Tag! You're it!

Last week, I talked about The Next Big Thing and I tagged Pender Mackie and Eleanor Bruce in my post.

Today it's their turn to talk about their upcoming projects. Please check out their posts. (Psst: I know Eleanor is offering up a $10 Amazon gift card, if you stop by.)

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

If you followed the link from Sarah Madison's site, thank you. The Next Big Thing Blog Hop features an author each week and they recommend five author friends -- or in my case, two -- at the bottom of their post that will post the following week.

Without further ado, here's my answers to the blog hop questions.


The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Facing the Music. Originally it was Rock Star, but we changed it.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I had started writing a story about a Rolling Stone reporter following around a rock band on tour and the lead singer and reporter falling in lust/love. I got stuck on chapter two (yeah, that early) and asked to Sue to co-write it with me. That was three years ago. We have just about finished up in between writing other projects.

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary M/M.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For lead singer, Ethan, I would love Jensen Ackles, as he can sing and act! For his love interest, Graham Henderson, the reporter...I would go with Alex Pettyfer, Magic Mike. He's just so pretty. *g*

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Falling in love was never easy, but for Graham Henderson it means choosing between his career and his lover.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

We hope to submit it to Evernight.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Years. *g*

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I wouldn't compare it to other books, but maybe the movie Almost Famous. It would be an A/U version of that movie, this time with a gay male cast. *g*

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

A picture. (see icon).

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

Drop dead gorgeous rock stars with secrets, hot sex scenes and love's true course never being easy (angst junkies will love it) and you have Facing the Music.

If you are still reading, I have a free book from our backlist awaiting the person who leaves a comment with their name and email address!

My Links:
Pender Mackie
Eleanor Bruce

One Night in L.A. news

Sue and mine's book, One Night in L.A. has been free on All Romance ebooks since July. We have tried to get Amazon to drop it from .99 to 0, but to no avail, they won't price match it.

So, we've pulled the book from Amazon and out it up on GoodReads as a freebie in PDF format. We never wanted to charge for it and Amazon's refusal to meet ARe's price caused this action. Sorry, for all you Kindle readers (like myself), but if you really want it in MOBI/PRC format, e-mail me and I'd be happy to send it to you.

Interview & Review

The lovely folks over at Brief Encounters interviewed Sue and gave us a lovely B+ on our book, In the Name of the Law. Many thanks to Cole and Tam!

Review here.

Interview with Sue.

Salute to Canadian authors on Brief Encounters

Sue is being interviewed on Brief Encounters on July 5th! Stop by and see who is her favorite Canadian actor and other fun stuff!

4 Nymphs from Literary Nymphs!

Another great review for In the Name of the Law. Many thanks! Sue and I really appreciate everyone reading and reviewing our books.

"In the Name of the Law is a well-written friends-to-lovers short story. The characters are creditable, as well as compatible. Mitch and Ivan have a long history of friendship that almost mirrors a marriage. They accept each other’s quirks, along with providing emotional support for each other. Mitch’s sexual orientation has never been an issue for Ivan; in fact Mitch and Ivan sleep together without having sex on many occasions. Sue Holston’s In the Name of the Law saga illustrates love is not defined by social labels but by the bond two people feel for each other. In the Name of the Law is a heartwarming and enjoyable happy-ever-after romance."

5 Kisses from TwoLips Reviews

This is a wonderful surprise for In the Name of the Law. We got 5 Kisses out of 5!

Review here.

Chicks & Dicks: License and Registration, Please

Come by and read my article about realism in m/m books that feature a law enforcement theme.

Chicks & Dicks: License and Registration, Please... by H.L. Holsto...: “Bad boys, bad boys Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do When they come for you.”  (Inner Circle)

Win free stuff!

The Raise Your Glasses Tour will commence Thursday, May 10th! We are celebrating our May 5th releases from Silver Publishing and offering up free copies of our new books and a $20 gift certificate! So make sure you enter the contest on all four days to increase your chances of winning!

Thursday, May 10th: Scarlet Blackwell hosts Anna Marie May
Friday, May 11th: Anna Marie May hosts A.J. Llewellyn
Saturday, May 12th: A.J. Llewellyn hosts H.L. Holston
Sunday, May 13th: H.L. Holston hosts Scarlet Blackwell

Release Day!

Today is release day for my short story, Coffee, Tea and the Mile High Club. You can buy it HERE. Only $1.99. Hot flight attendants! :)

Pre-Order Coffee, Tea & the Mile High Club

I just found out today that Coffee, Tea and the Mile High Club is available for pre-order on Silver Publishing's web site HERE. It comes out May 5, 2012 and the price is $1.99!

Also saw that at least 7 people have pre-ordered it and I don't know any of those people. Yeah. Strangers like me! *g* (I feel like Sally Field at the Oscars.)

Here's the blurb:

International flight attendant Jake Watson jets from Dallas to Tokyo with his boss and secret crush, lead flight attendant Evan Parker. Evan's frosty glares and snarky comments have held Jake's feelings at bay for months. Because Evan hates Jake -- or does he?

While the plane cruises high over the Pacific, Evan proves Jake's secret crush isn't so secret or as unwelcome as he'd believed. Can Jake's fire melt Evan's ice? Their layover in Tokyo is Jake's chance to sneak past his boss's defenses and possibly into his bed. Will Jake crash and burn with Evan, or will they find love at 38,000 feet?

Great review for ITNOTL

Sue and I received a lovely review on In the Name of the Law from A Bear on Books review site.

Tom said: "Probably my favorite of the stories. Ms. Holston gives us a hard premise - one secret crush and one straight man. So many things could have gone wrong here, but her strong hand kept the story moving, believable, and interesting. Mitch is Everyman, but a hero too. Bravo!"

You can buy the His Hero anthology on Amazon in print.

Win an autographed print copy of His Hero

Goodreads Book Giveaway

His Hero Anthology

by Devon Rhodes

Giveaway ends April 03, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

New cover

I am very excited and nervous since with this book I am all by myself. But, I just got the cover for my new release today. Check out my short story that will be published in May by Silver Publishing. Reese Dante did an awesome job on it.

The short blurb:

International flight attendant Jake Watson jets from Dallas to Tokyo with his boss and secret crush, Evan Parker. From outward appearances, it seems Evan hates Jake. Or does he?

Holidays

Sue and I are taking a two-week hiatus. If you need us, hit us up on FaceBook. We hope you like the new blog layout.

Author Spotlight

We are over on BlackRaven's Cafe today in the Author's Spotlight.

Come over and check it out:

http://theblackraveneroticcafe.com/?p=12323

And the winner is....

KimberlyFDR.

You are the winner of Em Woods' book. I will send Em your email address. Enjoy!

Drop and Give Me...

I will be picking the winner of the free book tomorrow, Friday. The Amazon gift card winner will probably be picked Saturday or Sunday, once I get all the names from all the participants of the blog tour. Check back here for the winners!

Drop & Give Me...Sara York

The Drop and Give Me Blog Tour continues, this time with Sara York and her sexy firemen. Check it out here. Leave a comment and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a free book!

Welcome Em Woods!

Happy Valentine's Day and a big welcome to Em. This post is NSFW. *g*

* * *


Hey there! Em Woods at your service... *grin*

I am so excited to be at Sue’s place today for this week’s Drop and Give Me...Holding Out for a Hero blog tour. Don’t forget to enter on each blog for all five chances to win a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate! Shouldn’t be too much to ask since we’ve all shared our favorite smex scenes from our books. ;)


Wednesday, February 15th: Em Woods will host Sara York
Thursday, February 16th: Sara York will host Simone Anderson
Friday, February 17th: Simone Anderson will host Devon Rhodes


One thing I’ve always wanted was to write a firefighter story. It’s been brewing since I wrote my very first M/M romance ever. Sam has been slowly cultivating and developing, getting ready for his turn. He is a strong man who only wants to protect his happily-ever-after with everything in his arsenal. When that is jeopardized, he does what it takes to save his man.


Blurb:

When a restaurant goes up in flames, will a spark of love rise from the ashes for a chef and his hero?

When chef Dylan Brookes finds his restaurant engulfed in flames, all he can do is watch his dreams turn to ashes. Shock, hurt and disbelief leave Dylan vulnerable to both the man who wants to love him…and the one who wants to kill him.

Fire fighter Sam Carter has been frequenting the same small restaurant for a year, trying to work up the nerve to ask the chef out on a date. When Dylan’s Omni burns to the ground from foul play, Sam steps in to help.

Now the question is...will his efforts be too late?


Steamy excerpt:

“What can I do to help?” Sam opened his own bottle and took a long draw. “You’re gonna spike soon. Too much in too little time.”

“I need to get fucked.”

Sam choked on the water he was swallowing. Coughing, he tried to catch his breath.

Dylan pounded him on the back, leaning over to look into Sam’s eyes. The laughter Dylan was holding back made gold flecks in his dark gaze even more pronounced. “You okay, man?”

Then Sam couldn’t catch his breath for other reasons. He’d never noticed the gold in a man’s eyes before, never cared whether they laughed or cried. His heart cartwheeled in his chest as the glint faded from Dylan’s eyes, leaving them as dark as midnight.

“Think you can handle that, Sam?”

If his hand shook a little, he didn’t acknowledge it. He cupped Dylan’s cheek and angled his head to settle over Dylan’s mouth. Perfect, smooth, damp from his drink, Dylan’s lips were the stuff of Sam’s dreams. He tasted of the single bite of burger he’d had over lunch, and smelled like Sam’s shampoo.

Sam groaned and yanked Dylan tight against his body, revelling in the press of Dylan’s erection against his own. “Glad we got supplies before we met your sister.”

“Me too.” Dylan pulled away, his lips swollen and moist from Sam’s kiss. “I want you inside me.”

Sam followed close behind Dylan, lifting him off his feet to toss him on the bed. He snagged the bag with the lube and condoms from just beside the door and dropped it next to Dylan. “Out of those clothes. Now.”

Dylan smiled and stripped faster than any man had a right to move. Sam stood in awe of the lean body exposed to his gaze. Dylan was toned, no real muscle definition except his arms, but the long stretch of his legs and arms made Sam’s mouth water like an open fire hose. “Gorgeous.”

A deep red flush coloured Dylan’s face and chest. “Quit.”

“I have a feeling I’m gonna want to kick that Benji’s ass.” Sam shuffled his pants to the side then dropped his shirt on top of them. Thank God they’d taken their shoes off at the door. “You’re fucking gorgeous. Don’t ever doubt that I think you are.”

“Forget Benji. I did a long time ago.” Dylan shrugged.

“If you’re sure.” Sam crawled up the bed, nuzzling soft furry skin from Dylan’s ankles to his balls. Occasionally nipping at a particularly delicious spot, Sam took his time exploring his new lover. His heart pounded in his chest as he neared the spread apex of Dylan’s thighs. Stark and raw, Dylan’s gasps for air were as much of a turn-on as the musk and spice of his scent.

Sam swiped his tongue over Dylan’s tight sac, wincing as Dylan latched on to his hair. “Easy.” He whispered the word just before sucking one nugget between his lips.

Dylan’s hips jacked off the bed and Sam pressed him down again. The mewling sounds rolling from Dylan’s chest had a direct connection to Sam’s cock and he found himself wishing he could lean over Dylan to thrust his prick into the tight heat inches from his nose. Instead, he flicked at the pucker with his tongue, earning a sharp cry.

“Stop teasing, Sam.” Dylan was breathless.

But still talking.

Sam gripped Dylan’s hips, tipped him up a fraction and set about turning him into a writhing mess of nothing but babble. He speared the tip of his tongue into Dylan’s fluttering hole, nearly shooting his cum then and there when Dylan hooked his hands behind his knees and spread his legs wide.

Sam moaned, tonguing Dylan mercilessly, working his thumbs at Dylan’s hole. When Dylan couldn’t string two words together, Sam moved away to dig the lube from the bag. Watching Dylan’s wild stare as he sucked in gulps of air, Sam slicked his fingers then pressed two inside without any warning.

Arching from the bed, Dylan threw his head back with a wordless cry as thick spurts of cum coated his belly. Sam grinned down at the stunned look on Dylan’s face.

“Baby, we gotta work on your stamina.”

* * *


And speaking of smoking hot (we were, weren’t we?), I’d love to give away a copy of Only Sam to one of you! Just leave a comment, making sure to leave your email address, and you’ll be entered to win our Amazon Gift Certificate, and (in a side pot) a copy of Only Sam. Good luck!

A big thank you again to Sue for letting me hang out and to you all for stopping by. You can find me at:

Web site
FaceBook
Twitter
GoodReads

Drop & Give Me Blog Tour

Valentine's Day celebrations. Go and check out Devon Rhodes' blog for a chance to win a copy of In the Name of the Law and a $25 Amazon gift certificate.

We start the Drop and Give Me Blog Tour this week!

Marie-Claire's Blog

Sue and I are over at Marie-Claire's blog today giving away a free copy of In the Name of the Law and chatting about Mitch and Ivan, the main characters in our book. Swing by and join us!

We have a winner!

After rolling the dice, I came up with the #2 and our winner for a free copy of His Hero is: Donna, donnafisk at bellsouth.net. I will be emailing you your book ASAP.

Now don't despair if you did not win, next month Sue and I will be giving away a free copy of In the Name of the Law, the single ebook from the His Hero anthology around February 13th. Come back and try your luck again!

H.L.

Release Day: FREE Book!

Sue and are are offering a free copy of the anthology our novella, In the Name of the Law is in to one lucky person. Contest starts today and ends Wednesday night at midnight. You get six great stories about men in uniform (or out of uniform as the case may be! *g*).

Make a post with your name and email address in our LJ, FaceBook or here and you will be entered into the contest. Winner announced Thursday, January 19th!

If you don't win, don't worry, our publisher is having a sale to celebrate the release of the His Hero anthology. Total E Bound is offering a massive 25% off ALL other Men in Uniform Titles.

Free book winner - Bobbi

The random number generator picked #14 and so Bobbi bmorman53 @ hotmail.com is the winner.

I will contact you and put you in touch with Simone for your free book. Thanks to everyone who commented! Good luck on the Cock & Bull Blog Tour.

Cock & Bull Blog Tour - Simone Anderson

Today, we have the pleasure of having author Simone Anderson on our blog to celebrate the publication of her new novella, Uniform Desires, which will be released on January 16, 2012 as a part of the His Hero anthology.

And as an added bonus, Simone is offering up a free copy of the book to one lucky readers who comments in this post. So be sure and leave your name and email address if you want to be entered in the contest!

Now, onto the good stuff. A look into the lives of Cade and Jason, the two protagonists of Uniform Desires.







Excerpt:


“Stop...please!”

The plea—barely a whisper next to the loud music pouring from the Driftwood Bar and Grille—caught Cade Donovan’s attention. Senses flaring he listened again, weighing his options. His gut clenched and he turned to his brothers.

“Go on ahead, I’ll be right in.”

“Cade, where are you going?” his older brother Riley asked.

“Just need something I want to check out.”

“We’ll go with you,” his younger brother Christian said, nodding to his twin brother Riordan.

Cade smiled and shook his head. “Pretty sure I can take care of myself.”

It was rare for all of them to be home at the same time, but they’d managed it—everyone meeting at Parris Island for their sister Cheyenne’s graduation from Marine Corps boot camp three days ago. They had another two weeks before they all needed to be back to their respective bases. Earlier in the night, his sisters had gone to the movies, while their parents had gone to a couples-only party.

“Let us know if you need us to come rescue your ass.” Riordan laughed.

Cade nodded as his brothers headed into the bar. Aware of his surroundings, he made his way around the side of the building. Knowing the music would cover the sound of his boots on the pavement, he kept to the shadows as he scanned the area. At the far end of the parking lot, four men stood on the other side of a brown 1990 Cadillac Seville, kicking and shouting at an unseen person. He made his way along the side of the building and his heart dropped as his intuition was confirmed. Pulling out his cell phone, he sent a quick message to his brothers.

“Four on one. End of lot.”

Cade took a deep breath and hit send. Riley was with the SWAT team in the nearby city of Kalamazoo. Christian and Riordan were both Air Force Combat Controllers. It made sense to get their help, especially if any of the four men had weapons, but he had no intention of waiting for his brothers to show.

“Is there a problem?” Cade asked, striding over to the group then crossing his arms over his chest as he stopped.

“None of your concern, Marine,” said a man with dark hair and the beginnings of a beer belly that his faded University of Michigan T-shirt failed to hide.

“Please help me,” the boy on the ground sobbed out. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re breathing, Carlson, that’s enough,” a second dark-haired man sneered.

The four men looked to be around his age and seemed vaguely familiar but Cade couldn’t place them. They’d called the boy Carlson. As far as he knew, there was only one family of Carlsons—the family of the school bully Scott Carlson. Scott had been in his class, so that made the kid his younger brother or possibly a cousin.

“Leave the kid alone.” Cade stepped closer. Regardless of the kid’s relationship to Scott Carlson, four on one wasn’t remotely fair in these circumstances.

“Nobody asked you,” the first man said. “It’s none of your business.”

“Yeah, but see four on one isn’t fair, unless the one is a Marine. What did he do besides breathing that warrants all four of you beating the shit out of him?”

“His brother made our lives hell growing up,” a third man replied.

“Pretty sure Scott Carlson made everybody’s life a living hell. That doesn’t mean you take it out on his brother. That could be suicidal,” Cade reasoned as the smaller man tried to pick himself up.

“Doubt it. Saw him using his brother as a punching bag a couple of weeks ago. Makes him fair game,” the second man said.

“Bullshit! Why don’t you grow a pair of balls and face Scott himself?” Cade exclaimed. “Stop taking it out on someone smaller than you. That makes you just as bad as Scott.”

Movement caught his attention. Cade turned and blocked the punch, before countering with one of his own, knocking the man to the ground. He stood his ground as the remaining three men stalked towards him. Turning slightly, he stepped forward with one foot and punched the solar plexus and the gut of the closest man. Shifting his weight and pivoting, he kicked a third man in the head, knocking him to the ground, before focusing his attention on the remaining man. The man had been silent during the whole exchange.

Cade returned to the modified fighting stance he preferred and waited for the smaller man to move. He stared into the other man’s eyes until the smaller man looked away and kicked out at him. Cade caught the heel of the man’s cowboy boot and lifted with all his strength, sending his opponent sprawling onto his back.

Ignoring the four downed men, he stepped into the circle of bodies and grabbed the kid’s hand. He spun around, pushing the kid behind him as the sound of footsteps approached.

“What the fuck?” Riley asked, dialling his cell phone.

Cade relaxed, stepped to the side and guided the younger man towards his brothers, positioning himself between the man and his attackers.

“You were supposed to wait for us,” Riordan whined.

“Be smart—stay on the ground,” Christian said, moving towards the four downed men.

“Go find your own fight. Four on one was unfair. Besides, you were too slow.” Cade shrugged.

“Quit your bitching, you three.” Riley pocketedthe device. “Police are on their way. What the hell happened?”

“The four of them were beating up on him for no good reason,” Cade explained.

“I...I need to go,” the smaller man stammered.

“No, you’re waiting for the police,” Cade said. “Well, the on-duty police. Riley is off-duty right now.”

The younger man shook his head and stared at the ground, kicking at a loose hunk of asphalt, holding one arm curled protectively around his abdomen. Cade’s instincts kicked in as he took a closer look at the battered man. Manoeuvring him towards the Cadillac, Cade used the nearby light to look for obvious injuries.

“How bad did they get you?” he asked.

“Just a few bruises.” The man shrugged.

“I’m Cade Donovan. These are my brothers Riley, Christian and Riordan.” Cade stuck out his hand to shake the other man’s instead of running it along his like his gut and cock were demanding.

“Jason Carlson.”


*~*~*~*~*


Next stop on the tour? Simone will be featuring Kit Sands on her blog tomorrow. Go and check that out. Remember the more comments you leave on the tour, the higher your chances on winning those prizes!

Cock & Bull Tour: Day 4

Marie Sexton is being highlighted today. Her new novel, Blind Space sounds very interesting (space pirates!) Go and check it out here.