MidWeek Tease - September Morning

August 30, 2017

**Updated 4/2/21 - the MidWeek Tease blog hop has ended.**

It's almost impossible to believe September is just hours away. The summer days that seemed so long and lazy when I was a girl now pass in the blink of an eye. September is my second favorite month, a close second behind October. Here's an excerpt from September Morning for this week's MidWeek Tease.  Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_*_

My eyes burned. It didn’t take a big leap of logic to figure out why and how Nate knew so much.

“You keep saying the exact right thing. Who was he?”

He took a quick breath and gusted it out. “His name was Aaron. We were together about three years. It tore me up when he got married.”

Somehow I didn’t think he meant Aaron married another man. If I didn’t ask, the unrequited curiosity would give me hives.

 

“As in he married a-?”

“Woman. Yes.”

“Damn.”

“Yep.”

“You didn’t-?”

“Nope. Had no clue until he packed his clothes and left.”

We lifted our cans in unison and both sucked down a long draught of beer. Nate let his arm slide down my back and dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of my shorts. I squirmed away from them.

“Your fingers are cold.”

He bumped against me. “Maybe I’m nervous you’ll reject me.”

“Well, you know I did tell Sven I’d have lunch with him in the not so distant future.”

Nate laughed softly. “I’m not worried about Sven. I saw Paddy whispering in his ear and he looked at us. He’ll have lunch with you but he won’t make a move on you.”

“Pity. I’ve never kissed a Norse god. I might like it.”

He growled and tumbled me backward onto the sand. His cool, beer flavored lips covered mine. Not gentle now, he thrust his silky tongue into my mouth and led me into a mock battle. Back and forth we teased, learning secrets few others would ever know.

I clung to him as long-forgotten heat coursed through me. I’d mourned the loss of having someone to touch and to touch me, as much as I’d mourned losing Michael. Now my senses flooded with Nate’s nearness. My cock, so unresponsive for so long, swelled full and hard. I needed to breathe but I would have passed out from lack of oxygen before I’d pull away from him - or let him go.

“Ah, kick some sand on ‘em.”

Nate jerked away from me at the sound of a voice, close to our ears. Sven took a step back as we scrambled to sit. Good-natured laughter traveled around the bonfire. I glanced at Nate and hoped I wasn’t as glassy-eyed as he was. The man looked dazed.

I guess I did. Sven loomed over me and grinned.

“Does this mean our lunch date is off?”

I got to my feet with as much dignity as a guy with a big bulge in his pants can muster in front of a crowd. “That depends. I still need to eat.”

There was a smattering of applause as I reached out a hand to Nate and pulled him to his feet.

Huh. He had a bulge, too. I liked it. 

_*_*_

About September Morning:

Jagger Davis, JD to his friends, is at a crossroads in his life. He takes a summer sabbatical at picturesque Sandbridge Beach in Virginia to enjoy sun, surf, and solitude while plotting a new direction for his life. Arriving at a rented cottage, JD finds sun and surf, but the cottage next-door houses six fun-loving guys determined to include him in their summer activities. It’s quickly evident JD won’t have time to feel lonely.

Nate Fischer is one of a group of friends who spend every summer at Sandbridge. An IT specialist, Nate’s taking a few weeks off before his next assignment sends him out to sea for months. He introduces himself to the new neighbor and invites JD to the first bonfire of the season.

JD fends off advances from Nate’s roommates as the two men become close. But JD harbors a secret in his past, one he worries Nate won’t accept. When Nate’s job abruptly calls him away, JD realizes his mistake. He hasn’t given his summer lover a fair chance. Now he has to convince Nate he’ll be waiting when Nate returns - if Nate still wants him. 

SEPTEMBER MORNING

Available at:

Amazon - www.amazon.com/September-Morning-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E1ZFGGM

Apple/iTunes - itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098476445

Barnes and Noble - www.barnesandnoble.com/w/september-morning-kc-kendricks/1122960527

Kobo - www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/september-morning-3

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

kckendricks.blogspot.com

facebook.com/kckendricks

Eclipse 2017

August 22, 2017

Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun...Carly Simon

No, yesterday I didn't board the jet and go anywhere to see the total solar eclipse. I only went as far as the sunroom porch. I didn't even get a good photo. I, ehem, appropriated this image. 

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the eclipse. I did. I took the afternoon off work to spend this "once in a lifetime event" with my honey. That made it a pleasant afternoon. We had lunch, complete with an early cocktail, on the porch and then kicked back to relax. 

The time rolled around - between 2:38 and 2:42 PM - and we observed the world around us. The light changed but in no way would I be able to claim it got dark. Deuce sacked out and took a nap (but I'm sure he had his own opinion of the event). All, and I do mean ALL was quiet. No birds singing, no leaves rustling, no squirrels running amok, and absolutely no wind. The only sound was the rooster down the road and he's a stupid bird not long for this world. 

We held a colander up to create little crescents on the deck, which was interesting, but our photos really are a bust. It doesn't matter, at least not to us. 

The important thing was we were able to enjoy some time together doing nothing. That's a real treat in my schedule these days. I spent the afternoon with the most important person in my world, and of course, Deuce . For that, the eclipse of 2017 will be memorable.

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckenricks
www.facebook.com/kckendricks

Words I don't want to say

August 20, 2017

August has not been a productive month. It's been unseasonably cool, too. Not once in this month have I been brave enough to jump in my little pool and soak in seventy-degree water. I'm paying the price for that at the moment. The PH levels are all wonky. To keep them stabilized, you need to get in the pool and move the water. I dropped two cups of baking soda in this morning in the hope that the water temp will reach eighty today. 

Like the weather, I've been unseasonably quiet. The people around me have demanded my time leaving the people in my head unable to tell their stories. I've seriously considered running away from home. I think about how great it would be to take my laptop to a motel room for a weekend. I doubt I would actually write anything but just getting away from the constant barrage of phone calls and the subsequent time-sucking acts of dealing with problems not my own would be wonderful.

Do I sound selfish? Too bad. 

It's time for me to put my foot down. 

Time is critical for a writer to actually write. If one is at the nursing home visiting one's mother for thirty minutes every day, on the phone with one's stepfather thirty minutes every day, and on the phone with a different chatty friend for thirty minutes every day, that's an hour and a half. Walking the dog adds another half hour. Cooking and other household chores add up to at least an hour. So we're up to three hours. Full-time job? I get up at six a.m. to prepare and don't get home until five p.m. That's eleven hours which puts us at fourteen hours a day, Monday through Thursday.  Friday evening is bowling. When I finally get the computer around eight or eight-thirty p.m., I'm too exhausted to focus. 

I spend my days doing things for everyone else. Even my day job is all about aiding people in crisis. If I'm to continue being a writer, it's time for me to go back to basics. It's time to write first and allow the people around me to stop being lazy. Because that's what it is. They're too lazy to solve their own problems. It's too easy to call me. I'm too available. That's ends today.

It has to end today. It has to because the last thing I ever want to say to anyone is, "I used to be a writer."

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Shine A Light for the MidWeek Tease

August 9, 2017

**Updated 4/2/21 - the MidWeek Tease blog hop is closed.**

Welcome to my contribution to the MidWeek Tease blog hop. Be sure to check out all the participating authors using the linky-list at the end of this entry. The MidWeek Tease presents excerpts from both new and established authors. I've found a few new favorites - perhaps you will as well! 

This week, I've got an excerpt from Shine A Light you won't find anywhere else. Van's ex-lover posted nudes of him on a blog, and Shane, whom Van just met, has seen them. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

Shane didn’t waste time with a grand tour, but led me straight to the stage. I failed miserably at not staring at his ass as he walked. Lord, he had a nice butt. Tight. Muscled. I just knew it was a perfect fit for my hands.

He pulled a lever and the maroon velvet curtains parted, gliding silently on their tracks to swing heavily at the ends. I stood there, center stage, and looked out across the rows of empty seats.

Smart fellow, Shane Hollister. He knew this was the view that would nail me for the job. I sensed him at my left side as his body heat blended with mine in the cool night air.

“The first time I came to The Globe in the Grove, I was twelve. My dad brought me.” He pointed to a spot about twenty rows back, center. “We sat there, only in those days, it was the last row. That was before the theater was enclosed, too.”

“Really? They’ve expanded, then. It’s more than double that now. Do I remember correctly that I read during the summer, almost all of the walls are panels that slide open?”

“Yep. When it’s really warm, we turn on the roof fans and create a draft. They are amazingly quiet. Phil has done wonders here. I should warn you, they hope to get you to come every summer.”

Well, crap. I shoved my hands in my pockets and turned to face him. “I guess they don’t read the tabloid press.”

Amusement lit in his sparkling eyes, and it struck me again how easy it would be to turn fool over this young man. His gaze never left mine as he shook his head. “No, they don’t, but even straight guys read the gay press. It’s more informative on some matters.”

“Shit.”

He laughed softly. “It’s not that bad, Van. You’re not the first man to have his closet door thrown open by a vindictive ex-lover.”

“Yeah, everyone has a blog these days.” I’d known Lynn had one, and that he dropped little tidbits about me from time-to-time from the angle of a fan lucky enough to be in my orbit.

The little chatty things, like where I’d had dinner or which designer duds I’d worn to an event were harmless and kept my fan base entertained. I’d never expected Lynn to get down and dirty with details about our sex life, complete with color snapshots. I dared to meet Shane’s amused, knowing gaze.

Well, crap! He’d seen the photos. My face heated.

Shane grinned. “Personally, I don’t think you have anything to be embarrassed about, and Phil and Bob agree. We were rather…impressed.”

_*_*_*_

About Shine A Light:

After being viciously outed by his spiteful ex-lover, Van MacKenzie, fallen Hollywood and Broadway star, lands on stage in a small town community theatre - and in the arms of set designer Shane Hollister. Van knows his attraction to the talented young man could seal the fate of his career, but he can’t resist having a ‘summer thing’ while performing at The Globe. When an act of violence catches them unaware, Van recognizes the message was really meant for him. Walking away from Shane might be the smart thing to do to keep him safe.

Shane Hollister had established himself as a Broadway set designer before his father’s accident forced him to move home to St. Charles. Needing work, Shane accepts a job at The Globe. To his surprise, the small operation equals any big city production. When Donovan “Van” MacKenzie signs on for the new show, Shane grabs the chance to have a summer fling with his big screen idol, refusing to allow Van’s past to intrude. 

Shane knows he has only one chance to catch a fallen star, and keep him for his own. 

SHINE A LIGHT

Available at:

Amazon

www.amazon.com/Shine-Light-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E89DJLA

ITunes/Apple

itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098679955

Barnes & Noble/Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shine-a-light-k-c-kendricks/1028729180?ean=2940153164472

Kobo

store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/shine-a-light-2

  

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

www.twitter.com/kckendricks

blog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

An evening rainbow

August 2, 2017

I've been blessed to have a beautiful little piece of this planet to call home. I have three acres, two of which are wooded. My house is surrounded by mature trees. We mow beneath those trees closest to the house and have created a park-like back yard. It's quiet, peaceful, and very green. 

In the thirty-six years I've lived here, I've not seen many rainbows here at home. The trees block the view. But last night I got lucky. I stepped out my office door with the intention of throwing the Frisbee for Deuce and spied a lovely rainbow! 

I was excited. Deuce - not so much. When it comes to having his play time interrupted to take a moment to enjoy something rare, Deuce is very sure in his opinions. It took a few Griller treats, and a marathon Frisbee session, to get back in his good graces.

The next time I get lucky and spot a rainbow, I'll take the photo before I tell the dog. It'll go better for me.

KC Kendricks

A Hard Habit to Break for the Book Hook Blog Hop

August 2, 2017

***UPDATED APRIL 17, 2023***

4-17-23 - Blogger suddenly decided parts of this post are unacceptable for the public to view.  This is the new censorship of our current society, and it's going to get worse.

Blog hops are a lot of fun. I've come in contact with a lot of new-to-me authors through blog hops. Yes, they're good promo, but I like that they build a community within a community.

The Book Hook hop is hosted through Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. The deal is to post a snippet from a story, the story blurb and the buy links. Include the code to the linky list and then go have fun!

For my first time participating in this one, here is a snippet from A Hard Habit to Break, book one in the Men of Marionville series. Be sure to check out the list at the bottom of this entry for more excerpts from participating authors.  Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

We’d veered into very murky waters, the potential for disaster suddenly and exponentially increasing. We’d just reconnected, and the only thing that kept me from throwing my arms around him and never letting go was fear he’d bolt again.

As for [-------], I’d go to my knees for him anytime he snapped his fingers and pointed at the spot, but I didn’t dare tell him that for the exact same reason.

“Lord, Travis. Let’s not talk about [---] just yet.”

To my surprise, he chuckled. “Heath Kelley, backpedaling. I’m amazed I lived long enough to see it happen.”

“Laugh all you like. We can talk [---] over lunch.”

Travis turned to me, arms crossed over his chest, his hip against the car.

“No, Heath. We won’t talk [---]. You’ll always be my best friend. Hell, you’re more than that. I’ve missed you so much.” He paused and took a deep breath. “[---] is off limits. I don’t want to talk about it with you, and as friends, we’re not going to do it.”

He might think that, but I knew better.

_*_*_*_

ABOUT A Hard Habit to Break

As the reigning stud of the local gay club scene, every guy in the county knows Travis Templeton and vies for his attention. Travis wears his crown lightly, careful not to break any hearts. He knows what it’s like to really love someone who doesn’t love you back-at least, not in the way you want.

Heath Kelley made the biggest mistake of his life the night before his best friend Travis left for college. One small action snowballed into years of silent misunderstanding and empty distance. When Heath accepts a transfer that sends him to his hometown, he doesn’t know Travis has moved back home, too. It doesn’t take long for the men to reconnect.

Admitting they never stopped thinking of each other as “best friends” is easy. Forgiveness of past sins is easy, but confessing their secrets comes harder. When Heath discovers the truth about Travis’ private life, the newly repaired bonds of friendship are stretched taut.

It’s time for Travis to choose – the love of his best friend or a life spent settling for second best. 

_*_*_*_

A Hard Habit to Break is available at

Available now at Amazon     iTunes   Barnes and Noble      KOBO

KC Kendricks

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

blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

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