Coming Soon: Weight of Silence

I'm very excited to show off the cover and blurb for WEIGHT OF SILENCE.  This is the third Cost of Repairs book, and it releases from Samhain on August 6, 2013.

The wrong secret can poison everything--even if it’s kept with the best of intentions. 

 Cost of Repairs, Book 3 

 Gavin Perez knows he’s a living cliché. He works a dead-end job, shares a trailer with his waitress mom, has an abusive, absentee sperm donor, and he’s poor. So color him shocked when middle-class, white-bread Jace Ramsey agrees to hang out with him. 

 Granted, Gavin is trying to make up for dumping a bowl of cranberry sauce on Jace at Thanksgiving. And boy, is Gavin forgiven, over and over again…until Jace goes back to college for finals and stops returning Gavin’s calls. 

 Back home from the semester from hell, Jace doesn’t want to do anything but sleep through the holidays. It’s easier than coming out to his family—or facing Gavin’s hurt. But Gavin’s ready forgiveness draws them back together, and Jace won’t be able to stay in the closet much longer. 

 Nor will he be able to keep hiding his pain. He trusts Gavin with his body, maybe even with his heart. But can he trust that a devastating secret that’s eating him up inside won’t destroy everything—and everyone—he loves?

Unearthing Cole

I'm very excited to announce I have a novella releasing March 20 with Dreamspinner Press. It's up on the site and available for pre-order now!

Cole Alston swore he'd never return to his childhood home in rural North Carolina, but when his mother dies, he inherits her hoarded property. He hopes to sell everything and use the money to start over in Canada, far away from his abusive ex-boyfriend. It’s a daunting task, and Cole has no idea where to start. Luckily for him, the local antique store owner, Jeremy Collins, volunteers his services in sorting the hoard. Their professional relationship soon evolves into a personal one, but Cole must overcome his past and his anxiety before he can accept a new man in his life or the possibility of a happy future.

Don't Tattoo an Unconscious Person Who Fell In a Hole

With only two days left until COLOR OF GRACE is released, I've been visiting a few blogs chatting about the book and characters.

My first stop was "Coffee and Porn in the Morning" (and isn't that a fabulous title for a blog?), where I talked about tattoos and the role they play in the book.  I also listed a few fun facts you might not have known about tattoos.

Then I jumped over to see the lovely ladies at Smexy Books, who not only reviewed COLOR OF GRACE, but allowed me to yammer on about "The West Wing" and guys falling into holes (not that, potty brain!).

I can't wait to ring in the New Year with Schuyler and Barrett!

New Books Coming in 2013!

Forgive me! It's been too long since my last update. I announced this on Twitter a few weeks ago, but it definitely needs to go here, as well.

I've sold two more books!

WEIGHT OF SILENCE (Cost of Repairs 3) will come out August 6, 2013 from Samhain. I don't want to say too much about this one yet, but this book features two younger heroes who've been mentioned in previous books, but not yet seen. I'll give a hint and say one is college age.  Other familiar Stratton favorites (*cough*ReySam*cough*) also make appearances.

UNEARTHING COLE will release from Dreamspinner Press in March/April 2013 (the exact date is TBD).  This is my first foray into first-person m/m and I'm excited to get to work with Dreamspinner. I've included the blurb I sent with my submission query to give you an idea of the story, but remember this isn't the official blurb so please don't reproduce it.

The last place Cole Alston wants to revisit is his childhood home in rural North Carolina, until his mother's sudden death leaves several acres of property to him. He hopes to sell everything and use the money to start over in Canada, far away from the abusive ex-boyfriend he's still running from.  But selling won't be easy, because Cole's mother was a hoarder. Every building on the property is full, including the house, and Cole has no idea where to start.

Jeremy Collins owns an antique store in town, and he makes good money selling locally and online.  He offers to help Cole sort the hoard, to market the valuable items to collectors, and to set up an on-site auction for the rest.  Cole is reluctant to allow a stranger access to his shameful family secret, but Jeremy is easy to trust.  He's also attractive, gentle, and kind, and the heat between them is difficult to ignore.  Their business partnership soon crosses the line into a personal relationship, and as the auction date looms closer, Cole's anxiety increases. Staying with Jeremy means being honest about his past and the relationship that almost killed him--but sometimes the worst secrets are better left buried.

Color of Grace (Cost of Repairs #2)

COLOR OF GRACE (Cost of Repairs #2) is now available from Samhain! The page also has a nice little excerpt for your enjoyment. 

Looking to the future begins with forgiving the past.

Cost of Repairs, Book 2

Barrett McCall once lived like there was no tomorrow. Now the reformed party animal savors each day as a gift. His short order cook job at Dixie’s Cup pays the rent, and he’s content with his sober—if solitary—life.

When a fire leaves him homeless, Dixie’s offer to let him move into her basement apartment puts him on a collision course with her nephew, art teacher Schuyler Rhodes. The heat between them crackles, but in Schuyler’s eyes Barrett recognizes the same demons he exorcised long ago.

Dixie’s kind-hearted offer couldn’t come at a worse time for Schuyler. It’s the anniversary of his teenage cousin Matty’s drowning. Everyone believes it was an accident, but Schuyler knows the truth—and so does the culprit. For fifteen years that truth has burned a hole in his soul…and now it keeps Barrett at arm’s length.

One lingering kiss melts away the barriers between them, but when the other witness to Matty’s death shows up in town, Schuyler is forced into a confrontation that could cost him Barrett’s love—and possibly his own life.

Amazon Link.
Edited 2/8/13

Cover Reveal: Color of Grace (Cost of Repairs 2)

COLOR OF GRACE, releasing 1/1/13 from Samhain, is the follow-up to COST OF REPAIRS, and it's Schuyler's story.

I absolutely love this cover! Barrett's tattoos are there, and the lake image is gorgeous.  I don't have an official blurb yet, but here are the broad strokes:  Schuyler Rhodes is an art teacher with a secret that sends him spiraling once a year, on that event's anniversary.  Barrett McCall is a former tattoo artist who's already hit bottom and is building his life back up again. When their lives collide in an unexpected way, Schuyler will have to learn to drop his walls and let go...in more ways than one.

News and Reviews

First, I want to say a hearty and heart-felt THANK YOU to everyone who has bought "Cost of Repairs" since its release last week. I never imagined the awesome response to the story (Samuel and Rey thank you, too).

Reviews by Jessewave has an amazing review posted, which just makes me giddy every time I think about it. CoR was also a weekend recommendation at the USAToday Romance blog!

A few folks have also commented that they hope to see more Stratton stories, specifically about Rey's ex Schuyler, and all I can say....you will. Samhain has contracted the second Dixie's Cup book, UNDER HIS SKIN*, which is Schuyler's story. It's tentatively scheduled to release in January '13.

More on that as it develops.

*The book has gone under a title change, and is now COLOR OF GRACE. Much more fitting, I think.