Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences, with maybe some more tacked on in case you’d like to delve a little deeper.

I’ve been sharing from my upcoming release, Shameless in Seattle, a contemporary gay romance. In a first for me, there’s no paranormal element, just the normal weirdness of dating, relationships and love in the modern era. In last week’s snippet, Aaron’s pal Melanie informed him that he’s the inspiration for the hero in a series of erotic romance novels. Aaron expresses disbelief. Melanie replies:

***

“Imagine him a little less buff, a little less square jawed.” She frowned at the cover.  “I have to admit I’ve never seen you with a gun.”

“So what’s the connection? I’m a man living in Seattle?”

“The hero of these books is named Eric Slater.  He’s a reporter for The Cosmic Eye, a trashy Seattle based tabloid.  He tracks down the criminal element while boffing steamy hot female cop Marissa Alverez and steamy hot female District Attorney Belinda Carmichael, occasionally at the same time.” 

She peered at him like she was DA Belinda Carmichael, interrogating him about his wanton ways.

“Fascinating.”

That’s ten. Here’s more of their conversation if you’re so inclined:

“You, Aaron Schafer, reporter for the Seattle Times, once bedded hot male cop Martine Martinez.”

“You’re right. I’m convinced. My life has been serialized.”

“Wait, it gets better.” She gleefully thumbed through the book while Aaron took larger sips of his beer. Clearly, Mel was off her nut.

“His steely gray eyes raked over the mob of sweaty, scantily clad women in the throbbing nightclub, not stopping until he found Charice leaning on the far end of the bar.”

“Who’s Charice?”

“A mob widow who’s going to turn state’s evidence. Shut up and listen.  Charice had been his childhood sweetheart back in Pullman.  They’d dated for a year in high school.  You never forget your first blow job, Eric thought with a smirk.”

“Eric sounds like a jerk.”

“He is. He’s totally you.”

“Gee, thanks.  Okay, so Olympia there wants to write about a reporter, so she steals a few pieces of information about me off the Times website.  So what?”

“Aren’t you even the tiniest bit tantalized? Eric’s from Pullman, for god’s sake. No one is from Pullman but you and him, and Charice.  The mayor honored him for helping the cops bust a child pornography ring.”

“More life sampling.” Despite his denial, Aaron was starting to get annoyed with Olympia Konstantin.  Apparently, she had been stealing bits of his life and using it as backstory for asshole reporter Eric Slater.

“Eric’s favorite restaurant is Dimitri’s in Belltown.  He owns a bull dog named Bogie. He—”

Aaron snatched the book from her hand. “The woman’s been stalking me?”

***

Release date January 1, 2021!

Shameless in Seattle blurb in progress:

Aaron Schafer, star reporter for the Seattle Times, is shocked to find out he’s the inspiration for a series of bodice-ripper romances written by a reclusive author no one has met.  He’s even more surprised, and disturbed, on discovering intimate secrets from his past buried in the pages of Shameless in Seattle. Who is this mystery author, who has clearly been stalking him and stealing details from his life? Are they dangerous? And worse, will they reveal Aaron’s darkest secret to the world? Aaron decides to stalk the stalker, a decision that will change his life.