Thursday, December 29, 2011

A Cat Named Hercules - new cover!!

December 28, 2011

It's new cover time!!


Look for A Cat Named Hercules on January 15, 2012.


** update**
A Cat Named Hercules
Book five in the Men of Marionville series

Now available at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online book sellers. 

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Mistletoe Blog Hop round up


Congratulations to Gena, winner of a .pdf copy of A Hard Habit to Break.


Once again, thanks to everyone who participated. You're invited to join my new release announcement mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys.

Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Blog Hop contest is closed

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Mistletoe Blog Hop! My individual contest is now closed and participant comments hidden for privacy.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Mistletoe Blog Hop!

December 16, 2011

UPDATE: BLOG HOP IS CLOSED

It's time for the Mistletoe Blog Hop to begin!

It's easy - just visit all the blogs and enter the individual contests, and then visit PJ Schnyder's page to enter for the grand prize - a loaded Nook.

To enter my individual contest for a .pdf copy of A Hard Habit to Break, just comment on the blog under this entry. One winner will be selected after the blog hop ends on December 23, 2011.

To enter the drawing for the grand prize (US only) go to
http://pjschnyder.com/blog/contests/ and click on the entry link. The list of authors giving books for the grand prize is at the end of this blog.

Oh, and don't forget to go down the list and click "like" on Between the Keys. It won't get you a prize, but it will sure make me feel good!

Grand Prize offerings on the Nook (US only):
A Brush of Darkness -Allison Pang (WINNER MUST DOWNLOAD THROUGH ADOBE DIGITAL EDITIONS)
A Hard Habit to Break - KC Kendricks
Angel in the Middle - Marie Dees
Betting on Hope - Kay Keppler
Blood of the Maple - Dana Marie Bell
Cry Wolf - Angela Campbell
Dearly Departed - Lia Habel
Entanglements - PR Mason
Eris - D. Renee Bagby
Golden - Joely Sue Burkhart
Grey's Lady - Natasha Blackthorne
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Hunting Kat - PJ Schnyder
Knight of Runes - Ruth A. Casie
Leading Her To Heaven - Kayleigh Jamison
Love on Cloud Nine - Linda Andrews
Lust on the Rocks - Dianne Venetta
Men of the Sea Anthology - Eliza Knight
Murdering Eve - Kelly Lee
Redaction - Linda Andrews
Relearning the Ropes - DC Juris
Risking Trust - Adrienne Giordano
Shadows & Dust - Yvonne Nicolas
Sloane Wolf - Margay Leah Justice
Snowy Encounters - Clarissa Yip
Soul Catcher - Vivi Dumas
The Alchemist's Perfect Instrument - AL Davroe
The Demon He Knows - RA Vaughn
The Fallen Queen - Jane Kindred
The Knife's Edge - Stephanie Draven
Underdead - Liz Jasper
What Not To Fear - Robert C. Roman
White Hot Christmas: Santa's Claws - Stephanie Burke

And here's the fine print for my individual contest:
- Prize is as stated. No prize substitutions or exchanges and all winners are final.
- Entering this contest constitutes agreement to all rules stated in this post.
- Rules are subject to change without notification or reason given.
- Contest begins December 16, 2011, and ends December 23, 2011, EST.
- Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Must be 18 or older to win.
- Chances of winning varies based on number of entries.



Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Is it Friday yet?

December 15, 2011

Starting tomorrow, I'll be participating in my first blog hop - the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop with about 50 other bloggers/authors. 

On Friday, as soon as the gods of day jobs allow, I'll post what I'm giving away and how you can enter to win it. PLUS, go to PJ Schnyder's site at http://pjschnyder.com/blog/contests to enter to win the grand prize - a nook preloaded with books from some of the participating authors (US only). 

The Mistletoe Blog Hop runs from December 16-23, 2011.


So check back tomorrow. You might get a good chuckle if the Linky Link thingee doesn't work right for me.

KC

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thoughts of the Day

December 13, 2011

I confess I have what I hope is merely a “healthy” curiosity about the news headlines. I’d hate to have to admit to obsession, but sometimes I wonder. Take yesterday, for example. I learned Katie Couric is single again (there are worse fates), that jewelry you’ve seen advertised on TV is a poor Christmas gift (get the he$$ outta town!), and finally, something really interesting, a TV station in New York, in a seventeen second loop, aired the first broadcast of the Yule Log burning in the hearth in 1966.


Okay - so I have the Yule Log DVD and I run it while I’m reading in the sunroom during this time of the year. It’s hokey, but I like it.


If you’re wondering what all that has to do with writing, let me confess that everything in my life revolves around writing. I’m a writer. Life is given to me so I can put it in a book. And I never know when some tidbit from the life will work its way into a book. Everything is relevant in one way or another.


I’m hardly unique in that. To be a writer, a person needs to have an active curiosity about many things. I think being able to maintain that curiosity as we age is important to our overall health. But beyond that, the writer has the ability to see a single item from different perspectives and blend those perspectives into one cohesive whole. It becomes an interesting gift to be given.


With Christmas almost upon us, I’ve been pondering my gift giving habits. My family and friends have been very blessed, but who doesn’t worry about the future in these trying times? Everyone I talk with confesses to less lavish spending during this holiday season and more giving to those organizations that reach out to those in need. We are among them, although there is the occasional trinket when we see something we know another will truly appreciate.


And to my partner: I’ll appreciate jewelry, especially pearls, advertised on television or not, anytime of the year.


KC
http://www.kckendricks.com

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Cowboy Obsession by Sineth Killiri

Today I'm happy to have Sineth Killiri here at Between the Keys. The Cowboy Obsession is Sineth's first release. Check out those pictures! - KC

 

While the word, cowboy was first used in England to refer to boys (or men) that tended cows, it was brought to America during the American Revolutionary War as a term the revolutionary patriots used for pro-British raiders who snuck around rattling a cow-bell to lure them into the brush searching for cows. Then, after the American Civil War the term grew widespread in the American West during cattle drives, and has remained a steadfast reference to the hardworking men of those times.

But what of today’s cowboys? Sure, there’s the ol’ Wild West ones, with their Western attire, big hats, and those six-shooters strapped to their strong thighs. We read about their exploits wishing we were there, so they’ll always have that timeless appeal of the untouchable past. And while we use that bygone era to dream about their prowess and fanaticize about their passion, we let them evolve.

Today the cowboy may have turned his Stetson into a ball cap, and his clothing gone plaid instead of blue or red flannel, and his pants are denim instead of canvas, but our view of a cowboy is still carrying a powerful weapon—rugged sex appeal.

So who’s my cowboy in my first Gay Romance?

Eric McCaffrey, a cattle and horse rancher, and the town mayor of Puritan, Texas. Strong and handsome, he catches the eye of woman and men alike.

Librarian Braden Hollace wasn’t open about being gay in a small Texas town, so whenever he saw the gorgeous cowboy across the street from the library, he refused to approach him and shatter his fantasy about the man. Instead, he put his focus on stopping the town council from banning gay literature.

Mayor and handsome, irresistible rancher Eric McCaffrey kept his sexual preferences to himself. He devoted his time to things he found important, and the impending literature ban wasn’t on his list. And he told that very thing to the librarian who called him to protest.

But when Braden and Eric hook up at a nightclub in the city, they never imagined their night of passionate sex could turn into an affair of the heart...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt


Braden tipped back his head and effortlessly downed half his bottle of beer.

Eric watched, imagining Braden's throat muscles working against his cock, squeezing and releasing, swallowing every drop of his discharge. He put his hand against his crotch and adjusted his denims to accommodate his growing erection.

Blindly, Braden placed his bottle on the bar, eyeing him with a grin, obviously aware of his physical discomfort. "Ready?" he asked, his smile widening.

"Oh, yeah." Eric led the way.

Someone bumped into them as they headed for the door. Braden touched his back and excitement corkscrewed into the pit of his stomach. He focused on that sensation as a reminder that this one-night hookup was just for a good fuck, nothing more. He didn't have room in his life for a relationship--that's why he drove all the way to Houston.

They crossed the dark parking lot to his silver Ford pickup truck. "This is mine."

"Nice." Braden walked over to it and ran his hand over the shiny clean fender, stroking it gently, showing true appreciation for the big dual wheel vehicle.

He wanted that expression when Braden's fingers wrapped his cock. "Where are you parked?" Eric asked.

"My date took my ride."

"Oh? You have a disagreement or something?" Eric leaned on the truck, worried this night might not go as anticipated.

"Or something." Braden turned to him and placed a hand on his chest.

Eric didn't let the moment pass. He grabbed Braden's head and pulled him forward. He planted his mouth over his and kissed him hard. Equally aggressive, Braden pushed Eric back against the truck, his body pressed tight, his hands a flurry of strokes at his sides.

Eric flung his hat back into the truck bed. Then he drove his fingers into Braden's soft brown hair, twisting strands for control of his head. Yet, as much as he wanted to take control, Braden had the power with his solid frame sandwiching Eric against the truck and his grinding hips pressing tight enough for Eric to feel the bulge of his erection.

Eric couldn't believe how pent up his emotions had been until that moment. The kiss was wonderful, exhilarating, the most satisfying he had ever known. He pulled Braden's head back and stared into his lust-filled gaze.

"I want to fuck you, cowboy," Braden told him with a raspy, hurried breath.

"Then I suggest we get going to my hotel." Eric released his grip on Braden's locks.

Braden stepped back and wiped a hand over his mouth. "Good idea."

The glistening traces of their kiss vanished from Braden's lips. Eric righted himself. His heart pounded furiously behind his ribcage. He couldn't recall anyone having such a profound effect on his senses before. That made him nervous, and that, too, was an emotion he hadn't experienced much.

Eric reached in the truck bed and retrieved his hat. He set it on his head, moved to the driver door, unlocked it and then unlocked the passenger door. They got in. He looked over at Braden's handsome profile. Still in disbelief of his rampaging desires, Eric tried to pass off his turbulent emotions as a lustful infatuation with a gorgeous man. He'd fallen in that trap before, so there was no reason to think about love. Eric had come looking for a hook-up and found one. Tonight was nothing more than that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Available at Amber Quill Press.


When we see the progression of cowboys, working in the once lowly, dirty job, how do you think they became sex symbols? Was it books, movies, or is history in general romanticized?
Sineth

http://www.sinethkilliri.com/

Also writing as Brenda Williamson

It makes perfect sense to me

Sleepers



December 4, 2011

Instead of wrapping my brain around the concept of actually getting some writing done today, I've been playing. Or is it procrastinating? Maybe both. I have a mental "to do" list for the day and I think I need to scrap it in favor of fun pursuits. I feel like I've had my fingers to the keyboard without ceasing for far too long.

Or maybe I've allowed a conversation with my man to discourage me. Which would be my fault, not his. He's a pretty good cheerleader (as long as he doesn't wave his pom-poms and make a mess on the floor).

Being published is hard on a person's psyche. Those big pieces of yourself that you carved off and planted in a story are out there for the world to see. Most of the time all that comes back to us are the words of "reviewers," and recently the trend seems to be for really cunty snarky "reviews" - but that's another blog. I'm talking "reviews" when we hit "R" in the 2012 A-Z Blogging Challenge so I'll save it for then.

While the willingness to bleed out all over the page is a prerequisite to writing, it doesn't guarantee any given book will be well received. Some very well-written books become "sleepers" in the author's backlist, and it was this topic my partner and I discussed over shared a glass of wine.

Up until this point, my backlist contained one true sleeper - Passion's Victory. I believe this is due to the fact it garnered a 2008 CAPA nomination. Those sort of things can be like the kiss of death to a book. But from the emails I've received from readers over the years, Passion's Victory has been loved by everyone who didn't let the CAPA nod scare them off.

But now I think I have another sleeper on my hands - Double Deuce. Rather after the fact, the head guru at Amber Allure came along and said anything with a mystery tag didn't sell. Sure wish I'd known that when the concept was discussed. Of course, the problem is that Double Deuce is first and foremost a KC Kendricks romance and the "mystery" is the crime solving elements of the plot. I'm sure big name mystery writers would laugh like hyenas at the mystery tag being applied to Double Deuce. Live and learn.

What's discouraging is I've planned a neat little story arc for the two main characters in Double Deuce to carry through what I'd hoped to be a trilogy and if the sales don't back it up, I can't spend six months writing it any time soon. And that's a shame if I do say so myself, because I think readers who love romance would love, love, love what would have happened at the end of book three.


So thinking out loud here, so to blog, what do I do? Do I write stories the majority of my readers want and will make my publisher keep on accepting my stories, or do I take my own advice and write the story I want to write and to hell with worrying about it?

I guess the answer will come some morning when I put my fingers on the keyboard and the words start to flow. Stay tuned.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/

blog: ttp://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: ttp://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

DOUBLE DEUCE
Contemporary gay romance mystery
available now AmazoniTunesBarnes and Noble, and Kobo.