Now we begin again

February 17, 2025

Having put the finishing touches on The First of February and uploaded the manuscript to the various online vendors, being Amazon and beyond, I now wait for the book to "populate" or publish on those sites. It truly is a waiting game everywhere except Amazon. I will admit Big A gets a book up in a hurry. 

Today is a Monday, and I'm faced with beginning more than a new week. I've finished a story, now what? What's next? Am I ready to tackle the next project? 

In past years I'd have the answers, but having had one of those Life Changing Events, I'm even more introspective than before. Being on my own means looking at choices differently without the support of my late husband. He was a good sounding board. 

As I was writing The First of February, I decided I'd follow through on a semi-frivolous notion of writing a collection of books with a month in the title. I've got six months covered, so today my question is do I make the next book one of that collection? I also have a few completed manuscripts that need some work. Do I work on those to bring the up to snuff? Why can't I do everything at once? Oh, yeah - only twenty-four hours in a day and I have a "manor" to manage. 

I'm going to spend my day looking at those options and seeing what can be completed in the least amount of time. (Time being relative to all things.) It feels like an author-ish thing to do in the middle of February when this author won't work outside in the cold and wind. This current wind event is doing a prune job on small twigs and limbs and there is an abundance of them to pick up out in the yard.  

It's time to fix a cup of tea and get to it. Wherever I end up will be where I'm supposed to be, and I'm fine with that. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.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: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, The First of February, By the Month, m/m romance, LGBTQ gay romance, Kindle romances, a writer's life, contemporary gay romance, gay fiction, male on male romance

YouTube: KC Kendricks- On My Own

December 12, 2024

I've been messing around with YouTube again. I can't seem to make up my mind on how to utilize the platform. 

So much changed in my life since Ron passed, but then again, a lot did not. I think there are people in my age group that relate to my experiences and I want to share some of them. 

I'm also thinking I should read the first chapter of some of my books. Wouldn't that be fun? I can just image YouTube screaming at me about copyright infringement now! Cross one bridge at a time, right? 

Anyway, I made a video and it's posted. Go check it out if you want to. 

KC Kendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, YouTube, m/m romance, contemporary LGBT romance, gay fiction, a writer's life, writers on writing, rural living, cats

My writing familiar, Loki

 

November 12, 2022

Someone I don't talk about much is my writing familiar, Loki. In many ways, he's like having a second dog. He goes outside with me and follows me around the yard. He'll come promptly when called which is a big plus since we allow him to go off the screened patio when we're in the yard. He sleeps in my reading chair when I'm working in my office, or sometimes under my desk with Deuce. It's good to have quiet writing support. 

It's been a busy week here on the manor. There was firewood work and some prepping for the 2023 gardening season. We made two trips to town, a drop-off at the landfill, and rain from Hurricane Nicole turned yesterday into a washout. One of our trips to town was in anticipation of the approaching rain. I got chicken quarters and cooked them off to have the meat in the freezer. Later today I'll process all the broth in the pressure canner. Loki and Deuce will get a small amount over their dinner today for a treat. 

While all this necessary work was going on, my thoughts moved along plot lines. The new WIP is started and, if I say so myself, so far so good. I'm still annoyed with myself that it doesn't have a good title, but it'll come. 

That's the way it works when a new story is percolating. My hands are busy doing those things that must be done while my brain spins out character, dialogue, and plot. When I do land at the computer to write, it goes much faster because I've already "written" it in my head. 

It's the middle of November which means that here in the Mid-Atlantic region, we are at any given moment mere hours away from a big temperature drop. In some ways, I'm looking forward to it. My days will be spent mostly inside and inside means writing, and writing hard. If this past summer was any sort of indication, spending beautiful summer days inside at the computer won't happen. 

Maybe by next summer, the novelty of being home will have worn off, but I doubt it. I've given a lot of thought to a plan to structure my time, but just like the book without a title, it's a work in progress. 

Isn't everything, even life? 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, LGBT romance, gay fiction, m/m romance, m/m fiction, Rayne Forrest, Loki, country living, a writer's life, writers on writing, pets, rural lifestyle, time management

September Morning by KC Kendricks

September 27, 2020

There was a time in my writing career I thought to write books with the months in the title. So far, I've got December Promise, Hot August Comes, and September Morning. I'll eventually get through the months, I hope. One should never give up on an idea with promise. 

To celebrate this month that is coming to a close, here's a bit about September Morning.

Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_

September Morning
KC Kendricks
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. 

~ ~ ~ ~

Apple/iTunes - itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098476445
Amazon - www.amazon.com/September-Morning-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E1ZFGGM
Excerpts and more at www.kckendricks.com

KC Kendricks

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: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Bookish Moods and AI

February 9, 2019

A lot has been going on in my corner of the world. The spousal unit continues to improve following neck surgery. How long this will last I can't guess. The occupational therapist has him taking things out of MY cupboards and putting them back - the Medicare dollar at work. The first time he breaks something, I'm taking a day off work to break her. 

My stepfather is whining about not being able to drive. Does he really think I'm enjoying doing his grocery shopping and hauling his arse to doctor appointments? Nooooooo. This morning my duties include taking his trash to the landfill. Fun? Nooooo. 

At the day job, the boiler failed. Half the building has no heat. All of the interiors of the building is
covered in a layer of fine soot. Luckily, my area is heated/cooled by a heat pump. My office was far enough away from the furnace to be barely impacted. I dusted, changed the air filter, and got back to work. Instead, I should have milked it into working at home for a week. 

On the writing front, the Grammarly project has hit about twenty percent completed. The 

Amethyst Cove books are finished, as are A Friendly Neighbor, A Perfect Hire, Lightning Shifts, Desert Snow, Doors of Time, Eye of the Beholder (I must get that uploaded today), The Ghost at the B andB, Hey Joe, and Passion's Victory. I don't know if it's vitally important to my readers that I'm doing this exercise, but it matters to me. It's feeding all those author-ish masochistic tendencies about how foolish it was to pay for "professional" editing. I know I learned a lot from working with editors but you know how we all gripe about those things we view through hindsight. 

Not that the Grammarly system is perfect - far from it. It can take off with you in the middle of a correction and drop you pages away. Very annoying. That little glitch might be adding problems if the system fails to go back and pick up that spot. The major plus is I feel better about the books because I'm at least attempting to improve them. 

I'm sure the Grammarly folks will continue to improve their product. After all, we should all write in one voice, shouldn't we? Therein lies a rub. We should not. We should all sound like ourselves. A comma here or a comma there is not as important as an individual voice. I see that in the number of "suggestions" I decline to accept, especially in dialogue. People should sound like people, not echoes of the robotic. 

Cautiously embracing artificial intelligence makes me feel like a sell-out. It goes against one of my core values that says individuals are more important than the tools they use. On the other hand, this tool may have earned its place in the writer's arsenal.  I suppose like any other tool, it's all in how you use it. 

But enough finger chatter (that's my current slang for typing). Daylight has arrived and my coffee cup is empty. I need to upload the updated Eye of the Beholder manuscript and maybe even get Bored, Stroked, and Blueprinted back out before the demands of the day crash down on my head. 

Because once I've fulfilled my responsibilities to dog, cat, spouse, and stepparent, I'm going to close the door and hide in my office. I may even get some new writing done. Or should that word be accomplished? Where's the AI when you need it? 

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards
instagram.com/kc_kendricks
My country life at Holly Tree Manor

MidWeek Tease - Between the Moon & the Deep Blue Sea

May 23, 2018

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

Welcome to my corner of the Midweek Tease blog hop! Every Wednesday a group of authors band together to present excerpts from published works and sometimes a work-in-progress. 

This week here at Between the Keys it's Between the Moom & the Deep Blue Sea. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_*_

Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea

Contemporary gay romance

Book four of the Southern Cross series

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. 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...

INTRO:

His low, husky voice rippled over me in the small space. I stood still, unmoving, caught between fight and flight, as his warm palm stroked my side. I looked up into his glittering eyes and fell into his intent. Hot blood pooled in my groin. My cock surged full in a handful of pounding heartbeats. Darcy’s dark pink tongue flicked over his lips, leaving them moist. He meant to kiss me and, against all better judgment, I wanted him to do it. I gripped his hips and pulled him closer.

Darcy’s lips touched mine, soft and clinging, whispering promises. The sweet contact jolted through me with its unexpected tenderness. His tongue teased my lower lip, and all too soon he pulled away and left me wanting more. Darcy’s thumb traced the path across my mouth his tongue had taken. He licked his lips, as though he could still taste me. All the while I stood rooted to the floor, aching for him to kiss me again, and cursing my own cowardice. I knew if I kissed him, he wouldn’t push me away, but I…

“I won’t hurt you, Chad. I swear.”

“Don’t promise me anything, Darcy. You don’t know where my head is these days.”

His hands skimmed my sides. “Fair enough. Just don’t lie to me and tell me you don’t want to be kissed again.”

I let my hands fall from his hips. “What I want and what’s best for me right now are several galaxies apart.”

Darcy studied me for the longest thirty seconds of my life, then nodded. “Okay. I’m backing off.” The corner of his mouth twitched in a quirky smile. “I don’t want to, but I will.”

The tiny spark of hope longing for him to push me past my reluctance died, and only when it faded did I realize what I’d done…

EXCERPT:

If the blowjob was hot, was it still stupid? I knew the answer was ‘yes’, but I kissed him anyway. I didn’t linger at his lips – I needed to catch my breath.

“So. Darcy. You always carry a rubber in your pocket?”

He snorted and rolled me onto my back. “I’m gay. What do you think? Don’t you?”

“I usually do, but this wasn’t in the plan, you know.” I grabbed his hands to stop him from pulling my pants completely off. “Let me up.”

“Oh no. I want you, Chad. I’ve got another rubber, and this was in my plan.”

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?

“Let me go, Darcy. I not ready for this.”

I felt the anger snap through him. It was there in the way the length of his lean body stiffened, the sharp intake of his breath. Abruptly, he shoved away from me and rolled to his knees.

“My mistake, Chad. You won’t get the chance to use me again.”

His words cut painfully into the part of me that struggled to break free of the mistakes of the past. I tripped my way to my feet, tossed the used rubber in the trashcan, and zipped up.

“I’m not using you. You started this. Yeah, I was wrong not to stop you, but you bushwhacked me – twice now!” 

Darcy got to his feet with more grace than I’d mustered and glared at me. Even pissed off, he had pretty blue eyes. 

“Why the fuck didn’t you stop me? Oh, yeah. Must have been that woody you popped up for me, huh?”

“Pardon me all to hell for being human! I never said I don’t find you attractive.”

Darcy’s eyebrows slid toward his hairline. I refused to blink under his scrutiny.

“Andrew says you’re broke.”

Maybe I was broke in more ways than one, but Darcy referred to my lack of funds. “What if I am? Do you think I’d come all this way looking for work if I had money?”

“Why didn’t the ex, what was his name? Sidney? Why didn’t he set you up?”

“Because I wouldn’t take his money. I didn’t want it. So now what are you going to do, Mr. Paulson? Offer to pay to fuck me?”

Darcy looked me up and down, then shrugged. “I’m going to eat my dinner unless it’s charred to ash.”

I stood, my mouth hanging open, as he got the bottle of wine out of the freezer and a corkscrew out of the drawer.

I hadn’t even gotten my hands on his dick.

BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Amazon

www.amazon.com/Between-Moon-Deep-Southern-Cross-ebook/dp/B01GBW5ASM

iTunes

itunes.apple.com/us/book/between-moon-deep-blue-sea/id1117952555?mt=11

Barnes & Noble/Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-the-moon-and-the-deep-blue-sea-kc-kendricks/1109557464?ean=2940153219127

KOBO

www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/between-the-moon-and-the-deep-blue-sea-1

KC Kendricks

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

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Read my personal blog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

That rainy day feeling

May 18, 2018

Spring is a mixed weather bag in my little corner in the world. It goes from snow to ninety-degrees to frost warnings to rain. Lots and lots of rain. It can rain for days without ceasing. 

It's been raining every day for the last five days. Luckily, it's been a soft, gentle rain that has been absorbed into the ground. A mere two miles away, on the other side of the mountain, they've not been so fortunate and are dealing with flooding. 

Not to belittle what my eastern neighbors have been through, I saw this meme and smiled. 

I know the feeling, my furry friends. I know the feeling. 

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

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 - Surrendered Victory

October 4, 2017

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

It's been a trying season. Here we are into October and I feel like I missed summer. It's time to get back on the writing horse and let the muse know I now have a whip. If she misbehaves again, I might use it. 

All that aside, welcome to my corner of the MidWeek Tease! The MidWeek Tease is a blog hop showcasing the works of various authors. Be sure to check out all the offerings by using the list at the end of this blog entry.

This week - Surrendered Victory. Here is an excerpt you won't find anywhere else. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_

“You’re killing me with kindness.”

Dalton snorted and rolled to his feet. “Sit there and relax. I’ll grill some burgers. Won’t be fancy, but it’ll help.”

I expected him to disappear into the kitchen. Instead, he leaned over me, his hands on the back of the sofa above my shoulders. My throat went dry as he paused, his face scant inches from mine. His gaze locked on mine, serious, concerned, and blazing hot with naked desire.

I couldn’t move, or even breathe. Never had anyone looked at me like that. Never. My very soul stilled, caught in an agonizing vise, with desperate longing on one side and numbing fear on the other. I stared up at him.

His lips finally touched mine, gentle and seeking. The shock of his soft lips on mine coursed through me as unexpected heat swept my skin, leaving gooseflesh in its wake. My cock, surer about all this and already at half-mast, filled and lengthened. I did the only pertinent thing I could think of. I opened my mouth and licked his lips. Dalton touched his tongue to mine.

One strong hand snaked up to cup the back of my head. His tongue swept into my mouth, demanding, searching, scorching. The aggression of a man on the prowl was there. I knew it on a visceral level. I tasted it as his teeth scraped my lower lip. Did he seek to lay claim to me? I suspected he did and nipped him back. Novice with a man or not, I knew some things about myself.

If he sought to dominate me, he would first understand it would not be without concessions from him. His lips bowed against mine and opened in invitation. I delved into the delicious heat of his mouth. Our tongues mated and danced until I was breathless and, even then, I didn’t want to stop.

His hand dropped to my crotch, his fingers making a quick assessment of my package. I had nothing to be ashamed of there. Fully erect I topped out at a solid eight inches, but I was willing to bet I’d just hit a personal best, not that I was going to ask him to measure me.

Dalton pulled away, something dark and unfathomable in the way he looked at me. I didn’t understand, but suspected I might before the night was over.

“We’re pretty much the same height and build,” he said. “Why don’t you go in my bedroom and find something more comfortable to watch the television in than your suit?”

He straightened and moved on, I assumed to the kitchen. I stared dumbly at the television, seeing nothing, my mind blanked to everything except the fact Dalton had kissed me. Somehow I’d survived both the kiss and the stupidity of not putting my hands on him.

I licked my lips to savor the lingering taste of him. Beer, bourbon, and somewhere between the pub and here, a cigarette. The scent of Old Spice lingered—it never smelled that good on me. Go into his bedroom, he’d said. I shivered at the very idea of walking into that room and seeing his bed.

It seemed I had little choice. My feet took me to his Spartan room without my conscious permission. He hadn’t been kidding when he said no work had been done in the room. The vaulted ceiling made up for the moderate floor space. The windows were bare, tucked up high under the eaves, and provided light with complete privacy.

The queen-sized bed and matching chest of drawers were the only real furniture in the room. The thick, chocolate-brown suede comforter neatly folded down to the foot of the bed looked expensive, as did the linens. A shadeless lamp and alarm clock sat on an old wooden electrical wire spool, and a pair of old webbed lawn chairs were in the corner. The walls were primed, but not painted. None of it mattered—just the bed, on which I perched.

Something more comfortable. What would that be? A pair of cut-off blue jeans lay on the chest of drawers as if Dalton had worn them last evening and planned to wear them again. Why not wear them? I stripped completely, underwear, too, then draped my suit over one of the lawn chairs. If it surprised him to find me running amok commando in his shorts, I’d assure him of my own surprise at doing it. The longer I traversed my Rubicon, the bolder I seemed to be. I pulled on the shorts. They fit perfectly.

A perverse thrill shivered through me knowing my cock rubbed the same fabric his did when he wore the shorts with nothing under them. I got a firm grip on my libido.

Like hell. It had a firm grip on me, and firm was a word that fit. Everything was firm.

I did a bit of judicious snooping in his bathroom and found his condoms. My knees gave out and I plopped down in the nearest rickety lawn chair. What the hell was I doing? If my heart didn’t stop pounding, I’d have a stroke. Or something. I splashed some cold water on my face when I should have splashed it on my balls instead.

Then I girded my loins, figuratively speaking, and wearing nothing but a pair of borrowed pants, stepped boldly out to embrace my future.

_*_*_*_*

ABOUT Surrendered Victory

Dalton makes Reed tingle in all the right places. Now Reed’s ready to answer the question that’s haunted his every failed relationship. Is he really gay?

Reed walked into Dalton’s life and everything changed. This time, Dalton won’t hide the fact he’s gay from anyone, even his son.

Together they surrender all to each other and claim the ultimate victory. 

Available at: Amazon     iTunes/Apple     Barnes and Noble     KOBO

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/kckendricks

www.facebook.com/kckendricks

Surrendered Victory by KC Kendricks

September 30, 2017

Surrendered Victory is now available at iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo! And with a bit of luck, it will be live at Amazon tonight!

_*_*_*_

Surrendered Victory

Contemporary gay romance

Dalton makes Reed tingle in all the right places. Now Reed’s ready to answer the question that’s haunted his every failed relationship. Is he really gay?

Reed walked into Dalton’s life and everything changed. This time, Dalton won’t hide the fact he’s gay from anyone, even his son.

Together they surrender all to each other and claim the ultimate victory.

INTRO

…Dalton's hand rested on the table, palm down, relaxed. The pale band around his wrist where he normally wore a watch showed off his suntan. Slowly, he rolled his hand over. Anyone watching wouldn’t think a thing about the small gesture, so easy and natural as he did it. But I knew it for what it really was.

Invitation. Promise. Please.

My own personal Rubicon lay before me. The line that once crossed changed worlds. What was would cease and what was to be would come to life with the touch of that hand, and I trembled in the face of it.

Always before I’d shied away from this moment, running from the commitment the acceptance of truth would bring to my door. There would be no more denials, no more flight. If I crossed my Rubicon, I would be forever changed.

The freedom that beckoned took my breath away in much the same orgasmic way Dalton did…

EXCERPT

Dalton spoke so softly in my ear, his voice low and rough, that I marveled I heard him above the pounding of my heart.

“Trust me, Reed. Tonight is for simple things. I want to fuck you in the worst kind of way, but maybe not tonight. You set the pace. Just relax and enjoy. Okay?”

I nodded, relieved and yet disappointed. I wanted to fuck him, too, and in my ignorance wondered how much of a problem that posed for him since he wanted me. His hands slid around my waist, down across my hips to grip the inside of my thighs.

Arousal shrieked through me. As I pressed firmly back to him, his hands held me to his pelvis, his cock pressed firmly into the cleft of my ass. Something gave way within me. I’d let him fuck me. I wanted him. I rocked into him, and he grabbed me. I tried to turn, to shove him to the bed. His balance was too good. He didn’t budge.

“Slow down,” he urged me breathlessly.

I couldn’t.

I bucked wildly against him, but his strength at least equaled mine. His arms tightened like bands of steel around me, holding me, forcing me to be still. I couldn’t breathe. Sweat trickled down my chest. I hung on the verge, riding the knife-edge of impending orgasm. I fought my way back to sanity, struggling to hold on to his words,  “Slow down.”

I longed for so much more than a quick fuck, a fast easing of the need demanding release now. I’d be cheating myself, and him, if I didn’t get a grip on myself. The red haze lifted from my mind.

Damn, but my balls ached.

I laughed, sort of, as I relaxed into him. He eased his hold on me, and I sensed his relief that I’d come back from the edge of insanity--so he could send me there again.

Dalton unzipped my pants, let them fall, and wrapped his long fingers around my shaft, his grip firm. He stroked me, rolling the tight skin all the way over the glans. I’d waited my entire life for the touch of another man. I soared.

“I’m cut, too, if you’re curious. Is this all you want?” Dalton purred in my ear.

Curious was too mild a word when I wanted to strip him naked and give all eight inches of him a very clinical examination. Other than my own I’d not seen an adult male cock fully erect, except in photographs and that didn’t quite do it for me. I was intensely curious.

I shook my head. It most certainly was not all I wanted. His slow strokes had me ready to beg, and I would have if I’d known what I wanted most, besides everything.

The arm he held me with dropped away and he fumbled with his zipper. I laughed breathlessly as he teased my ass while pulling down the tab. His pants joined mine on the floor. His stiff cock pressed into the dark crevice of my ass where his fingers had just teased. I tensed, unsure if he planned to fuck me standing here, or just tease me until I passed out from lack of orgasm. He released me, leaving me bereft of his heat, even though I was drenched in sweat.

He smacked my ass with some force. I yelped in surprise and rounded on him, ready to show him if he wanted to play rough, he’d better take it as good as he gave it because I could give it. He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and took my mouth. My protest at being struck evaporated. I plastered my body to his, dug my fingernails into his ass cheeks ass and boldly teased him as he had me. Dalton dropped to his knees in front of me and took me in his mouth.

SURRENDERED VICTORY

Surrendered Victory is now available at iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo!
Coming soon to Amazon.

More options at www.kckendricks.com/SurrenderedVictory.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

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

Seducing Light for the MidWeek Tease blog hop

September 13, 2017

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

Welcome once again to the MidWeek Tease Blog Hop! This blog hop is where a group of authors each share an excerpt from a published book or a work-in-progress. Be sure to check out all the participating authors on the list at the end of this entry. This week, I have an excerpt from Seducing Light. Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

Nick stopped on the porch and turned around, putting one large hand in the middle of my chest. No bolt of lightning from the approaching storm could have singed me more. Suddenly he was a flesh-and-blood man to me, not a movie star.

“Hold on a minute, Myles. Let’s get one thing straight before you invade my space.”

I nodded. Hell, I’d agree to anything he wanted.

“Your equipment stays in the case until I tell you that you can get it out. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nick opened the door to the house, and I followed him inside. He set the case down in the spacious, two-story foyer and motioned for me to tag along behind him. The hallway opened into the grandest kitchen I’d ever seen. Taking up the entire southwest corner of the house, the room was modern, warm, and inviting. Bay windows with red and white gingham-covered cushions on the window seats flanked the massive stone fireplace.

My photographer’s eye filled the room with afternoon sunlight. I had a vision of Nick Light sitting at the table in the large bay of windows, in that sunshine, smiling at me. That would be a money shot I’d never share with anyone. His voice, sharp with annoyance, brought me out of my reverie.

“Do you want something to drink, or not?”

I squared my shoulders and replied I’d take a soft drink, cola if he had it. He nodded and pointed at the oak table in the sunny corner breakfast nook.

“Set your notebook up. I want to see your work.”

Nick placed a full lead crystal tumbler down in front of me as my laptop booted. I thanked him and drank, grateful for the cold, dark liquid fizzing its way down my parched throat. He spun the computer to face him, typed in his access code for his wireless connection, and turned it back to me.

I cleared my throat and typed the URL for my website.

“Okay, Mr. Light, here’s a little—”

“Nick. Call me Nick.”

I nodded and hoped I didn’t stutter when I tried to say his name for the first time. “Nick. I’ll just point out that all my professional information is on the website and move on to the photos.”

“I see you have references. Are they valid?”

Fuck. He had heard the stories.

I rolled the cursor over the link and the page opened for him to see. He read the names, then nodded. “I don’t know any of them, so you won’t mind if I call them, right?”

“Sure. Call ’em. Just don’t be surprised if they don’t believe you’re Nick Light.”

He snorted again, the corner of his mouth quirking up in what might actually be a little smile. “I get that a lot, boy.”

I didn’t answer, just clicked on the slideshow and leaned back to watch it with him. His focus shifted to the screen. I watched him as the pictures scrolled. Every so often, he’d nod or cock his head, but he didn’t speak. We sat there in silence as the clouds slid past the sun and the rain dribbled down the outside of the windows. Finally, he spoke.

“Okay. You’re good. But with your reputation, how’d you get this job?”

I met his gaze. “Don’t believe everything you hear about me.”

His chin lifted. His eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not true.”

Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me your version of it then.”

My temper flared. “I was hired to do a job—take a photo shoot of your ranch. I have a copy of the contract in my case, and nowhere in that contract does it say I owe you any explanations.”

His response was unexpected. “You want that sandwich now, boy?”

Tired of him referring to me as “boy,” I shot him a look and froze at the glittering curiosity in his eyes. He studied me, his green gaze a mix of wary caution, grudging respect, and more. I fell into those mystical depths, forgetting to breathe as the blood pooled in my groin.

My heart stuttered, then hammered in my chest. I couldn’t look away, even as my face grew hot under his scrutiny. My cock swelled, rising as the phantom of my nights stared at me with witchy interest.

Nick Light was gay.

_*_*_

ABOUT SEDUCING LIGHT

Asher Myles struggled to put his life back together after an identity thief stripped him of everything but his talent for capturing light and shadow with a camera lens. With a new job and a new start, Asher’s on his way to Montana – and a meeting with the man he’s fantasized about since he first saw him on the silver screen. 

Nick Light, actor, director, and Hollywood royalty, doesn’t like paparazzi. When he agrees to have his Montana ranch photographed for a style magazine, the unexpected happens. Asher's not the man Nick expected to find behind the camera. Asher knows he'll have to convince Nick they belong together, but he has an edge.

Because if there’s one thing Nick can’t resist, it’s a man with a talent for seducing light.

SEDUCING LIGHT is available at iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.


KC Kendricks

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

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

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

Cover reveal - Surrendered Victory

September 10, 2017

It's been a long time coming. I'm finally ready to put Surrendered Victory back out into the world. This is the book that launched KC Kendricks so as you would imagine, it has a special place in my heart. 

My number one task for this coming week is formatting the manuscript, but the cover is ready so why not share it now?

For more about Surrendered Victory, please visit www.kckendricks.com/SurrenderedVictory.html . I'll get the book page set up here at the blog before long, too. 

Surrendered Victory coming soon!

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

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