Surprise Release: Their Life As They Live It (Perspectives #4)

I'm beyond thrilled to finally release the Secret Project I've been teasing about on social media since March. I never planned on writing this story, but once the idea was planted, it sprang forth in a flurry of quickly-written words. I loved getting into Bear's mind and seeing things from his perspective, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

Their Life As They Live It (Perspectives #4)

A.M. Arthur

“Happiness is not a goal…it is a by-product of a life well lived.”

--Eleanor Roosevelt

Bernard “Bear” Henson is a blessed man. He is happily married to the love of his life, he co-owns a successful business, and his grown son is desperately in love with a wonderful partner. But Bear knows all too well how precarious that happiness is, so he lives every day with love in his heart and gratitude for everything he has—especially his husband Richard Brightman. Richard has been HIV-positive for thirty years and every new day is a gift.

When Richard becomes unexpectedly ill and is rushed to the hospital, Bear braces for his beautifully constructed life to come crashing down. A hard-won life full of ups and downs, illnesses and setbacks, love and anger, and a lot of regret for how certain things went down. Certain things involving Bear’s alcoholic ex-wife Debbie and the start of Bear’s relationship with Richard. But the past can’t be changed, only remembered and studied.

As Richard fights for his life, Bear reflects on the last thirty years of their entwined lives. College days, his shotgun wedding to Debbie, his unexpected feelings for Richard, and the proudest moment of Bear’s life: the birth of his son Gabriel. Bear’s life with Richard is woven with love, heartache, regret, joy, and everything else in between. They’ve overcome every obstacle that’s come their way, and they’ll overcome this new illness, too. Period. Bear simply isn’t ready to live his life without Richard in it.

Note: This is the fourth book in my Perspectives series, and while it can be read as a standalone, readers will have a much richer concept of these characters if you’ve at least read book two, The World As He Sees It. Warnings for spousal abuse (not between the two heroes) and cheating.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F7WHRM
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072F7WHRM

Here For Us: Thoughts on Release Day

Here For Us, the book I never imagined I'd write, is finally here.

Back in the summer/fall of 2015, after I'd turned in the first draft of The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3), I started thinking about what I'd write for Perspectives 4. I wanted to write about Dane/Cristian, who'd shared a number of scenes with Heart's hero Jon and who seemed really interesting. I also wanted to pair him with Jon's reticent roommate Jake. So I did. I wrote the first chapter and part of chapter two....and then I got stuck. I had no idea where the story was going from there. So I put it down and wrote other things. I didn't give the started story a lot of thought, especially  not after the first Samhain "closure," because I figured the series was shelved for a while.

Until the fall of 2016, when a reader asked, "What about Chet?" Chet was the producer of Mean Green Boys, the porn studio featured throughout the Perspectives books. He's older, settled, and took his nephew in after an incident with illegal drugs. Chet was a nurturer, but a romance hero? What? Except...it made sense. And I was in the middle of writing my first m/m/m romance, Hot Licks, so I started to ponder adding him to the Cristian/Jake dynamic. 

And suddenly I had a story. Cristian and Jake didn't work alone. They needed Chet in the mix. They needed to be a threesome. And this was no longer a Perspectives book, because this wasn't going to be a single title starring these three--they were a spin-off. I started writing this book again on October 23, and finished it on December 19. Two months and roughly 94,000 words later, and I had a draft. 

I also immediately began writing the sequel, Sound of Us, on December 28. These characters latched onto my mind and didn't let go for months, and I regret nothing. Here For Us was a joy to write, and I'm so excited to be sharing it with readers. I'm also excited to be dipping my toes into the world of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited. 

To celebrate the book's release, IndiGo Marketing has put together a fabulous Book Blitz. Please check it out for a chance to win a $25 e-gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Perspectives Now in Kindle Unlimited

My three Perspectives series books have been re-published on Amazon through my indie imprint Briggs-King books. The books were not changed in any way, except for the necessary copyright alterations. No additional story content was added, so folks who've already bought the books do not have to buy them again.

They are also available to borrow in Kindle Unlimited for the first time! New buy/borrow links are below.

The Truth As He Knows It
The World As He Sees It
The Heart As He Hears It

What's Up With My Samhain Books?

By now, the majority of folks have heard the news that Samhain Publishing has closed its doors (for real this time). Ebooks are down from all major retailers, and their site is no longer functioning. Paperback versions are still for sale wherever they have remaining inventory, because the vendors own those books, and those listings will disappear once the books are sold out. Rights reversion letters are supposed to start going out to authors any minute so we can do with our books as we please.

I had eight books with Samhain, spread over two interconnected series (Cost of Repairs and Perspectives).

The good news: I'm going to republish my three Perspectives titles (The Truth As He Knows It, The World As He Sees It, and The Heart As He Hears It) on Amazon with their original cover art as soon as I get the rights back. Like, same day if possible. I'm also going to experiment by having them in Kindle Unlimited for a three-month trial. Hopefully this happens in early march, because these books are entwined with my March 17 release, Here For Us, which will also be in KU.

The less great news: the Cost of Repairs series won't be available again for a brief period of time. Why, you ask? Good question.

First, I want to re-edit them. Mostly a spit-shine, but my writing has improved over the years, so I want to go back through them. Address some errors that have popped up over time, and maybe even add some content. Second, I want to re-cover them. I'm already in contact with my original cover designer with Samhain, and the entire series is going to get an updated look. This means re-releasing them later in the year, probably beginning in the summer. I'm still fluid on that.

On a personal note, I'm sad to see Samhain shut its doors. For many, many years, it was my go-to retailer for quality m/m romances. Some of my favorite authors were published there. Hell, the very first m/m romance I ever read was published by Samhain. The day I received an acceptance email from my editor for Cost of Repairs, I about peed myself with joy. I was sad when that editor left after one book, but my second editor, Christa Soule, was a gift. She made the rest of those books shine, and I miss working with her.

So that's what's what with me right now. 

I wish all of my fellow Samhain authors, editors, artists, and other employees the very best as we all pursue new endeavors.

Free Read: Do You See What I See?

The Perspectives Holiday short story that I wrote for my Facebook readers group and newsletter subscribers is now available for all to read. There are two links below, one to read directly from my site, and the other to download from Dropbox. Enjoy!

"It's their first Christmas together in their own apartment, so Tristan Lavalle wants to start his own tradition with boyfriend Gabe Henson, involving a very naughty Elf on the Shelf. But the joy of the holidays begin to remind Tristan of the past...and of the parents he never really said goodbye to."

Site Link
Dropbox Link

Altered Landscape: My Thoughts on Samhain and What's Next

So yesterday was a bit of gut shot to the romance community as a whole, and to myself as an individual. In case you missed it, Samhain Publishing announced that they are beginning the process of going out of business.

Click here for the official letter, if you haven't read it and want the details.

Samhain is a well-run company that has always treated their authors with respect, and I have enjoyed my time as one of their authors. I adore my editor, Christa Soule, and my cover artist, Lyn Taylor. When I chose to begin writing m/m romance, Samhain was my top choice publisher, and I screamed for joy when Cost of Repairs was accepted by them. Seven books later, I was prepared to stay with Samhain for the long-haul.

Except the universe had other plans.

It's devastating to see a company with such a rich history fold and go under. But it's also heartening to see them do it with dignity, class, and in a way that makes sure authors continue to get paid.

And getting paid is why I had a panic attack yesterday when I first learned of this news.

At the end of last year, I made the decision to give up my full-time, benefits-paying retail job in order to write full-time. My collective royalties had surpassed what I made at that job, and I was no longer happy. Anyone who's worked in retail for any substantial length of time knows it can suck at your soul. I love the people I worked with and the company I worked for, but I was determined to give this full-time author thing a shot.

And one of the things that gave me great comfort (and most definitely influenced my decision to leave my day job) was knowing I had a steady paycheck every single month from Samhain. I loved that they paid monthly, instead of quarterly like my other publishers. Learning that steady, monthly income was no longer guaranteed terrified me. I'm a single person, who lives alone. I depend on myself to pay rent, bills, and food. My cats depend on me to keep them fed and in kitty litter.

Now this doesn't mean that I'm going to suddenly need to find a new day job, or that I'm going to end up in financial ruin. I didn't quit my job without having a plan in place. But the landscape of how I imagined the next few years look like has been dramatically altered.

Samhain will continue to sell current titles for an unknown amount of time, and they will publish books that are finalized and ready to go. Some of my fellow Samhain authors seem super-eager to get their rights back on their backlist titles, but I'm glad to let my books remains on sale for now. I have every confidence Samhain will pay me (and my fellow authors) for every sale made until the day they take them off the market. So please, don't let their winding down scare you away from purchasing the hundreds upon hundreds of awesome books they have for sale. This isn't just a sales pitch for my stuff, but also for my fellow authors being affected.

So knowing I'll still get those monthly checks for a while helps. It gives me time to plan and to think about what's next for all of the characters populating Stratton and my fictional version of Harrisburg, PA.

The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3) will still be published on April 19th in ebook, paperback and audio. Y'all still get Jon and Isaac's story, and I'm super-happy about that.

But after that, I'm sad to say that Perspectives is an orphaned series. I had every intention of submitting a Perspectives 4 to my editor once she returned from her sabbatical--that is obviously not going to happen now. And it's unlikely that another publisher would pick up the fourth book in a series. 

What about self-publishing, you ask? I don't know. At the moment, I have other deadlines, plus the re-issues of Prodigal and Frozen, and the heroes of P4 simply aren't burning a hole in my brain.

I will miss one of my favorite first-round edit quirks from Christa, though. She tried to guess at who would be the next hero, or hint that she wanted this particular character's story. It was always so encouraging, knowing that even two-scene side characters were engaging enough to require more.

Besides Perspectives, I also have a finished book that is now orphaned. Fractured Hymns, my gay inspirational romance, will be reverted back to me. I have cover art and a blurb (which I'm kind of glad I never got around to sharing last week when I received the final files), but we never got to the editing stage. And honestly, the lack of editing this close to a September release date was starting to nibble at the back of my mind as bizarre, when at this point we should have been on copy edits, at least.

I'm not sure what to do with Fractured Hymns. It's a standalone romance, absolutely, but it does spin-off from a character you met in Foundation of Trust, Ethaniel Shockley. Plus emails from Owen. I may submit it elsewhere. For now, until I officially have the rights back and decide what to do, that book is off my 2016 release calendar. 

But it's not all sadness. I still have two fun new series to debut this year! Come What May (All Saints #1) in May, and Body Rocks (Off Beat #1) in June. Steady Stroke (Off Beat #2) is scheduled for October, and All Saints #2 should come out in the fall, as well. So yay for new books!

The landscape of romance publishing changed yesterday, and everyone who worked for Samhain is feeling the effects. We'll continue to feel them as we go forward, everyone finding new footing. New opportunities. Facing new challenges. But the great thing about the romance community? We're doing it together. We all recognize what we're losing: quality romance books from a kick-ass publisher who consistently put their authors first. And we're commiserating together.

We're also celebrating together. Celebrating amazing coworkers and relationships we forged thanks to Samhain. Celebrating a publisher that is going out with dignity. Celebrating authors and readers and cover artists and editors and ROMANCE.

Because romance, no matter what color of the rainbow or end of the spectrum, is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Out With 2015, In With 2016

Since everyone else seems to be doing a look back at 2015/look forward to 2016 post, I decided to be one of the cool kids and do one too. 

2015 was an amazing year for me. Probably the best of my career so far, as an m/m romance author, and I couldn't be happier. I am so grateful for my publishers, my blogger friends, and my readers. More than I can properly express with words, and since I can never get .gifs to work for some reason, here's a photo:

2015 was a pretty busy year for me. I finally started up a newsletter (sign up link in the sidebar), opened a CafePress store (sidebar), and had five books published with two presses.

I released another complete trilogy with Carina Press this year with Restoration. I loved watching readers discover and fall in love with James, Boxer and Elliott, and their patchwork family as they each found true love in Getting It Right, Finding Their Way, and Taking A Chance. 

Full disclosure: Finding Their Way was the most frustrating book I've written so far, and it went through the biggest editing round of my life. It brought me to tears and drove me to drink, but in the end? WORTH IT. I adore this book now, and all of the stress was worthwhile in the end, because it made Boxer and Riley's journey the very best story it could be.

This year also brought you guys Tristan Lavelle. 

You first noticed him in The Truth As He Knows It back in February, when the first Perspectives book released with Samhain. And I was already hard at work giving Tristan his HEA when fans started asking when he'd get one.

During my blog tour this past fall for The World As He Sees It (Perspectives #2), I was frequently faced with the question of "how did you come up with Tristan's character?" And I never had a good answer. Tristan is one of those rare characters who blew into Noel's back story and kind of...well, he took over. He dominated every single scene he was in during TTAHKI. He broke my heart, and he kept breaking it until the final pages of TWAHSI, when I knew he and Gabe would be okay.

They'll also be back, in some form or another, because Perspectives isn't over. After all, Jon "Boomer" Buchanan is the hero of book three, and he's Gabe's best friend. Expect cameos.

I also recently found out that the first three Perspectives books will be released in audio format through Tantor books! 

2015 also brought me an amazing first: an editor at St. Martin's Press contacted me about doing a series together for their new digital-first imprint, and I swooned. I've never had an editor at a Big Five house reach out and ask to work with me! Thus, Off Beat was born, and these books will be rocking their way onto your digital readers in 2016! 

Everything about this year has given me the chance to ring in the New Year as a brand-new full-time author! Saturday is my last day as a full-time retail employee, and while it's terrifying, it's also thrilling. And I couldn't have done it without each and every reader out there who bought, reviewed, and spread the word about my books.

THANK YOU!!!!

And 2016 looks to be plenty busy with releases:

The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3, Samhain) April 19, 2016
Come What May (All Saints #1, Carina Press) May 16, 2016
Body Rocks (Off Beat #1, SMP Swerve) June 2016
Fractured Hymns (Samhain) September 2016
Steady Stroke (Off Beat #2, SMP Swerve) October 2016

Say It Right (All Saints #2, Carina Press) doesn't have a release date yet, but expect it in the Fall 2016.


In the works right now:

With four contracted books due this year, I'm currently nearing completion on Steady Stroke. Then I get to jump back into my Wilmington world for Say It Right, which has about a chapter and a half finished.

I've also been blessed with an opening/story idea for the next Cole/Jeremy book, so I hope to be able to work on Discovering Me #3 sometime this winter/spring. 

I still plan on reissuing both Prodigal and Frozen, as well as a third paranormal book in that world. This is going to be fit in around other stuff, but it will happen, I promise! There will also be at least two more Perspectives books coming down the pike at some point. I finally worked one of the kinks out of the plot of #4, so that definitely helps.


Next year I also hope to read more. I didn't read nearly as many books as I wanted to this year, and my Nook is crammed full. So are my physical bookshelves. I need to tackle both.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Release Day: The World As He Sees It (Perspectives #2)

IT'S FINALLY HERE YOU GUYS!!!

I might be almost as excited by this book's release as my readers. It's been more than eight months since The Truth As He Knows It came out and y'all were first introduced to Tristan and Gabe, and their HEA has been a long time coming. Tristan was such a fun and unique character to write, and I had such a great time getting him out of his depression and funk in this book, and Gabe was the perfect guy to help Tristan live again. 

Samhain
Kindle
Nook
Kobo

Today also kicks off a month-long blog tour with Pride Promotions. Working with Will is always a joy. He is way more organized than I ever could be. I'll be all over the blog-o-sphere for the next few weeks doing interviews, blogging and pimping this book. There's also a fantastic giveaway attached to the tour. A goodie basket containing signed paperbacks of both Truth and World, plus all sorts of assorted notepads, sticky notes, and pens!

Two character interviews are going on right now. Gabe is chatting it up over at The Novel Approach Reviews, and both Gabe and Tristan have a few things to say at Love Bytes Reviews. Then I'm yacking it up at Hearts On Fire Reviews. All of the links give you a chance to enter the giveaway!

HAPPY READING!!!!

Cover Reveal and Teaser: The Heart As He Hears It

Newsletter subscribers have already seen the beauty that is the cover for The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3), and now it's your turn. Lyn Taylor continues to give me the best covers!

I'm not going to post the blurb, because apparently what I sent subscribers isn't the final copy, and this time I'm waiting to make sure the right one goes out to the world.

Instead, I'll post a teaser from the book, so you guys can still get to know Jon, Isaac, and a fluffy gray kitten named Bear.

Enjoy!

Once Isaac had finished his snack and washed his dishes, Jon asked, “Do you want to feed Bear a little more?”

He turned in the process of drying the plate. “You said three times a day.”

“Going forward. We don’t when she’s eaten last, so a few more times today can’t hurt. And the vet might tell you something different.”

Isaac fumbled the plate, catching it before it could fall. “The vet.” Jon had never actually seen someone go pale until that moment. “Right.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jon scooped Bear up as he stood. “If you want, I can find a vet and take her in for a checkup. I’m not going to force you to leave the house, Isaac, I promise.”

His skin didn’t pink up any, but Isaac looked less likely to vomit at any moment.

Way to go, asshole.

Jon stopped an arm’s reach away, Bear cuddled to his chest. “I’m sorry I keep saying things like that.”

Isaac shook his head side to side. “It’s not your fault I can’t act like a normal person. I can’t even take the trash down to the curb without having a panic attack. Sometimes I wish I was different, but since I’ve lived alone, this is all I know.”

Hope dangled on the end of that final statement, and Jon latched on to it. “I’m the first person to say fuck normal. There’s no such thing. All we have is reality, and sometimes reality really, really sucks. And sometimes it’s really, really scary. But we don’t have to accept limitations. It’s okay to push against them and try to be happy.”

“But pushing means getting hurt.”

“Sometimes it does. Human beings are amazingly resilient creatures, especially when we’re fighting for something we want.”

Isaac’s eyes glittered, damp with tears. “What do you fight for, Jon?”

Jon’s heart beat harder. Something thick settled in his throat, and he had to swallow hard several times to dislodge it.

He excelled at donning the persona of Boomer Black and dazzling his fans, whether on film or social media. He even found that persona bleeding into his private life, giving him the courage to say and do certain things. Like picking on Gabe for having what Jon had stopped dreaming of—a loving relationship with a genuinely kind, gentle man who’d rather die than hurt him. Jon had enough issues to sink a battleship, and he had a feeling Isaac’s could sink a dozen more. But Jon also trusted that he could be honest with Isaac and not fear being made fun of for his words.

Even if they were kind of cheesy.

“I fight for the hope that today will be better than yesterday,” Jon said. “And I fight for the hope that tomorrow will be better than today.”

“I don’t know how to hope for those things.” Isaac sounded so small, so lost.

Jon mentally flailed, going for instinct and hoping he didn’t fuck it up. “It’s not as hard if you have someone to help you. Let me help you.”

Isaac’s dark gaze flickered down to Bear, then back up to meet Jon’s. The raw emotion in Isaac’s wet eyes made Jon’s insides somersault. Instinct said to hug him, hold him until it got better, but any movement like that could scare Isaac away. Jon didn’t ever want to scare him. He wanted, more than anything in his life, to see Isaac break away from the fear holding him prisoner inside of his own home. He wanted to see Isaac outside, smiling into the sunshine.

He wanted Isaac to be free.

“I’m so scared all the time,” Isaac said in a fractured voice so soft Jon almost missed it.

“You don’t have to be.”

“I want to believe you.”

“And that’s a good start. You have to want to try. When I was at my lowest point, I got better because I wanted to. I didn’t want the person who hurt me to win. Getting my life back meant he lost.”

Isaac rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. It left them damp and red, but somehow more clear. He reached for Bear, and Jon handed her over. Their fingers brushed together for an instant, and the connection slammed into Jon’s balls. Isaac glanced up, openly startled. He cradled Bear in his hands. She nosed his thumb, then licked it.

“I don’t want my father to win,” Isaac said.

Jon’s heart kicked. “He doesn’t have to. You don’t have to let him win.”

Determination burned in Isaac’s gaze. He stood straighter, shoulders back, jaw set. The change made him look years older, in charge. Nobody’s victim. “I’m still terrified.”

“That’s okay. We can work on that. Baby steps, all right? No rush.”

“All right.” He wilted a bit. “But no more today. I can’t handle anything else.”

Jon smiled. “It’s cool. Like I said, baby steps. I think Bear is enough adventure for anyone.” His shredded hands agreed with him. “I’ll find her a vet, and I’ll message you when I’ll stop by and get her for her appointment.”

“Thank you, Jon.”

“It’s what friends are for.”

Isaac tilted his head to one side. “I haven’t had a friend in a long time.”

“You have one now.”

The World As He Sees It Cover and Blurb Reveal

Tristan's book is coming! I'm probably as excited about this book as you guys are, and I hope you love the cover. I adore the handwritten notes at the bottom, and Gabe is just.... *thud*

Abs for days.

Love knows no limits…but fear could keep them from seeing it.

 Perspectives, Book 2

 Gabe lives a double life. As Gabriel Henson, he works multiple jobs to support his remorseless, alcoholic mother. As Tony Ryder, he does internet porn for extra cash and regular safe sex without complications.

 Yet when he encounters a scared young man freaking out in a night club, he’s compelled to reach out. Ever since then, the memory of that young man has haunted him.

 Tristan Lavelle lives his life thirty minutes at a time. After a traumatic brain injury three years ago, he gets through his day recording his life in spiral notebooks and sticky note reminders.

 A month after Tristan’s embarrassingly public meltdown, another chance meeting with Gabe sparks a warm, emotionally fulfilling email relationship. Both men crave more, but fear of the next step stands between them.
 

Until Tristan gets the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial that could improve his memory—if the side effects don’t kill him. But for Tristan, the possibility of a real life with Gabe is worth any risk…

Warning: Contains two damaged but lovable heroes, secret-keeping friends with good intentions, and an abundance of inappropriate food innuendo.


Official release date is October 20, 2015. I'll have pre-order links when they exist.

Sexy Snippet: The Truth As He Knows It

Over on Twitter, I promised that if I made it to 400 followers by Saturday that I would post a sexy snippet from my upcoming release, THE TRUTH AS HE KNOWS IT. I am so freaking excited for this new book and new series. I really think you guys are going to fall in love with Noel, Shane, Tristan, and their friends. Especially Tristan.

So Happy Halloween, and enjoy the start of Shane and Noel's first date.

(Warning: adult language ahead.)

#*#

Blood pulsed into Noel’s cock. He couldn’t stop his hard-on now if he tried, and the khaki shorts he’d picked out weren’t going to hide it. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Shane’s gaze dropped below Noel’s belt, and his feral smile went absolutely lustful. “If it’s about that, then the answer is yes.”

A rumble of nervous laughter cut off Noel’s question. “It’s tangentially related.”

“Oh?”

“Are you out?”

Shane’s eyebrows jumped. “Yes. I mean, I don’t run around advertising it, but I don’t lie if someone asks. My brother knows, and so do my coworkers. The important people. Are you?”

“No.”

“But you are gay?”

“Yes, I’m gay. I just…it’s hard being a gay cop, and I’m still pretty young. Still finding my feet and my place in the department.”

“There’s already a gay cop on the force.”

“Yeah, but he’s like a decade older with a lot more experience. And rumor is he played football in college. No one’s going to give him shit about it.”

“You’re afraid they’ll give you shit.” Not even a question.

The statement of fact made Noel’s arousal dim a bit. “Yes, I am. I’ve been bullied before.”

Something in Shane’s gaze shuttered. “I get that, and I don’t want to out you, Noel.”

“What is you do want?”

Shane’s nostrils flared. He took three long strides that put him right in Noel’s personal space, and Noel fought to stay still when instinct suggested he take a step backward. Shane’s right hand landed softly on his hip. Suddenly having Shane in his home didn’t seem so strange after all. It felt absolutely right.

“I want the same thing you want,” Shane whispered, silky seduction in his voice. “To find out what you taste like.”

Noel’s heart skipped. “I know what I taste like.”

Shane’s lips twitched. “Let me rephrase then. I want to know—”

Noel gave him what he wanted. He had no intent with the kiss, other than the action itself. Grabbing Shane and hauling his hard, lean body close, hips to hips, had the added benefit of allowing Noel to wrap his hand around the back of Shane’s neck. No softness. No exploration. Only two mouths demanding inside the other, and goddamn Shane tasted good. Mint and spice and everything nice.

Shane thrust his tongue into his mouth, licking, exploring, while hands plucked at Noel’s waistband. Beneath. Cool fingers met skin, and Noel shivered. His cock pulsed with want, and while he hadn’t expected their date to start with sex—end with, hell yes—he wasn’t going to say no to eating dessert before dinner. Shane directed him backward a few steps, and then Noel’s back hit the wall. Shane crowded into him, surrounding him, their hard cocks pressed close together. Noel rocked his hips, the friction sending happy signals to all nerve endings. Shane bit his lower lip.

Noel made a helpless, needy noise, because he fucking loved that, so Shane bit again. Noel tugged Shane’s head to the side and attacked his neck, licking and tasting the smooth skin that still smelled vaguely of shaving cream. Shane sighed, fingers digging into Noel’s hips, until Noel found a spot low on his neck that made Shane gasp. He played with that spot, teasing it with his lips and tongue, enjoying the various sounds Shane made. The way Shane thrust his hips, rubbing their cocks together, and there were too damned many clothes in the way.

Cover Art: The Truth As He Knows It

I am practically running in circles, I am so in love with this cover. It is everything I wanted and more, and I adore it. It's sexy, it's symbolic, and the guys are stunningly perfect for Shane and Noel. This beautiful book is the one that made my editor ugly cry. It releases February 10, 2015. I'll add pre-order links when there are some.

Lies are the chains that keep you weighed down at rock bottom.

Perspectives, Book 1

Officer Noel Carlson isn’t out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania, only to distant friends and family, so a relationship is out of the question. That doesn’t stop him from wanting one, though.

When a night-shift call brings him face to thonged butt with a hired stripper whose girl-party gig went terribly wrong, Noel takes pity on the guy and lets him go. But he can’t get the encounter out of his mind.

Shane has big-time debts to repay, especially to the brother who sacrificed nearly everything for him. His two jobs, in a deli and as a stripper, leave him no time for a social life. But a non-date of hot sex and takeout food with Noel? He can squeeze that in.

The bond they form is stronger than either expected or wanted. Especially since the step Shane’s about to take to put his brother—and his soul—back in the black isn’t quite legal. And he never calculated just how much his determination to make things right will cost him in the end.

Warning: This book contains a closeted cop who’s looking for love, an indebted stripper who doesn’t believe he’s worthy, and a tasteful abundance of dirty guy sex. Also contains references to past physical abuse some readers may find disturbing.

Author’s Note: Perspectives is a spin-off from my Cost of Repairs series, featuring familiar settings and a few brand-new characters.

New Book with Samhain!

I'm so excited to announce that I've signed my sixth contract with Samhain Publishing for THE TRUTH AS HE KNOWS IT, which is tentatively scheduled to release in February 2015. TRUTH is a spinoff from my COST OF REPAIRS series, still set around Stratton, PA, with the focus also shifting to Harrisburg and other nearby towns. So this one is "Perspectives #1/Cost of Repairs #6".

TRUTH brings back Officer Noel Carlson, seen briefly near the end of ACTS OF FAITH (Cost of Repairs #4), and gives him quite the challenge in Jody "Shane" McShane. Shane will be introduced in a short story I hope to post for free sometime this summer, before the release of FOUNDATION OF TRUST (Cost of Repairs #5). The short story is all Schuyler and David's fault (trust me). And TRUTH wouldn't be a CoR book without a small Samuel cameo.

Like usual, I'm posting the blurb I used when I sent the book to my editor. This is not the official book blurb.

Have I mentioned I'm excited about this book? It made my editor Tweet "I hate you for this" at me (don't worry, it's a good thing).

Noel Carlson is stuck in a routine that is as comfortable as it is stifling. A young police officer with no family to support, Noel's overnight first watch shifts conflict with the social schedules of guys his age, so he spends most of his time alone.  He isn't out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania—only his distant family and a few out-of-town friends know he's gay—so a relationship is out of the question. But that doesn't stop him from wanting one.

 Jody "Shane" McShane is stuck in a different kind of rut. He lives in a cheap trailer with his older brother Jason, who works two jobs to pay their bills and keep them both fed. Shane helps out by working at Mineo's Deli as often as they'll have him, and by moonlighting as a private party stripper. Neither he nor Jason have much time for a social life. They each blame themselves for the debt they're struggling to overcome, and any discussion of past mistakes inevitably leads to an argument no one ever wins.
 

When Noel rescues a half-naked stripper from a birthday party gone wrong, he can't get the gorgeous Shane out of his mind. A fortuitous run-in with Shane leads to a non-date of hot sex and takeout food, and a strong bond is forged that neither man expects—or knows what to do with. Shane's soul is bogged down by the weight of painful secrets that continue to strain his relationship with his brother and test the limits of Noel's patience. After Jason's health is threatened by his overwhelming workload, Shane is determined to take some of the burden onto himself and pay off their collective debt—no matter what it costs him in the end.

And because I can't help it, this is the photo I found on Tumblr that inspired the entire book: