Hi everyone–
I am deeep in writing my WIP–werewolf book as yet untitled — and getting ready for the release of Hearts and Flour on Feb 1st. So i thought i’d do a little snack of some of my recent books in case you haven’t read them and want to take a taste. At the end, i’m including a few lines of Hearts and Flour as well, just to get you salivating. (Don’t you love the food metaphors. I’m under the influence of my cupcake baker in Hearts and Flour.) All of these scenes are posted here for the first time, so unless you’ve read the books you haven’t seen them before.
The first is from Genetic Celebrity, one of my two books nominated for a CAPA (happy dance!):
Booky didn’t believe it. Mama had just praised Tommy. “Tommy has a boatload of hidden talents.” She stared at the guy. Suddenly she felt like she was seeing every one of those talents for the first time.
Mama gazed at Tommy appraisingly. “I can see that already. So Tommy, have you got a girlfriend?”
“Mama!”
Mama shrugged. “Sue me. This young man is a catch, and the female world ought to know about it.”
“Mama, Tommy is gay.”
The green eyes flashed up at her. “No, I’m not.”
What?“You’re not? But…I thought…” Wow.
Mama rocked back and laughed. “No wonder you’re not married when you go around making that kind of mistake.”
“Mama! Tommy…”
He looked at Mama. “Booky isn’t entirely wrong, Estelle. I do like guys. But I like women too. I’m what they call bisexual.”
Rochelle shook her head. “Well, at least we girls get half a crack at you.”
Mama leaned forward. Her serious expression was hilarious. “So how are you knowing you like both men and women? I mean I always went for the gorgeous guys when I was young, you know. So do you get that tingle from both?”
He treated her question with respect even though he was beet red. What a doll. A bisexual doll. “Well, yes, I always liked girls, and then when I was in my teens I started noticing that I was attracted by certain guys. It’s never changed.”
Jeff looked fascinated. “So if you go to a party, you could be turned on by everyone in the room.”
Tommy shook his head. “No, I’m pretty picky. I only like certain people, male or female. I’ve never been able to explain it.”
Mama shook her head. “So nu, what does your family think of this ambidextrous affection?”
“They pretty much hate it.”
“Hate? How can a family hate what their child is?”
Booky glanced at her. “You hate that I’m single, Mama.”
Her mother’s hands flew out. “You weren’t born single!”
“Yes, I was.”
They all started to laugh.
And here’s a tiny snippet of Brush with Catastrophe, also nominated for a CAPA–
RYDER OPENED HIS eyes. Everything was different. He felt like he’d been beaten with a baseball bat. Dark. Cold sheets. Sammy’s smell, and something else. Like burning flesh. He listened. No breathing. Sammy was gone! Was he in the bathroom? Where was Al?
Silence.
Why hadn’t he wakened? Where was Sam?
He threw off the sheets and jumped out of bed.
The room lit up like a Christmas tree.
His knees collapsed, and he fell to the mattress.
Shit! He was gasping like he’d run a race. He sighed. And he had. A race to who he was. He stared at his arm and hand where they lay against the white sheets. Glowing vines twining like he was lighted from the inside. Couldn’t he have had one more day?
He pushed himself to sitting, scooted to the edge of the bed, and put his feet on the floor. Had to be careful. Get his legs under him. Speaking of legs. He stared down at his calves. They were at least an inch longer than they had been when he went to bed. It made sense. His father was tall.
He stood, wobbled, and sat back down. One more try. Up. He balanced. Okay. Now for walking. He took a step, balanced again, then one more. Finally he got to the end of the bed where he could see in the ratty mirror on the back of the bathroom door.
Hell. He wasn’t going to blend in with the humans anymore.
And, as promised, a little bit of Hearts and Flour coming to a reseller near you on Feb 1. : )
He freed his hands from Micah’s and slowly unbuttoned the silk blouse. When it gaped open, he pulled it off, leaving him bare to the waist except for the padded bra. He dropped the blouse on the chair beside the bed then reached back and unfastened his bra.
When it came off, Micah’s eyes widened. “Beautiful.”
Quentin grinned. “Why? There’s not much to see.”
“Your chest is very masculine. Well-muscled but boyish. So pretty.” Micah reached up and ran his hands over Quentin’s nipples.
“Oh my.” The buds tightened in anticipation.
Micah smiled and pulled back his hands. “What’s next?”
Quentin giggled. “You’re enjoying this I think.”
“Oh my, yes, as you would say.”
“OK.” Quentin reached up and slipped his thumbs under the edge of his wig.
Micah gasped. “Wait. I thought that was your hair.”
“No. It’s just a very good wig. Shall I leave it on?”
He shook his head. “No. No, I want to see.”
Quentin glanced at him sideways. “You could be disappointed.”
“No. I want to see.”
Quentin pulled the wig off. His own hair was so light, he didn’t have to cover it to wear the wig. As the wig came off, he shook his head like a dog in the water and his curls flew around his head.
Micah smiled. “I’ll be damned. How could you be prettier with your own hair? But you are.”
Quentin’s heart beat fast. He had never done this. He was Quentin or he was Queen. He’d never gone from one to the other with someone watching. “You say the sweetest things.”
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If you haven’t voted in the LRC Awards, there’s still time! I’m happily nominated for Best Author of 2012. Those are my appetizers. Hope you enjoy the whole meals. Follow the blog and my newsletter to get information on the upcoming Blog Tour for Hearts and Flour! : )