Hat Trick of Questions

Before we leap into the questioning and answering, I'd like to thank everyone who’s been dropping by the blog over the years, reading, and commenting. You all are truly the best!

So, let's get right into the first hat trick of questions for the new year!

What's your writing schedule for 2018?

In one word: mildly insane. Oh, that’s two words. Well, they both fit so we’ll run with them. Those two words also fit my release schedule for the upcoming year. Looking ahead I have six books that will take precedence. Three are collaboration books with Rj Scott and three are solo books.

The books with Rj are:

Railers #6 (Title TBD)

Ryker (Owatanna U. #1)

A Holiday Railers/Owatanna U Crossover (Title TBD)

The solo novels are:

Overtime (Cayuga Cougars #4)

One on One (Cayuga Cougars #5)

Touch of a Yellow Sun (Colors of Love #2)

I imagine that I’ll be working on the Colors of Love books once the six above are completed, if I don’t get steamrolled with an idea that needs to be written RIGHT NOW!

Will we see more Cayuga Cougar books after One on One?

Probably not. That’s not to say that we won’t maybe see Vic and Dan or August and Sal again, but that series will conclude with book #5. I will miss that team terribly but its time to move on and tell new tales.

 If you could spend a week in the world of a famous book series written by another author which world would you choose?

Oh boy, this is tough! There are so many wonderful series out there that I enjoy. Do I really have to pick only one?

My lusty side wants me to choose the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. I’ve been reading those sexy Caldwell boys since Dark Lover came out, and I plan to keep going as long as the WARDen keeps writing them. #TeamQhuinnAndBlay #GotToRepMyBoyVToo

My fantasy side wants me to pick the world of Percy Jackson. My love of Greek mythology is old and well known. It would be amazing to hang out with Percy and the gang, get to chill with the gods (ARES!!) and maybe fight a few mythological monsters at Camp Half Blood.

Then again, some time at Hogwarts would darn cool. Ugh! This is too hard! 

Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to leave them in the comments section and I’ll answer them next time around!

MM Goodness Book Review - Inseparable by Sloan Johnson

Amazon

This is a wonderful coming of age story of two best friends who truly were inseparable from childhood through high school. It was during those last years in high school that Trevor and Gabe realized their feelings for each other had grown into something more powerful than friendship. The author weaves a powerful and compelling tale as both young men work through leaving home, the pressure of collage and self-discovery, and what this new freedom means for their tender relationship.

It’s obvious that our leading men adore and are madly attracted to each other. The heavy sex does mostly happen off page but there’s enough sensual action and dialog to keep even a staunch fan of erotic details such as me happy. The secondary characters are compelling and realistic. There’s a young man named Seth – one of Trevor and Gabe’s roommates – that really grabbed my attention and held it. Since this is the first book in Ms. Johnson’s Port Java series, I hope one of the following books are about Seth. Overall this is a moving and lovely new adult MM romance that left me yearning for more.

5 out of 5 stars

Tuesday Tales - Blue

 It`s time for Tuesday Tales.

Today we have a snippet from Last Defense, Harrisburg Railers #5, an MM hockey romance book coauthored with RJ Scott that we’re currently writing. In this excerpt we have a little more of Max and Ben’s first date.

Our word prompt today is “Blue”.

This story may have gay erotic scenes, strong social issues addressed and mature language. If those things offend now is the time to move onto another Tuesday Tales blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Max muttered something under his breath. What it was I didn’t know, but we ran to the gates, paid to get in, and then hustled past roller coasters and flume rides with deepest blue water, breathlessly arriving at the Kissing Tower with just ten minutes to closing.

“I’m going to pass out,” Max panted as the disgruntled park employee ushered us into the rotating cabin. We were the only ones on the ride, which was good. I’d been hoping for a little privacy for my great confession. Also, if Max blew me off no one would be here to see me cry.

“Don’t pass out yet,” I took his hand and led him to one of the candy kiss shaped windows. The ride started quickly, probably because the employees wanted to go home. Up the cabin rose, two hundred and fifty feet into the air, as it slowly rotated. We sat down and looked out the candy shaped windows, working to catch our breath.

“This is really something,” Max said as the cabin slowly turned showing those inside a panoramic view of the park and downtown Hershey. My gaze was on him.

“Yeah, it really is.”

He turned on the padded bench and settled his beautiful brown-gold eyes on me.

I leaned in and kissed him. We were in the kissing tower after all. He responded with simmering heat that was evident and burbling below the surface.

I cupped his face, the rough scratch of his beard on my palms crazy pleasant.

“I really like you and I want to date you. In public. Holding hands and whispering over a candlelight meal sort of dating.”

He seemed to digest that news slowly. The cabin continued to rotate. My belly felt a little queasy and not from the mellow ride we were on.

“Okay, I’d like that too.”

He hauled me to him, plastering his mouth over mine. Somehow, by the time the cabin was back on the ground, I’d been pulled onto his lap, facing him, and was having my neck feasted on by a ravenous hockey player.

The doors opening on the cabin and the shout from a disgruntled park worker broke into the sensual moment. I leaped up, we both shoved at our erections, and then we exited the ride looking rather sheepish.

Copyright 2017 ©by V.L. Locey

*~*~*

Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the Tuesday Tales authors.

Tuesday Tales

The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades - New Series Announcement and 2018 Release News!

Thanks to my wonderful readers, friends, family, and fellow authors, 2017 was an amazing year! I hope you and yours are blessed with peace and joy throughout 2018. May we stride forward in the coming days, mindful of the past and all that we can learn from it. We're facing turbulent times but I strongly believe that if we stand together we will overcome the dark and hateful times that are upon us. Remember love always trumps hate. 

Now onto upcoming book talk!

2018 is looking to be another wonderfully busy year! There are numerous projects written down in my high-tech project devices aka paper day planner. High-tech for a chicken herder that is! *winks* 

We’ll have plenty more from the Cayuga Cougars as well as the Harrisburg Railers. There's also a new adult, MM hockey trilogy  - the Owatanna U. Eagles - coming your way from RJ Scott and myself! 

I'll also be re-releasing a couple books in 2018. Life is a Stevie Wonder Song, which will have a new cover as well as an additional epilogue not contained in the first release. Look for this one in April. 

Then, in time for Halloween, I'll be bundling all my MM Lake Erie shifter books into The Erie Collection. That collection will have all three of the previously released Erie books - An Erie Halloween, An Erie Operetta, An Erie Garden Party - as well as a brand-new novella, An Erie Uprising.

There's also a secret project that I'm currently working on that will be coming out sometime next year...possibly. The release of this collection of four shorts - revolving around the same couple as they move through a single year - will come out after the first story is released from an upcoming anthology I'm lucky enough to be taking part in.

Here's the tentative release schedule for 2018. Changes can occur but I think this is pretty tight. *crosses fingers, toes, and maybe eyes*



1/10/18 - Coach's Challenge (Cayuga Cougars #3)
2/14/18 - Poke Check  (Harrisburg Railers #4) Written with RJ Scott
3/13/18 - Blueline (Venom #6)
4/18/18 - Life is a Stevie Wonder Song (Rerelease)
5/14/18- Last Defense (Harrisburg Railers #5) Written with RJ Scott
6/27/18- Overtime (Cayuga Cougars #4)
7-8-18- Lost in Indigo (Colors of Love #1)
8/8/18 - Harrisburg Railers #6 written with RJ Scott (Title TBD)
9/30/18-An Erie Collection (Rerelease)
10/31/18-Ryker (Owatanna U. Hockey #1) Written with RJ Scott
12/1/18- Holiday Crossover Railers/Owatanna U. Written with RJ Scott




I can hear some of you saying,"Hold on, Vicki. What's the Colors of Love series?!" 

Here's a little info about my newest series kicking off in 2018:

Each novel will be a stand-alone MM hockey romance novel with the titles reflecting each color of the rainbow. I know, hockey books that don’t have hockey terms as the titles? What kind of madness is this? I must confess that it’s nice to stretch the wings on the titles a bit. Hopefully the lack of hockey terminology won’t confuse my readers too much.

 The first book, Lost in Indigo, Colors of Love #1, is slated to release 8/8/18. I'll be working on the second book, Touch of a Yellow Sun, in January or February dependent on when RJ and I wrap up the fifth Railers book. 

I don’t have a set release schedule for the others yet but will be slotting books into a 2019 release schedule sometime next year and will pass along those dates when I get them locked down.

The titles of all the books in the series will be:

Lost in Indigo

Touch of a Yellow Sun

Brush of Blue

Songs of Red Currant Wine

Pines and Violets

Slow Dances Under an Orange Moon

The Good Green Earth

We’ll have a wide range of tropes in the Colors of Love series ranging from May/December (one of my favorite tropes), Enemies to Lovers, Bi for You, and Opposites Attract. I hope you’re as excited about these new MM hockey romances as I am! 

Here's the working blurb for Lost in Indigo to hone your skates a bit-

Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.

The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had lead his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. Mathieu watched his team go on to win the championship from his hospital bed.

Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The gender fluid twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion, one tender smile and touch at a time.

The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

If anyone has any questions about any other books and/or series, feel free to ask in the comments or shout at me over at Facebook.

And, as always, thanks to all you readers  for your continued support and love.

Hugs and Happy New Year-

V.L. 

Saturday Story Spotlight - Improper Fraction

#MM #NA #Contemporary #SecondChance

Buy Links:

Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/yak94tw7

Amazon UK - http://tinyurl.com/ybaz5hd5

B&N - http://tinyurl.com/ycmtett8

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/y8sq6wjo

Add to Goodreads – http://tinyurl.com/yal7r3bx

Blurb –

O’Malley Ramsey, math aficionado, grew up next door to Garrison Rook, All-American athlete. While O’Malley dreamed of numbers and kissing Garrison, Garrison’s tastes ran to home runs and hot chicks.

During a family celebration the night before both young men were heading off for college, O’Malley joyously discovers that Garrison isn’t quite as straight as the star athlete had been pretending to be. Vows to return to each other quickly followed a few clumsy kisses in the old treehouse in the Rook’s backyard.

O’Malley came home to Garrison. Garrison never returned to O’Malley.

Four years later, the two ex-friends meet up at a summer camp where O’Malley is serving as a counselor. Garrison is desperate to make things right with his childhood friend, but can O’Malley, still nursing the pain and mistrust of Garrison’s betrayal, ever forgive or love Garrison again?

Excerpt:

Hand shielding my eyes, I watched as the Silverado stopped in front of Professor Belshaw’s wildly decorated cabin right beside Lake Amalie. The professor had gotten all her wind chimes hung that morning. Each one was a brilliant and some would say garish color. They clattered and clanged with each touch of a breeze off the lake. She had made them all out of silver soup spoons and old silver teapots. Then she had painted them to match her whims. Professor Belshaw had incredibly colorful whims so it seems.

            When the passenger door opened, I felt a wide smile break free as I saw Emily Rook slide to the ground, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I wasn’t familiar with the Silverado but had to assume that Mr. Rook had gotten a new ride. Since I hadn’t spent much time at home after graduation due to a graduation gift of a vacation in Palm Beach from my father, it was quite likely that he had. That old minivan he had owned had been creeping toward the junkyard for a couple of years. Emily spun in a circle and then found me standing in the gravel path. She waved frantically while jumping up and down. I did the same. Then Garrison Rook exited that massive blue Silverado. My arm crashed numbly to my side and all happy jumping died.

            My first thought was “God above but he looks amazing!” which was quickly followed by “I think I may puke!” but I managed to hold down my lunch. Emily pointed in my direction. The sloppy joe from my midday meal rolled over in my stomach. Garrison’s dark eyes found and held me. He looked incredible. Even more handsome now that he had lost those final touches of boyhood. Garrison was all man now. Every single, athletic, heartbreaking, lying inch of him.

            “Shit.” I groaned and swallowed. I was sure my sandwich and chips were going to come back up. Someone appeared beside me. I couldn’t rip my attention from Garrison as we stared at each other.

            “Never eat the fried oysters.” Professor Belshaw barked with glee then drove a sharp elbow into my side. “Ah, I see the Rooks have arrived!” She waved them over. I felt like a hare that the hounds had just sighted. “O’Malley, if you don’t close your mouth one of these damn deer flies is going to zip right in and land on your tongue,” she said as she waved a hand at a pesky fly buzzing around our heads.

            I forced my jaw to come up. Every step Garrison and Emily took made my pulse speed up. By the time the two Rook siblings stood in front of me, I felt woozy. Were my ears ringing or was that tinny noise just one of Belshaw’s wind chimes?

            “Hello there.” Professor Belshaw grabbed one of Garrison’s large hands and pumped it. It took two of hers to cover one of his. He had strong hands. I clearly recalled how they had felt when he had run them over me that night in the treehouse. “It’s a real honor to have a Carolina Cutter in the camp!”

            I glanced at Emily. She averted her gaze as the camp owner fawned over Garrison. Emily knew there was tension between her brother and me, but I had never revealed to her what kind of upset had occurred. Why should I tarnish Garrison in her eyes? No one but my father knew of how this man had shredded me into ticker tape and then tossed me into the wind.

            “It’s a real pleasure to be here, Professor,” Garrison said. My skin prickled just hearing his voice. Was it deeper? It sounded it. His brown eyes never left me as he talked baseball with Professor Belshaw. I worked on keeping up with the conversation they were having but my mind kept drifting back. To better days, days when Garrison and I were the best of buddies riding our bikes through mud puddles, sleeping out in the treehouse during the summer, working on making a comic book that starred a baseball player who used math as his super weapon. Those memories assaulted me as I stood there staring at his hand clasped so tightly by Belshaw.

            “Isn’t it exciting, O’Malley?” Hearing my name pulled me out of childhood remembrances. My gaze flew to her then to Garrison. He now had his hand back, which was good. Would it look bad if I slugged him in the face and then stormed off? Probably. 

MM Goodness Book Review - Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

Amazon

What a book! What an amazing damn book! This was one of those reads that you start, and you literally cannot put it down. Reading while cooking? Check. Reading while eating? Check. Reading while watching hockey? Check. I tore through this breeches ripper in no time, held captive just as surely as our brave kidnapping victim, Nathanial.

There’s action, adventure, plenty of swashbuckling, sexy pirates, strong virgins, and snapping dialog. The attention to historical detail was obvious and the romance…Oh, the romance. Hawk and Nathanial ticked so many of my favorite trope boxes: May/December, enemies to lovers, angst, scorching hot sex scenes, and a happy ending. It’s a fantastic read and one hell of an adventure!

5 out of 5 stars

Tuesday Tales - Pitch

 It`s time for Tuesday Tales.

Today we have a snippet from Last Defense, Harrisburg Railers #5, an MM hockey romance book coauthored with RJ Scott that we’re currently writing. In this excerpt

Our word prompt today is “Pitch”.

This story may have gay erotic scenes, strong social issues addressed and mature language. If those things offend now is the time to move onto another Tuesday Tales blog. Thanks for stopping by!

I was waiting for Max to arrive. I knew he’d show up. Call it a hunch or the Force or a good guess, but I could feel him coming closer. Imagine his shock when he showed up at the locked gates of the shelter and I was waiting for him, motor running, ready to take him on a real date.

“Hey,” he cautiously said while paying and tipping the driver.

“Hey yourself,” I replied, ass resting on the bumper of my Jeep, arms crossed, the ultimate picture of Mr. Cool. If only my interior was as chill as my exterior. My stomach was a jumble of nerves, my heart was skipping a beat by the feels, and my cock was plumping up just looking at the man in his suit and tie.

Max looked through the gates at the shelter. Crickets chirruped, and a dog barked. The air was heavy with humidity. The steady hum of city traffic surrounded us.

“What’s going on?” He pulled his blue tie out from under his shirt collar and shoved it into his front pocket. Then the jacket was removed, showing off thick arms wrapped in soft cotton.

“We’re going on a date.”

He glanced back at me, one eyebrow climbing upward.

“We are?”

“Yes. We are.” I opened the passenger side door for him. “We have to hurry though. It closes at ten.”

“Uh, that only gives us about forty minutes.” He showed me the heavy watch on his left wrist.

“Which is why I’m telling you to hurry.” I waved a hand at the interior of my car.

“I thought DK was with you.”

“He was. Now he’s not.” Another jerky motion at the open door.

He walked over and got into the car. I shut the door like a proper gentleman then raced around the front of the Jeep and dove behind the wheel.

“Good thing the game didn’t go into overtime,” I said, pulling away with my confused date at my right. I turned up the stereo and Teddy Pendergrass oozed out of the speakers.

“Good thing.” He buckled up then hit me with a firm look. “What is all this about?”

“It’s about the fact that we never had a date.” I glanced quickly at him then back to the road. Teddy was crooning about turning out the lights. Mm-mm-mm that sounded good. Me, Max, a bed, and a dark room. Or a room with lights. I was good with either scenario.

No. Dammit. No. This is a no sex date night. Be strong, Benton!

“I didn’t know we were doing the whole dating thing.”

Worry set in. I concentrated on the traffic leaving the city. I prayed he wouldn’t pitch a fit over my pushy behavior.

“I wasn’t either at first.” I’d decided to be honest with the man. He had always been one hundred percent honest with me. No false promises or honeyed words to get me into bed, not that he’d needed them, but still…

“And now you think you want the dating thing.”

“If you do.” Argh. No, that was backpedaling. Be strong, Benton! “I mean yeah. I want to date you.”

I jerked my chin up a bit as I zipped along, my speed maybe a bit higher than it legally should be.

“Huh.”

I threw him a look, but he seemed well and truly into himself, so I let that admission bounce around the inside of the Jeep as we hightailed it to Hershey.

When we pulled up at the park, Max’s bushy eyebrows knotted up. “So, we busted ass to get to an amusement park?”

Copyright 2017 ©by V.L. Locey

*~*~*

Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the Tuesday Tales authors.

Tuesday Tales