Category Archives: short story

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.

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!

Glancing Back, but Moving Forward

2019 year pop art comic book text speech bubbleLike a lot of you, I’m ready to see the back of 2018. Sure, I had some great moments—buying a house, releasing a new novella and my first M/F story, taking some great trips, visiting with awesome friends—but overall, 2018 was one dumpster fire after another. I’m already side-eyeing 2019: you better behave yourself.

I had a list of things I wanted to do in 2018, but as it turned out, life had ideas of its own. I did get some things marked off the list. I bought a house and moved me and my parents into it. I upped the percentage of income I’m putting toward retirement. I paid off some debt. I attended three romance conferences (Spring Fling, RT, and RWA) and presented panels at two of them. I oversaw the Daily Dragon for Dragon Con. I submitted a partial and got a full request.

But some other things had to fall by the wayside. I didn’t finish the novel I wanted to finish (though I’m closing in on THE END). I cancelled two trips because I ran out of time. We still aren’t unpacked. So some things are definitely carrying over to the new year.

I’m not writing out a long list of resolutions or whatever this year. I just have a few goals:

  • Finish the novel that’s nearly done and submit the final.
  • Finish unpacking and getting settled into the new house.
  • Go to NECRWA and RWA.
  • Do the Dragon Con thing again.
  • Get into better writing habits in general.
  • Move more. I spent wayyyyy too much time sitting in front of a computer.

There we go: short and sweet. Looking forward to a better year in 2019 for everyone!

 

Rogue Nights Is Now Available!

It’s here! Rogue Nights, the sixth in the Rogue series of resistance-themed romance, is now available.

Rogue Nights cover

My story is “The Coffee Shop Around the Corner,” my first M/F pairing. A brief description:

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…

I am super excited about the other authors and their stories, too! Check out this lineup:

Resisting Desire by Talia Hibbert

Activist, womanist and journalist Nina Chapman is in love with her brother’s best friend. Oops. When her attempt to seduce calm, reliable James Foster backfires, Nina’s mortified—but as much as she’d like to avoid him, she can’t. No; she literally can’t. Because Nina’s latest article has made her public enemy number one, and now the man who broke her heart just might be her only protection…

Dropped Stitches by Annabeth Albert

When activist knitter Bea goes to vote, the last person she expects to run into is her high school crush. The two women forge an unlikely election day connection, but can they see a future beyond the victory party?

Parking Lot Cowboy by Rebecca Crowley

Margot Dunn has spent months making up an elaborate fantasy about the tall, silent cowboy who serves as her fellow volunteer escort at a family planning clinic in Topeka. Then one morning he speaks, and the complicated reality of ranch-hand Tyler Olsen is better than any story she could make up.

Dare to Dream by Hudson Lin

After the 2016 election, Derek Lam kicked his political activism into high gear—it’s what anyone with half a conscious would do. Which is why he doesn’t understand how Diego Ortega, a classmate from law school and a Dreamer, could be so politically disengaged.

For Diego, pursuing law had never been about social justice. His priority has always been providing for and protecting his undocumented mother and his kid sister. Getting political did nothing but draw attention his family didn’t need.

Working on a class assignment together, Diego and Derek’s mutual attraction bubbles just under the surface. But any potential relationship will have to survive the sparks that fly from their clashing political views.

Love Your Face by Ainsley Booth

Fifteen years ago, Fred left the Midwest behind and moved to New York City. Return visits have been rocky, and this Thanksgiving promises more family drama Fred really doesn’t want to deal with it. Her best friend’s surprise appearance smooths over a difficult holiday, but raises new, complicated personal feelings when the very straight Ami confesses she’s not very straight after all.

Sacred Son by Robin Covington

Adam Woodson has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of Native Americans in court and in the legislature, a career that has kept him too busy to regret the man who got away. Judah Nighthorse is rebuilding his life after prison, fighting to regain custody of his son from a non-Native foster family so he swallows his pride and asks the man he left behind for help. When fighting the good fight together sparks desire they can’t resist, they must decide if their future holds a second chance or a final goodbye.

Rogue Nights is currently at the special release price of just 99 cents. Grab your copy today!

Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

Rogue Nights Preorders!

Better late than never… preorders are now available for Rogue Nights, the sixth in the Rogue series of resistance-themed romance. My story, “The Coffee Shop Around the Corner,” is my first M/F pairing, and I get to share authorship with some amazing authors: Robin Covington, Ainsley Booth, Talia Hibbert, Rebecca Crowley, Hudson Lin, and Annabeth Albert.

Rogue Nights cover

Rogue Nights releases next Thursday, November 8, and is currently at the special release price of just 99 cents. Grab your copy today!

Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

Looking for Holiday Romance? I’ve Got You Covered!

‘Tis the season for happy endings! Here’s a list of all of my holiday-season stories for your reading pleasure. 🙂

FallingTogether_400pxFalling Together
Novella, self-published
Mitch Jackson took a temporary job wrapping gifts at a Manhattan department store so he’d have some extra cash during the holiday season. He didn’t expect to get a bonus in the form of Austin Payne. Austin starts out as just another customer, though a particularly good-looking one, until he asks Mitch to dinner. Their whirlwind romance, touched by the magic of New York in December, soon grows from what could have been only a fling into something more—something like falling in love.
Kindle

B&N
Kobo
iBooks
PayHip
All others

InFromtheCold_Coversmall“In from the Cold”
Short story, self-published (second edition)
When Jeff Young walks into the rural Georgia lodge Neal Owens runs, he’s just looking for a room to escape a frigid late December night. What he ends up finding is a new friend, a lover, and maybe more, all wrapped up in one hot package.
Kindle/KU

“Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters”
Short story, Dreamspinner Press
How many chances does a man get before it’s too late? When 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. Can Guy 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?
Dreamspinner Press

“Sharing Christmas”
Short story, Dreamspinner Press
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 on Christmas Day, Rick decides to join them and finds an unexpected holiday gift: a new love interest.
Dreamspinner Press

SonsandBrothers_600“Sons and Brothers”
FREE short story, epilogue to Sons series, Dreamspinner Press
As the end of the year approaches, seven gay men in their own unique romances ring in the holidays in their own unique ways. Six months after they started dating, Evan Day and Riley Yeats are settling into living together in Riley’s loft. Across town, Shaun Rogers and Con Brooks are celebrating an old-fashioned Christmas with Shaun’s family. But when threesome Mikey O’Malley, Jimmy Black, and Cory Lassiter pull off a big New Year’s Eve surprise, their friends find themselves considering the future of their own relationships.
Dreamspinner
Kindle
Nook
Kobo

wideopenspaces_web“The Half-Life of Pumpkin Pie”
Short story, Wide Open Spaces anthology, self-published
Of bakeries, holiday parties, and unexpected gifts.
Kindle
B&N Nook
Kobo
iBooks
PayHip

Now Available: Wide Open Spaces

Surprise (re-)release! My short story collection Wide Open Spaces is now available. Wide Open Spaces contains seven previously published short stories, including all four of my stories from the “butt”-thologies, and all for just 99 cents! Cover and blurb:

Seven short stories, seven couples, seven different worlds.

What to Expect When Your Boyfriend Is Expecting
What fun is a cross-species pregnancy without an old-fashioned kidnapping to shake things up?

The Ringmaster
What’s in the past doesn’t always stay in the past—which might not be a bad thing.

Clean Up on Aisle Me!
The customer is always right. Unless he’s dead.

Discovering Columbus
A shared hotel room and some uniform appeal.

I Married the Best Man 
Waking up married in Vegas might have been the best accident of their lives.

The Half-Life of Pumpkin Pie
Of bakeries, holiday parties, and unexpected gifts.

Faux Cowboy
Save a fake horse—ride a fake cowboy.

All stories have been previously published.

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
Kobo
iBooks
PayHip

On Sale! Graphite & Glitter Just 99 Cents, Plus Dreamspinner 30% Off!

graphiteglitter_400pxTwo sales to share today! First up, I’ve put my F/F novella, Graphite & Glitter, on sale for just 99 cents at all outlets through the end of the month. Links for your buying convenience:

Amazon
B&N
Kobo
PayHip

Also, to cap off its 10th anniversary celebration, Dreamspinner Press is offering 30% off everything through the end of the month. And—just in case you didn’t know—if you buy the paperback from Dreamspinner, you get the ebook for free! Links to my Dreamspinner titles:

Unfortunate Son (Sons: Book 1): Ebook || Paperback
Wayward Son (Sons: Book 2): Ebook || Paperback
Nobody’s Son (Sons: Book 3): Ebook || Paperback
“Sons and Brothers” (Sons: Epilogue)
Sand & Water: Ebook || Paperback
Accidental Fall
En Fuego
Model Student
“Ice Cream Dreams” (All in a Day’s Work anthology): Ebook || Paperback
Home Field Advantage (Playing Ball anthology): Ebook || Paperback
“Chicago”
“The Cabin on the Hill”
“Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters”
“Sharing Christmas”

Happy shopping!

Short Short Story Sale at Dreamspinner

Today only, Dreamspinner has all short stories on sale for just 99 cents! Great time to pick up any of mine you’ve missed, including two holiday-themed stories. Sale ends at midnight, so get shopping!

“Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters”
Dreamspinner Press
How many chances does a man get before it’s too late? When 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. Can Guy 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?

“Sharing Christmas”
Dreamspinner Press
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 on Christmas Day, Rick decides to join them and finds an unexpected holiday gift: a new love interest.

“Chicago”
Dreamspinner Press
Darren Lowell and Nathan Thomas are at loose ends in the Windy City. A chance meeting in a hotel lobby that progresses into a spectacular night will make Chicago a whole lot more interesting for them both. Chicago may not just be a brief stop on their journeys—it could be the starting point for a passionate new future.

“The Cabin on the Hill”
Dreamspinner Press
Jesse hadn’t planned for anything more than a break from the noise and heat of Atlanta when he returned to the cabin he rented each year in the Smoky Mountains—but that was before he met Eli, the handsome man renting the other side of the cabin. Eli’s plans to mix a little hiking with his relaxation match Jesse’s perfectly, and before long the two men are sharing more than just a wall and a view. Jesse’s not one to let an opportunity like this pass him by, though it remains to be seen whether the weekend encounter can turn into something more permanent.

 

Cyber Monday Sales and Holiday Reads

allromancecybermonday

It’s Cyber Monday sale time! Today only, get a 50% rebate on any of my titles at All Romance. That means you can buy any two of my self-published novellas and then use the rebate to pay for the third one!

Links:
Rhythm & Blues
Tongue & Groove
Heart & Soul
All Titles

dreamspinner-familyandfood-fbbanner
Over at the Dreamspinner website, you can get 35% off any ebook through today. All of my Dreamspinner titles are discounted, including two Christmas stories that are available only on the Dreamspinner website.

Links:
“Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters”
“Sharing Christmas”
All Titles

InFromtheCold_CoversmallButtBabesInBoyland_coverAs a reminder, my holiday short story “In from the Cold” is available at Amazon, either to buy or to read for free as part of Kindle Unlimited. And you can also pick up the Butt Babes in Boyland holiday-themed anthology, which includes my short story “The Half-Life of Pumpkin Pie,” while you’re stocking up at All Romance.

Happy shopping!