart raced as he edged along the footrope.

“Have a care, Mr. Penrose, sir,” Forrest said as he too reached the yard. “Go back down, sir, do!”

“I know what I’m about, thank you, Forrest,” Kit said, and when he leaned to reach the reef lines with as much agility as any of them, the man grinned and left him to it.

The sails filled with a crack, and the Hypatia met the next wave head on. Kit looked back at the pursuing sails, calculating distances and speeds. As he watched, the tan sails of the brigantine were obscured by a puff of white smoke. A relieved curse ripped from Forrest’s lips as a spout went up well astern.

“That’s it,” he said. “Them devils’ll not catch us now.”

They both whooped their approval, and Forrest shook a fist. “You’ve no fancy to be a pirate then, Forrest?” Kit said with a laugh.

“Me, sir? No fear, sir,” Forrest said. “There’s only one way that can end, and I’ve no desire to be turned off—God a’ mercy!”

A gun had boomed again, this time from the sloop. Forrest and Kit stared in horror at the wreckage of blood, flesh, and splinters that had exploded from where the master had been standing at the tiller. Hypatia shuddered and lurched, shaking Kit loose. For a sickening moment his legs swung free over the chaotic deck, before he hooked a toe into the footrope and clung to the yard to get his breath back. Below he could see Captain Dorling wringing his hands while Uttley hung over the stern, either retching or trying to see the damage.

Forrest cursed again. “He’s going to strike,” he muttered. “The captain’s going to strike.”

Kit envied Forrest the ease with which he swung hand over hand down the shroud. He followed, muscles protesting at the effort, jumped the last six feet, and ran aft.

The sloop and brigantine were approaching fast.

“Black flag,” Dorling shouted as Kit reached him, “so we have a chance. Strike the flag, strike it, I say. It’s La Griffe—once he flies the red flag there’s no mercy. Get the colors down, damn you.”

There was a shout from one of the hands as the tattered rag of black flapping from the brigantine’s main mast dipped and began to lower. On deck Kit could see a flash of red and gold, but Dorling was already scrambling to lower the ensign himself.

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Blog tour: Poppy Dennison

I’ve been a huge fan of paranormal romance for years. It all started back in the late 90’s with a little blond gal named Buffy. I’m sure one or two of you have heard of her! Buffy the Vampire Slayer became my favorite television show pretty quickly—to the point where my family and friends knew better than to try to call me on Buffy night!

A tradition romance reader for years, once I was introduced to Buffy, I craved paranormal. Vampires, werewolves, and witches became my new obsession (at least where my books were concerned). I’ve read everything from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake…and a ton in between.

Suddenly, I found myself inspired to write stories of my own. Worlds and characters began forming in my head faster than I could write them down. Nothing gelled, though. No one story called to me and said “this is the one” or “write me”.

A couple years later, I was having a conversation with a friend about paranormal romance. He was an avid reader as well, and said he wished there was a gay paranormal romance that had a little more plot and a little less romance. He also wanted a story with kids, something that dealt with the issues he and his partner face as they raise a child together. Suddenly, the story ideas started flowing. Instead of a scene or character coming to mind, I found myself with an entire world coming to life in my head. This was it.

I started writing what became the Triad series a few days later, and this week, the final book in the trilogy is being released from Dreamspinner Press. Less than two years from that initial conversation, and I’m a published author and the world of Simon, Gray, and their pack has come to fruition. I’ve thanked my friend often for his inspiration, but he just tells me to keep writing.

So why read Mind Magic, Body Magic, or Soul Magic? Well, are you looking for the same thing my friend was? If so, I hope these books are for you. Simon Osborne is an apprentice mage, who has a lot of doubts, fears, and insecurities. Sound familiar? It did to me too. Sometimes, characters in romance novels are so perfect you can’t believe they’re real. Simon isn’t perfect, but he tries to do the right thing. I liked that about him, and tried to nurture that characteristic throughout the series.

The series is analogous of the struggles facing many of us today. We’re all judged by race, sex, color, or sexual orientation, just to start the list. In the world of the Triad, those judgments come in the form of forced separation of magical species. Simon rescues a pack of werewolf cubs and throws those rules out the window. Some rules are made to be broken. Times are changing, and the magical world needs to change their thinking. As do we!

Soul Magic

Triad: Book Three

ISBN-13: 978-1-62380-580-7

Publisher: Dreamspinner

Genre: Paranormal M/M

Price: $6.99 eBook $14.99 Print

Pages:  220

Release Date: May 6, 2013

Blood runs soul-deep. Cormac hasn’t been the same since the night the High Moon Pack was attacked. With his magic weakened, he’s consumed by a blood lust he hasn’t felt since he first became a vampire. His need to replenish his power makes him a danger to his last remaining family member, and his hunger makes him careless. And that’s just the beginning of his troubles. Feeding from pack beta Liam Benson was supposed to slake his appetite, not leave him craving more.

 Simon Osborne and Gray Townsend are trying to fight a being history says shouldn’t exist—one with all three types of magic. The pack must use all of their resources to combat the mysterious triad, even turning to the shady Council of Mages for help. While Cormac struggles to reconcile his past failures with his current desires, Simon must attempt the impossible: an alliance between mind, body, and soul.

About the author

A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.

You can find out more about Poppy’s books on her WEBSITE

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