Revamped Cover Reveal for Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield!

I am thrilled to be helping author friend Olivia Mayfield reveal  her revamped cover for her sci-fi New Adult romance novel Ten Days! You ready for it? Are you? Are you?

OMG isn't it fantastic???

Here's the blurb:

TEN DAYS is a New Adult/YA crossover romance novel, based on the sci-fi short story “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster.

Nineteen-year-old Cally isn’t like the others. In her society, the Machine caters to every whim, ensuring people don’t have to leave their pods. But Cally and her best friend Marshal find themselves drawn to how things used to be, when people lived on the surface of the earth and relied upon manpower, not technology. When physical contact wasn’t uncivilized, and love was normal, acceptable, embraced. Cally tries to swallow down her increasing dissatisfaction with the “rules,” as well as her rapidly developing feelings for Marshal, a task getting harder each day.

Then, things start going downhill, fast. Food is spoiled. Air grows musty. The population panics about the dysfunction–is it sabotage? Anarchy? But Cally and Marshal discover the truth: The Machine, the answer to all their problems for longer than anyone can remember, is breaking down. Now, these two have to risk it all to save themselves and the people they care about…before their entire world destroys itself.

Check it out today!

Olivia Mayfield has been an unabashed fan of romance since she was a young teen, secretly devouring her mom’s Harlequins. She has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, as well as a Master’s degree in English, and lives with her family in Ohio. In her free time, she loves reading, shopping, wearing absurdly high-heeled boots, cheesecake, singing karaoke, and harassing her friends.

Website: oliviamayfield.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorOliviaMayfield

Twitter: @OliviaMayfield

Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17643885-ten-days

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Days-ebook/dp/B00CQ5U5VG/

BN link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ten-days-olivia-mayfield/1115279796?ean=2940016699639&isbn=2940016699639

Kobo link: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/ten-days-1/WdaKXoFi8EiqQzcsMHmcpQ

iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ten-days/id649567063?mt=11

Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316227

On Being Disrespectful

I usually stay in my own little corner of the internet, interacting with friends on Twitter and Facebook and sometimes even Tumblr. But every so often I see something that makes me blood boil. I may vent about it on Twitter, or text a few close friends in an effort to preserve my online image. But I can't keep quiet about this. The "this" in question being the Reviews By Jessewave post that made several social networks blow up last night. Or, at least, my portion of them.

As Heidi Cullinan said in her brilliant post on the subject, Wave as well as other reviewers (not to mention readers) are free to read and review anything they like. I don't have a problem with that. I'm in no position to judge anyone for their preferences. My issue comes in when you (however inadvertently) insult me as an author, the genre that I write in (which you claim to love) as well as readers of said genre.

My name is Brien Michaels. And I write m/m romance. And sometimes my men may have sex with women. And always because it serves the story. Anyone who's read Can't Make You Love Me knows that not only does Dylan have sex with a female, but he has sex with three. Because he's struggling with his sexuality and is trying so hard to convince himself that he isn't attracted to his best friend that he beds these women so he can prove to himself that he's still straight. It's not fair to the women, by any means and don't think I'm making excuses for his behavior, but the fact remains: the sex was necessary for the story. I won't shy away from writing the best story I can, the story my readers deserve, just because someone feels like certain scenes shouldn't be there. I would be doing them a disservice if I did anything else.

Wave claims that we are disrespecting the readers of the genre by including "het sex" in our books. I know that some readers don't like "girly bits" in their m/m, but I wonder if they actually feel disrespected. I also wonder, at this point, if Wave can call herself a true fan/reader of the genre if she's only looking at one aspect of it. The ultimate pairing is m/m, we know this. But in any real-world relationship, there are going to be bumps along the way. There are going to be men attracted to men as well as women. There are going to be men who may not have necessarily been born as men. There may even be men who don't realize that they want to be with a man until much later in life. We owe it to the readers to write those stories just as much as the stories about the men who meet a guy in a bar, blow him the bathroom and fall in love with him before they walk out the front door. Readers complain about situations in the books being unrealistic...so why should we not be allowed to write realistic ones? She disrespects us as authors by implying, or outright saying, anything differently. We should be able to write what we write without fear of bashing just because a dick may go into a pussy instead of an asshole.

People keep making reference to Wave's various "phobias", be it trans*, bi, or whatever. But these are not phobias. She is not scared. She is something else altogether.

I would never dream of disrespecting my readers. I love my readers. Sometimes, I love them more than I love my boyfriend. Even when they hate what I write, I still love them. Because they took the time out of their day to sit down and read something that I wrote and felt so passionately about it that they either sent me an email or took further time to write a review. As I said earlier, I feel as though I would be disrespecting them by not giving them the full story. They deserve nothing less. Heidi Belleau posted an open letter to Wave stating many of the same things that I've restated here, but it is worth a read, because she says some things better than I ever could.

It just boggles my mind that in 2013 when we have to put up with so much hatred from the outside world, when we're fighting so hard for equality that we must put up with this from people who claim to support us. Us being members of the GLBT community and their supporters. It's insane. And people like Wave...they're as bad as the people who are out and out trying to persecute us.

But they're okay with their bigotry. So I guess they expect us to be, too.

Crazy Dreams

Anyone who knows me knows I am a major song whore. To the point the original title of this post was Thank God Even Crazy Dreams Come True, which is of course a line from a Carrie Underwood song. But I elected to just go with the title, instead. It suits my purposes just fine.

A little over a year ago, a new publisher opened their doors. I knew nothing about them, but just from looking at their website and their rather...er...exclusive tastes, I knew that I wanted to sign with them. But I couldn't think of the right story. It couldn't just be any one. It had to be perfect.

They put out a call for submissions and almost at once an idea sprang to mind. That idea grew to become As Long As You're Mine. They aren't who published it, of course, but that's neither here nor there. A few months down the line they put out another call. I started a story for it, but stalled out before long because it just didn't grab me the way I needed it to. Then, two weeks before the deadline, the editor who put out the call gets on Twitter and requests a story about a sperm-eating plant. A little unconventional, sure, but I agreed to write it. And good lord was it dark. I sent it in, and the editor loved it, but there were just a few things that needed tweaking before she'd offer a contract.

I made the tweaks, sent it back, and I'm now thrilled to announce that I've officially signed with Riptide Publishing! The story is called Out From Under and it will be part of their Bump in the Night anthology, out this fall. Dreams come true, people. Especially you authors, out there. All you have to do is work towards them and not give up. Publishing is hard work, but if you're willing to put in the effort, it can also be the ride of your life.

The Next Big Thing

Welcome to the Brien Michaels edition of the Next Big Thing! I was tagged in by the fabulous VJ Summers and I'm gonna be talking about my upcoming release from Loose Id.

What is the working title of your book?

Not Like the Movies

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It came from a Carrie Underwood song, interestingly enough. That's so funny to me because the title is from a song by Katy Perry. *Shrugs*


What genre does your book fall under?


Contemporary m/m erotic romance.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When he learns his roommate's true identity, Jay must decide if he wants to continue the relationship they started through phone sex.

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

It's actually releasing on Tuesday from Loose Id! Leave a comment if you want to be notified by email when it's available.

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

About a month. Shocking, since it's only a novella, but things got really hectic around that time.

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

I have no idea, actually. It's got phone sex, and secret identities, and holidays and a strip tease...I'm not sure I've ever read another book quite like it. But if anything, I would say one of Daisy Harris's Holsum College stories. Mainly because it takes place on a college campus and has that whole self discovery thing going on.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

This is actually Book 2 in my Sexy College Studs series. Book 1 was inspired by a call for submissions Riptide Publishing put out last year, so I guess this book wouldn't exist had I not seen that. But this story in particular is inspired by the Carrie Underwood song Quitter, and I certain guy I know, who I shall refer to as Silk.

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

Have you ever read phone sex? Cuz it's all up and through this book. Also, it's a guy's journey to falling in love the first time. Who doesn't love that?

Blurb:

Jay has spent the last decade in front of a computer. He watches movies, taking everything he knows from them. But lately he’s started to want more. Including a one night stand with his super-hot roommate Chris. Starting off slow, he’s called the Sexy College Studs hotline, and the sexy sounding Duke.

Chris has had everything handed to him his entire life, but college life is tough. In an effort to earn more cash, he’s been working for Sexy College Studs. On the phone, he goes by the name Duke and is in high demand, with more repeat customers than any other guy in the company. But his clients bore him. Except the mysterious Kyle, the guy with the strange fascination with movies, who wants him for companionship, not just sex.

When Jay and Chris find out each other’s true identities, it’s weird for both of them, but Chris is up for the challenge. He wants a month to prove to Jay that true love isn’t what you see in the movies. But he falls for Jay harder than he expected. If he wins, he gets the relationship he’s always craved, but if he loses, he could lose Jay forever.

Not Like the Movies releases from Loose Id on Christmas Day.

Not Like the Movies

Bask in the beauty of the cover for Not Like the Movies, releasing on 12/25/12 from Loose Id! Artwork by the fabulous Valerie Tibbs.

Welcome Back Tara Lain!

Today sees the return of the amazing Tara Lain, who I met at GRL this year and, let me tell you, she is just as amazing as she seems! Without further ado, take it away, Tara!

Real Life Magic

Hi everyone. I'm delighted to be visiting with Brien today. We just got to meet face-to-face at GayRomLit for the first time where I got to discover how very young he is and he got to discover how very not young I am! LOL. It was a fantastic retreat and I had a great time. I bet Brien did too.
If you have read any of my books, you probably know that, like Brien, I write contemporary romance. That's what I love to read and to write. I enjoy the fantasy-like quality of romance presented in a realistic setting. Somehow that makes it more fun and exciting for me. I guess it doesn't surprise me when true love wins in Camelot or Regency England or in outer space, but when people get a happy ever after in our real world, it makes it even more special.

BUT, I also love paranormal romance. I've worked my way through a lot of vampires and werewolves and elves in my time. So it's not surprising that I even like my paranormal romance contemporary. I've gobbled my way through a bunch of Charlaine Harris, Laurell K Hamilton and J.R. Ward to say nothing of Lynn Lorenz. So when I decided to take a turn at paranormal romance myself in Spell Cat, I set my witch story in New York City in the relative normality of a college. The same setting holds true for my new novel, Brush with Catastrophe. Brush with Catastrophe is the sequel to Spell Cat and the second of the Aloysius Tales.

In Brush with Catastrophe, my hero is a college student and a painter. Oh yes, and a witch. And his painting is also his witchy talent. He's a prophetic painter--what he paints always comes true. He's gay but sadly has a huge crush on his BFF Ryder (nickname Alvish) who is straight and human but keeps changing so much he's barely recognizable. Then this really gorgeous angel-looking guy shows up. But the angel just might be a devil. The fun for me is having all these extraordinary things happening in a perfectly ordinary setting -- like a one-room student apartment or a coffee shop. I guess no matter how extraordinary the paranormal happenings--lightning used as a weapon and humans changing into something new-- nothing is as amazing as true love.

Would you like to win a $10 Gift Card or a signed copy of Golden Dancer in print, or a bag of swag, or a choice of ebook from my backlist? Just leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL.  Winners will be announced on November 5^th! Just come to my book blog Beautiful Boys Books to see the winner. Hint-- every comment is entered for the Gift Card, but the other prizes will be awarded to people who comment on the “mystery” blogs during the tour. Only I know which ones they are. So hop over to Beautiful Boys Books and look at the tour schedule. You may want to add a comment to some of the other blogs just to up your chances of winning the prizes. And thank you so much for visiting!

Excerpt Adult: Brush with Catastrophe by Tara Lain; MM Paranormal with Witches!
Available from Loose Id   Amazon

Sammy Raphael is a crappy witch. And on top of that, he can't get a boyfriend. Where other supernaturals can bring down lightning and manifest wealth, Sammy can paint. True, the “prophetic” paintings he does at night always come true, but they never predict anything important. Then he paints a gorgeous guy and it turns out to be his secret crush, Ryder. But the guy has changed so much he's almost unrecognizably beautiful. And then Sammy paints an angel who turns out to be a witch. But is that witch also a devil? And why the hells does Ryder keep changing? Aloysius, the black cat familiar, always backs the winner. So why is he backing Sammy?

Heat. Bubbling, boiling. Hells, what kind of dream was this? Turn over. Reset. Sammy shifted but couldn't move from his back. Wait. Breathing in his ear. Not Al's. Shit, his cock was on fire! Sammy shot to the edge of his bed and sat up. His cock throbbed. “Hells. What the fuck is going on?”
Lucien beamed at him, lying on his side on the bed, fully clothed. Had the guy been jerking Sammy off? “Ah, my dear. I knew you regretted our not having sex, so I thought I'd do something to relax you.”

“What the fuck? How did you get in here? What is this?”

Lucien laughed as he reached out his hand and grabbed Sammy's cock. “Don't pretend you don't want it, darling. This hard-as-a-spike penis of yours tells a different story.”

Gods, his rubbing felt good. But somehow not in a good way. Sammy's body wanted to surrender, but his brain screamed at him. He hadn't asked for this. He summoned what will he could and pulled his body back against the headboard. “Look, I get that you might think I want sex. But that doesn't mean you can break into my place and force yourself on me. Go home and call me tomorrow, like you said.”
Lucien sat up, and his eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I made a mistake. But since I am here now, with cock at the ready, why don't we just fuck?” He dived toward Sammy, who skittered off the edge of the bed and hit the wall hard with his back.

“Have you lost your mind? Get away from me.” His heart beat fast, and his cock had definitely given up any desires and was in full-flight mode with the rest of Sammy's body.

Lucien came up on his knees. “You need more persuasion, little witch?”

“No!” Was Lucien being cute? Maybe he was turned on by violence like that other witch who had come from Europe and tried to seduce Killian.

Lucien began a low, mumbling chant. Then Sammy heard a shriek from the bathroom. Aloysius. “Al!” The damned witch had locked the familiar away. Shit, how much power did that take?

The chanting got stronger. Sammy felt like energy flowed out of his fingertips and formed a puddle on the floor. Soon he'd be that puddle. He inched away from Lucien, his naked back still to the wall in the narrow space behind the bed.

Lucien gazed at him, and his blue eyes shone. “Stop being silly, Samlyn. Let's just have sex and get it over with.”

“If you're trying to woo me, asshole, you sure have a funny way of showing it.” But his knees felt like rubber.

“Merrrrrwaorrrr.” The shriek echoed through the room. Sammy's neighbors were pretty private, but somebody had to hear that cat. Surely they'd report it.

Lucien walked on his knees across the bed toward Sammy. Sammy wanted to run, but no body part was cooperating. The angel beamed. “Let me get that lovely penis back in action. I can make you come until you black out from pleasure. You know I can.” He mumbled the chant.

“No, Lucien, no!”

Lucien's brilliant beauty darkened. “Now you're just being silly, aren't you? Say you're being silly.”

“Merwaaaaoooowr.”

Lucien spat, “Shut up, you fucking cat.”

“Merwaoooowwwwrrrrrr.”

The caterwauling shrieked through the room; Sammy's ears hurt, and Lucien cringed like it pained him too.

Lucien raised the decibels on his chanting, and Sammy flowed to the floor like his bones had dissolved.

The witch leaned over him, grasped Sammy's hair, and pulled his head back. “Time to fuck, little witch.”

Had to fight. Had to. This witch would not force him. No!

“Merwaooooowrrr. Merrrwaoooorrrr. Merwaowrrrrr.”

Lucien unfastened his fly and pulled out that unfurled cobra cock.

Sammy's brain screamed. Shit, no. Not in me!

Lucien shoved Sammy until he fell sideways with his ass twisted toward Lucien. The strange dick that got scarier looking by the second pushed against his ass. Sammy took a deep breath and managed to raise a leg high enough to slam Lucien hard back on the side of the bed. Lucien's golden head cracked on the footboard.

“How dare you?” Lucien rose back up. “It's time to stop playing.”

Playing? Was the guy nuts? Sammy scooted along the wall until Lucien grabbed his hair. Ouch! Hells.

Lucien's chanting got louder, and that cock reptile came straight at Sammy's mouth.

“Merwwwwwaaaaaowwwrrr.”

Were the walls shaking? Gods, blackness. Couldn't fight. Going under. Felt good to give up. Give up.
***********************
E-mail:                   tara@taralain.com
Website:              http://www.taralain.com
Author blog:       http://taralain.blogspot.com
Book blog:           http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com
Goodreads:        http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain
Twitter:               http://twitter.com/taralain
Facebook:           http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686
FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Lain/205042046209804

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Tara-Lain/e/B004U1W5QC/
B&N  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Tara-Lain?keyword=Tara+Lain&store=book
ARe http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Tara+Lain

Bio:

Tara Lain's first erotic romance novel was published in January of 2011. She's now on book 16. Her novels have garnered awards for Best Series of 2011, Best Contemporary Romance, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm, and she carries her promotional instincts into her writing career as well. She lives  with her soul-mate husband in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books.  Passionate about diversity,  justice, and new experiences , Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

Blog Tour and Cover Reveal

So this has been a whirlwind couple months! It's been ages since Last Friday Night came out, so I'm thrilled that I've got a new release in just over a week! It's my first book with Loose Id and is a sexy little story about discovering your sexuality through the magic of phone sex. The book is called As Long As You're Mine (which is a total nod to how obsessed I am with the musical Wicked) and is the first book in my Sexy College Studs series.

Which brings me to the reason for this post. I'm going on tour! This is definitely the largest blog tour I've done so far, so I hope everyone can come out to visit me. There'll be prizes at most stops, including at $25 Amazon GC to one random commenter at the tour's conclusion. But before I announce the stops, who wants to see the cover art? I know you do...

Isn't it awesome? I love it soo much!

Now, about this here blog tour... Stops and dates are as follows:

10/2 (Release day): Mama Kitty Reviews

10/3: Tara Lain's blog

10/4: Unapologetic Fiction with Sommer Marsden

10/5: Avril Ashton's blog

10/7: Angela Kay Austin's Romancing the Pen

10/9: Elise Hepner's blog

10/10: Leah Braemel's blog


It's not as ambitious as some tours I've seen, but hey. Hope to see you all there. :-)