2 Cents Blog and Review

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Amber Kell's Birthday Bash!!

Greetings Loved Ones,

Today I'm blogging at my friend Amber Kell's Birthday Bash blog. As part of the overall celebration, she asked me to have a character throw a party for another character. I thought hey great! In 'A Royal Bind' my favorite born vampire Stephon, throws a birthday celebration for my young shifter prince Lance, who had never had a birthday party before. I thought to myself fabulous, I don't have to write a thing its already done.

 

Well... then it happened. The characters began talking, as they so often do and as Stephon lately has been telling me his story in bits and pieces... he's a very old vampire who doesn't give up his secrets easily... this other party began to take shape. Now having been paying attention, I know there has been an Unbirthday party or two among the stories being told at Amber's Birthday Bash, well this will be one of a slightly different nature. It seems Lance and Andrew, the mated pair from my Changing Moon series, The Pauper Prince and A Royal Bind, have seen fit to throw Stephon an Unbirthday Orgy, in an effort to help Stephon find a mate. I love the shifter pair, and their hearts are in the right place. They just want eternal mated bliss for the lovelorn vampire, but they don't know the whole story... and neither do we.

Happy Birthday Amber!
This orgy is for you. :)

Stephon's Unbirthday
from Blood Ties - Changing Moon Book 3
(Soon to be released with Dreamspinner Press)

Stephon stepped out of the shiny, black lacquered horse-drawn carriage at the back of his property. It wasn't that he didn't have cars, or trucks for that matter, but when he came home after traveling, he enjoyed the slow ride through his lands in the old-fashioned, but highly modernized with all the conveniences, carriage. He’d only been gone a week, but his home was not as he’d left it.
“Maurice, what’s going on?” His yearly sojourn had gone as it always did—poorly—and it left him feeling bereft. He’d wanted to come home to peace and quiet, where he could lick his wounds alone. That was about as far from what he was seeing before him as it could possibly get.
“I’m not sure, it kind of looks like someone’s at the house and they’re throwing a party.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious. That much I can see,” Stephon sniped. He swatted the arm of his burly drone.
Two more drones stood at attention, garbed in what appeared to be poorly copied Roman gladiator costumes. They wore red tunics, which were clearly not wool; the body armor was some sort of silver plastic and the fake leather cingulum that girded their waists were such that no self-respecting Roman soldier would've been caught dead wearing it. Drawing himself up straighter, he took a deep breath, grabbing hold of his temper, trying not to notice the horrible costumes and dress down his drones for their distinct lack of fashion sense, he approached them looking first from one to the other waiting for answers that were not forthcoming.
“Someone needs to speak now and explain what the hell is going on in my home before I completely lose my temper!” Stephon growled, his eyes flashing, his fangs dropping uncontrollably, as they hadn't done in years.
Both drones dropped to one knee and bowed their heads before their maker in complete submission. Stephon sighed. It hadn’t been his intention to throw that much power at his drones. They were his family, and it clearly showed how stressed he felt that he was hurting his own, even unintentionally.
“We’re sorry, my Lord, but Lance and Andrew insisted,” the guard on the right practically whispered, his eyes on the ground.
“They ask that you wait here just a moment and they will be out to explain. They are on their way now, my Lord.” The other guard visibly trembled as he spoke.
“I’m sorry, my sons. It appears I am more on edge than I imagined. I didn’t mean to take my agitation out on you. Evidently I am the recipient of some sort of joke…”
Lights glowed from behind billowing white canvas pavilion tents. They stretched along Stephon’s black wrought iron gates. Suddenly they winked out, the only illumination coming from the opening to the tent that blocked his way. A chorus of snickers and hushing sounds rippled from behind the canvas. Stephon could only sigh with tired frustration. Whatever was about to happen, he told himself he wouldn’t be angry. LB and his Poodle must mean well. The mated pair were like family to him, and would never intentionally hurt him. He just felt so bone weary, and with another year going by and his mate still eluding him after centuries of waiting, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last before he lost his mind entirely. Of course none of this was Lance and Andrew’s fault, so he schooled his features to reflect an emotion that said annoyed, not homicidal, as he really felt.
Lance and Andrew walked out from behind the canvas and Stephon’s jaw dropped to his feet. The two men were nude except for the small black speedo’s they wore. He was used to seeing his shifter friends either clothed or nude, but the tiny black speedo seemed indecent in its teasing seductive nature.
Lance took one look at the tense irritated vampire, approached him and wrapped his arms around Stephon. “I’m so sorry. If I would’ve known you were this unnerved by surprises, I never would have suggested this.”
“I told you… he gets tense this time of year and goes on sabbatical to be alone.” Andrew rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Well, yeah, but I thought when he came back that he’d be relaxed and ready for company, not even more wound up than before he left,” Lance grumbled. “Nobody touched the house, I can have everyone close down and we can all disappear like we weren’t even here.” Lance took hold of Stephon’s shoulders and looked the vampire lord in the eyes.
Stephon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. It felt so good to be held. To be touched by someone who cared about him. It was a luxury he only had with these two. Of all his children and friends, only Lance and Andrew ever touched him. He didn’t think he was unapproachable, but there was some barrier between him and others that nobody seemed willing to breach and he was starved for affection and touch. He allowed himself to lean into warmth for a moment before drawing back just a bit.
“Of course not. You went to all this trouble. Tell me about my surprise.” Stephon reached forward and tweaked Lance’s chin and tried to give him a relaxed mischievous grin.
“You aren’t fooling me, you know, but I think this might help.” Lance grinned back and took Stephon’s hand in his. He led Stephon through the canvas and into his yard which was suddenly filled with colored lights.
“SURPRISE!!!  HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY!!!” was hollered from men spread out around the large yard. They were all dressed similarly to Lance and Andrew, in swim trunks of various types and colors. The hard bodies of drones appeared pale in the light, intermixed with the golden bodies of a few male shifters that Andrew and Lance had obviously brought with them.
“Victoria called your usual party list and invited the eligible unmated males. We brought a few available friends from the men who volunteered to become part of Lance’s guard.” Andrew spoke from just behind them.
“Unbirthday?” Stephon turned to look at his friends, a bemused look on this face.
“Well, of course. You won’t tell anyone when you were born, so we decided to celebrate your unbirthday. Which can be done on any day of the year that isn’t your birthday. It isn’t your birthday today is it?” Lance teased.
“No.” Stephon chuckled and looked out over his lawn at the expanse of muscles and skin on display.
“So, first of all, you need to be properly attired… or should I say … less attired.” Lance laughed and led Stephon to one of the many white cabanas that ringed the yard.
“What kind of unbirthday party have you thrown for me!” Stephon’s shock  was clear in his voice as he looked around. The white tent was strewn with gently flickering fairy lights  that gave the room the private feeling of a spa. It was more like an upscale hotel room instead of a tent in his yard. Andrew untied a knot releasing the canvas flap that closed the cabana off from the rest of the yard. There was a clothing rack against one wall, a small table with red roses in a small vase, and a colorful bag with a bow. The center of the tent was taken up by a beautifully dressed double bed in burgundy and blue satin.
“The best kind there is. An all male party.” Lance nodded to Andrew, who picked up a colorful bag from the table.
“You’re throwing me an orgy?” Stephon started to laugh. In all his long life, and all of the parties that he’d thrown and in turn attended, nobody had ever done something like this.
“In a manner of speaking, I guess so.” Lance grinned. “Now off with the clothes. I have your designer label outfit all ready for you.
“You expect me to run around as unclothed as the rest of you.” Stephon tried to look affronted, but he wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Stephon, you used to attend frat parties in a toga with nothing underneath. A speedo is not going to embarrass you.” Andrew grinned. “Besides if I remember correctly, you have a beautiful body, so why not flaunt it? You never know, you might just find your mate.”
It was like a bucket of cold water, but Stephon tried not to let the hurt show. “My mate isn’t among the men out there, Andrew. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still have a good time.”
“How do you know? He might be out there. Don’t give up hope. If I’d ever given up… before I met Andrew… I could’ve died on the street a long time ago.”
Stephon paused. He’d heard Lance’s story, and knew what the young man had been through. It was amazing he wasn’t more damaged than Stephon knew him to be. And it wasn’t that he didn’t have hope. It was hope that kept him going year after year to the same place for his sabbatical, just in case… but the man he knew to be his mate had yet to come for him, despite what he’d promised all those years ago. The sabbatical had become his yearly self-flagellation of the spirit, but he couldn’t stop going, and seeing Lance and Andrew together in happily mated bliss was just one of the reasons he continued to try.
Still, all punishment and no play made Stephon a dull boy, and he’d be damned if he’d go out being prudish. His mate might not want him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun.
“Okay.” Stephon nodded and began unbuttoning his coat.
“Really!” Andrew’s jaw dropped.
“See? I told you he’d play along.” Lance chuckled. “You owe me a blow job.”
“But I was sure that he’d never…”
“What’s that old saying, never say die? Well, I decided there was too much handsome man-flesh out there to be a stick in the mud.” Stephon took off his suit jacket and walked over to the clothes rack. “But you two are going to have my lawn spotless when this is all over, and that means replacing the sod if all this activity destroys the grass. I won’t have my gardener paying for your little surprise with extra work.”
“You got it.” Lance grinned. He leaned over and kissed his mate before helping Stephon by hanging each piece of clothing the man removed.
“Here.” Andrew handed Stephon his gift bag before he took off his Calvin Klein underwear. “You’ll need this. Come out when you’re dressed.” With a growl, he grabbed Lance’s arm and led him outside.
“Some mates.” Stephon laughed as he heard Andrew possessively snarl something about not seeing any man’s underwear but his. Stephon was actually surprised that he could laugh, as he’d been in such an awful mood when he’d arrived. There was just something about being around Lance and Andrew that relaxed him and made him happy. Sure, he still longed for his mate. The problem was his mate didn’t want him, so the closest thing he had to that kind of happiness was when the pair shared theirs.
“I must have lost my eternal mind,” Stephon mumbled to himself as he looked into the bag. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He pulled out a hot pink spangled speedo with the words “Unbirthday Boy” on the little bit of material on the back. Accompanying the speedo, a few accessories had been added to the bag: a tube of ID Glide lube, a hot pink butt plug with what appeared to be a glass ruby in the end, and a pack of chewing gum so he could be minty fresh for whomever struck his fancy.
Stephon dropped his Calvin Kleins and put on the speedo. The things I do for my friends. He wasn’t about to use the butt plug, or any of the other accessories. Well, maybe the gum, but it tended to stick to his fangs in strange places. It wasn’t his favorite thing to chew.
He stepped out of the pavilion and Andrew and Lance each took an arm and led him out into the menagerie.
“First up, Wet Wild and Twister.” Andrew pointed to the left as they walked past a giant inflated twister board where the guys were playing wet bouncy twister. One man stood off to the side calling out colors and another was spraying a constant rain of water over the players, as they stretched and laughed, attempting to stay upright or, at the very least, taking out as many other players with them  as they could when they fell.
“I think I’ll save that for later.” Stephon couldn’t keep from grinning as one guy in the middle of the pack screamed, his feet sliding out from under him as his arms flailed about; he took out half the players on the board.
“Okay, here in the middle we have the Naked Jell-O Pool. Hop right in and let the Jell-O ease your way to a brighter tomorrow.” Lance motioned to the ladder at the side of the pool. Speedos littered the little walkway around the outside of the pool where guys had obviously ditched their trunks.
“A strong possibility, but I don’t think I’m ready to take the plunge.” Stephon laughed at a jello fight currently in progress, the guys flinging the sticky green glop at one another. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“Well, next up is the Bouncy House of Ill Repute.” Andrew motioned toward a deep red-and-black striped castle. Only it wasn’t open so you could see what was going on inside, but you could easily guess. Small black mesh windows with dimly strobing lights flashed in various colors, and the whole house rocked erotically. If that wasn’t enough of a hint, the sound of moans and the overpowering odor of sweat, sex, and blood poured from the building.
“Holy mother of orgies.” Stephon laughed and smacked Lance on the shoulder. “You definitely know how to throw a party.”
“Well, I didn’t originally intend it to go quite like this, but some of it has clearly gotten out of hand.”
“Last but not least, the maze.” Andrew led them to a blacked-out building and handed Stephon a glow stick. “You might find what you’re looking for at the center of the maze.”
A vaguely familiar shadow at the edge of the rows of pavilions detached itself from the darkness and disappeared into the maze. The breeze carried the faint scent of something familiar, then it was gone.
“One never knows for sure, I guess,” Stephon mumbled. He looked first into Lance’s eyes. He plastered a grin on his face and turned to Andrew. “Guys, I’m going in!”
 “We’ll see you on the other side… unless you find something worth staying for in the center.” Lance waved as Stephon gave his glow stick a shake and ducked around the corner into the maze, disappearing from sight.

****

I hope you've enjoyed this never before posted sneak peek at Blood Ties - Changing Moon book 3. And for two lucky people, one copy of either A Pauper Prince or A Royal Bind... Birthday Girl's digression...  In other words if you want to be a winner... ask Amber, she gets to pick the winner.

Happy Birthday Amber!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Seeking Beta Reader - Experience not necessary but preferred...

Greetings Loved Ones!

I am currently seeking talented beta readers. I write M/M Erotic Paranormal Romances, so be aware that there will be adult content. A prior knowledge of my writing is a plus.
Excellence in English and Microsoft word a plus. Ability to spot repeat word usage, plot holes, independent body movement and give useful critique a must.
Must be willing to take a quick exam to demonstrate your skill level.
Must be able to respond to emails and return edited documents within an allotted time frame as I am working with publishers and I do have deadlines to meet as well. I am willing to make adjustments if you let me know that you are unavailable during certain times… vacations, family events, emergencies… we all have lives.
This is not a paid position. I do acknowledge my beta readers, giving them as much or little credit for their assistance as they would like. Some have chosen not to have their name in the acknowledgements and others like having their name in print. This is completely up to you.
I work very closely with my beta readers so expect to go back and forth over critical points. This position is a good one if you have aspirations of being an editor. It gives you the opportunity to hone your skills as well as getting your name out there. But experience is not necessary, just helpful. J
If you wish to apply, download the Beta_test_document.docx17.9 KB and go through it. This is a sample of a rough draft, similar to what I would be sending you. You may have to click "Enable Editing" at the top of the page. Leave the “Track Changes” button on under the review tab in Microsoft Word, so I can see the corrections you are suggesting. This lets me see what errors you find and any added critique of the pages you insert using the “New Comment” buttons or at the end of the document. Email me the corrected draft and your information… Name, contact information, abilities and/or education and schedule requirements. I will get back to you within a week or two with my decision.

Send your response to:  sui.d.lynn@gmail.com
In the subject line please put: BETA APPLICATION

This will assure that I get your application as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your interest and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sui Lynn~~