The Magic of Texts by K-lee Klein

The original theme for this PAX was getting connected. I knew right away that I wanted to do a relationship based, or at least, started through texting. I wanted to take an old-fashioned blind date situation, shove it into a paper bag then shake the crap out of it.

In the end, my idea turned out more like the blind auditions on the reality show, The Voice, and that was exactly how I wanted it to go. I wanted the blind date feel—nervousness, insecurity, maybe even a little fear of what was going to happen—but tossed together with a little obscure knowledge of each other. I didn't want Lewis and Jerry getting too personal, didn't want them sharing whether they had blue eyes, were in good shape or wore sneakers or cowboy boots.

Mostly, I didn't want Lewis and Jerry to have a share their appearances. That's one of the best things about The Voice, the anonymity of not being seen as well as heard. The contestants are judged purely on how they sound, on the talent they have instead of what image they portray or how they look. 

I wanted that for Lewis and Jerry. I wanted them to be comfortable in knowing things about each other, maybe little quirks and mannerisms learned through the magic of texts. I didn't want someone setting them up on a real blind date, whispering in their ears about the other's curls or baldness, or how tall they were. I wanted that part to completely a surprise.

Hopefully I pulled it off and hopefully you'll enjoy reading Lewis and Jerry's Textual Attraction.

*_*_*

Textual Attraction 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!

Not Without My Phone! by Heidi Champa

Everybody knows that person. The one who can’t put their phone down. The one who looks at it constantly, no matter what else is going on. The one who can’t be in a line or waiting room for 30 seconds before taking out their phone to see what’s going on in the world. Or, maybe you are that person. Today, with everything at our fingertips and in our pockets, it’s hard to imagine life without a smart phone. 

That is what my story, Not Without My Phone! is all about. In it, the main character, Keller James is a phone junkie. His smart phone is always with him and is his most trusted companion. His friend, Phillip, accuses him of being an addict, but Keller balks at that term. He thinks he’s doing just fine and that his phone usage is totally normal.

Until something happens that turns his world upside down, as he’s forced to reexamine everything. 

Here is an additional excerpt from Not Without My Phone!

Gus laughed, reaching into the popcorn bucket, his fingers brushing against mine for a moment. It felt so simple, but my stomach lurched all the same.

“I’m sure you’ll get through it. Besides, it should get easier as time goes on, not harder.”

“You’re the expert. You would know.”

A few other people started to trickle in, but they stuck mostly to the front. I couldn’t help but remark. “Why does everyone sit up front like that?”

“Because the screen is small. It’s not like a normal theater where everything is larger than life.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t think about it. Do you want to move closer?”

He shook his head, still chewing his popcorn. “I’m fine right here.”

“You sure?”

He leaned closer, until our faces were merely inches apart. “Yup. That way we can make out if we want to,” he said, his voice soft.

My heart sped up, the thunder of the beat making my head swim. The thought of kissing Gus was something I’d considered before the evening started, but I never thought in a million years he’d be the one to suggest it.

“Um, okay…” I said, unsure of how to proceed.

Something about his demeanor changed in an instant, his face stiff as he eased back, his laughter sounding tight and forced. “Relax, Kell. I was kidding. I know I’m not really your type.”

“What does that mean?” I asked more defensively than I meant to.

“Well, you know, I’m right here. I’m not some headless torso online.”

His words stung more than I thought they would, but at least I knew how he really felt about me. I turned my eyes to the screen, even though there were no mindless ads to take up my attention. I slowly chewed a piece of popcorn, trying to calm down. Part of me wanted to get up and leave, but I was frozen to my seat, unable to move.

“I guess you have me all figured out, Gus.”

I looked down at his hand, now resting on my forearm. I wanted to meet his eyes, but I just couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Kell. That was a messed-up thing to say. I thought it would be funny, but it came out all wrong.”

I shook my head, reaching for the soda, but I couldn’t seem to get a grip on it.

“It’s okay. Understandable, really. You’re not exactly wrong about me. ‘Deep as a puddle’ is what Phillip likes to say.”

Gus shocked me when he put a finger to my cheek, turning me his way. “I don’t think that.”

“Sure you do. It’s okay. Hell, it’s what I think about myself. Hook-up apps are easy. It’s so much less work to hook up and not have to really put my heart out there. It lets me protect myself. Plus, it’s fun. Or, at least it can be. Sometimes, it’s fun in the moment, but afterward, well, more and more, lately, I feel empty. Afterward.”

I had no idea why I was telling Gus any of this, but it was too late to take it all back. I turned my focus to the blank screen, unable to look at him for another second. The silence stretched out between us and I feared I’d gone too far.

“Well, that hardly sounds shallow. Sounds to me like you’re afraid of getting hurt. Nothing strange about that. I feel the same way, except I avoid it all. I don’t even bother to try and put myself there.” He gave my arm a gentle squeeze.

I met his eyes as the lights went down, the projection booth springing to life behind us. Before I could stop myself, I leaned in and kissed Gus. It was stupid, impulsive and I waited for him to pull away.

Except he didn’t.

*_*_*

Not Without My Phone! by Heidi Champa 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!

Excerpt for “MATES, INC”

Blurb:

Congratulations! You have a FATED MATE!

That was what the card said. Grey, an Alpha wolf shifter, laughed at it, though. Fated mate? What a joke! He had tried enough dating websites in the last month to choke a horse shifter and he was done with all of them. Besides, having a mate would mean joining a pack and that would just bring up a past Grey had no intention of doing.

But MATES, INC. had an agenda that would not be ignored or put off. Grey had a mate. And the powers that be were determined he was going to meet him come hell, high water, or a past best forgotten.

Excerpt

“Gotta feed the wolf.” 

That surprised him. “Excuse me?” he mumbled through his chewing. 

“Alpha, right?” 

“Mmm.” Grey nodded. How the hell had Kade known? Even though he was now probably considered a regular here, Coyote’s was open to anyone. Even humans, as Donlan had proven.  

As if Kade heard Grey’s unasked question, he leaned forward. “I could smell it.” He closed his eyes and slowly breathed in yet again, close enough to Grey to make him know that was exactly what he was doing. Kade stepped back and said, “I’m an Omega, after all. But you probably knew that.” 

Oh. Yeah. That made sense. For a second he was thrown off guard. The whole day had been unsettling, with the thought that his past had caught up to him and was front and center. Not that it would have been an issue. Just embarrassing. Alphas didn’t run away. Not good Alphas anyway. 

Suddenly, the appetite he’d thought he had was gone.  

Damn. He was over Nick. He was. Hell, the two of them had never even been together. There was nothing to get over. Still, he had dreamt about the man, had lost himself in daydreams of him. But lately, ever since he’d met Kade, he didn’t even think about the man. He was over that obsession. 

It was hard not belonging to a pack, though.  

Oh, he’d had offers. There were two or three major packs in the immediate area. But as hard as it was to not belong, to belong was harder yet. There was just so much to explain, and he wasn’t sure he was ever going to be ready. Not that a new pack would insist on knowing every detail. But they did need to know some things; like why he’d left, why a new pack was important to him, was he a danger to himself or others. Especially an Alpha. They would want to know the scars he carried so that they could figure out whether or not he would be a good addition or a detriment to his new pack. He knew that. He’d been on the committee in his old pack that had made those kinds of decisions and had seen some major, fucked-up scars on shifters. Oh yes, there was a long standard list of questions to answer. There was so much that a new pack had to consider, it was the reason he couldn’t move forward. His reasons for leaving were so…so…petty, so self-serving.  

But maybe that was the first step. Not finding a boyfriend or even a fuck buddy because that just seemed so wrong now. Finding a pack. Switching his focus to that would be better for him all the way around. 

Except even that decision made him feel absolutely pathetic. What the hell? Why was he so afraid to be alone? 

Crap, crap, crap! 

But was that it? He was afraid to be alone? 

No. Not afraid of being alone. Afraid of ending up alone. 

“Hey, something wrong with the steak?” 

Kade’s soft, encouraging voice broke through the fog of Grey’s black thoughts and he was grateful. It had been six months. Six solid months. It was time to move not only forward, but beyond. Point was, he had really been through absolutely nothing back then and he had put himself into this present hell hole. No one else was to blame.  

“No. Steak’s fine, just fine.” He absently took another piece into his mouth. Oh yeah. Steak was very fine. He closed his eyes as he savored it. That’s what he needed to do. He needed to think about the here and now. Not yesterday, when he’d thought Nick was who he wanted, and not tomorrow, when he had to face a life without Kade, a man he needed. Not even about this afternoon when he’d allowed something possibly very special to slip away.  

Only think about the steak.  

He licked his lips, capturing the juices and the flavor almost as if he were tasting that little wolf. He imagined that instead of losing him, he had caught him, forced him to surrender, forced him to submit. The smaller wolf would bare his throat and Grey would mark him with a mating bite.  

But, what about Kade? How could that small wolf out there in the woods have been his mate when all he could think about was Kade? Kade submitting, Kade baring his neck for the mating mark…

To buy: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2293-Mates-Inc.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 books by Hurri Cosmo:
Amber Allure:
How West Was Won
The Superior Jewel
Ice Dragon Tales (contains the first two books in the series, The Servant Prince and The Servant King)
The One
Forgetting Yesterday
Saving Jack
Talasar’s Elixir (Book one in the Dragon for Hire series)
Amber Moon (Part of the Intoxicating Fantasies series)
Chase and Capture
Baby, Think it Over
The Door Keeper
LADDERS
A Place to Belong
The Neighbors – A Vampire Story

*_*_*

Mates, Inc. 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!

Making a Wish by Shawn Lane

BLURB

As a kid, Astronomy professor Marty Brooks kept in touch with a pen pal who lived on the other side of the country. Eventually that pen pal stopped responding to Marty’s letters, which always ended with “Making a Wish” for Marty’s love of space.

Now, as adults, Marty and his brother are big fans of a series of famous Sci-Fi movies. They head to a convention for the movie franchise where they hope to meet the hot actors. Marty is especially interested in meeting an actor he knows is openly gay, but instead he bumps into the star of the movies, Sebastian Lookinland, who is gorgeous and not at all the snob Marty anticipated. They instantly connect and it’s obvious the attraction is mutual.

Before long, Marty learns the world really is small when Sebastian reveals he is actually the pen pal from all those years ago. The men instantly begin an affair, although Marty knows it will end when the convention does. But Sebastian isn’t ready to say goodbye and suggests they stay connected through texts, emails, and weekend get-togethers.

Marty can hardly refuse the offer since his heart is already engaged. Will he make a wish for the relationship to last for more than a few weeks?

EXCERPT

...His expression turned serious. “I don’t make a habit of publicizing my sexuality either way, but I admit most of the time I’m seen at events it’s with a woman on my arm.”

I nodded. “You dated that actress from that popular television series for a while. Ginger something.”

“Ginger Stevens,” he supplied for me. “Yes. We were pretty serious there for a while.”

“Not just publicity?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Truth is, so-called celebrity relationships never last that long. It’s especially bad when both are actors. It adds an element of ego I think that works against it.”

“And now?”

“Now?”

“Are you dating anyone?”

“No, Marty. Do you think I’d invite you up here like this if I was?”

“I’m not really up on celebrity behavior.”

“I’m not just a celebrity to you, though. We were friends once. Weren’t we?”

“Pen pal friends, yeah.” I smiled. “A lot has changed for you.”

“And for you, Marty. You’re some hot college professor now. The stuff of fantasies.”

“Or pornos,” I joked.

“Now you’ve gone and put definite images in my head.” He took his first sip of his brandy since he poured it. “You are really hot. And I don’t think there’s any point in pretending we don’t both know why I asked you up here.”

I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You do get right to the point. Do you prefer Sebastian or Spencer? Privately, I mean.”

“Sebastian. I left Spencer behind.” He put his glass on the coffee table in front of the sofa and got to his feet. He held out his hand for me to grasp, then pulled me up. “Come on.”

Sebastian led me to the bedroom on the right and I had a moment where both the alcohol and the idea that I was about to go to bed with Sebastian Lookinland had my head swimming.

I barely glanced at the room—it was large—with an even larger bed and a bathroom off to the left that I was pretty sure on close inspection would be larger than half my house.

But both of us were interested in the bed at that moment and nothing else. He went to a suitcase he had propped up on one of those folding suitcase stands all hotels had and removed a bottle of lube and a strip of condom packages.

“You come prepared,” I couldn’t help saying.

“Well.” He shrugged. “Does it bother you?”

Sebastian owed me nothing. And anyway, I was benefitting from it, wasn’t I?

“No. The only thing I want to know, am I fucking you or are you fucking me?” My lips curved in an anticipatory smile. “What is your preference?”

“My wish is your command?”

“I’d love to command you...”

*_*_*

Making a Wish by Shawn Lane 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 - Perfect Connections

Genres: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance

The titles listed below comprise the Perfect Connections 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. 

Making a Wish by Shawn Lane Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

Mates, Inc. by Hurri Cosmo Novella (Gay)

Not Without My Phone! by Heidi Champa Novella (Gay)

Textual Attraction by K-lee Klein Extended Novella (Gay)

Thank You, Ranch Romances by Deirdre O'Dare Novella (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (11/22-11/27) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Thank You, Ranch Romances by Deirdre O'Dare

Rancher Wade is struggling to hold his life together after his wife’s death leaves him with two small children as well as a ranch to run. In desperation, he puts a letter in a pulp magazine, announcing that he’s seeking a housekeeper and nanny to help him manage his home. The last thing he expects, however, is the young man who steps off the train in response to the ad.

Darnell is at the end of his rope. The war is over and jobs are hard to find, especially to one who has few skills other than cooking and keeping house, learned while he helped his abandoned mother keep their family intact. The letter he finds in a discarded magazine seems a godsend, so he jumps at the opportunity. It doesn’t take long to fall in love with young Ben and Winnie, but he also develops a huge crush on the rugged and manly Wade, who seems to be everything Darnell is not. Dare he dream that Wade might find him attractive, too?

In the 1940s, the vernacular used toward people such as Darnell are crude and insulting. Prejudice abounds, and he feels its keen cuts. Can he make himself a place in the lives of the family he has adopted, or will hate and suspicion send him fleeing?

Genres: Gay/Nostalgic Contemporary (1940s-Era)/Cowboys/Western
Heat Level: 2
Length: Novella (18k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...The young man seemed perpetually calm and even-tempered. Wade had never heard him raise his voice to the kids, but they both treated him with respect and even some affection. As he watched, Winnie wiped up the last bit of egg with her biscuit and scrambled from her chair to help clear the dishes from the table. She handed them to Darnell while he stacked them in the sink, preparing to wash them. She said something about her new dress Wade could not quite make out, then smiled widely as she did a little pirouette.

A pang shot through him, something he could not quite label jealousy or even envy although he knew it was close. He was big and gruff and had no understanding of a small girl’s needs and wishes, like the importance of a pretty dress and having her hair neatly combed and braided every morning. Somehow, male or not, Darnell did. Wade figured he was a decent dad, but as a mom, he had none of the necessary attributes, none at all.

He got up to head back out to go on with his day’s work. Something made him pause. “Thank you, Darnell. You’re doing a great job as a housekeeper and I appreciate it.”

A wave of color washed over the other man’s face, and he looked down at the sink, now full of hot water and suds. “I do the best I can. Disappointing you is the last thing I want to do. Most of my effort is for the children, too. I know they miss their mother, especially Winnie.” He glanced down at the little girl, his expression almost tender. “I can’t take that place, but I can do some of the same things for them.”

“You do dang good,” Wade replied, perhaps in a gruffer tone than he intended. For an instant, he had the awkward and inappropriate urge to bend down and kiss Darnell good-bye as he’d always done to Winifred when he left the house to get on with his day. He gave himself a hard mental shake and then headed for the door, driven by the spur of urgency to escape that mad idea.

Heading out to the inner pasture, Wade caught his favorite cowpony, a rangy bay gelding he called Stormy. The horse had been wild as a colt and earned the name, but he’d settled down to be one of Wade’s most reliable mounts. The name no longer fit, but he wouldn’t change it. He cinched on his saddle, swung up, and headed out. There had been some rains finally, and he hoped the grass in the upper area of the ranch reflected some growth due to the moisture. If not, he’d have to look into supplemental feeding soon. That would take a bad bite out of his profit when he sold the yearlings come fall.

Despite his efforts to put the kiss that hadn’t happened out of his mind, it clung there like a hungry tick on his old dog, Blue. And when he managed to shove aside imagining what Darnell’s gentle-looking mouth would feel like under his, other things about his unorthodox housekeeper and nanny edged in. Like how neat he always was, how pretty his dark hair looked with the sun catching its surprising reddish highlights, and how fetching his rear end looked now that he was wearing proper Levi’s instead of those pleated slacks. Wade had caught him bent over at the door of the chicken coop reaching for an egg the other day and gone hard as a branding iron at the sight.

Damn it all. This was getting way out of hand. He should send Darnell back where he came from, but he knew that would break Winnie’s heart and probably upset Ben almost as badly. The kids both adored Darnell. Maybe he should go visit Lavina again—although that was about as appealing as chasing the old half-Jersey cow he kept in the horse pasture to supply milk for the kids. Flossy was a good cow, but he sure wasn’t into that!

Which led him right back to Darnell again. Well fuck! He didn’t use that word a lot and never in front of women or children, but it seemed to express his frustration. Maybe he could take the other man out on a ride someday soon and stop in a hidden meadow up on the side of the mountain. Then he’d get this crazy itch taken care of for once and for all...

Textual Attraction by K-lee Klein

Lewis has spent most of his adult life looking after his aging parents, and he recently ended a relationship with a domineering guy who’d been nothing but bad for him. Despite his less-than-stellar track record with men, he’s still hopeful there’s someone out there for him, but he’s learned to be careful with his heart. So he can’t figure out why a cryptic, gruff, drunken voice mail from a stranger named Jerry doesn’t make him hit the DELETE button. It’s clear the man’s got the wrong number. But when Jerry begins to text, Lewis finally responds, saying he’s not the guy Jerry wants. Jerry, however, is nothing if not persistent, and he keeps texting and teasing Lewis, even after he knows the truth.

Lewis is surprised when something sparks between them. Jerry turns out to be charming and witty, and they develop an odd friendship through text messages. When Jerry suggests they finally meet in person, Lewis is apprehensive, yet curious. Can he take the big step to meet Jerry face-to-face? More importantly, can he maybe even trust Jerry with his heart?

Genres: Gay/Contemporary
Heat Level: 2
Length: Extended Novella (34k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...The first phone call came when Lewis Snell was in the tub. He’d been enjoying a favorite read on his iPad, with his phone close by in case something exciting happened to rock his world on Facebook or Twitter. He’d nearly dropped his precious pad in the bubbly water when the ringing started and the phone clattered incessantly against the marble countertop because no one—absolutely no one—ever called him. And really, who ever used their cellphone for real calls anyhow?

He ignored it the best he could, silently wondering if he’d ever set up the voicemail or if anyone actually left messages anymore either. Even his seventy-seven-year-old mother texted him at least twice a day, plus emailed him more than that, rather than picking up the phone. And speaking of her, Lewis didn’t remember changing his ringtone to “YMCA.” She’d obviously gotten hold of it and worked her magic on it—devious black magic in Lewis’ book.

Once he was perfectly wrinkled from the lavender bathwater, Lewis crawled carefully from the tub. He wrapped his favorite white, fresh-from-the-dryer, Egyptian cotton towel around his shoulders while he stared at the blinking message on his phone.

You have one missed call.

You have one voicemail.

Apparently, his mailbox had been set up after all, but whether Lewis knew the password would be revealed soon enough.

After grabbing up the phone and his tablet, Lewis padded sleepily from his en suite to his bedroom, quickly tugging on his plaid pajama pants and oversized Glee T-shirt to beat the chill of the room from settling in. He popped his evening meds, then tucked himself into bed with his iPad and phone at the ready.

Princess Peony, his beloved and bossy feline, soon joined him, nudging against his chin, until he made room for her on his lap, while he reclined against the leather headboard. She pawed and kneaded him into the best cat bed possible before purring herself to sleep with Lewis absently stroking her fur. In his other hand, he gripped his phone as if it were ready to explode.

“I’m acting ridiculous,” he said to absolutely no one. “It’s only a phone call. Doesn’t mean it has to be bad news or any news at all.” He’d seen his mother earlier, and he’d heard his father shuffling around the apartment, so Lewis’ two biggest fears were unfounded.

With the gentle slide of his finger, he arrived at the voicemail page. He didn’t recognize the number, but he threw caution to the wind, guessed his password in two shots, and pressed the play button.

“Hey, Tom. It’s Jerry…”

Tom and Jerry, really? Now all Lewis could picture was a feuding cat and mouse, and that made him feel old—old and extremely curious.

“I know we didn’t end on good terms last week, but I found that color-challenged knit cap of yours in between the cushions of my couch. I know you’re pretty attached to it, so I figured you’d want it back. You already have my number…or maybe you don’t. It’s 555-6722, so, you know, if you want it just give me a call or else I’ll just drop it in the lap of that homeless guy down on Seventh. Doesn’t matter to me. Yeah, okay…well, later…or not.”

Lewis quite liked the deep, raspy voice. It was one of very few kinks for him, surely obtained from television and movies with hot growly men in them. Kink aside, he found himself interested in the stranger in the message, despite the weird cartoon names and telltale slur he attributed to alcohol. The background noise was rife with loud music and glass bottles clinking together. Calling from a bar to return, or not return, an ugly cap didn’t seem the perfect way to go about talking to someone. But who was Lewis, who rarely used the phone at all, to judge?...