Hey folks! Yet another fun contest for you here on Slash and Burn. The part I love best about all these contests is how EASY they are to win.

Today I'm giving away a free download of my newest release, Chasing Victory. Chasing Victory is a novel set in the fast-paced world of stock car racing. I really liked this book while it was being written and I was pleased with the end result. My publisher tells me it's selling very well, so happy holidays to me!

All you need to do to win a copy is comment here with your favorite sport to watch or participate in. Leave an email address where you can be contacted and I'll let the winner know by tomorrow morning, 9:00 a.m. PST.

Little snippet to get you going...


He was still yanking ineffectually at his seat harness by the time medical showed up. Mitch barely registered the men in blue that were surrounding his car. He was too intent on getting free, getting out of his car before what happened last time happened again, so when his window webbing was torn down, Mitch swallowed a startled gasp and looked up.

“Keep still, man.” Serious blue eyes, the lightest shade Mitch could ever remember seeing, were searching Mitch’s face. “Anything hurt? Are you stuck?”

“My harness,” Mitch said lamely. His thumb remained on the button, trying to get it to unsnap.

Dark brows drew together and the medic reached a hand inside the car. He put his fingers over Mitch’s and pressed down. There was audible click that Mitch could hear even through his helmet, and then he was suddenly free.

He shrugged the harness off and scrambled for the window, anxious to get out of the confined space. Once he was outside the car, maybe his heart would stop pounding so hard.

“Whoa, hey, easy there.” Strong hands were on Mitch’s forearms, easing him back down in his seat. “You should know the rules. You don’t move until medical checks you out.” Blue Eyes gave a quick smile, but something told Mitch there was seriousness behind it. “Got any neck or back pain?”

“Uh.” Mitch blinked and tried to concentrate on how he was feeling. His harness was unsnapped, so there was no more reason for his harsh breathing or shaking fingers. “No. No neck pain. He didn’t hit me that hard.”

It was true; Mitch had known as soon as Danny had made contact that they’d both walk away from it. There had been worse wrecks. Much worse.

“Hard enough,” the medic said casually. “Sit tight, I’ll let you out in a minute.” He scanned the inside of the car and then gave Mitch an up-down look that would have gotten Mitch’s phone number in his pocket if they’d been in a bar.

***

Comment here, I'll pick a winner tomorrow!

Happy Sexy Cover Funtime...and a Giveaway

How would you like to win two free downloads from my backlist? Just leave a comment here and a random winner will be drawn!

Amanda Kelsey of Razzle Dazzle Design just sent me my cover for GPS, the M/M short I wrote for All Romance eBooks' 28 Days of Heart. Looking at it alone is sure to send hearts pumping.



Blurbage: When Cale Durbin receives a GPS system for his birthday, he tests it out on the drive to meet a blind date. The blasted device gets him lost, but Cale doesn't mind so much when he ends up at the door of a hunk named Mike who shares many of his interests.

After the setup date fails, Cale discovers the GPS possesses a unique feature - it leads him right to Mike again! Can true happiness be found through a global positioning device, or is Cale headed in the wrong direction?

Proceeds from sales of GPS go to the American Heart Association, and it will be my third charity piece. You can still get All You Need... at ARe to benefit WHY, and in January I have a piece in the next Coming Together volume with Phaze Books!

New releases!

So, I have TWO new releases--both anthologies. :D

First up is 7--with myself and Shayne Carmichael. It's available in ebook and print from Torquere Press.

When one thinks of the Seven Heavenly Virtues, hope, charity, faith, temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude, and the Seven Deadly Sins, greed, sloth, anger, lust, gluttony, envy and pride, lessons in life come to mind. In 7, each Virtue and Sin is presented as a theme for a story, each one is explored, whether positive or negative, literal or figurative.

With a variety settings and styles, from courtesans on another planet to vampires of the Romanorum, from demons lusting after ghosts and a cat and dog chase of epic proportions, there's bound to be something for everyone. This fourteen-story collection comes from Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael, the authors of The Prince's Angel and The Two Shall Become One.

***

Second is Bound With A Bow--a BDSM Christmas anthology with myself, Beth Wylde, Lee Benoit, EM Lynley, and Sascha Illyvich, available at Phaze Books

Latex, leather, or lace. Oh, my! Bridles, bondage, and ball-gags. Oh, wow! Puppies and ponies and paddles. Yes, please. May we have some more?

It’s almost Christmas time and everyone is headed to Broad Horizons to celebrate the holidays. You won’t find a jolly fat man in a red suit here, unless that’s what turns you on of course, but you will find everything else your lusty libido desires. Got a naughty sub that needs some special discipline or just feel like checking out the club? Maybe you’d like to buy a membership for that special Domme in your life? If so, then Broad Horizons is the place to be this Christmas Eve. We don’t care if you’ve been good or bad. In fact, we think naughty is nicer, and we know it’s a hell of a lot more fun.

Pretty Tied Up by Beth Wylde: The holidays are here and Dani and Maryanne are back in action at Broad Horizons. Maryanne has offered herself up to her partner, in her first live bondage exhibition, as Dani's Christmas present. When practice doesn't go quite as planned Dani is worried she may have to cancel the show, especially as a last minute equipment problem pops up. Can Dani's sudden brainstorm save the show and eliminate her need to go shopping too? With her woodworking skills, and a few favors people owe her, she might just have Christmas, and Maryanne, pretty tied up.

Cardinal Points by Lee Benoit: Argus is a master Dom who’s lost his sense of purpose. Dori is a spiritual seeker who’s never quite found his way. When the two meet at a pagan festival, the heat is undeniable -- Dori even offers a solution to Argus’ disillusionment: ordeal path spirituality! But how can BDSM amateur Dori and novice pagan Argus chart a new path together if Dori keeps disappearing? Will he find his way to commit to Argus in time for a Christmas Eve appearance at Broad Horizons?

Completion by Mychael Black: By day, Eli Knight works for Kent Evans’ computer graphics firm. By night, however, he serves an entirely different role: that of Evans’ submissive. The love and respect between them is deep, but Kent knows Eli holds a candle for Mitchell Phelps, Eli’s best friend. When Kent takes Eli to a Christmas party at the BDSM club Broad Horizons, Eli has no idea what to expect from his trangendered Dom. What he discovers -- about them and himself -- is more than he could ever hope for. Now it’s up to the both of them to find out if their love is strong enough to handle a major addition.

Lessons Learned by Sascha Illyvich: After being left at Broad Horizons by an angry master, Wendi meets Summer, an experienced Domme with a surprise. Will Summer's challenge to Wendi help her capture the heart of her beloved Master?

New Tricks by EM Lynley: Skeptical and straight-laced Blake isn't so sure about attending Broad Horizons' Christmas Eve Party. He's never gone in for any of that kink, but he wants to humor Jay as they spend their first Christmas together. Despite his initial aversion, he's powerfully drawn to the scene and eager to experiment. After Jay reveals a hidden secret from his past, he's willing to play, and in the end Jay receives a gift more precious than he ever expected.

In Ur Room, Stuffin' Ur Stockin'

Howdy!

So I'm utterly startled that it's my day but when doesn't that happen? I'm zonked from work, yada, yada...but 'tis the season so I present ye with some stuffing for your stocking!

For my wee contest, all you have to do is post a comment telling me about how you spend your holidays. Whether its Christmas, Hanukkah, or the many other celebrations of the *many* other different religions, I want to know what you do with your family.

The winner will receive a free copy of my new release from Cobblestone, Just a Game. Remember to leave your email! The end date is the 19th, 4 PM EST.


Bon chance, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah *deep breath* and Happy New Year's!

EDIT: So I know I originally said winner (singular) but I've decided to do winner(s) instead because two of the stories just made me smile so wide.

The winners are.....*drumroll* N.C. Jenks and booklover0226! Winners, I'll be emailing you with your copies in just a second. Thanks for playing everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

A quick note: I never heard from the winner of my contest (dizzyduo), so please email me at keira.andrews @ gmail.com (minus the spaces, of course). I don't have your email addy and I just want to make sure you get your prizes!

*

I'm feeling very festive this week. Does anyone have any holiday book recs? I'm looking forward to An Improper Holiday and I'd love to dive into some other great holiday reads. Any recommendations would be most appreciated!

Happy Holidays

I have no idea what to give away for my stocking stuffer this year. Should my giveaway be print or ebook? An old title or new? I'm afraid I'm one of those people who agonize over choosing just the right gift during the holidays.

So... I'm leaving the gift up to my giftee. (<-- Is that even a word?) Whomever is selected can have any books they like, in any format they desire.

At midnight tonight, random.org will do me the honor of picking my winner and I'll announce it here. All you have to do is leave a comment. Say hello, tell me a joke, give me your Nana's recipe for fruitcake -- it doesn't matter. Just put your little digital X in the comment box and you'll be entered to win a book of your choosing.

More S&B Holiday Contest Goodness!

So, y'all are having fun with the Slash & Burn holiday freebies, right? I know you are! Everybody likes getting Christmas presents :D

So here's my contribution. I'm going to give away an e-copy of my novel Adder. All you have to do is comment on this post between now and next Sunday, Dec. 20th., and answer this question: What instrument does Kalil play? I'll announce the winner on Monday Dec. 21st and ask you to email me, so watch this thread! Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday :D

Holiday Contest Blitz continues!

I'm feeling so jazzed for the holidays! It's finally nice and chilly in my neck of the woods and Starbucks has their special mint-mocha-latte's on sale...Mmm! What are you looking forward to the most this holiday? Is it a special gift under the tree? Some downtime with the family? A special service at your church or synagogue? I hope you'll share it with us! Everyone who posts will be entered in a contest to receive a copy of a holiday story, either Pawprints: Giving & Taking or Winter Song, co-written with the awesome and lovely Barb Sheridan. The contest closes tomorrow at noon CST, so enter today!

James Stuffs the Stocking

Yes, my turn to stuff your stocking!

I'm giving away an ebook copy of Personal Demons to one lucky commenter on this post.  Just tell me what you're hoping for this holiday season and leave a way for me to contact you -- 'cause it's hard to email an eBook without contact information.

What am I hoping for this holiday season?  Good weather and open roads. 

Contest and How I Got Here

Although they often feel like independent entities (I certainly can't make them do what I want), the existence of my characters is tied pretty damned closely to mine; and my existence is tied pretty damned closely to a fairly bizarre holiday appellation. Yes, from Ryan and Jeff to Nicky and Ian, we owe it all to rain.

Regionally, people have different names for the same things. If you want a carbonated beverage made from brown syrup, you have to ask for pop west of me, coke south of me, and right here we just call it soda. Similarly, in the household where I grew up, the breaded mush you put in a turkey is called filling, not stuffing, or even dressing. My parents come from the same hometown Chasing Smoke's Daniel Gardner and Trey Eriksson's hometown) of Easton, PA though they attended different high schools. When my dad was at college, he was helping another man hang the long thin tinsel that most people call icicles on the Christmas tree. On the ladder, my dad called down to the other man, "Hand me up another box of that rain." The other man held up the box of tinsel. "This? Funny. My girlfriend calls this rain, too." My dad said, "I'll have to meet her." The result is my genetic history. Oh that magical power of words.

The fact that the Christmas trees in my family sporting tinsel will have rain and not icicles on them and that our plates will get a spoonful of filling and not stuffing are not our only quirks. We also will not be eating the point off our slices of pie first as that brings bad luck. And it wasn't until my age hit double digits that I realized other people decorated their Christmas trees in more than a single color. (I was the only kid in elementary school art class who didn't fight over the red and green markers at Christmas. If the object wasn't blue, it didn't go on Mom's tree.)

When I wrote An Improper Holiday, I had fun looking up historical Christmas celebrations. The game of Snapdragon, which seems like an invitation for self-immolation to a klutz like me, was particularly interesting. When I read about it, I knew it had to go in the book. I'm all for Twelfth Night celebrations. Anything that makes the holiday season longer before we go back to enduring a Northeast winter is fine with me.


That brings me to my part of the holiday contest. I will draw a winner from anyone who leaves a comment here and tells me about a holiday tradition. (Any holiday—hey, we're weird on the fourth of July, too!) That commenter will win a free copy of his or her choice of any of my ereleases (including An Improper Holiday). That part of the contest will be open until midnight EST on December 11.

The first commenter who correctly guesses the color of decorations on my own mono-chromatic Christmas tree will win a ten dollar gift certificate to Amazon, sent via email. (No, Mom—and other family members, you can't play.) This part of the contest closes when I get the first right answer or on December 14 at midnight EST.

And hey, doesn't that stuff look more like rain than icicles anyway?

Holiday Traditions

Everyone has something that's a tradition, right? And many people have holiday-related traditions. Whether it's the family trip to find the right Christmas tree, or making Grandma's "secret recipe" latkes for Hannukah, or going from one friend's home to another delivering Solstice prezzies. Around here, a big tradition is the annual Rankin-Bass Gingerbread party. I posted about it last year, too, so even that's become a tradition. ;) This year's decorating was tamer than most. There was no gay frat house, no gingerbread brothel, no Victorian home that was crashed by a satellite or the object of a drive-by shooting. (Yes, we've made all of those in the past.) Just an Eye of Sauron, a gnome impaled on a tree, and a monkey in a tar pit, among other random things. (What's a Swiss chalet without a giraffe out back, right?) But really, that's not the point but simply the excuse to get together with friends and family. Hanging out, talking, laughing, eating, and being silly. It's been a rough year around here, both in my and my husband's life and around the area generally. Too much death and sadness, you know? So having a tradition like this, which is utterly bizarre and absurd, is a wonderful thing to have. A few hours of fun to remind us that life can be good and that people can be good, too.

So how about you? What traditions do you have that you look forward to each year? They don't have to be Decemeber ones, either, just those things your year wouldn't be complete without.

Emotion and relationships

The holidays are upon us. I have commenced with the holiday eating, much to my waistline's dismay, but man, it's hard to resist that cheese tray or the cookie exchange. Oh well, I'll worry about it come January 1st.

Holiday time usually means I get to see friends who are in town to visit relatives. I had lunch last week with an ex-boyfriend who now lives in San Francisco and prefers another type of relationship. The kind with a penis. (Oh, it's fine, we "dated" in sixth grade. Meaning, we held hands a lot and kissed a couple of times. I was probably the last female he ever touched that way, and I'm totally okay with that.) So anyway, it had been a few years since we'd caught up with each other and I asked how his love life was.

"Still living with my ex," he mused. When I paused with my salad fork halfway to my mouth and my eyebrow raised, he waved me off. "Come on, Tor. You know we don't have the same relationship with our exes that you do."

To which I replied, "Actually, no, I didn't know that." I then proceeded to whip out a pen and my trusty notepad and wrote it down. "Gimme some details on this," I demanded. He obliged, with the stipulation that if I used the information in a book, I'd credit him accordingly. I assured him I would.

I received several text messages from him this week. One or two were comments on books he'd read from my publisher. (Why yes, I did turn him on to M/M erotic romance. I expect a nice Christmas present from him as a thank you.) And one or two texts were just random bits of conversation he'd had with his ex-boyfriend during the week. "Get this!" he said. "Eddie said [insert relationship issues here] and I told him [insert more relationship issues here] and I really can't wait until our adjustable mortgage term ends so I can get out of here."

I replied, "That's two years away."

Him: "I know. Guess I'll keep texting you with gems like the last one."

Me: "Cool. I'll keep writing."

Nothing like having a little validation on what I write. Gay men DO have problems in their relationships, there IS strong emotion involved, and they ARE different than heterosexual relationships. 'Nuff said.

Oh, and he was very free with the sex pointers, too. But that's another post.

Listen to an excerpt from By the Chimney with Dare

My early Christmas treat to you: an excerpt of my latest M/M release, By the Chimney with Dare, now available from DLP Books.

New Release: Just a Game

It's all fun and games until someone falls in love...

Ad executives and college friends, Charlie and Sidney have what could be the perfect arrangement. On the working side, they're an excellent team. Sidney's money-man logic with Charlie's slick showmanship reel in new clients from all over the country.

On the pleasure side, their exciting, clandestine affair is wet dream material. At least it was until Charlie slammed down the boundaries. Boundaries he desperately clings to.

When a hurricane alert sees them stranded in a Florida hotel room, Sidney seizes the opportunity to push at those limits. Unfortunately someone's gotta give and Charlie's terrified that it just might be him...


Grab your copy today!

----------Excerpt---------

“And fuck you very much,” Charlie growled, tossing his cell on the coffee table and missing Sidney’s bare feet by a scant few inches.

Sidney shifted his feet over and crossed them at the ankles as he leaned further into the couch.

“Guessing that was a ‘no’ too?” Having long discarded his suit jacket and shirt, Sid was down to his white undershirt and suit pants. He’d rolled up the sleeves and pants legs in concession to the sticky Florida humidity that managed to permeate the room even with the windows shut tight and the A/C on high.

“Yeah.” Charlie ran an agitated hand through his hair. He’d dropped his jacket as well, but remained buttoned up. Uncomfortable, yes, but he was determined to get out of this state before things grew worse. “Nobody’s willing to fly with the hurricane threat, which is ridiculous; these people have hurricane threats all the damn time.”

Sid twirled the remote in his hand. “No, they fly knowing that a hurricane could happen at any time. When there’s an actual alarm going on and fifty mile an hour winds, it becomes more than a threat.” He pointed the remote at the TV, muted, and turned to the weather channel. A long red line rode the top and bottom of the screen with the words “Hurricane Alert” continuously scrolling across it.

“Face it, buddy, you’re not getting us out of here tonight.” Sid had accepted that fact long before Charlie did. But that fit. Sid was the moneyman for their advertising company, and the ruthless logic of a man who handled money all day long and knew exactly how far a dollar could stretch tended to rule his life. Charlie, however, was the promo man. He pushed, twisted, and manipulated until he got what he wanted, which was usually whatever client he was sweet-talking. Together, they usually managed to bag the majority of their accounts, allowing them to have a bit of playtime wherever they happened to be. Which was what they’d done tonight in celebration of their new client.

Then the hurricane alert sounded, and Charlie wanted fucking out of Miami.

He grunted at Sid, unwilling to give up, and swung around to face the balcony window. With blinds left open, he could see straight out to the beach that was only five minutes away. It’d cost a little more—okay, a lot more—to get so close, but up until then it’d been worth it. Now, he could see the ocean’s angry tossing, the bruised black hue of the sky, and the wind that bent the palm trees to damn near ninety-degree angles.

He swore, stalking over to the glass and pounding his fist against it. “Damn it, no.”

“What’s so wrong with getting a flight tomorrow again?” There was a quiet...something in Sid’s voice that made Charlie’s spine shudder.

Charlie thumped his head against the glass and almost jumped out of his skin when lightning zigzagged across the sky, illuminating the gray world outside. “Shit,” he hissed, blinking away the edge of white dancing around his vision. “I just have a schedule.” Charlie tossed the words in Sid’s general direction. “We handle the surfboard people out here, get home tonight, and then start wearing down that ditzy heiress-turned-fashion designer tomorrow.”

Charlie didn’t need to see Sid’s face to know his mouth had twisted in that familiar smirk.

Sid’s voice rang with barely leashed mockery. “For someone who makes a living pulling ideas out of his ass, you’re awfully worried about something so easily adjusted.”

Charlie’s shoulders went tight no matter how hard he tried to keep them from doing so. “Don’t do this, Sid.”

“Don’t do what?”

The sound of feet thumping carpet should not have been so loud. Charlie stared hard out the window as Sid’s heat eased closer. This time, he didn’t jump when lightning flashed, but that could have been because Sid’s mouth was dangerously close to his ear and Charlie had gone blind to the chaos outside. Instead, he watched Sid’s reflection close in. The room’s light threw them into a slight shadow, but he knew that face well enough without illumination.

“Don’t follow your little rules anymore? This self-imposed fucking distance? Guess what, Charlie boy. You can’t run away in a hotel room.” There was a nasty smile wrapped in Sid’s words as he drove in the fact that Charlie had been so desperate to ignore. “You can’t run away at all anymore.”

Fuck.

Holiday contest begins!

Since it's December 1st, I thought I'd get the festivities started. I'm giving away my two Hanukkah-themed books: Eight Nights and Daybreak. To win, all you have to do is comment on this post and tell me about one of your favourite holiday traditions. Doesn't matter if it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or whatever you might celebrate at this time of year, and you can go into as little or much detail as you'd like.

I'll leave the contest open for two days and then draw a name out of a hat on Thursday evening. Happy holidays!

p.s. Forgot to say that I'll put the name of the winner in this post and in the comments. I'm sure you all figured that out, though.

ETA: dizzyduo is the winner. Congratulations!