What’s this…romance?

In trying to decide what to blog about today, Valentine’s Day, I went back and forth with myself on the most obvious subject – romance. Surprisingly it is a volatile subject. What comprises romance, what should be “allowed”, what boundaries should be pushed. I hesitated in bringing it up at all.

But, I am a romantic at heart…and it is my blog, after all.

So….HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Let’s talk romance, y’all. Or rather romance stories.

For the sake of this discussion, this blog, and my own opinion – I refer to the leading organization in romance: The Romance Writers of America. Whether you like the RWA or not, they are a leader in advocating the rights of aspiring writers and authors everywhere. They are a valuable watchdog and a powerful ally. There is no arguing that.

The industry definition for romance is this:

Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending. (http://www.rwa.org/cs/the_romance_genre)

This means a romance story needs main characters moving toward a relationship (whether they “want” to or not), and they should by the end of the story have found love – whether for the moment (happily for now) or for the rest of their lives (happily ever after).

I admit, I am one of those people who need a happily ever after. I don’t want to think that these two main characters I’ve just invested my heart into are going to toddle off down the road and find someone new. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge readers who are good with that. To each their own.

For me, it’s like saying you prefer a certain subgenre like paranormal or historical or contemporary. Or saying you prefer a certain pairing like M/F or M/M.

But I can say that you won’t find happily for now in any of my stories. I’m not wired that way. It keeps me awake at night sometimes as I try to figure out how to give my boys a life where they are happy. Or as happy as they can be. That all depends on the story, doesn’t it?

Now, I know some men take a leak outside when the bathroom door is right there, some cry like babies at the drop of a hat, some are dicks 24-7. Some think only with their dicks. But that doesn’t mean all men are that way. It doesn’t even mean most men are that way. And it certainly doesn’t mean that the men in my stories have to be that way.

So I write my romance stories with men who have emotions deeper than a teaspoon (I love that line from Harry Potter!) but can control them for the most part, who pee in the toilet (though you’ll never hear the tinkle), and who can think beyond the cock in their pants at least 90% of the day.

And I write them into committed relationships where they use condoms…and they get their Happily Ever After.

That’s just my style.

What’s yours?

by Em Woods on February 14, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Miscellaneous, reading, writing
Tagged ,

Posted by Em Woods on February 14, 2012

http://authoremwoods.com/2012/02/14/whats-this-romance/

OMIGOSH! It’s our anniversary!

Can you believe it?? It’s been a whole year since myself, JR, Lee, Havan, Hank, and Jade all grouped together and started writing Monday Prompts. So many changes – mostly good as far as I can tell…three anthologies, 52 weeks of posting stories and finding out we fit like family.

I hope you all are enjoying our little hook ups this year. I know they’ve challenged us all. 250 words comes awfully quick, let me tell you.

Well, we couldn’t let our birthday month pass without comment…or free goodies! So make sure you head on over to the brand new, oh-so-amazing Story Orgy Blog — http://thestoryorgy.blogspot.com — where we are going to be giving you, our wonderful readers, a full story today. And since it is our anniversary, it was only fitting that someone very important to each of us donate the words this time. Of course, in true SO style, we’ve jumbled them all up to make an even greater challenge.

Our schedule and prompts are:

6am:  JR — Sea Mammal Trainer, Chicago, Bottle of Wine

9am: Em — Troubadour, Graveyard, Slot Car

Noon: Hank –  Best Friend, Mosh Pit, Oil Rig

3pm: Havan —  Art Curator, Air Plane Bathroom, Silk Stockings

6pm: Lee — Diogenes, Seaworld, Wetsuit

So make sure you stop by the SO blog at each of those times and see the next installment of the story, comment on each to enter to win a copy of Word Play, SO pens, calendars, etc… we think every good anniversary party deserves gifts… ;)

 

by Em Woods on January 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Contests, short story, Story Orgy, writing
Tagged , ,

Posted by Em Woods on January 30, 2012

http://authoremwoods.com/2012/01/30/omigosh-its-our-anniversary/

Story Orgy Monday: Hookin’ Up…

First things first! I am part of a hot, hot, hot anthology titled His Hero, available from Total E-Bound. Click on over to download His Hero, a collection about, well, heroes! Those men in uniform who go above and beyond to save us all (in oh-so-many ways). Mmm. You’re going to love my story, Only Sam, about a firefighter and the sparks that fly between him and the owner of a restaurant.

Your Story Orgy writers are up for an award and we need your help! We’d just love you to pieces if you’d click on over to Dawn Roberto’s reading nook and vote for our Breathless Press anthology, Word Play in the LRC Loop’s Best of 2011 Contest! (Voting until Jan 24th)

Did you get yourself over to Breathless Press to download Lee Brazil’s latest story, The Librarian, which was released on January 6? Click here to go there now and get the latest romance from a great writer.

As always, our lovely picture this week was found by Jade Baiser. Isn’t he lovely?

*snoopy dancing* Next week, your Story Orgy writers have something very special planned. We don’t want to just spend the morning with you, we want to spend the whole day with you! Why? Well, let’s just say it has something to do with our very first posts as a group. Think you know what it is? You’ll want to check in on JR Boyd’s site first thing next Monday morning to find out, and that’s all you’re going to get from me.

Okay, on with the post. This week is a Hook Up for me – and I’ve taken a mini break from our cowboys. Don’t worry. They’ll be back after next week (ooh, that surprise again!). Now, our prompt this week is: Something has been mail ordered and is going to be delivered today…what is it? what is it for? What happens? Interesting. Lots of things can be ordered and delivered by mail.

C’mon…let’s go.

 

THIS ANNIVERSARY

Tony paced the sidewalk. The UPS man was there by five o’clock any time he made a delivery. Five. Not Five-fifteen. Or Seven o’clock – like it was now. And today of all days.

Glancing at his watch for the hundredth time since he’d come outside for fresh air, Tony groaned. Another half-hour and Gene would be home. The candlelit dinner and the soft music would just be another anniversary dinner without this package.

He scrubbed his hands over his face. What a killjoy if UPS showed up after Gene.

The rumble of a truck pulled Tony out of his funk. He whirled around and nearly wept as the large brown truck slowed to a stop at his drive. The heavyset driver, Bob, wiggled into the back, appearing a moment later with a small brown box. Tony scribbled his name and barely remembered to wave goodbye as he raced back inside.

Ripping the tab from the shipping box, Tony pulled the small velvet box from the carton, flipped the lid, and placed it next to Gene’s champagne glass where he’d be sure to see it. Taking a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, he admired the glint of silver and gold entwined.

A car door slammed outside. Fifteen minutes early.

With one hand on the back of Gene’s chair, Tony waited.

<~~~>

Okay, that’s it. Just a little bite. *grin* Hope y’all have a great Monday and make sure you head over to the other Orgy blogs and see what they’ve got up their sleeves…

Lee Brazil – http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

Havan Fellows – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/

Hank Edwards – http://hankedwardsbooks.com/blog/

JR Boyd – http://jr-boyd.blogspot.com/

Jade Baiser - http://jade-wetdreams.blogspot.com/

~Em

by Em Woods on January 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Story Orgy
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on January 23, 2012

http://authoremwoods.com/2012/01/23/story-orgy-monday-hookin-up/

Cock & Bull Tour: Devon Rhodes

DEVON RHODES

Woohoo! Y’all, I am so excited to be hosting the most lovely, talented Devon Rhodes today! Can you believe it?! She’s a quick one, wily too, but I managed to pin her down for a quick Five Faves and an oh-so-yummy snippet from her upcoming release, A Ring and A Promise in our uber-exciting anthology releasing on Monday, His Hero. (psst….it up for presale right now! Go Here!)

One more thing before we dive right in — Devon is giving away to one lucky commentor a choice off her backlist! Woot! Make sure you leave a comment!

DEVON’S FIVE FAVES:

Hi Em! Thanks so much for having me on. And…um…could you have chosen any tougher questions? Sheesh. ;)

FAVORITES

1. What’s your favorite food to eat off of someone? 

I’ve never been a huge fan of chewing during intimacy, but licking? I can get behind that in a big way. I’d say wine is probably my favorite. Goes well with natural saltiness…

 2. What is your all-time favorite gift received?

Dad was a pilot in the Navy and always off on carriers. One year, he knew he’d be gone, so he got a Lite Brite for me in the fall, unpacked it, created a picture with a message for me on it, then wrapped it back up for Mom to put away until Christmas Day. That was a great surprise. :)

3. What’s your favorite song? You know, the one that makes it onto almost every play list you create?

I honestly listen to just about everything, so I really don’t have a favorite like that. Right now I’m into pop/dance music. But I like about anything. I tend to trend…so Top 40 lately, alternative a few years ago, classical a decade ago, country in college… Tonight, I was listening to Hawaiian music and really enjoying it.

4. What’s your favorite recipe (care to share)?

Kalua Pork—just like at a luau, and it’s so easy to make. Just buy a pork shoulder roast, however big. Put it in a baking dish with a cover, fat-side up. Sprinkle with rock salt, add a couple shakes of liquid smoke and about a cup of water. Then just cover and bake…as long as you want. Longer the better. For a 3-4 pound roast, I bake at around 300 for 3 hours or so, have left it in for up to five. To serve, pour off the water, then just peel the fat off (and the salt with it). It’ll pretty much shred if you look at it, though I do use a fork. J I serve with either rice and steamed veggies, on warm corn-flour blend tortillas, or top a taco salad. Leftovers? Just warm and toss with BBQ sauce and throw on a bun.

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you’re alone? Would adding a mirror change your answer?

I love to sing and dance. Not that I’m good at it or anything, but still…

LOL @ the mirror! I’ve been watching my daughter at her dance classes, so I’ve been practicing spotting turns across the hardwood floor in my entry/living/kitchen (pique turns, chaine turns, etc) pretty much every time I cross the house…except if I’m carrying coffee of course!   :)

***

Oh, I bet you sing and dance just fine, Devon (and the coffee is sacred – no spilling!) LOL….

Okay – you guys ready to see a little bit more about A Ring and A Promise? Me too…

BLURB:

Careers in military service are never easy on relationships—even less so when both lovers are in different branches…and both are men.

Naval Academy graduation now under their belts, Cary Barrientos knows the reality of the upcoming separation from his roommate of the past four years. Owen is more to him than just his best friend—he is the one person Cary can see spending his life with.

Owen Marsh knew that when he became Cary’s lover, the day would come when he would have to walk away. Now that day has come, and he’s having a hard time convincing himself that it’s just sex between them. Even with DADT repealed, there is no way a Marine and a Navy flier can be together. He’s just being realistic not expecting more.

When Cary switches their Academy rings, hoping Owen won’t notice, he makes a vow—he will do whatever he has to do, including believing enough for the both of them, to make their unlikely relationship stand the test of time. But when his Marine is called up for duty overseas, can a piece of jewellery and a promise be enough to get them through?

NSFW BLURB:

He slid his hands along the sleeves of Cary’s uniform jacket down to his the cuffs then grasped his hands while he continued the heartfelt kiss. God, he loved the way Cary looked in his dress uniform. He wore it well, as though he’d been born to wear it. It was bordering on a fetish for him, and had made it damned uncomfortable this past week when they’d worn their dress uniforms for so many Commissioning Week occasions. But right now their privacy was guaranteed, and Owen wanted to indulge in a bit of fun while Cary was still so sexily attired.

It was too bad that Cary was without his hat. They’d both had fun adhering to tradition before the ceremony and had tucked an envelope with some money and a letter of advice inside both of their caps for some lucky kid to claim. Maybe they’d hear from them someday.

Cary gave him an enquiring look before tossing the bag to the ground in the direction of the dresser. When he turned back, he grinned and lowered his gaze to the front of Owen’s khakis. Cary pursed his lips briefly before giving his lower lip a quick swipe of his tongue.

Hat or not, Cary was absolutely the sexiest man he’d ever seen.

Maybe he’d fuck Cary with his new officer’s cap on someday.

Groaning, both at the mental image and the sure knowledge that that day would be far in the future—if at all—he took Cary by the biceps and firmly placed him against the wall with one last hard kiss, then knelt before him.

“Owen…”

“Mmm…” He slid the belt latch and undid the buckle, pulling the end out of the clasp. Then he unhooked and unzipped the fly. He bracketed Cary’s hips with his hands and glanced up. Cary’s blue eyes were wide and a bit wild. Holding his gaze, Owen leant forward and mouthed his hard cock, faithfully outlined by the white cotton. Cary’s lids slid closed and Owen took that as the invitation it was.

Without lowering the trousers past Cary’s hips, he pulled the tighty whities down just enough to expose Cary’s erection. After a moment’s thought, he did a bit of manoeuvring and was able to lift Cary’s balls up over the wide elastic band before letting it gently retract against his skin once again.

He stood and backed far enough away to get a good look. From the waist up, his lover was still attired according to regulation—minus the cap. Pretty much regulation, anyway, considering he was wearing his now-defunct midshipman’s uniform instead of one for the officer he now was. Still…he was all nicely turned out on the top half.

But below the belt…

Owen caught his breath at the vision of decadence that was his handiwork. Cary’s hard and reddened cock and his balls sac were protruding lewdly from above his underwear. With his pants still mostly on, still wearing his polished white shoes, he looked debauched, as though he’d been caught unawares hard at work and enticed into forbidden play.

He met Cary’s eyes once more and could see the effort it was taking Cary to hold himself there, exposed to view without the reassurance of touch. Owen suddenly had no wont to prolong the foreplay any longer.

He hit his knees then took Cary’s cock deep.

A strangled cry was his reward, enticing him to use his tongue to wet the hard length then slide down. He repeated the action, gliding with firm pressure downwards and adding suction on the way back up to the head, gradually taking Cary most of the way down to the base.

With Cary’s balls hiked up as they were, Owen could feel the hot skin of his lover’s sac on his bottom lip at the furthest point. On the next pass downwards, he opened his mouth a bit and was able to stroke his tongue across the taut skin, feeling the closest orb shift with the pressure.

“Ah! Oh fuck, Owen.”

Tasting a bit of saltiness on the way up, Owen grinned around his mouthful and looked up from under his lashes. Cary was behaving himself and letting Owen take the lead. Time for a change of scenery, though. He pulled off with a smack of his lips.

“Please tell me you brought supplies.”

“In our kits,” Cary panted.

Owen rose to his feet and pulled Cary in for a slow, involved kiss that sent an emotional wave of warmth through him. In the room they shared at the Academy, Owen rarely felt comfortable enough to take his time with simple affectionate caresses. Mostly, their physical contact had been hurried and silent, the sole purpose being coming to completion without being caught.

“Why don’t you grab the stuff and get out of that uniform?” He gave in to impulse and cupped Cary’s cheek, pulling him back in for another kiss as Cary began to move away to follow his suggestion. He didn’t want to be apart from him for a moment…

The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks, and he abruptly dropped his hand and span around to hide what had to be a shell-shocked expression. Maybe it was the emotional culmination of their schooling at the ceremony today. Maybe it was the knowledge that their separation was looming. But when he looked at Cary, when he touched him, he was finding it hard—no, impossible—to keep from turning what should be companionable sex into lovemaking.

Love…?

***

Dev signing at GRL

Omigosh! I can’t wait for this antho to come out so I can read this!! How about you? :)

Don’t forget to leave a comment to put yourself in the running for one of those Amazon Gift Cards ($150, 100, 50) or one of Devon’s backlist ebooks! 

~Em

by Em Woods on January 14, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Contests, m/m
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on January 14, 2012

http://authoremwoods.com/2012/01/14/cock-bull-tour-devon-rhodes/

Story Orgy Monday – Tomorrow, pt 4

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Lots and lots going on around here…first off…I’m hanging with my muse, JR Boyd, and his hubby this week down here in Texas. Love, love, love some good face time with my muse!

Speaking of my muse – this Friday November 25th, The Story Orgy will be over at his blog with the last in our five-part interview (reminiscing over Christmas) leading up to the release on December 2nd of our anthology with Breathless Press titled Word Play…You can check out part one on Havan Fellows’ blog and get a peek into our group dynamics, part two right here on my blog for a little insight on what we think of writing, part three is over at Lee Brazil’s place where we talk smex, and of course we were at Hank Edwards’ site talking favorites!

Oh! And I will be over at Lee Brazil’s place reading a Book In Bed with him on Tuesday November 22nd…you should stop by…I’m pretty sure we’ll have a couple people there… bed crashing, so to speak. LOL.

Okay, on to the prompt! This week is from me : “I get it both ways.”

Yeah, this one comes courtesy of my niece who actually said this to me while we were talking one day. I laughed my tail off and she blushed a fabulous shade of red…even though we weren’t talking about anything perverted. I swear it! Now you’ll notice this one is a little shorter than some, but I’m calling creative license on it…and I promise to come back to them with the new year.

Ready? Here we go…

 TOMORROW, pt 4

Mickey’s face heated. Sister? Why hadn’t he known about a sister? That whole time he’d been poking around in that small town, asking questions, no one had said a thing about Carter having a sister in the area. Hell, Carter hadn’t said anything either. What else didn’t he know?

“Ooh, brother, I think you’re in trouble.”

The smile stretching Angel’s face told Mickey she wasn’t the least bit concerned about it either. He forced a smile to his own lips. “No trouble. Are you staying nearby?”

She nodded, her cropped hair barely moving with the motion. “Shay and I are bunking at the Holiday Inn just this side of town.”

Carter cleared his throat. “How…how did you find me?”

Her smile disappeared faster than water in a Texas mudhole. “I persuaded Casey to tell me what happened.”

Mickey tightened his grip around the smaller man when Carter’s face paled so fast he swayed on his feet, pulling him in closer. “Casey has a big fucking mouth.” Mickey wanted to kill the bastard. He wanted to keep Carter tucked away where he couldn’t be hurt again.

“I had no idea he’d done that to you, Car.”

He wanted to kick Angel out of the house.

Carter was trembling against Mickey, his breath puffed in erratic bursts across Mickey’s skin. “I’m not airing my dirty laundry.”

“Yours? He’s the sick fu-”

“Whatever happened should be Carter’s to tell.” Dale’s voice snapped through Angel’s tirade, drawing her up short. She glared at Dale but it shut her up, for which Mickey was grateful.

Mickey pressed a kiss to Carter’s forehead. “You okay?” He kept his voice low and calm. The last thing he wanted was for Carter to bolt.

“Fine.”

“You say the word and we’ll head back to the cabin.”

Carter shook his head. “That’s a story for another time maybe. Were you just checking on me?”

Angel shifted her gaze between Carter and Mickey. “Pretty much. Now that I know you’re okay, I’ll head back with Shay.”

Dale stepped away from the door. “You’re welcome for dinner. Your Shay is too.”

Angel winked at him. “She’s a homebody. She’ll want to get home tonight now that I know you’re okay.”

Carter sighed, the warm breath gusting across Mickey’s skin like a whisper. “Let me give you the number to our place so you have it. No one else though.”

“Promise.” Angel held up three fingers in a Girl Scout salute.

Mickey only let Carter go because he knew that Dale kept paper and pens in his side table next to the couch. As Carter scribbled the number for her, Mickey said, “How long have you been looking for Carter?”

Angel shrugged. “Since he left. I was hoping he’d call first and save me the trouble.”

“Sorry, sis.” Carter held out the paper for her, then he grinned. “How many people assumed you were a man, like these yahoos did?”

She tucked the paper away in her hip pocket and laughed. “I get it both ways. You remember when I had our ninth grade teacher convinced for half the year that I was a boy?”

The smile that spread across Carter’s face was pure and innocent. Mickey ached to see that smile from something he’d said. Carter threw his arm around Angel’s shoulders. “Whew. He was madder than hell when he found out you’d been going in the boys restroom all that time.”

Angel shook her head. “I got ten days of detention for that. And they told Mom and Dad, which earned me a month of doing your chores on top of mine.”

Carter sobered up. “Yeah.”

Mickey narrowed his eyes and focused in on what Carter wasn’t saying. “Your parents still around?”

“No.” And that’s all Carter said. Mickey was pretty sure he could wait forever and there wouldn’t be anything else coming on that particular subject.

Angel stepped away from Carter, her eyes downcast as she wiped her palms on her jeans. “I better get going. Shay’ll be worrying.”

“Call when you get to your hotel so we know you got back safe,” Dale said as he escorted her to the front door.

Mickey followed behind Carter, stopping on the porch when he walked his sister to the car. Looking out over the ranch, the place he’d come to think of as home, Mickey wondered what Carter’s next move would be now that someone knew where he’d gone. Dusk was falling and pink spread across the Texas sky like a carpet, welcoming the coming night.

The soft crunch of gravel pulled Mickey from his thoughts. Carter stood in front of him, his expression troubled. It ate at Mickey that he could be the cause of it. “What’s in that pretty head of yours?”

“You.”

<<TBC>>

Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment….

Don’t stop now though…make sure you head over to the other Orgy blogs and see what they’ve done with this awesome prompt!

Lee Brazil – http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

Havan Fellows – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/

Hank Edwards – http://hankedwardsbooks.com/blog/

JR Boyd – http://jr-boyd.blogspot.com/

Jade Baiser - http://jadebaiser.blogspot.com/

Have a great Monday, y’all…

by Em Woods on November 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in m/m, short story, Story Orgy, WIP, writing
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on November 21, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/11/21/story-orgy-monday-tomorrow-pt-4/

Story Orgy Monday – Tomorrow, pt 3

Whew. Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving? Me either.

Couple things to share this week…first and foremost, The Story Orgy is very proud to announce that a donation of $250.00 has been made to The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. This donation represents the profits from the first three months of sales of our very first anthology And the Prompt Is…, so thanks to you, our faithful readers, for making this donation possible!

Next in SO news is our five-part interview leading up the release of our anthology with Breathless Press titled Word Play…You can check out part one on Havan Fellows’ blog and get a peek into our group dynamics, part two right here on my blog for a little insight on what we think of writing, part three is over at Lee Brazil’s place where we talk smex…and coming up this Friday we’ll be at Hank Edwards’ site talking favorites!

Okay…time to move on to our feature of the day *grin* … prompt for this wonderful Monday morning is courtesy of Hank: acupuncturist, an African Violet potted plant, a police station.

Ready? Here we go…

TOMORROW, pt 3

Carter chewed on his lip as the bathroom clicked closed behind Mickey. Something was eating at him and Carter couldn’t figure it out. He constantly worried over whether he was doing the right thing, saying the right thing. Just the thought of losing Mickey caused a physical pain like none he’d felt at the hands of Casey.

Quickly, Carter dried off, pulled on a pair of clean shorts and followed Mickey to the kitchen. As he entered, he heard Mickey on the phone.

“Sure, boss. We’ll be right there.” He hung up the receiver and turned to Carter, his deep green eyes dark with worry. “Dale says someone’s here to see you.”

Fear bit into Carter’s stomach. Who? Casey? No. “No one knows I’m here.”

“Well, let’s go see who has tracked you down.” Mickey held a hand out to Carter, beckoning him with his fingers.

As Carter slid his hand into Mickey’s, a feeling of contentment eased over him. Mickey was there. He wouldn’t leave him to fend for himself. “You’ll stay with me?”

“I will.”

Carter nodded and then led the way out the door and toward the main house. Mickey was quiet as they walked, but then, so was he. He couldn’t think of a thing to say that wouldn’t sound like he was begging. Even though he wanted to.

He wanted to beg Mickey to turn around and go back to the cabin, wanted to beg Mickey to fuck him, wanted to beg him to love him. But Carter couldn’t do any of that. He felt like a new colt on wobbly legs. He wanted so much and had no strength to do it.

They crested the small hill nearest the main house. A warm breeze swirled around them from the open fields, sifting dirt and tugging at their loose shirttails like small children playing. Mickey let go of Carter’s hand, causing a brief moment of panic in Carter’s stomach before he slid his arm around Carter’s shoulders and pulled him tight.

Carter reached behind Mickey, gripping a handful of shirt to ground himself as they neared the wide, wooden steps to the porch. Most times Carter enjoyed being here, though he envied the happiness his bosses shared. He loved how Dale and his partner, Keith, had created a soft, welcoming look to the harsh planes of the main house. Thick groups of pale blue African violets sat in their pots on either side of the door, a pair of rocking chairs to the left and a porch swing hung to the right.

The front door swung open as Carter took his first step up and Dale stepped out, shutting the screen behind him. He tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the door, his lanky body tense. Carter had realized right off when he’d first arrived at the ranch with Mickey that Dale saw far more than he let on. The longer they stood like this with Dale staring at him with cool, blue eyes, the more nervous Carter became.

Who is it? Carter wanted to scream it at the calmer, older man. Actually, he thought hurling on the man’s boots was more likely to happen. “Gonna tell me who’s here?”

One dark eyebrow shot up. “He says he’s an old friend.” Dale pointed behind them, drawing Carter’s attention to the compact rental car parked to the side of the house.

Carter’s confusion deepened; fear bit at him, urging him to run while he had a chance. He didn’t have old friends. Hell, he barely had new ones. He straightened his back, tightening his muscles in his legs to keep them from shaking apart. He shook his head and looked back at Dale.

Mickey slid his hand down Carter’s back, rubbing soft circles at the small of his back. Carter appreciated the touch, needed it, in fact. The breeze picked up for a second and Mickey’s scent washed over Carter. He needed that too. He still had Mickey’s shirt fisted in his hand. If he let go of it now it would probably be soaked with sweat from his grip.

He wiped his free hand on his jeans and then waved at the house behind Dale. “Let’s get this over with.”

Dale nodded. “I just wanted to let you know that whoever this is…we’re behind you, Keith and me. Mickey too. Just say the word and he’ll be gone.”

Carter appreciated the sentiment, but his stomach pitched at the idea of more drama because of him. His skin prickled like a mini acupuncturist was running every which way on his body, stabbing needles as he went. “Thanks.”

Dale pushed off the house and opened the door for them. Carter entered first, followed close by Mickey, then Dale. The interior of the hallway was sparse with a simple oak table and a vase of fresh-cut daisies. Stairs led up to a second floor where Carter figured the bedrooms were.

“He’s in the living room.”

Carter couldn’t move. His feet had rooted to the spot he’d stopped.

Mickey brushed by him, linking his fingers with Carter’s as he faced him. He leaned close to Carter’s ear, warm breath fanning his skin, “I’m here. Let’s do this.”

Carter took a deep breath and squeezed Mickey’s hand. Thank God he was here. “Okay.” Mickey turned and led the way into the far room of the house. Carter hadn’t been in there before and didn’t have two seconds to take the room in before a small body launched at him, wrapping around him in a full-body hug.

“Carter!”

Carter stumbled back a step but instinct and familiarity had him returning the embrace. Mickey growled from beside him. “What the fuck?”

Small, wiry arms banded around Carter’s neck and a low, watery mumbling filtered through Carter’s shock. “Missed you. Where’d you go? After the police station I thought you were gone. Thought you’d done what you said you’d do because of that bastard.”

Carter tightened his grip around the smaller man. “Angel.”

“Who the fuck?” Mickey sounded pissed. Beyond pissed, really.

Carter patted Angel’s leg. “Down.”

Angel dropped to the ground and gave Carter the room Mickey seemed to need. In a stage whisper, Angel said, “Who’s the bear? He’s kinda hot.”

Grinning, Carter slid under Mickey’s protective arm. He pressed a kiss to his lover’s cheek, hoping to reassure him. “This is Mickey. He was in the park when I went there.”

Angel immediately settled down. “You did go there.”

“Mm-hmm. But Mickey went too.” Carter met Angel’s gaze, silently pleading for discretion. “And then he brought me here.”

A throat clearing from the doorway reminded Carter of Dale’s presence. He turned, gesturing to Angel. “Angel, this is Mickey, my…friend, and this is Dale, my boss. Mickey and Dale, this is Angel. My sister.”

Mickey blinked at Carter. “Sister?”

 <TBC>

Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment….

Don’t stop now though…make sure you head over to the other Orgy blogs and see what they’ve done with this awesome prompt!

Lee Brazil – http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

Havan Fellows – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/

Hank Edwards – http://hankedwardsbooks.com/blog/

JR Boyd – http://jr-boyd.blogspot.com/

Jade Baiser - http://jadebaiser.blogspot.com/

Have a great Monday, y’all…

~Em

by Em Woods on November 14, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in m/m, short story, Story Orgy, writing
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on November 14, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/11/14/story-orgy-monday-tomorrow-pt-3/

Story Orgy Monday – Tomorrow, pt 2

Holy cow, Batman! We’re into November already…can you believe it?

Well, I know by now that you’ve been over to Breathless Press to get Lee Brazil’s newest release, right? Right? Well, if not…then you’ll need to go here — Loving Jacob is a wonderful story and you are not going to want to miss it.

And of course you can now get Volume Two of the GoodReads Don’t Read In The Closet which, among others, has stories by me, JR Boyd and Havan Fellows! Did I mention it is a free download? Yeppers…you can go here to get it.

As a special bonus for you, the readers, the Story Orgy has put together a five part interview so you can get to know us a little bit better! Part one was over on the delicious Havan’s blog, part two was here with me…and part three will be coming up on Friday with Lee! Don’t miss out.

This week for the prompt I am picking up a story that I thought was finished back in July. If you didn’t have a chance to read that post, you can go here to get the first part and then come on back here to see what they’re up to now.

Are you ready for the prompt? Ooh, our lovely Jade has made a scrumptious pick this week. So get ready to see how we all handled this beauty….

TOMORROW, pt 2

A warm breeze blew across the field as Mickey closed in on the small log cabin he shared with Carter Daniels. He heaved out a breath as he climbed the short steps to the door, shaking off the long day as he entered.It was Friday night and the foreman, Dale, had given all the ranch hands the weekend off. “Hey Car!”

“In the kitchen.”

The timidness was gone from Carter’s voice and Mickey enjoyed that hard won victory. Casey had done a number on the man, leaving scars that didn’t show to the naked eye.

Mickey followed the reply to find Carter leaning against the counter eating an apple, dark hair mussed, and paint smeared over his side from his own day at work. The heat in Carter’s deep brown eyes stopped Mickey in his tracks just inside the door. “Need a shower?”

Carter took another bite and nodded. “Waiting on you.”

Mickey’s cock stirred. Fall round-up had kept them too busy to do anything but eat and sleep for the last week. They needed some R&R. “Finish your snack while I start the water.”

“Be there in two.”

The bathroom was just off the kitchen and felt more like a closet than an actual room, but it worked for them. They were both quick dressers and brushing their hair and teeth never took more than five minutes. The tub was only big enough for one of them to sit in, but that was no matter – they fit just fine standing up and pressed skin to skin.

Mickey turned the faucet, setting the water to as cool as he could stand, and stripped. He tossed his clothes in the hamper in the corner. That was a new habit. But if it kept Carter happy, then he could take ten seconds and keep his dirty clothes off the floor.

He pulled back the shower curtain, groaning as the beads of water massaged his tired body. Stepping under the pulsing spray of water, he ducked his head into the steady stream, letting the dirt wash off as he relaxed under the heat.

A cool breeze fanned over his ass then disappeared.

“Now there’s a sight I’ve missed.”

Mickey grinned and rocked back into Carter’s solid body. “Missed you too.” God, had he. Curling up at night with Carter’s arms around him was heaven but he’d pined for the intimacy of their lovemaking in those seconds before sleep. Mickey let his head fall back on Carter’s shoulder as strong arms banded across his chest and pulled him close.

Carter slid his hands down Mickey’s stomach. “Been too long. Is every fall like this?”

Mickey arched his back, encouraging Carter to continue. “Pretty much.”

“Last few months have gone fast.” Carter’s fingers brushed Mickey’s pubic hair, combing in almost lazily. “Working, talking…loving.”

“My favorite part.”

Carter chuckled in Mickey’s ear. “Mine too.”

Mickey pulled away and turned to face Carter. “I’m glad you came with me.”

“If I didn’t come this way, I was going someplace else.”

That gave Mickey pause. Would he be happy anywhere? Warm fingers wrapped around his cock and that thought evaporated like the steam from the shower. He pumped his hips into Carter’s grip, gasping when Carter swiped his thumb across the slit at the tip of his prick.

Carter tightened his grip around Mickey’s waist as he shifted forward to include his own cock in his fist.

When velvety hot skin slid against his, Mickey felt the heat spiral to his balls as they drew tight to his cock. Carter quickened his strokes, his breathing as choppy as Mickey’s. One hard squeeze with a twist of Carter’s fingers and Mickey’s release raced from the depths of his groin to spill over his stomach.

A final grunt and Carter joined him, the heady combination of musk and sex filling the steamy air around them.

Mickey wrapped his arms around Carter to give them both a little support until their legs stopped quivering, sighing happily when Carter relaxed into him.

“Been missing this.” Carter’s breath skimmed over the sensitive skin of Mickey’s neck.

Mickey pressed his cheek to Carter’s. “Missed you.”

“Yeah.”

The word was soft, sleepy. And just not enough.

Doubt crept in on Mickey like a burglar, stealing his euphoria. Was he just a halfway point for Carter? Just a place for now?

He straightened, helping Carter stand on his own. “Let’s get washed, my stomach is growling.”

Carter traced a slow hand down Mickey’s chest to splay his fingers over Mickey’s belly. “Long day at work. Man needs his dinner.”

“Mm-hmm.” Mickey turned away, snagged a washcloth from the shelf, and washed off quickly. The whole time he felt Carter’s eyes on him and he knew Carter hadn’t moved once. He handed the cloth over and inched around his lover. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

“You’re angry about something, Mick.”

Carter was perceptive, Mickey gave him that. Sighing, Mickey toweled off before answering. “Not angry. Just tired.”

“Of me?”

Mickey stilled. How had this gotten turned around? He shook his head and faced Carter again. “Never of you.” He tucked the towel around his waist and then pulled a wet Carter into his arms. He pressed a kiss to Carter’s lips, then smoothed his hand along his cheek as he tilted Carter’s face back to see him. “Never of you.”

A soft smile played across Carter’s mouth. “Okay then. How about spaghetti for dinner?”

“Perfect.” And if his heart hurt for not hearing those words back from Carter, Mickey was just going to ignore that.

<<TBC>>

 

Hope you enjoyed seeing Carter and Mickey again….

Don’t stop now though…make sure you head over to the other Orgy blogs and see what they’ve done with this yummy photo!

Lee Brazil – http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

Havan Fellows – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/

Hank Edwards – http://hankedwardsbooks.com/blog/

JR Boyd – http://jr-boyd.blogspot.com/

Jade Baiser - http://jadebaiser.blogspot.com/

Have a great Monday, y’all…

~Em

by Em Woods on November 7, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in m/m, prompt, short story, Story Orgy, writing
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on November 7, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/11/07/story-orgy-monday-tomorrow-pt-2/

The Story Orgy Spills…

Omigosh! It’s Friday and time for the Story Orgy to spill all on our writing habits! What do you think we’re going to say about prompts? Or about our preference for either long or short stories?

Hmm…well…let’s see. The wonderfully smexy Lee Brazil is kicked back on the couch, Havan Fellows is curled into his side, Hank Edwards is scoping out the Windows Scrivener I’ve got open (it’s really not that different than yours, Hank…I swear it!) and my muse, JR Boyd is waiting for me to cozy up on the other side of the sectional.

We’ve decided to get together to chat about us and our work. Have you heard? We have a new release coming up (December 2nd!) with stories from your Story Orgy. We’ll keep you updated, but in the meantime…Why don’t we see what comes up here? *wink*

1. What is your fave smex situation you have put one of your characters in and why?

Havan: Okay – this one is gonna bite me in the assets … roflmao … my fave situation really isn’t a sex scene – but it is sexual … it’s in a WIP of mine and the main character is explored by a non-corporeal being, all I can say is orifices are definitely breached. *wiggles hips and waggles brows*

JR: Oh wow. That’s a difficult question. I think all smex situations are favorites *ahem*. If I have to choose only one, I must say it’s when my boys smexed in a grocery store manager’s office. It was spontaneous and romantic, including role play and mad passionate love between partners.

Hank: Oh man – it would have to be in my novel Vancouver Nights when I had Charlie Heggensford, the fluffer from Idaho, and his friend Billy, tied up in leather slings in the hayloft of a barn and given champagne enemas. LOL! It was a crazy situation and that whole chapter sort of appeared in my head when I came up with the chapter title: “Champagne Enemas and Chug-a-lug Dreams.” Yeah, you kind of have to read it …

Lee: Okay- if we’re starting out the writing section talking about sex, then I’m breaking out the tequila. Drink up, buttercup. Lime? Okay then, so, well, I made one of my characters celibate. That was fun. Why? Because.  Another I had fall in love with twins.  I think that would be one of my favorite scenarios. Or did you mean sexual positions? Because that would depend on the day of the week that you’re asking.  I think that a classic missionary style, face to face, scenario is romantic and sexy. Then again… on every second Tuesday…  I don’t think a story benefits from reading like an exotic Gay Sex How To Manual… simple and straightforward…and slightly kinky… or savage and raw, the point is to convey the emotional connection between the characters, not to see how many ways they can have sex in 75 pages.  At least, for me it is.

Em: Ooh, I think my favorite is the masturbation scene from Impossible to Resist. It was so intriguing to work out a scene where they don’t actually touch much but you feel like they’ve touched everything!

2. How is prompt writing different than you anticipated? 

Havan: It’s a lot more work than I thought it would be.  It’s not just writing a few things down and saying here you go … people see your work as you do it – two weeks down the road if I decide that the leads shouldn’t have kissed when they first met … too bad – they’ve done it for the world to see and I better work around that oopsie … and I purposely now try to leave some out of the blog stories so when I publish it everyone can enjoy the surprise of what was added!

JR: Prompt writing is like putting on a blindfold and reaching for the edible body paints. You never know what flavor you’re going to get. I anticipated it to be more like paint by number.  

Hank: Wow, so much more work than I thought! I thought a very short story a week wouldn’t be too bad, but, dang, it’s tougher than I thought! And all these other writing demands only add to it. While I wasn’t really surprised that I was drawn to serial stories (I just can’t get away from longer fiction), I am surprised at the number of novellas I’ve written.

Lee: It forces me to travel paths I normally wouldn’t while writing. I think that I didn’t have a lot of expectations for how it would be, it just seemed like a fun concept.  Of course, it’s turned into a lot more than that. I didn’t actually expect that I would end up writing serial fiction based on the prompts… but that seems to be the general result.  I don’t think I even considered that it would lead to the publication of anthologies.

Em: I’ve done prompt writing for years and love it. The first go I had at it though was on a blog from Writer’s Digest called Promptly and readers were encouraged to submit 500 words or less that tell a story. You wouldn’t believe how hard that is to pull off.

3. You’re building a character for a new story. Which comes first? The name, the description, or a character trait?  

Havan: Oh – that depends on the characters … because they listen to me as well as my kiddos do … *heads desk*  Lots of times names come to me quick – but I’ve found out I’m a name stealer … roflmao … so I have to check with my muse to make sure I’m not pilfering from him! As for traits and descriptions … usually all my men are whole assets – or darn near close!  *face palm* But they all have great aspects that I look forward to exploiting – descriptions are a small part of my writing, I’m working on being more descriptive about my men.

JR: The name is what I start with. Once my boys have a name, I can see and taste them. YUM!

Hank: Hmm. Good question. I would have to say a trait comes first. For the character of my hero Josh in “Bounty,” I came up with his trait of being able to raise the dead. Then everything else fell into place after that.

Lee: It’s a three way for me.  *rereads* Yeah, okay I’ll leave it at that. Another shot of tequila? Sure thing… A name will trigger a character, or a picture will inspire a story, or a character trait will be necessary to see a story to its end.

Em: The character comes first. Usually…sometimes I get the profession (which can be awkward! LOL). But the name is the last thing I stumble onto.

4. What’s your favorite thing to do after writing a scorching smex scene? 

Havan: Edit it? *face palm* Actually I go over it again and play it out in my head – make sure it is believable/doable … which is important for me to do because evidently a person can NOT give a blow job while bandaging a wound … who knew?  roflmao

JR: I like to eat. I always feel like I just ran a marathon.

Hank: Try it out with my partner!

Lee: Get a fresh cup of coffee? You don’t understand.  Reading a sexy scene is arousing… writing one is damned hard work!

Em: Would you believe sleep? I am always up late writing and that means midnight or 1am.

5. Do you prefer writing short stories or long ones? Why and why not?  

Havan: I’m naturally long winded – and evidently really like the sound of my own voice, so I can easily turn a simple dinner that should be 500wds into an epic 4k wd diarrhea of the mouth – or … um … fingertips lol. So yes, long stories are what I like writing – what I’m better at writing is still to be determined – I currently have two novels both over 80k wds that I’m finishing up and I can’t even count the partial shorts I’m working on … fun times baby, fun times!

JR: I like to write short stories because them boys get to the nitty gritty. The boys in my long stories talk too damn much.

Hank: I love the compactness of a short story, it’s harder to write short fiction than anyone thinks! But I’m drawn to a longer story, when I can tease up the suspense or the romantic tension. I love writing tiny scenes that show the interaction between characters to get a glimpse of relationship or hear a snippet of history or the wisps of a dream. And, since the majority of my blog posts this past year have turned into serial stories, I’m going to have to say I prefer longer stories.

Lee: Shorter- Novella seems to be my primary length.  I think it ties in with my shortening attention span. I’m easily distracted by pictures, words, nature.  LOL. My attention drifts from thing to thing, and if I try to focus on one thing for too long, I get bored with it.  If I’m bored with it, then how can I expect the reader to be interested in it?

Em: I prefer the challenge of writing a compact story. Being able to get across the emotion and character in fewer words is challenging and I love that feeling of accomplishment when a reader raves about that. Of course, that said…I would love to write something longer!

***

Whew!! How’s that for getting to know your Story Orgy? But guess what?? It’s not over!  We’ll be at Lee’s blog next Friday with questions and answers on smex! I know, I know…you can’t wait. *wink*

~Em
by Em Woods on November 4, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in And the Prompt is, Story Orgy
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Em Woods on November 4, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/11/04/the-story-orgy-spills/

Remembering 9-11…

September 11, 2001 ……………. 

Do you remember where you were? It’s that one question I hear again and again after something huge has happened… JFK’s shooting, Elvis’s death, the space shuttle Challenger’s explosion. The day the Twin Towers fell. Yeah…I remember. I was at my EDJ thinking that the piece of paperwork that I didn’t have for my current project was the most important thing.

Then I got a call from my sister.

We’ve been attacked. Get to a TV.

She was panicked. Crying. Which sent me to the internet to see what was going on. Then I got to the breakroom to watch the live news…and the first thing I saw was this:

And my heart hurt. For those lost on impact, those in the planes, those who feared for a family member or friend. For us, you and me, who suddenly, unquestionably knew what it meant to be under attack and to lose someone we loved because someone else hated so much.

So, I am taking today to thank those who helped, all of the first responders, and those who survived too. For being courageous, selfless, and for being there in the end.

And of course, to remember those who will forever remain in our hearts and on our minds. In memory of those whose lights were extinguished much too early…I remember. 

by Em Woods on September 11, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tagged ,

Posted by Em Woods on September 11, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/09/11/remembering-9-11/

Help Pick My Tagline!!

 

I will keep this poll open until  next Friday…pick your favorite and help me pick mine! Formal results will be posted next Monday with the next installment of Story Orgy Prompts.

Much Love,

Em

by Em Woods on August 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by Em Woods on August 21, 2011

http://authoremwoods.com/2011/08/21/help-pick-my-tagline/

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