The final read-thru: Devilishly Delicious Dane

 ***Update October 10, 2023 ***

***This title is no longer available***

February 18, 2023

This week is almost over! Yea! Seriously, it's been a week. We bought a new washer and dryer, the installation of which turned into a circus. The drain hose that came with the washer was too short to reach the standpipe. The installers refused to simply use the hose that had been on the old washer. We went to the home improvement store and purchased a hose. I put it on. It popped off. Rinse and repeat. Finally, the brother-in-law was summoned and he put it on. He and I tested it and it seems fine. I'll find out later today when I finally use the new washer. 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I can't focus on writing when there is some sort of upheaval in my life. Now that the washer is [hopefully] settled, I can get down to business and do the final read-thru of Devilishly Delicious Dane. 

Most of the finalizing is in place. The front and end material are added except for a bonus read at the end. I haven't made up my mind about what that should be. A good move would be to include the first chapter of the first book of one of the series I have - but which one? The Men of Marionville is always a good bet, but so are Amethyst Cove, Centerville Muscle, and Southern Cross. I could do the first chapter of The Back Stairs, but the Sundown saga is technically paranormal or urban legend, whichever you prefer to call a shapeshifter. It's a writer's dilemma, for sure. 

What I need to do today, hopefully while the washer is washing, is check for continuity. I just read a book where the characters suddenly switched body types. It started out that Man A was sort of fluffy, in chapter six, Man B was suddenly the fluffy one. It's not good to miss something like that. Dane has brown eyes and I want to keep it that way! 

But coffee first. Deuce had me up early this morning and a quick peek out the window told me why. Fifteen deer in the front yard. The poor dog didn't know which way to go when they saw him and split up. 

Yep. Time for coffee.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m gay romance, LGBT, GLBT, donuts, Devilishly Delicious Dane, food trucks, coffee, a writer's life, writing, editing, 

When the writer needs a talkin' to

July 15, 2020

I'm not sure who uttered the phrase, "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get," but I certainly understand the sentiment. It's what happens when one has "too many irons in the fire."

But enough with old cliches. Writing, being a writer, is filled with time-sucking minutia. Many writers bang out the first draft without ever going back to do any editing or continuity checks. I'm not one of that school. If the story takes a turn on me, I have to go back to the beginning and re-read and double-check everything. To me, it's a good thing. I know the characters and their relationship better, and so can flesh out their encounters. It takes time. 

It also takes time when you suddenly realize the ending you'd envisioned just doesn't work. When that happens, you have to develop a new ending which means another pass or two through the manuscript for continuity. Time, time, time.  Recently I've been thinking back to those years when I could write six books a year. It was easy to do when didn't have to do covers, editing, and promo. Life marches on and change is inevitable. 

I'm impatient. I want to finish The Quest but reworking parts to fit a better ending is a time drain. I only work four days a week now and yet I have less writing time. How is that possible? Oh, yeah... I had an idea for another series of promo cards. I had some outside work to do. I snagged a book and then had to read the entire series. 

What the hell happened to the discipline I used to possess?? It's like the Bad Co. song. It's gone, gone, gone...  

I'm very, very annoyed with myself. I'm not sure how some writers slap themselves back into line, but I need to find something that works on me - fast! 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Station to Station for the #MidWeekTease

September 26, 2018

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

Welcome to my corner of the MidWeek Tease blog hop! Today I'm featuring a tease from Station to Station, which is part of the Men of Marionville collection. 

The MidWeek Tease blog hop is hosted by Angelica Dawson, and is open to all authors in whatever genre of romance you write. Go to her blog and send her an email if you have questions, or find her on Twitter. 

Be sure to check out all the participating blogs by using the list at the end of this post. 

Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

The guy behind me slid his chair back, bumping into me as he stood. He was fast to put a hand on my shoulder.

“Excuse me. I didn’t realize the chairs were so close together.”

I smiled into his unusual silver eyes. The black ring around his iris was fascinating. “No problem. The seating is pretty close.”

He smiled, nodded, and walked away, but not before I caught the quick glint of interest in his eyes. He’d slipped out a door marked “Patio.” Maybe some fresh air would do me some good, too, after I made a pit stop. I excused myself and headed to the men’s room.

Mission accomplished, instead of going back to rejoin the guys, I slipped out the patio door. The object of my interest was perched on the deck railing, smoking a cigarette. His gaze locked with mine, bright with the witchy curiosity a gay man has in another. I walked up to him and boldly lifted the fag from his fingers, took a drag, and exhaled to form a smoke ring.

Huh. I didn’t think I could still make them. I handed the cig back to him.

“Nasty habit. I took it up in my teens and quit when I was twenty-five.”

He took a deep drag and exhaled. “I get up every morning and say I’m gonna stop, but I don’t. How’d you do it?”

“A bad case of tonsillitis. But every once in a great while, I still want to get a taste. It convinces me I don’t need them.”

He grinned and flicked the butt into a sand bucket placed for that purpose. “You’re lucky if you can just taste and still keep away.” He held out his hand. “Dakota Reece.”

I pressed my hand to his warm, warm palm and dared the gods to zap me with a lightning bolt. “Scott Thomas.”

Dakota’s strong fingers closed around mine and I realized the extent of my foolishness. If I let this man get too close, he’d rip out my heart and hand it back to me, bloody and lifeless.

Hell, it’d happened before and I’d lived through it. He fixed me with a ruttish stare. “You’re not ‘with’ the guy you’re with, are you?”

I swear I saw an electric blue aura form around him. It flickered and danced over his shoulders, wild with tangible temptation and the promise to burn me to ash.

“Nope. He’s a good friend.”

He ran his thumb over my knuckles. “Good. When we get back to Marionville, I’ll buy you a drink. Where would you like to go? Frolic? Or someplace quieter?”

This gorgeous creature wanted to have a drink with me? I knew when to throw caution to the four winds…and the time was now.

I pulled him off the rail and slipped my free hand around his waist. Raw awareness crackled between us, man to man, laden with male pheromones and a shared knowledge we innately knew how to make the other moan with pleasure. I wanted to be sure, and kissing him was the most expedient way to strike a spark—or not.

My guess about his height had been right on, and he was just a tick shorter than me. It made kissing him easy. I pressed my lips to his, just a quick, soft touch that turned clingy when neither of us seemed to want to back off. He met me with an open eagerness that threatened to buckle my knees, and we never parted our lips. My body responded and then the sudden aching pooling of blood in my groin convinced me I needed to pull away before I got completely stupid with this guy in plain view of anyone who walked out the door.

Okay, so I kissed him. Okay, so we’d go have a drink and get to know each other. That didn’t mean I’d fuck him tonight. No taste of sweet titillation in that.

Dakota smiled at me. “That was nice. If you won’t have a drink with me, I’ll probably cry myself to sleep.”

“For the record, I don’t buy that line for a moment...."

_*_*_*_

ABOUT STATION TO STATION

Scott Thomas is tagged to oversee the new commuter rail line from Easton to Marionville, a high profile project that demands his expertise. When a friend invites him on a Mystery Train Dinner Adventure, Scott’s onboard for an evening of fun. He gets more than he bargained for when he meets his ideal tall, dark-haired stranger on the train.

Dakota Reece knows the new commuter rail is the opening he’s needed for him and his brother to build their own firm and future. Planning a start-up company while working on the commuter project is hard work. Needing an evening off, Dakota takes a trip to relax on the Mystery Train. When the train stops to serve dinner, Dakota is boldly cruised by a fellow passenger. He has to get to know this smart, sexy man and asks Scott to join him for a drink.

Scott and Dakota hit it off and a quiet cup of coffee leads to unexpected possibilities - and consequences. Their budding relationship could cause a multi-million-dollar conflict of interest. When Dakota makes a sudden decision to advance his timeline, Scott will do whatever is necessary to keep them together and on track.

STATION TO STATION

is available at

Amazon
www.amazon.com/Station-Men-Marionville-Book-ebook/dp/B01EX6S6VG

iTunes/Apple      

itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1105086526

Barnes and Noble/NOOK

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/station-to-station-kc-kendricks/1119495906

Kobo

www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/station-to-station-2

KC Kendricks

http://www.kckendricks.com

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

www.facebook.com/kckendricks

September Morning for the MidWeek Tease

September 19, 2018

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

Welcome to my corner of the MidWeek Tease blog hop! The blog hop is hosted by Angelica Dawson and is open to all authors. Go to the MWT page for more information.

This week, being that it's September, I thought I'd highlight an excerpt from September Morning. You can love again after a loss, as JD discovers.

Be sure to check out all the participating blogs by using the list at the end of this post.

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. 

_*_*_*_

September Morning

Contemporary gay romance

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 US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E1ZFGGM

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

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

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

kckendricks.blogspot.com

facebook.com/kckendricks

Highway Nights new cover

September 9, 2018

This morning I needed to take a break from the work-in-progress, Steel Wheels. The words are flowing so fast my rear-end was numb from sitting in the chair! In my own defense of myself to myself for sitting so long, all I can say is we're in the middle of a torrential rain. What else could I do except write? (No, vacuuming the floor was not an option.)

Needing to be productive, I reworked the Highway Nights cover.  It's not a great change but it's a good one.

Back in the days of publishers, the author filled out a number of forms with each book. The cover art form asked the author to describe her/his vision for the cover. With Highway Nights, I had a picture of headlights at night and I sent that along with the form. I can't imagine Highway Nights without those headlights. Cover art belongs to the publisher but that photo did not. When I went indie, I reused the photo. And here it is again only this time I've added a diner that fits the storyline. 

I've heard some indie authors bemoan how difficult it is to get a good cover. Learning how to make your own gives you an edge. As your photoshopping skills improve, it's easy to improve on early covers. 

Is this the best cover I've ever created? Probably not. But it's as good as any I got from a publisher's cover artist and all the reworking of it cost me was a bit of perseverance. 

HIGHWAY NIGHTS

Available at:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F4F7GX4

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01F4F7GX4

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01F4F7GX4

iTunes/Apple: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1107349490

Barnes and Noble/NOOK:  www.barnesandnoble.com/w/highway-nights-kc-kendricks/1109557517?ean=2940153170350

Rakuten/KOBO: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/highway-nights-1

Universal link to additional booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/4NYRNm

Highway Nights webpage: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/highway-nights-by-kc-kendricks.html

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor

Time's relentless march

March 9, 2018

This week marked another year since my grandfather's passing. I remember him well. I knew him longer, and probably better, than I knew my father who died twenty-two years earlier than Pop. I remember Pop standing beside my father's casket, weeping, asking God why he took such a young man and let "this old man" live. Pop was seventy-three at the time.

I had a wonderful relationship with my grandfather. He taught me so much of the old ways, ways I see dying. I have no one interested in learning about the earth, the flowers, the bees, the woodland creatures but that doesn't negate the fact of how very blessed I am that someone cared enough to impart that knowledge to me.   

Time's relentless march has me thinking about Pop and how much he enjoyed his retirement years. It's just one more life thing he gave me subtle guidance about. He had a plan, every day. As each day brings me closer to my "retirement" years, I'm making plans, too, plans that will honor what Pop taught me. 

So for now, take a step into the Way Back Machine with me, to what I posted on a different blog the day Pop passed from this life, thirteen years ago. Will the next generation remember me and blog about my life? I doubt it. Some things one must do for one's self. 

KC Kendricks

_*_*_

March 7, 2005

Minutes to Memories

A little girl watches as a man glues square wooden frames together. The man shows a young girl how to plant a flower. A young woman gets her first car and the man smiles, pride warring with concern. Thanksgiving Day and they leave the warmth of home and family to walk along the mountain ridge in silence. Words are not needed between them.

The man, suddenly old, holds the woman’s hand as they mourn together. An old man’s face lights up with joy when the now not-so-young woman hands him a little black puppy and tells him to meet his new “grandson.”

My grandfather has left this life. He was ninety-five. I love him. Death will not change that.

His passing was not sudden, nor was it unexpected. It was blessedly peaceful. I’m saddened by it and yet I will not give in to grief. He wouldn’t want that. He told me in a thousand ways across seventeen thousand days that life was to be lived. And to live, you keep moving forward, every day.

It’s the way he lived his life. He enjoyed a retirement that spanned thirty years. He had a plan for every day of those years. Until these last few months, he had a plan for the next several years.

Did he travel the world? No. Did he have fancy cars, a big house, and a big bankroll? No. He was a “plain” man. A gentle man, and a gentleman. He lived simply. He loved deeply. He was deeply loved.  He was the best grandfather in the world.

I think I will pause these next few days. Moving forward can wait just a little while. I’ll spend some time looking back at days that turned into minutes, and minutes to memories.

Rest well, Pop.  

Twice Removed From Yesterday - last MidWeek Tease of February

February 28, 2018

Have you ever noticed how the end of February sneaks up on you? It happens to me every year.

Welcome to the last MidWeek Tease blog hop of February! This week I'm revisiting the Men of Marionville collection with Twice Removed From Yesterday with an excerpt you won't find (legally) anywhere else. 

Be sure to check out all the MWT blogs by using the list at the end of this post. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_

Asking a few nosey questions seemed to be in order. The worst that could happen was he would tell me to mind my own business. I took the chance.

“So what’s your hesitation on the house? Smart money says Dylan pays you pretty good. Heck, I’m a temporary employee and he’s paying me like I’m a regular hire.”

He turned onto a side road and in a few moments, we were parked beside a stream. Just ahead I could see an old wooden covered bridge. It was a picture worthy of a frame.

August leaned toward me and slipped his arm around my shoulders. My gaze collided with his and held it. His lips parted. I slid toward him and let him kiss me. I knew a second of complete stillness and peace in which I marveled at the soft texture of his lips as they moved over mine, and then a heat bomb fired off inside me.

My skin flashed hot as I reached for him. Goosebumps spread over my thighs and ass. My balls tingled and drew up close to my body. My cock hardened in a deliciously throbbing rush as the need to sink into him ripped the air from my lungs.

He surged forward to push me down beneath him on the narrow car seat. His hand was cool as he slipped it down the front of my jeans to fist my shaft and I realized he was incredibly tense for a man making his move. I flicked my tongue to his and lifted my hips to move my dick in his hand.

He smiled against my mouth and pulled away. He looked a bit sheepish. “I didn’t plan to jump you like this, Chandler.”

“Thank goodness you did. It clears up a few things for me.” I pulled his mouth back to mine.

This kiss was no less tame as we nibbled and tested each other, searching for boundaries and finding none. His silky tongue slid over mine. He withdrew and I followed. Back and forth we parried until I was breathless. He pulled away again, releasing my erection and sitting up to put both hands on the steering wheel. I missed his warmth as caught my breath. A quick glance showed me he was equally out of breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

I pondered the wisdom of giving him a blowjob. It would be so easy to unzip his jeans and bend over him. In this secluded, idyllic spot, who would see?

But he’d moved away from me, a sure sign he wasn’t ready for more and any move I made might be overstepping a boundary. I took my cue from him and sat up straight to pull my shirt into place.

I grinned. “You can bring me out here every day for that.”

He hung his head. “You shouldn’t tempt me. And you have to quit The Wharf at the end of your week.”

I blinked at him. He was serious. “Oh? Just why do I need to do that?”

“How can I ask you out on a real date if you technically work for me? There are sexual harassment laws about employers taking advantage of employees, you know.”

So that was his hang up. It was actually a relief to learn where his head was at with me. I understood his caution but I also knew he and I had to get the sex out of the way and in a hurry. I sensed we were wired the same in that regard. If the sex didn’t work, we’d settle our asses down and be friends, and not friends with benefits.

And if the sex did work for both of us? The answer to that question, that possibility, was best left in the future.

I snorted. “Who said anything about sex?”

He echoed the noise I’d made. “My hard dick and your hard dick.”

“Well, there is that.” I held my hand out to him and he wrapped his fingers around mine. “Relax, Gus. Let’s just go with the flow for a few days, okay?”

“I’m serious, Chandler. I can’t bring that sort of risk into The Wharf. Dylan’s been too good to me. I…I want to take this to the next level, but I can’t until you’re done.”

A wave of carnal frustration hit me. I understood where he was coming from, but I thought he was being overly cautious. He wanted me as much as I wanted him and he wanted to wait? Yeah, it would make me crazy to be near him and know his balls tingled the way mine did.

“Okay. Just for you, I’ll force myself to behave until then.”

It was his turn to blink at me. “You’re going to make me regret this, aren’t you?”

I flashed him my best smile. “Take me home, Mr. Howard. I need to get ready for work and so do you. And yes. Gird your loins, so to speak. I plan to torture you.”

_*_*_*_

About TWICE REMOVED FROM YESTERDAY

Chandler Beck is at a crossroads. To move forward, he has to take a trip back to the biggest regret in his life. He discovers a man happily settled down with a partner, both of whom are ready to call him a friend. When they offer him a place to rest, Chandler ends up in their guest room and with a job at the best restaurant in town.

Once a rising star on the pro golf circuit, a back injury forced August Howard to give up the game. Swallowing his pride, he accepted a job waiting tables and worked his way up to the manager of The Wharf, the area’s premier restaurant. He’s not happy when the owner does a favor for a friend and hires the seemingly inexperienced Chandler Beck as a bartender.

It doesn’t take Chandler long to win over the prickly August, but August is a man with secrets. Their friendship heats up and when August’s past comes calling, Chandler pays the price. The only option open is for August to confess all and hope those around him, especially Chandler, will accept he’s a different man from who he was in his yesterdays.  

Now available at:

iTunes/Apple: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1338493712

Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B079BDBRZY

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twice-removed-from-yesterday-kc-kendricks/1127870493

KOBO:  www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/twice-removed-from-yesterday-1

KC Kendricks

http://www.kckendricks.com

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

www.facebook.com/kckendricks

mailing list: betweenthekeys-subscribe@yahoo.com

Desert Snow for the MidWeek Tease Blog Hop

October 18, 2017

**updated 4/2/21 - the MidWeek Blog Hop is no longer operational**

Welcome to the MidWeek Blog Hop! I'd like to thank everyone for stopping by. Today is a big anniversary for me - my partner is eleven years cancer-free! He had the last surgery eleven years ago today at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. 

Today I have a little snip from Desert Snow.  Desert Snow is set at a White Party where two reluctant attendees meet and discover they get along rather well. 

Enjoy! (And don't forget to check out all the MidWeek Tease blogs!)

- - - - - - - - - -

Yes, it would be wonderful to spend a few hours rolling around on his sheets. He appealed to me. Haydn projected the aura of maturity a man had when he was content in his own skin. That I recognized it surprised me, considering our short acquaintance, but I didn’t imagine it. He had it. The argument for or against taking him up on his offer was with myself.

I looked at him over the rim of my glass as I took sip. The cool liquid slid down my dry throat and delivered a nice kick as it hit bottom. His gaze flicked to my lips as I licked the tart drops.

“I wouldn’t want to come across as easy.”

His left eyebrow lifted. “Not a word I’d use to describe my take on you. I think I’ll get a few more drinks into you and see if you’re more agreeable to some fun.”

I grinned at him. “You give a guy my age too many drinks and the only fun you’ll get will be listening to him snore.”
- - - - - - - - - - -

DESERT SNOW
Contemporary gay romance 

Laird Bennett accepts a friend’s invitation for a vacation with his eyes wide open. His buddy is pimping for him - in a sneaky sort of way. Why else set up his business meeting in Palm Springs the week of the annual White Party and ask Laird to go along? Laird goes with every intention of enjoying the eye candy, the weather, and behaving himself. Those plans change his first night out while waiting to cross the street and a younger man in white leather greets him. 

Haydn Rinehart is at a crossroads. His pilgrimage to the White Party is to keep a promise before moving into the next phase of his life. Haydn strikes up a conversation with an attractive party-goer while waiting for a traffic light to change and invites him for a drink. When he discovers Laird is one of his favorite authors, Haydn volunteers to assist in some hands-on research in his hotel room. 

After all, they are at the White Party and some fun is in order. 

DESERT SNOW is available at Amazon     iTunes     Barnes and Noble     Kobo

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

MidWeek Tease - Ride Your Luck

July 19, 2017

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

Before we launch into today's MidWeek Tease, I need to take a moment and say "Happy Birthday" to my wonderful partner of twenty-three years. He's a two-time cancer survivor so we don't take birthdays for granted. You're still the one, hon.

The MidWeek Tease is a blog hop where you can find excerpts from the works of your favorite authors and be introduced to new authors. Please visit participating blogs by using the Linky List at the end of this post.

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EXCERPT

I found him, riding bareback on Argo, at the top of the canyon path. Wilting with relief had a lot of appeal but I refrained. The better move was to glare at him, so I did.

“Damn it, Wythe! You scared me to death sending Ben back alone.”

He patted Argo’s neck. “I didn’t send the motherfucker anywhere. I unhobbled him and for whatever the fuck horse reason, Argo nipped his ass. Ben lit out like the hounds of hell were after him.”

I took off my hat and wiped my sweaty forehead with my sleeve. Thank God he was okay.

“So what’s the plan? Ride Argo back to the barn and get him in a stall?”

Wythe tilted his hat to block the sun from his eyes. “I would’ve but since you’re here I’d rather ride back with you.”

“What makes you think I’m offering to share anything with you, including a ride on my horse?”

“Technically, he’s my horse, but okay. So I was pissy. Okay, so I blew what should have been a really good day with you. Bite me.”

I’d like to bite him—right after I gave him the spanking of his life.

“Don’t tempt me or I’ll show you what kind of a dog I really am.”

We stared at each other, neither of us blinking, for many long seconds. Wythe looked away, so I moved the conversation back to Argo.

“So you’re just going to let Argo go again? You’re risking a lot, you know.”

“I know, but his blood will boost the wild herd some. He’s already covered six of the wild mares.”

Not everyone would agree that was a good plan. Some might say it would dilute Mustang blood, but I didn’t know how pure the wild herd on Bar RC land was and Wythe likely did. I tapped my boot to Shorty to get him to move sideways.

“If that’s the plan, swing on over here.” I held out my arm as he moved to hop over, but it didn’t work. Argo either took exception to the maneuver or seized the opening to show his rider who was the boss because Wythe landed on his ass. I looked down and laughed.

“Any more good ideas?” I slipped my foot out of the stirrup so he could use it.

Wythe got to his feet, dusting off his butt. “Nope. The nag bested me again. Go!”

He smacked Argo’s rump, and the stallion trotted back to the canyon trail and disappeared over the rim. Wythe planted his foot in the stirrup, grabbed the hand I offered, and swung up behind me. Shorty took a little hop, then stood still. I straightened as Wythe wrapped an arm around my waist. I patted his hand.

“So does this mean you’re over your snit?”

“Nope. It means I don’t want to hit the ground again.”

“Shorty and I make no promises.” I turned the horse and eased my grip on the reins. Shorty would head for the barn and his food trough without any urging from me. 

Hell, I didn’t want to make him move any faster, not with Wythe all warm and relaxed against my back. Little prickling waves of awareness washed over me every time he made the slightest move. How I kept from squirming in the saddle was a mystery. 

"For a cowboy, you sure smell good.”

I resisted the urge to turn around to look at him. “If you weren’t sniffing the back of my neck, you wouldn’t know that.”

Wythe wrapped his other arm around my waist. 

I snorted at him. “If I say the w-h-o-a word, your balls are going to take a hit on the saddle.”

He reached down and cupped mine. Well, sorta cupped. He couldn’t really get to them, the way I sat in the saddle. 

I moved his hand. “Now’s not the time to go copping a feel. You had your chance earlier.”

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ABOUT RIDE YOUR LUCK 

Regan Oakley’s luck ran out. After a stint in rehab, he’s putting his life back together without the booze. What he thinks is an old friend’s charity is really a plea for help. There’s trouble at the Bar RC Ranch and the friend’s son is in the middle of it. Regan takes one look at Wythe Carver and knows that young man isn’t the only one with his world turned upside down.

Wythe Carver’s life took a strange turn. Suspected of murdering the ranch foreman, he’s hanging on, one day at a time. The person who could alibi him has disappeared and Wythe can’t find him. To make matters worse, his prize stallion is loose on the range. Complicating his life even more, his father called an old friend to come help out at the ranch. One look at Regan Oakley is all Wythe needs to know it’s going to get hot at night. 

Regan sets out to find the truth of what happened that night at the Bar RC. He’s sure Wythe is innocent, and he’s just as sure he has no business getting involved with the boss’s son. With no solid proof to clear Wythe, Regan needs to ride his luck to get to the truth and keep Wythe by his side. 

(Obviously, Blogger had some fun refusing to allow me to fix the formatting issues this week. It's an imperfect world.)

RIDE YOUR LUCK

Contemporary gay cowboy

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/Ride-Your-Luck-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E9TQ4YS

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E9TQ4YS

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01E9TQ4YS

Apple/iTunes:  itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098678927

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ride-your-luck-kc-kendricks/1122717097?ean=2940153211367

Rakuten/Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ride-your-luck-1

Universal link to additional booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/4XGyvm

Ride Your Luck webpage with more information and excerpt: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/ride-your-luck-by-kc-kendricks.html

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

The last holder of a legacy

May 18, 2017

Do you ever wonder who will care for the things you love after you're gone? I suppose most folks naturally assume their offspring will. Maybe, but maybe not. Having no spawn of my own, I do wonder. 

I wonder about the younger generation of my own family on their good days. Let's not delve into my thoughts come a bad day. 

I clearly remember my great-grandmother, Mary Ellen. She was of the old Church of the Brethren in Christ that got sucked into the Evangelical United Brethren which in turn was consumed the Methodists to become the United Methodist we know today. She always wore the traditional small white head covering, even under her sun bonnet. I well remember those sun bonnets, too. She had quite a collection, some pieced from leftover quilting fabric. Those patchwork bonnets were worn out in the garden. 

Grandma had a large vegetable garden. She canned and froze everything. I was probably about six when I learned how to make jelly from wild elderberries I'd helped harvest. Every Saturday morning, my grandparents would take my great-grandparents to the city market where they had a booth, and she'd sell canned goods, jams, jellies, quilts, and sun bonnets to the "city folk." 

Interspersed through and around the vegetable garden were her flowers. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother traded roots, bulbs, and cuttings all the time. It's thought Mary Ellen brought the small yellow iris home from the city market, probably acquired in a trade with another merchant. 

Today, I'm the last member of the family standing to have these iris. I've offered starts to the younger generation with no takers. I suppose it's difficult to be thrilled about an old tiny iris with the abundance of large, fragrant varieties today. Never mind these heritage iris are mold, mildew and worm resistant when the newer ones are not. And I suppose it's hard to be enthused about a gift from the garden of a woman you didn't know. 

But a flower is all the legacy from Mary Ellen I have to offer. You'll have to excuse me if I cherish it. 

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

Bourbon & Blues - new for #MSS 177

February 18, 2017

**Updated 4/2/21 - the My Sexy Saturday blog hop has been discontinued.**

Welcome to another My Sexy Saturday! This week I have seven sexy paragraphs from the brand new release, Bourbon & Blues. Bourbon & Blues is part of the Men of Marionville collection. 

Be sure to check out all the participating MSS blogs using the links at the bottom of this entry. 

And now for our seven paragraphs.
_*_*_*_

I pulled my pants up and zipped. More than anything I wanted to lie down beside him and stay, but it wasn’t a good idea. I just met him. Getting too wrapped up in him would be foolish. I walked to his side of the bed and kissed him goodbye. 

“See you Friday, Griff.”

“Call me if you need bail, babe.”

“Likewise, hon.”

He was chuckling as I walked away.

The drive home was a short one, but it was time enough for the box my emotions lived in to open and its contents spill out. I wanted to shove it all back into its cage but it was too late.

Hope is determined to live in the light. 
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ABOUT Bourbon & Blues:

Griffith Ernde missed his father’s funeral because he was drunk. When he made it to the cemetery, the gates closed with him on the inside. Griff ends up in a cell at the local precinct house charged with trespassing, and with no way to salvage the day. No doubt about, it’s a personal low in his life. Then his luck changed when Kory Watts joined him in the cell.

Kory Watts has a knack for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Stood up on a blind date at a local club, Kory gets swept up in a drug raid and lands in a cell with an inebriated stranger. When his drug test comes back clean, the duty sergeant offers Kory a deal: if he takes Griff home, they both can go with no charges. It’s not a deal Kory will refuse.

When Kory and Griff meet again, they agree to have a drink - of ice water. Neither man judges the other and it’s quickly apparent they share an attraction. As their budding relationship heats up, Kory wonders if he’s ready to get serious with a guy he just met no matter how well suited to each other they are. When Griff is suddenly charged with the murder of his father, Kory is ready to move heaven and earth to help prove him innocent, but it might not be enough to save what’s between them.

BOURBON AND BLUES

Available now at

Amazon

www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Blues-Men-Marionville-Book-ebook/dp/B06W9GXLVB/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486901147&sr=8-2&keywords=kc+Kendricks

iTunes

itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1203118825

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bourbon-and-blues-kc-kendricks/1125699864?ean=2940154209172

Kobo

www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bourbon-and-blues

KC Kendricks

http://www.kckendricks.com

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

www.facebook.com/kckendricks

mailing list: betweenthekeys-subscribe@yahoo.com

F is for Focus

 Day 6

April 7, 2016

Welcome to the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge! This is the SIXTH year I’ve participated in the challenge. Yes, it may appear on the surface I’m a glutton for punishment, the truth is I think the A to Z is a lot of fun. Today's blog is about focus.  Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys! 

*_*_*_*_*

Attaining focus is not as easy as one would think. Distractions are everywhere and I’m a weak, imperfect writer. What should be easy is often elusive. So what is there to do?

The ability to focus is highly individualized. I can tell you what works for me, but you might need something radically different. I prefer quiet. You might like “white” background noise.

I think short meditation is helpful, but I don’t like to stare at a flame. I like to close my eyes and rest in the dark. You might like to burn a candle and focus on the fire.

Whatever method you employ, learning to focus is a helpful tool. I joked once that all my writing habits are bad ones so you don’t want to immolate me. It’s still true today. I schlep along working on a couple of projects at a time. I know they’ll all get finished. All I need is for one of the stories to strike a spark. When that happens, I get serious.

I shut down the Internet, close the door, turn off the rock and roll music, put the Kindle and the cell phone in the bedroom, and I focus on the story. Having been at this awhile, I can make a lot of headway if blot out the distractions.

None of us can focus for days and days on end. We’re humans. Variety keeps us healthy. But if you can focus, really focus, on the story for a space of time during every writing session, you’ll find it gets easier to do and the rewards reaped will be worth the effort.

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

www.twitter.com/kckendricks

*_*_*_*

Being a writer and talking about time, it seems appropriate to use this blogging opportunity to do a short book promo. Here’s a bit about Fly By Night, book five in the Sundown Saga.  

F is for Fly By Night

 

Lieutenant Fallon Roxbury has a few secrets. His lover Sundown is a shapeshifter, and his entire Clan is under Fallon’s protection. He can usually handle the job but the universe has conspired to align a few unusual events. A body was found at the old rail yard where the shapeshifters once had a village, the clan’s nestlings are about to mature, and his lover and his police partner are suddenly behaving like best friends.

When the clan elders confirm the identity of the murderer, Fallon has more trouble. The suspect is one of the city commissioners and the evidence points to him killing more than once. It’s up to Fallon to find legally admissible evidence to connect his cold case to the more recent murder. He’ll need some specialized help for that, the kind only Sundown can provide.

Bit by bit Fallon gathers evidence, not only about the murders, but about the secrets Sundown has kept. It’s a sobering reminder that looks can be deceiving, and the shapeshifter he shares his life with isn’t human.  

FLY BY NIGHT
Available now at All Romance eBooks

MSS#102 - Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea by KC Kendricks

July 25, 2015


Ocracoke Island. The Outer Banks. Pirate lore. The lighthouse. Sixteen miles of clean beach.
One house. Two men. Three months.
Starting over.

_*_*_*_


BETWEEN THE MOON & THE DEEP BLUE SEA

More about Between the Moon & the Deep Blue Sea:
www.kckendricks.com

His intent jolted through me. He meant to fuck me right here on the floor. I held him at arm’s length. “Now, wait a minute. This isn’t going to work for me.”

Darcy froze. His expression darkened as he moved toward anger. “You think it’s acceptable to leave me hanging, all hot and bothered, so long as you get off?”

“Don’t get pissy with me, Darcy. I’ve never let a guy up my ass, and this…”

“Never!”

“For God’s sake, don’t look so shocked. I’ll laugh, and you’ll be all hurt.” I twisted out of his grasp and tried to yank my jeans up. Strong hands closed around my hips to pull me back into the curve of his body. Soft lips nibbled on the back of my neck as his fingers teased my ass.

“I agree. The kitchen floor isn’t the place for auspicious beginnings. My bed is.”

I’d gone all shivery from what he was doing to my butt. The light strokes of his fingertips brought to memory the moans of pleasure I’d drawn from other men. Could he do that to me? 

Available at Amazon and other online book sellers

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Chad Collier’s had enough of providing stud service to rich men. It’s true he’s had more fun than any one man deserves, but now it’s time to make a plan for the rest of his life. At the urging of a mentor, he takes a leap of faith and breaks with his old ways. Yet a job interview lands him smack in the path of Darcy Paulson, the sort of rich man Chad vowed to avoid.

Darcy Paulson came of age as the prodigal son in a wealthy manufacturing dynasty. Every man he’s ever met has been after his money, until Chad Collier shows up on his doorstep. Darcy finds Chad prickly, standoffish, and utterly irresistible. Smitten by Chad’s dark good looks and determination to stand on his own two feet, Darcy is happy to give him an opportunity. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that some private, no-strings fun is what they both need.

An unexpected event brings them face-to-face with the truth. The magic that happens between the moon and the deep blue sea is something a man can’t own, and it can be fully experienced only in the arms of a lover...

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

Welcome to the 102nd My Sexy Saturday blog hop! My Sexy Saturday gives you seven sexy sentences or seven paragraphs from some of the best romance available today. Use the list below to check out My Sexy Saturday participating authors.