WIP Wednesday: Christmas in June

If you follow me on Facebook you know I've been in a self-imposed holiday music hell for the last week or so as I finished up my Dreamspinner Press Advent submission. I'd been working on it on and off for months and found I needed to buckle down and focus or I'd never make the deadline.

My kids were beyond tired of Christmas pop, so they were thrilled when I picked them up from camp yesterday blasting the Hamilton soundtrack. That's right, my Advent draft is finished!

I'm so excited to introduce you to Grant, Josh, and Aubrey in today's excerpt. As you can see (that's them in the snowglobe), Josh and Aubrey are ridiculously adorable together, so I'm sure you can sympathize with how irresistible Grant finds them when they walk into his art studio looking for Christmas craft lessons.

Audiobook news

Between that and the Tall, Dark, and Deported audiobook coming out on Monday, it's been an exciting week for me--and it's only Wednesday! Dorian Bane does an amazing job on it, so I hope you'll listen to the sample. I love the way he makes Crawford and Mateus come alive and infuses both of them with so much personality. This is my first title to be released in audiobook and I thought it would be weird to hear my words but it was so much fun to listen to. (And now that I don't have to listen to holiday music in the car on my commute, I can listen to the entire thing today when I head in to work later! *g*)

Excerpt

The wreath Thing 2 and I made last Christmas.

And now, enjoy some crafty Christmas fun with Josh, Aubrey, and Grant from my latest WIP. Grant is talking Aubrey through making an ornament wreath (see the picture) while Josh listens. He's been flirting with Josh for several lessons and decides it's time to double down on his innuendo...even though he's pretty sure Josh is straight.

❄❄🎄❄❄

Grant rooted around in the basket and found the set of glittery rub-on letters he’d put in earlier. “You said you were giving the wreath to your aunt, right Aubrey?”

Aubrey shifted her focus to him without missing a beat. “My Aunt Jo.”

“Well, if you think she’d like it we can monogram the wreath with her initials. I think it would look great with the frosted ornaments you’ve picked out.”

 

Aubrey squealed. “She’d love that!”

“Okay. Well, once we get your wreath glued together we’ll put these letters on the three ornaments that are in the center. What do you think? Top or bottom?”

Josh made a choking noise from the next table where he’d sunk into a chair with his coffee. Grant looked up, startled, and then caught the accidental innuendo. Instead of backing away from it as he should have, he dug in deeper. “If it was for me I’d say bottom. It’s my favorite position for things like that. It’s always better on the bottom.”Josh’s coffee sloshed when he put it down abruptly, spilling over his knuckles as his coughing fit continued. Grant didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but at least he’d tried.

“I want to put them at the bottom,” Aubrey said, blessedly oblivious to the undertones. “Monograms are the things with the letters from her name, aren’t they?”

Aubrey’s wreath was all arranged, so Grant turned on the glue gun to warm it up. He’d gone with an assortment of bright colors for his, laid haphazardly. It was a big contrast to Aubrey’s carefully laid pattern of understated colors. They looked great next to each other. He’d have to take a photo for the studio’s Instagram when they were done. And maybe a few with Aubrey and Hot Divorced Dad for his own personal scrapbook of students with their art.

“You can do monograms two ways. You can do the first letter from her first and last name only or you can add her middle initial, too,” he told her. Josh had recovered from his coughing fit and was watching them with a veiled expression, his long legs splayed as he lounged in a chair that was meant for someone much smaller than him. Grant’s knees were practically touching his ears, so he could sympathize.

Aubrey studied her wreath. “It would be nice and centered if we do the one with three.”

The kid had great instincts. Grant hoped she’d become a regular, and not just because Josh came with her. He didn’t know if she had any natural talent for drawing or painting, but her eye for color and design was well beyond her age. He’d bet that carried over into artistic talent, especially given how well her father could paint.

“We’ll do three, then. You’ll need to find her initials in capital letters.”

Aubrey talked to herself as she chose the letters. “Josephine Clarke.” She frowned and looked over her shoulder at Josh. “What’s her middle name?”

“Lynn,” Josh said without hesitation.

That must mean this aunt was his sister. Between the shared last name and his certainty about her middle name, it made sense.

“Hmm.” Aubrey dug through and found an L. “Mom’s middle name is Lydia.”

“And mine is Leonard,” Josh said.

Aubrey giggled. “So you all have the same monogram?”

Josh’s ex hadn’t changed her last name? Didn’t women usually do that after a divorce? And her name started with J, too? They’d probably had one of those weddings with their initials engraved on everything. It would have been cute. Grant kind of hated her for that.

The light on the glue gun clicked off, signaling it was ready to use. Was Aubrey ready to handle it on her own? Grant flicked his glance from the glue gun to Josh, who shrugged.

“She’s used one before, but I don’t know how closely Jill supervised.”

So the ex’s name must be Jill. Josh and Jill. It’s too adorable to hate them. Ugh.

“I’m allowed to hold the pieces together,” Aubrey said. She waved a hand dismissively.

“You have to put the glue on.”

Well that settled that.

WIP Wednesday to celebrate the upcoming release of Tall, Dark, and Deported!

It's almost release day for Tall, Dark, and Deported, and I admit I've been spending most of my time writing blog tour posts instead of working on a WIP. I'm going to share a favorite scene from the book for #WIP Wednesday instead.
I hope you'll join me at my tour stops for a few video readings, a killer recipe for homemade hot pretzels, and a tongue-in-cheek look at what an author does on release day, just to highlight a few. *g*

Tour stops:

March 25: MM Good Books: A primer in our favorite category romance tropes

March 29: Kimmers Erotic Book Banter: Why Crawford and Mateus's story makes good fiction but bad reality

March 30: Open Skye: Meet Mateus and Crawford

March 31: My fiction Nook: Video reading

April 1: Alpha Book Reviews: Top 10 things authors do on release day

April 3: Novel Approach: The Auntie Anne's copycat recipe you never knew your life was missing

April 4: Love Bytes: Video reading (featuring those delectable pretzels)

April 5: Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words: Interview

April 6: Boy Meets Boy: Video reading

April 6: Kimi-Chan Experience: LA Times Festival of Books and what's next

And now for the promised excerpt: Mateus and Crawford met only hours ago, but they're already married. It was a ploy to keep Mateus from being deported, but Crawford is finding it has some bonuses for him, too. Namely, making his ex-husband and co-worker Davis cattily jealous. 

Tall, Dark, and Deported, Release date: April 1

“I had no idea you were getting married,” Davis said when he finally tore his eyes away and looked at Crawford. His cheek twitched, just like it always did when he was annoyed, but that was the only giveaway to show he wasn’t as enthusiastically pleased as his tone suggested. Davis always had been excellent at reading situations and acting exactly as he should. “And that you were bringing your new husband along to Vancouver.”

“They were just married today,” Michelle said helpfully.

The twitch grew more pronounced. “Is that so?” he asked, giving Crawford a speculative look. “Well, then, I must agree with Michelle. We insist you take the penthouse suite. And you’ll join me for dinner tonight, won’t you? I was planning to dine here at the hotel with some of the management staff, but since this is a special occasion, I think that can wait. We can have the concierge secure a reservation somewhere appropriately festive.”

Crawford’s mouth fell open, but before he could let loose a scathing retort—leave it to Davis to make Crawford’s remarriage all about him, Jesus—Mateus spoke up.

“That is so kind of you, but I have plans for my husband tonight.” Mateus’s voice was like velvet, making it clear that those plans he so glibly referenced were definitely not for public consumption. He ran a proprietary hand up Crawford’s back and down his arm, twining their hands together.

Davis visibly flinched, his eyes widening. “Tomorrow, then. I insist. My treat, to celebrate. It really is amazing to see Crawford married again,” he said, his composure returning with his smirk. The look he gave Crawford was speculative, like he could see right through him. He’d always been a lot better at reading people than Crawford had. After all, he’d correctly sized Crawford up as a chump, hadn’t he?

“Ah, I don’t know if I’ll be done with him by then, but I don’t want to keep him from his work. I suppose I can share,” Mateus purred.

Davis colored a bit at the insinuation that he was nothing but a coworker. “I do wonder why you chose to get married right now,” Davis said, a gleam in his eye. “The timing is a bit curious. I mean, you hadn’t said anything about your husband-to-be in any of our conference calls, and then you get married the day you’re going to see me?” He turned to Mateus and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Surely you know who I am. I can’t imagine Crawford hasn’t told you about me.”

Crawford felt like he was in the middle of a tennis match or a particularly vicious argument on some Real Housewives spin-off. He knew he should intervene, but he couldn’t seem to make himself speak. It would be so easy to smile and shrug Davis off, claiming they were tired and needed to get up to their room. It would be totally plausible that newlyweds would want alone time, but it was also mortifying that the clerk and the entire lobby would assume he and Mateus were going upstairs to have sex.

“Oh, he has,” Mateus said, his smile still firmly in place. He squeezed Crawford’s hand. “Shall we go up, meu amor?"

Dreamspinner Press  Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Google Play

Dreamspinner Press  Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Google Play

#WIPWednesday: There's nothing as electrifying as sex in a storm!

Credit

Today will be the last #WIPWednesday for Tall, Dark and Deported, which is both exciting and sad. Exciting because it means I finished my manuscript in time for my deadline and I'll be sending it off soon. Sad because I won't get to write these two beautiful men anymore. *sniffle*

We'll send them out with a bang, though. A literal one--sex after being caught outside in a terrifying thunder storm. There's not much that gets the blood pumping like running for your life through lightning and hail, and once Mateus and Crawford are safe in a barn, they put all that adrenaline to good use.

I'm not posting most of the scene, just the teaser to their sexytimes, but you'll have to trust me that after all the build-up and tension in the book, the climax is electric.

I'll stop with the storm puns now. *g*

These two have tiptoed around each other through tropes and misunderstandings, and by the time they finally get together, there's no doubt they belong together. I had an amazing amount of fun channeling all the old-school Harlequin tropes I used to love as a teenager, and I can't wait to start reading the other Dreamspun Desires books!

---

Tall, Dark and Deported 

They'd made it a few steps before the rain stopped and the sky lightened. It turned a sickly green, which wasn't something Crawford had ever seen before. Apparently Mateus had, because he looped the picnic basket through one arm and reached back with another, grabbing onto Crawford's hand and tugging him forward as he broke into a flat-out run. “Hurry!” he yelled, tucking his head down. 

Crawford couldn't even get out a question before he felt something sting the back of his neck. Once, twice, and then suddenly there was a deluge, too many to count, sharp pricks battering him all over. He ducked his head like Mateus, then used his free hand to unfurl the blanket, making a shelter for them. He shook free of Mateus's grip and held it up over them as best he could as they ran. The ground around them was littered with tiny pieces of hail. They didn't look bigger than peas, but they'd felt like boulders when they'd been hitting his skin. The blanket didn't keep them all off, but it was better than just being completely unprotected. 

“Do you think it's unlocked?” he yelled as they neared the white clapboard barn. 

“Probably not,” Mateus yelled back. “These pole barns have to be padlocked, and I don't see one.” 

Crawford had no idea what that was, but he vowed to read up on barns and become an expert if they made it through this intact. They stumbled to a clumsy stop in front of the huge barn doors, and he sighed in relief when he realized it was closed with a large piece of timber. There was a spot for a lock, it looked like, but nothing was there.Mateus hefted the large bar up, and the barn doors creaked open. They rushed inside, but Mateus didn't close the door behind them. There weren't any windows in the barn, and closing the door would plunge them into darkness. 

Crawford let the blanket drop with a breathless laugh. “Oh my God,” he panted.Mateus took one look at him and started to laugh. He put the picnic basket down at his feet and closed the distance between them, his hands coming up to pluck at Crawford's hair. Crawford started to laugh when he realized he'd had hail in his hair. Mateus did, too. It felt natural to return the fair, his fingers skating through Mateus's dark locks as he swept the melting ice out of it. 

Crawford's heart was pounding from their run, and it felt unnaturally loud to him in the heavy silence of the deserted barn. He and Mateus were standing close enough that their breath mingled, and Crawford couldn't stop himself from stepping up, close enough he could count the drops of water in Mateus's eyelashes. 

He hesitated, hovering close enough to kiss him, until Mateus's eyes closed and he leaned in the rest of the way, closing the small gap between them. He tasted like rain, wild and earthy. Electric, like the lightning that had chased them into this musty barn. Crawford pressed in, chasing the flavor across Mateus's lips and into his mouth when Mateus melted into the kiss and let him in.

WIP Wednesday: coffee orders and hotel beds

I'm running late this week (lately when am NOT?), so I apologize for that. I'm hiding at my desk at the EDJ and doing this on my phone, so fingers crossed. *g*

Today we see Mateus and Crawford right after they've come back to the United States. They were hoping it would go smoothly, but of course it doesn't. They're stuck in the border town overnight until the immigration officer can see them the next morning.

---

Tall,  Dark and Deported

Mateus flopped down on the queen-sized bed, wrinkling his nose when he bounced instead of sinking into it. This was nothing like the feather-soft beds at [hotel name], though the rock-hard mattress and slick nylon coverlets were hardly a surprise for a place that rented for $59 a night.
Crawford had tried to book them into a nicer hotel down the street, but Mateus's pride wouldn't allow it. He'd been mooching off Crawford for too long—it was Mateus's turn to foot some of the bill for this, especially since they were stuck here overnight because of him. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford down comforters and 500-thread-count sheets. But the room did come with a free continental breakfast in the morning, which was kind of exciting.
He closed his eyes and listened to Crawford fumbling with the tiny coffeemaker on the bathroom sink. It was late, but he didn't say anything. He'd learned not to come between Crawford and caffeine, no matter what time of day Crawford was having it. [insert earlier snipy fight over coffee late at night]
Something clattered into the sink with an echoing thud and Crawford cursed softly. Mateus peeked open one eye in time to see him angrily shoving the piece back into the coffeemaker.
“I saw a Starbucks a mile or so back. I think I'm going to give up on this and make a coffee run. You want a decaf cinnamon latte?”
So maybe Mateus hadn't been the only one taking notes on beverage preferences. He tried hard to ignore the fluttery feeling he got knowing Crawford had been paying attention all those nights they'd stopped at the hotel coffee shop for a drink after dinner.
“If you're going out anyway. But don't make a special trip for me.”
Crawford snorted. “I've got about four hours of paperwork to get through tonight. Trust me, I'm going anyway. Possibly more than once.”
Mateus winced internally. Crawford had been so amazing through all of this, never once getting angry about how much this marriage had inconvenienced him. Even now, staying in a second-rate motel with a nonfunctional coffeemaker, he didn't snap or try to make Mateus feel bad. Instead, he offered to pick up his favorite evening drink while he went out to get coffee to fuel a late-night work session that was necessary because he'd spent all day doing things for Mateus.

WIP Wednesday: Border crossing kisses with Crawford and Mateus

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's a very happy one here in the Baker household, because my contractor should be hooking up the water in my kitchen this morning, which means I'll be able to cook again! For those of you who have somehow escaped me whining about my tale of woe, we're eight weeks into a four-week kitchen renovation, and I am beyond ready to be done. *g*

Today for #WIPWednesday we're back with Crawford and Mateus in Tall, Dark and Deported.

This scene takes place after Crawford and Mateus are stopped at the US/Canada border as they cross back into the United States after getting married in Vancouver. They stage a kiss that goes from tentative to heated for the benefit of the border guard, but it's not enough to keep them from the standard immigration interview. It does leave all three of them a little disoriented, especially the poor guard, who hardly knows where to look after witnessing it.

---

The guard scrawled a name and number on the back of a Homeland Security business card. “You'll have to make an appointment, but the officer with Immigration Services might be able to see you today. My understanding was she wanted to meet you and set up future appointments, not put you through an interview right away.”

Well, that was ominous. Crawford flipped the card over and read the name—Office Kathleen Suarez. The guard looked apologetic, though he certainly wasn't the one who had done anything embarrassing. “I'll call her now,” Crawford said. “Should I step outside?”

The guard straightened. “No need. I'll leave you two to set that up. Just stop by the desk on your way out to let them know you've set up your appointment so they can confirm it with Useless—” the man looked stricken. “—I mean USCIS. Shit.”

Crawford laughed, feeling at ease for the first time since they'd been pulled over at the border and told to get out of the car. “Interdepartmental nicknames, eh? I guess there's no love lost between immigration services and homeland security. Though with that name, they really were asking for it.”

The man chuckled. “Right? Anyway, I apologize. I'm sure Officer Stewart will do a great job with your case.”

Crawford certainly hoped not.  

WIP Wednesday, a big sale and Talk Turkey's release!

Today there are two things to be excited about--Talk Turkey was released yesterday, and today for #WIPWednesday we finally get to see a little action between Crawford and his fake husband, Mateus. *g*

The five inches of snow we had melted last week, and while it's chilly, it just doesn't feel like Christmas yet. Which is why I'm so excited about the Dreamspinner Press Sleigh Ride Advent Calendar--a little bit of holiday goodness every day. Including Talk Turkey, my offering for the anthology. You've met Carson and Tom in #WIPWednesday posts, so I won't talk too much about them. This isn't a steamy holiday romp--it's a humorous, adorable lark.

Dreamspinner is having a site-wide holiday story sale through Dec. 5. You can pick Talk Turkey up on sale right now at Dreamspinner Press (along with my older holiday titles, The Magic of Weihnachten, Late Bloomer, Traditions from the Heart, and even Campfire Confessions, because Valentine's Day is a holiday, too!

I'm past the three-quarters mark with Tall, Dark and Deported, which is good because it's due to my publisher on Jan. 1. NaNoWriMo was a great motivator, but so was the electric attraction between Crawford and Mateus that kept my fingers on the keyboard. Today's #WIPWednesday is a scene from the book after Crawford and Mateus have been caught in a late summer thunderstorm out in the orchard and take shelter in an old barn. There's nothing like getting caught in the rain and the adrenalin rush of dodging lightning and hail to get the blood pumping and lower whatever inhibitions these two had left that was keeping them apart. Chock full of tropes, right? Delicious!

---

Tall, Dark and Deported

Via Llima Orosa on Flick

Mateus took one look at him and started to laugh. He let the picnic basket drop to the ground at their feet and closed the distance between them, his hands coming up to pluck at Crawford's hair. Crawford started to laugh when he realized he'd had hail in his hair. Mateus did, too. 

It felt natural to return the favor, his fingers skating through Mateus's dark locks as he swept the melting ice out of it.

Crawford's heart was pounding from their run, and it felt unnaturally loud to him in the heavy silence of the deserted barn. He and Mateus were standing close enough that their breath mingled, and Crawford couldn't stop himself from stepping up, close enough he could count the drops of water in Mateus's eyelashes.

He hesitated, hovering close enough to kiss him, until Mateus's eyes closed and he leaned in the rest of the way, closing the small gap between them. He tasted like rain, wild and [another word]. Crawford pressed in, chasing the flavor across Mateus's lips and into his mouth when Mateus melted into the kiss and let him in.

Crawford's hands fisted in Mateus's wet sweater, pulling at it until Mateus backed away and took it off with one swift motion. He tossed it onto a bale of hay in the corner, and Crawford scrambled to take his own shirt off. The buttons were a challenge for his rain-chilled hands, but Mateus swooped in to help, and the two of the managed to wrest the stiff, wet fabric out of the way.

Crawford shivered once his skin was exposed, but when Mateus crowded in against him a moment later, the chill disappeared. Skin to skin, heat flared between them. Crawford ran his hands up and down Mateus's back, his fingers greedy for any part of him he could touch. He'd wanted to do this for weeks, and he wasn't about to waste any time now that he had Mateus bare in front of him.

WIP Wednesday: In the hot tub with Mateus and Crawford

Happy Thanksgiving Eve to my fellow Americans! To everyone else, happy Wednesday! Since we still don't have a kitchen thanks to all the remodeling snafus, the Baker family has decamped up north to Chicagoland to celebrate with relatives. There's snow up here, guys. Yuck.

I was able to get some writing done in the car on the way up, which is good because today and tomorrow will be filled with family and food. I've left the guys at a pretty critical point, though, so I may have to excuse myself to write. Cliffhangers are hard on readers, but they're hard on writers, too!

Crawford and Mateus are in the penthouse honeymoon suite at the hotel, and Crawford is trying to convince himself it's a bad idea to join Mateus out on the rooftop hot tub. Or is it a very good idea? *g*

---

Photo credit: Hotel de Maya

Tall, Dark and Deported

But now he was about to do something very, very stupid, so maybe it hadn't been much of an escape after all. If he were smart, he'd go to bed. He'd tell Mateus, rightly so, that he had an early meeting and needed his rest. He'd ask for a rain check so he could tackle the mountain of paperwork that was waiting for him in messy piles on the dining table. He'd fake a water phobia.

Anything that kept him out of an enclosed space in one of the most romantic settings Crawford could imagine with the one man he couldn't make a move on.

But Crawford wasn't smart. He ran through excuses in his head as he took off his clothes and carefully hung his suit in the closet and rifled through his suitcase to find the swim trunks he knew he'd packed. Not for this occasion, of course. He'd envisioned a vigorous swim in the lap pool, not an agonizing soak in a private hot tub with the most attractive man he'd ever met.

He picked up his phone and texted Adam, not sure whether to hope he was awake to talk him out of this to hope that he didn't see the message in time to chastise Crawford for even thinking about it.

Rooftop hot tub with Mateus. Bad idea?

His phone dinged almost instantly.

The worst. Have fun.

Damn it.

I can't get involved with him, he texted back.

You already are. You may as well get something out of it.

Crawford took a breath and rubbed his hand over his face. As usual, Adam had cut to the quick of it and said exactly what Crawford needed to hear. It would be wrong to take advantage of Mateus. And even if Mateus said he was interested, how could Crawford be sure he really was and he wasn't just saying that because he was afraid Crawford would change his mind about helping him get a visa? No. He had to keep his distance.

Thanks, bro, he texted back. He tossed his phone on the bed and strode out into the main room to tell Mateus he couldn't join him tonight. The doors to the terrace were already open, so Crawford walked through. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Mateus.

He was silhouetted against the skyline, his arms folded together like he was cold. He'd apparently picked up a pair of swim trunks at the same place he'd gotten his clothes for tonight, because they were almost indecently tight, just like the trousers he'd had on.

Crawford's excuses died on his lips. Mateus looked so breathtakingly lonely that he couldn't bring himself to disappoint him. Especially when Mateus turned around and a huge smile bloomed across his face.

WIP Wednesday: Mateus gets a taste of an American delicacy

He's as wonderfully strange and intimidatingly
 intelligent in person as he seems in his books!

I'm at a librarian conference this week, so I haven't had time to do much more than my minimum NaNo count each day. In fact, I've barely been getting that accomplished.

But I'm learning lots of library things, which I promise is more exciting than it sounds. Plus I got the chance to meet Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), so I think Mateus and Crawford will forgive me if I've been a little distracted. *g*

A word on NaNo--I've been running a Come Write In program at my library this month, and it's been wonderful getting the chance to meet other local writers and see people hard at work on their craft. And I also had the chance to talk with Headline News about NaNoWriMo and the publishing world, which was pretty exciting.

All in all, it's been a few exciting weeks of NaNo! And just like usual, I was bitten hard by a new bunny just a few days into starting my NaNo project. It's a new collaboration with Lex Chase, and you'll have to wait until after November is over to find out more about it because the deadline for Tall, Dark and Deported will be here before we know it, so I can't nurture the bunny (*cough* the three book series bunny */cough*) at the moment.


Here's a snippet from Tall, Dark and Deported for your #WIPWednesday fix!

“What? Seriously? You've never had a hot pretzel?” Crawford's eyes widened incredulously. “Where are you from? Mars?”

Mateus snickered. “Portugal. We don't have—” he squinted at the bag. Grease spots were starting to soak through, and he had to fight not to grimace. “—Auntie Anne's.”

“Oh, this is just one type. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's the best type. I think they dip them in butter after they cook or something. But you can get hot pretzels everywhere. Sporting events, skating rinks, library food courts. You've really never had one?”

He reached into the white bag and pulled out a small doughy nugget that was covered in large pellets of salt. It didn't look like any pretzel Mateus had ever seen, though he'd never seen any that weren't small and hard, so who knew.

“Shouldn't it be folded?”

Crawford's brows drew together for a moment, and then his expression cleared. “Oh, these are pretzel bites. But yeah, they sell the big pretzels, too. These are just cut up so they're easier to eat. Less messy.”

The whole thing glistened with butter, so Mateus very much doubted it was actually less messy than its larger cousin. His gaze traveled up to Crawford's mouth, drawn to the full, rosy lips. There was a tiny bit of yogurt in the corner of his mouth, and the resulting mental image made Mateus shift slightly in his seat. Bree was right. He needed to settle down and stop fantasizing about handsome strangers in airports. Well, that last bit was his own addition, but it still stood.

“You should try it,” Crawford said. He held the pretzel out to Mateus.

Mateus shook his head. “They're your favorite. You keep it.”

Crawford held his gaze for a second and then shrugged. He popped the pretzel in his mouth, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he chewed. He had long lashes, Mateus noticed. And he made eating a pretzel look orgasmic. They had to be flirting. There was no way this wasn't flirting.

“Your loss,” Crawford said when he'd swallowed and opened his eyes again. “But they're about a hundred times better than they look, I promise. Are you sure you don't want to try one?”

Mateus's attention was fixed on Crawford's lower lip, which was glossy with butter from the pretzel. He swallowed hard. “A small one,” he said, his voice huskier than it had been only a moment ago.

Crawford grinned. He took another pretzel out of the bag, but instead of holding it out to Mateus, he let it hover in between them, his expression questioning. A beat later Mateus leaned forward and opened his mouth, praying he wasn't reading this wrong. Crawford's smile grew, and he gently placed the pretzel into Mateus's mouth.

 The taste of salt exploded across Mateus's tongue, followed by butter and the sweet, yeasty flavor of the dough. He'd been dubious, but Crawford had been right. The pretzel was delicious. Or maybe it was just that all of Mateus's senses felt heightened as he sat there eating out of a total stranger's hand.

WIP Wednesday: Stopped at the border with Tall, Dark and Deported

It's been a busy time around here, wrapping up the short blog tour for King of the Kitchen, which was released Nov. 6. All of my guests posts revolved around food, both because that's a central theme in the book and because I'm currently four weeks into what was supposed to be a five-week kitchen remodel, so I'm really missing being in a kitchen and cooking something that doesn't have to go in the microwave or crock pot. And my suffering isn't over yet--thanks to delays and Lowe's ordering the wrong cabinets, it looks like it'll be mid-December before I have a kitchen. *sob*

I included a recipe with each blog post, so if you haven't checked those out and you're interested in the food in King of the Kitchen plus a few of my personal favorites, like the egg roll recipe that was a family secret for years, it's worth a look.

Duncan's refrigerator velcro frittata on Joyfully Jay
Beck's roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic glaze on Prism Book Alliance
Garlic and shallot pasta on Gay List Book Reviews
Egg rolls on The Novel Approach


I also found out last week that Playing House earned an Honorable Mention in  Gay Contemporary General Fiction this year's Rainbow Awards, which was so exciting! Frank is a character that's so close to my heart, and seeing the judges talk so favorably about him and the book made my day.

And last but not least, here's an excerpt from my current WIP, Tall, Dark and Deported. Crawford and Mateus have fulfilled their promise to Homeland Security and gotten married while they were in Canada, but the US Immigration needs a little more convincing than a marriage certificate and a steamy kiss in front of the border agent.

---

Tall, Dark and Deported

The guard cleared his throat again. His eyes looked a little glassy when they met Crawford's. “I, uh, passed along the fact that you and Mr. Fontes seem to be still in the honeymoon phase on to Officer Stewart. She told me to have you check in with her at the US Citizenship and Immigration Office in Whatcom County.”

He scrawled a name and number on the back of a Homeland Security business card. “You'll have to make an appointment, but she might be able to see you today. My understanding was she wanted to meet you and set up future appointments, not put you through an interview right away.”

Well, that was ominous. Crawford flipped the card over and read the name—Office Kathleen Stewart. The guard looked apologetic, though he certainly wasn't the one who had done anything embarrassing. “I'll call her now,” Crawford said. “Should I step outside?”

The guard straightened. “No need. I'll leave you two to set that up. Just stop by the desk on your way out to let them know you've set up your appointment so they can confirm it with Useless—” the man looked stricken. “—I mean USCIS. Shit.”

Crawford laughed, feeling at ease for the first time since they'd been pulled over at the border and told to get out of the car. “Interdepartmental nicknames, eh? I guess there's no love lost between immigration services and homeland security. Though with that , they really were asking for it.”

The man chuckled. “Right? Anyway, I apologize. I'm sure Officer Stewart will do a great job with your case.”

Crawford certainly hoped not.  

WIP Wednesday: Dating advice from Crawford's favorite (and only) nephew

NaNoWriMo is in full swing, and I'm off to a great start on Tall, Dark and Deported for Dreamspun Desires. It's a fluffy, funny lark full of characters I want to wrap in blankets and feed soup to, and Crawford's fifteen-year-old nephew Brandon is no exception.

In today's #WIPWednesday sneak peek, Brandon is helping Crawford pack for a business trip and offering up some dating truisms that Crawford wishes he'd known before his disastrous marriage.

And don't forget, King of the Kitchen releases on Friday! I'm so excited to get Duncan and Beck out there for everyone to see. *g* You can preorder it now from quite a few places, including: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and

ARe. 

I was over on Joyfully Jay talking about the book and sharing one of my favorite recipes from it yesterday, and I'll be over at Gay List Book Reviews tomorrow with more food fun. And don't miss the chance to ask me about King of the Kitchen or throw any cooking-related question my way during my Dreamspinner Press Facebook takeover from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 7.

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Photo credit

Tall, Dark and Deported

Brandon yanked the brown socks out of Crawford's hands and tossed a pair of black ones into his suitcase instead. “How long you gonna be gone this time?”

“I'm hoping to wrap it up in a week. Two weeks, tops.” He poked Brandon in the stomach and grabbed the purloined socks when the teen let out of a bark of surprised laughter and dropped them.

Brandon scowled when Crawford dropped them into the suitcase. “Those don't match anything.”

“They're one of about four pairs I have that don't have any holes in them, so they're going.”

“I could come with you,” Brandon said. He perched on the edge of the bed, his expression guarded. “I've never been to Canada.”

“And unless you've been moonlighting as an international man of mystery, you don't have the passport that's required to cross the border.”

Brandon's shoulders slumped, and Crawford kept half an eye on him as he tucked a pair of freshly shined shoes into a canvas bag so he could pack them. “Some reason you suddenly want to travel?”

“I asked Becca Johnson to the homecoming dance and she said she'd have to get back to me, which basically means she's using me as her back-up date in case Chris Atkins doesn't ask her,” he said with a dejected sigh.

Crawford winced. This was exactly why he'd sworn off relationships. Everyone had an agenda, and it was rarely in anyone's best interest but their own. “Ouch. You don't have to wait for her to make up her mind, you know. You could ask someone else.”

Brandon threw him a look that could peel paint. “And then later when he doesn't ask her— because he won't, he's going with some upperclassman—then I'll be the jerk. She'll spend the dance in the bathroom crying with her friends and no one will want to date me because I'll come out of it looking like a dick.”

Crawford bit back a smile, knowing Brandon would see it as mocking and not amused. His nephew seemed to have things figured out pretty well for a fifteen year old. Hell, he had a better grasp of relationship dynamics than Crawford did at thirty. Maybe if he'd had half of Brandon's insight he wouldn't have fallen for a snake charmer like Davis.

WIP Wednesday: Tall, Dark and Deported

For those of you who don't know, Dreamspinner Press is introducing a new line of fluffy, fabulously trope-y romances called Dreamspun Desires. You know how I feel about sappy fluff, so I'm obviously over the moon about the idea.

I'm working on something for it now, and I'm ridiculously excited about possibly being part of the new line. You've met Crawford and Mateus in earlier posts, and now they're fake-married to keep Mateus in the country. Immigration doesn't just rubber stamp these marriages, though, and they are headed to Mateus's brother's house for the first home visit with the immigration agent. It's also Crawford's first introduction to Mateus's family. So no pressure. *g*

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Tall, Dark and Deported

“My sister-in-law is going to eat you alive,” Mateus warned. “And my brother might progressive on his view of sexuality, but he's as Catholic as can be when it comes to marriage being a sacrament. He'd never forgive me for marrying you just for a Greencard. We're going to have to lie to them.”

Crawford found himself grinning at the prospect of continuing their sham of a marriage, which was bizarre. He just couldn’t help but feel at ease around Mateus, though, and the thought of meeting his family and seeing the orchard Mateus had talked so glowingly about was undeniably appealing. Even if it did mean forcing Mateus to be dishonest with them.

“I—does that bother you? We're too far in to go back, but we could come clean to the immigration agent and hire a lawyer for us. We could fight the deportation.”

Mateus laughed. “Crawford. Really? There's no chance of that working. That's the whole point of the home visit. If they found out our marriage was fake, I'd be arrested on the spot. So would you.”

“Well, we could keep it up for the visit, and then you could tell your brother we fought and are taking some time apart. Have a long separation and then divorce after he's able to hire you, and if immigration had a problem you could get a work visa then.”

Mateus pursed his lips. “There is absolutely zero chance of my family buying that story. They know me too well. You're exactly my type. I wouldn't let someone like you just walk away, especially not if I'd loved you enough to marry you.”

Crawford's throat tightened. “You'd fight for me?”

 Mateus seemed to realize what he'd said a second later. His face crumpled with concern, and he reached out and wrapped an arm around Crawford's shoulders. “Without question. You're an amazing man, Crawford. And Davis was an asshole for leaving you. I'm sorry.”