Go vote for me!

Hey y'all!

The Just One Bite contest is going on at All Romance Ebooks

Go vote for my story Friends Not Food!

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest_just_one_bite.html

You get to read lots of free stories and I get to know you love me!

XXOO

Julia

Where I'll be - Gayromlit

Hey y'all!

Oct 13-15 I'll be in New Orleans for the Gayromlit convention.

This is the first annual edition of this con, and I'm excited that it's all m/m all the time. I have no idea how it will go, but I'm so tickled, and I love NOLA, even if it is hard to eat gluten free there. No beignets or mufalettas for us anymore.

I used to say that the best thing about NOLA was the food. Now I know better, because I can't eat ;) Now I know it's the people. And the architecture. I like the shopping, too.

Y'all should come see me and BA if you have a chance!

XXOO

Julia

Pushing Limits - New Short m/m - Excerpt

Hey, y'all!

Got a new Sip out today at Torquere. You can find it here!

I had a lot of fun writing this story, because it's a bit of a departure for me. 1st person bdsm with a lot of voyeurism tossed in for good measure. It's a short, hot, fun read, and I hope y'all love it.

Here's a bit of it just to tease you:

The whole spanking thing came up as a way for Dell to push my boundaries. He said he liked to do that, said he knew I was really a kinkster deep down.
I don't think I'm into kink so much as I'm into the things Dell does to me. He makes me feel everything, every square inch of my skin, every emotion I would like to lock deep inside and hide. He wants to see me like no one else does, and I let him.
"I hope you like the demonstration, baby," he said when we walked into his friend Jimmy's house. He just started calling me baby about two weeks ago, and it's a rather exquisite humiliation, how much I like it. It makes my dick hard almost every time.
I keep assuring myself that soon the novelty will wear off, as will the urge to get down on my knees and blow him when he tells me how hot I am. No one has ever called me baby.
"So, what's going on?"
"Well, you know Jimmy has that hot new guy in his life, right?"
I nodded. Jimmy was a nice guy, one of Dell's best friends at work. He'd hooked up with this smokin' hot artist guy maybe three weeks ago when we all went to Charlie's together. I thought Teiko was stunning, even if his lean, Eurasian look was the opposite of Dell, who's really my type.
"It turns out that Teiko is something of a pain slut."
My cheeks heated for maybe the tenth time that night. Dell likes to throw words like that around like I've been in the BDSM scene or something, like kink has been a habit my whole adult life. It's all still so new to me that it makes me a little crazy.
"Anyway, they found out they're perfectly matched. Jimmy likes to spank, Teiko likes to take it, and they both like to show it off."

playing at the TQ Livejournal today

check me out if you have time

http://torquere-social.livejournal.com/

Charity Sip out and newsletter

Hey y'all

Busier than a one-legged buttkicker.

Just wanted to announce my Getting Better Charity Sip at Torquere! At 1.99 it's a bargain, and all of my royalties on it go to the It Gets Better project with TQ matching it 100% It's also available at Rainbow Ebooks, who awesomely agreed to sponsor the Charity Sips this year and are the sole offsite distributor.

The story is called Coming Out Wolf, wherein Steve proves the worst thing in the world is certainly not being gay...

Find it here!

and here!

Also, I put out my first newsletter this week! If you go look on www.juliatalbot.com you can sign up and get that newsletter, which features a contest for my novel Manners and Means in paperback

Release Party at TRS today!

We have a release party at TRS today!

Sean Michael, BA Tortuga and I are promoting Cereus: the Building and giving away a kindle!

Go here to see

Back from Las Vegas

Hey y'all!

Been off at the EEA (Erotic Authors Assoc) conference in Las Vegas since Thursday. Just got home yesterday and was so tired I could hardly see. Man, was my basset happy to see me.

Thanks to Kathleen Braden and DL King and everyone who worked/organized the con. We had a blast at the Paranormal panel and I think my blurb class went well. The erotic romance panel was interesting, though I have to say I felt like my opinion was the unpopular one with at least one other panelist. It should have made for lively debate, but instead made for a rather bruised feeling by the end. *grins* I can guarantee that's one editor I won't work with...

Still, it was a great learning experience, and I got to meet some fabulous folks.

Then there was Vegas. I've been many times, but I still love it for its cheesy glory. We stayed at Treasure Island, and got to see pirates and volcanoes, fountains and lions. There were many bunless hamburgers (hey TI and Mirage, I have 2 words for you. Udi's buns) and some amazing GF pastry at the Bellagio. Go almond cookie crusts! We had a ball, walked our feet off, and drank an enormous amount of coffee... Yum

What did you do this past weekend?

how does it get to be Tuesday?

heck, how does it get to be September without me knowing it?

Ack

writing hard

been writing hard to hit deadlines, so I'm a little behind on blogging :(

have a safe and happy holiday weekend, y'all

Julia

wolf hats, eyeballs and more

Are you really into hats?

I get asked that a lot, as I have hat links on my website, and used to have a hat theme.

I totally am. I lost a lot of my collection when I moved to Texas, but I went on a hat spree recently.

Here's a teeny hat at Authors After Dark for the Steampunk party, Personally, I think I'm more Sound of Music than Steampunk, but hey...

I know it's hard to see. I lost everything but my thumbnails when I uploaded. Sigh

Then there's today. Here's a sample of what I bought

I intend to wear it to write werewolves

I also got a bleeding eyeball headband/fascinator

So yeah. I love hats...

TRS and fun weekend

Hey y'all! If you've never attended a virtual release party at The Romance Studio, you should! I mean to squeal here that I was in one this past weekend, but I got busy playing and didn't... Anyhoo, you should click around over there at TRS

They have great stuff, and I post to their Rainbow Studio blog about once a month. I always find great books I want to read, too!

We stayed inside most of the weekend, so it was good to have something to do. The heat index was 120, actual temp 112. We were told not to go outside...

Free reads and the story of smokejumpers

A long time ago in a state far removed from Texas, where I am now, I was watching the summer wildfire season with interest because it was coming close to a friend's ranch up in Mesa, Colorado. My friend was telling me all about smokejumpers and hot shots, the guys who parachute into wildfires and build fire breaks.

About that time, my now-partner BA, who was in Texas, sent me a fire-red notebook made of beautiful handmade paper. Jed Thatcher and Eli Marshall of Jumping Into Things appeared the next day in that notebook. The boys were not my first published work by any means, but they were one of the first m/m original romances I ever wrote.

You can find them here!

I also have a free read out with them at All Romance Ebooks here: Those of you who remember Torquere's Turn of the Screw series might have seen this one before, as it ran there as part of an exclusive series, but a lot of folks have never seen it!

Hope y'all have a good day, and thanks for stopping by!

Julia

guest blog!

check out my guest blog on the Rainbow Studio today!

Find it here!

why the circus?

A lot of people have asked about my Cirque Caprice series with Changeling Press, and the most often asked question is why the circus?

I've been a circus kid since my mom took me to see Ringling Brothers when I was 5. I love the sounds and smells, the colors and sounds, which are like a crazy kaleidoscope. I love the fliers and the acrobats the best.

As an adult, I have been to Vegas maybe 8 times, and I always catch a Cirque du Soleil show when I'm there. I've seen Mystere, Zumanity, O and I plan to see Beatles Love and Ka soon.

As a side note, I worked as a clown for a bit. Not at a circus, sadly, but I did face painting and balloons at parties, parades, and events. It was good money, $25-50 an hour, but man was it exhausting. My weirdest party was an adult birthday where they paid me to sit and put my makeup on while they drank wine and ate cake and watched. *Shudders*

Anyhoo, that's why this series exists! Check it out here. http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1658

Winner!

congratulations buttononthetop!

Email me at juliatalbot at gmail.com and I'll send your iTunes card!

Cirque Caprice contest

Hi y'all! In honor of my new Cirque Caprice release "Flying" I'm giving away a $10.00 iTunes gift certificate.

Just comment here with your favorite part of the circus! Love clowns? Like the flying trapeze, or the acrobats? Elephants your fav? Just tell me.

One randomly chosen commenter will receive a $10.00 iTunes gift card. I'll draw for the winner Sunday morning!

Flying is available here:
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1658

new website!

Hey y'all!

I have a new website! www.juliatalbot.com

If you have the old gates.net site bookmarked, be sure to update.

I want to thank Cindy, who's been my webmistress for years for all the hard work she's done for me over the years, and thank my new webmaster, Magic Time Media.

Now go. See. Shoo!

summer in Texas

Hey y'all!

So, summer in Texas is always hot. I knew that when I came down, but hot doesn't bother this girl. I'm from New Mexico originally, and lived in the high Colorado desert for 10 years. I know from hot.

This summer, though, has been a monster. It's been 60 days or more since we saw a day under 100. The asphalt clocked 158 Fahrenheit at the Farmer's Market this week. They cooked an egg on it. Took 40 minutes for the yolk to set.

So, when I'm sitting in front of the fan in my undies, I start to think what the boys (and girls) in my head would do to beat the heat.

There's Christian, from Tomb of the God King, who would merely loosen his collar and dab with a handkerchief, at least until Eric strips him bare.

There's Eli from Jumping Into Things, who would go jump into a wildfire at this time of year. His lover Jed would go swimming at the spring fed creek at 8000 feet and freeze a little.

Leann, from Pictures of You, would make her lovers, Hal and Church, get naked and let her take pictures of them rubbing ice cubes all over each other...

Wow. Not helping with the heat.

What do y'all do to get cooled off?

Gaucho Code out!

Hey y'all!

Gaucho Code is out as a standalone. It was in the Cowboy Up anthology, which is now out of print, and it's a historical cowboy tale about an American horse thief and an Argentinean gaucho. It m/m, and more story than sex, which made me smile when I re-read it, because those were the days, right? (grin)

I love this story, y'all, and hope you will, too.

Torquere: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=3257

ARE: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thegauchocode-592849-144.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gaucho-Code-ebook/dp/B005H7UWV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313427196&sr=8-1

Back from AAD Philly

met lots of great folks, got to see ZA Maxfield and James Buchanan, got my corset on for steampunk, ate lots of wheat (sorry, BA, I know it hurt to watch), signed books and t-shirts and programs, and totally misunderstood what the mythos ball was all about...

Very fun weekend! Thanks, Stella!

Authors After Dark

Hey y'all

Just a note to say that I will be at Authors After Dark in Philadelphia starting next Thursday Aug 11. I'll be at the booksigning as Julia Talbot, and will be doing double duty as my publishing persona at the Torquere Death by Chocolate party on Saturday at 4 pm

Can't wait to see y'all!

Sometimes I feel so incredibly dumb

almost everyone I know has some web-building skills. I don't. Oh I can change a theme on a blog and figure out how to build a widget if there's a widget-builder, but I don't know much about html and dns servers and domain parking and all that shit. I feel like I'm at a real disadvantage sometimes, because not only does it put me at the mercy of others, it means no instant gratification.

Can you tell the power went out again and I'm really frustrated? I'm hot and tired and feel overwhelmingly stoopid today.

So, on a positive note, today I am grateful for my various webmasters, Sherlock Holmes, men kissing (Torchwood reruns anyone) and checks in the mail!

Grins

Oh, and the pint of amaretto crunch ice cream I ate

good lines from books

I try to have humor in my books. Okay, I don't try; I'm just naturally sarcastic, and that comes out in my boys.

Here's a line from Under the Moon:      Oh. Oh, God. Jamie fought back drool, which was harder than a basset hound looking at bacon.

How do I know this? Well, I have 2 bassets, and at mealtimes they look like Komodo dragons. Did you know that drool is the number one reason people get rid of basset hounds? Dude, research your dog breeds.

Here, have a basset...

Here's a quote from Jumping Into Things, which was one of my very first published novels.

''Yeah, well. Women are nice, but there's nothing better than a man's mouth on your dick, you know?''

Jed says this to Eli, and it always makes me smile.

What are some of your favorite lines from books? Don't have to be mine, but please credit the author

Buy Under the Moon here: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_91&products_id=3228

Buy Jumping Into Things here: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=466

a little writerly whimper

Just a warning. I'm hormonal and a little raw and I intend to rant a bit. Just so you know (grins)

I just read a story I have going to reprint, and I'm mad.

Nope, not mad at myself. It's a good story. Not mad at my editor. They did a good job, really, considering this story came out back in 2005 when we were all very new at this game.

What I'm mad about is that this story is GOOD. Really good, I think. It's a historical gaucho story, and it's full of nuance and emotion and historical detail. It's good enough that it makes me mad that I let a couple of biased reviews convince me that I couldn't write historical fiction that was good enough for publication anymore. I have nothing against a bad review if it's fair, as not everyone will love every book they read.

But to say I had no business writing historicals? What a load of bullshit.

This is what happens when you stop listening to your gut and listen to stuff from folks who don't know you and don't really read you for pleasure. All of us writers tend to be nervy about reviews and such, but I thought I had a tougher skin. I had no idea how much the whole negative experience affected me back in the day. I really didn't.

Now I do, and I have to say, it's making me rethink the historical in a much more positive way.

That all said (and do I feel better? Hmm, I think so.) The Gaucho Code, which was in Cowboy Up, will come out as a Sip this month, August 13th.

Thanks for listening, y'all! Sometimes it just takes a little whining to feel like I'm back on track

Back from Colorado

hooray!

Have new books coming out next month, and a reprint that I adore

waves

Fridays for the self-employed

Fridays are a big day for most weekly 9-5 folks

For those of us who are self-employed, it's a little less woo and hoo, but it's still exciting to see my friends' plans for the weekend. I'm going to breakfast with BA and our godbaby and her parents tomorrow, but today looks more like this"

do blog and other social media (there's so many places to post, so little time!)
work on publishing work (I have about 10 hours worth today)
write 1000 words
walk dogs
work out before you gain all that weight back
clean out emails
walk dogs
fall into bed

Lest you think I am not grateful that I get to work from home, I just want to say I can do all this in my pajamas. That rocks enough to make up for the lack of Friday anticipation...

So, happy Friday, y'all

What are you up to?

Under the Moon released today!

Hey y'all!

You may have seen me guest blogging over at BA Tortuga's blog today. http://batortuga.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-blogger-julia-talbot.html

my new release is out today. It's a m/m Single Shot from Torquere Press called Under the Moon!

Jamie doesn't run with a pack, he doesn't date other werewolves, and he doesn't play role-playing games. So when Ty shows up and is hotter than any man Jamie has ever met, and is a werewolf, too, Jamie doesn't know what to do. Especially since Ty is at Jamie's apartment to game with Jamie's roommate. Can they find some common ground before disaster strikes under the full moon?


Here's a wee bit to get the dice rolling!

Jamie stopped at a little park table, the kind with the attached benches. "I have a few minutes if you want to talk."
Talk. Lord. "Sure." They sat, and Ty was pleased that the table was small enough to really be close, even sitting across the way. He was a big guy.
"Cool. So, why wolves?"
"I feel a kinship." Man, he couldn't believe that Jamie hadn't caught on yet. "Why Anton?"
"As a roommate you mean?" At his nod, Jamie shrugged. "He answered my ad first. It's a good location. I didn't know he was a werewolf fan until we moved in together. That might have been a deal breaker otherwise."
"I bet." Anton would make Ty want to kick his ass out in about three hours. "What do you do for fun?"
"Coffee. Movies. I read." Jamie gave him a wry grin. "I'm dull. What about you?"
"I like to have sex."
Jamie choked on his coffee, and Ty bit back a bark of laughter. God, he loved to get a rise out of people. Those sharp cheeks went a dull red. "Do you dance naked under the moon, too?"
"Occasionally. I gotta admit, though, that I don't do the whole Gaia and the wyrm thing. I don't get it."
"Good." Jamie eyed him, chewing that lovely little lower lip for a moment. "Do you have sex with men?"
"I do. That's my very favorite thing." It was, too. Better than bacon, even.
"Is that why you're stalking me?"
"Not to put too fine a point on it, yes." Might as well be up front. There was something about Jamie, about the way he moved, the way he smelled, that made Ty want to rut with him. Made him want to climb on top of that lean body and spread Jamie's legs and just hump.

***

Check it out, y'all!

Hats and Julia

It came up recently on an ask the author day on Torquere Social at Yahoo. Do I actually collect hats?

Well, most of my vintage hats have moved on to other homes since I left Colorado, but this is Texas, so I have hats. Cowboy hats, gimme caps, weird beach hats.

Here are a few examples:

Sun hats, little mini hats, my hat with the bullet holes, my high school beret

The hat rack in the front entry.

Joint collection of gimme caps that BA and I share. Bullrider signed.

Sunday work

I do a lot of catch up work on Sundays.

I edit, I do data entry, I file

That's the thing about being self-employed. You work all the time.

What I like best, though, is writing. On Sundays, I often get to write and that makes me happy

I also get to look at these

typing

Typing is hard.

Oh, I know for most of y'all it's not. I'm not from the Stone Age, but I was the last class in my high school who didn't have mandatory computer classes, though, and I never took a formal typing class.

So, while I type I average 45 wpm, which is above average, I typo a lot. A lot a lot. I have to be able to see the keys once in awhile to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Sometimes this is a huge handicap for me.

Grins. Then I think how it used to be before the computer, when I was a tween and young teen. Even with the electronic typewriter, which would do a line at a time and spell-check, it was a nightmare.

So maybe I'm glad I'm typing now instead of back in the day of the manual typewriter...

New Sip released!

Hey y'all!

My new Sip is out!

Picking Daisies is a Colorado smokejumpers story. While it's not a Jed and Eli story, it is in the same part of the world, and it makes me smile. You can find it here!

I'll post an excerpt this week, I promise!

tired and ready to go home

I love to travel, but this trip has been mostly driving (mostly BA driving) and that makes me tired. I met some amazing dogs, though, and got to see some lovely country. Arkansas is pretty, but you can't get espresso in most of it (Texarkana has one Starbucks o.O) and you can't get gluten free food.

I'm in east Texas now and go home tomorrow

I miss my bassets ;)

no offense to arkansas

but I am so so glad to be back in Texas, where I can get an espresso

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Celebrate Independence Day with the press that started the m/m explosion 8 years ago! (What, shameless self-promotion is a uniquely American trait)

Torquere Press has a 15% off sale right now. July42011 is the code at www.torquerebooks.com

Also, I have a new Sip coming out Saturday the 9th. It's called Picking Daisies, it's m/m, and it's about a smokejumping firefighter! So excited. Look for a preview this week.

Cirque Caprice 3

The latest in the Cirque Caprice series is in to my editor at Changeling Press

This one is Vance's story (brother of Victor from Book 1) and it's a m/m/f menage. I'm so tickled! It comes out in August, so I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, check out books one and two.

Been working on the layout of the blog

the changes are subtle, but I like it!

How about something fun for a Thursday?

(grins)

It's so hot here that I thought I would post a pic from Niagara Falls in March. It was bitter cold, and BA Tortuga is a Texas girl, through and through. She was a little offended by the cold.

Almost done with 2 new stories

eeee

I love the end of a story. Now, don't get me wrong, the last thousand words is the hardest for me, but damn. I love the sense of accomplishment when I do finish one. Makes me happy as hell.

working hard today

BA and I take Thursdays and Saturdays off. Sundays are catching up on the to-do days, and so far I have cleaned out emails, gone through a story edit, done 500 words on an impending doom deadline and worked on some bill paying

I would much rather be here:



Ah. Colorado *and* rodeo...

Started a new story

which is both good and bad, as I have 3 deadlines and this is not the one that's urgent...

Still, it's good to be writing smokejumpers again

tired and hot

but accomplished. I haven't canned since my mom died. BA Tortuga and I did 10 quarts of tomatoes and 5 pints of strawberry jam. We're doing blackberry next week

I don't talk about it much as Julia, but in my real life I've lost from a size 28/30 US to a 16/18, and half my body weight is gone. We do WW now, but we started just by no longer eating fast food or drinking soda

Now BA I are gluten free (she's violently allergic to wheat) and we do our best to eat local and seasonal. We cook together a lot; it's a family thing, now.

I just had to share about the canning. My mom would be so proud

Happy Birthday to me!

I have the best job in the world, a new Ipad, and BA Tortuga got me a slide scanner so I can access all my childhood pics and a corn dog maker so I can make decent Gluten Free corn dogs

all in all, it's a good day, Tater

good day

I love days where I get to concentrate on writing. I do. I don't always get a lot of word count in, but those are my favorite days. When I get a little blocked I play a game or two of pool with BA Tortuga, and chat about what werewolf would do what to which vampire, or which one of her cowboys would do what to which redneck.

It's always a great give and take, talking characters with another writer. It makes me smile.

So do basset hounds.

night all

Party of Two Excerpt and buy link

as promised. Late, but still
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Lalala

Here's where you can buy my Sip, Party of Two

And here's a wee bit to get you going!

     Liam knew he ought to get his ass down the mountain.
     He'd been at Matthew's cabin for two weeks, the first spent recovering, the second helping to pay his way by repairing snowshoes and chopping wood. They'd had another tremendous snow two days ago, and Liam used that as his excuse for not moving on.
     Really, he was hanging around to watch Matthew move. The man went shirtless inside a lot, wearing just a pair of soft sweats, his cock and balls clearly outlined.
     It was a little crazy-making, especially since he'd decided that Matthew wasn't going to go all Donner party and eat him, or go all cabin fever on him and whack him with an axe. They got along really well, in fact.
     Really well.
     God, he needed to go home, just to save him from making a fool of himself. The only problem was he wasn't sure where home was; the storage building where he'd stowed all his stuff before Denali probably didn't allow live-ins. Matthew made it hard to leave, too. The man was bright, funny, oddly companionable for someone so quiet, and his job didn't require a lot of time. In fact, all Liam had seen him do was record a bunch of data after his daily hike, and then call someone on a satellite phone twice a week to relate it.
     That left a lot of time for them to spend together.
     Liam had managed to cobble together a decent wardrobe from Matthew's clothes and what had been in his pack, but he'd taken to wearing nothing but sweats inside, as well. When in Rome, right? Matthew seemed to like his creature comforts, so the place was always pretty warm.
     "So, let me get this straight." Matthew's voice startled him, coming out of nowhere. They'd stopped talking a few hours back, when Liam had gotten surly discussing his ex. "He dumped you because the weather was bad on Denali and you couldn't climb?"
     "Well, it was more that we missed our window of good weather because I had bronchitis. Then we had to wait, and the storms set in a thousand feet above base camp."
     Matthew looked up from the rabbit snare he was working on. "Do you have emphysema?"
     "No."
     "Are you a smoker?"
     Liam shook his head, his cheeks heating. "No."
     "Did you set out with a cold? Deliberately compromise your lung capacity?"
     "No." Liam could see how silly it sounded now, to let Dave convince him he was a failure. He couldn't be sorry, though, as it had led him to meet Matthew, and that was a good thing.
     Matthew set aside the snare and stood, stretching before walking over to put one hand on Liam's cheek. "I know a little about being the odd man out. Don't let him make you feel like you don't deserve to be alive."
     Without another word, just as Liam was reaching for Matthew's hips, the man turned and grabbed a parka, heading out into the snow.

New Sip out tomorrow

Hey y'all! I have a new Sip out tomorrow from Torquere Press.

It's called Party of Two, and it's about mountain climber Liam and what happens when he almost freezes to death. Matthew wonders if Liam has a death wish when he drags the shivering man to his cabin, but he has secrets of his own...


Look for an excerpt and buy link tomorrow!

Blogger was down

I've been trying to tell y'all about my new books and Blogger has been down.

I have a new release out with Changeling Press this week, called Tumbling. It's book two in the Cirque Caprice series, and it has 2 boys, a girl with a big booty, and lots of hotness. Or at least I think so...

You can find it here

Here's the blurb:

When a vision of the future sends Lindsey running Alan and Jules have to win her back.

Lindsey knows it's a mistake to hook up with Alan and Jules, Cirque Caprice's resident pair of playboys, but all the signs say it's time to live dangerously. She finally takes a chance on the boys, and things heat up fast. In fact, Alan and Jules want to stop playing the field and keep her around.

When a vision of the future sends Lindsey running, fearing for their safety, Alan and Jules have to figure out how to get her back. Will this be the toughest act the two acrobats have ever had to put on?


And then I have a Single Shot at Torquere called Lean on Me. It came out a few whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeeks back, but I've been crazy busy. It's about werewolf Jared, and how he helps psychic Aiden find a way to get all the pleasure he needs...


You can find it here!

Aiden has a special, and sometimes downright annoying talent. He doesn’t mind being psychic, but it is a pain in the butt when it starts to affect his sex life. He thinks he might have found the answer in a club called the Bloodrose, a place where guys like him can find some companionship.

Werewolf and control freak Jared thinks that Aiden might be the most interesting customer who has ever come into the club. He also thinks he’s got the perfect solution to Aiden’s little problem. Can he make Aiden believe that it’s okay to let go when someone is there to catch you?

Did I mention I had a new sip?

I do! A new short story from Torquere. It's called Manifest, and it's an odd duck of a story for me, but it was so much fun! Craig need someone to make movie monsters for his new film. Etienne makes monsters. Can Craig face his fears and let Etienne give him what he needs.

You can buy it here:

Here's a snippet!

"Did you want dessert?"
"I would love some." Etienne leaned close. "I have a sweet tooth."
Oh, God, the things that ran through his mind with that one. He curbed them all and waved to their waiter, Timmy. "Two espressos and two crème cakes. Unless you want tiramisu?"
"No, cake is perfect."
"Cool."
They worked their way through dessert and another half bottle of wine. Craig was feeling loose, mellow, but with the slow buzz of sexual heat that left him hungry for far more than food.
Etienne glanced up, staring straight into his eyes as if reading his thoughts. "This has been wonderful."
"It has." Craig tried a smile, but the moment trembled with an intensity that left no room for goofy fake grins.
"I know I am a perfectly capable adult man, but I hate to walk back to the shop alone. A silly thing. Would you walk me back?"
He searched Etienne's face for the invitation he hoped hid inside the words. It was there, warring with a strange and sincere sort of worry. Okay, so Etienne had issues. So did Craig. That was why he made horror movies.
"I can do that." He paid Timmy and left the tip before rising and holding out a hand to Etienne. "Shall we?"
Etienne put a hand in his, and Craig held it even after they were on their way out of the restaurant. No one would pay them any mind after dark in the Quarter. It felt good, right, to hold hands and walk Etienne home. It felt like the beginning of something amazing.
"Would you like to come in?" Etienne asked, and Craig knew they both knew the answer before he opened his mouth to answer. Maybe before Etienne had opened his mouth to ask.

Time flies

We had a Tory Temple last week. I miss her so bad now! That was so much fun. I love showing off Austin

Do y'all like it when people visit? What's your favorite town?

working hard on new stories

new Single Shot from TQ due out in late April. Sip out in 2 weeks. May story with Changeling

woo

Woo-- back in town

Hey y'all

Sorry for the lag. Been out of town, then got stuck in O'Hare for 2 days o.O

Okay, so Chicagoans are nice, and O'Hare is not a terrible place, but dude...

The Sip is out, and it's called Learning to Wag

It's about Duke, the manager of the Bloodrose, and his new flame, Jamison, a vampire friend of club owner Jonny

find it here!

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3079

lalala Bloodrose

Have a Bloodrose (The club from Belling the Cat and An Itch to Scratch) Sip coming out this weekend. This one is about floor manager Duke and his new love interest, vampire Jamison. It's a short story, but it's smokin' hot if I do say so myself.

Look for it on Saturday!

sick this week

am trying to catch up

Winners!

Hey y'all!

Congrats to Alex, who wins the Changeling gift certificate and to Angelsbuddy who wins the Torquere GC

Send me an email at juliatalbot at gmail.com and I'll send them on!

Hey y'all!

I'm very tickled that I got to have a wee release party here today!

Comment here and 2 random commenters will win a shot at Torquere and Changeling gift certificates!

snippet from Blue Sky Lodge, work safe

If there's anything we can do to make your stay pleasant..."
"I just need to get my bags to the room. My, uh, boyfriend is blind. He's comforted by having his things." Something that smelled right. Felt normal.
"Absolutely. I'll have them sent right now."
"Thank you." He smiled. Shit, he didn't know how to be all rich bitch and shit. He just knew he needed to get Jamie settled.
The guy smiled back, though, like it was no big thing, and maybe it wasn't. Shit, he didn't know.
As it was, he barely remembered to tip the cute little stoner who delivered their bags. Jamie sat on the bed, holding himself very still. When the door closed behind the bellhop, Clay went to unpack Jamie's pillow.
He wasn't even sure Jamie was breathing, he was so fucking still.
"Babe? How about the hot tub?" That would relax all those stiff muscles.
"Is it in here or out by a pool?"
"It's on our little deck. No one can see." They could go in naked. Apparently they really disinfected between guests. Just in case.
"Okay." Jamie unzipped his coat, took his hat off and held it in his hands.
"Here, babe." He took the hat, setting it on the dresser. "The dresser is about three steps from the bed. Kinda tight because the bed is so big."
"Okay. Where's the bathroom?"
"To your left facing like you are now. About four feet. There's a shower, a sink thingee, and the toilet has its own little stall."
Jamie nodded once, then stood. "Did you pack bathing suits?"
"I did, but I have no idea which bag they're in." That was obvious, he knew, but he had to try.
"They're not in the duffle." One of the things they'd taught Jamie in rehab was how to pack a bag, pack his wallet.
"No. No, they're probably in the wheelie. We could go without." He took Jamie's hand, rubbing his thumb over the back.
Jamie stopped still again, eyes closed, breath almost non-existent.
"Babe? I'm..." Shit. No, he wasn't sorry, damn it. He wanted to do it with his boyfriend in the hot tub. There was not one damned thing wrong with that.
The coat and hat were gone, so he started on the sweater and shirt. "Come on, babe."
"It's okay. It felt good."
"Yeah?" He let his fingers trail over Jamie's collarbones. "So do you. I mean, your skin."
Jamie pinked a little, swallowed. "You don't have to do this. I know it's got to be a little like fucking Frankenstein."
"Oh, ew. Frankenstein was a doctor. You know how many germs those guys carry?" He chuckled, kissing the tip of Jamie's nose. "You? You're more like art."

now for a ski lodge!

never been on a ski vacation. can you believe it? I know! I lived in Colorado for 10 years. I go there every summer. I don't do a lot of snow

Still, I had fun working on Blue Sky Lodge



It's a multi-author collection about a gay-friendly ski lodge featuring me, Sean Michael, Chris Owen and my partner, BA Tortuga

so much fun!

check it out here! http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3058

I'll post a bit of a story in a few!

Had to run errands - NWS snippet

lots and lots, but I'm here now!

So, today I have a new release at Changeling Press. It's called Cirque Caprice: Tarot, and it's a m/m hot and heavy... Want a peek?



NWS snippet!

Victor thought that Jake smelled like heaven. He rubbed the come into Jake’s skin, smiling a little. “Don’t be embarrassed, man. That was smokin’ hot.”
“Yeah? I think you’ll be just as hot in a minute.” Jake flipped him like a pancake, sending Victor tumbling to the mattress on his back. Thank God the manky bedspread was gone. Hotel rooms could be so déclassé. That was his last flippant thought, though, because Jake slid down between his legs and sucked at the tip of his cock, and he went from snarky to ready to blow in no time at all.
He watched Jake take him in, watched those kiss-bruised lips close around his cock, and his toes curled. It had been so long. So long since anyone had touched him, and never had anyone ever touched him the way Jake did. It made his breath threaten to stop, made all the careful order he usually kept in his head spill out. Before he knew it he was babbling. “Jake. Jake. Fuck.” Jake, Jake, Jake.
Jake sucked like a Hoover, licking on each push down. That mouth was hot as fire, and when Jake swallowed, Victor thought he might just pass out. Instead, he came, hard, not even giving Jake a bit of warning. His fingers curled in Jake’s hair, and he shook, his hips rising up off the bed.
Jake grinned up at him, chin propped on his left hipbone. “Don’t be embarrassed.”
“Why should I be?” Victor unclenched his fingers from Jake’s hair and stroked the kinks he’d put in it out. “You suck like a demented incubus.”
“Nah. That doesn’t run in the family.” Jake winked. “I think.”

find it here!

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1552

Release Party!

today I have many things to dance about

It's Friday - always good

It's spring here in Central Texas -- yay

Weight Watchers online rocks _ TMI

I have new books out!

How are y'all doing today? You ready to party?

release party this weekend!

woo! I have a new release coming out at Changeling Press www.changelingpress.com on Friday. I also have a book out this week with Torquere Press www.torquerebooks.com with my buds, BA Tortuga, Sean Michael and Chris Owen. So. I will be doing a release party on Friday here on my blog and on Twitter. There will be excerpts and cover art and maybe some gifting!

Woo

Friday Feb 25!

working hard this weekend

ad it's all for you, y'all

checking over the final galley on Cirque Caprice at Changeling, and have 3 new pieces in the works for TQ

woo

what are y'all up to?

My Changeling book has a cover!

It's so close, y'all! I'm so excited about this one!

go look!

Went to Dallas for a few days

Well, north of Dallas, to BA's ancestral home (okay, her Daddy has owned that ranch maybe 20 years, but still) and I always get inspiration there. Cowboys and rednecks, muses who chat and chat

This time I think I might have a werewolf hunting guide...

coming soon!

Hey y'all! Did I mention I have a brand new series at Changeling, with the first book coming out in the next couple of weeks?

It's called Cirque Caprice, and it's about a Cirque de Solelei typse show, but with a definite twist

see the preview here!

Excerpt from The Amethyst Eye

Hey y'all!

Just a little post to give y'all a taste of The Amethyst Eye if you haven't bought it already.

:D

It's about blind psychic Jared and his new admirer Dante, who's pretty special himself...

***

     "I… Yeah. I think we're doing well." Jared smiled, licking his lower lip, which felt swollen. "What's next?"
     "I think we should get more comfortable. Do you object to me being in your bedroom?
     "It would be silly of me to object, don't you think?" Now was not the time to get squeamish. He did wonder, as he took Dante's hand and pulled the man through his living room to the hall, what Dante thought of his apartment. Did it seem sterile? Austere? Was it odd, like Jack had always said it was, having very little visual stimulation?
     "Am I giving you too much time to think?"
     "Maybe." Jared shrugged. "I always wonder what people think of my place."
     "It has texture." Dante stopped them just inside his bedroom door, hands coming to rest on Jared's shoulder. "That makes sense. Why surround yourself with things you can't see when you can use your other senses? I like it very much."
     "Good." Somehow that was a good thing, that Dante approved. His granny would laugh at him, telling him he was the only one who had to like where he lived, but he wanted to please this man.
     "May I undress you, Jared?"
     "Only if I get to do the same to you, after. I want to touch you. To get a sense of you."
     "I certainly won't argue with that." Dante tugged Jared's T-shirt up and off, then undid Jared's jeans, pushing them down toward the floor. With a few more efficient motions he had Jared stripped of shoes and underwear, standing naked in the cool room.
     Jared felt like he must glow.
     "Beautiful." Dante touched him, fingers sliding from his shoulder down across Jared's chest, flicking at one nipple before pushing down over his belly to rub the tip of his cock.
     Jared shuddered, his balls drawing up a bit, his nipples hard and aching, just like his cock. When Dante reached for the amethyst eye, though, Jared caught his hand.
     "Please. I'd rather leave it on."

***

hope you take a chance on it!

J

Birthstone released!

my birthstone, The Amethyst Eye, is out at Torquere Press!

a vamp and a blind psychic

what the heck is not to like?

Buy it here

new books coming!

woo

I have the amethyst eye, a birthstone story from Torquere coming Wednesday. It's a paranormal about a blind man and his new admirer. Here's the cover.




Then I have a new book coming out at Changeling, too. It's called Cirque Caprice: Tarot, and it's coming out mid February

No cover yet, but you can read about it here!

pooped

been working on my non-writer gig non-stop and am tired

waves

what happens when you lose 2000 words on a bad save

1. Crying
2. Cussing
3. More crying
4. screaming at the computer
5. tequila
6. Denial
7. more crying

Finally you sleep it off and get up and decide you can fix it

because you're a writer

*grins*



Have a frog

Stressed

O.o

o.O

Gearing up for Romantic Times

we missed last year due to a depleted con budget, but this year we're going to LA to sign books and party it up with the fairies.

We made the mistake 2 years ago in Orlando of going too big, I think. It's not us. BA and I are cowboy boot kind of girls. That doesn't keep us from occasionally stepping out in a style that's not our usual

Case in point:



That's Kiernan Kelly's hand, painting my face for the fairy ball. We went as the trailer trash court. I got to be the wicked witch

This year is a Venetian masque-- I think we'll go simpler

beautiful chicken broccoli casserole

we remade chicken broccoli casserole to make it more healthy

I love it

chicken, wild and brown rice, a little cheese-- nummy nummy stuff

we also learned how to make our own golden mushroom soup, gluten free and not full of salt and all. I love it. So many of the old recipes need it, and now I got it!

I'm writing like a fiend, and hoping to hit deadlines

new story soon, good day for BA

I have a story coming out in the Pour Some Sugar on Me anthology next week. Woo! Most excellent. It's got Andy and Shiloh in it, from my Doctors Without Borders charity Sip. I love the voice of Andy, who does the talking.

It was a good birthday for BA. We had brunch at Mother's Cafe, and wandered to Hill Country Weavers to look at yarn and such. I only got one skein that matched my hair. I think I will bead it and make a new scarf. I like scarves as just accessories, they just don't have to keep me warm. This is a great blue and purple yarn, and it's silk and cashmere. Hopefully I will do it justice.

Look for new books from both TQ and Changeling in Feb, too!

happy saturday

tomorrow is BA's birthday. we had the party last night and tomorrow we take her to So Co in downtown Austin for brunch and strawberry cupcakes.

We're planning our con schedule for the year, and we're really excited. We're focusing on RT, which we missed last year, and on Authors After Dark, which will be in Philly in August. This con will be in its second year this year, and our editors who attended last year had a blast, so BA and I thought we'd go.

BA and I love to travel together, and everywhere we go we take pics of our feet. It's a thing. Here we are at the rodeo in Colorado...

once upon a time

okay, so I don't actually have a lot of ideas that start that way. I'm way more tha "what of there was this guy" kind of girl

Still, either way there are infinite possibilities there, and that's what writing is all about, right?

Need to get my butt in gear

I know, I know, I say it all the time I have 3 stories due next week, though

o.O

eek

Tell me what to write, y'all.

and now for your amusement a sexy kitty pose from my last headshot set:

looking at the 2011 schedule

and freaking out a little


aaaah

grins

right now I'm proofing for the business, so I am not in writing mode

Inspiration

people want to know what my inspiration is for writing werewolves

here we go:

Beatles day at chez Julia/BA

BA is listening to the Beatles box set and explaining to me how Beatles albums are meant to be an experience and how listening to it all in order is important...

Grins. Too cute.

Lest y'all think it's only country music around here, right?

a little late

but merry Christmas!

I got a sodastream, one of those dealies where you can carbonate your own water

yum

I also got a felting machine. it felts layers of fabric together. I can't wait to play

question for y'all

why do you think so many m/m stories vilify women? I'm not being snarky, I'm genuinely curious. Why is it that m/m writers feel the need to make these awful women their only female characters?

It's a generalization, I know, as a lot of us don't, but I do see a trend, and I want thoughts. Anyone? Bueller?

posting for the 12 days of Smutfest

hey y'all

for the last few days, and for the next 8 or 9, I'm over at The Torquere blog, http://glbtromance.blogspot.com

Posting excerpts and recipes and short snippety things

go see

almost Christmas

woo

I love the Christmas season

I so do

I love lights and tinsel and carols

I love boys wrapped in bows

TMI?

Nah

Tired but feeling triumphant

I'm tired. Worn down. But I feel good about the words I've done. I also feel good at where I am in Christmasing. Woo

Happy December!

have so much to do today I'm not sure whether I'm wagging my tail or it's wagging me. One way or the other, go check out Torquere Press' 15% off sale, today and Monday. code is treat2010 on account of it being the treat yourself sale.

woo

off to vaccum

check out my contest on Coffee Time

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ContestPage.html

good turkey day

We had a good Thanksgiving at Chez Julia and BA

We're blessed

trying not to whine

we've been doing house renovation and I'm trying not to be whiny. So tired and so much to do

got a new book to read tonight, though

demon hunter tips

never let your hunting partner cheat on his boyfriend

never throw holy water until you know what you're facing

never swear by anything holy in a magic shop

always listen to your partner when he says that girl is perfect for you

fleas can be cured, new love is forever

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1496

a little excerpt

Here's an excerpt from Just Semantics!

Dix loved froufy coffee. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t terribly manly, and he’d bet the other demon hunters never admitted to it. They probably said they preferred tequila or motor oil. Still, there was nothing like a double espresso caramel macchiato with triple whip.

Maura was an Americano girl. Somehow that didn’t surprise him at all. She seemed like a control freak, no fuss kind of chick. She also looked amazed that she was having coffee with him. He couldn’t blame her. She had been pretty adamant.

“So, who is this Magnus person?” She’d come to have coffee with him to hear all about Bingo and Magnus. The whole idea of a dog shifter and a warlock seemed to intrigue her, which did not piss him off. Not at all, especially since she called him a killer.

Dix would take what he could get, but he’d much rather find out more about her. Her wavy black-brown hair and lively blue eyes fascinated him, and her curvy body intrigued the hell out of him in a very “I want that” sort of way. “I told you. Warlock. He’s the jealous type. He’s forever seeing our allies and enemies jumping into bed with Bingo. Sometimes it’s true.”

“Bad dog.” Her eyes widened after she said it, like her joke surprised her.

“You know it. What about you? Do you have dogs?”

“No. I have one very opinionated cat.”

Quelle surprise. “A familiar?”

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “Just a cat.”

He held up his free hand. “No offense intended. I just know you witchy types like cats as familiars.”

“Oh! Why am I even here with you? A woman can have a cat and not be all Gaia and granola and all.” Maura planted her hands on the table and stared at him.

“Because you want to get laid.” He regretted it as soon as he said it, and with good reason. With a noise that sounded like a teapot building to a whistle, Maura whirled around and stomped out of the coffee shop, making a grand exit. Dix had only enough time to rise and swig the last of his coffee before he heard a high-pitched cry of dismay and a crashing noise. Shit.

Hola peeps!

I'm getting a late start today (noon) because I got an early start with the organizer we hired to help us clean the garage. O.O

Lord, that's a whole blog post of its own.

Anyhoo, today I am blogging to promote my new Hot Flash over at Changeling Press. It's called Just Semantics, and it's about a demon hunter and a shopkeeper.

Dix and Maura

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1496

Dix is kind of a manly demon hunter. Maura hates that. It's hot. Fun. Go read.

so, about natural flea remedies. If ingested, pennyroyal can be a bad, bad thing. A drop on the back of your dog's neck, though, can kill fleas. Yay. If you're going to do a flea wash, though, you have to be way more careful with what you use.

Try a rosemary flea dip. Steep two cups of rosemary in boiling water. Remove leaves after it cools and dilute with more water. Store in a plastic container with a lid. Use a few tablespoons in a bath for fleas.

I'll be back later with more!

Hot Flash Out from Changeling Press

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1496

It's called Just Semantics, and it's all about Demon hunter Dix, who's searching for his shifter hunting partner's flea remedy. Magic shopkeeper Maura thinks he's awful. Hot, but awful. Can they find any common ground?

Coming Soon!

my Hot Flash from Changeling Press!

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1496

rambling about the business of writing

books are one of the least profitable retail items in the business

part of it comes from the publishing model of paperback books, which is more than a century old and needs an update. Part of it is the cost of production. Paper is more expensive than ever, and shipping options are narrowing, not expanding. Bookstores will only carry books for 6-8 weeks unless it's a bestseller or unless you're Stephen King with a backlist that sells. And if you write m/m, you know that bookstores often won't carry you at all.

Which is where ebooks come in, right? Low production cost, a growing market of eraders, and an ever-larger number of distributors ought to make it easier than ever for an authors to make a living.

Well, yes and no. I have to admit, I am incredibly grateful that I was one of the first authors to jump on the m/m and ebook bandwagon. My readers are truly wonderful, loyal people, and I appreciate that I'm able to make a living off what I do.

On the other side of the coin, though, there's the fact that with so many books coming out every week now, it's easy to get lost. And with sites like Astatlk gaining popularity, some of us have seen a chunk of sales disappear with every new release.

Trends change a lot faster than they used to, as well. The world moves faster, and the days when you can write in the same genre for 20 years and be successful are over.

So, what's a writer to do?

I think the answer to that is the one thing that hasn't changed. Write what you love. Write it as well as you can. Hope someone loves it. Go out and tell people about it. If you change what you write to fit an audience, it will show in your words.

No matter what the market looks like, it's the best job in the world.

Hot Flash coming out from Changeling soon!

I'm very excited. My first strictly m/f book in a bit. It's a short story, about 6K, and I'm very proud. More soon!

Interview!

my partner in crime, BA Tortuga, has started doing interviews! I was her guniea pig, and my interview is up over at http://batortuga.blogspot.com/

vote for Pictures of You!

http://www.darkdivasreviews.com/polls.php

Need to get going

I have a deadline...


ahhh

Happy Halloween y'all

New Book out!

Hey y'all!

There's a new anthology out from Torquere called Mine.

It's all about possessive paranormals, y'all! I have a young man in his vamp in my story, which is smokin' hot, if I say so myself. There are some amazing stories, in all time periods and all sorts of creatures. Vamps, dragons, demons, demi-gods... It's awesome

go see it here

Friday Link round up

Hey y'all!

Working hard on some short pieces, but nothing to post so I thought I'd round up some links of interest:

My buddy Sean Michael has a het book out at Changeling Press. Now, before you gag and ew, it's smokin' hot, and the next book in the series will be mmf. Give it a shot
http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1469

My own latest Changeling title is the last book in the Mystic U series. Final Exams. It has mf and mmf so there's something for everyone. http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1448

Torquere is having a scary good sale this weekend. 15% off total purchase through Sunday, code scary2010 www.torquerebooks.com

y'll know how I love hats. Here's how to make an awesome with hat for halloween
http://sew4home.com/projects/fabric-art-a-accents/705-haunted-halloween-dead-roses-witch-hat

If you love Halloween, it's paranormal month at Torquere. New stories are out now, and later this month the Mine anthology will be out with a story from me and I'll have a Halloween Sip out, as well.

Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/juliatalbot

Got any link obsessions to share? Lay it on me!

Writing hard

Have lots of deadlines to hit here at Chez Julia. BA is hitting hers...

In fact, my buddy BA has 2 new books out. Desert Lobo, a smokin' hot menage about werewolves, and a Screwdriver (which means it ran on Turn of the Screw) called Where there's a Will. Woo.

get them both at www.torquerebooks.com

Getting slammed with pirate notices on my Google alerts. Please don't support pirates. Please please please

In other news, been working on making dolls and having a ball. I love making faces...

Charity Sip Blitz!

I know I'm a little late to the party, but the Torquere Press Charity Sip blitz was released Sept 15. This year's theme is Healing Hearts, and the charity is Doctors without borders. Last year we raised 6000.00 for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.



My story is a fairly non-traditional doctor story, a paranormal called "You Don't Need a Doctor"

When a gunshot victim comes into Alan's ER, he jokes that this guy doesn't need a doctor, he needs a veterinarian. As he keeps working, though, the patient seems to be getting less hairy and less hurt. All except for the bullet wound that's now festering badly. Alan is shocked when his patient seems to miraculously heal as soon as he removes the bullet. He's even more shocked when the guy turns up at his house later to offer a very personal thank you.

Can he figure out Shiloh's secret before it's too late?

***

Here's an excerpt!

"Shit, Tony, this guy doesn't need a doctor, he needs a veterinarian." I pried open the mouth of the guy who'd just come into emergency, staring at the amazing set of canines he had. He'd been shot, and the wound was a mess, seemingly already festering.

Christ, the guy was fuzzy, too.

"Looks like one of those dog-faced boys from the circus." Tony was a great RN, but he'd been working in trauma a long time and had developed a little of the gallows humor you saw when the patient came in unresponsive. It was a defense mechanism, though, and I understood.

"He's not that bad, but yeah, he's on the hairy side. Do we know what happened?"

Tony was doing his job, trying to find a vein to get that IV in, get the fluids going. Janey, the ER tech, was hooking up monitors, waiting to see if I wanted oxygen.

"The intake says he was found at the site of a drive-by. He was unconscious and only partially responsive. EMTs feared some sort of paralysis."

"Drive-by?" There was one bullet, and it had gone in at the lower ribcage. Usually drive-by shooting victims ended up peppered with bullets, or had completely random placement. This looked like it had been aimed for the heart.

"We need to determine how soon he can take surgery, then. That bullet is going to have to come out."

"His vitals are holding steady." Janey started reading off numbers, and I stared a little. The man was bleeding like a stuck pig. There was no way his pressure and heart rate were that good. No way.

"Tony, can you take the monitor for a moment?" Janey waved her pager, and we both nodded. We were shorthanded as hell tonight, and everyone had eight places to be, at least.

Tony nodded, and I started cataloging the issues. The contusions seemed more in line with a beating than a drive-by, but you never knew what was going to happen when someone hit asphalt.

"Does that bullet wound seem… I dunno. Shallower?"

***

Find it here!