where does the time go?

ack

man, I got to go Cheyenne with BA last week, and it was awesome. Cowboys ahoy!

other old favorites that are not mine

some of my favorite books in m/m?

BA Tortuga's Long Road Home

Kiernan Kelly's Riding Heartbreak Road

Tory Temple's Chasing Victory (Okay, it's a year old, but I love it)

Laney Cairo's Bad Case of Loving You

all of then can be found at www.torquerebooks.com

pulling out old favorites

In my last post, I linked to a great write up of Perfect, which has been out a few years now. Avery and Louis are old friends.

it got me thinking about some of my older tales, and how maybe I'm technically a better grammarian or self-editor now, but about how I do love some of my older stories.

Today I was looking at To Hell You Ride. Arguably my most accurate historical, as I lived a few hours from Telluride for years and loved the place desperately. I also love big Roy, the lead character, as I've been something of an outsider in my life, and I understand where he's coming from.

You can find it here

Lovely comment on Jessewave's Blog

Leslie did a nice write up of summer stories, and she was kind enough to mention my novel, Perfect. You can read it here!

Perfect is about Louis and Avery, and how they find out that love doesn't have to be perfect to be great

find it at www.torquerebooks.com

good 4th

good 4th of July

headed for Mexico tomorrow

y'all be good

Art is subjective

I have this love-hate relationship with "art"

I think it's not the thing itself I have an issue with. I love to look at art, read it, listen to it. All kinds. I love to make dolls and stitch things and write things. With me it's more the definition. I have been called a crafter and a storyteller rather than an artist. My "crafts" are not fine art, I'm told, and my writing is too colloquial and too down home...

I wonder what people would think if they knew Shakespeare's critics and contemporaries called him a writer for the unwashed masses...

Hey, I'm no Shakespeare, but just because I don't have a MFA doesn't mean I can't make things and ask people to pay money for them.

I recently read a comment on a blog, posted anonymously of course, where the commenter complained that she had spent years studying art, knew how to put something together "correctly" and yet people were putting crap up on Etsy and selling it...

So what, I wonder, gives her the right to decide what's crap?

Well, I guess the same thing that makes other people not buy her "art"

Really, it's because art is subjective. Sure, most people can agree that Michelangelo is art, but not everyone loves him. I once stood in front of Botticelli's Birth of Venus in the Uffizi museum in Florence, silently crying my eyes out at my perceived perfection, and had someone tell me they couldn't stand one more boring painting. They had museum burnout.

We had a complete difference of subjective opinion there.

So what makes art to you? Does it have to be studied? Spontaneous? Performance? Tell!

sidelined

man, I have the attention span of a gnat on crack

newsletter got sidelined, but I'm on it, I swear

right now I'm doing data entry and watching Andrew Zimmern

working on a newsletter

yep, working on newsletter for Yahoo group, thanks to BA, who was doing one last night and making me feel guilty.

Will probably post here, too

obstacles and inspiration

so, this past week was full of obstacles to writing.

I find lack of time due to my day job (publishing, which is a joy, but busy) and stress to be the biggest obstacles to my personal writing time. I laugh hysterically, in fact, when people say I went into publishing so I could put my writing first. I write 75% less now than when I worked at a library and could leave my job at the office.

Stress is big, too, though. Someone broke into my car last week and stole all of the electronics, creating expensive havoc. This? Gives me stress. Especially since they did it in broad daylight *IN MY YARD*. Then someone hacked a paypal button, stealing money that goes to a gay charity, essentially.

Nice.

A life of crime must be way easier than writing.

So I decided that I need to revisit my inspiration. Travel. Cowboys. Cowboy hats on dashboards. I love the ching ching sound at the beginning of a fiddle riff. I love Tim McGraw. I love Venice at sunset, when all of the buildings are reflected in the water, and everything is quieting down a little. I love steak and pizza and a good, hard workout. I like a man in Wranglers, hot and sweaty and a little wild. I love the mountains in the summer and fall, when Texas is just too hot.

So what are your obstacles and inspirations?

it's been a rough week

so it's no wonder I didn't get to promo my new title here until now!

It's called Pictures of You, and it's a m/m/f menage--

Actually, it's a m/m, m/f then m/m/f

*g*

here's the blurb

Ryan and Shreve share an apartment that has it all for such an old building. An open floor plan, a huge shower, and a picture window in the bedroom. When Ryan notices he and Shreve are being spied on by the attractive female photographer across the way, he decides it's time to get friendly with the neighbors. Real friendly. And he sets out to get Shreve to jump on board with the plan.

Leanne has no idea the boys know she's watching. They inspire her to pick up her camera for the first time since a disastrous showing of her work, and they make her hot, but she's not sure she wants to meet her subjects. Maybe she can apply what they teach her to her own personal life, though, and make everything picture perfect.


here's the link :D

have I missed anything?

*g* Still working on new stories, y'all. I am not dead. My publisher alter ego is just the busy one right now!

Hugs to all

Julia

Collected stories at Changeling

Hey y'all!

My Pack Mentality books have been re-released at Changeling as a collection

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1329

that's one low price now for all 4 stories, and there's m/m/f, m/f, and m/m in the stories. Something for everyone who likes werewolves (and the occasional werebear and were-whatevers)

woo!

bloggers

I've always wanted to be one of those bloggers who has neat stuff to say. Who can post every day and make it all sparkly and shit.

I am not that person. I get busy. I forget that I have a blog. I promise content and I disappear for weeks...

Sigh.

I want to be sparkly. I do!

changed the blurb on the Highwayman

hey y'all. a reviewer (who was very sweet) brought up the fact that the High-Class Highwayman blurb didn't reflect the erotic content. I change it up a little bit.

When Julian is forced to turn to crime after he loses his inheritance, he decides that he can do better than the incompetent highwayman who tries to waylay him one dark night. That's how the High-Class Highwayman comes into his own, and he does very well for himself, at least until Griffen Michalis comes along.

Griffen is far better versed in the criminal underworld than Julian, and he has no interest in the legitimate, and rather modest, fortune that is rightfully Julian's. Being a Lord would cause him too much trouble. Griffen has far more planned for Julian than one night of excitement on the high road and Julian finds that being with Griffen is not just about mind-blowing sexual games, but danger as well.

buy it here!

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2592

New Book out from Torquere!

The High-Class Highwayman is out! Woo!

When Julian is forced to turn to crime after he loses his inheritance, he decides that he can do better than the incompetent highwayman who tries to waylay him one dark night. That's how the High-Class Highwayman comes into his own, and he does very well for himself, at least until Griffen Michalis comes along.

Griffen is far better versed in the criminal underworld than Julian, and he has no interest in the legitimate, and rather modest, fortune that is rightfully Julian's. Being a Lord would cause him too much trouble. Can he convince Julian that he's giving the money back, and that he wants something far more than one night of excitement on the high road?


Buy it here!

Coming this weekend

Saturday I have a High Ball coming out at Torquere Press!

It's called The High-Class Highwayman, and it's a historical romp set in 1780s England.

Julian is an impoverished Lord who has to turn to crime to pay his bills when his father leaves the family fortune to a bastard son. Griffen knows he's not really Julian's long lost brother, and he's happy to give the fortune back. The two begin a game of cat and mouse, of dominance and control, which Julian revels in... Until they get caught. Will the highwayman be around to save his lover when Griffen truly needs help?

new book from Changeling Press

Hey y'all!

I have a new book out from Changeling Press! It's the sequel to Wolf 101, and it's called Mystic U: Midterms

Danny, Lee and Heather are back, and not everyone is thrilled about their relationship at Mystic U and in the small town of Wolf Creek...

here's a link :

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1345

and here's an excerpt -- not really work safe :D

---

They pulled up at the little frame house that sat on the edge of town, fields of snow-tinged green out there. Spring was really getting on them. It was kind of glorious, what with the mountains still covered in white and all. Maybe he was turning into something of a country boy after all. Or at least a nature lover coexisting with a city boy.
Lee led the way, and the door was unlocked, just like always. No one locked their door in Wolf Creek. Well, until they got inside. Then Lee locked the door and pulled the laundry basket out of Danny’s arms, tossing it to the floor.
“Hold on, babe. If I don’t start the laundry now it will never get done tonight.” Danny put a hand on Lee’s chest, holding the big guy off.
“You can wait five minutes. That’s all it will take for our first orgasm.” Lee brushed his hand aside, pulling Danny up against his chest and kissing him hard.
Oh. Maybe Lee was right. His cock went hard in a heartbeat, just pushing against the fly of his jeans. Damn. Lee could kiss. Toothy, hard enough to press Danny’s lips against his teeth, the kiss made him moan and start to hump, his hips grinding against Lee’s.
An answering hardness met his, Lee hot and ready, even through their clothes. The clothes started to come off seconds after that, Lee’s big hands easing off his shirt, then opening his jeans. “You’re damned good at that, babe.”
“Uh-huh.” Lee grinned at him, eyes twinkling. “You know what you’re best at?”
“Sucking?” Shit, he didn’t need Lee to tell him that. It seemed impossible that he’d given his first blowjob last semester. He’d learned to love it since then, to love the taste and feel of Lee between his lips, on his tongue.
“Bingo. Wanna?” Stroking Danny’s lower lip, Lee raised one brow, waiting.
“Hell, yes.” Danny sank to his knees, knowing it wouldn’t take long for both of them to come this way. He opened Lee’s jeans and pulled that amazing, thick cock out, licking his lips.
Moaning a little, Lee pulled him forward, pressing the head against his lips. Danny opened up and took him in, sucking at the loose skin just underneath, then pressing his tongue to the slit.
Fuck, yes. The first taste made Danny’s hips rock, his cock pushing up toward the hand he moved down to meet it. It all came together in the most amazing circle of pleasure, his mouth, Lee’s cock. His hand, his cock. Perfect

new book at Torquere

woo! Purple Pen diaries - yummy little mystery about a writer and a security guy :>

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2546

here's a wee excerpt ---

"Mr. Tyler?"

Shit. Well, at least it was tall, dark and hotter than hell who'd detained me.

"Yes?" I pasted on a smile, which made him chuckle. The sound was low and sensual, and went straight to my cock.

"I was going to invite you up to the windows bar and grill thing for dessert."

I stared. I couldn't help it. Surely it wasn't my good looks, though I managed to do all right for myself. If he was a fan, though, I wasn't above taking advantage of it to keep him around a bit longer.

"Sure. Can we escape now, though?"

"You bet." He laughed again, and it made me want to push him down and hump him. It had been a long time since I'd had such a visceral reaction to someone. I liked it.

We worked our way through the crowd, heading toward the stairs. We'd gone up three decks before either of us spoke.

"I like your books," Marc finally said, glancing over. "You must have sisters, to be able to write a guy pretending to be a girl and make it convincing."

"Sisters? What makes you think it's not my skills as a Lothario? I could be married, or engaged or something."

"Your bio says, 'Confirmed bachelor Brandt Tyler'. I figured that meant you were queer."

I sputtered with laughter. I couldn't help it. Most people were not nearly that direct. "I am. Maybe that's how I get the girly thing."

He paused on a landing, looking me over carefully. So carefully that it made my cock twitch. "Nah. You're not that in touch with your feminine side."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Devereaux grinned, eyes crinkling up at the corners. "I'm all for you being one hundred percent male."

"Oh, good." I started climbing again, feeling the need to sit down somewhere, preferably under a booth where I could hide my rising cock. "So, what do you do, Mr.--"

"Marc. Call me Marc."


---

go check it out!

I know, I suck

Miss Promo I am not...

Let's see, what all is new?

Not a heck of a lot. I'm behind on all of my deadlines. :( Sighs

still, I'm working on it!

lots of things

Lord, I'm behind. I have Sips out, both a Charity Sip called If Wishes were Horses and a Halloween Sip called The Zed Word. The first is about cowboys, the second is about zombies, and they're both at www.torquerebooks.com

I'm in the Care and Feeding of Demons anth, also at Torquere. My demon convinces his demon hunter to have sex the old-fashioned way. He tells him he needs it to become human...

I'm not sure I mentioned my new title at Changeling Press, either! Called Wolf 101, it's part of a new series about a paranormal college called Mystic U. It's a hot menage, and it's a lot of fun

okay, off to Tweet

way behind

Sorry about the non-posting. Real life gets me behind

My book The Fire Inside, came out sometime this month. It was a serial on Turn of the Screw over at Torquere and is now an ebook. It's got psychics, firestarters, boys with guns, and lots of hot stuff...

blurb:

Nick is just a working man, trying to get his job done. When a routine job goes sour, though, he knows just who to blame; the guy who threw himself in front of Nick's car. Ty.

Ty's in trouble, and he's hoping Nick will help him. He's not sure what forces brought them together, but he knows they're meant to be, and he's willing to use his talent for generating heat to keep Nick at his side, ready for more of his special gifts. And ready to defend him from anyone who wants to hurt him. Will these two be overcome by the fire inside?

Buy link

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2084

Read the amazing review by CB Potts

http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/fireinside.html#review

There we go!

What else? Oh, yeah. I got a great interview from Rainbow Reviews, and it's up here:

http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1623

You should go check it out, and check out everything else over there. The RR folks are very good to us m/m writers and readers

OKay, going to catch up on other stuff!

Later!

New release from Torquere

Well, actually, a re-release.

I had a story I just loved out in the Play Ball anthology, called Hitting Streak. It was about ex-baseball pro Jose, who was injured and could no longer play, and the guy who wants to take him out. Dave. It's available now as part of a pair of stories in a Sip. It's called Two Games, and I share space in it with my bud, BA Tortuga.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2017

Check it out!

duuuude

man, it's going to be scorching this week. 99 for a high most days. makes me want tea by the gallon and lots of fans. How do y'all beat the heat?

blinnks and yawns

working on highwaymen

need coffee, stat

Chef on Chef! A new Spice it Up

Hey y'all!

Got a new release from Torquere. It's a novelette, and it's called Chef on Chef

buy it here ! And today use md2009 as a coupon code for 15% off

Here's the blurb:

Kierny Sullivan is a celebrity chef whose career has already peaked. Tyler Sullivan is more the next big thing. As an up and coming chef, Tyler was Kierny's protégé, and lover. When Tyler used Kierny to get ahead of the game, though, things went horribly wrong, and the animosity between them survives every attempt at reconciliation.

Then they get an offer to do a show together that neither one of them can refuse, and Tyler has a new scheme. He wants Kierny back in the worst way, and will stop at nothing to get the big-name chef back, including just telling the truth. Can Kierny and Tyler work out a deal?

and here's the snippet!

"You're a cynical bastard."

"I am." Kierny smiled, but it was more barracuda than happy puppy. "You helped make me that way."

"Oh, bullshit." Tyler exploded into motion, pacing back and forth, hands waving. "You fucking expected me to betray you, every moment of every day. Shit, you dared me to. You were a goddamned self-fulfilling prophecy."

He finally got the reaction he wanted. Both perfectly shaped eyebrows went up, and Kierny's mouth fell open. "Wait. Can you be… Are you blaming this on me?"

"This meeting? No. Our breaking it off? No. Some of the events that led up to both? Yes." Tyler was too honest to blame it all on Kierny. He really was.

"I cannot believe you think for one moment that I. That you. Oh!"

God, that was cute. Kierny was all red-faced, looking like he was going to start stomping the floor, or maybe punching Tyler in the gut. Now was the time to move in.

"So, why did you come?"

"What?"

Keeping Kierny off guard was the only way to go. He had to keep those green eyes wide, had to keep the man from getting a handle on the situation.

"Why did you come to my house, if you think I'm the root of all evil?"

"To let you know that, naturally. All done now." Turning on his heel, Kierny made for the door.

Tyler caught one muscular bicep. "No." No way was Kierny getting away. It was crazy; the world felt upside down, but Tyler was going to hold on and make the man give them both what they wanted.

Staring at his hand, cheeks hot, Kierny murmured, "No?"

Reeling the man in was easier than Tyler expected. "No. You knew what I wanted when you showed up. You can't deny it. So, I say you stay."

The muscles under his hand tensed, but Kierny didn't pull away. This close, Tyler could smell the man, and Kierny smelled like cinnamon and cloves, mixed with smoke and male musk.

Fuck, it was a good thing.

a new Sip from Torquere

hey y'all!

My newest Sip is called Sit Up and Beg, and it's a fun little piece about a captured werewolf and a latent werecat. Killian has been captured by one bad dude, and Evan wants to help him escape. These boys will also feature in my next Sip, Sit Pretty.

Here's an excerpt!

"Sit up and beg."

"You're crazy," Killian said, fingers dancing in the air just over the collar wrapped around his neck. "I'm a werewolf, not a pet."

The collar was driving him fucking crazy. It had to weigh several pounds, and it was like those radio collars so-called scientists put on wild animals. More like sadists. Let's make the animal stand out from all the other animals so it's ostracized and killed!

That wasn't the purpose of Killian's collar. His was more like one of those sci-fi series shock collars. Misbehave and get electrocuted. Or at least fried like a hairy sausage.

No, his collar was designed to kick his ass if he tried to get loose.

The guy who had finally appeared in front of the cage his kidnappers had put him in smiled. "I guess you are, at that. At least for now. These guys? They want to make you a fighting dog. A human pit bull, if you will."

"These guys?" Killian eyed the big man, noting the faded jeans and button-down shirt, the strapped on shoulder-holster. "What are you?"

"I'm just hired security."

"Hired…" Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Anyone who could work for the guys who'd taken him as a hired gun would probably only respond to one thing. Money. That was a commodity that Killian was flat out of.

"Yep." The guy nodded, blue eyes twinkling. Maybe glinting. A glint was more shark-like, right?

"Well. Stop taunting the captive, Mr. Security."

"But it's so much fun!" The guy tilted his head. "And it's Evan."

you can buy it here: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1945

I also want to recommend a Sip by my bud, Dallas Coleman

It's called One More Word, and it has a hot damned cowboy in it. Hot. Hot hot.

find it here: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1944

new release from Changeling Press

new Changeling Release 

The third and last book in the Cat House series is out! It's called Cat Fancy, and it's Layla's story. A m/m/f menage! 

Here's the link: http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1128

Here's the blurb: 

Layla is great at matchmaking among her friends and with the patrons at the Cat House, but she’s not so good at finding someone to call her own. Now she has two big male werecats doing renovations on her club, and she thinks she has an embarrassment of riches.
Aaron and Jamie have a good thing going, but they believe that sharing makes it even better. They think Layla might be just the kind of pleasure they want to mix with their business, and they’re ready to take what they want. Can Layla choose between them, or will she even have to?

Want to read a snippet? Sure you do!

How exciting! Layla just loved the two little boys who were coming in during the days to do her construction. Jamie was dark and lean and serious, and Aaron was blond and surfer-like and watched everything with those big blue eyes of his.

She just wanted to rub them together and see if they made sparks. Heck, she wanted to rub against them herself and see if she could start a fire. They were just what the doctor ordered for her budget woes, and for her flagging confidence about her looks.

The bad thing about playing matchmaker for all of her friends was that eventually she had to wonder why she couldn’t find someone herself.

“Hey, babe, you want to hand me the level?” Jamie was asking Aaron, who unclipped a little tool from his belt and tossed it over.

Babe. Jamie called Aaron babe. How absolutely adorable.

The boys were still measuring and fixing to start their demolition, which would mean she’d have to block off the area and keep the customers out. She had no intention of closing for the renovation. In fact, she was going to make a promotional thing out of it. A spring cleaning party.

Layla pretended to work, sitting at a booth up front with the overhead light on and a ledger before her. She was really watching two masculine, tight butts in even tighter jeans, licking her lips and trying not to think about how hard her nipples were.

Really, she must need to get laid in the worst way.

She got up, going to the break room and pouring a cup of coffee for herself, filling a couple of paper cups for the boys too. “Cream and sugar?” she called, waiting for the curious kitties to come to her.

“Sorry, ma’am, but what was that?” Jamie, the dark one with the golden brown eyes, poked his head into the break room.

“Do y’all take cream or sugar?”

“That’s real sweet of you. I take two sugars. Aaron likes a lot of cream and a little sugar.”
“Ah, then Aaron is a man after my own heart. I’m addicted to the cream.”

Jamie blinked, then laughed, the sound deep and surprising and delightful. “I thought that was your business partner, Kitty.”

Now it was her turn to laugh out loud, thinking how Cole and Alan both would kick this little boy’s ass. Not that Jamie and Aaron were little, or even boys. Compared to Cole Lee, though, just about everyone looked like they still had milk teeth.

“He likes his cream too, I admit. You’re not his type, though.”

“Am I your type?”

She raised a brow, knowing they were perfectly groomed to arch over her eye sardonically. “I thought you were Aaron’s type.”

“I am.” This time there was no blush, no laughter, just dead certainty. “We play some.”

“Well, I like to play too.” She forced her hands not to shake, making his coffee up and handing it over before she went to work on Aaron’s.

“Do you mix business with pleasure?” Aaron came to stand beside Jamie, one hand on Jamie’s hip.

Pretty. Pretty, pretty, pretty. Heat bloomed between her legs, her nipples so hard now that they could cut glass. Oh, she wanted to, for sure. Cole would kill her. “Can we wait for you to break for lunch? You’re not in the budget.”

“Mmm. We can take a break off the clock anytime.”

That was Aaron, his voice a low growl, and suddenly she was rethinking calling these two little boys. They had an amazing amount of focus, and that double trouble look was enough to make her fan herself a little. “Give me an hour, and you’re on.”

Jamie pulled out his cell phone and punched a few buttons. “There. I set an alarm.”

God. That stare was smoking hot. Layla was just about to throw caution to the wind when the back door buzzer rang, telling her she had a delivery. Damn it.

“Be right back, boys. Enjoy your coffee break.” She went to answer the door, wishing her damned assistant hadn’t disappeared so fast. It would have been nice to stay and play.

just a note

have some new stories out, some new ones about to come out. I promise a real post in the next few days, so hang out and check it out

I've been reviewed!

Buckle Up, my December 2008 Turquoise Birthstone for Torquere Press has gotten two very nice reviews.

One came in from Fallen Angel Reviews' April. You can find it here!

The other comes from Literary Nymphs' Rose Nymph! It's here!

Thanks ladies! I loved this story, as it just made me smile to write it. Check it out at Torquere, here!

Short List at the Gaylactic Spectrum

http://www.spectrumawards.org/2008.htm#bestshortshort

Check it out, y'all! I've been nominated many a time for things, but this is the first time I've short listed at a major award. The book is out of print now, actually. It was a Torquere Press Anthology edited by the talented Meredith Schwartz, called Alleys and Doorways. There's talk of Lethe Press re-releasing it in print, but so far I haven't seen a concrete deal.

If it falls through, I promise to post The Reflection of Love as a free read on my website. We'll have to wait and see!

In other news, I'll be at Romantic Times in April, doing booksignings on Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon with fellow authors Chris Owen, BA Tortuga, Tory Temple and Kiernan Kelly. It's in Orlando this year, so if you're in the neighborhood, you should drop in! More details as it gets closer!

Birthstone release from Torquere!

hey y'all!

I just released a Birthstone and a Sip, actually!

The Birthstone is Turquoise, and it's called Buckle Up!

Kelvin doesn't mind running an old fashioned pawn shop in Santa Fe. He meets a lot of folks, hears a lot of life stories. Like the story cowboy Cody Mack brings in, along with an antique belt buckle. Cody's grandfather loved the Navajo who made that buckle, and the cowboy is trying to find the man and give it back.

More than willing to help, Kelvin sets out to find Cody's jewelry maker, and finds more than he bargained for. He gets a great story out of the bargain, and a great friend in Cody, but Kelvin wants even more. Can he find a way to let Cody know how he feels?

you can buy it here

The Sip is called Wolfy Resolutions:

Cage really doesn't want to attend his demon roommate's New Year's party. He's been dumped, and he knows his friend is trying to set him up, which is strictly against his New Year's resolutions. Then he meets Barney, and decides maybe his roommate is on to something, trying to get him to hook up with a new, young, and very hot werewolf in town. Will Cage decide to rewrite his resolutions?

buy it here

I promise to post some snippets later!

New release!

5'O'clock Bar has just been released by Torquere Press!

The 5 O'clock is a fictional bar just outside of Denver, and it's the brainchild of me, Sean Michael, Chris Owen and BA Tortuga

We wrote it as a Turn of the Screw serial, and it features lots of neat boys each with their own chapter, or set of chapters. I did two sets of working class boys, Hector and Wally and Sam and Mac. Hector has lost in love a lot, and he has no idea his buddy Wal has been looking a long time. There's more to Wally than meets the eye, and Hector will be happy to explore it all. Sam and Mac meet over a fistfight at the 5'Oclock, and man do sparks fly.

You can buy it in paperback or ebook! http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1674

here's a wee bit of Sam and Mac


"Lord, we're a pair, huh?" Mac went and got the ice cream, then came on over with two spoons. Those long legs just ate up space, moving Mac across the floor. It was hot.

"Uh-huh." His eyes were focused on the tempting bulge under the denim. He bet that was a nice, long bit of rope.

"Hope you like butter pecan." Settling next to him, Mac scooted close. Close enough to share the dessert.

"I like ice cream, honey. I ain't picky." He took a spoon, moaning as the cold hit his throat.

"Feels good, huh?" They both chowed down, not even turning the game on.

"No shit. My throat feels like I gargled with sandpaper."

"I hear you. And my kidneys." Mac gave him a hard look. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"You didn't have to call me short, man. I'm tall enough that my feet touch the ground."

"Your legs go all the way to the floor, huh?" Mac grinned. "Mine go to my neck."

"Naw. There's some nice shit between them legs and your neck." Some real nice shit.

He got a look, kind of sideways and hot as hell. "You could get a closer look."

"You think?" He put his spoon in the carton, shifted a little. "You'll have to take it easy on my poor bones. You tore my ass up last night."

"Yeah. Yeah, I hear that." Still, Mac's hand was sliding on his thigh. "I figure something light. Easy."

"Works for me." He scooted closer. "Something to take the edge off, let us be all melty and shit." Sam could so do melty.

"That's it." One hand strayed right into his lap, pressing against his zipper, just hard enough to make him feel it.

His hand headed for Mac's shirt buttons, giving him a look at that bruised and beaten chest. The guy looked about as horked as he did, but damn, it was still pretty. Lean muscles. A fine dusting of hair. Ridged belly.

"It's fine. You're fine." He reached out, petting that belly, letting the back of his hand nudge Mac's hard-on.

"Mmm. You got good hands for a midget."

Oh, he was so going to kick Mac's ass. As soon as the man let go of his cock, which Mac was pushing at through his jeans.

"Don't make me beat you again, stud. I'm tired and horny."

"I can go with the horny." Mac leaned right over and kissed him, pressing down against his mouth. A better use for it than sarcasm.

His eyes flew open and he went still for about half a second before he started kissing back, diving right on in and tasting the lingering flavor of ice cream in Mac's mouth. Mac's free hand cupped the back of his head, holding him still. The other one was anything but still, rubbing up against him, hot even through the cloth. Oh, damn. He could handle this. His legs spread, the ache in his cock superseding any bitching from his muscles.

"Mmm. Nice. Wanna see now, huh?" Mac didn't waste any time. The man just started unzipping and pulling and pushing.

His cock jerked, waving like it had a little horndog mind of its own.

check it out!

Hey y'all! I may not be a winner, but I'm short list special! LOL

I short listed at the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards in short fiction. You can find the nominees here: http://www.spectrumawards.org/2008.htm

They don't have the short list and winners up yet, but folks who attended the banquet have put the list up, and various blogs have picked up on it. I like Elisa Rolle's LJ. http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/398519.html

Anyhoo, the story is a short fantasy called the Reflection of Love, from the great Meredith Schwartz edited Alleys and Doorways. You can find it here: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=431

Woo hoo!

Here's a wee, wee excerpt.

Kyle had felt something in that alley.

Oh, not for the poor guy he'd blown. That guy had known he was about to die, and wanted to go out with a bang. He'd given Kyle all the money in his pocket, about three hundred dollars.

With that Kyle could take the rest of the night off.

No, he'd felt someone watching. Someone that vibrated on a frequency he usually only felt when he was jacking off. His very own buzz.

Jesus, it had put the hair up on the back of his neck, made him run like the fucking wind.

Now he was back in his one room flat, staring at the wall. His poster of Scotland was looking a little ratty. He'd bought it in college, back when he'd thought he was going to go live in a belfry in Edinburgh and write the great American novel.

Shit. He'd made it as far as Atlanta. That was where he'd gotten stuck. His Lit degree meant less than nothing to anyone but McDonald's. What he did might not be kosher to everyone, but it beat flipping burgers, and his special kind of empathy really helped folks think he was the second coming. On the first come.

New Release!

I have a new book out from Torquere Press! It's up HERE!

Here's the info: (btw, it's a prequel to the Werewolf Code, which came out earlier in the year)

Deke has a terrible itch to scratch. He's a werewolf looking for a safe place to get his addiction on; Deke loves to feed vampires. When he finds himself at Bloodrose, an exclusive club that caters to supernatural creatures, Deke thinks he might be at the right place, somewhere he can find a kindred spirit.

Kasey is the vampire who ends up sponsoring Deke at Bloodrose, knowing that he has to have Deke for his own. The heat between them is immediate, but it's sharing the small details of their lives that makes Kasey and Deke think they might have something special together. Can they find a way to scratch Deke's itch?

***

Here's the excerpt!

“Tell me what you get out of this, Deke?” Kasey finally asked when Deke was almost finished eating.

“Huh?” He paused, fork halfway to his mouth, the steak dripping a little. It wasn’t like he had forgotten Kasey was there; his persistent hard on reminded him of that like, every two seconds. He just hadn’t expected navel gazing.

“What do you get out of this whole deal? I mean, I get fed as much as you can stand it, for a whole year. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”

“Achoo.” Deke grinned at Kasey’s delicately arched brow. “Look. I’m not gonna sugar coat anything. I like to get bit. I like it a lot. It makes me come. I just needed a safe way to go about it.”

“Well, then.” Kasey toyed with a wine glass, lips curled into a tiny smile. “Jonny tells me we have two weeks to become acquainted with one another, but I’m not sure it will take us that long to know if we’re compatible.”

“No?” His heart kicked up a notch in its beat, and he could tell Kasey heard it.

“No. I think we’ll find out in the next five minutes, in fact.” Kasey slid back from the table, moving with an animal sort of grace, dark hair moving like the man was underwater.

Dude. Was that like a vamp skill? Little Mermaid on the move.

Chuckling, Deke watched Kasey settle on the bed and pull the dressing robe open. Oh, hell yes. Lean, but muscled. Pale as milk. Sweet.

“Come feed me, Deke. I want to see how you taste.”

His cock jerked, and Deke got up, dropping the robe on the way to the bed. No sense in pretending that wasn’t what he was there for, because damn. He settled next to Kasey, surprised to find the man warm to the touch when he slid a hand up one thigh.

“We’re not all frozen like Jonny,” Kasey said, noting his tiny start. “He’s kind of special.”

“He is.” Jonny was something else.

One of Kasey’s arms wrapped around his waist, long fingers sliding along his ribs. “You’re not just lukewarm, though, Deke. You’re hot as fire.”

“You’re not helping with that. I mean, you’re making me crazy.” Deke wasn’t sure if he should let Kasey in on that, but they were supposed to be getting to know each other, right?

“Oh, I imagine it’s as much the plug and the auction that’s got you up.” But Kasey’s fingers moved down his hip, around his belly to his cock, stroking him up and down.

“That’s part of it, sure. I’ve had guys that left me cold, though.” There had been a few vamps who had just had that lizard stare, that icy look that told Deke they’d just as soon drain him dry.

“Well, I have to admit I’m pleased to know that.” Kasey smiled, showing his fangs, which were little bigger than Jonny’s, a little less needle-like. Sometimes it seemed like there were a few different kinds of vamps. Or maybe they were like people, or dogs, or even wolves. They just turned out differently depending on what they were like to begin with.

“Good. That feels… Are you gonna bite me?”

“Yes.” Kasey pulled Deke’s face against his shoulder, settling him comfortably, before licking along his neck, finding the pulse that beat way too fast. Deke’s heart felt like it was slamming against his ribs, and they hadn’t even started yet.

Compatible?

Kasey was going to burn him up and leave him in ashes.

hosting the TQ social LJ today 9-19

come see me!

http://community.livejournal.com/torquere_social/

new book!

Chris Owen and I got a wild hair a long time ago and decided to write kinky cops. Problem was, we got busy, and they got forgotten.

Then one day Chris said, "Hey, remember the guys?"

I did. Horny cops. Cute, hairy dog named Jeepers. Bad undercover situation.

It's glorious in its freakiness!

Good Cop, Bad Cop by Chris Owen and Julia Talbot

Cody is a cop with a mission. He's the point of contact for another cop, one working deep undercover in an organized crime group. Thing is, Pete is not at all what he expects in a partner. Pete's a little reckless, a lot hot, and probably not as careful as he ought to be when it comes to rendezvous with his contact.

Pete thinks Cody is pretty darned hot. Cody's a little reserved, a little afraid to let his macho side out, but Pete is more than happy to help Cody assert himself, even if it costs him his concentration on the job sometimes. When Pete runs into some serious danger, though, he has to hope Cody will come through for him. Will Pete and Cody live to tell the tale of their undercover adventures?

Get it here!

New books

or at least fairly new, LOL

A Sip at Torquere called You Know Me

It's about a type A guy and his old buddy, a rodeo rider, who find a way to make things more permanent, finally...

find it here

I love this one. I really do. I'm proud of Ed and Jake.

I also have a newish book out at Changeling that I've been very remiss in pimping! The second Cat House book, it's called Catnip Crazy, and it's a fun m/m werekitty who finds a cop and decides to keep him!

check it out here

There's a great review of it here!

WOoO!

long time, busy busy

I know, I suck, huh?

Let's see. I have a new Sip out at Torquere called Mind in the Middle. It's about Ty, a bullrider at the top of his game until he gets dumped, and about Andy, the guy who helps him get it back together. You can find it here.

I really ought to be asleep. The dogs woke me up, and now they won't go back to bed. This is bad, considering I was up until 4. So. Three hours of sleep = psychotic break with reality

makes me want to write serial killers

A New Sip!

Here's an excerpt with my new Sip, out at Torquere Press, called Rocking R:

Esau Rodriguez hated subdivisions.

His family had owned a ranch in Doña Ana county for five generations. The land around Las Cruces might not be the best without irrigation, but if you got water to it, it would grow anything.

He loved the Rio Grande, loved the majestic Organ mountain vista that spread out no matter where you were in the valley, and he loved prickly pear and ocotillo and even the damned coyotes.

What he hated about the valley now was the damned houses that sprang up like prairie dogs at sundown, whether cheap-assed or fancy, squatting on the landscape like a spotty kind of plague. He had to drive past them to get home from town, had to watch the inevitable creeping, encroaching mess of new construction and shake his head.

It was a damned good thing he had good fences, and that his house sat off the road a good bit, where he had open range and some chile fields to hide everything. The old Chevy bumped across the cattle guard and across the dirt track that circled the inside of the perimeter fence, heading down to the house. He'd stop up and get the mail later, after it ran; he needed to exercise old Paint anyway. Right now he had groceries to put away.

"Mierda," Esau cursed when he got to the gate on down to the house, which stood wide open. He'd have to count dogs, and damned if border collies and Great Pyrenees came cheap. "Well, I guess they know who feeds them," he murmured, stopping the truck with a jerk when he saw the utility vehicle parked by his back patio.

"What the fuck!"

****


Here's the info!

Esau hates the suburbs. He's holding onto his little piece of land in southern New Mexico, and he's pretty pissed when the meter man leaves his gate open. Then he meets the meter man, Jamie, and he's ready to make nice. Jamie wants Esau, too, but he's worried that their relationship will never go anywhere. Can Esau convince Jamie that things can be good out in the country?

have I posted this before?

I got a wonderful review of my Torquere Press title Mountain Trails, at Rainbow Reviews

Check it out here!

I have an interview out with Lexxie Couper on her blog. It was a hoot to do. Find it here!

I have a new book out with Changeling Press!

It's called Cats and Dogs, and it's set in a new series called the Cat House. Abby and Kyle are were-kitties who are set up on a blind date with werewolf Bay. They have one night of passion, but then Bay disappears without calling. Kyle thinks wolves can't be trusted, but Abby thinks something else is afoot. Can they save Bay before it's too late? Find out here!

Look for new stuff out from Torquere Press soon! I have a Sip due out soon!

check out my review!

About the Werewolf Code, a Torquere Arcana release! From Literary Nymphs

Check it out here!

back from RT

woo and hoo

Pittsburgh was pretty, if cold to this Texas girl

I was a big fish

no really

I was also at the booksigning

thought I'd give y'all some pictorial proof

grins

look for new books soon

good lord, it's been a month

no wonder y'all stop coming by

I'll try to do better

Next weekend I'll be at Romantic Times in Pittsburg PA

I'll be there Wednesday through Saturday, and will be at signings On Wednesday and Saturday.

See y'all there if you're coming!

http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=9048bd41-a548-4c7a-8d9f-2704d2161681

A snippet from The Werewolf Code

This is from the new Arcana, the Werewolf Code: The Moon

____

Sliding off his stool, Deke headed for the giant plate glass windows, stripping off his shirt as he went. Kasey liked to look out in the night when he fed, pressing Deke against the cool glass. "Come here, baby. I got something for you."

A low growl sounded behind him, Kasey coming for him, so fast and silent that he hardly had time to blink before Kasey pressed up against him, jerking at his pants, the fabric tearing way too easily.

"I guess I'll have to tell Axis that his new tactical nylon is for shit against vamps."

"Later," Kasey whispered in his ear, incredibly sharp fangs grazing his skin.

"Yeah." His whole body arched from the tiny sting, his cock waving in the air, craving a touch, a bite. "Much, much later."

"Much. Where do you want me to feed tonight, lover?" Kasey touched his throat. "Here? Or here?" Those fingers moved down his chest, sliding over his hip before landing on the crease between his thigh and his torso.

"Oh. There. Yeah, baby. There." Hell, he knew Kasey couldn't look out the window and do that, but he just didn't care. He wanted that spot. Right. There.

____

Find it here: http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/thewerewolfcode.html

New Book!

I have an Arcana out from Torquere Press!

It's based on the Moon tarot card, and it's called The Werewolf Code.

I love these boys. Deke is a werewolf, Kasey is a vampire, and they run a detective agency. They get a new client who draws them into the middle of a very dangerous genetic experiment, and there's biting and fighting and hot sex :D

I hope to do a whole series about these guys. They're smokin hot, really talky and fun as hell. Of course, y'all have to buy it for me to be able to write more of them, so shoo. Go buy...

www.torquerebooks.com

Celebrate Romance

So, I went to Celebrate Romance in South Carolina over the past weekend.

What did Julia Talbot learn about being primarily a glbt writer among hardcore romance readers and writers?

Well, I learned that most folks don't get what I do. They're willing to listen, though, even if the idea sort of horrifies them.

There were a few ladies who really complimented both me and BA on our part of the panel discussions, and it was very nice to hear. The readers were great fun, and it was a hoot to meet some of the writers I've read over the years like Jade Lee and Stephanie Bond, and interact with them as peers, not just star struck fans.

I also learned that I have the best fans ever. Y'all rock so hard. No, really.

On the deep and philosophical end, I learned that there's still a huge prejudice against ebooks and e-publishers out there. Despite the fact that authors who put books out with major NY publishers have never seen a royalty check, FIFTEEN MONTHS after their book's release, despite the fact that a major author admits to making less than I make on one publisher alone in a year of being published with a house that sells her books in Wal-Mart...

I'm kind of glad I don't have an agent, if I have to give up that much of my hard earned sales...

Does this mean you should stop buying books in bookstores? Absolutely not. The only way to get NY to listen is to buy books. But I also want to thank all the people who support e-publishing. It's made me not just a writer, which I always was, but an author with books out there to sell, and I will forever be grateful.

At any rate, a huge thanks to Cybil and her team for CR. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I learned a lot.

Look for me next at Romantic Times, in Pittsburg (ack) where I will be with Chris Owen, Jodi Payne, and BA Tortuga

Mates

out from Bareback Angels, a new m/m/f menage books called Mates!

My story is about a girl named Abby, who has a terrible fear of dogs. Her psychologist gets a dog trainer named Aaron to help her out, but he has two secrets. His lover Lee, and the fact that he and Lee are both werewolves. Is there any way this can work out for the boys and their new girl?

The book also features BA Tortuga and Sean Michael!

www.torquerebooks.com

bad reviews

One of the worst thing a writer can do is read their own reviews.

Oh, sure, when they're good, they lift you up, make you want to write more. But when a reader review comes through and tells you more than once that your bestselling book is flat and lifeless, when these are your best characters ever, well...

It makes me want to scream and have a tantrum and run away

It's ridiculous. I know it. I've sold more than 5000 copies of this book. I've gotten hundreds of emails begging for more. Two readers who wouldn't read it again. Two. And it made me just want to cry.

In better news, these same characters will appear in a short story soon, in an anthology from Torquere Press.

So if you like the Thatchers, keep an eye out!

Working on a lot of stuff

I have a new Turn of the Screw starting ion March at Torquere Press. It's a mmf menage called Pictures of You, about a photographer and her obsession with her male lover neighbors.

I have a Single Shot called Sins of the Father coming out at the beginning of March. It's about Deke and Kasey, a werewolf and a vampire who own a detective agency, hired by a young woman to clean up her father's genetic experiments.

I'm tapping away on 2 novels, too, working my fingers off y'all!

what people are saying

got a lovely review of Natural Selection, the last book of the Pack Mentality series from Changeling Press (www.changelingpress.com)

http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2008/02/pack-mentality-natural-selection.html

Here's a highlight:

Pack Mentality: Natural Selection is a humorous episode of werewolf society and how to join the pack. Julia Talbot’s characters are funny, sexy and very charming. This is a most enjoyable story.

Woo hoo!

newsletter

woo hoo! I got a newsletter up at my Yahoogroup!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/juliatalbotnews

You can go there and check it out. It has some news, some cool favorite weird links and a free vignette . M/M natch

I'll have more stuff coming out soon, so keep an eye out for news!

new book out from Changeling

It's the very last book in the Pack Mentality series, called Natural Selection

Ryan is pretty happy with his lover Loyal and their little cabin in the woods. The only thing he misses is a pack. Werewolves need company, after all. Loyal is a werebear, and is much more of a loner, so he's suspicious when a new pack comes to town, wanting Ryan to stay away.

Kamen and Steve, Liam, Jenny and Sasha, Colin and Myra, all your favorites from the Pack Mentality series are here! They have to help Ryan fight for what's his, and maybe help him find a pack of his own!

check it out at www.changelingpress.com!

some new books

I have a new Sip out at Torquere called Nothing But Trouble. It's about bank robber Bryce and Abel, a very curious deputy. See what they get up to at www.torquerebooks.com

In early February I have a new book coming out from Changeling Press, called Pack Mentality: Natural Selection. It's the 4th book in the Pack Mentality series, and all your favorites are back. Jenny, Liam, Sasha, Myra and Colin, Kamen and Steve, and a new pair Ryan and Loyal. Check it out at the coming soon link at www.changelingpress.com

My chapter of Five O'Clock Bar goes up at Turn of the Screw this next week. It's a multi-author story featuring my buds Sean Michael, Chris Owen, BA Tortuga and others. See it and other available stories here: http://torquerepress.com/subs/stories.html

Turn of the Screw is a great subscription service where you get new chapters of amazing stories every week!

I'll be posting excerpts here and at my Livejournal. http://julia-talbot.livejournal.com/

wow

been a bit, huh? I know, I know, bad author

The year seems to be starting out as the year of the changing face of romance. Yep, people are taking not of folks like me and some of my publishers and fellow authors.

I'll be speaking on the changing romance subject at Celebrate Romance, a conference being held the last weekend of February in Columbia South Carolina. It's a great little con, dedicated to readers, unlike the ones that have gotten so big and bloated with writers. There are some great writers attending and the booksigning on Sunday looks to be a fun day!

Check out their website here:

http://www.crspring.com/

What else? Did I ever pimp my Christmas Single Shot? It's called A Good Thing, and it's about the guy who lost everything on Christmas, including his Christmas spirit, but when he meets a new man, he gets it back! Find it under Julia Talbot at www.torquerebooks.com

Keep an eye out for more!

J

tyring hard to hit deadlines

and uh, eek.

failing

keep an eye out, though, I ought to have some christmassy stuff out :D

a new review

for an old title. It's always a nice surprise. This one is for Recipe for Love, out with Changeling Press (www.changelingpress.com)

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/recipeforlovetalbot.htm

Taste Test!

I'm featured in the new Taste Test from Torquere Press, along with my buddies BA Tortuga and Dallas Coleman. If you like your cowboys Buck Wild, you'll love this one!

Here's the official doolie!

Sometimes cowboys like to get buck wild. They get a little crazy, get a little wild hair. That's the premise behind this Taste Test featuring Dallas Coleman, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga.

Dallas Coleman gives us Jimmy, who's settled down to become a banker, and Cory, an off again-on again lover who tempts him to be have some fun. Julia's Colby and Sean are both bullriders and ex-lovers who get up to some serious fun. BA gives us Jack and Deke, two sometime lovers who come together with a fiery passion that's impossible to ignore. Get buck wild with these boys today!

www.torquerebooks.com

I got word that a lesbian story I wrote a good while back for an anthology with Pretty Things Press, called Lipstick on Her Collar, has a cover. We don't have a sure date, but keep an eye out here!

new novella

This one is about 20,000 words, so definitely not a sip! ;)

It's a Spurs and Saddles from Torquere Press, called Sparkle and Shine. It's over at www.torquerebooks.com

Evan is a rodeo cowboy with an eight year old daughter, an ex-wife who loves to make trouble, and a best friend he wants to love on. Brooks is his best buddy, who wants to be way more than friends. Can these two cowboys get it together?

have a sample!

***

"What are you staring at?" Brooks snarled, flinging his jeans at his suitcase.

Heaven. That was his first thought.

"Nothing. I mean, I'm not staring. I'm sorry, Brooks." There. Ta da.

Tight shoulders relaxed. "Yeah? I… Me too, man. I just figured we were having a laugh."

"We were. I was just feeling sorry for myself." Beer. It had to be the beer making him say all these touchy feeling things.

"Yeah?" Coming right up to him, Brooks clapped him on his shoulder, fingers scarred and callused. "No need, man. You're rock solid."

Almost as hard as a rock, for sure. Wasn't beer supposed to make a man limp? Sandra had always said so. Evan barely resisted the urge to adjust himself.

"Thanks, Brooks. Really." When he felt like he wouldn't offend the man, Evan turned away, breathing hard through his nose.

"Hey, you got the quease? We could order room service."

"Oh, good idea. Something burger-like." That would give him something to do with his hands and his runaway mouth.

"Maybe chocolate cake, too, huh?" Brooks loved the frosting. Evan had seen him eat all the way around a three layer cake, just eating the sugary stuff.

"You order, huh?"

"What's gotten into you?" Brooks asked when he woulda run for the bathroom again.

"I'm horny, okay?" he kinda shouted, hands clenching. "I want to go jack off in the bathroom!"

"Oh." Blue eyes snapped right up to meet his, Brooks staring hard. "You don't gotta run off, buddy."

Another Sip

I seem to be rocking the short fiction these days! I think it's my lack of attention span. There's something about being able to finish a story that's very satisfying. Anyhoo, my Sip came out last week, and I kinda got lost with the Halloween/Vegas/Bullrider thing.

It's called Splitting the Difference, and it's about country singer Dane, who goes back to his West Texas hometown for a wedding, meeting up with an old high school friend names Kent.

I adore people who have history, and this is one of those stories ;) You can find it at www.torquerebooks.com

Here's a wee snip:

"Well, well. I didn't think I'd ever see Dane Hotchkins in this town again."

The voice had the kind of deep drawl only West Texas could make, and Dane cringed at the familiarity of it, at the way it made all sorts of old memories come to life.

He turned, staring at Kent Lawrence, just shaking his head. The man hadn't changed a bit, hadn't gotten all swollen like so many of his old high school buddies had. Lean, long, and all cowboy, Kent looked fucking edible.

As always.

"Well, hey, Kent. I reckon you wouldn't have, if Becky hadn't decided to get married." No way would he miss his baby sister's wedding, even if it did mean eating his words from ten years ago. He'd burned those years right down the highway, singing at every honky-tonk and dive in Texas and Oklahoma. He'd never made it to Nashville, but Austin wasn't a bad place to call home.

Way better than BF Nowhere West Texas.

"Oh, right. I heard about that. You bring you some supermodel as a date?" Those green eyes twinkled, the lines beside them deep and new, the skin tanned to an even dark brown. Lord, that man still did it for him, not that he'd ever let Kent know.

"No. I didn't bring anything but my guitar and enough clothes to get me through the week. Gonna rent the tux, even."

"Oh, now, I thought a big shot like you would have your own."

Sighing, Dane shook his head. "You're looking for a fight, Kent, I ain't your man. I'm too damned tired and old. 'Sides, I always liked you. Don't fuck that up."

I have an appearance coming up in February at Celebrate Romance, and they've asked us authors to spread the word! For readers, it's a very affordable con, and there will be lots of opportunity to meet with your favorite authors!

Happy Halloween!

happy halloween!

here's a bit of my sip! It's called Grimoire Erato and it's available at www.torquerebooks.com

***

The book smelled like pine and sage, which shouldn't surprise him, the way his uncle had spread the herbs about. Kelly had expected it to smell kinda… musty. The more natural tang of spice was a pleasant surprise.

"Well, old man," he said out loud, just to hear someone talk. "Let's see what was so all fired special about this one that you didn't share it."

The letters swam a little at first. He liked his languages dead, he would admit, but it had been a long while since he'd read Latin. Hell, this was worse. It was a combination of Latin and archaic Greek.

"Every well-educated young man should read French, Latin and Greek," Uncle Noel had told him not long after Kelly's mom and dad had died in a freak snowstorm. They'd been cross-country skiing.

His eight year-old self had scoffed. "Does that mean I get a grand tour of Europe when I'm old enough, too?"

Noel's blue eyes had danced. "If you behave."

Kelly had soon learned that Noel always kept his promises, and he'd been sent off on a backpacking tour of Europe when he turned eighteen. Noel had given him a Eurailpass and enough money to last two months if he was frugal.

It had been the time of his life.

Sighing, rubbing his eyes, Kelly focused back on the book, reading some of it out loud, just for the fun of it. "A lonely man should sacrifice a cock, if what he desires leads him to this path, and should offer the flesh to the one bound to serve, to receive his earthly reward. He should read from the book at the longest hour, and light the fire that will bring him the thing he needs above all else."

Right. Lord, what a crock of shit.

Kelly closed the book and finished off his brandy, just as the old grandfather clock struck midnight thirty. Well, there was the longest hour, huh? Cackling, Kelly climbed to his feet to refill his brandy, and the fire laid out in the fireplace caught his eye. Oh, hell, why not? He lit the kindling, watching it spring to life like it never did when he actually needed a fire.

He didn't have a cock to sacrifice, but maybe he'd jack off when he went to bed. Just to see what the old book had up its leather jacket.

Which was probably not a damned thing.

hello hello!

man, I'm pooped. I have a novel due that's still a fledgling and I'm flailing (woo, alliteration)

I've been thinking a lot about my style, and about my favorite genres, and I want to hear from readers! Do you like my historicals? contemporaries? My mysteries?

Let me know what genre you think I do best. I'll give away a copy of my Arcana, Rock Bottom, from Torquere Press to one random commentor!

have I pimped Crash and Burn?

I think I have, but I bet I haven't posted a snippet! :D

Here's a wee bit from Crash and Burn, my sip over at Torquere Press

***

"Danny! Danny, quit it!" There was Todd again, grabbing him, pulling him out into the tiny hallway. "You're not helping shit."

No. No, Todd was the helpful one, wasn't he? Danny turned and drove his hand into the wall next to Todd's head, his face inches from Todd's nose. "Why don't you quit? Why are you still fucking here? I'm a fucking lost cause."

"I… I don't know. You're still paying me?" Those green eyes were so wide, so shocked, and it kinda revved his motor.

"True enough. I wonder how helpful you really want to be."

"What?" That pretty mouth fell open, and somehow Danny had never noticed how sweet Todd's lips looked, how hot that square-but-lean face was.

"I need to blow off steam." He leaned, trying to press his mouth to Todd's, but Todd ducked.

"No. No, I won't do that unless you mean it. I'll… I'll find you someone."

"What if I want you?" The thought had never occurred to him before, and Dan wondered why not. Now, with Todd pressed up against him, he thought maybe it was the best idea he'd had in ages.

"You don't. You're just pissed off." Pushing Danny away, Todd stuck his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched like Danny had actually hit him. "If you had ever once looked at me before now? I'd be naked in a heartbeat. I'll make a couple calls."

Todd left him standing there with his mouth hanging open, just like that.

When the hot young thing showed up, though, Danny gave him a fifty and told the kid to go have a beer on him. Somehow, it just wasn't the same.

***

Another story finished!

go me

I can't talk too much about it yet, but I can definitely say it was worth the work...

As for what all is out there, I'll be updating that very soon!

How's y'all?

a wee book review

I adore zombies. No, really. From Dawn of the Dead to Shaun of the Dead, I love zombie movies. I love Zombie stories, too, including the one Lorne Rodman did, tongue in cheek. http://www.stemsandfeathers.org/rodman/free.html (scroll past the moose...)

So it's no wonder I love Autophobia by Lydia Thorne You can buy it here.

Jake is traveling toward Montana, avoiding the main roads and big towns in a world where a terrible infection is making people into half-dead predators. He meets Sam, another real, live person, the first he's seen in ages. Can they survive, or has Jake already started to succumb to the disease?

What I loved about this book was the way Sam is young and scared without being a whiny twink, and how Jake is the hero without being perfect. The story has a very non-traditional ending, very original, but I would argue that it's a happy ending, the only kind these two can have.

The story is very much a zombie tale, with a lot of the traditional imagery, but there's nothing wrong with that. It just makes sure you know what genre you're in. I think Lydia manages to be original for all of that, and give us a short, intense tale that's well worth reading!

waves

have y'all read my Sip? Have you? It's out at Torquere Press. It's called Crash and Burn, and it's about motocross star Danny and his assistant, Todd. Danny is about to crash in a big way. Can he convince Todd that he needs help not to burn out completely?


www.torquerepress.com

in other news, I have a wee bit of content up at the Torquere Birthday candle dealie!

http://torquerepress.com/birthday/index.html

My day was the third.

Also Also, I'm a participating author in the scavenger hunt!

http://torquerepress.com/contest/scavengerhunt.html

That's one heck of a prize!

Scavenger Hunt!

Hey y'all! There's an Anniversary Scavenger Hunt going on at Torquere Press. We authors got together and helped donate the prize, which is a fabulous Sony Ebook reader!

See how to play here: http://torquerepress.com/contest/scavengerhunt.html

My website is http://thegates.net/juliatalbot You can hunt there for my letter!

News!

I have new Sip out at Torquere Press. Sips are short stories, and at $1.29, they're a heck of a bargain. It's called Crash and Burn, and it's about Danny, a Motocross rider who loses his job, and his sponsors. In face he loses everything but his assistant Todd, who he realizes he needs more than anything else.

find it here!

http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/sip019.html

okay, so I'll quit whining!

grins

have an excerpt instead. From Jack and the Big Old Beanstalk, my story from Torquere's Torqued Tales:

They lay in a sweaty tangle of arms and legs, both of them panting and smiling for the first time in what seemed like weeks. Jack took a lazy, sloppy kiss, his body feeling like it had been run over by the plow.

“You sure tore me up, Dane,” he said, watching his hand as it slid up Dane’s ribs.

“You brought me candy,” Dane said, kissing him right back. “I’m sorry I made you sleep in the lean-to.”

“I ain’t, if it gets me this.” He sighed, though, knowing it was time to get up. “We should see where that stalk goes.”

“What?” Dane pulled back to stare at him, just like the night before. “Why?”

“Well, that tinker feller said there was riches involved. Now, you know I ain’t inclined to flights of fancy, but it did grow to the sky without no water.”

“Huh. Well, get yer clothes on, then, and let’s go ‘fore it gets too hot.”

They got dressed without any more argument, and started climbing, both of them huffing and puffing long before they reached the top. They had to be crazy. They ought to be out plowing. But they climbed on, both of them resting a bit on one big bean shell.

When they finally popped up at the top of one big ‘ole bean that had split out of the shell, they gaped in amazement.

“Dane. Do you see?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you believe?”

“No.”

There was a whole ranch up there. Hell, the cows was as big as their little house, no lie. Giant cows. Giant everything. And a ranch house sat back along the line of the bean, looking like a fortress to a pair of rag dolls.

“Should we?”

“Hell, yes.” Dane took off like a shot, dodging cow flops bigger than their whole bodies.

“Well, shit. Now who’s a believer?”

working hard

have so many deadlines I can't think...

and so many mediocre reviews that I'm thinking of hanging up my hat and just doing non-fiction...

sigh

I hate being hormonal

an exceprt from Come and Take It: England

available from Torquere Press

London, 1845

Leland August figured London was a pretty strange place for a man who grew up in Texas. It just seemed so damned civilized. All those streets paved with cobbles, with more folks on them than he'd ever seen in one place save the battlefield.

The Texas Legation was on St. James' Street, which made it even more intimidating to a bumpkin from Waterloo. Oh, it might be called Austin now, but Leland had been born there when it was just four families and a settlement before, the new government had decided to call it after Mr. Austin. Wasn't much to it, really, but a map and a plan.

Not like London, that had been there for hundreds of years and soared up so a man could hardly see the clouds.

He'd been there for nearly a month so far, working at the Legation office, which mainly seemed to involve having a drink with the gents at the exclusive clubs on Pall Mall and riding about in the park, showing off horseflesh.

The streets always seemed to have people on them in London, even late in the evening while Leland made his way back to the Legation office. His own accommodations were nearby, and he itched to get out of his starched and yet drooping clothing, but he needed to stop in and leave the packet of papers he'd retrieved from the shipyards.

Sighing, he turned the corner from Pall Mall to St. James, quickening his steps as the wine merchant the Legation hovered over came into view.

Which was, naturally, when he slammed into another body, sending his leather bound packet flying and his own body stumbling back almost into the street.

"Damnation, man! Watch where you put your enormous feet, will you?"

"My feet?" Leland saw red, his hands clenching into fists. "I, sir, was watching where I was going. You came from thin air, I assure you.

Lord, he hated fellows with that snooty tone.

"Indeed? Well, then, certainly the fault is all mine. My abject apologies, you insolent backwoods oaf."

"Oaf!" Growling, Leland straightened his clothing, making sure nothing was awry. "I might be forced to take offense, Sir."

"We are in the right place, then."

***

get it at www.torquerepress.com

My new books are out!

My Arcana came out last week at Torquere Press. It's called Rock Bottom, and it's based on the 10 of Swords tarot card. Yeah, that one... The one with the pincushion sword guy. I took it from the card definition of troubles that you bring on yourself, but also troubles that are at an end. Mitch is a Colorado boy who likes the outdoors and likes to play, but can't keep a job to save him. His boyfriend Gus loves him, but can't live with him like he is, and asks him to move out. It takes a life-threatening flash flood to make Mitch clean up his act, but will it be too late?

My Chaser comes out today, and it's called Come and Take It: England

It's the first story in a set of three about Leland, a misplaced 1830's Texan in England. There he meets Ford Mayhew, who he thinks is just about perfect. Except that Ford's boss has some ulterior motives, and sets Ford to spying on Leland. Can they learn to trust each other?

Find them both at www.torquerepress.com

a lot going on part 2

I have 2 new releases coming out this month from Torquere Press. A Chaser, called Come and Take It: London, about a Texas boy in 1830s London, when Texas was its own country. The second is an Arcana, and it's called Rock Bottom. It's based on the tarot card, the ten of swords, and it's about what happens when a canyon guide in Utah gets about as down as he can possibly get before clawing his way back up.

Look for them in a few weeks!

lalala

just checking in. I have a lot of projects in the works, but man am I behind. O.O

ack

how's y'all? (chirp, chirp)

re-release!

my Torquere Press Single Shot Love Dot Com has been released again as a Single Shot Classic! If you missed it the first time around, it's the story of Virgil and Willie, who meet in an online dating forum, and find out that you really can find love online!

www.torquerepress.com

Check it out!

An excerpt, from my Torqued Tales story!

From Jack and the Big 'Ole Pinto Bean

by Julia Talbot

“Goddamned dried up old cow,” Jack muttered under his breath, kicking a clod of caliche dust out from under his boot. He spit a little, just because he could, because he was so damned mad. “Time to take you off to auction, lady.”

“She’s not giving at all, huh?” his lover Dane asked, coming over to rub a hand up and down his back. “She’s the last one we got, Jack. We’re gonna dry up and blow away.”

“No we ain’t.” Jack wasn’t no quitter, and he wasn’t gonna let Dane get all down in the mouth. He spit again, drawing up to his full height. “I’ll take her in tomorrow, sell her off. We’ll have us a feast.”

“A feast? I’d settle for some flour and sugar and maybe some lemon candy.” Dane’s blue eyes twinkled. “Some coffee.”

“You don’t want much, buddy. But I’ll do my best. Now come on, let’s leave her alone to enjoy her last days on this earth.” Both Jack and Dane took their hats off and held them over their hearts, having a moment for Bessie, who had served them well. Bless her. Even if she was a dried up old bitch.

get it here! www.torquerepress.com

Torqued Tales!

Torqued Tales is an anthology of twisted fairy tales from Torquere Press. I'm in it! It has 19 fairy tales, traditional like, all twisted up into hilarious gay romance and heat!

I did a take on Jack and the Beanstalk called Jack and the Big 'Ole Pinto Bean!\

I'll try to get an excerpt up in a bit. :>

for now, you can find it here:

www.torquerepress.com

A little rant

You know, I am well aware that not everyone will like my books. Heaven knows, even my favorite authors have clunkers that I go o.O about.

But what I don't understand is a reader who consistently bashes an author or a press, buying book after book and running them down. If you know you don't like Harlequin romances, why are you still buying them at Wal Mart?

Somewhere it becomes the reader's responsibility to buy what they like, not my responsibility to write what they want me to.

Also, before spreading misinformation about a business that a lot of people work hard to make good, or you know, agreeing blindly with the person who made the statements, people ought to check their facts.

back to your regularly scheduled promo now...

working hard

I have a zillion things due

A few little coming soons will follow.

Just wanted to say I'm still alive

Hi

just a little ramble

RT was fun. Did I mention my first fangirl experience? That so rocked. I got to sign things and I got hugs and all. I hope I made a few new fans, too. I got a reaming from my editor at Changeling for not getting CDs to sign... grin. I should have read my email huh? I'll know next time.

back from RT

there were some panic inducing moments, but all in all, it was a great ride.

I hope that nothing happening right now will affect my chances of going back next year, as I think the exposure was great.

I sold *and* signed books for the first time, really, and it was a rush!

Thanks to all the great fans :D

New Books!

some promo!

I have a story in Torquere Press' Galleons and Gangplanks! http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/galleonsandgangplanks.html

Pirates! Captives! Sword fights and ship battles! We love our precious yes we do!

And!

I have a new book out from Changeling Press. The third and last book of the Pack Mentality series, called Big Bad Wolf.
http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=577

This one may appeal to even those readers who didn't want to read books one and two. It follows Steve, who appeared in book two, Myra's Mate, and his new stalker... er, love interest, the pack alpha, Kamen. Yup. All m/m, this one. ;) My editor said it was the best of the three, and who am I to argue? (Though I admit, there's a scene in book one with Sasha and Liam that remains the hottest scene I've ever written for Changeling...)

The whole series can be found here: http://www.changelingpress.com/catalog.php?upt=book&ufilter=series&sid=85

Starts with Alpha Bites, then Myra's Mate, then Big Bad Wolf! Woot

Galleons and Gangplanks

A new quartet of stories from Torquere Press, debuting in one book! It will be in print and ebook, and comes out next week!

Featuring me, Sean Micahel, Willa Okati and Mychael Black, it's all about historical priates, baybee!

a little of this

a little of that.

I'm amazed at how many people can't count change back.

I'm amazed at how unhappy my dad is with every day life.

I'm amazed at how many books I have out

I have another book coming out with Changeling in April. It's a m/m, the final book in the Pack Mentality series. It's called Big Bad Wolf, and it's about what happens when Kamen, the werewolf pack alpha, hooks up with Steve, Myra's ex from Myra's mate. Check it out!

working on that deadline

but you know, it just went by like a freight train...

ack

grins

still, working is good, right?

working working

yeah, I'm behind as usual

what are y'all up to?

back from EPICcon

what did I learn this year?

Promote. People have not heard of me. Hell, people who have published me have no idea who I am. Huh. What's up with that? Also, do not slight people who have published you. Not that I did, but I saw a lot of people dis publishers who helped them get where they are, and it will always bite you in the butt in the long run.

I had a lot of fun on the cowboy up panel, talking rodeo, which is my passion. I think it went well and people said they enjoyed it.

congratulaitons to Lee Rowan, who won the GLBT award. I was very pleased to see her win. Congrats too to Sean Michael and Willa Okati, who were fellow nominees to Lee, with very fine books indeed.

Going to sleep now ;)

J

so where was I?

in the Bahamas!

Ahem. Yup, had a great time on the Tim McGraw cruise

Now, for the stuff I neglected to pimp:

To Hell You Ride! It was a Turn of the Screw Serial. Now it's an ebook. You can find it here: http://www.torquerepress.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1198

It's about hard rock miner Big Roy and his new 0bsession, actor Clancy. Set in late 1800s Telluride, it has all the lovin' you could ask for, lots of fighting, and a cave in! What more could you ask for.

Upcoming:

Taking the Leap - Ross Thatcher's story, and my final Thatcher book... Feb 28

April: a pirate story in Galleons and Gangplanks, an anthology from Torquere

and Big Bad Wolf, the third and final story in the Pack Mentality series from Changeling Press

there's probably more, but that'll do for now

rodeo tonight. Woot. More inspiration is always a good thing ;)

blargh

okay, so. Texas is the land of sun and heat and all, right? So why has it been icy, rainy, and not above 40 degrees for 2 weeks!?

I'm so over it. SO OVER IT

it's killing the writing, because getting out of bed? Impossible

blargh

wow, it's been awhile

thanks to all of you who come check for new stuff

I am alive

I have a Single Shot out at Torquere, called Christmas Fire. It's not just for Christmas, so in case you missed it, go forth and get it! It's about smokejumper Toby and cowboy Buddy, and their matchmakers are a very familiar Thatcher and his own smokejumper, Eli Marshal. Check it out!

http://www.torquerepress.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1081

I'm also in Alleys and Doorways, a smashing anthology of urban fantasy! My story is about a young man who has a very special scrying talent. It also has Sean Michael, BA Tortuga, AJ Grant, Steve Berman and many more.

http://www.torquerepress.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1125

Look for other stuff, soon, like Taking the Leap, the final Thatcher novel, featuring Ross and his new love interest!

did y'all think I forgot you?

been out of town 3 times and then had the death flu... I am here. I will pull winners for the contest. I will put out more fun stories...

lalala

new book out from Changeling Press

www.changelingpress.com

Myra's Mate is out! The sequel to Alpha Bites, Myra's Mate focuses on Myra, the bad luck kid of choosing men, and Colin, the werewolf she's getting set up with on a blind date.

Check it out today!

mas pimpage

http://www.ladyaibell.com/product_info.php?products_id=142&osCsid=4g3mkm84v9696m7be10nfhioh6

Yes indeed. On the Menu is finally out (they had server issues) with Lady Aibell, which is a subsidiary of Chippewa Publishing. It's only 2.00! It's a short tale, admittedly, but come on, you know you want it. Het warning! But I know some of you like my het. Go. Shoo. Buy it. It has an aphrodesiac menu and some very smokin' hot sex...

Also only 2.00 is Torquere's Offerings, which is my Opal birthstone story. Set in ancient Rome, it has gods and soldiers and a favor to Mars... yum

And finally, I want to re-pimp Tomb of the God King. I can't rave enough about this book. (www.torquerepress.com) I love the cover, I love the tone and subject, and I love the folks who inspired it.

go forth and read me!

It's out!

tomb of the god king that is

wooot

check it out, and the faboo review from CB Potts, who I would love to be like when I grow up...

http://www.torquerepress.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=631

I'm in love with the cover. I mean really. It's like a 1950s horror movie poster. Twirls

less than a week

to Vegas, baybee

Friday morning I wing off to the first round of the PBR championships. Cowboys... *bliss*

cowboys in the morning

so I'm out on my morning constitutional, and the neighbors down the way have made a scarecrow type thing where the pumpkin is not the head, but the butt, and it's mooning everyone. This cute cowboy in a city utilities truck drives by, then comes back around and stops, takes a picture of it and grins at me, then leaves.

And people wonder where I get my inspiration...

Contest!

In light of my new releases coming out, I have a contest!

For Myra's Mate, my Nov 3 release from Changeling Press, I have a smoothie kit, as that's what Myra does for a living.

For Tomb of the God King, from Torquere Press, I have a book on Ancient Egypt!

Email me at juliatalbot @ gmail.com for a chance to win! I'll draw winners the first of November

rain!

it's pouring. Thunder booming. Generally splatting.

What's your favorite rainy day activity? Besides the obvious first two choices!

upcoming stuff

Opal birthstone from Torquere - Offerings comes out Oct 25

Tomb of the God King - Top Shelf from Torquere comes out Oct 28

November 3 - Myra's Mate comes out at Chanegeling Press - The sequel to Alpha Bites, the first book in the Pack Mentality series.

Sometime in the near future? On the Menu, a short piece from Chippewa. It was to come out 2 weeks back, but they had server issues, so keep an eye out and I'll let you know when it's coming

What else?

Locked and Loaded, a Lesbian anthology from Torquere Press is out, and I have an old west lady gambler in it

There's more, including a Christmas single shot that features Jed Thatcher playing matchmaker, and more goodness early next year...

for now, I'll go back to watching bull riding...