Flirty Friday: Edge of Heaven

 Edge of Heaven is on sale this month as part of the MM Spicy Books promo on Bookfunnel:  https://books.bookfunnel.com/mmspicybooks/15p4s9binx

Here's an excerpt: 

Surprise has short-circuited my reasoning. I know this to be true because before I’m even aware of it, I’m kissing him back. It’s shock; that’s all. A reflex. And maybe a little curiosity. I’ve been wondering for so long what something like this would be like. I’ve been wanting it for so long. Craving it, really. And his lips—so warm and gentle at first, so insistent an instant later—how can I resist his lips or the scratchy stubble that surrounds them, so different from anything I’ve known before? But it’s purely shock. Or mostly shock…partially…

Okay, look, the shock’s there, all right? It’s definitely somewhere in the mix; that’s all I’m gonna say.

My body seems to have switched to automatic pilot. Without any encouragement from my brain, my lips part for his tongue. My eyes are closed tight in bliss and denial. The taste and the smell and the feel of him—it’s enough to overload my senses, so sweet, so tangy and male. So good. So right.

So…fucking perfect, actually. And who could ever have predicted that would be the case?

I suck on his tongue, pulling it deeper into my mouth. I’m startled by how much I want that, how much I crave the feel of that agile muscle filling my mouth, taking possession of every inch. My hands grope blindly, searching for some way to anchor us together, clutching at his shoulder, his waist, anywhere my fingers can find a purchase.

Matteo sighs against my lips. He shifts a little—is he moving away? Is he breaking this off? I can’t be certain, but I’m taking no chances. I tug him closer, canting my head to the side to tempt him with greater access. I shudder in pleasure at the way our bodies fit together. I can’t let this end. I won’t let it end. Not yet.

Why should I, anyway? It’s just a kiss, after all. Innocent. Harmless. Nothing to get too excited about. Just a kiss and yet…my cock swells and throbs, demanding more. Demanding pressure and friction. Movement. Heat. I’m giving serious thought to the idea of tumbling backward into the sand, pulling him down with me, on top of me. My head spins with the thought of how it will feel to be pinned to the ground, helpless beneath his weight. I want that. Oh, how I want that.

I’m breathless and fevered, and suddenly, in the midst of it all, my conscience makes a belated and completely unwelcome appearance.

Oh, holy crap. What the fuck do you think you’re doing? This is a mistake. Stop it.

Right. A mistake. I knew that.

I start to pull away, only to find that—somehow—Matteo’s hand is cupping the back of my neck. How it got there, when it got there, I have no idea. His fingers are tangled up in my hair; they tense as I try to move, tightening their grip. Then his other hand joins the party, caressing my neck, my shoulder. Obviously, he intends to gentle me into staying right where I am.

You might think knowing what he’s up to would be enough to cool my blood, to clear my head, to stop my body from responding just like he wants it to, but it’s not. Not even close. I exhale on a shudder, let my tongue curl with his, and I’m lost again. This is too good, too right, too fucking sexy. I’m not going anywhere.

And you know what? I’m really kind of okay with that.

Okay? The hell you are. End this. Now!

Desperation kicks in and demands I try again. I straight-arm Matteo in the chest, forcing him away. I struggle for the right words. “Stop it,” I say. “Enough now.” What I really mean is more.

Matteo licks his lips. My cock jerks in response. He smiles faintly. “All right, if that’s what you want. I just had to be sure.”

There’s a heated, carnal look to his gaze. It makes me suspicious over the ease with which he’s giving in and secretly hopeful his quick capitulation is merely a trick of some sort. I’m teetering on the verge of pulling him back for another kiss. Who’s to know? And besides, what would it hurt?

I know I’m probably better off not knowing, but I ask it just the same. “What do you mean? Sure about what?”

“That you feel it too.”

It? Oh yeah. I huff out a shaky breath. I’m pretty sure I know what he means by “it,” but sometimes—like now—the best answer to give is no answer at all.

Conscience clamps my mouth shut and orders me not to speak. Not. One. Word.

My silence seems to disappoint him. I guess I should have known he wouldn’t let me leave it at that. His fingers trace lightly over the line of my jaw. His voice is smooth as syrup. “You do, don’t you, Edge? It’s not just me imagining things?”

“Imagining things?” I repeat his words blankly, having lost the conversational thread. “You can pretty much count on it. This place is built on imagination.” Right now, however, the only thing I’m imagining is how wonderful those fingers would feel skating along the length of my cock. Or better yet, how his tongue would feel…

“Yeah, I get that.” Matteo rubs his thumb across my lower lip, and I have to fight against the insane desire to nibble at the tip or maybe suck the whole digit into my mouth. “But not this time, right? This thing between us—crazy as it seems—this is real. You feel it too. I know you do.”

I don’t answer. There’s a ringing in my ears. I’m pretty sure it’s the sound of blood leaving my brain. Given the swollen condition of my cock, there’s no mystery as to where it’s headed. How did this happen? When did I lose control?

“Edge?”

I shake my head. I can’t speak. I don’t trust myself to. Who knows what I’ll end up saying? I glance away, try to focus on the shore, the rocks, the waves, the sky—anything as long as it’s not him.

“Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll stop.”

“It doesn’t matter what I want.” The words are so painfully true they give me the strength to meet his gaze. “This is as far as it goes, Matt. I mean it.”

What I'm Reading: Wednesday January 10, 2024

 

So recently I finally got around to reading Casey McQuiston's Red, White and Royal Blue, which has been on my TBR pile for quite a while, but which I just never got around to reading. I don't know why that is. I've been a big McQuiston fan since reading One Last Stop, which I loved. And I generally read A LOT of M/M romance. I think, honestly, it was the political angle that was turning me off. And the British angle. And then, of course, it became incredibly popular and that was cause enough to ignore it.

The political situation in this country is just. So. Fucked up. The tought of reading a book centered around American politics was intensely cringe. And while I have nothing against the British per se (my DIL is from the UK. I've had friends and family members who've lived/still live there) I DO NOT understand why so many Americans are so deeply, profoundly invested in the British Royal family. I think the level of privilege is obscene and the outmoded protocols are absurd. But that's all beside the point. 

I ended up enjoying the book very much and thought it was very well done. One thing I really enjoy about McQuiston's books (the two that I've read) is that she gets her locations RIGHT. I lived in NYC  during the late 70s/early 80s--which is exactly when and where part of One Last Stop is set.  So I really appreciated that there was nothing to jar me out of the story with a sense of, "Well, that's just not right!" Which happens way too often, unfortunately.

I think I've been to all the locations in RW&RB and lived in at least two of them (three if you count NYC, which is only mentioned in passing) and once again it was seamless and FUN. I got homesick for California just listening to her characters talk about it; and found myself feeling more appreciative of my current home state of Texas  due to her depictions of Texas and Texans, which were spot on and FONDLY portrayed.  

Right now, everything in this country is so polarized. It was nice to look back (even from this short distance) to a time when things weren't quite to hate-filled.

So I enjoyed the American parts of the book much more than I was anticipating. Even the politics was handled in an enjoyable manner. I also enjoyed the Claremont-Diaz family's interactions. Where the book fell down a little for me was in the British protocols. And for that I blame author KJ Charles. 

Charles IS British and she writes about the aristocracy with  incontestable AUTHORITY. By which I mean, I have no way of knowing whether she's actually right about everything she writes concerning titles, inheritance law, etc, but she is clearly knowledgeable about the subject and writes with such confidence that I have absolute faith in everything she says about the matter.

And, in short, I've read enough UK-set romances to have serious doubts about a lot of McQuiston's British characters. 

Whatever, it's a REALLY small quibble. I do wish she'd been more vague about the time frame in which the book is set, because that did pull me out of the book, trying to reconcile what actually happened IRL with what happened in the book. This was especially obvious because the book was first published in 2019 and all the events in the book take place in 2020. And, well, we know how THAT turned out.

I also wish she'd invented a fictitious kingdom for Henry to be a scion of.  That would have solved all my disconnect surrounding inheritance laws, protocols, and Britain's political structure. 

***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: British princesses really cannot threaten to depose their mothers (especially not by informing parliament that the Queen should be replaced because her memory is failing). The Princess Royal would be her mother's heir--it doesn't skip a generation. She would not have married against her mother's wishes and, were the heir to the throne to die, his spouse would NOT be in line to succeed him. That is not how any of that works.***

But these are all ME problems, not BOOK problems. All I'm saying is that they wouldn't be problems at all if the times and/or places were a little less specific.

It's one of the things that I really, really appreciated about Kelly Jamieson's brilliant and sadly underrated book, Royally Indecent. It's a fun M/M/F menage featuring a European Prince and not one but TWO Americans.  I highly recommend it.

And if you want to see actual members of the British Royal family tossed into a completely fantastical story--along with an additional, totally fictitious royal family--I'd recommend Alex Beecroft's Too Many Faery Princes. Which is delightful.

Oh, and KJ Charles' Will Darling Adventures has a lot of information regarding British laws and the aristocracy. It's set in the 1920s, so NOT contemporary, but really quite good.

 

Tuesday/Newsday For Tuesday January 09, 2024

 

Now Available for Pre-Order!

Releases January 23, 2024

https://books2read.com/Welcome-to-Oberon

www.KoboPlusRomanceBinge.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/worththewaitseasonedromancereaders

M/M Spicy Books!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mmspicybooks/15p4s9binx

Includes my book, Edge of Heaven

https://books.pgforte.com/EdgeOfHeaven

FREE STEAMY M/M BOOKS!

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Includes my book, Angel Mine

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mmfreebies/vu34moeomo

Mug Shot Monday: Tall Dark & Bitter

 

So I've been using my Tall Dark & Bitter mug recently. No particular reason. I'd put away my Christmas mugs, and this felt very Januaryish. 

I bought it when I was writing Children of Night. It reminds me of Damian. lol!

That's it, I'm afraid. It's a fairly shallow post. 

So, here's an excerpt from Old Sins, Long Shadows. The setting is Seville, in the Fifteenth Century. This is from the night Conrad and Damian first met.

A wry smile curved Conrad’s lips. “Such a petulant little bird,” he said as his gaze swept the room. “Could it be he’s grown tired of his pretty, gilded cage? Is  your life here become so drear you long to escape it? Shall I oblige you in this? I could, you know.”

Damian shook his head. “Muchas gracias, Señor. Much as I appreciate your kind offer, to what would I escape? I assure you, this ‘little bird’ is quite content with his life in this cage, as you choose to call it. If it were up to me, I would never leave. Alas, such is not to be my fate.”

Conrad’s eyebrows rose. “Why is that?”

“Oh, what does it matter?” Wandering over to the window, Damian pulled the drapes aside and looked out. Moonlight illuminated the gardens below. Faint strains of music drifted to him on the sweet-smelling air. And, in the perfect sky above, the stars were shining. Only a fool would wish to be anywhere else, he thought as he glanced up at them. Only a fool would ask for anything more than I’ve been given. 

“In truth, it matters very little,” Conrad replied from behind him. “Yet, I confess, I find myself to be curious. Speak.” 

Damian sighed. “It has been decided that the duke should marry,” he explained, with his back still to the room. “And, soon, if the Crown has anything to say about it. Already, negotiations have begun with the families of several prospective brides. I have been a valued member of the royal household since I was little more than a boy. His Excellency has trusted me, relied upon me, made me privy to his every confidence. Not once in the past few years have I even been allowed to so much as stray from his side for more than a couple of hours. And yet, when that happy day arrives and the entire realm rejoices in my lord’s marriage, shall I be here to see it? No. I shall not. Out of deference to his new duchess, whoever she may be, I am to be sent away.”

Turning again, he smiled at Conrad. “I have, of course, no reason to complain about any of this, nor would I ever dream of doing so. It has been decided this course of action is in the best interests of all concerned and who am I to offer protest? Besides, I am to be rewarded most handsomely for my service here. I am to receive a new title and an estate in the country. It is even likely there will be an advantageous marriage arranged for me as well. And so the appearances will be preserved.”

“All the same, it sounds to me as though you are complaining,” Conrad pointed out. “And why, exactly? What is it that troubles you? This is hardly a tragedy that you have recounted to me. Are you so in love with him you cannot bear to be parted from your master? You’ll forgive my skepticism, but you do not kiss like a man whose heart belongs to another.”

“I have never claimed that was the case,” Damian replied. “I am at His Excellency’s service, nothing more. He honors me with his attention. But, what, pray tell, am I to find pleasing about this arrangement? I am in no way unhappy with my life here and would much prefer for it to continue unchanged.”

Conrad sighed. “Nothing continues unchanged. It is useless to wish for such a thing. The future you have outlined for yourself is far from unpleasant. Many people would count themselves lucky to be in your place.”

Damian inclined his head. “It is as you say. My options have always been limited by my situation. This is hardly the worst fate that could have befallen me. I am not unmindful of that fact. Indeed, I know many people who will be quite pleased. My father will be made happy because I will have increased the family’s fortunes and will at last have done something to bring honor to our name. My mother will rejoice at the prospect of more grandchildren upon whom she might dote. I’m sure even my future bride will find much with which to be content. Not only will she have escaped from an almost certain life of spinsterhood, but she will have her own household to run, a staff to oversee and—always assuming we can contrive to produce them, of course—children to raise. His Excellency, too, will have lost little and gained much since I will, as a matter of course, be expected to host several hunting parties for him each year, during which time I may rejoice in, once again, placing myself at his disposal.”

Filling his glass one more time, Damian sighed. “In fact, as it turns out, the only people likely to be at all inconvenienced are my elder brother—who I will have at last eclipsed—and myself. For I do not wish to spend the remainder of my years rusticating in bucolic seclusion, barred from society, from Sevilla, from this life to which I’m so well suited. I ask you, sir, what am I to do with myself in the country? What amusements do you suppose I shall find there? Shall I read? Take long walks through the mud? Grow things? And the hunting—ay, Dios mio—to go riding for hours through the trees and the weeds, clambering after a pack of yammering dogs! Tell me, what manner of sport is that for any man of sense to pursue?”

---

Want to read more? You Can Find a longer Excerpt here: Reader Link

Or Buy the Old Sins, Long Shadows here: 

Of all the mistakes Conrad Quintano has made, driving Damian away is the one that haunts him the most. He hates the fact that’s he’s hurt the man he loves more than anything. For the sake of the twins, though, Conrad and Damian parent as a united front, a challenge that grows more and more difficult with each passing year. And with Conrad in his weakened state after his kidnapping, it grows more difficult than ever to be around the one man he can’t have.

But an old enemy’s mission to create a dangerous new breed of vampire threatens the twins’ lives, and it’s now more important than ever that the estranged lovers put the past behind them, or everything they hold dear might be ripped apart.

https://books2read.com/u/31KAka

What I'm Reading post for: Wednesday January 03, 2024

 

So this week's post is a little bit different. Because "what I'm reading" is an spectacularly annoying article about Romance. And it really got me pissed off.

https://parade.com/books/best-romance-books-of-all-time

For once it's not the typical, "Romance Sucks, Here's Why," kind of article. But that doesn't actually make it better. Along with the usual ignorance of the genre ("Is there an official Second Chance sub-category? There should be" Gee, d'you think? What a good idea. We'll get right on that!) we're treated to an extended mansplanation of what the romance genre is all about. And, let me tell you: apparently we've been looking at the genre ALL WRONG.

"a good cry can be very romantic too. Isn’t the film Casablanca romantic, even though Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman go their separate ways? At Parade, we enjoy them all; if it makes you swoon, it’s a romance."

Yeah, well. To quote The Big Lebowski: That's just like...your opinion, man. 

via GIPHY

And, anyway, it's completely wrong. Swooning has its place, but it's certainly not the be-all, end-all criteria of what makes a romance a romance. 

I've "enjoyed" a lot of the books on this list, but that doesn't make them romances.  Or, to put it another way...

 A book can be "romantic" AF and still not be a romance. The two things are not the same. And Casablanca? So NOT a Romance. Just like Romeo and Juliet, which the author of the article OF COURSE has to cite, calling it a "tragic romance" which it absolutely is not. It's a tragedy involving two teenagers in lust. It's a Cautionary Tale, which is pretty much the antithesis of a ROMANCE. 

Anyway...included among the books listed in the article as "swoon-worthy romances" are:

Daisy Jones and the Six

The Fault in Our Stars

Wuthering Heights

The Notebook

Love Story

The Thorn Birds

The Time Traveler's Wife

A Tale of Two Cities

Farewell to Arms

Anna Karenina

Well. You get the idea. There are a lot of other questionable choices on the list, but these are the ones I've read and/or are familiar enough with to have formed an opinion about. And it's my opinion that none of these books are romances. Not just because one of the main character dies, or there's no HEA but also because they ignore virtually all the genre expectations.

And that's something I know a little bit about, since I, too, like to flout the rules upon occasion. Occasion being the operative word here. Because, yes; rules are meant to be broken SOME of the time. But that doesn't mean they don't (or shouldn't) exist at all, or that they're not valid, or that readers don't (very reasonably) expect them to be followed MOST of the time. 

On the other hand, I've also had a couple of my books mis-categorized as romances--by my publishers!--and that pissed me off as well because they certainly should have known better!

Daisy Jones and the Six is probably the closest to a romance of any of the books listed above. It's also one of the better books I read last year. I've recommended it to a fair few people. And, yeah, sure, you could call it a love story if you want to, but it's NOT a romance. Any more than Ethan Frome is. 

Oh, and if you still want to read a book that's billed as a a romance even though it's not, may I  suggest In the Dark? Most of the other books in the Children of Night series are romances, or romance adjacent. But this one? No. I didn't write it as a romance, I didn't pitch it as a romance, and I never really thought of it as being one. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book. Possibly one of my best. And I love my vampires soooo much. There's a tragic love story in it. There's even a meet cute and a couple of secret babies. Also, you know, sex happens. 

But I really always kinda thought that the fact that my heroine DIES on the first page was a pretty big clue that it's NOT a romance. 

In the Dark

When you live forever, a few mistakes are bound to happen. 

 

Vampire Conrad Quintano has been around for centuries -- long enough to know falling for a human is a terrible idea. Much less falling for adventure-seeking hippie Desert Rose and agreeing to raise her babies. 

 

Raised in virtual isolation, Marc and Julie Fischer have never known their unique status in the world. But once they're in San Francisco, the family reunion is nothing like they anticipated and they're thrust into a world they're completely unprepared for.

https://books2read.com/u/49nGpX

 

Mug Shot Monday: ANOTHER Peet's Coffee Christmas Mug

 

I'm back with yet another Peet's Christmas coffee mug. Again you might notice how it has the square handles of the older mugs, but the lipless shape of the newer ones. The gold accented red with stars and music notes are reminiscent of one of the last mugs I posted, but here the Peet's & Joy logo is more prominent, and the border around the top is a little less "sweatery".

So that's it for my Peet's Christmas Mug collection--at least at this point. Who knows what next Holiday season will bring?

Happy New Year Everyone! 

What I'm reading for December 20, 2023

I read across a fairly wide range of genres. Which I guess shouldn't be too much of a surprise given how many sub-genres I write in. And if I  had to pick a favorite, for either reading or writing, it would have to be a blend. Again, not a surprise. I write the kinds of books I like to read. 

This past week I read two books by K.L.. Noone: Snowed in: Kit and Harry and Midwinter Firelight--which is a sequel, of sorts. And which was, honestly, somewhat difficult to find!

They're part of her Demon Universe series, except most of those are contemporary and these are not. They're MM paranormal romances set in an alternative Regency England, one that accepts and supports both those things. 

Regency was my gateway romance--via a box of books that was donated to my family after our house burned down when I was eleven. So there's still a lot of comfort and familiarity in that world. There were also a few gothic thrillers in that box, as well. So grumpy-sunshine, one of them titled, snowed in together in an isolated manor house while a storm and unseen, hostile, possibly supernatural forces rage outside...yep. That pushes ALL my buttons. 

They're not hugely suspenseful--which, again, is something I happen to like. Especially as a break from tormenting my own characters. And, honestly, I found them perfect for reading over the holiday season. Light and engaging filled with snow and holiday cheer. 

Best of all, there's a sequel to the sequel--Midwinter Music--due out later this week! I can't wait.

Oddly, they reminded me of Allie Therin's Magic in Manhattan and Roaring Twenties Magic books...even though, I know, entirely different time periods.