Preorder Links for HARD DRIVE!

My new F/F novel, Hard Drive, releases on Monday, October 18. Here are all the links to preorder:

Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/books/hard-drive

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Drive-University-Atlanta-Book-ebook/dp/B09H5JQDGN

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hard-drive-shae-connor/1140208734

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hard-drive-14

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hard-drive/id1587707706

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JsVEEAAAQBAJ&rdid=book-JsVEEAAAQBAJ

Cover Reveal: HARD DRIVE

Hi all! Long time, no talk! Sorry about that. It has been Quite A Year (and a half, or so).

I’m here today to happily reveal the cover of my next book, Hard Drive, which is set to release on October 18 from Entangled Publishing. It’s an F/F college sports nerd/jock romance.

Y’all ready for Eve and Annie? Well, here you go:

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Cover art by the fabulous Bree Archer.

More info, including full blurb and preorder links, coming soon. Keep an eye out!

Gifts Ideas for You and Yours

Hands holding a gift wrapped in white paper with a blue bowI usually do a 12-day list of charities in December, but this year, that’s just more than I can deal with. So instead, here are a dozen products I like that you might like too, either for gifts or for yourself. (For the record, I receive no compensation or consideration for any of these recommendations.)

A lap desk that works almost anywhere: We have about seven or eight of those floating around the house. They are so handy—my sister and I use them for computers (I work on one about 90% of the time), and my parents use them for eating meals in their recliners, rather than schlepping to the table every time. They hold up really well, too, especially at that price.

A Contigo water bottle: My sister recommended these, and my dad and I are converts. I drink water all day long, and I prefer it cold. I fill this bottle from the fridge, and it stays cool all day long. (Add a little ice, and it’ll last even longer.) We’ve saved SO many disposable water bottles since I got mine!

Suede slippers with super-soft lining: I own two pairs of these (beige and read), and I’ve been wearing almost nothing but them since March. So comfortable!

Odor-fighting shoe inserts: Because if you wear two pair of slippers almost all the time for most of a year, you’ll probably need these too.

Individual laundry hanging hooks: Great for hanging your masks to dry after you wash them, and then for storing in your closet with the rest of your pandemic wardrobe.

An awesome ergonomic mouse: My wrists are forever yelling at me about too much time on the computer and the phone. This mouse is a huge help. I have a wireless one for my personal laptop and a wired one for work. Two very tired thumbs up!

Your very own plush coronavirus: I’ve had a Giant Microbes collection for a while, kept on my desk at work (my day job is at the CDC, for those who don’t know). Of course, I have the new coronavirus on my Christmas list for this year. You can also get a set of two, one for COVID-19 and one for SARS!

Speaking of coronavirus, how about Santa wearing a mask: One of many pandemic-themed Christmas ornaments, this one is relatively subtle.

Awesome-smelling soap for all that extra hand washing: Pumpkin Apple is my new favorite Bath & Body Works scent, and unlike a lot of fragrances, it doesn’t irritate my skin. Of course, it’s seasonal, so I just hope they bring it back next year!

Some pretty and sweet-smelling candles: Another scent that doesn’t make me sneeze! (They also sell a ginormous jug of fragrance-free liquid hand sanitizer, if you need to refill your bottles.)

Every kind of jam and jelly you can think of: And then some. If you’ve never had mayhaw jelly, I highly recommend it. And yes, that’s moonshine jelly you see on the list. (Also check out their other classic south Georgia products, like fresh-ground grits from the Georgia Agrirama and peanut brittle made in Plains.)

And finally, you can have your very own dumpster fire: Summing up 2020 in just one indelible image.

Now Available: Rough & Tumble

It’s here! My newest release, Rough & Tumble, is out today with Entangled Publishing. It’s the first in the University of Atlanta series, which features sports-centered romances. First up: Grant and Darryn, who are roommates and gymnastics teammates.

My name’s Grant Clark, and I have managed to screw up my entire life. In triplicate.

Number one: I fell in love with my best friend.

Number two: I thought he was straight.

Number three: Because of number two, I didn’t make a move on number one. Until it was too late.

Or is it?

When I accidentally interrupt him with another guy—and he turns out to be the worst—well, I think it’s time I finally make a move.

Don’t you?

Warning: This book contains two men who don’t mind a little humor and heartache as they struggle to find their happily ever after in the aftermath of a toxic relationship.

Gorgeous cover art by the amazing Bree Archer.

Buy links:

Amazon: http://mybook.to/randt
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/roughtumblesc
Nook: https://bit.ly/nookrt
Kobo: https://bit.ly/kobort

Book News: New Re-Release, Wide Release, and a Sale!

Several things going on at once around here! First, I’ve republished my very first novella, Model Student, on Kindle and in Kindle Unlimited, with new cover art by TL Bland:

ModelStudent-300px

Making his living as a model allows Aaron Stevens to pay his way through film school at NYU. While on a photo shoot, he meets Matt Carson, a journalism student who wants to interview Aaron for his senior project, and they feel an instant connection that catches them both off guard. As their relationship develops over the next week, they open up to each other about their pasts, but attraction won’t be enough to keep them together unless they can share their secrets too.

Books2Read Universal Link

Next up: my winter holiday collection, Dreams of Winter Past, is out of KU and available at other distributors:

Dreams of Winters Past cover

A collection of four holiday stories to warm a winter night.

The Half-Life of Pumpkin Pie
Wil Johnson’s holiday season is off to a crappy start: the pie he takes to Thanksgiving dinner bombs, and then he gets word his payment at the bakery didn’t go through. When he goes to the shop to pay up, though, he meets Vin Hammel, who invites Wil to a toy-themed holiday party. But when the pair arrive, they find the toys aren’t exactly what they expected.

Sharing Christmas
Christmas looks to be a bust for Rick, who’s stuck covering the office over the holiday. But when his neighbor, Steven, invites him to join some residents in their apartment complex who put together gift bags to distribute at a homeless shelter for the holiday, Rick decides to join them and gets an unexpected holiday gift: Steven.

Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters
After Guy staggers home after a raucous Christmas Eve with his closest friends, he’s visited by a spirit who looks suspiciously like Teddy, the friend Guy’s secretly crushing on. Guy needs to learn the lessons of the past—and make the right choices in the present—so his future will be less about one night and more about forever.

In From the Cold
When Jeff Young walks into the rural Georgia lodge Neal Owens, he’s just looking for a room to escape a few frigid late December nights. What he ends up finding is a new friend, a lover, and maybe more, all wrapped up in one hot package.

All stories have been previously published.

Books2Read Universal Link

And last up: All of the Rogue anthologies are on Super Tuesdays sale this week for just 99 cents! My contribution, “The Coffee Shop Around the Corner,” is in Rogue Nights:

Rogue Nights
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

Seven tales of romance, hope, and passion. Even after the roughest night, dawn promises new beginnings.

The Coffee Shop Around the Corner

Political discourse is Madeline Maloney’s jam. Social media manager for a progressive mayoral candidate, she finds her interest piqued by an email exchange with a local businessman—but also by the cute guy at the coffee shop where she buys her morning cup. Palmer Harrison spends his mornings smiling at the beautiful woman who orders a caramel latte every day and his off hours emailing with a mystery woman who works for a mayoral campaign. Their parallel relationships intersect on Election Day…

But be sure to pick up the entire set if you can! Ainsley Booth has helpfully put together a page with all the links you need right here.

2019 Wrap-Up: What the Hell Just Happened?

2020 in large hanging numbers in different colors

Well.

It’s certainly been a year.

In fact, it’s been a year in the past WEEK.

So, yeah, we’ve had Some Shit To Deal With. And I’m not going to tempt fate by suggesting that 2020 will be better. I mean, I hope it will be, but considering the results over the past few new years, I won’t be holding my breath.

Some good things did come out of 2019, though! I finished and submitted a book. I started re-releasing my backlist. I attended three good author conferences and spoke at a local book festival. I spent a week in Japan. I survived another Dragon Con. I helped my dad through hip replacement. I got a lot done on the house. My sister and brother-in-law moved in. The day job is good.

My personal goals for 2020 are short and sweet: get back on the writing track, pay off debt, and finally finish getting the house together. I have some other things I’d like to do—better eating and exercise habits are always on the list, and we’re trying to get my dad to Ireland—but those are the biggest priorities.

As for everything else… well. I’ll just have to deal with it as it happens, and try to keep my head from exploding in the process.

12 Days of Charity: Full List

Here’s the complete list of information for the charities I featured on Twitter this year. 🙂

12 Days of Charity Day 1: International Rescue Committee (@RESCUEorg) helps people affected by war, conflict and natural disasters worldwide. rescue.org

12 Days of Charity Day 2: @ReadtoaChild fosters a love of reading among underserved children by inspiring adults to read to them regularly. readtoachild.org

12 Days of Charity Day 3: @TheYoungCenter for Immigrant Children’s Rights protects and advances the rights and best interests of immigrant children. theyoungcenter.org

12 Days of Charity Day 4: @RIPMedicalDebt works to locate, buy, and forgive medical debt. ripmedicaldebt.org

12 Days of Charity Day 5: @SpreadtheVoteUS targets voter turnout through education and by helping voters obtaining IDs. spreadthevote.org

12 Days of Charity Day 6: Kids in Need of Defense (@SupportKIND) represents unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in deportation proceedings. supportkind.org

12 Days of Charity Day 7: @Innocence Project works to exonerate the innocent through DNA testing and to reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. innocenceproject.org

12 Days of Charity Day 8: National Search Dog Foundation (@searchdogfdn) partners dogs with first responders to search for people after disasters. searchdogfoundation.org

12 Days of Charity Day 9: Fair Fight (@fairfightaction) promotes fair elections, encourages voter participation, and educates voters about elections and voting rights. fairfight.com

12 Days of Charity Day 10: The Mission Continues (@missioncontinue) connects veterans with volunteer opportunities to help in under-resourced communities. missioncontinues.org

12 Days of Charity Day 11: @Waterkeeper Alliance works to preserve and protect water with a goal of drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere. waterkeeper.org

12 Days of Charity Day 12: My perennial favorite: @StJude. World-class treatment and research to save the lives of critically ill children. stjude.org

Now Available! Dreams of Winters Past

Now available at Amazon: Dreams of Winters Past, a collection of four previously published holiday season–themed stories.

Dreams of Winters Past cover

The Half-Life of Pumpkin Pie
Wil Johnson’s holiday season is off to a crappy start: the pie he takes to Thanksgiving dinner bombs, and then he gets word his payment at the bakery didn’t go through. When he goes to the shop to pay up, though, he meets Vin Hammel, who invites Wil to a toy-themed holiday party. But when the pair arrive, they find the toys aren’t exactly what they expected.

Sharing Christmas
Christmas looks to be a bust for Rick, who’s stuck covering the office over the holiday. But when his neighbor, Steven, invites him to join some residents in their apartment complex who put together gift bags to distribute at a homeless shelter for the holiday, Rick decides to join them and gets an unexpected holiday gift: Steven.

Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters
After Guy staggers home after a raucous Christmas Eve with his closest friends, he’s visited by a spirit who looks suspiciously like Teddy, the friend Guy’s secretly crushing on. Guy needs to learn the lessons of the past—and make the right choices in the present—so his future will be less about one night and more about forever.

In From the Cold
When Jeff Young walks into the rural Georgia lodge Neal Owens, he’s just looking for a room to escape a few frigid late December nights. What he ends up finding is a new friend, a lover, and maybe more, all wrapped up in one hot package.

Get it here!

Publishing and Re-Publishing

It’s National Novel Writing Month, and I’m participating, though I’m not pushing hard to get to the 50k total. I’m working on the first book in a planned four-book baseball-themed series, with a goal of finishing a draft by the end of the year. I had about 14k going into November, so as usual for me, it’s just a matter of getting to THE END!

I’m also working on re-releasing the rest of my reverted titles from Dreamspinner. I’ve decided to go with a one-a-month plan, and each one will go into Kindle Unlimited for 90 days before wide release. I’m not doing major edits, just light clean-up here and there, so there’s no need to re-read/re-purchase (though it’s appreciated, of course!). I already released Home Field Advantage in October and En Fuego last week, and my future release plans look like this (subject to change, of course):

December: Dreams of Winters Past (four holiday-themed short stories)
January: Teaching Ben
February: Accidental Fall
March: Model Student
April: A collection of short stories, title TBD
May: Unfortunate Son
June: Wayward Son
July: Nobody’s Son (with bonus “Sons and Brothers” short story)
August: Sand & Water

Now Available (Again): En Fuego

The second edition of my M/M novella En Fuego is out! Featuring a seasoned veterinarian, a hunky firefighter, a mama cat, and a litter of adorable kittens. It’s exclusively on Kindle and in Kindle Unlimited for the first 90 days. With the original cover art by TL Bland!

En Fuego
Marshall Ramirez isn’t looking to fall in love, but from the moment firefighter Brad Flannery walks through the doors of Marsh’s veterinary clinic, he’s smitten. Marsh treats Fuego, the cat Brad rescued from a house fire, and convinces Brad to take her on as a foster—along with the three kittens Marsh helps her deliver. What Marsh really wants, though, is for Brad to keep him, too.

Get it here!