Man, it’s been busy!

Okay, let me get you caught up on what’s going on for me.

#1: Lincoln’s Park, the first book in the ‘Links in the Chain’ series is coming out October 13th. Here’s the cover and an excerpt.

#2: I wrote a ghost story! Believe it or not, I’m trying something new. The Spirit Key is due out in January or February. I don’t have a cover yet, but here’s the blurb:

When he was eight years old, Scott Walsh died. Paramedics revived him, but he came back changed. Ghosts and spirits tormented Scott for over a decade until, thinking he was going mad, he did the only thing he could. He ran—leaving behind his best friend, Tim Jennessee.

Scott’s had five normal, ghost-free years in Chicago, when the spirit of Tim’s mother comes to him and begs him to go home because Tim’s in trouble and needs Scott.

He isn’t prepared for what he finds when he goes home—a taller and sexier Tim, but a Tim who hasn’t forgiven Scott for abandoning him… a Tim whose body is no longer his own. The ghost of a serial murderer has attached itself to Tim, and it’s whispering dark and evil things. It wants Tim to kill, and it’s becoming harder for Tim to resist. To free the man who has always meant so much to him, Scott must unravel the mystery of the destiny he shares with Tim.

#3: Yesterday I got a contract for Galen’s Redemption, book two in the ‘Links in the Chain’ series! This one doesn’t have a cover or blurb, but this is what I sent with the submission:

Galen Merriweather loved the power that came with being the son of the man who owns Primal Imports. Brokering deals was his life’s blood, and he always thought he was damn good at it. The day his father tried to pay his brother’s lover to leave him left him cold, and for the first time, Galen wondered at what he was doing. The biggest blow came when his father insisted Galen retrieve a check for a quarter million dollars that had been given to a charity.

Robert Kotke has been serving the homeless community since he was a child. He doesn’t understand how people can ignore their plight. When he’s given a check that would solve many of his problems, he knows someone will come for it, so he puts it away. When Galen shows up, Robert gives him back the money.

The two meet again in a bar, and Galen is terrified Robert is going to out him. But Robert does something even stranger. He invites Galen out for chili. Galen’s beliefs are thrown into turmoil, and he’s not sure which way is up. When the time comes for Galen to make a decision between Robert and the job he’s always dreamed of, which will Galen choose?

#4: I’m currently working on the third and final book of the Links in the Chain series. This one doesn’t have a title yet, but here’s a rough idea of what you can expect.

Tom Kotke met Brian Chen twenty-five years ago, and Brian stole his heart. The two married, and had plans for a long life together. That came to a crashing stop when Brian got the diagnosis of terminal cancer. Given less than a year to live, Brian surprised everyone by hanging on for five years. But no force of will can hold back the inevitable forever, and one night, in Tom’s arms, Brian passes away.

Unknown to Tom, Brian left instructions with the family that accepted him, telling them that Tom needed to get out there and fine love again. Though Tom protests, he’s dragged out of his shell and forced back into the world. One day, while sitting in Lincoln’s diner, he meets Aiden, a friend of Noel’s. Something about the young man calls to Tom in a way no one since Brian has.

Aiden Dawson struggles to be independent. With his screwed up legs, he’s always had to depend on things and people. When his parents kicked him out, Aiden’s sister steps up and raises him. And he loves her, really, but he wants a chance to experience life. He knows that no one is ever going to look twice at him, though. They’ll only see his wheelchair. But the day he meets Tom, that changes. Tom doesn’t even look twice at the chair.

A man who swore he’d never love again, and another who thought he’d never find love come together and bond. Is it possible to find love after loss?

Maybe.

#5: In November I’ll be once again working with K.C. Wells on book four of the Secrets series. This one doesn’t have a title yet, but the men meet in a bookstore! I’m looking forward to working on this one. Now, I don’t have a lot of details, but I can give you a totally unedited excerpt. Remember, this might change or may even end up on the cutting room floor, so don’t fall too much in love just yet.

Heath Snow walked to the large wooden door with the glass that held the etched glass logo of Wordsmith Books. He turned the sign to ‘Closed’, then slumped against the heavy wooden frame. If the receipts were right, and they always were, It had been a decent day. Nothing to write home about, of course, but still, he’d made enough money to pay the rent and do some grocery shopping this month. He chuckled to himself. He’d come a long way in the last sixteen months. From reading stories to owning a bookshop. He checked the time. Almost nine. There hadn’t been a customer in over an hour, but he’d decided to stay open, just in case someone decided they needed a last minute read.

He stepped behind the counter, picked up his copy of A Gentlemen’s Agreement, then walked up the stairs to his flat. It was nice not having to go far to get home after work. He chuckled to himself, a little giddy after too little sleep last night. And he’d need to get up early in the morning in order to restock the shelves, place an order, clean up the little messes in the common area. All that stuff he hated to do, but damn, did he love the way the store shone when he did it.

After putting a pie in the oven, he took a seat so he could continue where he’d left off. Master Byerly was just getting ready to put his submissive, the cute, pug-nosed Malcolm, through his paces. Heath’s chest heaved as he read about Byerly paddling his boy’s ass, turning it a brilliant shade of red, not unlike a glass of merlot. Deep, rich, and so ready to be sampled. God, Heath loved Byerly and Malcolm together. They tore up the scenery with every encounter. This was their third book, and Heath found himself ordering one to read after the shop closed, when he could sit up in his room and fantasize.

“You’ll take it, because I require it, boy. Do you understand?”

Malcolm drew in a breath. “Yes, my lord.”

Byerly greased his prod, then spread Malcolm’s cheeks. He groaned loudly as he entered his boy, the tightness gripping him like a velvet fist.

Heath reached down to adjust himself. It had been a long time since he’d gone home with anyone, and that didn’t even qualify as a one-night stand. More like a half an hour of some guy grunting while he took Heath, who grew bored after the first few minutes and began putting together his todo list for the morning. The man had no style or technique. It was obvious he only wanted somewhere warm to stick his cock, and since the bar had announced last call, and Heath had needed to get off, he’d accepted the invite from the portly gentleman with the three wisps of gray hair the hung over his forehead. Well, Heath hadn’t been needy again after that. Slipping into a book, pretending he was Malcolm, with Byerly mounting him from behind, taking what he wanted. Fuck yes. Better than most of the sex he’d had in his twenty-six years.

His erection was starting to ache, so Heath unbuttoned his trousers, and slid a hand down them. He gripped his shaft, which strained at the fabric. He glanced over at the timer on the oven. The pie still had thirty minutes to go, so he could definitely make good use of the time.

“Do I please you, my lord?”

Swat. An open hand came down on Malcolm’s arse, causing him to squawk.

“You know better than to talk,” Byerly grunted, thrusting into Malcolm in one swift stroke. “You speak when your Master wishes it, not before. Do you understand?”

Before Malcolm could reply, another hard swat found its target.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Byerly shoved his turgid length into Malcolm over and over, each time causing his stableboy to grunt or moan. Whether it was with pain or pleasure didn’t matter. All that Byerly cared for is his own needs. If—when—Malcolm satisfied those, then Byerly would see to his boy’s.

Fuck, Heath loved this book. Hes tightened the grip around his shaft. He moved his hand up and down, slowly stroking himself as he imagined his lord, Byerly, using Heath for his pleasure.

“Yes, my Lord,” Heath gasped. He stood on the edge of the precipice, waiting for Byerley to tell him he could step off, and plunge into ecstasy. So close. So fucking—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Shit. What the hell?” Heath scowled as he looked at the time. Almost nine-thirty. Who would be knocking at his door at this hour?”

He shoved his straining shaft back into his pants, straightened his glasses, pulled the pie from the oven and put it on the counter, and then grabbed his book before he tromped downstairs, ready to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

The knocking continued, annoying Heath even more. He could see the silhouette of a man standing huddled in the doorway. Heath put his book down at the register, then went and yanked the door open. As soon as he did, the man turned in his direction, and all words fled Heath. Standing there was an insanely sexy man, with a sheepish grin. If Heath would have described Byerly, it would be the man before him. Dark hair, not quite as long as he thought Byerly would have, and intense blue eyes. Though he couldn’t be certain with the jacket the man wore, he imagined he had a good build. Not too muscled, but not overly soft either.

Heath swallowed hard. “Can I…help you…uh…sir?”

So there you have it! What’s shaping up here for the future. Thank you for stopping by to read all about it.