Archive for the ‘Amber Quill’ Category

Between Sinners and Saints

by Marie Sexton

Publisher: Amber Allure
ISBN: 978-1-61124-121-1

Levi Binder is a Miami bartender who cares about only two things: sex and surfing. Ostracized by his Mormon family for his homosexuality, Levi is determined to live his life his own way, but everything changes when he meets massage therapist Jaime Marshall.

Jaime is used to being alone. Haunted by the horrors of his past, his only friend is his faithful dog, Dolly. He has no idea how to handle somebody as gorgeous and vibrant as Levi.

Complete opposites on the surface, Levi and Jaime both long for something they can only find together. Through love and the therapeutic power of touch, they’ll find a way to heal each other, and they’ll learn to live as sinners in a family of saints.

Buy “Between Sinners and Saints” by Marie Sexton: Amber Quill Press

Guest post from Marie:

I’ve been writing now for exactly two years. It’s a very short amount of time. I still feel like a novice in many way, but it’s long enough that I’ve begun to recognize the process I go through as my story goes from conceptualization to completion.

To date, I’ve published my Coda series, which includes three novels, two novellas, and a short story. I’ve also published a short story called One More Soldier, and my latest novel, Between Sinners and Saints. I have a fifth novel called Song of Oestend scheduled for release in August, and a novella about space pirates that is nearing completion. And through them all, I’ve generally followed this exact same pattern. I’m sure every writer has their own versions of these stages. I’d really love to hear how others differ. For myself, it goes something like this:

Stage 1: Conceptualization

The germination of the seed. The spark of life. Lights flickering in my brain. This stage is marked by me staring blindly into space for hours at a time. The TV, my husband, my child, the cat yowling at the door – nothing can break through my daze as I ponder characters and key moments in the story. I’ll go the grocery store and find myself standing in front of the shelves of ketchup, just swaying in the breeze. People look at me sideways and ask if I’m okay. (I’m not.)

This stage generally lasts anywhere from one to four weeks.

Stage 2: Taking the Plunge

This is the hardest stage for me, because it means COMMITMENT. In Stage 1, I can still allow myself to be distracted. I can pretend that maybe I won’t write this story at all. But once I sit down at the computer and start typing, everything changes. To date, I only have one book I’ve started but not finished, and I’m determined not to add to that number, and so I stall on actually starting for as long as I possibly can. Although this stage is huge hurdle for me, it’s short, and then it’s on to Stage 3.

Stage 3: Sex

Okay, it’s not really sex, but it is the FUN PART. If a book is like a baby (and in many ways, it is), then this stage is the lust-driven conception. Scenes come pouring out, frantic and sweaty and heart-poundingly exciting. They’re hot and fresh and sexy and just oozing with potential. They’re so great, I can’t wait to share them, and I find myself emailing bits and pieces to my long-suffering beta readers. This stage is like falling in love: the story is the last thing I think about when I go to sleep, and the first thing I think about the next morning. It’s perfect.

The duration of this stage varies. It generally lasts about as long as it takes me to write the first quarter of the story (however many words that may be).

Stage 4: The Grind

This is when reality sets in. This is when I start to realize how very much I still have to write. It’s also when I start to see the inconsistencies and the plot holes. This is the longest stage, but it’s not all bad. While many of the other stages are either very positive or very negative, this one is actually sort of a middle-ground. It involves more time staring into space. Frantic writing. Barely intelligible emails to writer friends. Many curses. But it’s good, because this is when I actually start to feel everything solidify. Characters start to be strong and true. Underlying themes and subplots begin to emerge and coalesce. I can practically feel the story taking form in my hands. This is the bulk of my novel-writing time, but eventually I emerge into…

Stage 5: OMG, I ROCK!!!

This is my second wind. It comes when the story is 90% complete. Everything’s in place. All that remains is some rounding of corners. Some smoothing of the rough edges. This is when the book is SO CLOSE to being complete I can hardly stand to sit still. It’s going to be great! I can’t wait to send it to my betas. I’m already imagining gushing emails from fans telling me that it’s my best story yet.

Unfortunately, this stage lasts a very short time before it devolves into…

Stage 6: The 3rd Trimester

I once wrote a blog post about the pure misery of this stage (you can read it here: http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/2011/02/welcome-guest-blogger-marie-sexton.html). This is the point where I realize that the last 10% of the novel is probably going to kill me. It’s pure hell. I write and write and write, and yet I never get any closer to the end. Every morning when I get up, I say, “I’m going to finish this book today,” and every night when I go to bed, I say, “I’m never going to finish this mother f&*#ing book!” At this point, I’m ready to trash the entire thing. I hate the story. I hate the characters. I hate the entire world. I spend hours asking the universe why I EVER wanted to write a stupid book to begin with. I bitch and moan and gripe and complain, and my friends smile and nod and pat me on the head and push me onward until suddenly…

Stage 7: Ta-da!!!

Sound the trumpets! Break out the champagne! The first draft is complete! I send it off to my first round of beta readers with a mixed sense of pride and dread. And then, just like that, I’m on to…

Stage 8: EON (End of Novel)

EON is a term I stole from Heidi Cullinan, and it’s a really twitchy, neurotic time. First of all, I emerge from my writing cave to discover that my house has been visited by a hurricane in my absence. It’s a bit unnerving to realize the extent to which my writing has impacted my family. Dirty laundry is everywhere. Toys too. Every glass and coffee cup we own is dirty (but not pots, pans or plates, because I haven’t been cooking). My child has possibly not been bathed in a week and looks a bit like Newt when the Colonial Marines pulled her out of her rabbit-hole in Aliens. Unpaid bills are covering the countertop, and the only things left in the fridge are ketchup and styrofoam containers that hold leftovers I don’t remember bringing home.

But that’s not the worst part of EON. The worst part is the TWITCHES. Every few minutes I wander into my office. I sit down at my computer. I stare at it for a bit, waiting for something to happen. And I suddenly realize I have no idea what to do. The book is done. I have to wait for feedback before revising.

I check email. I check Twitter. I check Facebook. I check email again. I stare at the screen a bit more. I wonder what the hell is wrong with me. I check my email one last time, and then I force myself to get up and do SOMETHING. And yet, a few minutes later, I find myself again at my desk, staring blankly at my computer. Luckily, this stage usually lasts less than a week, and in that time, I do manage to get my house back under control.

Stage 9: Editing, Revising, Submitting

Exactly what it sounds like. I love this stage. It’s very low-key, and I find it strangely satisfying. I can revise forever. I do it while watching TV, or between loads of laundry. I often let it drag out longer than I should, simply because I don’t want the journey to be over. But eventually I decide it must be finished. I grind out a blurb and synopsis. I address an email to whichever publisher or editor I’m sending it to. I stall some more. I revise some more. Finally, I take a deep breath and hit “send”.

Stage 10: Reboot

Unlike a lot of other writers I know, I rarely (if ever) have another project lined up. I have to kick back and wait for one to come to me. This stage is a bit like EON, but without the mess. I’m sort of twitchy, but sort of glad to be able to relax to. I watch a lot of TV. I catch up with friends. I spend time with my husband. Then one day, some random thought will snag in my brain, refusing to be swept downstream – a picture or a sentence or an idea. For Between Sinners and Saints, it was getting a massage and wondering if guys ever popped wood on the massage table. For Promises, it was nothing more than an image of two guys together in a hallway. Whatever it is, it piques my imagination. A light bulb goes on…

And then I’m right back where I started.

Buy “Between Sinners and Saints” by Marie Sexton: Amber Quill Press

About Marie Sexton:

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular

young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and

enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along.

Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying

what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

My website/blog: www.MarieSexton.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MarieSexton.author
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarieSexton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3292500.Marie_Sexton
And be sure to join me for Coffee and Porn in the Morning: http://cupoporn.wordpress.com

Crossing The Line

by Christiane France

ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-109-9 (Electronic)
Publisher:  Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure

Rather than embarrass his wealthy family by admitting he’s gay, Alexander Derkeston solved the problem by publicly conforming to their upright, uptight lifestyle as set forth by the first Derekston back in the late 1800’s, and inventing a second, shadowy life on the side.

Even after his parents are killed in a traffic accident and the pretence is no longer necessary, Alexander still continues to follow family tradition and keep his private life private. Then the family chauffeur retires, and Wil Forrest is hired in his place.

Wil is young, hot, sexy, almost certainly gay, and Alexander wants him. Desperately! But Wil is an employee, and when he suggests the two of them go clubbing together, Alexander is horrified. Old Abner Derekston had two rules the family has always lived by…one, never cross the line by getting overly familiar with the help, not if you want to maintain their respect, and two, if you want something, go for it.

Is there a way Alexander can have his cake and eat it, too?

Buy It:  Amber Quill Press

EXCERPT:

…Lex settled his tab and stood with the intention of leaving when he saw Wil standing just a few feet away. Unfortunately, the sad case who’d hit on him earlier had seen him, too, but being a little closer and a lot faster on his feet, Lex got there first.

Since Wil had his back to him, Lex tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, Wil, I’d just about given up on you.”

Wil snapped his head around. “Excuse me?” He hesitated, frowning, but in less than a second, the frown disappeared and a smile slowly covered his face. A smile so warm and so special it made Lex oblivious to everyone and everything except the two of them. He wanted to reach out and touch and be touched in return. He wanted—

“Hey, this is great, boss. You decided to come after all.”

“You didn’t think I would?”

“No way. And I’m not going to ask what made you change your mind. I hoped you would, and now I’m just glad you did. Really glad.”

The sudden brightness in Wil’s dark eyes and the depth of emotion in his voice caught Lex by surprise.

“You are? Why’s that?”

“Because…” Wil averted his gaze. “Obviously, you’re gay or you wouldn’t be here. Same goes for me, but…”

“But what?”

“I want you. I thought maybe you knew. I haven’t stopped imagining the two of us together since the first time I drove you to the store.”

“Really?” Lex felt a sudden heightening of tension between them, as if something was about to explode. He wanted Wil more than he’d ever wanted anyone. He’d wanted him for weeks; he just hadn’t admitted how he felt until today, and he hadn’t thought past that. Not for one moment had he stopped to think how Wil might feel. And even in his wildest dreams he wouldn’t have thought there was a chance the wanting might be mutual. “I had no idea. I…”

“If you’re not interested, just say the word and I’m outta here.”

“If I wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t be here. Okay?”

“In that case…” Slipping an arm around Lex’s shoulders, Wil steered him past the bar and onto the crowded dance floor.

The band was playing something slow and sexy. It was one of Lex’s favorites, but he couldn’t remember the title and he didn’t even bother trying. There was barely enough room to do more than shuffle their feet, but the moment he and Wil wrapped their arms around one another, it was like being trapped inside a magic bubble. Everything disappeared except the man he was with and the moment. Their mouths met, tongues tangled, and he felt the heat of Wil’s body, the evidence of his arousal, which was every bit as apparent as his own, and Wil’s own intoxicating scent as it invaded his senses and took over his mind. He wanted him so badly his chest felt constricted and he could barely breathe.

He felt Wil tugging at the zipper of his jeans, then his hand was inside, touching and stroking. Lex usually prided himself on his control, but the slight roughness of Wil’s fingers against his sensitive flesh caught him by surprise and he pushed away Wil’s hand.

Buy It:  Amber Quill Press

Christiane France truly believes that love makes the world go round, so she likes stories with both happy and bittersweet endings. Christiane has been writing romance for the past twenty years and lives near Niagara Falls with her husband and The Boys—two black and white Persian cats.

Cool mysteries and hot romance - http://www.chrisgrover.ca

Guy Grunt gets a man only so far…

That’s the theme behind my latest novella, TOUGH GUY.

**CAUTION** This blog is intended for 18+ if you are not 18 or over please visit our other sites at www.romanceinthebackseat.com

Many times two people fall together with hardly a word shared. If their relationship evolves, little by little, they communicate, learning each other in the process. But sometimes, few words are passed between the two, even though both may want to get closer… Such a pity, because Guy Grunt gets a man only so far.

In TOUGH GUY, Paul Kennedy proves it takes two to make it work, and if Tony Austin isn’t one much for talking, then Paul’s just going to have to learn how to speak Tony’s language.

Here’s a short excerpt of their first encounter:

…“Sonofabitch.”

I felt him digging around in the pants pooled at my boots.

“What in all hell?” I tried stepping away.

“Don’t panic.” He grabbed one of my thighs, held me in place. “I…” He must’ve been trying every one of my pockets.

Damn, he’s got big hands. “You what?”

He paused in his search, and it felt like he rested his head on the hand at the top of my thigh.

“What?” I repeated the question.

“I forgot a goddamned rubber, okay!” He shoved off me in a hurry.

“In my wallet,” I told him, but apparently, he’d located it already. He quieted down, quit stomping around, and I could hear him breathing.

“Yeah. Figured as much,” he said.

By now he’d found a condom, but I couldn’t tell if he was still behind me. I heard nothing except a lone cricket somewhere to my left. “Yo. Cowboy,” I whispered and heard a faint click and the thunk of my wallet as it landed between my boots atop my scrunched-down jeans. Finally, the rip—the sound I’d anticipated for a while now—the stretch, the snap. He rolled on the condom.

“Twenty-five, huh?”

He’d checked out my driver’s license? Is nothing sacred anymore? “You got a damned flashlight back there, or what?”

“What’s it to you if I do?” he asked, then took hold of my ass in both hands and spread my cheeks. “A man likes to know what he’s getting into.”

Bryl R. Tyne is a wrangler by nature and a writer by choice, published with Noble Romance Publishing, Ravenous Romance, Dreamspinner Press, STARbooks Press, Untreed Reads Publishing, Changeling Press, and Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure. You can find out more about Bryl at: www.bryltyne.com

Dont forget to pick up your copy of Tough Guy here http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ToughGuy.html

Tough Guy

by Bryl R. Tyne

Publisher: Amber Quill/Amber Allure

ISBN # 978-1-61124-008-5

—
Paul Kennedy is set on entering and winning this year’s Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Days’ Tough Guy competition. So why is everyone from Paul’s ex to the Cody, Wyoming, postmaster hell-bent on discouraging him from competing? Each of his friends has his reasons. And among those, one is clear—Tony Austin, the Tough Guy champ for three years running, is sure to kick Paul’s ass.

But Paul’s not worried. He’s book smart and determined…he’ll win, as sure as there’s cowboy in his blood.

Tony Austin, however, has other designs on Paul Kennedy. Designs planned to keep Paul beneath him if only Tony can figure out how to make his desires known. But “Guy Grunt” gets a man only so far, and Tony must rely on the only other language he has a chance of stumbling through…the language of love.

Heat Level: 3  – Length: Novella (18k words)

Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne

Review by Missy

4.7/5 Whips in the Backseat

If you like cowboys Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne is a great read to pick up when you want some fun.  The story has heart and excitement.  It just made me smile and I really felt for Paul as he deals with his enigmatic Tough Guy competition and lover.

The story is told in the first person which was a little disappointing since I would have LOVED a few minutes/pages with Tony.  He is the Tough Guy champion after all so he has a lot riding on the contest.  I like our main character Paul, but there is something about his interactions with other characters that makes me miss not hearing from anyone else.  Third person would have given a great deal of insight into why people react the way they do to our hero.

Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne is a solid read that tempts one to search out a Tough Guy contest though I have never wanted to see a fight before.  All those shirtless hot men, I would not mind seeing them as well as reading about them.

- Missy

BUY TOUGH GUY BY BRYL TYNE – HERE

VISIT BRYL TYNE’S SITE