All Aboard for cover reveals

In October, Amber Allure is releasing a pax all about trains. In anticipation of the stories to come, we have the covers for all five stories to reveal today!

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Don't forget that leaving a comment during the month of September puts you in the drawing for a $25 Amber Quill Press gift certificate!

Getting to Know Christiane France

Welcome, Christiane France, to today's Getting to Know feature!

Why do you write? 

Because I have to. I can only crochet so many blankets, clean out so many cupboards, and bake so many cakes. It’s also the only way I can dispose of all the cool characters and story ideas that come into my head. 

What are you currently working on? What’s it about? 

Another contemporary m/m romance. Pete Letouche has finally realized his dream of opening his own gourmet shop. When he ran short of money getting things off the ground he borrowed what he needed from his cousin. The story opens with Pete standing behind the counter, thinking how well it’s turned out when the door opens and Mitch Pavoni, a blast from Pete’s past walks in. Mitch says he’s taken over the loan Pete got from his cousin and wants to know when he can expect payment. Pete is caught between shock and total panic. Mitch was Pete’s first big crush, the man of his dreams--until he found out Mitch’s dad was a loan shark with suspected connections to organized crime. Back then, Pete’s dad was chief of police, leaving Pete with no choice but to end the affair before his old man found out. It all happened in another town and he hasn’t seen or heard of Mitch in years, but now he’s wondering if Mitch has taken over the family business.

How much research do you do? 

I prefer to use locations I know reasonably well. Unfortunately things are constantly changing so I always double check to make sure no one has run an expressway through the middle—which happened to me with a story set in Paris, France. The new road wiped out part of a park and ruined an important scene. Lucky for me I was able to find another location that worked even better. I also check historical references and anything else I’m not 101% sure of.

What is the easiest thing about writing? 

Coming up with a really cool new idea.

Are the names of the characters in your books important? 

Absolutely. I spend hours searching for names to fit my characters. If they don’t feel right to me, the story just doesn’t work.

What is your favorite quote? 

Fasten your seatbelts it’s going to be a bumpy night.

What's your motto in life? 

Onward and upward.

What is the best vacation you have had? 

Driving down Highway #1 from Vancouver, Canada, to San Francisco and stopping everywhere in between.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: http://www.chrisgrover.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grover.71

Twitter: http://twitter.com/chrisgrover2 

Blog: http://christianefrance.blogspot.ca/

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Don't forget that leaving a comment during the month of September puts you in the drawing for a $25 Amber Quill Press gift certificate!

August Bestsellers

Congratulations to the top 10 bestsellers at Amber Allure for August 2013!


1. Kentucky 98 Proof - KC Kendricks (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Make Mine A Bad Boy - Carolina Valdez (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Unbreak My Heart - K-lee Klein (Gay / Contemporary)
4. Different - Kim Dare (Gay / Contemporary)
5. Simply Irresistible - Christiane France (Gay / Contemporary)
6. Knave Of Hearts - Adrianna Dane (Gay / Contemporary)
7. Snow Drive - A. J. Llewellyn (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Summer Of Love - Heidi Champa (Gay / Contemporary)
9. Sparring With Shadows - Erin O'Quinn (Gay / Mystery)
10. Raw Cut - K. T. Forbes (Gay / Contemporary)

Getting to Know A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly

In today's getting to know you series, you get a double treat. Here's A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly!

Why do you write?

AJ: Because I have to. I write every day. Have done since I was eight years old. I was obsessed with horses then. Death and horses. I'd write these long, teary romances where everyone died at the end, even the horses.

DJ: I have been writing since I was about ten. I’m compelled to write. I think it had to do with the way I grew up. I always said if I hadn’t been a writer, I would have ended up doing something far worse.

What are you currently working on? What’s it about?

AJ: I am currently working on book 13 in my Orgasmic Texas Dawn series with D.J. Manly. It's a bittersweet reunion of three sets of US Marshals and their families. I don't want this series to end!

DJ: Oh my God, I think I’m working on everything. I’m working on series with A.J. of course but am just finishing up a mystery. 

Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

AJ: I would love to see actor Michael Greco play Dean Honeybone in my Honeybone US Marshal series. I think he is one of the most underrated and underused actors in the world. Now that he's relocated to the US I hope that all changes for him.

There are four Honeybone books so far, with more to come. I loved writing this series and spent time working with an actual US Marshal who is my personal hero. His wife is an assistant District Attorney and their stories were amazing.

The things he told me about air travel and how marshals are trained to see beyond the norm made my hair stand on end. Dean Honeybone is one of my favorite characters. In book one he almost dies transporting a serial killer to Australia. He's a man with such darkness in his heart because of his work. When he rescues six-year-old Kaia Pendleton in the plane crash, he learns to live - and love again. I love this character and I can so easily see Michael Greco playing him. He's an intense, emotional actor and also seems to have an innate gentle quality I really like.

How much research do you do?

AJ: A lot! I really work hard on my books. I met the US Marshal over Christmas Eve dinner in Honolulu three years ago and plagued the poor man with questions. I will never forget how he took me to the airport and we sat watching people coming and going. He pointed out things the rest of us civilians would never notice. He knew who the pedophiles were. Who the drunks were before they'd even stepped into a bar. He knew right away which passengers would be flagged - and why.

I am slowly, but surely releasing all these tidbits in each Honeybone book. And I am so much more aware now each time I travel. 

I also did a lot of research on werewolves for my first werewolf story, Tame, which I wrote for Amber Allure. I uncovered a little known fact about Argentina and used it for Tame and the sequel, Savage. There is a town there that is so afraid of werewolves they did, until a hundred years ago drown the seventh born child in each family. 

To prevent the murders, the local mayor became the godfather to these boys. The tradition continues to this day!!

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers?

AJ: I have written about eighty books with the amazing D.J. Manly. I think in any genre, we have a unique relationship. D.J. is one of the best writers in the world and one of the best M/M authors out there. I am one lucky person to be able to work with D.J. as much as I do!

Are the names of the characters in your books important?

DJ: I stress over character names a lot. I try not to use the same names all the time. When I write and the name doesn’t suit, it bugs me and sometimes I change the name before I get to chapter Two.

Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer? 

DJ: Yes, for sure. Bad back, eye strain, partners feeling neglected, family members never hearing from you…and overall lack of time to just do nothing. 

What is your favorite part of writing a book? 

DJ: Coming up with the idea, dreaming about it in my sleep. 

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

AJ:

Website: www.ajllewellyn.com

Blog: www.ajllewellyn.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn

DJ:

Website: djmanlyfiction.com

Facebook: djmanlyfiction.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/djnovels

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Don't forget that leaving a comment during the month of September puts you in the drawing for a $25 Amber Quill Press gift certificate!

New reviews

New reviews for recent pax releases!

At Literary Nymph Reviews, Chocolate Minx gave Simply Irresistible by Christiane France 4.5 nymphs, calling it "an emotionally impressive short story."

Diane at Hearts on Fire Reviews gave Kentucky 98 Proof by KC Kendricks 5 hearts, saying "there are quite a few hot scenes, as well as straight ahead romantic and funny ones."

Coliseum Square by Lynn Lorenz got 5+ kisses from Susan at Top2Bottom Reviews, who called it "an absolutely beautiful story, every word in its place, like poetry in erotic motion."

Serena Yates at Rainbow Reviews says Mist in the Night by D.J. Manly is "amazing on so many fronts...It grabbed me by the neck, shook me a little, punched me in the gut, and followed up by throwing me against the wall and leaving me there, mouth open and gaping in a mixture of shock and serious admiration."

Getting to Know Deirdre O'Dare

This month, we're introducing our readers to a few of our pax authors. First up in our getting to know you series...Deirdre O'Dare!

Why do you write?

It is both a joy and a compulsion. I’ve been writing ‘stuff’ since I could print the alphabet and make a wild stab at spelling phonetically. My parents were both writers of a sort, dad published and mom for her own pleasure so it always seemed a normal thing to do. Sharing with readers the stories that come to me is an incredible high.

What are you currently working on? What's it about?

I always have several WIPs in various stages going on. My most urgent is a story for the “Garage” Pax which will be out sometime in the first quarter of 2014. I have a reclusive mechanic and the man he has secretly admire and desired coming head to head and …well, no spoilers! I’ve also got a couple of stand alone Allure tales in the works, a sequel to my Workin’ on the Railroad and one about a wild lands firefighter pilot. I’m redoing one of my out of print Gwynn Morgan novels to republish and plugging slowly on two ‘family saga’ type books that have been on the back burner for more years than I care to admit! Both start in the early 1900s and run to near present day. 

Which writers inspire you? 

A mixed bag for sure. I would have to say Anya Seton at the top with Thomas Costain and Frank Yerby close behind. I grew up with Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour –still love “cowboys” --and fantasy/sci fi authors Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula LeGuin and C.J. Cherryh are long term faves. Oh, can’t forget Tony Hillerman either! Needless to say I read widely and almost constantly.

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers?

Only one in my Gwynn Morgan persona with my late husband. We had planned more which his death rather cut short. The one is January Gets Her Gunn, a police procedural romance with Mundania at present. My husband had a long career in law enforcement and was also very interested in writing so it was a natural. We worked on January for some time and I finally finished it a couple of years after he passed.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?  

I am totally a pantster—the story just evolves. I have a vague idea of what the end should be but mostly I start with a character or two who pop into my mind suddenly and from that point on I simply take dictation as they tell me their story! I know it sounds weird but that’s my method! I suppose it works.

What makes you cry? 

Cruelty to children and animals and the horrible violence and hatreds that seem to fill our world today. 

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

A ‘cowgirl’ both rodeo and real life ranch type and a writer. I worked with horses a lot when I was young and wrote ‘ranch romances’ in steno notebooks all through high school! 

If your house were burning down, what would you take and why?

My dogs and the flash drive with my photos and documents on it.

What one thing (modern convenience) could you not live without? 

I have two things I really rely on—hot water for a daily shower which isn’t so modern really, but I have to have some way to play music and my computer without which I would have a heck of a time writing!! So electricity is necessary; I could probably do with a generator and live off the grid, though.

And finally, how can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: (out of date!) www.deirdreodare.com & www.gwynnmorgan.com

Blog: www.deirdredares.blogspot.com

Facebook: Gwynn Morgan 

Twitter: Deirdre_ODare

Amber Quill Author Page:  http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/bio_ODare.html

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Don't forget that leaving a comment during the month of September puts you in the drawing for a $25 Amber Quill Press gift certificate!

New reviews

New reviews for recent pax releases!

Serena Yates at Rainbow Book Reviews says the passion between the heroes in Make Mine a Bad Boy by Carolina Valdez is "amazing," calling the story "deeply emotional and very touching."

Knave of Hearts by Adrianna Dane got 3.5 hearts from Thommie at MM Good Book Reviews, who called it "fresh and enticing."

At Joyfully Jay, Melanie gave Coliseum Square by Lynn Lorenz 3.75 stars, who loves the way she writes about New Orleans, calling the blend of author to city "a perfect blend."

Susan at Top 2 Bottom Reviews gave The Crimson Cat by A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly 4 kisses, saying "the story pulls you in, and you keep rooting for these guys to have their HEA."

Our readers' voices

Over the years, the Amber Pax Collections have been a mainstay at Amber Quill Press. Really, it's a win-win all around. Authors get to work to specific themes that catch their eye, while readers can get five different stories about premises that appeal to them, often at reduced prices since buying the entire collection is cheaper than purchasing five stories separately.

While we have a lot of fun coming up with new ideas for future collections--the shouts of excitement when someone first brought up the idea of doing steampunk stories last year could probably have been heard through the Internet--we want to switch it up a little and ask you, the reader, what kind of collections you would want to read.

Are you dying to read some more shifter stories? What about cowboys? Or maybe there's a genre you'd love to read that you feel is underrepresented in the m/m romance world? Put on your thinking caps and tell us what intrigues you.

As an added bonus, everybody who comments on a post made during the month of September will be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate at Amber Quill Press. At the end of the month, all the names will be tossed in the hat, and one lucky person will be selected at random to win.

So don't be shy! Tell us what you think!