New Cover and Book of the Month!

I finally got around to creating that cover for the free story: Half-Baked Promises. It's the one I wrote for the Love is Always Write event for the Goodreads M/M Romance group. I don't have Photoshop or anything like that, so it was just plain old PowerPoint, but I think it turned out okay. Now I just have to figure out what standardized texts I'll need at the beginning...

I was very excited to learn that Absolutely Eric was chosen as the Book of the Month for that same M/M Romance Group on Goodreads! Thanks to everyone who voted. Someone's also nominated A Life Without You for next month, but I doubt I'll get this lucky twice in a row. I'm very happy with and honored by this month's BoM.

While I'm at it, Absolutely Eric can now be bought in paperback from Amazon, B&N and other places.

More news:

My buddy NJ Nielsen has released her first novel! It was released by MLR Press last Friday and it's called Rules Are Meant To Be Broken. It's a vampire story and like everything else Norma produces it's very fresh with a great voice. It's the first in a very long series called The Lines of Marsden. I was lucky to have read this while it was in the editing stages, but I hear it's changed quite a bit since (I've bought a copy and am about to read it!).

Another buddy of mine, the super cute Cole Riann, has opened his own review site: The Armchair Reader. It doubles as his own personal blog. Cole's a very cool guy. He likes reading, knitting and baking. And vikings. We have a lot in common! Though...the most I've managed to knit are hats and mittens. I never got the hang of socks. I do love baking though and vikings are totally my thing ^.^

Fun Facts About NJ Nielsen

I'd like to introduce one of my favorite authors of gay romance: NJ Nielsen. Most of you probably already know this spunky little ball of energy. She has two amazing works out with loads more coming. I got to pick her brains for my blog, but instead of doing traditional interview questions I decided to go for fun-facts:

1) I was named after a race horse.

(EP: That explains so much!)

2) My hero is David Bowie - I still find the guy as interesting today as I did when I was a kid.

(EP: I had a thing for him in The Labyrinth - hey, maybe that's where I developed a thing for goths...)

3) My favourite book of all time is The Host by Stephanie Meyers, & I cry each time I read it.

(EP: One of my favourites as well)

4) I am the youngest child in my Family - I have an older brother and then three sisters older than him.

5) I draw (pencil sketches) and write twisted poetry - poetry note book is called: My book of Twisted Thoughts.

(EP: The beautiful picture is below the 10th fact. I still can't believe you can draw like that!)

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6) My first pet was a dog called Andy Capp (Yes, named after the cartoon. I wanted to name him Dwayne after the guy down the road but my parents said no.)

7) I am terrified of spiders.

(EP: I refuse to post a picture of one *shudder*)

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8) I love the Muppets - Gonzo & Rizzo are my favourites (Yes, I did just go and see the new movie - so worth it for Fozzie & his fart shoes.)

(EP: We're cool as long as it's not Beaker *double shudder*)

9) I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - I am a Raphael fan.

(EP: Hey! Now I know why you love Angsty-Adam so much!)

10) I collect Dragon's and Roosters. (Stop laughing I know they are at opposite ends of the scale.)

(EP: Mom collects chicken things. I still don't get it.)

Early sketch of Michael and Christian from
Rules Are Meant To Be Broken. Artist: NJ Nielsen

Thank you, NJ, for letting us get to know the lesser known-sides of you ^.^ 

NJ's very first published story came out as part of the Hot Summer Days and is called Shadows on the Heart. I highly recommend it. NJ's writing style is very unique and you never know what's going to happen next. I'm beginning to suspect it's an Aussie thing (it's the same with Zathyn Priest's books). 

NJ's first MLR Press release was published in December last year and bears the brilliant name Angels on Top. Hunting for Clay (the story following Angels on Top) will be out from MLR Press on Valentines, and she's working with MLR Press to get the first book in her wicket vampire series published, Lines of Marsden: Rules Are Meant To Be Broken.

But there's more! Or more coming. I've often called NJ a work-horse privately (now I have pockets full of ammo after her racehorse confession). The girl writes two blog stories and has her fingers in tons of other things. She's a master of series-creation with at least eight (yes, that's 8) different series in the works - one of which is in 18 parts (Lines of Marsden). Needless to say, I feel more than a little inadequate in her presence. I'd just die with all that going on in my head, lol. I do envy her the amazing titles she comes up with. If there's anything I struggle with it's titles.

Want more? Here's her blog ;)