• Author Interviews

    In Romance Little Things Count @AuthorTinaGayle

    Yes, it’s those little things that drive us crazy or have us
    panting for more.

    Imagine an elaborate night of dinner and dancing, then a wild
    time in bed for dessert; now compare the one night with a hot kiss and a warm touch
    that you received every day for the rest of your life. Though the first might be
    a memory to last a life time, it’s the kiss and touch which helps us grow closer
    and keeps us connected to the one we love.

    So how do we add little romantic touches to our everyday lives,
    which will keep our love ones coming back for more?
    First use technology to help.
    ·       
    Write an email and send it out to those people you
    care about. I do this once a month to let everyone know what’s going on with me
    and my family.
    ·       
    Text message is great – use the quick messages feature
    and find “I love you.” Send it out once a day to your lover.
    ·       
    Don’t have time for a long call – call when you know
    the person isn’t home and leave a message. “Yeah, just wanted to let you know
    I was thinking about you.”
    ·       
    Send pictures of what you’re doing or fun things
    you see on the street through email or on your cell phone.
    Not into computers or don’t have a cell phone? No problem —
    write a note.
    Now don’t let this scare you. A note can be as simple as
    “I love you” or as complex as a love letter. If you are still at a loss,
    pick up a romance novel and copy a line. Example: “In her fantasy, she broke
    free of responsibility and responded to his touch” from my book Mating Rituals.
    Add to it with something like “want a fantasy?”
    Hide these notes or lay them on the front seat of your lover’s
    car. Make it fun and a special treat.
    Still not sure you can do these things?
    Here are a few more suggestions.
    ·       
    Make sure you kiss your lover the minute he or she
    walks through the door.
    ·       
    Hide little presents for them around the house, apartment,
    etc.
    ·       
    Remember special occasion like birthdays, the day
    you met, or play your song on your anniversary.
    ·       
    Share an interest – football, hiking, dancing, etc.
    ·       
    Do chores around the house together.
    As you can see there are an endless number of things that you
    can do to build and maintain a strong relationship. They’re not required to be expensive
    and ultra-grand, just heartfelt and caring.
    So remember the little things and reap the benefits of connecting
    everyday with your lover.
    Tina Gayle

    Books Coming Soon

    Current Working on a four book series – The Executives Wives’
    Club
    Executives’ Wives’ Club series
    Four women…
    One fatal car wreck…
    Everyone’s lives changed…

    Revive – Needing to revive her life and jump
    start her heart, Jennifer Larson is facing the biggest challenge of her life, moving
    into an unplanned future. While the rest of the Executives Wives’ Club continue
    to mourn their husbands, Jen is tempted into the future by a sexy chiropractor,
    Hagan Chaney.
    But does he love her or her money?
    Purchase at http://amzn.to/QM0BQD

    Birth – Brie Sullivan has a new baby girl and
    there are a million things to do, but Brie doesn’t have the energy to keep up. Why?
    She’s still grieving for her husband and suffering from baby blues, but she won’t
    let that stop her. She’s come up with the answer–find a new husband to be the father
    of her kids.
    Jason Clark has been doing everything he can to help
    Brie. He loves her but can he accept her proposal of marriage knowing she’s not
    thinking clearly about the future?

    Purchase at http://amzn.to/Q82MNm
    Breath and Life coming out in 2013
    Read the 1st chapter of any of Tina Gayle’s books at http://tinagayle.net

    About the Author

    Tina Gayle is working on a romance series about four executive
    wives. She is excited about combining elements of women fiction with the passion
    of romance. The first two books, “Revive” and “Birth” have been
    released and the last two are coming out in 2013.
    Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel
    and play golf. She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.

    Find Tina Gayle everywhere:

    Website – http://tinagayle.net
    Blog – tinagayle.blogspot.com
    Twitter – http://twitter.com/AuthorTinaGayle
    Goodread – http://goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
    Facebook – http://facebook.com/tina.gayle
    Linkin – http://linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

  • Interracial

    Contemporary: Second Chances @delaneydiamond

    Second Chances.

    Delaney Diamond, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk
    about your book, Second Chances.

    Genre: Contemporary Interracial
    Buy links: All Romance Ebooks | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Smashwords
    Publisher: Delaney Diamond
    Cover artist: MTheresa Arts
    Length: 134 pages
    Heat rating: Sensual
    Tagline: Sweet. Sensual. Passionate. Romance.

    Blurb:

    Renaldo da Silva’s near-perfect life in Brazil comes to a halt when he finds
    out about his wife’s betrayal. Now he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her.
    But because he needs her help finalizing the biggest deal of his career, he’s forced
    to make her a multi-million dollar offer and delay their divorce.
    Sabrina da Silva can’t forgive herself after a reckless night
    destroys her marriage. She agrees to help her husband and then disappear from his
    life for good. But with passion still smoldering between them, it’s not easy for
    either to walk away. Will passion be enough to overcome the ultimate test of their
    love?
    What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
    Renaldo da Silva, 29,
    real estate investor
    Sabrina da Silva, 27,
    financial anaylst

    Interview

    What do you enjoy most
    about life?
    Spending time with friends and family. One of my mottos is live,
    laugh, love! Life is too short to be stressed. Stress can attack you physically,
    so I try to live as stress-free as possible and leave negative people and negative
    situations behind.
    If you could give the
    younger version of yourself advice what would it be?
    Don’t stress the small stuff! It’s funny how the things that
    seemed important to me when I was younger are completely irrelevant now. If only
    I’d known then what I know now…
    Do things your family
    or friends do ever end up in a book?
    Oh yes! For instance, in Second
    Chances
    , Lucélia, the daughter of Renaldo’s cousin, was running around with
    a yucca fry offering a bite to people who were over at the house. My niece likes
    to “share” her food like that, too, although if you ever took a bite, she’d have
    a fit. One day I was over at my sister’s, and my niece kept offering us a bite of
    her French fry. She must have had it for a good hour and wouldn’t put it down, and
    every now and again she’d walk up to me or someone else in the family and offer
    us a bite. My niece is always doing the cutest things (I’m not biased; you’d think
    so, too, if you met her).
    Which of your books would
    you recommend to someone who doesn’t normally read your genre, and why?
    Oh, that’s tough, because tastes are so subjective. But since
    I have to choose, I’d recommend Private Acts.
    It’s one of my most highly rated books. Readers seemed to really like Samirah’s
    free spiritedness. I’ve also been told that the descriptions of Cuenca, Ecuador
    helped the readers to feel as if they’d been transported to that locale, and the
    sex between her and Miguel is smoking.
    What kind of books do
    you read when taking a break from your own writing?
    Romance, mysteries, thrillers. I also like to read books on the
    writing craft, the occasional biography, or books about major events in history.
    What do you do to relax?
    I cook or watch movies. Netflix rocks!
    Imagine you get to go
    on a dream vacation, but you have only one hour to pack and leave, and it starts
    as soon as you finish this interview. What will you take with you and where will
    you go?
    I’d take my Kindle, a bathing suit, underwear, and a couple of
    changes of clothes, because my dream vacation will definitely involve a beach somewhere.
    What do you like to do
    when you’re bored?
    Eat. Yes, I know that’s terrible. Luckily, Netflix keeps me entertained
    when I’m not hanging out with friends or doing something else, because staying at
    home and being bored is dangerous. I find myself going to the fridge more often
    than not.
    If you were a color, what
    color would you be?
    Yellow, which happens to be my favorite color.
    Which statement is more
    like you:
    “I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and relaxed.”
    “I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because
    I do things as fast as possible.”

    Please Fill in the Blanks

    I love pizza with everything. Pile it full of meat and veggies!
    I’m always ready for traveling. I plan to do even more in
    the near future.
    When I’m alone, I read or watch movies.
    You’d never be able to tell, but I’m a procrastinator. People
    are always surprised when I tell them that because they think I’m so organized.
    I’m just an organized procrastinator.

    Find Me Here

    Website and blog: http://delaneydiamond.com
  • Character Interviews

    Character Interview: SEAL Kyle Lansdowne @sharonlhamilton

    Accidental SEAL.

    Sharon Hamilton, welcome
    to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about your books, Accidental SEAL, and SEAL
    Encounter. You also have books in this series coming soon, Fallen SEAL Legacy, and
    prequel SEAL Endeavor. I understand that Accidental SEAL and SEAL
    Encounter, are out now, and that they spent 12 weeks in
    the Amazon top 100 for Romantic Suspense. They earned you a top 100 Amazon
    author ranking in Romantic Suspense. Congratulations! Let’s get started on these books.

    Genre: Contemporary Military
    Romantic Suspense
    Buy links:
    Accidental SEAL: http://amzn.com/B008CM1ODU/
    SEAL Encounter: (prequel/short):
    http://amzn.com/B008CUKK7S/
    Publisher: AL Publishing
    Cover artist: Kendra Egert
    Length: 90,000 words.
    Heat rating: Hot, straight
    sex, frank language, explicit.
    Accidental SEAL
    Christy Nelson embarks on her new career in Real Estate by holding
    her first open house. Entering the wrong house, by accident, she finds the nude
    sleeping body of a young man.
    Navy SEAL Kyle Lansdowne, on a mission to find his AWOL Team
    buddy, is staying at his buddy’s home while investigating the disappearance. When
    someone breaks in, he takes protective measures. He doesn’t expect to find that
    a beautiful young woman is responsible for his teammate’s abduction.
    What starts out as a meeting by accident becomes a hot affair
    neither one is ready for. Kyle is conflicted about getting Christy involved in his
    mission, but his hand is forced when he learns the same San Diego gang responsible for his teammate’s
    abduction has kidnapped her.
    Battling a cadre of dirty law enforcements hell-bent on getting
    military equipment, especially state-of-the-art firepower, Kyle is forced to admit
    that he would be willing to die to protect her.

    Interview with Kyle Lansdowne of Accidental
    SEAL

    Tell us about yourself. What are you like?
    I’m a
    simple guy. After the death of my mother, my father and I didn’t get along and the
    Navy raised me, became my true family.
    What do you think is your strongest point?
    I’m not
    special, I just don’t give up. Can’t stand to see innocents being abused. I like
    being just one of the team, even though I lead them. I became a SEAL because I didn’t
    have anything else at the time. Now it is different.
    Do you have a weakness? (If so, what do you
    think it is? What does your lover think it is? What does your enemy think it is?)
    I guess
    I have a soft spot for the one woman in my life. Christy rocks my world. She is
    ten times smarter than I am. I knew from the first time I held her she was special,
    was the only one I could love. I would do anything to protect her. I thought she
    deserved better than me at first.
    What drives you to do the things you do? What
    makes you want to be the “good guy?”
    Just like
    in BUD/S, I don’t ring the bell. While some Team guys think they are God’s gift
    to women, I have that singleness of focus that allows me to do the job I’m asked
    to do. I love my community with the Teams and our families. I feel so lucky I found
    this job at such an early age.
    What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
    I love
    freefalling, doing HALO jumps at midnight. I love my gear, all the fantastic equipment
    I get to use. It turns me on going to Open Houses because of the way Christy and
    I met.
    If you didn’t know how old you were how old
    would you be?
    What a
    dumb question.
    A biography has been written about you. What
    do you think the title would be in six words or less?
    He likes
    everything hard.
    If money were not an object, where would you
    most like to live?
    I love
    San Diego, maybe
    live in one of those huge villas Christy gets to sell. Something with views of the
    water.
    What song would best describe your life?
    For You,
    by Keith Urban
    If you were a tool, what would people use
    you to do?
    I’d be
    a timing device on an IED.
    Picture yourself as a store. Considering your
    personality and lifestyle, what type of products would be sold there?
    I’d like
    to own a gym like Gunny’s when I’m too old to do team work. Rather than own a store,
    I’d rather have a place where Team guys could come and hang out, like a SEAL bar.
    I’d like to stay in the community I’m in, even when I’ve got kids old enough to
    join the Teams.
    As a child, what was your favorite thing about
    school?
    Sports.
    Played I tried out for every sport. Had coaches on my case all the time about giving
    up other sports to play for them. Never worked.
    Tell us an embarrassing story that has to
    do with a pet. If you have no pets, a story about a significant other will do. ^_^
    You’ll
    see it in Chapter 1 of Accidental SEAL – I tied Christy up in her own pantyhose
    when she surprised me at the open house. Of course, she made the mistake and went
    to the wrong house, but I still feel real bad about that.
    If you came with a warning label, what would
    it say?
    Let me
    come to you.
    Please
    Fill in the Blanks as Kyle
    I love pizza with everything
    on it
    .
    I’m always ready for sex
    with Christy. Wild, wicked sex.
    When I’m alone, I think
    too much
    .
    You’d never be able to
    tell, but I’m kinda shy.
    If I had a halo it would be titanium, but burnished, not shiny.
    If I could have ten
    kids
    I would if Christy would let me.
    I can never forget the
    past or where I came from
    because I am an ordinary man.
    About
    the Author
    Sharon Hamilton loves all things paranormal: Angels, Dark Angels,
    Watchers, Guardians, Upogenie and Vampires. She also has developed a series of hot
    romantic suspense Navy SEAL stories that have ranked her in the top 100 at Amazon
    in that genre. Her characters follow a spicy road to redemption through passion
    and true love—not exactly what they taught you in Sunday School!
    An avid organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her
    husband live in the Wine Country in Northern California,
    where most of her stories take place.

    Find Me Here

  • Author Veterans

    Salute to Veteran Authors #VeteransDay

    Kayelle Allen here. Romance Lives Forever is dedicated to new
    authors and new books. As such, I rarely step in as a blogger — I prefer to interview
    guests and feature others. My personal blog, Unstoppable Heroes, is where I do my
    own “bragging” about new books and events. But today on RLF, I want to
    honor some special people: veterans.
    Folding the Flag.
    The first Veteran’s Day was called “Armistice Day”
    and was proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919. In proclaiming
    the holiday, he said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will
    be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service
    and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has
    freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy
    with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Unlike Memorial Day,
    which celebrates those who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates the service
    itself. Wikipedia
    Today’s blog features fellow veterans who are authors. This is
    by no means an exhaustive list, but these folks are proud to stand and be counted. Please
    visit their sites, and get to know them and their books. I believe the highest honor
    one can pay an author is to buy his or her book.

    Authors Who Served

    Listed in alphabetical order by first name.
    Romance Tangled with Suspense
    CK Crouch — US Army
    Hot Romance
    Delilah Devlin – US Army
    Paranormal and Contemporary Romance
    Eliza Gayle — US Marine Corps
    Romance
    Ella Quinn – US Army
    Military Romance
    Geri Krotow — US Navy
    Love Is In The Air – And In The Fleet
    Heather McLachlan — US Navy
    http://HeatherMcLachlan.com
    Urban Fantasy Romance
    Isis Rushdan — US Air Force
    http://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/
    Historical Romance
    Jeane Westin — US Army
    Erotica Romance where the destiny is love ~ Let me take you on
    the journey
    Jennifer France — US Navy
    http://jenniferfrance.com
    Tapping into your Flights of Fancy
    Lacey Falcone — US Air Force
    Dark Heroes, Feisty Heroines, Scorching Stories
    Lisa Carlisle — US Marine Corps
    Military Memoirs – Parris Island — Journey of a Woman Marine
    Lisa Cordeiro — US Marine Corps
    http://lisacordeiro.com
    Let Fate guide you… One story at a time
    Loni Lynne — US Navy
    Mystery/Romance author
    Lori Avocato — US Air Force
    http://loriavocato.com
    Love … Laughter … Forever
    Joyce Adams — US Army
    http://joyceadamscounts.com
    Mystery
    Kathleen Toomey Jabs — US Navy
    Unstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passion
    Kayelle Allen — US Navy
    A Dash of Romance with a Dusting of Mystery
    Misty MacRae — US Navy
    http://mistymacrasblog.blogspot.com
    Where Romance is Always an Adventure
    Rogenna Brewer — US Navy
    Unexpected Romantic Fiction
    Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter — USAF
    Romantic Suspense, YA, Juvenile, SciFi, and Hard Boiled Detective
    Wayne Greenough — US Navy
    http://waynegreenough.com
    Scottish Medieval Romantic Suspense
    Diana Cosby — US Navy
    Dark heroes and heroines with bite…sink your teeth into a romance
    by
    Sapphire Phelan — US Army

    Escape to the past with a romantic adventure
    Terry Irene Blain — US Navy
    http://www.terryireneblain.com/

    Military Romance and Medical Drama
    Tracey Cramer-Kelly — Army National Guard

    Statistics on this list:

    US Navy – 11
    RomVets
    US Marines – 3
    US
    Army National Guard – 1
    US Army – 6
    US Air Force – 4
    Men – 1
    Women – 24
    One unusual Veterans group that is special to me is called RomVets. They are all women who served in the armed
    forces and who write Romance. I am proud to be a member. Click the link to visit
    the website and learn more about this organization and its members.
     img credit (flag): everystockphoto.com

  • Character Interviews

    Character Interview: A Texas Girl @authorkristina

    What a Texas Girl Wants.

    Kristina Knight, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk
    about your book, What a Texas Girl Wants.

    Genre: Contemporary Romance
    Buy links:
    B&N: http://barnesandnoble.com/w/what-a-texas-girl-wants-kristina-knight/1110496096?ean=9781440544637
    iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/what-a-texas-girl-wants/id523130266?mt=11
    Publisher: Crimson Romance
    Cover artist: Crimson Romance
    Length: 52,000 words
    Heat rating: Sensual
    Tagline: What happens in Mexico
    doesn’t always stay in Mexico
    Blurb:
    Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be, with the
    family ranch on the verge of success. After seven months of keeping it all together
    by swearing off men, however, Kathleen needs a bit of fun in the sun. Waking up
    with a husband she can’t remember isn’t how she planned to blow off steam.
    The last thing Jackson Taylor wants in his life is a down-to-earth
    girl. He has four weeks of freedom in which to find his birth mother. He’s done
    well avoiding commitment until now, so when he wakes up on a Mexican beach with
    Kathleen his first reaction is curiosity. When he spies the matching wedding rings
    on their left hands curiosity turns to concern.
    Neither Jackson
    nor Kathleen want to stay married, but when her family shows up, they have no choice.
    Once back in Texas,
    however, can they keep this all-business marriage from turning into an all-consuming
    love?

    Interview with Kathleen Witte

    Kathleen, tell us about
    yourself. What are you like?
    I’m a Texas
    girl, born and bred, which makes it kind of funny that I fell for a city boy. But
    then, Jackson was a Texas boy at one point! I train horses and live
    on the same ranch where I grew up.
    What do you think is your
    strongest point?
    My determination. I set a goal and I go after it whole-heartedly.
    Do you have a weakness?
    (If so, what do you think it is? What does your lover think it is? What does your
    enemy think it is?)
    Sometimes I become so focused on a goal that I miss the point
    of living life. That’s what led me to Mexico, which wound up being a good
    thing. But at the time, Mexico
    felt like the biggest mistake of my life! Jackson
    will say my greatest weakness comes when he does this kissing thing on the back
    of my neck…
    Saint’s Devilish Deal
    What drives you to do
    the things you do? What makes you want to be the “good guy?”
    I think my drive comes from my grandfather, and my father to
    a certain extent. Dad wasn’t always around when I was little, so I started trying
    new things to get his attention. That didn’t always work, but my boldness did capture
    my grandfather’s attention. Him being proud of my accomplishments keeps me trying
    for even bigger goals.
    What’s your favorite guilty
    pleasure?
    Dark chocolate with sea salt. I know dark chocolate is technically
    better for us than milk chocolate…but it tastes so good I feel guilty enjoying it.
    If you didn’t know how
    old you were how old would you be?
    Tough question. I think I’d like to be 28. Because at 28 I’d
    be old enough to know better…and still young enough to get away with doing some
    bad things…ha!
    A biography has been written
    about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?
    Kathleen Witte, An Ordinary Girl.
    If money were not an object,
    where would you most like to live?
    Texas,
    exactly where I am. I’m a very lucky girl – I grew up in the best place in the world,
    and now that I’m grown up I get to do the thing I love (train horses) and live there
    with the best guy in the world (Jackson).
    He comes and goes a little bit, because of his work, but Texas is definitely part of our lives.
    What song would best describe
    your life?
    I’m Just a Girl by Deana Carter
    If you were a tool, what
    would people use you to do?
    Get the job done! I’m the type of person who can’t quit on a
    task. I’m a hard worker…so I guess I’d make a good hammer.
    Picture yourself as a
    store. Considering your personality and lifestyle, what type of products would be
    sold there?
    A little bit of everything. Saddles and tack, girlie dresses,
    boots. I’m a General Store kind of girl.
    As a child, what was your
    favorite thing about school?
    The day being over! I wasn’t a bad student and school wasn’t
    hard for me, but I had so much more fun on the ranch that I wished every day for
    the 3 o’clock bell to ring.
    Tell us an embarrassing
    story that has to do with a pet. If you have no pets, a story about a significant
    other will do. ^_^
    Probably one of my most embarrassing moments happened when I
    was visiting U-TEP on a college preview weekend. I’m a small town girl and the campus
    was huge, but I was so confident that I couldn’t do anything wrong! So I’m wandering
    around the campus, not paying attention to where I’m going and I slammed into this
    photographer guy – who was none other than my childhood crush, Jackson Taylor. I
    had no idea what he was doing there and I was a little snippy with him. I broke
    his camera…and it was just bad. That did not lead to us falling in love and living
    happily ever after, not for a while. And he still teases me about that day!
    If you came with a warning
    label, what would it say?
    Warning: Contents are Combustible.

    Please Fill in the Blanks as Kathleen

    I love pizza with extra cheese.
    I’m always ready for a picnic.
    When I’m alone, I think about my next To Do list.
    You’d never be able to tell, but I’m usually nervous.
    If I had a halo it would be crooked.
    If I could turn back time I’d ask Jackson out way back in college.
    Kristina Knight
    I can never eat chocolate because I would never stop.

    About the Author

    Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from
    car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker,
    she was a journalist. When the opportunity to focus a bit of energy on the stories
    in her head, she jumped at it. And she’s never looked back. Now she writes magazine
    articles by day and romance novels with spice by night. She lives on Lake Erie with her husband and three-year-old daughter. Happily
    ever after.

    Previous Books:

    The Saint’s Devilish Deal

    Books Coming Soon:

    What a Texas
    Girl Needs
    What a Texas
    Girl Dreams

    Find Me Here

    Website: http://kristinaknightauthor.com
    Blog: http://kristiknight.blogspot.com
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/authorkristina
    Facebook: http://facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor
    Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorkristina
  • Gay or MM

    Save Room For Ice Cream @emlynley

    Brand New Flavor.

    Save Room For Ice Cream @emlynley #amreading
    EM Lynley, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk
    about your book, Brand New Flavor.
    Genre: Gay Romance, M/M, Contemporary
    Buy links: http://dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3369&cPath=190
    (pre-order now, release November 21)
    Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
    Cover artist: LC Chase
    Length: 150 pages/37,000 words
    Heat rating: 4 on a scale of 1-5

    From EM Lynley

    I’m so excited to be here at Romance Lives Forever to talk about
    my upcoming release Brand New Flavor. For anyone who’s read more than one of my
    books, you may have noticed a common thread: I love to write about food and cooking.
    Even if the character is wandering the streets of Bangkok, as in Rarer Than Rubies, you’ll get a
    mouthwatering description of the most delectable duck dish that had dozens of readers
    heading to their local Thai restaurants. I love to cook (and eat) and I’ve taken
    food writing courses and spent seven years in the Northern
    California wine industry.
    Brand New Flavor is all about Jericho “Jay” Brown,
    an artisan ice cream maker. He’s passionate about his frozen treats and the secret
    recipe he spent more than a year perfecting. He’s just as passionate about Cameron
    Clay, a food critic, but their romance hits a rocky road before they can find out
    whether they belong together or not.
    Be prepared for plenty of mouthwatering descriptions of ice cream–and
    hot guys–without the calories or guilt. But I’ll confess, my editors and beta readers
    all went running for ice cream while they were reading this story. It comes out
    the day before Thanksgiving, probably the biggest food fest in the United States, so
    it’s a perfectly fitting date.
    Research for Brand New Flavor was fun! I visited and sampled
    ice creams, gelatos, sorbets and other frozen desserts while I was deciding just
    what would make Jay’s particular ice cream so spectacular. I actually created my
    own fantasy of what ice cream could be, though as far as I know no one makes anything
    quite like I’ve described. I even spent some time in the kitchen at Scream Sorbet,
    a local shop where I watched the staff at work and peppered the kitchen manager
    with dozens of questions, about their process, ingredients, sourcing, and how to
    grow a small business. I also spoke with chefs about flavor combinations to make
    sure the flavors I made up would really work, and taste as good as I think they
    sound.
    Along the way I tasted:
    Hopefully this will whet your appetite for Brand New Flavor (you
    can pre-order from Dreamspinner Press now and download on release day Nov 21). And
    if you like that, stay tuned. It’s just the first book in my brand new series, Delectable,
    which features characters from the food and wine industry.

    Excerpt

    When artisan ice cream maker Jay Brown first meets food writer
    Cameron Clay at a charity tasting event, they get along like strawberries and chocolate
    sauce. Jay’s unique flavors thrill more than Cameron’s jaded palate, but after a
    delicious encounter in Jay’s delivery truck, where extra-creamy frozen treats are
    not the only delights sampled, Cameron loses Jay’s contact info–and any hope of
    a real date.
    Desperate, Cameron convinces his editor to host an artisanal
    ice cream contest in hopes of drawing out the elusive genius. But more complications
    threaten to intervene. Will Jay even enter the contest? Or will the chance of a
    happily ever after melt away?
    On Monday Jay descended the stairway
    from his apartment over Glace’s industrial kitchen, making sure he had his cell
    phone and that it was fully charged. He even brought the charger with him, just
    in case. He didn’t want to miss the call from Cameron Clay. Jay believed Cameron’s
    promise to call, and even if it didn’t turn out to be anything more than the one
    casual encounter for them, Cameron had enjoyed Jay’s ice cream almost as much as
    he’d enjoyed Jay. Hadn’t he?
    Jay never had very good judgment when
    it came to guys. He’d made the mistake of jumping right in with both feet before.
    Best to take it slow, and not get burned again. He still hadn’t recovered from the
    last time. One thing to want to get a guy’s clothes off, but it was never a good
    idea to fall in love too easily. Not that Jay had fallen in love with Cameron or
    anything. He hadn’t. How could he? Cameron had said “mmmm” and “oh yeah” and a few
    other things along those lines. Certainly flattering to Jay and his ice cream, but
    not enough to base a relationship on; even Jay understood that.
    But Cameron Clay did know how to speak–or
    at least write–coherently and use words with multiple syllables. The guy even knew
    when to use semicolons, which impressed Jay. He’d Googled Cameron Clay as soon as
    he’d gotten home from his deliveries. He’d read a few of Cameron’s articles and
    columns and ordered two of his books from Amazon. Real paper and two-day delivery
    and everything–not just Kindle versions. Fuck, maybe I am in love already.
    Ice cream and gelato
    He certainly was in love with the way
    Cameron thought and wrote about food. Jay had never read anything quite like it
    and it practically gave him a hard-on just reading Cameron’s words. Okay, it actually
    had turned him on if he was going to be honest about it. Cameron was a mixture of
    James Beard, Julia Child, MFK Fisher and Ruth Reichl all in one extremely sexy package.
    A sexy gay package–even better.
    For the next thirty minutes, Jay forced
    himself to concentrate on ice cream and not on Cameron. He went to the big walk-in
    cooler to see what fruit was ripe. He’d used up nearly everything on hand making
    the product for the tasting event. He’d use up what he had on hand and then call
    his suppliers and see what was ripe and when he should go to their farms to collect
    his orders.
    He glanced around the cooler and selected
    several baskets of berries. He loaded them into a wide plastic tub, shut the cooler
    door, and strolled over to the ripening room to see what looked and smelled best.
    He picked up and sniffed a series of melons, choosing three varieties that were
    approaching perfection. The heady, sweet scent and just the right give under his
    thumb. He rinsed everything under warm water in the sink, and then brought his bounty
    over to the cutting boards. Within a few minutes, he had a pile of delicious chunks
    of three kinds of melon. He pureed each separately, pouring the thick sweet-smelling
    result into wide beakers. He did the same with the berries, sieving the ones with
    seeds, until he had a little rainbow of beakers. From the blue-black of blackberries
    to the celadon of Persian melon.
    What were Cam’s
    favorite flavors? That did it. Jay’s concentration broke, and he lost the battle
    to ignore the phone after only twenty minutes of work. He pulled his cell out of
    his pocket just to make sure he had a signal: four out of five bars. What the fuck
    am I doing?
    “Whatcha working on this morning?” Maya’s
    voice shattered the silence and Jay nearly dropped his phone into a beaker of bright
    watermelon puree. He hadn’t heard her unlock the door. Had he locked up properly
    the night before? Probably too distracted with fantasies of Cameron Clay. Maybe
    he needed to increase security.
    “Nothin’.”
    Rarer Than Rubies
    “Looks like something. Trying a new
    combo?”
    “Yeah. Maybe some sweet melons contrasting
    with a tart berry. Or just layering the melons. I’m gonna play with the proportions
    for a while before I prepare a full batch.”
    “I’ll help taste test once I’ve made
    the calls, okay?”
    “Sure.” Jay pushed the phone into his
    apron pocket and grabbed a stack of small Pyrex dishes where he’d mix flavors, like
    an artist combining shades on his palette.
    “Oh, do you want to start selling any
    of the flavors we handed out yesterday?”
    “No. Not ready.”
    “What do you mean ‘not ready’? We had
    people lining up three, four times to get samples. Our clients are always asking
    for new stuff.”
    “Not ready.”
    “Jay….” Maya let her voice drop into
    the lower register. “What’s wrong?”
    Like he was going to admit Cameron Clay
    hadn’t called yet. “They’re not ready.”
    “They why aren’t you working with them?
    Why are you playing with new stuff? Are you just giving up on those flavors?”
    “They’ve gone public. I can’t risk it.”
    “Come on, Jay. Don’t you think you’re
    carrying this stealth thing a bit too far? No one’s spying on you.”
    “I won’t risk it. Not after….”
    “Jay, that was almost two years ago.
    You can’t keep hiding in here like it’s some sort of Batcave because you think someone’s
    going to steal your flavors and your ideas. The way to avoid that is to actually
    start selling them, get them into the market so everyone knows you created them.
    The longer you wait, the more chance you do have of being scooped.” She clapped
    a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. “Sorry.” She dropped the hand and her
    expression turned serious again. “I mean it. You’re not helping yourself. You’re
    letting that asshole win if you keep this up.”
    Going for Gold
    Jay took a deep breath and pulled himself
    up to his full height. He exhaled and watched Maya’s face. His pulse skyrocketed
    and he heard the sound of glass shattering. He’d dropped the bowl he’d been holding.
    “Crap.” He bent to clean up the shards, nearly bumping his head against Maya’s.
    “I’ll clean this up.” She knelt and
    pushed at his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have mentioned him. I’m sorry.”
    Jay stood and watched as Maya swiped
    a damp towel across the floor, and fought to get his breath under control. Thinking
    about Paul Rhodes always did this to him. He went over to the sink and washed his
    hands, lathering up the anti-bacterial scrub and letting the hot water scald away
    the memories and distract him from the knot in his stomach.

    Previous Books

    Rarer Than Rubies (Precious Gems #1), Italian Ice (Precious Gems
    #2), A Christmas Bonus, Wicked Good: M/M Angels/Demons Anthology, Going for Gold:
    Gay Olympic Anthology, Disguises, Hostile Takeover, Bedknobs & Beanstalks Gay
    Fairy Tales Anthology
    See more here: http://emlynley.com/books.html

    Books Coming Soon

    A Lesser Evil, gay angels/demons novella from Total E-Bound and
    Lighting the Way Home, Book 2 in the Delectable series, co-written with Shira Anthony,
    coming from Dreamspinner Press in March 2013.

    Contest

    EM Lynley
    Comment to be entered to win a copy of Brand New Flavor in your
    choice of e-book formats. If more than 15 people enter I’ll give away two copies.
    Contest ends at midnight on November 11. Check my blog for the winner’s name or
    leave your email in the comment so I can find you again!

    Find Me Here

    image credit: Creative Commons License: Photo by Alessio Damata