Be sure to head over to LoveBytes today and see what Wolf, Tristan and the gang are up to. Meddlin’ kids. Part One happens TODAY!
Free words!
And stuffs!
Category: Guest Blog
Mari Evans, Trusting Love and a Giveaway!
Hi there, this is Mari Evans and I’m a guest here at Rhys’s blog today to talk about my new book Trusting Love.
People who know me, know I don’t like talking about myself or tell anyone how wonderful my work is. But I can tell you that the lovely, wonderful, sweet, and slightly evil Rhys liked it.
The book is about Laurie and Sam, who meet at an animal shelter where they both volunteer. Sam is a vet and Laurie is a senior in high school. He turns eighteen during the story, and even starts college at the end.
Sam is about nine years older, which makes it a pretty big age gap. Laurie has a lot of growing up to do, but in some ways he’s more mature than his peers, because he’s been through a lot.
Of course he’s still a young man and sometimes acts like it, but he grows up a lot during the story, with the help of Sam and others. Sam is kind of in a rut when he meets Laurie. Yes, he just took over a new vet clinic and he has a great group of friends, but he’s stuck in his routine and has no real excitement in his life.
Sam likes Laurie a lot but doesn’t want to start something with anyone that young, partly because of the immaturity and partly because he’s scared he’ll be left when the ‘new and shiny’ thing will wear off. Laurie doesn’t give up easily though, but when he does, the shit hits the fan. But it makes Sam get his head out of his ass and go for it.
But then, others make it hard for them to trust their love. Also, Laurie has been through a lot of abuse, so the intimacy between them is difficult. It takes a lot of time for Laurie to trust his own body and Sam.
Writing this book was a pleasure and a pain. I loved creating personalities and a story for them, but the sex scenes and some of the other scenes, were very hard. The sex scenes had to be very detailed, every sound, feeling, movement and smell had to be described. Then the emotions that came with it… But I think they turned out quite well, if I do say so myself.
The inspiration for this book came from a real live boy, who bought my best friend’s horse. He absolutely adored animals and lived in a foster care facility. He did have a great relationship with his mother, but never mentioned his dad, which started my imagination working overtime.
It took me about nine months to finish it, but in my defence, I’m not a consistent writer. I took breaks for months…
But when I write, I love it. It gives me satisfaction and makes my mind feel active and productive. It is tiring though, so after two or three hours my brains starts to scream and shout at me to stop already, or it’ll make me stop by exploding. So, not an overly productive and consistent writer, but I do have a lot of fun doing it.
I guess this was what I wanted to share with you today. I hope you enjoyed it, if not, blame Rhys 😉
Mari
Trusting Love
Laurie Stallon isn’t like other high schoolers. After suffering years of abuse at his father’s hands, he now lives in a foster care facility and finds solace volunteering at the local animal shelter. Laurie’s had to grow up fast, and even though his eighteenth birthday is still weeks away, he’s more adult than most adults he knows. When he meets Dr. Sam Davies, the new shelter veterinarian, the attraction is instant. They become friends at work, but Laurie knows Sam will never go for someone like him. No matter how Laurie tries to prove his maturity to Sam, Sam continues to reject him as too young.
Needing a distraction, Laurie goes out dancing for his birthday and finds his life in danger yet again. When Sam is called to the hospital, he realizes Laurie needs someone to care for him. Sam takes him home, and they slowly build a relationship. But more than their age difference works against them. Facing the disapproval of friends and the scars from Laurie’s past, they’ll need to put all their trust in love for a chance at a future together.
Sales Links :
Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5301
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5302
Mari Evans is a wife and the proud mother of a very active daughter, two dogs and two cats. She’s a very social kind of girl, who loves to talk. It’s both her best and worst quality.
From the moment she could read, she devoured books. Anything goes, as long as it has a happy ending.
There were always stories swirling around in her head and as a child she liked to lay in bed and let the characters have their story and happy ending. It wasn’t until 2013 that she actually tried to put one of the whole stories down and submit it to a publisher. To her own surprise and excitement it was accepted. This gave her the drive to keep going.
The decision to write m/m was made when a friend told a story about a young gay man that struck a chord, even as her husband had already encouraged her to try it earlier.
Now she found her passion, having already found the love in her family and friends, her life is completely chaotic, crazy but wonderful.
A Fierce Project, Gazpacho and B. Snow
Guest Post by B. Snow
So, yeah, I procrastinate. (See my blog for proof) Back in July, Rhys very graciously offered a guest blog spot to promote the Project Fierce Chicago anthology, which came out on July 16. And now it’s WEEKS LATER and I’m only now getting around to taking her up on her offer….
The anthology came about because Piper Vaughn said, “Hey, there’s this great organization in Chicago called Project Fierce that helps LGBTQ youth! What do you think about an anthology where all the proceeds would go to them?” And we all said, “Hell, yeah!” Less Than Three Press took up the cause, donating their time and expertise as well to publish 20 stories about young people trying to find home.
Here’s an excerpt from my story, “Hearth and Home”, a complete rip-off of Cinderella:
Hearth and Home by B. Snow
By the time winter blew into town from the lake, Natasha’s hair had grown down to her shoulders. Even dressed in Hannah’s husband’s old clothes, she got appreciative glances from men who came through the marketplace. “You need to flirt a bit, missy,” Hannah muttered after Natasha sent away a blushing young man with a bundle of herbs and a firm handshake.
“I don’t think so,” Natasha told her.
“How do you ever expect to get a husband? Men aren’t perceptive. You have to hit them over the head to let them know you like them.”
Natasha sighed. She knew she’d have to talk about it sometime; she just hoped that Hannah needed her enough to not send her away. “I don’t like men,” she said. “I like women.”
Martin whipped his head around to stare at her, but Hannah just raised her eyebrows. “Women? Well, that’s different.”
Natasha could barely believe what she’d heard. “It doesn’t bother you?”
Hannah shrugged. “An’ ye harm none, do what ye will. At least I won’t have to worry about you getting knocked up.”
Here’s the buy link for the anthology
And here’s a link for Project Fierce Chicago (the organization) if you want to find out more about them and/or donate directly to them: http://projectfiercechicago.org/
When I asked Rhys what to include in the blog post, she said that recipes are always good. “Hearth and Home” mentions soup several times, so I thought about a soup recipe (because who doesn’t like soup??!?), but it’s summer here in GA….then I remembered that I usually make gazpacho in the summer because the spousal unit doesn’t like hot food in hot weather.
The recipe I use for gazpacho is based on the one from a cookbook that is either no longer for sale or I just can’t find it on the company’s website. The recipe they have at the website is different from this one, and I’m hoping to avoid copyright issues by changing the recipe slightly.
I make a half-recipe because a full recipe doesn’t fit into the Cuisinart. Even the half recipe sometimes sloshes out the top. So here’s how I make gazpacho. Continue reading “A Fierce Project, Gazpacho and B. Snow”
BJ Sheppard is Here! With a Tour Stop and A Giveaway!
CONTEST HAS ENDED! SULA HAS WON! Email me at rhysford at vitaenoir dot com.
I have here today BJ Sheppard, author of The RAINBOW CONNECTION: Volume I. WOOOOT!
AND A GIVEAWAY. Leave a comment below and win a copy of BJ’s book! What is it about and who is BJ? I’ve got that for you too. Q&A and Excerpt follows the Blurb!
Contest ends August 2nd at 4 pm!
The Rainbow Connection by BJ Sheppard
Living a care-free party life-style, junior journalist and gay lifestyle reporter, Liam Adams thought he had it all; the money, the job, the endless supply of men in his bed. But when his work causes him to question the very foundation of the life he has built for himself, Liam finds certain areas are glaringly lacking. All it takes is one assignment to unravel the very fabric of his promiscuous antics, compounded by the arrival of a long-forgotten tryst. With the rusty screech of the mailroom guy’s trolley wheels, Liam lands head-first in the arms of something bigger; something more.
As the romance burgeons between Liam and the Mail-Manny of his dreams, each article he writes proves to uncover something new and never realized about himself, namely that all the one-night-stands in the world could never give him what he truly wants; love. In a slapstick commentary through the eyes of the world’s most hypersensitive journalist, watch as Liam’s story unfolds in the most ridiculous of fashions, leading him straight into the arms of love, via The Rainbow Connection.
BJ Q&A #1:
Hi, BJ, thanks so much for being here with us today. Why don’t we start out with you telling us a little bit about yourself?
Well, in all honesty, there is not much to say. I discovered post-its. Also, I am a Disney character. I was cursed by a gypsy in my younger years to never find love as penance for my dead, black heart. Luckily that ugly old crone didn’t bank on me becoming a writer. I make love in different ways.
How long did it take for your first book idea to actually become a book?
About a week, I would say. The first book I ever wrote was 78 thousand words long and my first draft was finished in a week. I subsequently re-wrote it four times and have only just pulled it out of the dusty annals where bad ideas go to die, but that was my first book.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Pantser, all the way. I give myself a vague idea of what I want to write, and then just sit down and zone out while the characters get their say. I’m pretty useless when the boys take over.
How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?
Dark, sick and twisted. I laugh at everything. I once saw an old lady fall off a bus and I nearly pissed myself. So, I’m going to hell, but at least I’ll be laughing when I go.
And what makes you cry?
My tear ducts were surgically removed due to lack of use when I was 25. I cry no more. Except when I’m reading. That is completely the only thing that makes me spring a leak.
Do you have a favorite literary character? If so, who and why?
I have many. Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet. Who doesn’t love to hate the bad guy, right? Fanny from Mansfield Park. I loved most of Austen’s heroines actually. For the time, they were so powerfully written. And there are a few m/m romance genre one’s that I adore. Kyle and Brad, from the Foster High series by John Goode, both for different reasons. And Ben from Jay Bell’s Something Like stories.
What was the last book you read? (your own don’t count)
I have been reviewing for the last year, so I haven’t done a lot of “reading for fun” of late. The last book I willingly read however was Naked by David Sedaris. I love him very much, and think I’m going to have to try writing non-fiction someday just to see if I can.
Favorite word?
Bollocks
Least favorite word?
Normalcy – it’s not a real word. The word you are looking for is ‘normality’.
Do your characters ever up and take off without your consent and the best you can do is hang on and follow or do you keep tight control over them?
Liam is always dragging me places I don’t want to go. I had to take a three month break from writing part 4 of this series because the lot of them were writing a story I didn’t plan and didn’t want to write. But they got their way and now I have to figure out how to get them out of the supreme clusterfuck they just got themselves into.
If you could write a letter to your 18 year old self, what would you say?
Wait before you have sex. That guy has a really weird dick and it will not be a good or lengthy experience. Also I’d tell myself to get over my issues and start writing gay fiction.
What costume would you wear that would truly show your hidden personality?
Just my socks and a smile.
In no more than two sentences, can you describe yourself to a complete stranger?
No. No I’m not sure I could. I’m likely just to yell “RUN!” at them until they flee from me.
What is the most sentimental thing someone gave you that you cherish to this day?
I have this little stuffed wolf toy that an ex gave me. I used to call the guy “wolfy” because he was all hairy and had a killer smile, and so he brought me this toy as a joke at Christmas. I told him it was going to be the guardian of the books and even five years after the fact, the little guy still sits on my bookshelf.
What is the perfect writing atmosphere for you?
Silence. Total silence. Table. Comfy chair. My arm hooked up to a caffeine drip.
Would you like to tell us a little bit about your current WIP?
I’m currently trying my hand at crime writing. It’s a novel called “All About Jack” that is a crime/mystery/horror with a central gay love story. It’s going to be a bit like ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, except good. There are many more stories in the pipeline, and the back end of this year looks to be replete with releases, so keep your eyes peeled.
Where can our readers find you on the web?
X-tube mostly. Or follow the links below.
Links
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bjsheppardauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/insightoutblog
Email: insightoutblog@gmail.com
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BJSheppard
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7388660.B_J_Sheppard
Continue reading “BJ Sheppard is Here! With a Tour Stop and A Giveaway!”
Hair of the Dog… In Living Fur and Tacos
Hair of the Dog is a collection of shorts I created for the Tequila Mockingbird release on June 27, 2014. They were scattered about the internet and hosted by a delightful group of bloggers who were crazy enough to indulge me.
I promised to gather up all the pieces and make them available in one document. So here it is. In full mobi, epub and pdf formats.
These are free. Do not pay for this book. Share it, print it out, plaster your bathroom with it but most of all, I encourage you to read more books. And not just mine.
Any books.
Hair Of The Dog
A serialized short collection from the Sinners Series.
ePub: http://vitaenoir.com/hairofthedog/hairofthedog_rhysford.epub
mobi: http://vitaenoir.com/hairofthedog/hairofthedog_rhysford.mobi
pdf: http://vitaenoir.com/hairofthedog/hairofthedog_rhysford.pdf
Tremendous thanks to the following blogs:
Listed in order of appearance.
Part 1: Rainbow Gold Reviews http://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress.com
Part 2: Live your Life, Buy The Book http://liveyourlifebuythebook.com/
Part 3: The Novel Approach http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/
Part 4: The Blogger Girls http://thebloggergirls.com/
Part 5: Joyfully Jay http://joyfullyjay.com/
Part 5½ Mercy Celeste’s Blog http://mercyceleste.blogspot.com/
Part 6: 3 Chicks After Dark http://3chicksafterdark.com
Part 7: Gay List Book Reviews http://gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Part 8: Boy meets Boy http://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com
Part 9: Prism Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/
Part 10: Under The Covers http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com
Part 11: LoveBytes Reviews http://lovebytesreviews.com/
Last Stop for Dude! End of The Hair Of The Dog Tour
Sadly, all good things must come to an end and today, ah today…. will be the final stop in the Hair of the Dog tour.
Part 11…the finale… will be available at LoveBytes Reviews (http://lovebytesreviews.com/)
Be sure to stop in later and enter their giveaway as well as read the final part of Hair of the Dog.
Thank you all so much for reading along and for making Tequila Mockingbird a part of your life. I so appreciate it. Thank you.
I’ll be following up with a full copy of Hair of the Dog in various formats for download! WOOOOOT and thank you again.
Where’s Dude Today?
Where’s Dude Today?
And be sure to join me on Facebook at 8 am today! Much Prizes. Many Words.
Hair Of The Dog Stop June 29
Part 8: Boy meets Boy http://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com
Interview and Stuffs!
Kathy’s place http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/
Dreamspinner FBChat (8-11 am) https://www.facebook.com/dreamspinnerpress
Moon Over Atlanta http://eloreenmoon.wordpress.com/
Where’s Dude?
Just when I think things are going smoothly, I botch a link. *CHEERS* WOOOT! GO ME! WOOOOOOOOT!
So let’s try this again, shall we? WordPress is being funky so I can’t link it directly. What the hell? It keeps adding stealth code. Bastiges. Cut and past the link in until they get their shit together or you’ll get a 404.
Part Six is at 3 Chicks After Dark
www.3chicksafterdark.com/2014/06/blog-tour-that-time-rhys-ford-commandeered-3-chicks-after-dark/
And Part Seven is at Gay List Book Reviews
And yes, there will be a full accounting of the story at the end of the tour *winks*
Parts 5 AND 5 and a Half of Hair Of the Dog!
Today’s Hair Of The Dog stops are….
June 27
Part 5 will be at Joyfully Jay http://joyfullyjay.com/
AND A BONUS HAIR OF THE DOG PIECE. A STEALTH Post at Mercy Celeste’s!
Giveaways and Ramblings Galore! Bracelets, Audio Book Codes, and more!
Please…. go get free stuff. Leave comments. And all that kind of stuff.
Pants Off Reviews — http://pantsoffreviews.blogspot.com/
Smoocher’s Voice — http://www.smoochersvoice.com
Sinfully Sexy — http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com/
Hair of the Dog Tour Stop One!
Hit the first section of Hair of the Dog at Rainbow Gold Reviews.
Giveaway and… see slices of Sinner’s Gin from a different point of view D
Follow all of Hair of the Dog Story at these blog spots
June 24
Part 1: Rainbow Gold Reviews — http://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress.com
June 25
Part 2: Live your Life, Buy The Book — http://liveyourlifebuythebook.com/
June 26
Part 3: The Novel Approach — http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/
Part 4: The Blogger Girls — http://thebloggergirls.com/
June 27
Part 5: Joyfully Jay — http://joyfullyjay.com/
June 28
Part 6: 3 Chicks After Dark — 3chicksafterdark.com
Part 7: Gay List Book Reviews — http://gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com/
June 29
Part 8: Boy meets Boy — http://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com
June 30
Part 9: Prism Alliance — http://www.prismbookalliance.com/
Part 10: Under The Covers — http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com
July 2
Part 11: LoveBytes Reviews — http://lovebytesreviews.com/
Additional Posts and Giveaways
June 27
Pants Off Reviews — http://pantsoffreviews.blogspot.com/
Mercy Celeste’s Blog — http://mercyceleste.blogspot.com/
Smoocher’s Voice — http://www.smoochersvoice.com
Sinfully Sexy — http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com/
June 28
Kathy’s place — http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/
June 29
Dreamspinner FBChat (8-11 am) — https://www.facebook.com/dreamspinnerpress
Moon Over Atlanta — http://eloreenmoon.wordpress.com/
Rhys Ford 