Weekend Writing Warriors ~ No One Knew

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Happy New Year! So excited to be kicking 2020 to the curb. I’ll be celebrating soon with the release of Shameless in Seattle in mid-January. Just waiting for those few last pieces of the publishing process to click into place.

I really like this book. It’s different for me; no snarky cat shifters, fairies, elves or wizards. Just two people trying to overcome the difficulties of their pasts in order to find love in the present.

On to the snippet. Aaron, against his better judgement, finds himself sucked into the steamy pages of Shameless in Seattle.

***

Aaron hadn’t found anything to sue over yet. Yes, it was obvious Olympia had hacked his life. Reporter in Seattle—check. Big child porn story and journalism award—check. Dog named after Humphrey Bogart—check.  Apartment on Queen Ann Hill—check. Dated a cop of Latin heritage—check.  All were facts anyone could pick up from the web or social media.

He’d received a lot of attention after the police busted the pornography ring and he’d squirmed under the mantle of hero until things blew over.  Some people got dazzled by a thing like that. 

That’s ten. Here’s a few more paragraphs to take us to the heart of the matter:

That happened three years ago, right when Olympia must’ve written the first book. Right when she was looking for a marketable character.

Convinced he wasn’t really being stalked, he snugged back against the pillows and continued to read.  Eric had to drive to Pullman after discovering one of the child pornographers was linked to someone he’d known in high school.  Eric’s school life had been way more exciting than Aaron’s, that was for sure.

As usual, when Eric pulled onto his parent’s street, the first thing to catch his eye was the big green house on the hillside.  He always told himself they wouldn’t, but they always did; the memories of that fateful night flooded back.

Aaron realized he’d stopped breathing.  For a moment his eyes wouldn’t track the words, but he forced himself to keep reading.

Everyone knew the man who lived there was odd, but no one ever warned Eric or the other kids that he was dangerous. Why was that, Eric wondered? What desperate need for normalcy caused them to turn a blind eye to the viper in their midst?

Aaron closed the book, swung his legs out of bed and was halfway to the kitchen before he was aware of what he was doing.

This was beyond stalking. This was . . . mind reading?  He’d never told anyone in Seattle about the big green house.  No one knew. No one knew.  

***

Happy 2021! May we all be safe, serene and together!

Shameless in Seattle – Coming in January 2021!

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.

Weekend Writing Warrior ~ Full Exposure

Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in snippets of ten sentences, with maybe a few more added on for your reading pleasure.

I hope you’re all enjoying the season, staying safe and making the most of the end of this endless year. My family has made the tough decision not to gather, so I’m sad, and grumpy, but I’m keeping my eye on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Today’s snippet carries on with Chapter One from Shameless In Seattle, my contemporary gay romance set to be released in early January. After hanging out with his friend Melanie and speculating on who the mysterious author (pen name Olympia Konstantin) of the Shameless series might really be, Aaron goes home and decides to read a few pages to see how much of his life has been co-opted into the character of Eric Slater.

***

At two a.m. Aaron forced himself to put down Full Exposure, Shameless In Seattle #1 and go brush his teeth. In one hundred pages Eric Slater had more sex than Aaron had in his entire life.  Mel was right, it was compelling in an oddly twisted, squirm-inducing way. And it was funny, sort of tongue in cheek: Tongue everywhere, for that matter.

He rinsed, spat and reluctantly looked at himself in the mirror.  He was no Fabio.  He worked out and never had trouble getting dates, but the description of Eric bore no resemblance to him aside from the gray eyes and black hair.

If only Olympia could see him in worn flannel pajamas, sticky bed hair, bleary two-beer eyes and—what was that?—a caramel ice cream stain on his cheek.  He thumbed it off.  If Marissa Alvarez were there, she’d lick it off and keep on going.

That’s ten. Here’s a few more if you’re so inclined:

“Oh, for crying out loud, stop it!”  He stormed back into the bedroom and stared at the offending object on his quilt.  He had to admit he’d gotten a little hot and bothered reading the damn thing. The point of view jumped back and forth between Eric and Marissa, the tough, no-nonsense cop who despite an excess of smarts, couldn’t resist super jerk Eric. Both of them were emotionally guarded but sexually insatiable. Olympia certainly had a knack for creating steamy pairings, even if they were hetero.

***

Cover by Robin Ludwig Designs

Shameless In Seattle, coming in January 2021!

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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ An Ardent Fan

Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in snippets of ten sentences, with maybe a little more tacked on for your reading pleasure.

I’m sharing from my upcoming release, Shameless in Seattle, a contemporary gay romance. December with all its complications is slowing down the publishing process (which means, I’m getting distracted by shiny things) but I’m still shooting for an early January release. Something fun to usher in the new year, which, with any luck, will be a thousand times better than the last one.

Aaron just found out he’s maybe being stalked by an author of erotic romances, and he’s not too happy about it. You can read last week’s snippet here.

***

“Told you so.”  Mel leaned back and stirred her drink, smugly satisfied now that she’d triggered his paranoia.  “You can borrow all of them. There are three out so far.”

“Wonder if I can sue her?”

“No, there are enough differences to keep her safe.  Your dog is named Humphrey, for instance. And you’re gay.  Eric is definitely not.”  Mel’s lawyer self kicked in.  “But you might want to get a restraining order from the sound of it.”

That’s ten. Here’s a little more from this scene, along with an Adult Language warning. 

Aaron held the book and squinted at it at like a long lost jar of mayo found in the far reaches of his fridge. Who knew what might crawl out if he opened it?

He opened it. Right to a scene featuring Eric doing imaginative things with his throbbing shaft to Marissa’s welcoming asshole. 

“Hmmm, this page is well worn.”

Mel actually blushed when she peeked over and saw what he was reading. “Women like to use their imagination.  Erotic literature is more compelling than video porn.”

“Literature?  Eric thrust his engorged cock—”

“Stop!”  She slapped the book down flat on the table. Aaron grinned. Revenge was sweet.  

“I thought you’d appreciate knowing you had such an ardent fan,” she said with a huff.

***

Cover by Robin Ludwig Designs

***

Release date- January 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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ The Connection

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?”

***

Cover by Robin Ludwig Designs

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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Totally Addicted

Hello and welcome to another round of 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 a few more added on for your reading pleasure.

I’ve been sharing from my upcoming release Shameless in Seattle, and I’m excited to share the cover for the first time, below the excerpt. Aaron, a reporter in Seattle, is meeting with his friend Melanie, who has a big juicy secret that has something to do with her new favorite romance series. Melanie speaks first.

***

“It’s the latest in the Shameless in Seattle series.  I’m totally addicted. Hot, hot, hot.”

“It looks ridiculous.”

“Don’t let the cover throw you. The retro look is an homage to old school romances, according to the dedication. The story is luscious, and funny.  And the action happens in places we know; places we know real well, like this place.” She waved the book over her head.

“Pioneer Square?”

That’s ten. Here’s a few more to get us to Melanie’s big reveal.

“No, silly.  This bar. The Waterworks. And Martini Heaven. All the usual spots, and even unusual ones like Squid Row on Capital Hill and the offices at the courthouse.”

“Really? Do you know the author?”

“No. She’s apparently a bit of a recluse. And the name is a pseudonym, obviously.”

Aaron noted the name on the cover for the first time.  Olympia Konstantin.  He lifted his gaze to stare into Mel’s too happy green eyes.

“Are you Olympia? Are you writing this trash?”

“What? Me?”  She hooted so loud other tables of drinkers looked over.  “No! But you must know the writer.”

“Why?”

“Because this guy—” She waved her hand across the muscled torso on the cover like Vanna White displaying the wonders of a brand new mini-van. “Is you.”

***

***

Shameless in Seattle – Coming soon! 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.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Seattle Burned

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 a little more tacked on for your reading pleasure.

I’m sharing from my upcoming release, Shameless in Seattle. Our hero Aaron is enjoying a drink with his bestie, Melanie, who’s hinted that she has some tantalizing gossip to share. I’ve skipped over some witty banter to get to the juicy bits. You can read last week’s snippet here.

***

Aaron sipped his beer and felt better.  Tension eased off him.  He’d worked late again, getting a story in just under deadline. A diverting drink with Mel kept him from brooding at home, and Pioneer Square was hopping on a warm summer evening.  He suspected it might be Friday night.  He checked his phone rather than ask Mel and open himself up to ridicule about the dire state of his social life. Yup. Friday the 13th.  Oh, swell.

“I don’t suppose you read many romances, do you?” she asked nonchalantly.

That’s ten. Here’s a bit more if you’re so inclined:

“Oh, sure. I’ve got stacks of them hidden in the closet. Why?”

“Well.”  She looked around furtively before reaching into her enormous handbag and removing a paperback with a garishly bright cover. Further inspection revealed a glossy, embossed image of a male model posing as a tough guy of some sort, shirt open to his belly button, wielding a huge gun. A buxom blond clung to his back but managed to contort in a way designed to expose maximum amounts of her impressive cleavage. In the background, the skyline of Seattle burned.

“What the hell?”

***

So there’s this whole thing where regular people recreate romance covers. Awesome!

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 forever.