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The Sizzling Superheroes of the Checkmate Trading Cards

Ever since the end of my stupendous Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love blog tour, I had promised to reveal all 20 Checkmate trading cards I had drawn in one central location. So here we go! Now… Let’s have a moment of truth. I did a boo boo. Like. A big booboo. Yes. There are 20 designs. But only 17 actually went to print. Because I only submitted 17 designs. So… yeah. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and noticed I was short a few. And because I had done so many, it was all a blur over what was missing. The good news is the special cards all got run off. They’re just indeed rather limited. If you’re going to GayRomLit you better get these while the getting is good! And now… Checkmate Trading Cards

[GUEST POST] Please Welcome Jana Denardo!

In many ways, I think the setting can be just as important to a story as another character. In Kept Tears, I thought about where to set this, because I knew it would influence the types of dates Aaron and Rhys went on. In one portion of the novel, the fae realms, the setting is entirely imaginary, but I wanted to write something I knew well. I decided on Pittsburgh, PA, and it’s a natural for me. Not only is it an iconic city in its own right, but, like Aaron, I grew up within twenty-five miles from down town. In fact, the scene at Aaron’s mother’s house, takes place pretty much in my hometown, though it’s not named. Pittsburgh gave me several things. For one, it was easy to investigate since, while I haven’t lived there in years, I do go to my parents’ place often enough, and there … Continue Reading →

Happy New Year 2014

Happy New Year!

It’s My (Day After) Book Birthday! Happy New Year to you and yours on this lovely first second day of 2014. I want to start out by saying Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love is out! You can find it here at Dreamspinner Press, over yonder at Amazon, and for you B&N Nook fans you can get it here! And to commemorate the final adventure for Rook and Garth, the Conventional Love Blog Tour is off and running! For a schedule of dates, check it out here. And even check out the first stop over at Gaylist Book Reviews here. There’s even a giveaway! What A Crazy Year It’s Been! To recap! 4 book contracts – Pawn Takes Rook, Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check, Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love, and Chasing Sunrise: Book 1 of the Darkmore Saga One complete series – Checkmate *sniff!* Lots of fucking stuff in the … Continue Reading →

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Conventional Love Up For Pre-Order!

That’s right, True Believers! Ring in the New Year 2014 with Checkmate #3, Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love up for pre-order over at Dreamspinner Press! For four dollars and ninety-nine pennies click the magical link right here to get dibs your choice of format. Prefer Amazon or Barnes & Noble? No worries! Conventional Love will totally be available on the stoke of midnight on January 1st! Let me go on record that this is the final official adventure for Rook and Garth. After this, we bid adieu to Axis City and its candy colored superheroic citizens. Where when everyone was special, being average took a whole new meaning. Conventional Love stretches Rook and Garth’s relationship to the limit and something’s gotta give. Garth is tested to stand or fall on his own merit as a hero. Not only that! I’m having a Conventional Love Blog Tour at the start of the … Continue Reading →

Welcome Charlie Cochet and the Heart of Frost Blog Tour!

Hello all! Welcome to stop 3 on my blog tour for The Heart of Frost, book two in my North Pole City Tales series! When I set out to write Mending Noel and The Heart of Frost, it was important for me to to try and capture the scents, sounds, tastes, and textures of Christmas. North Pole City is the main setting of the series, and it’s run by Mayor Kringle. It’s a Christmas town, which means year round it’s filled with twinkling lights, sleighs pulled by majestic Clydesdale horses, beautifully decorated shops filled with the swirling scents of the holiday season, and more. I also have a scent or flavor associated with each character. For example, wherever Rudy goes, the scent of cinnamon follows. Jack it’s pine. Tim is cocoa, and Noel is roasted chestnuts. Here’s an example from The Heart of Frost where Jack is admiring the city: … Continue Reading →

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Chasing Sunrise Sees The Light

On November 19, 2013, Chasing Sunrise, Book I of the Darkmore Saga, has at long last been contracted for publication. As I posted on Facebook, after fifteen rejections sweet sixteen was the lucky number. Honestly? I’m still in shock that this is really happening. It was an impossibly long journey to get here, one that spans over twenty years. Instead of saving this story for a blog tour, I’m documenting it here. The Beginning… I was thirteen when I created the world of Darkmore. I make no secret I have bipolar disorder, and am an advocate that despite mental illness, a person can still be extraordinary. At thirteen, I didn’t think being extraordinary was in the cards for me. I didn’t think I had a life beyond eighteen to be honest. Darkmore was the story where I could retreat, wrap myself inside, and write down all of my nightmares on … Continue Reading →

[GUEST POST] Charlie Cochet with The Impetuous Afflictions Blog Tour!

Johnnie here. Stop four is Mrs. Henley’s bakery. This is where I’ve been purchasing baked goodies for the last six years. Said goodies may or may not be used in the bribing of my fellow Hawthorne Manor residents. If Chance is reading this, they’re most certainly not used to bribe, but purchased and distributed to my family out of the goodness of my heart. Anyone who says otherwise is a rotten scoundrel. Next to Mrs. Whitmore–who makes the best homemade donuts, Mrs. Henley keeps our confectionery cravings well satisfied. Henry and I often end up there for tea and cake. That’s right, I drink tea. Don’t go getting your knickers in a twist about it. Henry introduced me to tea back in Africa when we’d first met. I don’t know whether it was the tea or having him standing there smiling at me, but I felt more relaxed than I … Continue Reading →

Half the World Away by Jessica Skye Davies

[GUEST POST] Jessica Skye Davies Takes Readers ‘Half the World Away’

First of all, I want to thank Lex for hosting me here today – which just so happens to be release day for Half the World Away!  To celebrate release day, I’m giving everybody a present – the Half the World Away soundtrack.  You can pull these up and enjoy while you read (or, you know, when you have to take a break from reading for things like… food?) Some writers talk about the music they listen to while writing or music that inspires their stories.  I generally avoid background noise while I’m working and it’s rare that I’ve had a song or particular piece of music spark a story in me.  I do often get songs popping up in a story, however.  Incidental music, as it were.  And sometimes songs come up during editing.  I’m of the opinion that all books, like the oft-mentioned “mind-movies,” have their soundtracks.   … Continue Reading →

GayRomLit 2013

GayRomLit 2013 AKA What Just Happened To Me?

I Came, I Saw, I Kicked Ass This year, I was lucky enough to go to my first ever GayRomLit Retreat in my second home of Atlanta, Georgia. To sum it up in one sentence? OMG IT WAS SO TOTALLY WICKED AWESOME! I was pretty nervous that no one was going to know who the hell I was. But I was okay with just going to have a good time. I was pleasantly surprised at my signing, people walked up to my table, and they may have not known my name, but they knew the Checkmate covers! I was just as jazzed to meet people who were excited to meet me. It took off a lot of pressure to try to “sell myself” among bigger names. It was pretty validating, you know? Also daymn I was over-prepared with swag! I had a ton left over. Which is good news because … Continue Reading →

[GUEST POST] H. Lewis-Foster And To Protect The Heir

Please welcome H. Lewis-Foster here today talking about her release To Protect The Heir! Thanks very much for having me on your blog, Lex—it’s a pleasure to be here! Well, it’s been a busy few months, as I’ve not only moved from one side of the country to the other—I know England’s not that big, but it was far enough!—there’s also been quite a flurry of writing activity. I haven’t had time to do much actual writing, but I have several short stories and my debut novel coming out soon. So I’ve been checking edits, writing blurbs and—the fun bit—getting the cover art sorted. I enjoy all the polishing and packaging of a story, seeing what it’s going to look like when a reader turns the first (real or virtual) page. But after all that work, I’m now at the stage when my stories are being published, and I’m really … Continue Reading →