Page 69 from Sonoran Heat

Today's page 69 excerpt is from May/December M/M romance Sonoran Heat. This is one of my lighter stories and probably most realistic to date. It's my only full-length novel available in both e-book and paperback. It also earned Honorable Mention in last year's Rainbow Awards:



I've posted before on how I wrote Sonoran Heat at the tail-end of a rough Midwest winter, one that challenged me physically, emotionally, and creatively. I found I needed a quiet respite, with thoughts of sun and warmth, while returning to the roots of writing for the sake of the craft itself. That's exactly what Sonoran Heat provided. It grew from Sunrise at Mama Irene's, a free short story I'd posted a year earlier. I asked myself "What happens next?", changed the setting to the Sonoran Desert where I've lived twice, and wove the story from there.

This tender romance focuses on the relationship itself, minus some of the crazier elements I've explored in other works (like, oh, forest fires, train wrecks, or Balkan mobsters) with my ode to the beautiful Sonoran as backdrop. It's also low on angst and conflict, themes regular readers know I've explored to the point of masochism, but this was one time in my life where I truly needed a break from all that.

So...if you're in the mood for a hot but mellow story that's been praised by one reviewer for "gentle pacing" and cited by others as not being *too* squicky for a May/December romance, Sonoran Heat might just be what you're seeking. Page 69 opens with a shower right after a rather detailed sexual encounter, so I gloss over my characters going back for round two to better highlight the growing tenderness between them. Enjoy, and check back next week for what will be my final page 69 excerpt!


BLURB:

Tony is newly single, lonely, and stuck in the past. When he grabs a late-night meal at an old haunt, his trip down memory lane is derailed by gorgeous waiter Josh. Tony sees a chance for a fresh start with the twenty-one-year-old, but worries chasing a man half his age will lead to heartache. It’s hard to resist when Josh intrigues Tony on an intellectual level—and fires the landscaper’s libido hotter than the Arizona desert they call home.

Josh has goals. Digital design student by day, he waits tables at night, but his true dream is to paint. When he falls for Tony, he starts to rethink his plans and how the sexy older man might fit into them. But Tony’s recovering from a failed relationship, one that lasted nearly as long as Josh has been alive, and Josh must prove that in spite of his age and inexperience, his feelings are sincere.

As the desert nights heat up, Tony and Josh explore possibilities both in and out of the bedroom, but when each man faces a difficult choice, they must decide on the future. Whether that future is together, or separate, is a matter of reason versus the heart.

** PAGE 69 EXCERPT **

The conversation drifted, as did Tony's hands. Josh's moans echoed off the tiles, his new lover's skillful touch enhanced by the slippery soap. Eventually, the water cooled along with their ardor. They toweled each other off and found their way back into their clothes.

Tony talked Josh into a sandwich, seeing as they'd both missed lunch and had worked up an appetite together. Getting the hint that he hadn't overstayed his welcome, Josh joined Tony in the kitchen and built a double-decker with everything on it, including two types of meat, three kinds of cheese, and a generous helping of lettuce. They ate standing at the bar.

"Where do you put it?" Tony teased with a gentle poke in the ribs.

"I'm storing up calories for Sunday," Josh snapped back, feeling like he was channeling Eddie.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Good. You'll need them."

They kissed at the door. "You've got my number," Tony murmured in his ear.

"Yeah. I'll call around Wednesday or Thursday." Josh reluctantly let Tony go, keeping both his libido and hands in check. Inwardly, he wished he could stay another night, but knew too much time spent together too soon could kill the relationship before it truly got off the ground.

He arrived at his apartment, his stomach full, his hair smelling of fresh shampoo, his thoughts consumed with the amazing sex he'd had with the most incredible man he'd ever met.

He bounded up the stairs to the upper level of the townhouse. It appeared his roommates were both out, which was fine with Josh. He didn't care to be subjected to the third degree just yet; he wanted to keep that feeling of something new, special, and exciting to himself a little longer. As he changed into his waiter uniform, his tight khaki pants chafed against his rump, his muscles sore from the pounding they'd taken earlier. It was a pleasant reminder of time well-spent. He knew he'd be useless and distracted at work that night. For once, he didn't care.

** Copyright 2010 by Katrina Strauss

Sonoran Heat available in e-book at:
Amber Allure
Kindle
Nook
Fictionwise
All Romance

Also available in trade paperback at:
Amazon

Lucky Sevens meme - 7 lines from 2 of my stories

I've seen various versions of the "Lucky Sevens" meme going around. I was tagged by Natalie G. Owens for this particular version:

Time for Short Sevens (an alteration of the Lucky Sevens going around today...for the shorter stories.) From page seven, starting on paragraph 7, copy the next seven lines...no cheating. Take them from a WIP, new release, coming soon, or book published this year.

I thought I'd share two. The first is from a current M/M work-in-progress. The second is from a published M/F short. Okay, so I'm cheating with that second one as it's not a newer release, but that's the one I chose before the caffeine kicked in and I re-read the rules. As for who's next, "Tag, you're it!" to whoever the heck wants to be "it" today. Enjoy!


From my untitled M/M-in-progress:

"All right?" Seth said with mock affront. That smile had him practically melting on the spot, but he wasn't sure about Logan's assessment of the food. "I guess that's better than not good. Which sandwich do you like better?"

"Hard to say." Logan folded his laptop shut. "How long have you worked here at Xandra's?" he asked, mispronouncing it as "Ex-andra's" like new customers commonly did.

Seth wiped the nearest empty table, trying to look busy before realizing the table was already clean.


From my published short story Sanctified:

God, she just wanted to sleep. Only when Moira slept did she forget, for a little while, that she lay in bed alone. Yet for the past two weeks, she'd only slept a few hours at a stretch, and each time, she'd woken curled up on her side of the bed. Even in slumber, old habits died hard.

She turned her head and stared at her cellphone on the nightstand. One quick call, just to say hi, just to see how he's doing. After all, we promised to stay friends this time.

"No," Moira scolded herself. That's what she'd said last time, a year before, only to find herself in the same dilemma all over again.

Page 69 from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight. And about that cover...

It's Wednesday and time for my next page 69 post! Today I'm sharing from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight. In sticking with the retro 80s song titles of each installment, I named this one for the INXS smash hit. The late Michael Hutchence was the S-E-X and I will always hold a special place for him in my heart.

Now to address the elephant in the room. The cover:




If you're familiar with the series, you will know that Blue is about half a foot shorter than Derek. If you aren't familiar with the series, you can look at the covers for Blue Ruin 2 and Blue Ruin 3 and see that the blue-haired guy is, well, about half a foot shorter than the long-haired redheaded guy. If that doesn't tip folks off, please note the proportions on all three subjects's upper torsos match. So when the cover for book four came out, I guess I thought the same thing artist PL Nunn and Loose Id's promotions editor thought -- that everyone would see Dusty and Blue are down on their knees. Maybe I was too blinded by all the pretty, but I was both surprised and dismayed to come across online discussions where people thought something highly illegal was depicted, and/or my characters had an over-exaggerated size difference. In retrospect, I can see why people who aren't familiar with Blue Ruin may get the wrong idea on the height difference, but all I can say is that if I had written an underage pairing, Loose Id would NOT have published it.

As for Dusty's "blank" eyes, which also raised some discussion -- He is blind and also has a pale eye color. I'll concede that the thumbnail sketch displayed on most vendor sites does not do Dusty justice, so here is a hi-rez crop:



If I had a do-over, I might have asked for Dusty's eyes to be darkened, even if they didn't match the color in the book, because in this day and age, readers are going to see a thumbnail on a website before they see a nice, big, glossy hardcover on a brick-n-mortar bookstore shelf. I still think it's a gorgeous cover regardless of any missteps that might have been avoided for folks unfamiliar with the series.

As for what actually happens in the book, I'd previously explored seme/uke paralleled with Dominance/submission in book one, seme/uke/seme with D/s/D in book two, and seme/seme/uke with D/D/s in book three. So for book four, I thought it was time for some seme/uke/uke while letting normally submissive Blue act as "sub-Dom" between Dominant Derek and submissive Dusty. This is also the most cooperative threesome that Derek and Blue have engaged in. Of course, in Blue Ruin land, nothing ever goes smoothly. There are some rather dark story moments, even for me, but hopefully the hot threeway scenes balance out the harsher stuff for readers.

So here is today's page 69 excerpt. It's one of the quiet scenes in the book. No threesome, no dark moments, just Derek and Blue hanging out with friends who are an integral part of their lives and the series. The introduction of newcomer Dusty also allowed me to sneak in another manga/anime trope: the bottomless pit. Check back next week where I will move on from Blue Ruin and start sharing from my non-series titles. Enjoy!


** BLURB **

Blue's summer is heating up in more ways than one. When he befriends Dusty Sterling, he sees the opportunity to give his master Derek their first true threesome. But first, Blue must meet a requirement issued by Derek.

Derek is content with Blue as his exclusive lover, but when offered the chance to bring the beautiful Dusty into their bedroom, Derek's definitely tempted. He agrees to Blue's idea under one condition—it's Blue who must seduce Dusty.

Blind since birth, Dusty is proud, independent, and knows what—and who—he wants. In need of temporary shelter, he accepts an offer to stay with Derek and Blue. The fact that he finds them both attractive doesn’t hurt, but Dusty must let his hosts in on a secret—his unique and sometimes frightening way of “seeing.”

When Dusty's nightmares reflect a pair of real-life murders, Blue uses his connections with the police to bring Dusty in on the case. The friends grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, but their bond will truly be tested by the evil that lurks in plain sight.



** PAGE 69 EXCERPT **

"Well, that was all very interesting." Blue abruptly stood and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator. "Anyone want seconds on Chinese?" Turning, he sank his teeth into an egg roll.

"No, thanks," Jodi said. "If I eat another bite, I'll spew." The quieter April gestured in kind.

"I'll take some more beef broccoli and fried rice if there's any left," Dusty said. The final rune put away, he cinched the pouch's drawstring and rose. He stretched his limbs, his shirt pulling up to expose a smooth plane of abdomen, the waistband of his plaid boxer shirts peeking above his jeans. Derek tried not to stare.

"You scarfed down three platefuls while ago!" Jodi said, eyes trailing wistfully up and down Dusty's lean form. "Where do you put it?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Dusty patted his flat stomach. "I've been called a bottomless pit by more than one person. Jarod says it all goes to my head."

Jodi's cell phone chimed. She read the text message and heaved a sigh. "Better take it to go, Dusty-tan. Duty calls."

Derek didn't know much about Jodi's situation outside of what Blue had told him, but from what he'd gathered, she'd taken on the role of caretaker for her family at a young age and was beginning to show signs of resentment. He'd also been given the impression that along with her nerves, her household finances were strained.

Rising, Derek blew out the candle and joined Blue in the kitchen. "Does your sister like Chinese?" he asked Jodi.

"She loves the stuff." Jodi gave a proud smile. "I taught her to eat lo mein with chopsticks when she was in kindergarten."

Derek started setting cartons and trays back out on the counter. "Blue and I will just throw these out after the second day. You and Dusty take the leftovers and split them between you."

"Not the egg rolls!" Blue protested around a mouth full of food. He withered under Derek's glare. "Leave me one for breakfast. I like them cold first thing in the morning."

"Sure, thanks." Jodi shrugged, but Derek sensed a deeper layer of gratitude beneath the nonchalance of swallowing one's pride.



** Copyright 2009 by Katrina Strauss

Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Available in e-book at:
Loose Id
Kindle
Nook
Fictionwise
All Romance

Bedtime Reading, but not 50 Shades (yet...)

No, I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey yet, although I've been reading a lot about it. My thoughts? I'm excited to see an erotic BDSM title from the indie/e-book ranks hit the mainstream. Love it or hate it, the fact is E.L. James just busted down some major doors as, more and more, readers and bloggers become the new gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Given current trends, perhaps I should change the names of my two BDSM series to 50 Shades of Blue and 50 Shades of Eldritch? Just kidding. Blue Ruin and the Eldritch Legacy are still fine by me. Here's what I have been reading:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This one's a re-read for me. Let's just say I found it...timely. If you haven't read it, do so. If you have, read it again. Then check out the news and ask yourself where have you read this before? There's also a 1990 movie version starring Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, Aidan Quinn, and the late Natasha Richardson. I recall the film receiving mixed reviews but I think it deserves a re-watch. (If that doesn't scare you enough, read it along with Acts of the Saints by KZ Snow writing as KA Schuster.)



After scaring myself to death with the The Handmaid's Tale, I needed something light and quirky. So far Catherine Jinks's YA title The Reformed Vampire Support Group has fit the bill.




Bizarro/Horror author Jeremy C. Shipp has been on my radar for a while, but I hadn't taken time to read his work until he offered his short story The Sun Never Rises in the Big City for free on Kindle this past weekend. In true bizarro fashion, the story starts off in what seems to be one genre before the bottom drops and we fall down the rabbit hole into a dystopian universe, one which Shipp effectively builds in just a few pages. I'll definitely be purchasing some of his longer works. The short story is only 99 cents so give it a try:



So that's what I've been reading. What's on your e-reader or nightstand?

Sleight of Hand is now my bestselling title!

In recent months, I've discussed how Sleight of Hand went from languishing midlister to my next best selling title behind Blue Ruin 1: Some Kind of Stranger. Well, I'm here to announce that as of March, Sleight of Hand has officially taken the number one spot. Bear in mind, Sleight of Hand came out a year after BR1. Also note, BR1 left the gate running with strong sales from the start, whereas SoH's have climbed and dropped with fits and starts. At one point, SoH sales were nearly down to zero. In fact, due to Samhain correcting an accounting error from a secondary distributor (the distributor was at fault, not the publisher), one of my statements was in the red one month. Talk about a disheartening dark moment! I didn't make these details public at the time, but it's one of a few reasons I never started that promised SoH sequel.

Then last year, two very interesting things happened in conjunction: the Kindle took off like wildfire, and Samhain Publishing rose to mainstream success. I'm not sure if one rise fueled the other, but either way, Sleight of Hand's sales shot up overnight. As in, literally overnight -- there were no gradual hints or signs that something was brewing. Sales just suddenly and dramatically shot from zero to sixty with an abrupt press of the accelerator. Within a month, the three-year-old SoH had outdone its first month sales, which has never happened with any of my other books. Within three months, SoH rose up through my top five sellers to catch up to BR1. The past few months, they've been running neck-in-neck with BR1 only a few sales ahead. Then last week, it officially happened: Edwin and Satori have knocked Derek and Blue from the top rung of my personal bestseller ladder. It's been an amazing and encouraging process to watch.

The SoH sequel is still up in the air for other reasons, such as potential genre change, not one but two assigned editors leaving Samhain for another house, and others I'll keep mum on for now. Thankfully, however, those reasons no longer include lack of motivation over what were previously low sales. In my mind, low sales translated not to "lack of money" but rather "lack of reader interest" and so my priorities went to more surefire projects. At times, the gorgeous Anne Cain cover received waaaay more praise and attention than the story itself ever did! It was like people wanted to pet the pretty, but didn't want to bring it home and feed it. I was excited win Anne won an award for the cover and made several "Best of the Year" lists, even as I privately grew sicker and sicker over tanking sales and mediocre response. (Yes, I did hear from some enthusiastic readers and reviewers, but they were in the minority. Mostly, other authors seemed to like it.) I admit, I was slightly jealous of my own cover sometimes!

What can I say? It's nice to see Sleight of Hand getting some love. The lesson to be learned here? The publishing journey remains as unpredictable as always. Authors: keep writing the next book, but don't ignore the backlist. You never know when one of your ignored gems will suddenly shine. Readers: Thank you to those of you who've faithfully supported this story and spread the word. If you haven't given Sleight of Hand a chance yet and want to bring home the pretty, you can find it at the following venues. It's labeled and priced as a short story but only 200 words shy of having made novella length:

Samhain
Kindle
Nook
Google Books
Books on Board
Fictionwise
All Romance

Page 69 from Blue Ruin 2: Close to Me

It's already Wednesday again, which means it's time for my weekly page 69 post. Today I'm up to Blue Ruin 2: Close to Me. In keeping with the retro 80s song title of book one, I named the second installment after the 1985 Cure single. (Yes, I was one of the weird kids who dressed in black. Bet you never guessed!)

When the book cover first came out, some readers thought it was hot. Others were puzzled. Some were outright pissed. Whatever the reaction, I'll say this -- PL Nunn perfectly captured the sexy conflict I felt the whole time I was writing it. It's labeled "menage" or "m/m/m" to account for the threesome aspects, but it's written as, and meant to be read as, a love triangle shaped by seme/uke/seme dynamics, and PL Nunn grokked this beyond my wildest expectations:




Sure, I could have simply left the first book, Some Kind of Stranger, with it's less-than-tidy-but-still-happy-nonetheless HEA, but noooo, I wanted to see what happened with Derek and Blue next. I fully expected (and received) negative reactions to uncomfortable territory like bullying, love/hate/guilt between an abuser and the abused, infidelity, lying, conflicted loyalties, etc. (Bullying is a very personal issue to me for reasons I won't go into here, but trust me when I say the topic affects me deeply and NOT one I take lightly as some think the book suggests.) Imagine my surprise and delight when I started hearing from readers who liked book two, some who said more than book one even, and wanted book three! Interestingly, five years after writing about Blue and his former bully Cameron in Close to Me, I'm watching a similar dynamic play out between Kurt and Karofsky on Glee. Go figure.

Sooo... page 69 of Close to Me happens to be one of the most difficult scenes in the book. Blue wakes from an almost-wet dream about Cameron, only to be reminded by his master Derek who he belongs to. Derek's method totally smacks of "non-con" because I *wrote* it to smack of non-con. I don't think I could have pulled it off in any other series with any other couple. (And no, I don't endorse dry anal penetration, but this scene called for it to be written exactly as it is.) A fellow writer once advised me "It's not your job to babysit your readers" when tackling controversial scenes, and I agree with that sentiment. However, I do want to alert those unfamiliar with Blue Ruin that the following excerpt is a rough one and should be skipped if fictional non-con or dubious consent is a trigger or turnoff.

For those of you willing to venture there on the written page (as I obviously am), here's page 69 and a little of 70 too. Check back next week for page 69 from Blue Ruin 3: Chains of Love, where things really get crazy!


** BLURB **

Blue finds pleasure in playing pet to Derek, but is eager to pursue goals outside of their relationship. When Blue starts GED classes and expands his social circle, Derek affords him room to grow, trusting their love is enough to keep his restless pet in line.

That love is put to the test when Cameron Carter reappears in Blue's life. An abusive crush from Blue's school days, Cameron is a reformed adult now and seeks absolution for old wrongs. While Blue must find it in his heart to forgive Cameron, the greater challenge lies in keeping his unrequited desire for the former bully at bay.

Derek's torn between enforcing boundaries and allowing Blue closure to heal old wounds. Meanwhile, Cameron struggles to forgive himself for the pain he once caused the boy he secretly loved. As Cameron and Blue begin the road to recovery, the sizzling chemistry between them can no longer be ignored.

Caught between two strong-willed men, can Blue prove his loyalty to one while denying his attraction for the other, or, is it maybe just possible that Blue can have them both?

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM (including tethering, humiliation), male/male sexual situations, menage (m/m/m), strong violence.


** PAGE 69 EXCERPT **


Blue's eyes fluttered. He found himself at home, naked in bed, his own hand between his legs where he'd grown rock hard. He sat up with a start. A hint of dawn seeped through the curtains.

"You were dreaming about him."

Blue jumped. With a startled gasp, he whipped his head around to directly meet Derek's cool gaze from where the other man perched on the edge of the bed. In a split second, Blue comprehended that Derek was freshly showered, his hair wet and smelling of shampoo, clad only in his robe while his suit, shirt, and tie hung over the footboard.

Blue's cheeks blazed. "No, I… no." He shook his head, unsettled more by Derek's frank, unaffected observation than if his partner had angrily demanded an explanation. He wondered what he'd said in his sleep, didn't want to know how long Derek had been sitting there, watching and listening. He leapt from the bed, heading for the bathroom, in dire need of a moment alone, enough to fully awaken and recover from the lingering effects of his dream before addressing the situation coherently.

"Oh no you don't." Derek's arm shot out, gripping Blue around the waist. The room spun, and Blue found himself flung back. He hit the mattress with a thud.

"Derek, Sir, please," he whimpered, scrambling to get away, his struggle futile against the stronger man's hold. One hand snaked between his thighs, and Derek's fingers curled around the base of his erection. Derek gripped tight, offering one harsh, swift stroke, wetting Blue's slit with precum.

"That was some dream." Derek pried between Blue's legs.

"It's not what you think, Sir. It's not " Blue gasped, startled at the nudge against his ass, and realized Derek's robe lay open. "What are you doing?"

He cried out as Derek answered with a rough jab past his entrance.

"Finishing what he started." Derek thrust again, his hip bones grinding hard against Blue's buttocks. Another thrust, and Blue was already on the verge of climax. He arched his head back, teeth gritted and eyes screwed tight.

"Look at me," Derek growled. He thrust again.

Blue did as instructed and managed to meet Derek's dark, narrowed eyes.

"Moan for me," his master commanded, "like you were for him."

A strangled sob escaped Blue's throat.

Derek plunged forward again, wet hair whipping around his face. "Say my name."

"Derek," Blue gasped from the next thrust, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.

Derek pummeled into him now, the slap of flesh echoing through the loft. "Again," he hissed.

"Derek, oh God, Derek!"

The tears crested and rolled down Blue's cheeks as he wrapped his legs around Derek's waist, slid his hands inside the robe and up Derek's back. Clinging tight, his body convulsed and his muscles rippled around the cock that filled ass. Forgoing the rules, figuring he couldn't get himself into any more trouble than he already had, Blue dug his fingers into the bunched muscles of Derek's shoulders. Crying in shame, succumbing to pleasure, a piercing wail ripped from his throat as he clawed his nails down the column of his master's spine.


** Copyright 2007 by Katrina Strauss

Blue Ruin 2: Close to Me
Available in e-book at:
Loose Id
Kindle
Nook
Fictionwise
All Romance

A Forfeit Owed now available on Nook and Fictionwise

A Forfeit Owed, my medieval M/F/M addition to the Eldritch Legacy, is now available on Nook and Fictionwise. Find it at the following links:

Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-forfeit-owed-katrina-strauss/1109215806

Fictionwise:
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b132056/A-Forfeit-Owed-/Katrina-Strauss/?si=0

While I'm at it, here's where else A Forfeit Owed has been added the past two weeks:

Loose Id:
http://www.loose-id.com/Eldritch-Legacy-A-Forfeit-Owed.aspx

Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Forfeit-Owed-Eldritch-Legacy-ebook/dp/B007BRWSGO

Sony Reader Store:
http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/katrina-strauss/a-forfeit-owed/_/R-400000000000000627198

All Romance:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-aforfeitowed-728023-340.html

The more venues for all of you awesome readers, the better!