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!

Coming in 2016

Newsletter subscribers got the lowdown last month, but seeing as 2015 is quickly drawing to a close, it's time to let everyone in on what's coming in 2016 and early 2017 (and I think you'll be pleased).

Samhain Publishing

I've got two books coming out with Samhain next year. First up is The Heart As He Hears It (Perspectives #3).

Love can slip through the smallest crack in the door.

While most of his friends have moved on to "real" careers, Jon Buchanan is content skating through life as a part-time waiter and gay porn star. Firmly single thanks to a previous relationship disaster, he focuses his spare time on Henry, a dear friend dying of cancer.

And with Henry's happiness paramount, Jon is on a mission to help Henry meet his recently discovered grandson.

Isaac Gregory hasn't set foot outside for the last year. He has everything he needs delivered, and his remaining family knows better than to visit. When a complete stranger shows up claiming to be his grandfather--with a distractingly handsome younger man in tow--his carefully structured routines are shaken.

Despite his instant attraction, Jon senses Isaac is too fragile for a relationship. Yet tentative friendship grows into genuine companionship. And when Henry's health begins to fail, they realize Fate brought them together for a reason.

Warning: Product contains a neurotic porn star with body image issues, a virgin hero with severe agoraphobia, and a fluffy ball of gray cuteness you'll want to take home and cuddle. Also contains references to past abuse some readers may find disturbing.

The Heart As He Hears It releases April 19th, 2016!

Goodreads

Amazon Pre-Order

Also coming from Samhain in September 2016 is Fractured Hymns. This is a standalone novel featuring Ethaniel Shockley, who was introduced to readers in Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs #5). He intrigued me enough that eventually he earned his own story and HEA (and he definitely earned it, considering this book took me over two years to write). It's certainly the most spiritual book I've ever written, and it deals a lot with personal faith and understanding what that means to you as an individual.

I can't wait for you guys to meet Angel. 

Carina Press

I've signed on for another trilogy from Carina, and I couldn't be happier. Still set in my fictional version of Wilmington, DE, that is featured in both Belonging and Restoration, All Saints shifts back into a younger, New Adult set of characters.

Book one, Come What May, releases May 16th. No cover yet, but I do have a blurb!

Jonas needs Tate. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Or at least, he doesn't want to admit it. Because there is no way Jonas Ashcroft is gay. He’s a straight, care-free frat boy player, just like any good son of a conservative state senator. If only his struggle to convince everyone—especially himself—didn’t leave him so miserable. No matter how many girls or bottles he drowns himself in, Jonas can neither escape nor accept who he is.

Enter Tate. He’s smart, confident, and instantly sees right through Jonas’s surly exterior. Sure, he’s done things in life he’s not proud of, but he knows who he is and what he wants. And what he wants is Jonas. As their easy friendship intensifies into something more, Tate introduces Jonas to a life he’s never known. One filled with acceptance and sex and a love that terrifies and excites them both.

But some inner demons refuse to be shaken off so easily. When Jonas’s old life barges in he faces a shattering choice, one that could destroy everything he and Tate have fought so hard for. Sometimes love just isn’t enough—and sometimes it’s exactly what you need.

Goodreads

Amazon Pre-order

***

Jonas is one of those lost characters that you just want to wrap up in a big hug until it all gets better for him. I also enjoyed revisiting the boys at Half-Dozen, and a few other familiar faces make brief appearances throughout. 

Book two, Say It Right, will release in the fall of 2016, with book three releasing in 2017. As is pretty typical of my series, all books will feature a different pair of heroes, with characters overlapping. 

SMP Swerve

St. Martin's Press has recently announced the launch of a new digital-first romance imprint, Swerve, and I was very lucky to have been approached by one of their editors to write for them! So I stepped out of my small-town comfort zone to write some rock star romances, and thus the Off Beat series was born!

I've contracted three titles: Body Rocks (June 2016), Steady Stroke (October 2016), and Hot Licks (March 2017).

Body Rocks has a cover (which I've been swore to secrecy about for now) and no official blurb, but if you follow me on Twitter you probably saw me tweeting about Dominic and Trey back in early summer. Chance meeting + insane chemistry = amazing sex and strong attraction. Too bad they are in rival bands that are both competing for top prize at a summer music festival--and Trey is still in the closet. 

This book also has one of my favorite sex scenes I've ever written.

So yeah. That's....*counts*....six new books coming from me next year, with two already scheduled into 2017. 

::confetti::

A Look Ahead

First of all, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased/reviewed/blogged about THE TRUTH AS HE KNOWS IT (Perspectives #1) and GETTING IT RIGHT (Restoration #1) during these last two months. It's always nerve-wracking debuting a new series, and launching two of them within a month's time is extra-double-crazy. But the response to both books has been overwhelming and amazing, and I am so grateful to you guys for your support.

And the year isn't even half over!

I told you guys that you'd fall in love with Tristan in TTAHKI, and you did. He is definitely one of my top three characters I've written, and I adored telling his love story. THE WORLD AS HE SEES IT releases in October of this year! I know it feels like a long wait, but there are other books coming before then to keep you occupied.

Like Belonging was, Restoration is a now-completed trilogy with Carina Press, so you can expect two more books to finish off this particular series. FINDING THEIR WAY releases July 20, and the final title, TAKING A CHANCE, will release in September. 

Some folks who've read GIR have been asking about Will Madden, one of James's patients. To be honest, before I got those reader comments, I hadn't made any plans to revisit Will. But plans change. My next project for Carina is going to be, like Belonging, New Adult with a focus on younger characters. Jackson (bartender at Pot O Gold) is still itching to get his chance in the spotlight, and I really love the concept I've dreamed up for the new series. I also think this is a great place to incorporate Will, who is only 16 in GIR, but who will be 18 by the time this new series begins within the timeline of the Wilmington universe. I don't know where his story will eventually go yet, but like Romy, Will definitely deserves a hero and a happy ending.

At the moment I am trying to stay focused on writing Perspectives #3 for Samhain, but my brain occasionally bounces over to other projects. And for those who are curious, I do plan on revisiting Cole and Jeremy again in the future--their story simply isn't finished yet.

Happy reading, all!

Two Cover Reveals, A Blurb, and New Books Contracted!

All kinds of exciting things have been happening these last few weeks.

First, Joyfully Jay was wonderful enough to host a cover reveal for FOUNDATION OF TRUST (Cost of Repairs #5). You can see the cover and read the blurb here. I'm sure of you have been eager to find out who David's hero is going to be. This one releases October 21st from Samhain!

I also have book news! I've been sitting on this one for a while, but now that the contracts are back I can make it official. I've sold two more books to my editor at Carina Press. The first book (Title is To Be Determined) is the third book in my current New Adult series (NO SUCH THING, MAYBE THIS TIME) and will likely end that series as a trilogy. This one is Romy's book, and if ever a character of mine deserved an HEA, it's Romy. This book will release from Carina (wait for it) on October 20 (I'll have a very busy October with books releasing back to back).

The second book is the start of new trilogy that is a spin-off of the first. Some characters and locations will overlap a bit, but it will star a pretty brand-new cast and skew slightly older in terms of character ages. This one is also untitled and will probably release sometime early 2015. More news as it develops.

And last, but not least, I have a cover for UNDERSTANDING JEREMY, which is the sequel to last year's UNEARTHING COLE. It's told from Jeremy's POV this time and....well, I'll just let you see the cover and read the blurb. I love that they used the same model for Jeremy from the first cover!

No one in Jeremy Collins's life ever stays. His parents, sister, and wife are all dead. Now he has taken Cole Alston into his home to help him recover from years of abuse at the hands of his ex. Jeremy hopes Cole, who he loves, will stick around, but after eight years of Cole not being allowed to make his own choices, Jeremy doesn't think he has the right to ask. As Jeremy keeps his concerns and desires to himself, his best friend Bethann calls on him for a huge favor—claim he's the father of her baby so she isn't ostracized in their small town for sleeping with a married man. However doing so would be tantamount to denying his relationship with Cole. Rumors fly before Jeremy can explain to Cole that he said no, and suddenly the whole town is in his business. Rather than reassure Cole, Jeremy's explanations have the opposite effect. Something is going on in Cole's mind that Jeremy doesn't know about, and in order to get Cole to talk, Jeremy will need to confront his own deepest fear.

UNDERSTANDING JEREMY releases in July from Dreamspinner Press. (And I apologize for the highlighted background on the blurb. Blogger is being stupid and keeps insisting on a white background for only half of the text, so I instead of beating my head on the keyboard I went with this.)

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:

Monday Was Very Good to Me

Folks love to grouse about Monday. It's the first day of the work week (unless you work retail or a restaurant, in which case your work week is haphazard and weekends mean very little in terms of what days they fall on). Monday gets a bad rap sometimes, because yesterday was very good to me.

So much fun news!

First I came home and found a box in the mail from Dreamspinner Press, with pretty, pretty paperback copies of WHAT YOU OWN inside! I was expecting some things from Amazon, but this was even better. This is my third book in print (so far), so it was lovely to flip the pages and browse through Ryan/Adam's story.

Out of curiosity, I went to check the nominations for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 2013 Readers Choice Awards. Mostly to see which of my favorite books were nominated in various categories, and there were a lot. So I was pleasantly stunned to see COLOR OF GRACE nominated for Best Tear Jerker.

I'm not sure if you have to be a member of the group to see the nominations, but you have to be a member to vote in the final polls. It's so humbling and gratifying to see my work recognized by readers.

And if that didn't make my day, this final thing did.

Dreamspinner has contracted UNDERSTANDING JEREMY, the sequel to UNEARTHING COLE, and will publish it next summer! Folks have been asking for more of Cole and Jeremy since UC released this past spring, and for a novella, this book was hard to write. Getting into Jeremy's head was a challenge, and it took me more than seven months to write this, working off and on while managing other books. But I'm so pleased with how it turned out, and I hope UC fans love it too.

Below is the blurb I used in my submission query (not the official blurb, which will come later), to give y'all a glimpse of what's to come.

Six weeks after the auction of his parents' hoarded property, Cole Alston is free of their possessions, but not the house and land.  The winning bid fell through, leaving him unable to follow his original plan to take the money and go elsewhere to start over—a plan that is slowly dissolving under the pleasant influence of his unexpected relationship with Jeremy Collins. Jeremy is quite content to have Cole still living with him, and despite Cole's frequent nightmares of the abuse he endured thanks to his ex-boyfriend Martin, they've created a comfortable coexistence.
 

A coexistence that could shatter at any moment, because their relationship is a carefully guarded secret in their very small town. Cole is terrified that coming out will ruin the business and friendships that Jeremy has built, and he'd rather leave than hurt Jeremy so badly. Jeremy has fallen hard for Cole, despite knowing Cole's presence was never a promise, and he's willing to risk blowing up his life in order to keep him. Jeremy has already survived a lifetime of painful losses, but as secrets and misunderstandings continue to pile up, he may face his greatest loss of all: the first man he's ever really loved.

Much love!

Coming Soon: What You Own

So this one will be a nice little surprise for everybody, because I never announced it back when the book was accepted. But I have a new novel coming out from Dreamspinner Press on November 29th! 

For Ryan Sanders, the Paige Community Center is more than a place where he teaches at-risk teens about musical theater. He found a sense of belonging there during one of the hardest times of his life. With the center facing a financial crisis, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the doors open—even soliciting fundraiser donations from Langley-Quartermaine Financial.

Adam Langley has a plan: survive an internship at his father’s company, finish college, get his trust fund, and find his former high school best friend Ryan and beg his forgiveness. In that order, because if Ryan does forgive him, Adam believes he’ll finally find the courage to come out to his wealthy, bigoted father.

Adam’s carefully considered plan is shattered when Ryan appears at the office a full ten months before Adam is ready, and Ryan is just as stunned. Against his better judgment, Adam gets involved with the fundraiser—and Ryan. Old feelings won’t be denied, and as Ryan and Adam reconnect, they realize neither knows the entire truth about the horrific night three years earlier that tore their friendship apart.

This book is really special to me, because it is, in essence, a love letter to musical theater. I spent all four years of high school working the stage crew for our theater productions, both musicals and plays. I loved my time there, and I made so many wonderful friends and lasting memories. Theater is important to me, and I am firm believer that the arts need to stay in our schools and be available to our kids.

WHAT YOU OWN releases November 29th in both ebook and paperback format. And if you're a fan of paperbacks, make sure you preorder early! The first 20 copies include a special insert page with my signature on it!

Acts of Faith: Cover and Blurb

Cost of Repairs fans! It's the book you've been asking for!

Love can be built on a broken past…but not on broken trust.

Cost of Repairs, Book 4

Rey King has settled into his new life with Samuel Briggs, and his catering business has taken off to the point he’s brought a business partner on board. Yet something is missing. He’s still haunted by the pain of losing his daughter, Faith, in a custody battle six years ago.

Then, one month before Christmas, Faith’s grandmother passes away, and Rey gets a shocking offer he never saw coming.

Samuel knew loving Rey wouldn't be easy, but then again he’s no walk in the park either. Still, for eighteen months they’ve thrived as a couple…until a shy, seven-year-old girl shakes his belief that he and Rey can overcome anything.

Settling Faith into their chaotic lives would be a welcome challenge, if things weren’t complicated by Rey’s too-cute, overly attentive new business partner. As misunderstandings, miscommunications, and unresolved tensions escalate, Rey begins to wonder if the best Christmas gift of his life could cost him the man he loves.

Warning: Product contains one overprotective (and slightly jealous) police office, an angsty chef whose heart is in the right place (even when his actions backfire), and an adorable little girl who turns their lives upside down. Added bonus—hot man-on-man action and the inappropriate use of a washing machine.

Some of my very favorite Rey/Samuel scenes are in this book. Acts of Faith releases December 17 from Samhain.

Amazon Link

New Series Coming from Carina Press!

So I've been teasing for a few months about some exciting news and new books coming in 2014.  It's been in Publisher's Marketplace already, but now that the executed contracts are back in my hands, I feel comfortable making an official announcement!

I've signed with Carina Press for 2 books in a new series!  I'm so thrilled to be working with Carina, as they are another of my favorite ebook publishers.

CATCH & RELEASE is the first book.  The description below is NOT the official cover copy blurb. It's what I used in my query letter to Carina, but I think it does a good job of setting up the story (at least, I assume it does, since Carina contracted the book *grin*).

Sometimes three exclamation points can change your life.

 When Jaime Winters put the "Help Needed!!!" sign in his sister's breakfast diner window, he never imagined she'd end up hiring super-hottie Alessandro Silva right off the street—and Alessandro is just as eager to fill the position.  A few weeks ago, Alessandro left behind his life in the city to move back to his small hometown in order to support his newly-widowed foster mother and help her with her foster kids Tony and Molly.  A reformed troublemaker, Alessandro left a lot of ghosts and regrets behind when he left town, and his return has stirred up the attention of an old enemy.

 Unlike Alessandro, Jaime has spent most of his adult life watching the world go by—first from a series of hospital windows, and now over the spines of history textbooks.  It's easier to put all of his energy into his Bachelor's Degree than to face the fact that years of battling heart disease means he's a twenty-three year-old virgin—until Alessandro awakens desires he'd long ago given up on.  The last thing Alessandro wants is a relationship with someone as innocent and fragile as Jaime, but he can't fight his attraction, or his need to be with Jaime. 

 But Alessandro doesn't believe in "one and only."  He's willing to be Jaime's first, but can't hang his heart on the idea that this is a forever kind of thing.  And Jaime may have been given a second chance with a new heart, but he's scared of what giving it to another person means.  They agree to an arrangement—Alessandro will teach Jaime the finer points of gay sex, no feelings involved, no strings attached, and then he'll let Jaime go.  Easier said than done.  Alessandro doesn't mean to get attached, but when an angry ghost from his troubled past threatens the people in his present, Alessandro realizes how hard he's fallen for Jaime—and that Jaime's feelings just might be mutual.

This book was so fun to write, and I'm eager for readers to get their hands on it.  Book two, LOST & FOUND, is Ezra Kelley's story, whom you meet for a few memorable scenes in C&R.  This is also what I've been referring to on Twitter as "The Big Book of Angst." And boy howdy....

More as it happens!