To the Max by Julie Lynn Hayes

March 26, 2010

To the Max by Julie Lynn Hayes is now available in paperback and eBook.

What’s a man to do, I ask you, when his own mother is more accepting of his lycanthropy than his homosexuality? I’ll tell you what I do: absolutely nothing. (I’m really a laid-back kind of guy, despite that werewolf thing.) Maximillian Jean-Baptiste Montague, at your service. But please, call me Max. I write a syndicated column—To The Max—offering advice to the romantically challenged, and I think I’m doing pretty well for myself. Yet I can’t seem to find the backbone to stop my mother from setting me up on blind dates of the female variety. Go figure.

I do my best to get along, not cause any trouble, and keep my life on an even keel. But right now somebody’s rocking my dream boat, and I don’t like it. Not one little bit. My longtime live-in lover Richard is coming and going without explanation. Amy Rose, a wannabe lover from my past, is back in town, and she’s brought her nephew, Morgan, who is making a play for my Richard—why does no one see that but me? And on top of all that, my mother is dating a homophobic minister, and she wants to “cure” me. Can life get any worse?

Win DSP gift certificates!

March 24, 2010

The Easter Bunny has been hippity-hopping around Dreamspinner Press’s web site, leaving Easter eggs hidden in various places. There are twenty-five Easter eggs on different pages. If you want to hunt for them, email the names of the products where you find them to ariel@dreamspinnerpress.com before 6 PM Eastern Time on April 1 to be entered in a drawing for $50, $25, and $10 gift certificates. The winners will be announced the evening of April 1. See if you can find them all!

An Academic Dilemma by Alix Bekins

March 24, 2010

An Academic Dilemma by Alix Bekins is now available in eBook.

Art history student Rodrigo is in the middle of a busy semester when he literally runs into a sexy librarian. He and Ian discover they have more in common than just instant attraction and friendship; there’s a kinky element to their affair they both enjoy. But Rodrigo is also drawn to Professor Daniel Sullivan, and he just can’t shake the desire he feels for the older man.

The end of the term reveals a few surprising secrets about both objects of Rodrigo’s desires, and while he’s thrilled by the games of trust and passion with Ian, it’s fantasies of Daniel dominating him that are setting Rodrigo on fire.

Reprint: This short story was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Size Matters.

Dominant Chord by Andrew Grey

March 24, 2010

Dominant Chord by Andrew Grey is now available in eBook.

When Reed approaches Dale at the company Christmas party, Dale is sure it’s a fluke. But Reed knows what he wants, and what he wants is to be with Dale… and to be in control. It will set the tone for their whole relationship, a romance Dale isn’t sure Reed wants.

The Year without Summer by G.S. Wiley

March 24, 2010

The Year without Summer by G.S. Wiley is now available in eBook.

Lieutenant Robert Pierce of the Royal Navy was raised in the shadow of his father, a great admiral, and has spent his life on the high seas fighting the ships of Napoelon Bonaparte. When he loses a leg in battle and is confined to land, Robert is devastated. Taken in by his sister Maria, Robert faces the infamously cold, wet summer of 1816 trying to adjust to his new life. It’s made all the gloomier by his worry for his best friend and lover, Lieutenant John Burgess, who is still at sea… until a visitor brings a bright ray of sunshine into Robert’s overcast life.

Contest Winners!

March 22, 2010

Thank you to everyone who participated in the virtual release party for A Brush of Wings on Sunday, March 21. And congratulations to our contest winners, who will each receive a free copy of the anthology.

eBook winner: Vambrace
Paperback winner: vslavetopassionv

Get a copy for yourself at Dreamspinner Press!

A Brush of Wings anthology

March 22, 2010

A Brush of Wings anthology is now available in paperback and eBook.

Guardian spirits walk among us. They are heavenly beings who grant courage, unknown benefactors who offer help, best friends who lend their strength, and celestial beings who embody inspiration. You might not recognize these everyday angels or messengers of mercy, but the men in this anthology are touched by their purity and light and sometimes blessed by love.

Morning Glow by Taylor Lochland (A Brush of Wings)

March 22, 2010

Hi all, I’m Taylor Lochland, and I’m here with an excerpt of my story, Morning Glow, which is part of the “A Brush of Wings” anthology.

When I saw the submission call for this anthology, I knew I had to try to write something for it.  I’ve always had a soft spot for angels — both celestial and human.  It took me awhile to come up with a concept, though, and the story went through a few incarnations before the final version came to be (thanks to some great feedback).  Enjoy the excerpt, and enjoy the anthology!  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the stories myself.

Blurb: Benjamin and Alan have been friends since high school. Though they often drift apart, Alan always seems to come back when Benjamin needs him the most—like when Ben is grieving over a bad breakup. As always, Ben feels better just from spending time with Alan, but then he realizes he’s in love with Alan. This time when Alan takes off again, Ben isn’t going to let him go without a fight.

Excerpt:

Benjamin Winfield rubbed his eyes, looked at the clock, and saw it was already six in the morning. He yawned, unsure he’d get through the remaining hour of his shift, and went back to work on the patient charts. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and the papers fluttered to the floor and landed in a pile against the counter.

“Sorry about that.” Lisa, one of his fellow nurses, bent down to help retrieve the fallen paperwork. “You look like you’re about ready to collapse. Still having trouble sleeping?”

“Yeah.” It had been weeks since Benjamin managed a full eight hours, and it had nothing to do with working the night shift at the hospital. His two-year relationship with Ray had recently fallen apart, leaving Benjamin feeling like he was falling apart as well. Focusing on his work was the only thing that held him together, and that only barely.

“Maybe you should go home early and try to get some rest.” Lisa handed him the folders and looked at him with a sympathetic smile. “It’s slow right now. Tara and I can cover for you until the day shift gets here.”

Benjamin set the charts down. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go home to his empty apartment an hour earlier than he had to, but a wave of exhaustion that forced him to lean on the counter convinced him to accept the offer. “If you’re sure it’s all right.”

“It’s all right.” Lisa folded her arms across her chest and nodded in the direction of the door. “Now get out of here. Your friend’s out there waiting for you.”

“My friend?”

“Yeah. Cute skinny guy, short brown hair, about your age. I take it you weren’t expecting him?”

That woke Benjamin up. “No, but I think I know who it is.”

Benjamin clocked out, retrieved his things from his locker, and headed out into the waiting room. He grinned when Alan James, his oldest friend, looked up from a seat in the corner.

Alan closed the battered copy of Field & Stream he’d been reading. “Hi, Ben. Snuck out of your shift early, did you?” With the exception of slightly longer bangs, he looked the same as he had the last time they’d seen each other almost two years ago. It wasn’t the first time they’d been apart so long. Alan often had to go away for some reason or other, and even though they’d say they’d keep in touch, it never worked out that way. Still, Alan always managed to find his way back, usually when Benjamin needed him the most.

“They let me escape.” Benjamin glanced at the magazine. “In all the years I’ve known you, I never knew you were the outdoorsy type.”

Alan set the magazine on the nearby table. “It was that or Ladies’ Home Journal.”

“You can find some useful information in the journal.”

“It’s a shame I didn’t have time to go through both.” Alan stood up, walked up to Benjamin, and threw his arms around him. “Sorry I haven’t been in touch.”

The world seemed a little brighter as Benjamin returned the hug. “It’s okay. I’m just glad to see you.” He gave Alan’s back a few pats and then pulled away. “What are you doing here?”

“Duh. What do you think? I’m looking for you. I got back to town a few days ago. I tried to call your cell, but Ray answered, and he told me you guys split up. Sorry to hear that.” Alan briefly touched Benjamin’s hand, and Benjamin felt even better. “He told me you still worked the night shift here, so I decided to drop by. I asked around and found out you were working today, so I waited for you.” Alan chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess that makes me your stalker.”

Benjamin laughed for the first time in days. “If it was anyone but you, I’d agree. Anyway, yeah, my old phone was under Ray’s plan, so I had to get a new one.”

Purchase the anthology at Dreamspinner Press:

eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1738

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1757

Brush of Wings, “Some Comfort” S. Blaise

March 21, 2010

Yes I am still alive and still writing!  Life has been fairly busy for me recently, including moving house, but I couldn’t resist this submission call and I’m so glad I didn’t.  Taking a quick read through other posts it looks like there are some amazing stories in this anthology and I’m very happy that my little morsel of fiction is amongst them.

Story blurb:  Dale is having a hard time adjusting to everyday reality after returning from combat when he runs into Mal, a fellow soldier who’d saved his life during a missile attack. Mal seems determined to continue to watch over him even though Dale knows very little about the other man.  Why does Mal have such faith in him?  And will it be enough to drive the darkness inside Dale away?

A bit about “Some Comfort”:  The story was inspired by the Sarah McLachlan song “Angels” which I love, and its lyrics were where I got the title from.  Apparently the song is actually about the heroin overdose of Smashing Pumpkins’ keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who died in 1996 so . . . oops?  But I think like all good songs the lyrics can transcend their original meaning and have other interpretations, and it was my own view of the song that inspired the story.

Anyway enough of my blethering, onto the excerpt!

Dale shrugged again.  “I don’t know.  It’s not like I buy into the whole ‘angel’ belief really; it’s only another thing people use to keep them from realizing just how shit life really is.”

“Hmm,” Mal replied noncommittally.  “You didn’t always think that way, though.”

Dale’s eyebrows rose.  “No, I suppose not,” he recalled.  “We were never a religious family, but I remember in my bedroom there’d been this picture of an angel, an old painting I think had been my gran’s.  I’d always liked lying on my bed looking at it.  Whenever I was upset or scared, it always calmed me down.”

The angel had been wearing the typical loose-fitting white robe, with long, wavy hair flowing down.  Dale couldn’t remember now what she had been looking at in the painting, but he would always remember the expression on her face: one of sweet, benevolent serenity.  He’d often felt she was looking at him, as if telling him everything would be all right.  He tried to describe the picture to Mal, holding back his feelings about it.

“Are you sure it was a female angel in that picture?” Mal asked him.  “Angels are supposed to be sexless, you know.”

“Poor bastards.”  Mal’s warm, delighted laugh washed over him, urging his own lips to turn up in a weak smile.  “I’m probably going to Hell for saying that, aren’t I?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it; you’re only human, you’re allowed to make a joke or two.  So what happened to that picture?”

“I don’t know; I took it down when I hit my hormonal teenage years.  It probably got thrown out or given to charity ages ago.”

“A shame.”

Dale shrugged once more.  It wasn’t like he had any use for it now.  Funny, the things you remembered from childhood.  “What are you doing here, Mal?” he asked again, realizing the other man had never answered his question.

Anthology page on Dreamspinner:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=1738

I also just found out today that the story I submitted for the June Daily Dose anthology, Midsummer’s Nightmare, has been accepted!  It’s called Vampire Movie Night and is more comedy than horror with a bit of a twist at the end.  Please keep an eye out for it!

Contest!

March 21, 2010

We’ll be selecting a name at random from everyone who comments today to win an eBook version of A Brush of Wings, but if you’d like to win a paperback version of the anthology, just answer these three easy questions. We’ll draw a winner from all correct entries received by midnight ET tonight. Don’t post your answers here – e-mail them to me at anneregan@dreamspinnerpress.com. If you are the winner, I’ll e-mail you back to get your snail-mail address to send your prize.

1) How many stories are there in A Brush of Wings?

2) Who are the only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible?

3) What animal appears in the title of one of the stories in the anthology?

HINT: Go to the Coming Soon announcement for A Brush of Wings at the Dreamspinner Press website. Click on the “Read an Excerpt” link – at least two of the three answers can be found there.

Good luck!

Anne