Sunday August 30th is Gay Day at Ethan Day’s Yahoo Group!

- Carol Lynne - Lynn Lorenz - JP Bowie - Amanda Young -

 And many more will be on hand to post excerpts of all their newest and upcoming releases. You never know who’s going to stop by!

 In addition…for the first time ever…the authors will be on hand for an accompanying LIVE CHAT which is not only easy to use, but FREE!

There’s going to be a few prizes and I’ll be announcing the details on how you can win one of three free copies of my next book, As You Are upon its release from Loose Id in September!

Hell…I’m so hyped up on caffeine at the moment, that I may even give away a copy tomorrow for those who show up for the fun!

Just follow the link below down the rabbit hole!

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EthanDay/

Pull up a chair under the tent, grab yourself a pitcher of frozen Margarita’s and a straw, and stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in with the chat! Secrets will be revealed and fun shall be had by all.

All authors are welcome to post excerpts for their books

All readers are allowed to swing from the chandeliers and have a gay ole time!

Ethan Day

Walking away from the world’s oldest profession was the easiest thing Cyndi Whitmore ever did. After five long years of selling her body to men, she vowed never to look back. Now, eighteen months later, her former `friends’ are turning up dead and all fingers point to her as the murderer.

As if being framed isn’t bad enough, her sudden attraction to the deputy working the “hooker murders” has her head spinning with confusion. Conditioned to be suspicious of the law, Cyndi finds herself torn between heart and mind when the sexy deputy is interested in her as more than just a suspect. If she has any hope of clearing her name, Cyndi knows she must overcome her fear and trust the only person willing to believe in her innocence.

Deputy Braden Andrews never expected to be dealt the task of catching a serial killer when he accepted the deputy sheriff’s position in his small Nevada town. Nor did he expected his prime suspect to be a beautiful, alluring woman with a checkered past and secrets to hide. Braden works to gain her trust in an attempt to pump her for information, knowing that she holds something important about the case. Instead, he falls hard for the auburn beauty. Despite his growing love for her, he quickly realizes there’s a better than average chance she’s being framed, but can he prove Cyndi’s innocence before the killer strikes again?

Read an excerpt

Watch the trailer

Buy the ebook

My guest this week is romance author Rebecca Goings. Thanks for joining us Rebecca.

Q: Please tell us all which genre you write in and why?
A: I write mainly paranormals, fantasies, historical westerns, and contemporaries. I never wanted to write myself into a creative box, so I decided to write in many genres. I didn’t want to get bored with anything I was writing.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I’ve been writing stories ever since I was seven years old, so a very loooong time. Heh However, since I first sat down with the intention of writing a real novel, since 1996. I wasn’t contracted until 2004.

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: I have a few irons in the fire. One of my WIPs is entitled KINDRED, for Champagne Books, a fantasy about dragon shifters. Another is called WANTED, an historical western I’m going to try and shoot for Harlequin Historicals for their short eBook line. Another is tentatively titled HIS LADY’S DELIGHT, about a ship captain. That one has stalled a bit, but I plan on picking it back up and finishing it one of these days!

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: THE WOLVERINE AND THE ROSE. More for sentimental reasons than overall awesomeness, even though the book IS pretty awesome. I first had the idea of a magical crystal and the people who protect it when I was 13 years old. I still have those tattered short stories of old. It took me eight years to finish this book, and it was my very first novel. I wrote it as a hobby, just to see if I could. The day I sold it to Samhain Publishing was, perhaps, one of the best days of my life. I’d proven to myself (and my family) that writing my books wasn’t just a hobby anymore.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I never used to, but recently I’ve found I need to be alone to write. Perhaps that’s because my kids can now read, so prying eyes over the shoulder is no bueno. Also, I just can’t be distracted. So I need my alone time to write these days.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I don’t know if this is the “strangest”, but when I was a girl, I bought a prism with my own money and hung it in my window. It made beautiful rainbows all over my room, and was the inspiration behind the Crystal of Mynos all those years ago. If I’d never bought that one little prism, I might have never written the cheesy short stories that eventually led to the fantasy novels I wrote and published as an adult.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Never give up and never listen to anyone who says you won’t be able to make it. My family never really thought I could do it. When I was published, they were pleasantly surprised. But at first, I was the only one who believed in myself. Sometimes, you have to be your own cheerleader. Determination is key, just as much as writing a good story.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: Neither. I’m a stay-at-home mom who also homeschools my kids. So, I don’t have a “day job” in the sense that I actually get a paycheck for it. I suppose technically it’s a “day job”, however. But even though I’m home every day, I don’t get the luxury to write all the day long, even though I wish I did. However, I’d probably be caught surfing the web than writing, nine times out of ten. LOL

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I like to read romances, or watch TV with the family.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I can rock the Rock Band drums on HARD. I usually do about 94-97%. However, I’m too much of a chicken to try the EXPERT mode. I’m the only one in my circle of friends who has any kind of rhythm. Most of them struggle with the Medium drum setting. In fact, my DH has joked that he should buy me a real drum kit. I think that would be awesomely cool.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Assmaster. Not sure exactly what it means, but I say it all the time instead of the harsher “asshole”. Not sure why. LOL Perhaps it will make it into one of my books one day…

Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A: Christmas. I love the festivities, chopping down our own tree, the white snow, the presents, family, cozy by the fire, songs, nog, and the smell of cinnamon and pine.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: Robert Downey, Jr., Jason Statham, and Henry Ian Cusick, Desmond of LOST.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A: My family (since there’s so many of us, I’ll count the “family” as one thing), my Bible, & 1,001 Ways to Cook Mangos Recipe book. LOL

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: I’d buy my house outright, then buy my DH the Beamer of his choice, buy me a Ford Flex (because I have to have something to haul my five kids in that’s somewhat stylish), and go on an all-expenses paid no-holds-barred Ultimate Disney World vacation.

Followed by trips to Europe, Washington, DC, the Grand Canyon, and Australia.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Scooping the cat litter. Which is why I make my kids scoop all FOUR of our litter boxes.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Ravioli. Not sure if it counts as a comfort food, but that’s what I want, bucketloads of cheesy, pillowy goodness.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: I sometimes take a spoon, dip it into JIF peanut butter, then dip that into a bag of chocolate chips and enjoy until the PB on the spoon is all gone (with as many dips into the chips as it takes :P)

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest release is entitled WHAT I WANT from Cobblestone Press. You can find it here: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/whatiwant.htm

It’s my second foray into erotic romance. My first was TOMB, also from Cobblestone. WHAT I WANT is part of Cobblestone’s WICKED line of hot short stories. It’s an historical western, and as far as I know, the only WICKED book in that genre. It’s been doing very well for itself.

Here’s the official excerpt. Enjoy!

~*~*~

Forest Ridge, Colorado, 1879

“I want to kiss you until you can barely breathe. I want to lick you up, down, and sideways, until I’m covered in your scent. I want you to scream my name when I come inside you. That answer your question?”

Katherine Krieg stared at Jason Shepherd with her mouth wide open. He’d shocked her beyond speech. She’d never thought he’d be so blunt, and it didn’t help matters any that he’d cornered her in the barn in an empty stall.

She’d come out here to tell him dinner was ready, only to find him shirtless and sweaty, pitching straw with a vengeance. When she’d turned to leave, he’d grabbed her arm, dragging her into the stall. Katherine vowed then and there never to ask another man what he wanted again.

Swallowing hard, she attempted to speak, but nothing more than a squawk escaped her mouth. She licked her lips and tried once more. “You…you shouldn’t talk to me so.”

“Why not? We’re both adults. You think I climbed this mountain for my health?”

Katherine had a hard time holding his piercing brown gaze. His eyes were so dark and expressive, she could usually read his moods. Apparently, in all the times he’d visited her, she hadn’t read his lust. Now that she knew what drove his thoughts, her nipples stood at attention, chafing behind her blouse, aching for his touch.

“I th-thought you climbed the m-mountain to help me.”

Jason shook his head slowly and with such intensity, her entire body trembled in response. He was handsome man who could have his pick of any of the available ladies in Forest Ridge, and yet he had chosen to make the trek to the top of Alder Mountain twice, sometimes three times a week. He’d chopped her wood, exercised her two horses, milked her cow, and even offered to help her with light housework.

Truth be told, Katherine enjoyed his visits. Every time she saw his black gelding approaching from the south, her heart hammered. He had a way of making her blush all the time, telling her she looked nice in blue, or that she should wear her hair down more often, but never once had he been as bold as he was being right now.

“It’s been more than a year, Kathy.” His deep voice rolled over her like water. “I miss Richard just as much as you do, but he’s gone now. It’s just you and me up here. You’ve made me plenty of dinners, and I’ve stayed late plenty of times. But tonight, I want to spend the night. In bed. With you.”

For more information about Rebecca Goings, please visit her website: www.rebeccagoings.com

Ghosts of Alcatraz by Carol Lynne
When prison inmates begin dying in shocking and sometimes gruesome ways, warden Jensen Black decides to bring in sexy parapsychologist Brian Phipps to investigate. Getting to the bottom of what’s killing the men for whom he’s responsible is the plan. Falling for the lamb of a man with the heart of lion isn’t on the agenda, but his heart has a mind of its own.

The attraction between the two men is instantaneous, but before they can fully explore the depths of their passion the ghosts set their sights on Brian. And as their relationship heats up, the danger escalates, leaving both men to wonder if they’ll ever make it off Alcatraz alive. Let alone, together.

Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price
Ten years ago, the Human Hemovore Virus blazed through the world, and left the few victims who survived unable to eat, allergic to sunlight and craving the taste of blood.

Mark Hansen used to think V-positives were incredibly sexy with their pale, flawless skin and taut, lean bodies. Not anymore. Not since he’s been stuck procuring under-the-counter feline blood for his control-freak boss, Jonathan Varga. Why cat blood? Mark has never dared to ask.

It’s not as if he’s usually at a loss for words. He can dish an insult and follow it with a snap as quick as you can say “Miss Thang”. But one look at Jonathan’s black-as-sin gypsy eyes, and Mark’s objections drain away.

So he endures their strange, endless routine: Jonathan hiding in his studio, painting solid black canvases. Mark hurling insults as he buffs the office to a shine with antiviral wipes and maps out the mysterious “routes” he’s required to drive.
Then a blurb in Art in America unleashes a chain of events neither of them saw coming. As secrets of Jonathan’s past come to light, it becomes clear all his precautions weren’t nearly enough.

That’s What Brothers Do by Derekica Snake
To save his family, he sold his innocence. To save his sisters, he sold his body. To save his love, he sold his soul. Why? That’s what brothers do…

Gaven by JC Owens

When the Masarians attack Gaven’s people, they are defeated and Gaven himself is taken captive. By a man claiming to be his father. It turns out his entire life has been a lie, and now his ‘father’ will give him into the hands of another man to indoctrinate and train him. Gaven vows he will never shame his people by giving into the Masarians’ way of loving other men.

But Vlar, the legendary warrior to whom he has been given, has other plans. The blood-drinker is determined to have Gaven and to make him yield.

Please welcome this week’s guest author, Alex Draven. Thanks for joining us Alex.

Q: To start, please share which genre you write in…
A: I write queer romance, and within that, I have two main groups at the moment. The first group are urban fantasy - unrelated stories about elves and shape-shifters in the real world. The other group are my Tawnholme stories - contemporary stories set in a fictional UK town called Tawnholme. These stories centre around the many alternative subcultures in the city - goths and hippies and gamers. Mostly goths, though.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: The very first story I sold was called Fall, which is an urban fantasy story with centaurs. (It’s up on my website as a free read now) I think I’d been writing for about three years when that came out? I’ve always been a story teller, a story weaver, but I didn’t write anything down for years.

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: I probably have about ten stories on the boil at the moment, it’s just that sometimes it’s a very slow boil! Right now, I’m typing on a netbook on a train, and I’ve got this interview file open, and a Tawholme story about two guys - a ‘regular joe’ and a goth - who literally bump into each other in a fast food restaurant and from there have to work out if they have anything in common.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: It’s really hard to choose! I have a real soft-spot for Fall, and of the ones that are still in ‘print’, maybe Staytape, the corset-guys’ story?

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Not really. Trains, coffee shops, and at home with the music going are perennial favourites, but when inspiration strikes I’ll write anywhere and on almost anything. The right music definitely helps, though, as does talking about writing. I always come home full of ideas and energy for writing when I’ve been spending time with my writing-friends.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I am such a magpie! I take inspiration from all over. I guess maybe one of the weirdest was the bet that led to the infamous necrophilia plushy gang bang story…

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: There is no ‘right way’ to do this. Read the advice, try out the thousand and one methods and rules and suggestions, but remember that the ‘right way’ is whatever works for you. Just write. Tell your stories.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I have a day job, but it’s not evil. I enjoy it, and it provides me with many opportunities for people watching, which I think almost all authors get something from, and many opportunities for random research, which always seems to come in useful for something down the line.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: Write! I’m also addicted to reading, music - I love gigs, and going clubbing - dancing, baking, and being daft with my friends.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I’m so bad at knowing what might be a surprise! I can milk a goat? I’m dyslexic?

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Fuck. It’s just so flexible.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A: Holiday in the American sense? It’s a toss up between Christmas Eve and Halloween.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: No tats, yet, but multiple piercings. I’d have more if it wasn’t for the day job.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: I already have standing permission for Alicia Moore (aka Pink) and a bunch of fictional crushes … how about Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad / Fear Factory) and Joaquin Phoenix?

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A: Fresh water, sunscreen, and a way to contact the rescue services.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Buy a big old rambling house and set up my creative benign dictatorship. It’s like a commune for writers and artists and musicians and people who make stuff, but with me as the final ruler of stuff like ‘is person x being a disruptive waste of space who needs to move on now’.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: All of them? I just plain won’t iron, unless it’s a wedding, a funeral, or a job interviews, which leaves cleaning the bathroom as probably my least favorite endless chore.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Cream of mushroom soup, with peas in it.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: I try not to buy into guilt for pleasures. Life’s too short to do things that make you feel bad, or to feel bad about things that are good.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: Shelves of them! I really can’t pick just one.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: I really do love traveling by train. Road-trips are fun, but trains have the edge - better views, more room on the move, plug sockets for my laptop, coffee shop that travels with you - it’s good stuff!

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest release is Saffron Stains, part of Torquere Press’s Spice It Up line. It’s a British urban fantasy story, and, really, it’s all about trusting someone who’s let you down before.

Jem is tired of watching Kael come and go from the fae court, tired of wondering whether his beautiful lover needs him more than he needs his family. He waited patiently the last time Kael disappeared, but he’s not sure he can do it again, and when Kael doesn’t come home one night, Jem wonders if it’s all over for good.Kael would much rather be home with Jem than be in the fairy court with his mother and sister, but he has obligations. Obligations that lead to him neglecting the one thing he truly cares about. Can Kael find a way to convince Jem that he wants to come home?

Excerpt:

Jem was really quite irritated with Kael.

Really, really quite annoyed, in fact.

Fucking incandescent would be another way of pronouncing it, but that
wasn’t really something he felt comfortable saying to his boss, so
he’d settled for ‘bit of a rough night’ when Katie had asked him if he
was okay earlier.

Now he was stuck out here on the counter, being polite to the retired
ladies in search of sewing sundries who made up most of Browne’s
Haberdashery and Fancies’ weekday morning customers. People looking
for magical supplies tended to come in later, or on weekends.

His smile probably wasn’t that convincing, but at least he hadn’t
sworn at anyone, not even when old Mrs. Haslet changed her mind for
the fourth time about which color wool she wanted for her
grand-nephew’s new pullover.

The bell above the shop door rang, and Jem looked up from the now
unwanted balls of wool.

“Oh, fuck,” he murmured to himself, too quietly for Mrs. Haslet to
hear, but loud enough that Katie whipped her head around and glared at
him.

Jem rolled his eyes, and grimaced back at his boss. The very last
thing he needed this morning was Lizabeth Anderson.

Lizabeth Anderson was just about Jem’s least favorite customer –
worse than little old ladies who couldn’t make a decision if the whole
world depended on it, worse than the faie who thought Browne’s was
good enough to buy supplies from, but that Jem wasn’t good enough to
talk to; worse, even, than the wanna-blessed-be human teenagers with
their idiotic ideas about magic.

Lizabeth Anderson had spent fifty years being the adored darling of
the High Court, dripping with glamours from her lovers, and Sky, but
the woman could whine for England. So the queen had finally tired of
little human Lizabeth. It probably would be a shock to look into a
mirror and all of a sudden see an old lady instead of a fresh-faced
beauty, but really! Just seeing her was reminding Jem of all the
things he was angry and hurt and pissed off about.

*****
To learn more about Alex Drave, please visit his website: www.alexdraven.org.uk

Earthman’s Bride is about two young people and the choices they face, choices which will affect not only their own lives but the lives of an entire planet’s population—both the natives and aliens who live there.  The aliens are invaders—men from Earth who took over the planet to exploit and plunder its natural resources.  The natives are the people they have enslaved, forced now to work in the mines producing the ore which the Earthmen need, or become servants in the palace where they’ve taken up residence.  Only a few people on Tusteya are still free, and they live in the mountains like barbarians, attacking in small groups when the Earthmen venture out of Ulea City on patrol.  For thirty years, this war has continued.  Alcin Spearman was a twenty-year-old when it started.  He was the counselor of the Tusteyans, leader of the warrior caste.  Now, he’s fifty, father of nine children, and leader of the small band which still threatens the aliens.  Determined to end the war before another year goes by, he concocts a drastic plan:  he’ll ask for peace, sign a treaty with the hated aliens, and offer his only daughter Rebeka in marriage to the Terran leader to seal the agreement.  17-year-old Rebeka, faced with the fate of marrying a man and then killing him, agrees to her father’s plan, not because she wants to kill the Governor of Tusteya but because she truly feels she has no say in the matter.  Accompanied by Darius, a Terran android reprogrammed to protect her, she marries Philip Hamilcar, the alien leader, and immediately starts trying to find ways to keep from making herself a widow while bringing about the peace her father desires.

Philip Hamilcar is also young, the same age Alcin was when Philip’s father, the original Governor, landed with his forces.  When his father died, Philip was fifteen, and because none of the men in his father’s troops wanted the responsibility of becoming governor, the boy inherited his father’s position.  Only Alexander McIntyre, who had been the elder Hamilcar’s ensign, supported the teenager, becoming the power behind the throne.  Dominated by Alexander for the past six years, Philip does what his “uncle” tells him but secretly he’s begun to form opinions of his own as to how the captive people should be treated.

Upon meeting Philip, Alcin sees the potential for a strong and diplomatic ruler and thinks it a pity he has to die.  Nevertheless, he reminds Rebeka of what she has to do before he leaves her to her eager bridegroom.  Rebeka sees Philip as another young person forced into situations he doesn’t want by his elders.  She’s attracted to this young stranger who wields so much power in public while exhibiting extreme repression and shyness in private.  She encourages Philip to act of his feelings, especially those which concern her people.  Suddenly, Philip has an ally, someone his own age in whom he can confide, someone who doesn’t see him as a precocious child to be tolerated and then ignored.  Being young and male, he has fallen in lust with the young woman offered to him.  Within a day of knowing her, that lust has changed to love, a love which continues to grow and mature with each continuing minute he’s in her presence.  As for Rebeka, from the moment Philip takes her hand and walks with her into his garden, she’s lost…in the contradictions he represents…and the more she learns about Philip, the more determined she is that he isn’t going to die—especially by her hand…because she has come to love him, also.

Looking on as the two young people discover each other and their love, Darius the android represents a danger of which neither is aware.   Ordered to aid Rebeka in killing the Earthman, Darius has his own hidden agenda, for he is the ultimate creation of Artificial Intelligence—an android who can experience human emotion.  Darius can do more than experience emotion—he’s fallen in love with Rebeka  and is more than willing to bring about Philip’s death so he can have her for himself.

Suddenly, Rebeka is faced with the ultimate decision:  between two beings who profess to love her, and her choice will determine who will live and who will die and whether she’ll become a widow before she’s barely been a wife.

Earthman’s Bride is available as an  e-book from Lyrical Press.  www.lyricalpress.com.

My guest this week is author KZ Snow. Thanks for joining us, KZ.

Q: To being, please share which genre you write in…
A: M/M erotic romance, primarily. I love exploring both the psycho-emotional and sexual dynamics of two men cultivating intimacy. Hell, I’ve been female all my life, so I’m gender-bored.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Too long.

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: As I answer these questions, I’m working on the sequel to InDescent, in which one hero will, among other things, have a critical meeting with the other hero’s girlfriend. I also have a M/M contemporary, Bastards and Pretty Boys, under submission.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: InDescent, without a doubt. For all kinds of reasons.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I need to be in a specific mental place, although I can’t describe it and don’t even know whether or not I’m there until I try to start writing.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: Hm. Well, people I strongly dislike, for starters. It’s perversely gratifying to turn them into bimbos and buttwipes. Then there’s a local graveyard called Rock Cemetery. It served as the inspiration for Fog Cliff Cemetery, which appears in Cemetery Dancer from Ellora’s Cave and and again in InDescent.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Don’t expect to set the world on fire.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: Jobs have been hard to come by around here, so I’m focusing on writing.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: Be alone with an absorbing book or movie and plenty of cold beer.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I’ve personally known three murderers in my life. No lie. (Long stories, those.)

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: “Fuck.” It’s really tired on being my favorite, too, because it keeps trying to get away from me by slipping out of my mouth.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A: I’ve always adored Christmas. If I have to explain why, I’m apparently surrounded by a passel of Scrooges.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: I don’t have anything that requires sticking needles into my skin! Needles populate Phobiaville, and I try not to go there.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: I’d rather not name real people. It always makes me feel kind of silly . . . and unworthy. But were I worthier, I wouldn’t mind starting out with Hugh Jackman.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A: A magic lamp, genie included, would suffice.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Animal shelters, mostly. And my friends. I live a very simple life and prefer it that way. I’d spend what I needed to on necessities, of course, but beyond that, there isn’t much I want. Or what I do want, money can’t buy.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Cooking. I have absolutely no patience for it. Washing windows and blinds runs a close second.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Depends on my mood.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: This season’s “American Idol.” Gawd, the first time I saw Adam Lambert perform, I became a total, gonzo fangirl (or, as Mrs. Giggles would say, a “dirty cougar”). If I start writing slash fanfic, please stage an intervention! I also get a shameful kick out of reading egregiously bad writing.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: Lots and lots.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: Yeah. Anybody need some body fat?

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: I actually have two releases: Exploring Savage Places, Book 3 of the Utopia-X series, from Loose Id and InDescent from Liquid Silver. Both are m/m urban fantasies — one, futuristic; the other, contemporary.

Here’s a sample of InDescent:

When a breach in the Prism of Nezrabi frees creatures from another plane, a troubled wizard learns there are things more terrifying than the bogeymen of our nightmares. Like inner demons…and love.

Something was wrong. Jackson knew it as soon as he opened his eyes. He’d always been able to awaken quickly. Now, hyperalert, he sat up and reached toward the other side of the bed.
Adin was gone.
Not sure why it alarmed him, Jackson listened for a moment. Silence filled the flat. No sounds in the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room. Sliding his legs off the bed, he grabbed his jeans from the floor and slipped them on.
“Shit,” he whispered. Flipping on the light, Jackson sprinted around the apartment to rustle up a shirt, socks, shoes. “Shit,” he said more emphatically, his sense of urgency growing.
Adin’s laptop was still on the dining table, so he obviously wasn’t heading home. In fact, he’d talked to Celia, his girlfriend, just a few hours earlier and told her he’d be staying a while. Maybe he couldn’t sleep and was sitting outside.
He wasn’t. At first Jackson didn’t know which way to go when he stepped out the door. He didn’t even know what time it was. He looked left and right but couldn’t see Adin’s familiar form anywhere on the spottily lit sidewalks. Other people were out, though. A slow-moving, low-slung car boomed down the street. Two men and a woman sat on a stoop kitty-corner from Jackson’s building, music playing at their backs. Farther away, Jackson heard a shout, a fountain of laughter.
He steepled his fingers and lowered his forehead to their tips. Closing his eyes, he blocked out all sensory distractions. He not only visualized Adin, he summoned a detailed sense of the man. Then his arms lowered of their own accord. Automatically, his body turned. He faced the dark, narrow walkway between his building and the one nextdoor. Adin must have gone down the walkway and headed for the alley.
“Don’t,” Jackson whispered, falling into a jog. He felt tugged along. “Please don’t.”
He veered left into the alley. When he got to the end of the block, he followed the next alley. Something wispy and insubstantial grazed the side of his face. Almost immediately, a cat yowled. Jackson didn’t stop. He didn’t care what was flitting about the city tonight. He had to find Adin.
There was a bar on the corner of the second block. His legs braked. Breathing heavily, more from anxiety than exertion, he walked forward and peered into the gloom. There was a Dumpster behind the bar, several paces from its rear exit. Above it, a caged, yellow bulb cast a weak and jaundiced light. It illuminated little more than the scratches, dents and graffiti on the metal door and a scattering of trash on the ground.
Standing still, Jackson listened. Unmistakable sounds came from the slot of darkness between the Dumpster and the building’s brick wall. Sporadic, moist sounds. Stifled moans.
He stepped closer. Half in and half out of the pool of sick light, Jackson stopped. His breathing was spasmodic now, chest hitching as he drew in sour air and expelled it. Two figures were pressed together in the narrow space. Two men.
One cracked word came out of his throat. “Adin.”
The sounds faltered, stilled. Jackson’s legs unsteadily carried him forward, but only by a few feet. He felt ill.
His lover, shirt open, drifted out of the shadowed hiding-place. The other person dashed off in the opposite direction, footfalls slapping on pavement and gradually receding. Adin’s face crumpled in abject despair.
“Why?” Jackson whispered.
Like injured wings, Adin’s arms lifted slightly then fell to his sides. “Because I had to.”

To learn more about KZ Snow, please visit her blog: http://kzsnow.blogspot.com

My guest author this week is prolific author, M. Christian. I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Christian for joining us today.

Q: To start, would you please tell us what genre you write in?
A: I like to call myself a ‘literary streetwalker with a heart of gold’ — in other words a noble hack: anything for anyone at any time. I’ve written loads in a wide range of genres: mystery, horror, non-fiction, romance, science fiction, and even more loads of erotica (gay, straight, you name it). Here’s a quickie bio:

M.Christian is an acknowledged master of erotica with more than 300 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many, many other anthologies, magazines, and Web sites. He is the editor of 20 anthologies including the Best S/M Erotica series, The Burning Pen, Guilty Pleasures, and others. He is the author of the collections Dirty Words, Speaking Parts, The Bachelor Machine, Licks & Promises, and Filthy; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Brushes, and Painted Doll.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I first decided I wanted to be a writer back in high school, but it took me close to ten years before my first story appeared in print (FutureSex Magazine, if you want to know). But ten years after THAT I have 300+ stories in print, five collections, five novels, and have edited over 20 anthologies. Making up for lost time you could say.

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A:I’m a very hard working writer and so I have oodles of things in the works right now. And, yes, ‘oodles’ is a technical term. Let’s see: a new novel (a gay thriller), a new collection (Licks & Promises) new editions of two of my favorite short story collections (Bachelor Machine, and Dirty Words), a film that should be shooting soon, a comic project, two new anthologies (Best S/M Erotica 3 and Sex In San Francisco), my regular column on writing smut (”Confessions of a Literary Streetwalker” for the Erotica Readers and Writers site) and other stuff that’s slipped my mind ….

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A:While I have some that I think came out rather well I don’t really have a favorite because … well, because that means looking back, which is something I try not to do. So I’d say that my favorite is the story I haven’t written yet.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A:Not really. I like to say that I had a muse but then I tracked it down and beat it into submission. By that I mean I work, I don’t get inspired — so I can pretty much work anywhere at anytime. One of the weirder things about me is that I need stimulus to work: I can’t stand silence. Right now, for instance, I’m writing this while the the Iron Man movie is playing. In fact I very often pick movies or TV shows to play while I work that add to what I’m working on — which also explains why I write very ‘cinematic’ as if I’m viewing the story I’m working on as a film or TV show. Writers are queer beasts, eh?

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A:I usually start with a base idea, which is what the editor or publisher wants (romance, horror, etc). Then I try to put my own ’spin’ on it, make it very much my own … which is the fun part. I’ve done queer smut that is basically rewritten classic movies, I’ve written stories inspired by Native American myths, I’ve done books about man’s lack of true individuality, I’ve done stories spun from classic paintings … inspiration, for me and for a lot of writers, is all around. The main thing is to have fun and not take yourself, or writing, too seriously.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A:Two things, I think: the first is that the only time a writer fails is when they stop writing. In other words rejection is part of the game, as is frustration, disappointment, envy, depression — but the only time any of us really fails is when we stop doing what we love. The other thing is not thinking of writing as a divine process, that creativity somehow comes from outside of ourselves (that muse thing again). I didn’t know I could be a good pornographer until I tried. I didn’t know I could write a script until I tried. I didn’t know I could write novels until I tried. A writer should always be stretching, seizing every opportunity no matter how small or strange. That’s how we grow and that’s how we get to be better and better at what we do.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A:I am a victim of the recent economic downturn. If anyone out there needs an office manager, production manager, or (naturally) a writer please write me at zobop@aol.com. I wish I could write full-time but the money just isn’t out there .. and, frankly, it wasn’t ever out there. Our culture just doesn’t support the arts so we all — with rare exceptions — have to do whatever it takes to pay the bills.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A:I have a lot of hobbies, which is another thing a writer should have: they keep you interested and interesting. I’m a gamer, I adore comic books and TV and films, I love food and travel, I play with art, and I’m fascinated by science and history (the stranger the better). I also have a few fun blogs I play with: Meine Kleine Fabrik (http://meinekleinefabrik.blogspot.com) is where I post my weird history articles and whatever else I find that’s bizarre and wonderful, Frequently Felt (http://frequentlyfelt.blogspot.com) is the same but with an erotic edge, and my personal/writing site is at www.mchristian.com.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A:I guess that would be that despite the fact I’ve written a huge number of gay and lesbian stories (including several novels and three collections) I’m actually a straight guy. Just to be clear I’ve never lied about my own orientation — in fact I consider it a very special compliment that I’m so accepted in the gay and lesbian community. I think it’s because when I write I don’t write about a character’s sexual orientation: instead I write about people, about our commonality and not the differences. Luckily it seems to be working … so far

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A:I don’t have a favorite, per se. But I like to say that the alphabet makes me hard

Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A:Since I’m an atheist Xmas and Easter don’t have much of a meaning for me — aside from family stuff. I don’t have a green thumb so arbor day is out. I’d probably have to say halloween which is the only holiday that matters here in San Francisco.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A:I have two rings in my left ear (pierced by my ex-wife), a navel ring, a red lightning bolt on my left thigh, and the ‘change’ in Kanji on my right shoulder.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A:Lordy, what a question … not to sound lovey-dovey I have such a sweet and wonderful and special lady in my life I seriously can’t think of being with anyone else. But if I had to ’screw’ someone I think it would have to be Ronald Reagan, Jessie Helms, and Pat Robertson … to do to them what they’ve done to the queer community and the free-thinking world

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A:My laptop and internet access would be essential since with that I can do pretty much whatever I need or want. Beyond that I don’t really need anything else: I’m a serious web-head and technophile. Digital is the way to go!

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A:Healthcare for me, my lady, my brother and my mother. Then I’d like to make them all as comfortable as possible. After that I’d like to put back in print some of the books that are my favorites, that changed my life. Beyond even that … have you ever read The Magic Christian by Terry Southern? The movie is good as well but is very different. The book’s a delightful dark comic romp about a Mr. Guy Grande who screws with the world on a grand and bizarre scale. I’d love to be able to do the same. The world needs some good messing with, don’t you agree?

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A:I don’t believe in folding clothes. I prefer to use a complex system of fabric manipulation called ‘wadding.’ My lady, alas, does not appreciate my skill in this area.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A:Anything cheese related. I have cheddar running through my veins.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A:I love a good villain. I’m the guy in the audience cheering Hannibal Lecter or Hans Gruber. I just wish I was better at writing them. One of these days I will. It’s something I have to work on.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A:Pompous classics first: Kim by Kipling, Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, and anything by Dickens or Victor Hugo. But honestly: Eye in the Sky By Phil Dick, Nimbus by AlexanderJablokov, High Atech by Ernest Hogan, anything by Henri De Monfreid or Karl Taro Greenfield, Evolution’s Shore by Ian McDonald, anything by Silverberg or Alfred Bester; any comic by Alan Moore or Adam Warren; in films Id have to say Frankenheimer’s Seconds, Seven Days In May, and the Manchurian Candidate, plus almost anything Japanese or British; on the tube I’d say the same (loveanime ) plus I have a weakness for classic TV shows or the seriously twisted (Le Femme Nikita, The Prisoner, etc), plus a lot more I know I’m forgetting.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release
A:Let’s see … I have a new collection of my straight-ish erotica coming out from Phaze books called Licks & Promises, a reprint of my gay erotica collection, Dirty Words, from Lethe Books, and my science fiction erotica collection, The Bachelor Machine, from Circlet Books. Beyond that I have some other long-term things that should be coming out soon enough. Keep an eye on www.mchristian.com for updates and general fun and M.Christian weirdness ….

“Chicken Ranch: Hunger is a very unique story that will touch the heart and bring the heat. The characters are engaging and sexy in their own way with a sizzle to their relationship that can’t be ignored. This is not your average love story and Chicken Ranch is not your average place. Amanda Young’s newest series is definitely full of surprises and second chances.”
~Kimberley Spinney/Ecata Sensual Romance