On the way to GRL!

I know it's Wednesday, but I'm currently about to board a flight to sunny San Diego for GRL2015, so I don't have anything for you today. I promise to take lots of photos, which will probably be next week's #WIPWednesday, unless I get inspired on the plane and actually work on something. *g*

In the absence of words, please accept photos of hot guys reading from hotguysreadingbooks.com.

Photo credit: Trablmaker

Photo credit: brutalmore

See you next week!

WIP Wednesday: Up in the air with The Boyfriend

Photo credit: Peter Lee

A while back I introduced a snippet of The Boyfriend (which is a working title, terrible yet descriptive enough for me to keep it straight in my head with my other WIPs), and since it's what I've been working on in between edits for Some Assembly Required and Talk Turkey (and galleys for King of the Kitchen), I figured I'd post more from it this week.

In the first snippet I shared, we meet Crawford, a successful executive with an international hotel chain who married (and later divorced) a colleague who he now has to work closely with on a trip overseas. Today you get to meet Mateus, a Portuguese national in the States on a temporary visa.

This is their first meeting as they board a plane for Vancouver.

---

The man gave Mateus an expectant look, and it took a beat for Mateus to realize he was waiting for Mateus to slide out so he could take the window seat. Right.

Mateus obliged, trying hard not to notice how nice the man smelled as he slipped past him. It wasn't cologne, but something spicy and alluring all the same. Probably just the combination of the man's bodywash and own scent. It was intoxicating.

“So that's what your beef with the counter agent was, eh?” Mateus said casually as they got themselves buckled in.

The man looked up, his brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

Mateus had the good grace to flush, but it didn't stop his mouth from running. “I saw you arguing at the counter in the terminal. You really wanted that window seat, I guess.”

The man bristled, his jawline going even sharper as he gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

Mateus let the silence hang between them for a few uncomfortable seconds, and the man caved just as Mateus had hoped he would.

“I don't normally make a habit of yelling at customer service agents,” he said, his tone a bit sheepish. Some of the rigor went out of his posture as he relaxed against the seat. “I've had a very bad few days, and I let my temper get the best of me. I apologized to her.”

Mateus was beyond amused. The man had been gorgeous and intimidating earlier, but now he was just adorable. “Well, it all worked out in the end.” He gave the man his most inviting smirk, pleased when he saw the faint beginnings of a blush stain his cheeks. Score yet another point for Mateus's gaydar. “I'm Mateus.”

“Crawford,” his seat mate replied.

“Well, Crawford-who-really-likes-windows, I'll let you get to it,” he said, nodding toward the attache at Crawford's feet.

Crawford seemed taken aback by Mateus's abrupt dismissal, which had Mateus grinning to himself as he took out something to read. He'd planned to spend the flight reading a bunch of trashy fiction, since he'd been immersed in nothing but research and journal articles for the last few months, but he didn't think he'd be able to concentrate enough to keep up with the plot, no matter how predictable it was.

 Just like he'd expected, Crawford had dug into his attache and pulled out a slim laptop. He was typing away, intent on the screen. The laser focus only made him more attractive. What would all that intensity feel like if it was centered on him, Mateus wondered. He'd assessed Crawford as uptight and repressed earlier, but after talking to him and seeing the adorable way he could make him blush, Mateus had changed his mind. Crawford was probably attentive and passionate in bed. Mateus's pulse jumped as he let his mind wander, picturing Crawford out of the delectable suit.

Lex Chase's Bayou Fairy Tale

Hello everyone! I'm Lex Chase and I want to thank Bru for having me here today on the Bayou Fairy Tale Blog Tour! Bayou is the sequel to Americana Fairy Tale and tells the tale of fuck-up fairy tale princess dude Taylor Hatfield and his true love a jackass redneck huntsman by the name of Corentin Devereaux. Together, they get into some pretty quirky shenanigans. From accidentally blowing up microwaves during sex, to accidentally driving off cliffs. These guys are real winners. Lemme tell ya. Bru and I are quirky folks, and we both wrote a book together about two ghosts that have a meet-cute in IKEA purgatory. It's called Some Assembly Required and Dreamspinner gave us money for it and it's coming out in February 2016. And we shouldn't be left without adult supervision. Locations are a big part of the Fairy Tales series, so I decided to share some of the local flavors of things to wet your appetite, try to recreate, and gain 20 pounds just by browsing.

The Whoopie Pie

Our story begins in Maine, and the iconic sweet of Maine is none other than the whoopie pie. A spongy chocolate cake with a sweet vanilla frosting in the middle. It's like a cupcake. But better. And they come in all sorts of wild flavors. Might I recommend the maple bacon flavor? Yes. That's a thing. And you can find it here!

Cafe au Lait

Aaaaaah. Let us chat about the New Orleans drink of choice the cafe au lait. It is a beautiful meld of half chicory coffee and half milk. And it is everything. I drink them like they're going out of style. If you've never had chicory coffee before, it's definitely different and has a hell of a strong flavor profile. Definitely doesn't taste burnt like that Starbucks garbage. Want to learn how to make the perfect cafe au lait? You can check it out here!

Beignets

"Cafe au Lait and Beignets New Orleans" by Ed Johnson

Let's talk about these little wonders of the pastry world shall we? Beignets are these pillow-y soft morsels, coated in piles of confectioner's sugar. You can never have too much confectioner's sugar. Ever. Nothing screams New Orleans more than piping hot beignets straight from the fryer. Donuts will keep for a few days. Beignets do not. You need to eat them. Eat them now. Or you will regret it for the rest of your life. You can make beignets on your own. But I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a little magical kitchen fairy to help you out. The only and best place to get them is Café du Monde. So book your vacation now! You are sooooo welcome! So you tell me! What’s the first dish you cooked on your own? Could have been whenever. Childhood. College. For your first date. Or last date. How did it go? How did it turn out. Don’t forget to comment below and enter the giveaway!

---

Genre: Urban Fantasy Fairy Tale
  Series: The Screw-Up Princess and Skillful Huntsman Trilogy: Book Two (A Fairy Tales of the Open Road Novel)
  Length: Novel
  Published: October 19, 2015
  Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
  ISBN: 978-1-62798-499-7
  Buy: Paperback or eBook
  Blurb: Modern day fairy tale princess Taylor Hatfield has problems. One: he'’s a guy. Two: he’'s Sleeping Beauty, the most useless princess in existence. Throw in his true love, Corentin Devereaux, a huntsman descended from child-eating witches, and Taylor’s younger brother, Atticus—, this generation’'s Snow White— who tried to kill him. That didn'’t go so hot. For two years, Taylor and Corentin live their Happily Ever After. But Corentin’'s cursed to lose his memory every seven days, including his life with Taylor—, a painful reminder that he can'’t provide for the man he loves. Taylor insists Corentin has the strength to succeed, and when Taylor discovers a way to break the curse, he is more than willing to pay the cost. When an enchanted blizzard devastates Corentin’'s hometown of New Orleans, Taylor is convinced Atticus is to blame and grows desperate to find him amidst the Big Easy turned frozen wasteland. Corentin believes Taylor is chasing a ghost while he chases the ghosts of his own past. Old tensions scratch open scars, leaving both to wonder if they have each other’s best interests at heart. The clock is ticking until Corentin loses his memory, and the rabbit hole goes so deep they may never come out.

---

About the Author: Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We'’re all going to die, I'’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” Now, she’'s on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting. Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure—and depending on how she feels that day—, Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love. Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, and unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’'t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind. She is grateful for and humbled by all the readers. She knows very well she wouldn’'t be here if it wasn’'t for them and welcomes feedback.

 You can find in the Intarwebz here: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LXChase Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lex_Chase Tumblr: http://lexiconofkittens.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/lexachase Site: http://lexchase.com

---

I'm having a Down on the Bayou Giveaway where one lucky winner will walk away with a magical fairy tale prize pack! From Corentin's mini journal, to a delicious bottle of Disney's Snow White perfume, Lex Chase swag annnndddd.... This lovely necklace! US residents only please, but for International residents, you'll get a lovely 20 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Don't forget about the multiple ways to enter! Not only do you need to comment, you can tweet! Use the hashtag #BayouFairyTale! Or enter via Instagram!

---

Bayou Fairy Tale Tour Stops:

10/1 - Tali Spencer
10/3 - The Novel Approach
 10/5 - Gay List Book Reviews
 10/6 - Bru Baker
10/7 - Charlie Cochet's Purple Rose Teahouse
 10/8 - Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
 10/10 - Aidee Ladnier
10/13 - Prism Book Alliance
 10/15 - C.S. Poe
 10/16 - Joyfully Jay
 10/17 - Bayou Fairy Tale Facebook Chat
10/19 - Bayou Fairy Tale Release Day!

WIP Wednesday: Incoming Credits

Today's WIP Wednesday is a snippet from my YA manuscript, Incoming Credits. I absolutely adore Zeke and his teenage attitude. *g*

Incoming Credits

“Move it, Mr. Cameron,” Mr. Rhodes said. He was already slipping his own navy blazer over his button down. It coordinated nicely with his navy and gold Winthrop Prep tie. He usually coached in the same warm-ups that the players wore, and I wondered if he'd be going all out and coaching in his fancy clothes tonight because it was state.

“It's a five-point demerit if you're not in the gymnasium by the time the pep rally starts, and if you make me late it'll be ten,” he snapped.

While sitting on uncomfortable bleachers and watching whatever over-sexualized dry humping routine the cheerleaders had devised for the occasion wasn't exactly my cup of tea, earning ten demerits for my cohort would definitely be more painful in the long run.

I packed up my stuff without comment and trudged off to the gymnasium. I could hear the dull roar from inside as soon as I turned the corner. I'd cut it close. The hall monitor gave me a dirty look as I passed her, but at least she'd waited until I arrived before letting the door swing shut. It smacked against my backpack, sending me stumbling the last step into the chaos that was an all-school athletic pep rally. I knew the dramatic snick of the lock was in my imagination, but I couldn't help it, knowing that the door had locked behind me. We could get out, but no one could get in. Being in the hallway right now was a one-way ticket to the headmaster's office.

Go Prep.

I picked my way across the gym floor, sticking as close to the bleachers as I dared. It was a fine line. Stray too far onto the floor and get catcalled. Cut too close to the occupied bottom bleacher and get tripped. Good times.

Winthrop was big on decorum—what else would you expect from a place whose motto was Training Leaders for The Present and The Future!—but all that went out the window on pep rally days. Pep rally days were the only time we were excused from our usual blazers, chinos, and loafers, and everyone took advantage.

The bleachers were full of kids wearing the latest trendy clothes, all in navy and gold, our school colors. Even when we weren't in our blazers the bulk of the school still managed to have a uniform—expensive, trendy, and cookie cutter.

I scanned over them, a smirk curving my lips when I found what I was looking for. Kurt's ratty black AC/DC T-shirt and the cherry red leather jacket Chelsea had found at a garage sale when she'd visited me last summer stood out like welcome beacons—or sore thumbs, depending on who you asked—in the sea of designer labels. Leighton was perched on the bleacher seat next to her, looking just as perfect as the rest of the crowd if you ignored the scowl on her face.

Reading from King of the Kitchen

I missed #WIPWednesday this week, and even though I have a hundred excuses, none of them are all that great. I just didn't have time to write, and since I didn't write I didn't have anything to share. 

Today is my day off, though, and I've spent the morning going through King of the Kitchen to figure out what passage I want to read at GRL. I thought I'd share a bit of the one I settled on with you as penance for not having anything on Wednesday. (And bonus, since this I'm more than a little anxious about reading at GRL, this lets me practice! *g*)

I'm reading the opening scene, which sets up Duncan meeting Beck for the first time. The book jumps ahead almost ten years after this first chapter, but these first impressions they get of each other take a long time for them to revise.

Enjoy!



 

WIP Wednesday: arts and crafts interlude

I'm a little burnt out on writing, to be honest. So I didn't accomplish much since last week on the manuscript fronts, though I did get in a few good quality thinks about where a few of the ones that are stalled are going to go. Every once in awhile I think it helps me to step back and just take some time to do other things and let my words rest. *g*

The break meant I was finally able to get the plan for my kitchen remodel finalized with my contractor, and we went in and ordered my new cabinets last week. I'm now tasked with the impossible feat of choosing a type of granite for my countertops--right now it's between uba tuba and black pearl, but that might just be because it's fun to make my contractor say "uba tuba". I take my amusements where I can get them. I'm probably going to make the mature choice and go with black pearl, because adults don't choose several thousand dollars' worth of granite for countertops just because it has a funny name.

When I'm not writing I love to paint and tinker. I didn't want to let myself get too far off my writing schedule, so painting was out. Instead, I tackled a project that's been on my radar since early spring--I made a terrarium.

Maybe Pottery Barn doesn't realize
you're just going to put dirt in it?

I've been lusting over something like this one from Pottery Barn or this one from Gardner's Outpost

What's more distressed about this
Gardener's  model: the paint or the price?

for a while, and either would look great in my new kitchen. (Which isn't even under construction yet, but a girl can dream. In about a month to six weeks I'm going to be very, very irritable while walls are being moved and the kitchen demo is going on, FYI.) But at $200-$400 for the Pottery Barn models or $150 for the other one, a terrarium costs much more than I could justify spending, especially since it's something I could make myself.

See, I do this all the time. I find something interesting, but I balk at the price because it's something that I'd be capable of making if I had infinite time. Which I don't. So I always pass on things because I plan to make one later, and then I never do it. But this time? This time I did! It even has hinges on the top to let the little doors open so I can reach inside.

Mine isn't quite as fancy as the deluxe models, but it is actually more my style. And it's going to go perfectly with my new white Shaker-style cabinets and dark granite countertops. Best of all, it's going to stop the cats from eating my herbs and then puking them up around the house for me to step in later. WINNING.

The entire thing cost me less than $10 to make, which is fortunate because that cabinet bill just about made me laugh until I cried.

WIP Wednesday: A little rainy hump day angst

Photo credit: Jon Sullivan

It's gray and rainy here, but the rain is bringing a very welcome respite from 90+ degree temps, so I'll take it. I won't go so far as to say I'll be happy driving to work in it in a few hours, but I'll take it nonetheless.

Angsty, broody men and rain go together well, so I'm sharing a snippet from my untitled manuscript (I've really got to get on naming this thing) about Jake and Connor, whose relationship seems to be falling apart.

Jake just found out that Connor lied about where he was going to be, which sets off all kinds of warning  bells for Jake. Here's a peek at his internal monologue:

---

Jake stalked down the hallway to their room, scowling at the neatly made bed. He’d forgotten that Gavin's sister Elaine was staying there for the night. He and Connor were supposed to be sleeping over at Chris' for the weekend.

He stomped back to the living room and threw himself on the couch, reaching for the remote and flicking on the television. A few minutes of channel surfing didn’t turn up anything that caught his attention, and even if he had, he didn’t think he could focus on something like a movie or television show while Connor was out gallivanting around town. So he sat and stewed until he could barely stand it, limbs practically twitching with nervous energy. As a contractor, he worked a lot with his hands and was up and around all day—he'd never been good at just sitting back and relaxing.

Not that it would be possible to relax at the moment. Jake ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He was overdue for a cut, but he'd been waiting for Connor to say something. Jake almost never kept track of things like that; Connor was the one who hounded him to go in for a cut when it started to get shaggy. If left to his own devices, Jake would only get it cut when it started to get so unruly that it made his baseball caps fit too tightly.

But Connor hadn't said anything. There had been no hastily scribbled Post-it note on the bathroom mirror or coupons tucked into Jake's wallet for his favorite salon chain. Hell, Jake hadn't been able to wear the Mariners hat he almost never took off for over a week now because it had gotten uncomfortable, and Connor hadn't noticed that, either.

Jake added that to his mental tally of everything that had been going wrong with Connor lately, resisting the urge to tug at his floppy locks in frustration. He needed to be doing something, but it wasn't like he could confront Connor when he didn't even know where he was. Jake knew he could text him—even at his most distracted and unavailable, Connor always responded to texts. But could he trust anything Connor said? Wouldn't he just claim to be with Chris and make Jake even angrier?