Texas Roundup Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to get a little taste of Texas! Without further ado, the winner of our giveaway is...

Natalija!

I have your address, so expect an email from us soon.

Don't forget to come on back in October for our next pax offering!

Writing Favorite Characters Can Make You Crazy (in a Good Way) by K-lee Klein

I love writing new stories and new characters, but there's just something special about dusting off some old favorites. And I mean favorites of mine, not just readers.

Maybe it's the easy familiarity of not having to start from scratch, of already knowing physical characteristics, mannerisms, likes and dislikes. It's similar to sliding into a worn-to-perfection pair of boots and taking them for a long walk because you know they fit you perfectly and won't give you blisters along the way.

That's not to say those familiar characters don't make me work just as hard to tell their current story. It doesn't mean I can get lazy and just slap something on the page for the sake of, well, slapping something on the page. Case in point, Unwanted Hearts stars Brett & JT, and they've become just like family to me since the first book in the series, Unbreak My Heart.

Brett Taylor is by far my favourite character to write, too. He's always so vivid in my head, in both good and bad ways. I hear his accent, his inflections and slang clearly. I see the way he tosses his hair or tucks it behind his ears, the way he can't help his brilliant blue eyes from turning into instant weapons of mass-flirting, and uses his crooked grin to get his own way. I can also see inside his heart as well as he can see inside of mine.

Maybe I still feel a little guilty about breaking him so badly in the original book so I let him get away with being his bossy self...sometimes. Of course, he can't really complain since the love of his life rose from the ashes of his pain. Yeah, Brett and I have a special relationship. He attempts to boss my muse around, tries to butt in when it's not his turn, fills my head with his sweet Southern drawl until I have to take the notes he forces on me, even if I just save them forever. But in his defence, Brett Taylor is also one of the sweetest, most giving, and emotionally-aware men I've ever "known."

The other thing about writing familiar characters is always hoping they aren't only my just favorites because then I'd be writing books only for myself. And that's a little weird and counterproductive even for me. Fortunately, I haven't run into that particular problem and most especially with Brett and JT. And for anyone that's interested, Brett has already been whispering in my ear about a special Christmas short story so it seems he's getting his way again. I guess y'all will have to stayed tuned.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

*_*_*

Unwanted Hearts by K-lee Klein is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Ride Your Luck by KC Kendricks

Regan Oakley’s luck ran out. After a stint in rehab, he’s putting his life back together without the booze. What he thinks is an old friend’s charity is really a plea for help. There’s trouble at the Bar RC Ranch and the friend’s son is in the middle of it. Regan takes one look at Wythe Carver and knows that young man isn’t the only one with his world turned upside down. 

Wythe Carver’s life took a strange turn. Suspected of murdering the ranch foreman, he’s hanging on, one day at a time. The person who could alibi him has disappeared and Wythe can’t find him. To make matters worse, his prize stallion is loose on the range. Complicating his life even more, his father called an old friend to come help out at the ranch. One look at Regan Oakley is all Wythe needs to know it’s going to get hot at night.  

Regan sets out to find the truth of what happened that night at the Bar RC. He’s sure Wythe is innocent, and he’s just as sure he has no business getting involved with the boss’s son. With no solid proof to clear Wythe, Regan needs to ride his luck to get to the truth and keep Wythe by his side. 

INTRO:

I hustled a glowering Wythe out the door. The moment it closed behind us he shook me off. 

“I’ll do what the hell I want to do about my horse.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You need to learn when to smile, nod, and do what you want to do anyway.”

“Is that what you do, hot shot?”

“When necessary, and it was back there in the kitchen. Now what other tricks does Shorty know?”

Wythe smiled broadly and slowly shook his head. 

“Fucking smartass.” I grinned back at him. 

We stepped into the dimly lit barn, bumping shoulders and telling each other to fuck-off back and forth. I stopped at Shorty’s stall and made a kissing noise at the dozing beast. 

Wythe froze and the sudden look of yearning on his face brought me up short. I glanced around. We appeared to be alone. I kept my voice low.

“Don’t look at me like that, cowboy. You’re my employer’s son.”

He swallowed, the muscles in his neck moving tightly. He licked his lips and my mouth went dry.

“They told me about you, Regan. And they told me you were particular about who you fucked and not to make a run at you because it would put you in an awkward spot since I am John’s son. But you do want me. I felt it back on the patio.”

EXCERPT:

“That’s fucking amazing.” I drank a few mouthfuls of coffee to get the dry granola all the way down. “Much action out here on the range?”

He chuckled softly. “A lot more than you’d think. The Bar RC employs thirty-seven people. Nine of the hands are gay.”

“Seriously? I really don’t have adequate gaydar and that proves it.” I finished the coffee he’d shared and handed the cap back to him. He screwed it on the thermos and set the jug aside. 

“I’ve had a little fun along the way but most of the guys avoid me because I’m the boss’s son. Same thing you’re doing, Regan, and you don’t have to.”

“If I thought that were true, we’d see how we do together right now.”

“Liar.”

I took a deep breath. I would burn in my own hell for doing this but I had to have one little taste of him. 

Wythe was sitting cross-legged while I was propped up on an elbow. I reached up and grabbed his shoulder. He didn’t resist as he toppled to the grass beside me. I seized the advantage while he was off balance and body-pinned him to the ground beneath me. His gorgeous blue eyes went wide and wild. I ran my thumb over his lower lip. The part of me that acted as a conscience was mute. I wanted him. I ached with it but all I could risk was one kiss.

“Never call me a liar, boy.”

I lowered my mouth to his. Heat shot through me at the first touch of his soft lips quickly followed by overwhelming surprise. My cock hardened in a few wonderful, throbbing heartbeats. I jerked away and stared at him. He licked his wine-colored lips as his intense gaze held me.

“Coward.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and remembered to inhale.

“Never call me a coward, boy.”

“And never call me a ‘boy’ again.”

He cupped the back of my head and pulled me down to him. I opened my lips and his warm, silky tongue slid over mine. Little stars sparkled in my dark vision while images of him naked danced in my mind. The mingled scents of warm, overheated male layered with horse, expensive leather, and crushed green grass filled my lungs. Hot and skilled, his hands were on me, stripping my shirt over my head. I yanked his shirt out of his jeans and worked it off him. Bare chest to bare chest we rolled. Wythe rose above me. I took a deep breath and pointed.

“You can take your hat off.”

He shook his head and I saw the sudden hesitation in him. 

“I’m sorry, Regan. I thought…I’m not leading you on. I swear. I mean, don’t over think this but maybe I need to slow down.”

Him and me both.

“I’m not some young buck, Wythe. I don’t have the wrong impression about anything here.”

It was the utter truth. That kiss hit me right in the gut. I’d be a fool to pursue Wythe Carver but it was too late. The only way to walk away from him was to leave the Bar RC. 

And he needed to slow down? Of course he did. Wythe felt it too but he didn’t know what to do about it. 

Luckily, I did. I held my hands up to him and he laced his fingers through mine. 

“Slow is good, Wythe. Okay, so we’re two guys with a bad case of curiosity about each other. We have to work together on a daily basis. It wouldn’t be good for us to get all tangled up in our heads over sex.”

I eased him forward and he came willingly to rest on my chest. I was certain the birds were chirping and the brook babbling but all I heard was his breathing and the thumping beat of my heart as he touched his lips to my neck…

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks

*_*_*

Ride Your Luck by KC Kendricks is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Interview with Bradley McFarren from “A Place to Belong” by Hurri Cosmo

Logan Perry was offered a job caring for an elderly lady a thousand miles from his home in Iowa. Looking for a place to hide, it seems to be the perfect opportunity to escape. So Logan runs to Texas. All he wants is a roof over his head and food in his stomach. So moving into the amazing McFarren Manor he believes is all he needs.

Bradley McFarren is only looking for someone to care for his aging grandmother. Too busy with the family multi-billion dollar real estate firm, he just doesn't have time. With no personal life to speak of, Bradley has kept his heart safe. As long as Gail, his beloved grandmother, is cared for, he thinks it's all he needs.

But what both their hearts truly desire is a place to belong.

So begins the journey of a love that will not be denied; a love bigger than the state of Texas.

What can you tell us about yourself, Mr. McFarren?

My grandmother would call me a workaholic and she’s probably right. I do spend most of my waking hours dealing with McFarren Properties.

Are you married?

Oh no. I vowed early on I would never subject a family to what this business can do to one.

What do you mean?

Like I said, I spend most of my time working on either putting a deal together, working on a pending transaction or trying to handle a crisis of some kind. I just don’t have time for a family. I have enough trouble finding time to see my Grandmother.

What is McFarren Properties?

(Laughs) Well, let me see, how do I put this? We buy and sell real estate all over the world, I guess, is the easiest way to say it. Some of them we keep and manage but most we broker off as soon as we acquire them.

Sounds exciting.

It was at one time. I’m kind of tired of it these days. 

Are you regretful you don’t have a child or children to hand the business down to so that you could retire?

Well, I’m only 45 at the moment so I really don’t want to think about retirement yet. But in answer to your question, no. I am not at all regretful I do not have children. I wouldn’t have known them, just like I didn’t know my dad. This business took him away from my mom and me, too, and likewise, his dad away from him. I needed to break the cycle. That’s why I chose the lifestyle I did.

Sounds rather lonely. Do you date?

I have in the past.

Not now? How come?

I… I’m not really sure. I used to see a few women off and on. We would go to dinner or dancing, something to break up the monotony of my life. Going to a restaurant alone is just too pathetic. But now… I don’t know. I don’t feel the need. Instead I hurry to McFarren Manor whenever I can. It’s where I feel most at ease, calm. I can honestly forget about life when I’m there.

You’re very close to your Grandmother.

Yes. But that’s not all of it. I hired a nurse about three years ago. A man. A gay man by the name of Logan Perry. (Laughs) He is a joy to both my grandmother and me. He’s funny, bright, efficient. He even runs the house although that was not his original job. Simply taking care of Gail was plenty but I guess in order to do that he felt he needed to take over the entire house.

Has that been an issue with the other staff?

Oh no, not at all. They all love him. Every one of them. They would do anything for him and I have to admit, I probably would, too.

A gay man, you said? How does that work? Does he date?

(Narrows eyes, rubs chin) No. I don’t think so. I… I’ve never asked him, though, so… 

Would that bother you?

That he dates? I… I’m not sure. I think it would. But… I’m not sure why.

How is your grandmother?

Unfortunately, she has a very serious cancer which originally we thought we took care of with surgery. When it came back, she refused all treatment.

So she’s not doing well?

We are all just taking it one day at a time. I try to get there as often as I can. In fact, I received a summons from her so I am headed there right after this interview.

A summons? Sounds serious.

Not sure. She said she has something she needs to discuss with me. (Laughs)

What? Why are you laughing?

She told me she was going to shock me.

Shock you?

Yes. She had something to tell me. Something she said I should have figured out three years ago but I’m too stubborn.

Three years ago? Isn’t that when you hired Logan?

(Eyes go wide) Yeah, it is. Weird. Anyway, I need to get going. I don’t want to keep Gail waiting. 

I certainly would like to know what it is she’s planning on telling you.

Oh wow. If it’s about Logan then so do I. So do I.

Buy Link: 

http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2259-A-Place-To-Belong.aspx

Author bio:

Hurri Cosmo lives in Minnesota where she holds tight to the idea that there, where it’s cold a good part of the year, she won’t age as fast. Yep, she avoids the truth as much as she avoids mirrors. But one of the reasons she loves writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure. Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, she doesn’t mind “real life” and she does try to at least keep it in mind when she writes her stories, but she truly loves creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every - single - time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason she loves reading this genre, too. Give her a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and her computer, whether she is reading or writing, and she will entertain herself for hours. The fact she actually gets paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.

You can find me at:
Website: http://hurricosmo.webs.com/
Blog: http://hurricosmo.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHurriCosmo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HurriCosmo

Other Amber Allure books by Hurri Cosmo can be found at Amber Quill Press.

*_*_*

A Place to Belong by Hurri Cosmo is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Pearls, Porches and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn

Two years ago I read a fascinating article in the Los Angeles Times (yes, I still read newspapers!) about two former soap opera actors who long ago slipped out of the limelight, and actually the business, only to make the headlines again by landing an incredible inheritance.

An elderly man who knew neither of them died and left them his entire estate. Though the property was massive, the house that stood on it was decrepit and neither man believed any of it was real at first.

One of them flew out to Illinois where the property was located and visited the old homestead and learned he truly had inherited a fortune. Once the property was sold he and the other beneficiary would inherit almost a million dollars each.

It was quite a tale. The kind that never happens to most people and certainly baffled the two men who inherited the estate. Neither of them knew him. Neither had ever met him, but one of them had apparently responded to a request for an autographed photo about thirty years ago.

The attorney handling the old man’s will said that he’d never encountered anything like this strange inheritance. As for the two actors, they’d once worked together on an old TV show episode but weren’t close.

As far as I know, the property was sold and the money divided between them. 

I’ve thought about this story for a long time and wondered, what if? What if two gay actors who have a love-hate relationship and inherit a property this way? What if their show was axed and one’s doing okay and the other is struggling?

What if one wants to sell and the other wants to keep it? 

What if this strange opportunity gives them a chance to reignite their stalled romance?

I’ve pondered this idea for two years and a couple of months it fell into place in my mind.

And so, Pearls, Porches and Peanuts was born. 

I loved writing this book, setting it in Austin and San Antonio, two cities I know and love. I really love these characters and their unique dilemma.

I hope you will, too. 

I thought it was the perfect story to put into the Amber Allure PAX™ collection of Texas Cowboy stories. And it’s also the perfect reminder to be kind to strangers who reach out to us.

Here’s a little taste of Pearls, Porches and Peanuts.

Synopsis: 

MacIntosh “Tosh” Tanner has had the worst year of his life with the cancellation of his TV series, Cowboy County, and a former business manager stealing his money. And now his boyfriend’s dumped him, too. He fears for his future until he receives an unexpected surprise. He’s inherited a massive, rundown ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, from a fan. It’s worth over a million bucks. Discovering he shares this bizarre estate with another beneficiary, he wonders who it could be. Anyone would be great as long as it’s not his archenemy, Dagan Rucker.

Dagan, Tosh’s former co-star, was also swindled by the same business manager, but over his lengthy career, he invested in a lot of property. Settled in Topanga, the real cowboy heart of L.A., he bought the area’s first-ever working ranch and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. He’s happy with his life, but lonely, and thinks about Tosh often, ever since they shared a scorching encounter five years ago. He’s tried for so long to work things out with Tosh, who refuses to even consider the possibility of them being together.

Can anything change the way Tosh feels about Dagan?

Excerpt:

..With a look that made Tosh’s cock leap inside his tight jeans, Dagan pushed him onto the luxurious leather seat. Just as he prepared to climb on top of Tosh, a cracking sound invaded their world. Something was sniffing around the brush where they’d parked on top of a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“What is it?” Tosh asked, fearing it might be some deranged paparazzo.

“I dunno. It’s black. It’s either a wild cat. Or a skunk.” Tosh looked over his shoulder, but gave up scrutiny as Tosh grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him into the vehicle.

“Close the door.”

Dagan laughed, reached behind him and obeyed. The seat was comfy, but they were both wearing boots. And they were a bit sunburned. Dagan looked down at him in the deepening night. Whatever was outside broke twigs. It somehow enhanced the moment. He was kissing a genuine movie cowboy!

Tosh gasped as Dagan kissed his throat. Nobody had ever touched him like this, with such reverence or grace. The kisses that moved along his face and neck burned a hole right through his awkward defenses. He gave himself up to the dusty pleasures of making out on a canyon road. The man on top of him rubbed himself against Tosh. Dry humping. Tosh had always loved dry humping.

“God I love this,” Dagan ground out against Tosh’s mouth. “Don’t know why I always liked dry humping.”

“Me, too. I was jus’ thinkin’ that.” Tosh panted, hardly able to complete a sentence as he tugged Dagan’s shirt up from his jeans. His body was tight. He knew it would be. He’d seen him a million times on TV, and thrilled to the touch of the actor’s smooth skin against the palm of his hand.

Their gazes held. Tosh wriggled on the seat as Dagan said, “Anticipation. I always liked anticipation.”

Then came the smell. An awful one.

“You were right. It’s a skunk.”

“Can you believe it! Everyone’s a critic,” Dagan deadpanned. “I think it hosed the side of the car.”

They laughed as the pungent fumes overwhelmed them. They sat up, hard and hurting in their increasingly tighter jeans.

“Take me home and fuck me,” Tosh said.

“Oh, I will. Don’t you worry about that...”

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Western (Modern Day) / The Arts / Romantic Comedy 

Heat Level: 2 

Length: Novella (24k words)

*_*_*

Pearls, Porches and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

A Cowboy Out of Texas by Sean Michael

When the call came for a Texas Round-Up themed Amber PAX collection, I knew immediately that I wanted to bring a Texas cowboy up to Canada and pair him up with someone who definitely wasn’t a cowboy. Opposites attract and all that. From that idea Sam was born, a rodeo rider who has just suffered an injury, nothing new for him, but this time he’s not only outside of Texas, he’s not even in the US anymore. Once I had Sam, Pat followed along quickly, more than eager to claim this cowboy for his very own. It was a lot of fun, melding together two men who on the surface are quite different, but are alike in all the ways that matter.

I hope you enjoy the results of my Canada/Texas meld.

Sam Hawker’s fall off a bucking bronc at an event in Canada has left him both physically broken and financially broke and in a hospital with his leg in traction. Between worrying about how he’ll pay his medical bills and not being able to move, he’s going more than a little stir crazy.

Easy on the eyes, Pat Bouchard is the nurse assigned to Sam for his stay at the hospital, and the two men get to know each other as Pat cares for and entertains Sam. They grow even closer when Pat offers Sam a place to stay while he recovers.

What are they going to do when Sam’s all better and doesn’t have a reason to stay in Canada any longer?

Pick up the book today at Amber Allure at 35% off!  

http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2257-A-Cowboy-Out-Of-Texas.aspx

Excerpt:

“Just spiffy, thanks. Can I go yet?”

“Can you fly?” Pat asked.

“Is that a trick question?” He could totally get in a plane, except that he had zero idea how he’d get his happy ass onto the thing. He didn’t have wings—cool idea though.

“Not exactly. You see all that?” Pat waved at the wires holding Sam’s leg up off the bed. “You can’t walk with all that gear, so, if you can fly your way out of here, you can go. Otherwise, you’re stuck with us for a while.”

“Ah. It was a trick question.” He grinned at the guy—Pat—and shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

“I suppose. I’m just trying not to be hurt that you’re so eager to leave my ward.” Pat gave him the fakest pout he’d ever seen, followed by a wink.

Sam chuckled. “I’m just feeling like a cowboy out of Texas.”

“I’m guessing that’s because you are. You’re my first, you know.”

“Cowboy or Texan?”

“Texan. We don’t always get a cowboy when the Russell Rodeo blows through, but it happens now and then.” Pat’s smile disappeared. “Now, in all seriousness. How are you feeling?”

“Cooped up. Trapped as hell.” A little wigged.

“I’ll just bet. Is anything hurting? And has someone explained how the magic button attached to your IV works yet?” Pat pointed to the morphine button.

“They did. I’m okay, ready to stop peeing in a bottle.”

“As soon as they spring you from this contraption you’ll be peeing wherever you want. I suggest sticking to the bathroom though.” Pat gave him a wink.

“Yeah, yeah.” Sam leaned back, his head throbbing violently.

“What’s hurting?” Pat asked, fingers on Sam’s wrist, eyes on his watch.

“My head, man. I’m fixin’ to be sick.”

Pat grabbed a kidney shaped pan, setting it on his chest. “Just have at it if you need to.” Then Pat made a couple of adjustments to his line. “You ever have any problems with painkillers before?”

“No, sir.” And God knew he’d had lots of them. The pounding in Sam’s head eased off and he relaxed back into the pillows.

“Maybe you were just pushing a little hard. I know you want to get up and go, but your body is going to need some time here, to heal.” Pat pulled a thermometer out of his pocket and stuck it in Sam’s ear, making it click. Then the nurse wrote some stuff in his chart.

“You’re actually looking really good. I know you probably don’t believe it, but it’s true. And I have other patients to check on. I’ll be back when I’ve done that, see if we can’t find you something to keep you from tearing your hair out. In the meantime, if anything starts hurting suddenly or something doesn’t feel right, you page me.” Pat put the little pager in his hand. “I mean it. I’d rather you bother me for nothing than walk in here and find you coding, got it?”

“Uh-huh.” Coding, that didn’t sound good at all.

Pat found the remote all the way over next to the TV and brought it to Sam. “Six hundred channels, but I bet there’s nothing good on.”

“Never is.” He’d find something mindless, some cop show.

“Remember, use that call button if you need it.” Pat headed out, his backend even prettier than his front side had been. He was fine as frog hair.

At least Sam’d get to sit and watch the boob tube.

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

www.seanmichaelwrites.com

http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca/

*_*_*

A Cowboy Out of Texas by Sean Michael is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

LATEST PAX RELEASE - Texas Roundup

Genres: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance

The titles listed below comprise the Texas Roundup AmberPax™ Collection. Buy all five together and receive a 35% discount! To purchase any of the titles individually, click on the covers below to go to the books' separate pages. 

A Cowboy Out of Texas by Sean Michael Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

Pearls, Porches, and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn Novella (Gay)

A Place to Belong by Hurri Cosmo Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

Ride Your Luck by KC Kendricks Extended Novella (Gay)

Unwanted Hearts by K-lee Klein Novella (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (9/20-9/25) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Unwanted Hearts by K-lee Klein

(Part of the Unbreak My Heart series)

Brett Taylor has no complaints about his life. He has his man JT, his health, and a positive outlook on the future. He does have one problem, though. He doesn’t have a clear plan for what he should do with the ranch he inherited from his former lover.

When an unexpected and heart-tugging situation is dropped in his lap, he discovers there are more futures to be considered than just his own. With disclosures, both good and bad, from both his mom and his long-time ranch foreman, and unbridled support from JT, he makes a decision that will change not only his life, but other innocent lives in desperate need of Brett’s and JT’s special brand of love.

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Cowboys/Western (Modern Day)/Series
Heat Level: 2
Length: Novella (23k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...“Kid!” Brett Taylor took the porch steps in one giant leap, lucky he didn’t trip and break his face. He did, however, swing the screen door open so hard the spring snapped back and the thing hit him in the ass. “Hey, JT! Where are you, babe?”

JT Campbell poked his head around the corner of the family room, amusement curving one side of his mouth. “What’re you yelling about? What did Whiz do now?”

Brett took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly as he took off his hat and rubbed his head. He cursed his long hair for getting in the way. It was hotter than Jesus’ damnation outside and he’d run all the way from the top of the driveway. He wished Whiz the Wonder Dog was the problem this time. “I need you to come with me.”

He slid past JT without paying him any mind, his own thoughts scrambling to figure out what he needed. There were a few dishtowels in the drawer, but something more substantial would be better. “Can you grab those old towels in the closet upstairs? The ones I stored away after Mama bought us the new ones.”

JT didn’t listen to Brett, and that wasn’t all that unusual. Of course, his sweat-drenched, bare torso was a little distracting…which was usual. “What’s gotten into you, cowboy?”

“I’ll um…explain outside. But we gotta git.”

“Okay. Just let me clean up a bit. It was hot in the barn—”

“Gotta be now. Would you grab those towels, please?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just shucked his damp T-shirt for another hanging over the back of his office chair. “And put a darn shirt on so I can think around you.”

With a now-clothed JT in tow, it didn’t take long to gather what Brett hoped would work for what he’d found near the road. He didn’t sprint like before, his flaring nerves tripping him up rather than helping him along. His slower pace did manage to quiet his heart and loosen the rope of anger knotted in his gut just a little though.

Where the driveway met the dusty gravel road, Brett steered JT toward the long grass in the ditch. He tucked him in close with an arm across his chest so they wouldn’t tumble into the hole, then practically tippy-toed into the long blades. Brett felt JT’s breath hot on his back when he stepped up beside him.

Brett crouched beside the flattened-down patch among the overgrown weeds and felt JT do the same. The kid slid a hand across Brett’s shoulders, his voice an inpatient hush in Brett’s ear. “Brett. What are we—holy shit.”

JT’s reaction hadn’t been all that different from Brett’s own not ten minutes before. Of course, Brett had added a few more cuss words and a whole lot of pissed-off Texan attitude.

“Are those…?”

“Yep. Four of them.”

“But who the hell would do something like that?”

“Hopefully no one we know.”

“Jesus! Did you see any other dogs around?”

“Nope, and the little fellas are lucky they didn’t become coyote snacks.”

Brett knelt closer to the four squeaking, squirming newborns. In almost forty-four years of life, he’d only ever seen such tiny critters once before, and he still thought about them now and again.

The pups couldn’t have been more than a few days old, and just left all helpless and alone...

Ride Your Luck by KC Kendricks

Regan Oakley’s luck ran out. After a stint in rehab, he’s putting his life back together without the booze. What he thinks is an old friend’s charity is really a plea for help. There’s trouble at the Bar RC Ranch and the friend’s son is in the middle of it. Regan takes one look at Wythe Carver and knows that young man isn’t the only one with his world turned upside down.

Wythe Carver’s life took a strange turn. Suspected of murdering the ranch foreman, he’s hanging on, one day at a time. The person who could alibi him has disappeared and Wythe can’t find him. To make matters worse, his prize stallion is loose on the range. Complicating his life even more, his father called an old friend to come help out at the ranch. One look at Regan Oakley is all Wythe needs to know it’s going to get hot at night.

Regan sets out to find the truth of what happened that night at the Bar RC. He’s sure Wythe is innocent, and he’s just as sure he has no business getting involved with the boss’s son. With no solid proof to clear Wythe, Regan needs to ride his luck to get to the truth and keep Wythe by his side.

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Western (Modern Day)/Suspense/Thriller/Exhibitionism/Public Places
Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Novella (31k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...“That’s fucking amazing.” I drank a few mouthfuls of coffee to get the dry granola all the way down. “Much action out here on the range?”

He chuckled softly. “A lot more than you’d think. The Bar RC employs thirty-seven people. Nine of the hands are gay.”

“Seriously? I really don’t have adequate gaydar and that proves it.” I finished the coffee he’d shared and handed the cap back to him. He screwed it on the thermos and set the jug aside.

“I’ve had a little fun along the way, but most of the guys avoid me because I’m the boss’s son. Same thing you’re doing, Regan, and you don’t have to.”

“If I thought that were true, we’d see how we do together right now.”

“Liar.”

I took a deep breath. I would burn in my own hell for doing this but I had to have one little taste of him.

Wythe was sitting cross-legged while I was propped up on an elbow. I reached up and grabbed his shoulder. He didn’t resist as he toppled to the grass beside me. I seized the advantage while he was off balance and body-pinned him to the ground beneath me. His gorgeous blue eyes went wide and wild. I ran my thumb over his lower lip. The part of me that acted as a conscience was mute. I wanted him. I ached with it, but all I could risk was one kiss.

“Never call me a liar, boy.”

I lowered my mouth to his. Heat shot through me at the first touch of his soft lips, quickly followed by overwhelming surprise. My cock hardened in a few wonderful, throbbing heartbeats. I jerked away and stared at him. He licked his wine-colored lips as his intense gaze held me.

“Coward.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and remembered to inhale.

“Never call me a coward, boy.”

“And never call me a ‘boy’ again.”

He cupped the back of my head and pulled me down to him. I opened my lips and his warm, silky tongue slid over mine. Little stars sparkled in my dark vision, while images of him naked danced in my mind. The mingled scents of warm, overheated male, layered with horse, expensive leather, and crushed green grass filled my lungs. Hot and skilled, his hands were on me, stripping my shirt over my head. I yanked his shirt out of his jeans and worked it off him. Bare chest to bare chest we rolled. Wythe rose above me. I took a deep breath and pointed.

“You can take your hat off.”

He shook his head, and I saw the sudden hesitation in him.

“I’m sorry, Regan. I thought…I’m not leading you on. I swear. I mean, don’t over think this but maybe I need to slow down.”

Him and me both.

“I’m not some young buck, Wythe. I don’t have the wrong impression about anything here.”

It was the utter truth. That kiss hit me right in the gut. I’d be a fool to pursue Wythe Carver, but it was too late. The only way to walk away from him was to leave the Bar RC.

And he needed to slow down? Of course he did. Wythe felt it, too, but he didn’t know what to do about it.

Luckily, I did. I held my hands up to him, and he laced his fingers through mine.

“Slow is good. Okay, so we’re two guys with a bad case of curiosity about each other. We have to work together on a daily basis. It wouldn’t be good for us to get all tangled up in our heads over sex.”

I eased him forward, and he came willingly to rest on my chest. I was certain the birds were chirping and the brook babbling, but all I heard was his breathing and the thumping beat of my heart as he touched his lips to my neck...

A Place to Belong by Hurri Cosmo

Logan Perry is offered a job caring for an elderly lady in Texas, a thousand miles from his home in Iowa. Since he has been looking for a place to hide, this seems the perfect opportunity to escape. All he wants is a roof over his head and food in his stomach, so moving into the amazing McFarren Manor is all he needs.

Bradley McFarren is looking only for someone to care for his aging grandmother. Too busy with the family’s multi-billion-dollar Real Estate firm, he just doesn’t have time for more. And with no personal life to speak of, Bradley has kept his heart safe. As long as Gail, his beloved grandmother, is cared for, that’s all he needs.

But what both men’s hearts truly desire is a place to belong. So for Logan and Bradley, thus begins the journey of a love that will not be denied...a love bigger than the state of Texas.

Genres: Gay/Contemporary
Heat Level: 2
Length: Novella (20k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...“Hello. My name is Bradley McFarren.” He had held out his perfectly manicured hand, and Logan was almost afraid to touch it. But then Bradley enveloped Logan’s fingers in his own, and it was almost as if he swallowed Logan in one gulp.

Logan remembered being thrilled at that thought. In fact, it had been the first time in a very long time that Logan had become aroused. Going to school and then working more than full-time kept him incredibly busy, and his life in a tiny conservative town had not allowed for him to do much in the way of exploring relationships of any kind.

“Hi. I’m Logan Perry,” he had breathed.

“Well, Logan Perry, please sit down.” Bradley had indicated a chair in front of a massive desk, and Logan had slipped into it, perching on the edge, trying like everything to hide his rabid interest. “I’ve looked over your resume and, I have to say, I’m intrigued. What makes a fine-looking young man like you even apply for this type of a position?”

Logan had smiled like an idiot when the gorgeous man called him “fine looking.” But Bradley had been right in that a young man wanting to take care of his eighty-nine year old grandmother had to seem odd. Logan remembered thinking he would never even be called for an interview, much less receive the job, but he needed to escape his pathetic existence in Iowa. When he received the tip, through a friend, of a private nursing job all the way down in Texas, he knew he had to try for it. Room, board, a small allowance, the use of a car and hundreds of miles away from Iowa, it was the perfect opportunity for escape. Now that he was here, he was determined to at least be considered.

“First of all, Mr. McFarren, I’m not sure that thirty years old is actually considered young, but I’m a well-trained RN. I’ve enjoyed years of working in rehab centers in their transitional care and assisted living areas. I am very patient and kind, and love the older generation. I trust you have checked my references. You will find I am a perfect choice for your grandmother’s companion.”

“But you’re a man. I have to admit, the only real reason I am interviewing you is because I wanted to know why a man would apply for this position. So far, all I have and all you have given me are your qualifications. Which are stellar because, in answer to your statement, of course I checked your references, but none of the ones on your resume. Having money gives me the ability to take the inside track. To be frank, I was impressed by your work ethic and standards. I found nothing but glowing reports of how wonderfully you do your job. But you see, Mr. Perry, I adore my grandmother. She means the world to me and I have no intention of allowing just anyone access to her. No matter how qualified. What I want to know is your motive in wanting this job.”

“Motive, sir?”

“You’re coming all the way from Iowa. Have you no family? Friends? Why are you running, Mr. Perry?”

Logan had been shocked at first but then decided the truth, in all its ugliness, was best anyway. If he was going to get the job, that truth would have to be known...

Pearls, Porches and Peanuts by A.J. Llewellyn

MacIntosh “Tosh” Tanner has had the worst year of his life with the cancellation of his TV series, Cowboy County, and a former business manager stealing his money. And now his boyfriend’s dumped him, too. He fears for his future until he receives an unexpected surprise. He’s inherited a massive, rundown ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, from a fan. It’s worth over a million bucks. Discovering he shares this bizarre estate with another beneficiary, he wonders who it could be. Anyone would be great as long as it’s not his archenemy, Dagan Rucker.

Dagan, Tosh’s former co-star, was also swindled by the same business manager, but over his lengthy career, he invested in a lot of property. Settled in Topanga, the real cowboy heart of L.A., he bought the area’s first-ever working ranch and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. He’s happy with his life, but lonely, and thinks about Tosh often, ever since they shared a scorching encounter five years ago. He’s tried for so long to work things out with Tosh, who refuses to even consider the possibility of them being together.

Can anything change the way Tosh feels about Dagan?

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Western (Modern Day)/The Arts/Romantic Comedy
Heat Level: 2
Length: Novella (24k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...With a look that made Tosh’s cock leap inside his tight jeans, Dagan pushed him onto the luxurious leather seat. Just as he prepared to climb on top of Tosh, a cracking sound invaded their world. Something was sniffing around the brush where they’d parked on top of a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“What is it?” Tosh asked, fearing it might be some deranged paparazzo.

“I dunno. It’s black. It’s either a wild cat. Or a skunk.” Tosh looked over his shoulder, but gave up scrutiny as Tosh grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him into the vehicle.

“Close the door.”

Dagan laughed, reached behind him and obeyed. The seat was comfy, but they were both wearing boots. And they were a bit sunburned. Dagan looked down at him in the deepening night. Whatever was outside broke twigs. It somehow enhanced the moment. He was kissing a genuine movie cowboy!

Tosh gasped as Dagan kissed his throat. Nobody had ever touched him like this, with such reverence or grace. The kisses that moved along his face and neck burned a hole right through his awkward defenses. He gave himself up to the dusty pleasures of making out on a canyon road. The man on top of him rubbed himself against Tosh. Dry humping. Tosh had always loved dry humping.

“God I love this,” Dagan ground out against Tosh’s mouth. “Don’t know why I always liked dry humping.”

“Me, too. I was jus’ thinkin’ that.” Tosh panted, hardly able to complete a sentence as he tugged Dagan’s shirt up from his jeans. His body was tight. He knew it would be. He’d seen him a million times on TV, and thrilled to the touch of the actor’s smooth skin against the palm of his hand.

Their gazes held. Tosh wriggled on the seat as Dagan said, “Anticipation. I always liked anticipation.”

Then came the smell. An awful one.

“You were right. It’s a skunk.”

“Can you believe it! Everyone’s a critic,” Dagan deadpanned. “I think it hosed the side of the car.”

They laughed as the pungent fumes overwhelmed them. They sat up, hard and hurting in their increasingly tighter jeans.

“Take me home and fuck me,” Tosh said.

“Oh, I will. Don’t you worry about that...”

A Cowboy Out of Texas by Sean Michael

Sam Hawker’s fall off a bucking bronc at an event in Canada has left him both physically broken and financially broke and in a hospital with his leg in traction. Between worrying about how he’ll pay his medical bills and not being able to move, he’s going more than a little stir crazy.

Easy on the eyes, Pat Bouchard is the nurse assigned to Sam for his stay at the hospital, and the two men get to know each other as Pat cares for and entertains Sam. They grow even closer when Pat offers Sam a place to stay while he recovers.

What are they going to do when Sam’s all better and doesn’t have a reason to stay in Canada any longer?

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Western (Modern Day)
Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (13k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...Christ on a crutch. Sam wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this hospital in the middle of the Great White North, but he sure had. He was up here with a broken leg that had been stomped by the biggest bronc he’d seen since he’d been in Cheyenne. The fucking horses had to be big to survive the cold, he guessed, although it wasn’t fucking cold right now, was it? No, it was July, and it was humid like Houston, and fairly damned warm. Least they all spoke the language. If he was gonna get stranded and broken in a foreign country, he’d picked a decent one. Be more decent if he was on a beach in Mexico with tequila, but still.

His leg throbbed, all the traction wires and enforced immobility enough to drive a man out of his friggin’ mind. Then one of the prettiest men he’d ever seen came in wearing blue scrubs with cartoon dolphins on them. The guy had short brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes, teeth white in a ready smile.

“Good morning, I’m Pat and I’m going to be your day nurse while you’re here.” The man had a hint of an accent that was different from most he’d heard up here. Maybe French?

Pat grabbed Sam’s chart on the way to his side, glancing at it before turning the hazel gaze back on him. “How are you feeling this morning, Mr. Hawker?”

“Just spiffy, thanks. Can I go yet?”

“Can you fly?” Pat asked.

“Is that a trick question?” He could totally get in a plane, except that he had zero idea how he’d get his happy ass onto the thing. He didn’t have wings—cool idea though.

“Not exactly. You see all that?” Pat waved at the wires holding Sam’s leg up off the bed. “You can’t walk with all that gear, so, if you can fly your way out of here, you can go. Otherwise, you’re stuck with us for a while.”

“Ah. It was a trick question.” He grinned at the guy—Pat—and shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

“I suppose. I’m just trying not to be hurt that you’re so eager to leave my ward.” Pat gave him the fakest pout he’d ever seen, followed by a wink.

Sam chuckled. “I’m just feeling like a cowboy out of Texas.”

“I’m guessing that’s because you are. You’re my first, you know.”

“Cowboy or Texan?”

“Texan. We don’t always get a cowboy when the Russell Rodeo blows through, but it happens now and then.” Pat’s smile disappeared. “Now, in all seriousness. How are you feeling?”

“Cooped up. Trapped as hell.” A little wigged.

“I’ll just bet. Is anything hurting? And has someone explained how the magic button attached to your IV works yet?” Pat pointed to the morphine button.

“They did. I’m okay, ready to stop peeing in a bottle.”

“As soon as they spring you from this contraption you’ll be peeing wherever you want. I suggest sticking to the bathroom though.” Pat gave him a wink...