NICO JAYE

MOVING HOUSE! :)

2016-05-26T16:07:00.003-07:00

Hey folks! In case it isn't embarrassingly obvious by now, I suck at blogging. BIG TIME. *hides* So I of course didn't say anything about moving house to a new location like....almost a year ago. *hides*

You can find my updated website at www.nicojaye.com. It's spiffy! And cool! And I've been keeping it up to date!

I also have realized I suck at blogging. Like really suck at it. So rather than figuring out how to blog on the new website, I think I'll be setting up an email newsletter instead. If you want to take a peek at that new site, you'll soon see a newsletter signup section, as well. I promise to keep that one a little more updated. Maybe like...even quarterly! Wow! ;)

Anyway, this blog isn't gonna be a priority any longer, so while I'll keep it in existence in case anyone happens upon it, please note that any new information, books, and freebies will be updated on my website at www.nicojaye.com.

So come on over and check it out!

Nico ♥

Quickie Post - quick like lightning! ;)

2015-07-24T00:35:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks! I realized it's been ages since I updated, so I thought I'd pop in with a quickie update. Of course, midnight is totally the best time for me to be doing this update. Of course. I'm hopeless. *smh*

Writing-wise, I'm working on a Super Secret Shenanigans project. If all goes as planned, it'll be super fun, sweet, smutty, and awesome--and you'll have my new story in October. *grins*

Related to that, I wanted to mention October...and...GRL! Are any of you going to Gay Rom Lit in San Diego? If you are, please do say hi! I swear I'm not scary and won't bite (except maybe to nibble on my lower lip and bat my eyelashes coyly if you're into that kind of thing, y'know, yeah?). *winks* Anyway, I'll be there with some doodads and stuff, so stop by my table during *gulps* supporting author time, grab doodads, and say hi! And also stop me if you want to chat or if you want to hang out or get up to shenanigans!

Once I finish my Super Secret Shenanigans WIP (which will hopefully be done within the next week), my next HUGE project is migrating my blog/site over to another host. The big news there is my site will have a new feed! So if you're subscribed via RSS or email, first of all, THANK YOU! I <3 you guys so much! And second of all, you'll have to resubscribe once I have the new site up and running. I'm so so sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm gonna do my damnedest to make sure the new site is 1000% prettier!

Anyway, that's it for now. A quickie update and a hello! I hope your summers are going smashingly well!

Hugs,
Nico ♥

It's a beautiful day!

2015-06-27T13:53:00.003-07:00

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality yesterday, and it is an awesome start to a wonderful weekend! *sprinkles rainbows and glitter everywhere*

In honor of the historic ruling and San Francisco's Pride weekend, here's a coupon code to download A Time for Loving for FREE on Smashwords this weekend. :D Because a free story with an HEA feels like a great way to celebrate so many same sex couples getting their HEAs this week!

Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/482561

Coupon: EM49P

Expires: June 29, 2015

I also have another freebie that's available. The Frat Brat came out earlier this month, and I've finally uploaded it to various sites for downloads, too.

You can pick up your own copy of The Frat Brat here:

Smashwords
All Romance eBooks
Amazon

Hope you all enjoy the freebies! If you do, drop me a review if you get a chance. ^__^

Also, squishy hugs and thank yous to everyone who has read Where There's Smoke. Thank you for the kind words and wonderful reviews! You inspire me to keep putting pen to paper (or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard!).

Happy reading and happy Pride, everyone!

Nico ♥

Freebie Alert!

2015-06-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy busy week or two! Just popping in to say my freebie story, The Frat Brat, is available right now from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. :D Woop woop!

In fact, the downloadable files went live today, so swing by the M/M Romance Group's website to pick up your FREE ebook copy here: http://www.mmromancegroup.com/the-frat-brat-by-nico-jaye/

If you'd rather wait for it on Amazon or Smashwords, I'll be loading it up there, too....eventually. :)

This story is pretty much PWP. Actually, as I told my buddy Piper Vaughn, it's PWTP (porn with tiny plot). *shameless grin* It's about a frat brother...and his fellow frat brother...and a lost bet that leads to some scandalous sexytimes. Here's the super duper rough sketch of a blurb:

Kyle Fenton's nickname around his fraternity may as well be "Shameless Flirt." Out and proud to his frat, he's more than happy to live up to that reputation, especially when new frat brother Daisuke "Dice" Keto moves in. However, Dice's reaction to Kyle's antics is cryptic at best, and it'll take a lost bet--and a sexy rendezvous with a "Secret Admirer"--to clarify the situation.

Anyway, that's the scoop!

In Where There's Smoke news, there's a massive sale at Dreamspinner Press. Everything is 30% off! Like whoa! If you haven't checked it out, then you can grab a copy of Smoke at a 30% discount right now: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6560

Finally, I'm thrilled to share that Smoke is up for "Book of the Week" over at Love Bytes Reviews: http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/06/07/book-of-the-week-poll-may-30th-june-5th-2015/. Honestly, I'm truly honored simply to be nominated. Thanks, Love Bytes! And a double thanks for the awesomely hilarious review. :D

I'm incredibly grateful to everyone for the kind words and the awesome reception for Where There's Smoke. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This story is my super smuffy baby, and David is my boo. It warms my gooey center to know that people are loving David and Zach.

♥

"Where There's Smoke" is HERE!

2015-05-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Dreamspinner Press's 2015 Daily Dose "Never Too Late" package is LIVE. I'm thrilled to report that my contribution to the package, Where There's Smoke is now available for purchase on Dreamspinner Press's site. Woop woop!

You said you wanted a kit-kat to play a starring role? You said you wanted a dorky medieval studies professor? You said you wanted a hottie good Samaritan firefighter? You said you wanted them to be neighbors?

WELL, SAY NO MORE. :D

Where There's Smoke is a novella-length story featuring all that and more! It's chock full of good feels, good folks, and good sexytimes (if I do say so myself). ;)

This story has smuff galore, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

If you've already signed up and bought the Daily Dose package, then this story will magically appear for your reading pleasure some time in June! If you haven't, though, and you'd like to read all about Professor Waterman as he tries to tell himself he doesn't need a man in his life--namely, Mr. Zach Ford, neighborhood hero, then grab the ebook as an individual title. =)

You can pick up your copy of Where There's Smoke at Dreamspinner Press's website here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6560

I also have a bit of personal news to relate!

See that kit-kat cover?

Well, here's a kit-kat of my own!

This is Rudy Diego, whom I adopted earlier this month. He is pawesome. :D His name is Rudy (short for Rodolfo) because he looked like a Rudy.... His middle name is Diego because he was an intrepid explorer when I brought him home from the shelter. Diego is Dora the Explorer's friend, for those of you wondering. He also has a lucky toe (like Nemo's lucky fin) if you look closely at the paw on the lefthand side. One pink toe in a sea of dark paw pads!

A week from today, it'll be a year since Nico-kitteh passed away of cancer. Honestly, going through Nico-kitteh's illness and death broke my heart, and it's taken me a while to recover. Finally, though, I'm ready for another kitty in my life, and Rudy is a sweetie who captured my heart when I visited the shelter.

Anyway, kit-kat news galore! :)

I hope you all are doing fabulously well and that your own kit-kats or other furbabies are enjoying the spring. Happy June, folks!

Cheers,
Nico ♥

I have a cover for my freebie story, "The Frat Brat."

2015-04-27T17:02:00.001-07:00

Um....see the title of this post. :D It's a cover, and it's scandalous!

I figured...you can't really go wrong with a shirtless dude, right? The Frat Brat is my freebie story that's coming out this summer through the Don't Read in the Closet event on Goodreads. Once it's available, I'll be posting information on where to read it, plus (eventually!) I'll make it available on Amazon and the other usual suspects.

Here's the cover:

So....shirtless dude FTW, right?? The Frat Brat is a short story full of innuendo, teasing, and uhhh...porny stuff. As a sneak peek, here's a look at the tags I sent the event organizers. Literally, this is how the story will be presented:

Tags: college, fraternity, gay for you, first time, secret crush, Asian, teasing, blindfold, porntastic, fluff

Wahoo! Basically, porntastic and fluff mean this story is pure smuff! Per my usual, y'know. ;)

Also coming soon is the cover for my short novella Where There's Smoke, which will be available from Dreamspinner Press in June! The story will feature a medieval studies professor and his fireman neighbor...as they get to be verrrrry friendly and neighborly with each other.

Otherwise, not much going on in my neck of the woods. I have an idea percolating for a yeti shifter (probably a holiday-themed story!), but what I really need to do is get focused on my HJKTIY sequel. But if the yeti shifter just won't stop yeti-ing into my ear, I just might have to take his hand and let him lead me into those woods.

Hope you're all doing well and reading lots of fun stuff!

An Assembly of Informational Things

2015-04-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love Haribo Roulette candy!

Okay, that's not quite what I was planning on sharing in this mishmash of information, but it's a start. =)

It's been almost a month since He's Just Knot That Into You was released, and I am just SO excited and grateful for the reception. Thank you to all of you for your support and for checking out the book! You've made these last few weeks a wild and awesome ride. :)

During that time, I did a small tour and visited a handful of blogs with tidbits about the story. I figured now might be a good time to list 'em out in case you were curious and wanted to read more about Tanner, Jon, and the shenanigans they get up to in HJKTIY.

Prism Book Alliance - An Interview with Nico Jaye
Sinfully...Addicted to All Male Romance - An Interview with Alpha Tanner Davis
M/M Good Book Reviews - Jon and His Sweet Tooth
Because Two Men Are Better Than One - Bowties, Button-downs & Other First Impressions
The Blogger Girls - A Word on Setting: Chicago and Wisconsin
Rainbow Gold Reviews - An Interview with Nico Jaye (Part Deux!)
Joyfully Jay - An Exclusive Excerpt: Bad Dates & Other Disasters

If you're curious about the story and want to know more, then check out the links! And if you've already read the story and are here to say hi, firstly: HI! :D, secondly: thank you for reading the story!, and thirdly: you can learn a little more about the HJKTIY boys and background with those links if you're at all curious. :)

Anyway, that's that!

Separately and as an update, the edits for Where There's Smoke are well under way, so I'll post more info on that story closer to June's Daily Dose date. As a recap, Dreamspinner Press's Daily Dose this year will feature men over 40. I'm super excited for you guys to meet David and Zach because I had a fantastic time writing about them. ^__^ In the meanwhile, here's the blurb!

If he can make room in his life and his heart, an isolated medieval history professor might find a real life knight in shining armor.

A terrible breakup in his twenties left David shying away from relationships. For years he’s been content with his solitary life, finding fulfillment in his career, books, television show marathons, and his cat’s companionship. When David meets his neighbor Zach, he can’t tell if Zach is just being friendly or if the handsome fireman might actually be interested in him. The more time they spend together, though, the more David questions his resolution to remain single. If Zach can extinguish the flames left by David's past, David might finally break away from his structured life and take a chance on love.

Aaaaaand, last, but certainly not least, an update on that frat story I mentioned signing up to write for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Don't Read in the Closet event. It's done! Yes, done! *blows noisemakers* The Frat Brat is a cute little short story that's equal parts porny and fluffy. In other words, it's my trademark smuff. ;) I hope you all like it! It'll be a freebie this summer, and I'll let you know when it's available.

That's it for now for me. Any news on your end? ♥

It's release day for He's Just Knot That Into You!!!

2015-03-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm here in Seoul, South Korea. Yep! And guess what? He's Just Knot That Into You was released today! *blows noisemakers*

Since it's 2-something in the morning right now, and I'm suuuuper tired from the release party over at the Dreamspinner Press blog, this will be a short (and hopefully sweet) post.

There are a couple of interviews floating around on the interwebz today. I visited Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance's blog with an interview where I was lucky enough to chat with Tanner. Yay! And Prism Book Alliance was kind enough to host me and interview me about the book, too. Check 'em out if you're so inclined!

Here's the blurb and info for all you cool cats. If you read the story, I do hope you enjoy it! And if you do enjoy it, then please spread the word to your friends. ;)

He's Just Knot That Into You (~42,000 words):

When Tanner moves to Chicago for a new job, he experiences his First Shift, a revelation that signifies he’s met his mate since the last full moon. The only problem? He doesn't know who it is. To find his mate, he enlists his new assistant Jon to arrange a series of dates, but each one turns out more disastrous than the last.

With the next full moon quickly approaching, Tanner finally determines the identity of his true mate. Unfortunately, Jon has since disappeared, and Tanner must now begin a new search. Is it really Jon’s family crisis pulling him away, or is Jon just not that into him?

Available now in ebook: Amazon Kindle | Dreamspinner Press eBook | All Romance eBooks

Hope you all are having an amazingly awesome day! Happy reading!

Nico ♥

Yay! It's gettin' hot in here!

2015-03-03T23:21:00.001-08:00

The heat is on, folks! It's been a while since I've updated, but now I finally feel like I have some juicy stuff on which to update y'all. Yayzerbeams!

Here's the scoop:

1) YES. It seemed only appropo to have a Game of Thrones meme because....my GoT-loving, cat-obsessing, dusty textbook-reading medieval history professor (and his hottie fireman neighbor) found a home! I'm thrilled to announce that I just signed a contract for Where There's Smoke to be a part of Dreamspinner Press's upcoming Daily Dose in June. The story will be part of the Never Too Late package, and it'll also be available as a standalone novella. *wiggles* I'm SUPER psyched, guys! David is one of my favorite characters, and he's suuuuuch a dork. But he has absolutely no problems with his dorkiness. :)

2) My werewolf story has a cover! And a release date! And it's coming out sooooooon! Check out this gorgeous cover by Anna Sikorska. She was so incredibly patient and insightful throughout the entire process, and I'm so pleased with the colorful and quirky results.

He's Just Knot That Into You is totally just two weeks away (March 18th!), and I'm super excited for you all to meet Tanner and Jon. It's available for pre-order right now, in case you want to ensure it lands on your ereader ASAP. :) Check it out on the Dreamspinner Press site here.

3) As for what I'm working on now, I just picked up a prompt in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's annual Don't Read in the Closet event. I'm excited to try my hand at college boys and a little playful and teasing punishment. ;) Wanna know more? Check out the thread for the prompt here and, if you're so inclined, consider picking up a prompt of your own! I think there are a handful still available here, and the event is a great place to dip your toe into the writing waters. It's actually how I got started writing m/m back in 2012. (Note: You have to be a member of the group, but membership will be approved as long as you're 18 or over.)

4) Finally, for my last scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, I managed to snag a supporting author spot at Gay Rom Lit! I'll be there in October with my buddy J.H. Knight. Possibly hiding behind her, but that still counts as being there, right? ;) Anyway, I'm nervcited about the event, but mostly excited. Are you guys going? I hope to meet some of you there!

That was one huge sundae of a scoop for updates from me. Tomorrow I begin my trip to Asia (by way of a visit with my friend in Pennsylvania), though, and I just couldn't hold off on the flailing much longer.

Hugs and flails,
Nico ♥

Welp, it finally happened.

2015-02-02T22:27:00.001-08:00

What happened?

The powers that be broke the seal on my writing drought! Woop woop!

This isn't much of an update, but yeah, I just thought I'd pop in and say hello.

Hello!

I finally finally wrote something after six or seven months of absolute nothingness in the words department. After my word drought woes, which I detailed in a previous post, this development was mucho appreciated by yours truly.

So, that's my update! I wrote a story! And I did it in under three days! *falls over* For the record, I absolutely believe in the quality of the story (and thankfully was able to get it sorta beta-ed) or I otherwise wouldn't have submitted it.

You see, I wrote the story for a submission call that was due February 1st. I'd had a brainwave when I first saw the prompt a couple months ago, but, given my writing drought, I shelved the idea for "later."

Well, we all know how quickly "later" can arrive, and before I knew it, the call was due in a week. Of course, I hadn't touched a manuscript in months, but now I'd reached a crossroads: I had to recognize it was finally "later," and now that it was "later," was I ready to write that story?

A few days passed, during which I marinated on the idea, and I found myself hearing voices.

Yep. For anyone who writes fiction, you'll know what I'm talking about. Voices.

And that's how David Waterman, a medieval studies professor, and his neighbor, firefighter Zach Ford, were born!

I finished it and submitted it in time, so the story is now out of my hands. Regardless of what happens, however, I'm simply thrilled to have begun writing again. My God, that was a terrible, painful, doubt-inducing period of time.

I'm not saying the writing's going like gangbusters now--I still haven't picked up my previous WIPs--but simply knowing that it was there is a relief.

For your patience, I'll share a little about the story. :) Off the top of my head, here's how I'd describe it:

After years of hard work, medieval studies professor David Waterman finally has the tenure track position he's dreamed of. While it may have involved moving to a new city, he's settling in nicely with his books, his hobbies, and his slightly obese cat, Astrid. When Astrid requires rescuing, David has the opportunity to meet his neighbor, Mr. Blue House. Mr. Blue House turns out to be Zachary Ford, a local firefighter.

A bad relationship in his late twenties has made David wary of playing the damsel in distress, and he's been satisfied thus far with his life of solitude, finding contentment in Game of Thrones marathons, academia, and his cat's companionship. However, Zach keeps popping up and playing the knight in shining armor, and he begins to inspire feelings in David--feelings he hasn't had for a very long time. David's left wondering two things: what are Zach's intentions, and should David reexamine his resolution to stay single?

There's a bunch more than that, but I don't want to spoil things! :)

Anyway, I'm just super excited to have written a story, so yay!

On a personal note, I also wanted to mention I booked a trip to Asia for March. Specifically, Japan and South Korea. Super pumped about that, too, especially since my werewolf story, He's Just Knot That Into You, will come out during my time there! Woop woop!

Oh, one more thing! I also put A Time for Loving into the rotation for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's "Don't Buy My Love" program, so if you're a member of that group, you can request a free review copy beginning February 13th.

So! Keep an eye out for more info on stuff! I'll probably run a "just because" giveaway for no reason at all this month here on my blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter. You know--just because. :) So if you haven't connected with me there yet, then come on by and say hi!

Hope you guys are having a great 2015 so far. Have a great day, folks!

NJ ♥

Writing Droughts and Other Meteorological Phenomena

2014-12-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

This has been a weird year, writing-wise. I got a couple of stories down like gangbusters in the beginning of the year. One of those stories, He's Just Knot That Into You, is coming out next year with Dreamspinner Press, and I'm really excited. It's my werewolf story that will have at least two more stories to follow.

After finishing that story in the spring, however, I've fallen into the pit of a massive writing drought. Like the ongoing three-year drought in California, my word well has been bone dry. It's sad. It's discouraging. I see friends who are finishing stories left and right, and I'm super excited for them. But then I look at myself and ask, "Why can't I get started?"

It all started when my poor Nico-kitteh died in June. I haven't written more than a couple thousand words since then. The initial writer's block isn't unexpected--I was pretty depressed and down in the dumps, no matter how much his cancer meant I should have anticipated his passing. After a certain point in time, though, I started to wonder what's normal? As one month turned into three, then five, I found myself questioning why it was taking me so long to "get back on that horse," so to speak.

As month six passed recently, I realized something: there is no normal. Everyone grieves in different ways and on different timelines. And, with writing, you can't force it. Because if you do, it'll only be insincere.

Sure, I'm a pecker. (Not that kind!) =) I hunt for and peck out every single phrase when I'm writing. It's never a flowing explosion of words; rather, each sentence is carefully considered before even landing on the screen. However, to get in that head space of creation, I have to be in the mood to visit those places.

And, unfortunately, I haven't been anywhere close lately.

That's okay, though. I'm coming to realize droughts just happen, and I can only hope that, one day, the urge to create through words will be there.

On a lighter note, I've been creating through crafts this season. I doubt it's a coincidence I start to crochet my fingers off the second the temperature gets even remotely nippy. So now I'm crocheting tons and really enjoying myself. I've made hats for friends' children, slippers for my mom, a whole army of cute little amigurumi octopi (one of which an author friend commissioned me to make for her daughter), and a dear friend even commissioned me to make a pair of boot cuffs for her to give as a gift.

Crocheting has been fun and therapeutic. It fills me with a sense of accomplishment when I see the finished product--I've turned a ball of yarn into something wearable! And cute! And my friends appreciate the handmade gifts I've sent around the country.

So, while I still am flailing around in my empty well of words, I've at least found another pool in which I can swim and express myself creatively. Crocheting might not get me any closer to writing the sequel to #HJKTIY or the short story follow up (of which I have those couple thousand words from the past six months), but at least it's something that truly makes me happy, which is a place for which I've been searching for quite some time.

On that note, anyone interested in commissioning an octopus? ;)

Wishing everyone a warm and wonderful holiday season!
NJ

Sex Positivity Blog Hop: THE INTERNET IS FOR PORN!

2014-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! How're you doing?? Thanks for stopping by my page and checking out my spot on this hop. ^_^ The Sex Positivity Blog Hop, the brainchild of author Grace Duncan, aims to share positive views on sex and any and all topics related thereto.

When I signed up for the Sex Positivity Blog Hop, I kind of had no idea what to expect. And then, when we received the call to arms (a.k.a. the dates on which we each would be posting), I kind of had no idea what to post about.

Should I post about the advances that are currently being made across the United States in efforts supporting marriage equality?
Should I post about bisexuality? Demisexuality? Asexuality? Pansexuality?
Should I post about cross-dressing and how it doesn't automatically imply transgender identity?

Fuck it! I thought. I'll just post a video of someone rolling a condom onto a banana.

(In case you would rather just see a video of a condom-covered banana (as instructed by Max Ryder!), here ya go.)

Anyway, I thought about it a little more, and I decided that, in the immortal words of Salt 'N Pepa, let's talk about SEX bay-bee!

Specifically, porn.

Porn is in the business of sex. Of filming it. Of taking pictures of it. Of inspiring it. Of making it available for the public's viewing pleasure.

There's a huge taboo surrounding sex and, particularly, porn in mainstream society.

YET EVERYONE WATCHES IT.

Well, almost everyone.

The statistics of porn are staggering. Although much has changed about the landscape since I first chose pornography as the topic of my informational speech in my speech course back in 2000 (got an A on that speech, too!), one thing remains the same after all these years: porn remains king of the media.

I apologize in advance because this blog post is going to be short on research links. However, if you really want something, just let me know and I'll do my damnedest to find it. I studied media and communications in college and specifically did copious amounts of porn research for my Speech 100 course. *ahem* REAL research, mind you. *cheeky look*

A few things to take into account:

• Pornography is an eleven-figure, multi-billion dollar industry. A little over a dozen years ago, when I first did my porn research and as porn really began to take over the internet, that figure was less than half that amount. While it's hard to pin down the exact size of the industry, it's pretty safe to say that pornography's revenues are jaw-dropping.
• Trekkie Monster sang in the Broadway musical Avenue Q that "the internet is for porn!" (Avenue Q is an awesomely hilarious musical, by the way - definitely check it out!) And he was right. As this super interesting infographic from HuffPost states, porn sites see more visitors in a month than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined.
• The first American antique pornographic film purportedly was 1915's A Free Ride. The plot is classic and something that you'd see today: a man driving on a country road picks up two female hitchhikers.
• Have you ever enjoyed watching a movie on VHS, DVD, or the internet? What about Betamax and VCD? Guess which ones the pornography industry adopted to offer their films. Exactly. The porn industry has had more than a helping hand in revolutionizing technology over the years.

While I am by no means an expert on porn and its influences, my point here is that people watch it. LOTS of people. Millions of people, both men and women. And it has had a huge effect on our lives, whether we know it or not.

Despite all of this, so often porn is looked down upon by society. There are instances of adult stars transitioning into the mainstream, such as Jenna Jameson and her multi-million dollar brand or Sasha Grey's role in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, but more often than not the reaction is simply to clam up when porn and sex come up in conversation (if they come up in conversation at all).

There are, of course, issues and concerns in the porn industry over exploitation. However, it bears mentioning that exploitation exists in almost every industry (from sweatshops to childcare workers), and, when done "right," the performers in porn are consenting adults who are earning their honest livings, while entertaining and arousing the audience.

There's nothing wrong with sex on film. Or print. Or screen. So don't let society shame you into thinking there is!

I mean, I watch it. I'm betting you watch it. Or you have watched it. Or, if you haven't, then your neighbor has. And if you have and still do, then go forth and wear that porn badge proudly! With millions of people consuming porn and 12% of the internet devoted to it, I'm pretty sure that you're not alone in enjoying it.

♥

P.S. Obligatory new book plug!

So, I wrote a thing! And it's set in Regency England, when gay sex was, like porn, très taboo. A Time for Loving is a historical m/m romance short story that offers a glimpse into the lives of Jack and Christopher.

Jack and Christopher have made it through years of campaigning and the horrors of Waterloo together—side by side by day and, by night, in each other's arms. After the war is over, however, will the love shared between this batman and his officer survive when Christopher returns to the life of a gentleman?

Just 99 cents for this bonbon of m/m romance!

Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

*~*~*

Thanks for visiting and check out these awesome authors who are also contributing to the Sex Positivity Blog Hop!

It's time for A Time for Loving! (and a GIVEAWAY!)

2014-10-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

*slides into the room with white gym socks on*

Hellooooooooo, lovely folks! I finally have ten minutes to myself today to share some news.

A Time for Loving is LIVE and ready for YOUR lovin'! Your good, ol' fashioned, historical lovin'. Your cravat-tyin', pantaloons-wearin', waltz-dancin' lovin'. *winks*

You can get your begloved and bejeweled paws on a copy of A Time for Loving at your favorite ebook retailer. Some of 'em are listed below. Yes, we like to spread the lovin'.

Find the story here: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

In A Time for Loving, Jack and Christopher must navigate the rigid rules of Society and family expectations, knowing that the danger of discovery lies in many corners. After their unexpected love survived and, in fact, flourished in the climate of the war, now they must face more genteel hardships.

There's a poem that inspired me in writing this short story. It's a beautiful poem that, to me, speaks of love for nature and finding the unexpected. The poem embraces nature's freshness, its boldness, the unabashed glory of it. Nature, in turn, is a metaphor for love. It's a William Wordsworth poem called I wandered lonely as a cloud and, unofficially, Daffodils. If you have a chance to read Jack and Christopher's story, then I encourage you to read Daffodils afterward. In truth, the poem was so inspiring that I debated adding it to the book itself in an Afterword. =)

So that's my little tidbit of behind the scenes info on A Time for Loving! There'll be more tidbits on the story when I visit a couple of other blogs over the next two weeks. I'm super psyched for everyone to meet Jack and Christopher and find their own time for loving.

I also want to give a copy of the story away! Actually, I want to give THREE copies away! Or more. Actually, more. Yes, definitely more.

Here's how to enter!

Leave a comment on this post with the following info:
(1) let me know your favorite historical fashion (flapper dresses? togas? powdered wigs? It could be any period of time, not just Regency.) and
(2) include a means of contacting you such as your email, Twitter name, or Facebook profile, etc.

That's it! You'll be entered to win an ebook copy of A Time for Loving and a "love" ring via snail mail. Yes, I will send a token of wearable love and affection to your beautiful self. This contest is open worldwide where permitted by law!

Leave your comment by 10PM (Pacific time) on Wednesday, October 29th, and I'll draw a winner by an internet names-in-a-hat method shortly thereafter.

This will be a quick giveaway so that anyone who doesn't win can also enter the rafflecopter that will be running through November 6th. Yes, there's a rafflecopter giveaway! And the prizes are three sets of the ebook + "love" ring combos! Actually, you can enter that, too, if you want to be doubly sure you've got all your bases covered. Trust me, I won't judge. I will, however, limit wins to one win per person, regardless of method. That just seems fair, right?

Anyway, leave a comment to win! And here's the rafflecopter giveaway if you want to enter there, too. ♥

Thanks for checking out the story, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Date and Cover for "A Time for Loving"

2014-10-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, guess what? A Time for Loving is coming soon to an ebook retailer near you!

First off, take a gander at the absolutely gorgeous cover that the incomparable Natasha Snow has created for this little bonbon of historical smuff.

...

........

*drools*

*coughs, clears throat*

Ahem! Excuse me, sorry, I was distracted by the pretties. ;)

It's beautiful, right??? Natasha is awesomesauce and got the vibe just right for this little historical tale.

Plans are in the works for me to release this short story into the wild. Right now, the release date is set for three weeks from now on Thursday, October 23rd. Yay! Here's the shiny new blurb, too:

A Time for Loving

Jack and Christopher have made it through years of campaigning and the horrors of Waterloo together--side by side by day and, by night, in each other's arms. After the war is over, however, will the love shared between this batman and his officer survive when Christopher returns to the life of a gentleman?

Want a little taste? You can peek at a quick (unedited!) excerpt in this post.

More info on purchase links and such will come at you soon. Very soon! In the meanwhile, you can add it to your Goodreads shelf here.

I'm very very very excited about this story. After reading tons of historical and, particularly, Regency stories as a novice romance reader, it was a lot of fun to write in that style.

Bidding you a fond adieu,
NJ

"Punch-Drunk Love" needs an assist!

2014-09-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Punch-Drunk Love needs an assist to take the ball to the hoop! Okay, I'm totally mixing up my sports metaphors here (yes yes, PDL is about kickboxing, not basketball), but the sentiment remains the same.

Punch-Drunk Love is a super fluffy free story that came into existence thanks to the M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes event. I recently added the story to Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon. However, because Amazon requires you to set a minimum price of 99 cents, I was not able to list the book as free. So...

Hey, can y'all do me a solid??

I've always wanted to say "do me a solid." ;)

Please help me ask Amazon to make Punch-Drunk Love a freebie, too! Note that, in the interim, I plan on donating any royalties from the Amazon sales of this book to the Human Rights Campaign .

Punch-Drunk Love on Amazon
Punch-Drunk Love on Smashwords

To request the price match, go to the Amazon page here, then under Product Details click on "tell us about a lower price." Once the popup window appears, enter the Smashwords link - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/473018 - and indicate that the price is zero.

If y'all feel so inclined, you can also drop PDL a review and/or share the word on this freebie. Thank you so much for the helping hand, folks!

Hooray for freebies!
NJ

Fabulous Five Blog Hop

2014-09-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I was tagged to answer five questions by the fabulous Piper Vaughn, whose story One Small Thing is a feel-good fave of mine. :) Check out her books if you haven't already!

1. What am I working on?

Right now I have a few things percolating. I'm currently polishing up my historical short story A Time for Loving, which I'll be publishing later this year. The incredibly talented Natasha Snow and I are putting together a cover that I hope will convey the mood of traditional Regency stories of yesteryear. A Time for Loving takes place post-Waterloo and will explore the relationship between Christopher, an aristocratic second son and former officer, and Jack, his batman-turned-valet.

As I await news from Dreamspinner Press on next steps for my newly-signed werewolf novella He's Just Knot That Into You, I'm also brainstorming for 2.5 sequels that will be follow-ups and set in the same universe. The first will be a short story follow-up for the guys in HJKTIY (let's just say...omega heat and a whole lotta scandalousness will feature in this one!) and will introduce the MCs for books 2 and 3. Book 2 will be a human member of their wolf pack, and book 3 will be the human's werewolf BFF. I have a pretty strong sense of the direction each of those stories will take, but I just haven't had the discipline to write anything down...yet.

I also have a couple of contemporary stories that I've outlined and have been eyeing. One, a contemporary office enemies-to-lovers story, has actually been rather loud in demanding attention lately. *gives it the side eye*

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Piper had a great and completely on point answer to this question: every author has their own unique voice and style. So, yes, everyone's work is different, and, as a reader, I've had so much fun exploring the genre and discovering just that!

With that said, there's one thing that consistently appears in m/m romance: the HEA. I love HEAs and have sought out HEA stories ever since I was a wee lass. If you read my work, you'll get an HEA and a story full of smuff (that's smut and fluff, joined together in a happy-fuzzy concoction). I've been fortunate enough to have experienced a lot of different things over the years (from my bus breaking down in the desert in the Middle East to being mistaken for a prostitute in Paris to being only one of thirteen German majors at UCLA), and I hope that what I've seen and done in this world help to enrich the tales I tell. Contemporary themes (and, particularly, sports-related ones) have been pretty prominent in my stories so far, but that'll change soon with some of my upcoming releases! :)

3. Why do I write what I do?

Honestly, this question might be the hardest for me to answer. I've always loved HEAs, and romance novels have played a huge role in my life since I was young. The part I always enjoyed the most in my romances was the hero's POV. When I began reading m/m romance, the fact that there were TWO heroes' POVs blew. my. mind. I loved it. I've never really explored the appeal that closely, but it could be the way the hero's POV reveals a vulnerability that we don't often see in mainstream media portrayals of masculinity. Anyway, that's why I fell in love with m/m romance. Naturally, when the opportunity arose to try my hand at writing, it just made sense to write what I loved. That first (amazing!) writing experience opened up a whole new world for me, and I just haven't looked back.

4. How does my writing process work?

Up until my last story, I would have claimed to have been a loyal devotee of the outline and a big time plotter. However, with HJKTIY, I totally pantsed it without an outline, and that was a blast to write. As such, I guess you could say I just do what works and hope it continues to work. *sheepish grin* In general, I usually start with two characters and then ask myself "hey...wouldn't they be perfect for each other? Yeah? Well, how?" And then I explore them a little before I get an inkling of an idea as to how their HEA would unfold. That's how the outline would develop, but I'm beginning to see the beauty of the no outline approach, too. As long as the story I have in my head gets onto the page, I'm not one to question how! =)

5. Who’s next on the blog hop?

Tagging the fabulous AC Valentine, Nash Summers, Olley White, Annabeth Albert, and S.H. Allan. You're it!

Super exciting news!

2014-08-26T13:48:00.001-07:00

I just returned from Paris, which was lovely and amazing, and I arrive bearing exciting news beyond simply having returned from Paris.

Yes, that's a red wolf, and YES, I signed a contract last week with Dreamspinner Press for my werewolf novella, He's Just Knot That Into You.

I am crazy excited about this, y'all!

I'm planning to write more in this universe, so this is hopefully just the first in a series of werewolf-y announcements. *crosses fingers* Regardless, I'm so freaking psyched that Tanner and Jon have found a home with DSP. I can't wait to work with their amazing team and bring this smuffy lycan story to you. Look for more information in the coming months ahead!

On another book-related note, I'm preparing Punch-Drunk Love for publication on Amazon and Smashwords. It's on Amazon right now as a cheapie, but I'll be loading it up to Smashwords as a freebie once I finish formatting the file. Hopefully Amazon will price-match eventually. In the meanwhile, you can still find the downloadable files at the M/M Romance Group's website here.

Paris was a great period of relaxation and escape. I'll do another Paris post later, but suffice to say it helped with my being so down lately. It wasn't a cure-all or anything, but it helped.

Hope you all are doing awesomely well, and allow me to squee just once more about He's Just Knot That Into You: Squee!

Wolfy kisses and nuzzles,

Gay Par-ee! ...or, "If Not Now, Then When?"

2014-07-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

I leave for Paris in 10 days.

*coughs* Last week I booked a trip to the City of Lights, and I'll spend a month there this summer.

After Nico-kitty died, I was in a pretty big funk. I'd put off traveling while he was sick, and although I'd started doing some job-hunting, nothing really panned out. I still haven't written anything in the last month, and yeah...it was generally a pretty big downer-fest for me.

I got to the point where I felt cooped up and needed a change of scenery. With a LOT of frequent flyer miles accumulated, I had enough for a round trip flight to pretty much anywhere I wanted to go in the world. A search of airBNB led me to Paris and a cute little apartment with lovely views of the rooftops for a relatively affordable price. On top of that, Paris has the benefit of being one of the largest European train hubs, so short trips elsewhere were also a possibility.

I hemmed and hawed for a few days until finally realizing that the opportunity to do this trip -- a month! in Paris! -- was something that doesn't come around often. I still have a lot of money saved up, and I have plenty of free time. If not now, then when?

So I booked a trip. And I'm really excited!

I'll be completely honest, though: it's difficult when the everyday people in my life are not nearly as open-minded to new things. I'm talking about my family, with whom I've been staying since moving back to San Francisco. I made that decision since I wanted to be close to Nico and because I've been without an income for a while.

Even after the kitty's treatments, though, I do have quite a bit of savings still -- enough for a couple more years of voluntary unemployment and finding my own place to rent, to be quite honest -- but that's a topic for another day. Anyway...given the fam's lack of interest in new things, I've tried to keep my excitement under wraps since booking my trip, but now I'm starting to do an inner-squee because it's ALMOST HERE. And hey...what better place to inner-squee than all over the internet??

So...squee!

I'm going to Paris for a month, and it'll be super fun. YES, IT WILL.

I'm crossing my fingers it will be the perfect place to get me out of my funk.

Now let's just hope I pick up some French while I'm there...

Au revoir!
NJ

Freebie Alert! Punch-Drunk Love downloads are available!

2014-06-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all! As promised, here's the link to download a copy of my latest free story, Punch-Drunk Love:

http://www.mmromancegroup.com/punch-drunk-love-by-nico-jaye/

Because blurbs are things over which I absolutely agonize when asked to write them, I'll put that off until later and instead let you guys see what the tags are for the story. Yes, yes, I'm lazy. *slaps "lazy" sticker on forehead* Basically, be prepared for serious fluff overload, and...if you've seen the reviews...well, let's just say our boy will be dressed up in a rather UNIque costume. ;)

STORY INFO:
Genre: contemporary
Tags: sports, athlete, college, geeks/nerds, public activity, kickboxing, humorous, costumes, Vegas, lots of fluff
Word Count: 16,200

Don't forget to check out the plethora of other freebies that are available through the M/M Romance Group's wonderful event this summer. A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who make such an event possible - from the prompt writers to the authors to the editors to the proofreaders to the formatters and beyond! It wouldn't happen without you folks.

Happy reading, and hope you enjoy!

Freebie Story, Now Available!

2014-06-12T19:13:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Just a quick note that my freebie kickboxing story is now available to members of the Goodreads M/M Romance group. Check out Punch-Drunk Love here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1861722

I'll post another update next week when the free downloads are available on the M/M Romance website. In the meanwhile, hope you enjoy, and here are some NSFW pictures that served as inspiration, after the jump!

Ang's awesome "Dear Author" prompt

Costumes play a large role in Punch-Drunk Love.

Cutie marks show up in the course of the story, too!

A Personal Post

2014-06-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Back in January I posted about the difficulties we would face as my furbaby battled cancer.

We lost that fight this weekend.

In loving memory of Nico, from whom I borrowed this pen name.

A personal post follows (after the jump).

Nico, you were the best little boy boy, and I couldn't have asked for a more fabulous roommate, friend, and kitty confidante. You were there for me through thick and thin, and I loved knowing every day that I would come home to your cute little meows, head butts, and biscuits on my arm. We settled into New York together, and we had many wonderful times.

There was the time I first saw you, when the woman at the rescue home kept putting kittens on my lap and asking if I was interested in them. Nope, I was most definitely not. I was interested in the grey four year old adult cat who was on their website. So we stood up and she took me to you, and there you were, sitting so majestically on top of the refrigerator, like you weren't gonna have anything to do with that ruckus. The woman warned me that you weren't very affectionate and could be kind of stand-off-ish. Oh, Nico, how wrong was she??? :)

Then there was the time in my first NYC apartment when I came out of the shower one night to see that the rooftop access door was opened. I didn't freak out for the usual I-watch-too-much-Law-&-Order reasons. Oh no. I freaked out because there you were, sitting in the open doorway with your hind legs outside and your front paws indoors, looking very very confused. I was so scared you would run away, but I learned over the years that you weren't just gonna bail on me like that. (P.S. There was no intruder in the house, thankfully--the latch just wasn't secure on a windy night.)

There was also the time I was hosting Thanksgiving at my second NYC apartment. Little did I know there would be more than ten people in my small one bedroom in the West Village. It was a cozy group and a lovely evening. The turkey was on the counter, and I had just taken it out of the oven. I turned my back for a second, and of course that's all it took for you to jump up there and start sniffing around. You were reeeeeally into that turkey, and when I picked you up, you doth protested fiercely. I still have the scar from your contributions to that evening. :)

There were the times when you would jump from the couch to my bed in my third NYC apartment (a studio), or how I learned to rip off the loose packing tape whenever I put a box down for you to explore, or when you would trot across the room with your tail high like you owned the world, or the way you would wait on the round carpet in front of the bathroom whenever I was taking a shower. There were the times you played catch with a paper receipt ball and ignored the toys I bought for you. There were the times when I would lie down on the couch with a book in just that way, and, without fail, you would come curl up in the cradle of my arm and do biscuits before falling asleep.

Through the years, there were so many memorable times, and I cherish every one of them. Thank you for bringing so much happiness and joy to my life. I'll always love you and remember you.

♥

I just needed a moment to shine the spotlight on the furry love of my adult life thus far. We'll return to our regularly-scheduled m/m romance-y stuff shortly. Thanks.

Lesson Learned

2014-06-06T20:57:00.004-07:00

Recently I started writing what I thought would be a flash fic fun sort of exercise--a historical Regency-set secret lovers sort of story--using the new no-outline approach that I took with my werewolf story. Little did I know that my tiny flash fic would turn into a 6000+ word short story. O__O Like the werewolf story (tentatively titled "He's Just Knot That Into You" *grins*), this shortie just kept going and going...and going. Who am I to argue with what the guys have to say? :)

While my werewolf goes through various beta stages, I thought I'd share a small piece of Christopher and Jack's story. Here's a glimpse (very rough and unedited!), and keep an eye out for more news on this one as I figure out what the heck to do with it. ^__^

When Christopher returned to the bedchamber at the time the clock ticked its way past midnight, Jack was waiting for him. As was their routine, they locked the doors to bar any unwanted nightly visitors, such a practice explained to the household as a way to deter Christopher's childhood habit of sleepwalking.

Little did they know he'd outgrown such an inclination years ago.

"A pleasant evening," Christopher said mildly over his shoulder as Jack assisted him out of his well-fitted navy coat.

"Was it?" Jack murmured in response. Setting aside the garment onto the clothes valet, he turned to face Christopher's back and skimmed his hands over his shoulders. His palms, forever callused from years of campaigning, nevertheless picked up the texture of the silver-embroidered brocade waistcoat. Those shoulders were broad, carrying with them the weight of responsibility—for their regiment, for their secret, for their future—well beyond Christopher's twenty-three years.

Lost in his thoughts, Jack startled when Christopher turned around to grasp his wrist gently. He looked up into Christopher's familiar gaze and sighed, his heart settling into place even as his pulse began to race at the sight of the heat in those blue depths.

"It would have been much more pleasant with your company, Jack," Christopher said, his voice warm and low.

Swallowing thickly, Jack smiled up into that precious face. He listened and heard the sounds of the house going to sleep around them.

This was their time—the time between days when they could be lost in their world.

"You know 'tis impossible, Christopher," Jack whispered regretfully, searching his gaze. He moved to clasp his hand, drawing Christopher's palm to his neck and curling it against the skin there. "But our time is now, and my company is yours. Yours always."

From A Time for Loving

Hope you liked the little peek into Christopher and Jack's lives!

In the meanwhile, I have to ask: are you a member of the M/M Romance Group?? You can read more about the MMRG here at http://www.mmromancegroup.com and join the group on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/20149. I only ask because the group has a fabulous writing event that kicked off last week!

Love's Landscapes is a very cool writing and reading event featuring free m/m romance stories every day throughout the summer. My upcoming freebie, Punch-Drunk Love, will be coming out soon, and the MMRG is the only place where you can read it first! Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the downloads to be available on their website. :) If you're not a member, then think about it! Highly recommended if you're an m/m romance fan.

Hope you're all doing well, and happy reading!

♥,
NJ

"Punch-Drunk Love" has a cover!

2014-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I'm doing a little traveling right now in Colorado and Arizona, but I couldn't wait to share the cover for my upcoming M/M Romance Group freebie, Punch-Drunk Love. The story, which features two kickboxing boys, is set in the San Francisco Bay Area (with a detour to Vegas...) and full of fluff. I hope you like it!

My super talented graphic designer friend Natasha Snow (http://www.natashasnow.com) created this beautiful cover. To me, she hit the nail right on the head, and it's absolutely perfect for the lighthearted vibe of the story.

*stares*

Oh! Ahem...

Sorry, got a little caught up in the awesome cover. :D

Anyway, hope you all like it, and keep an eye out for more on Punch-Drunk Love! The story, along with a number of other freebies, will come out this summer during the M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes event.

♥,

To Outline or Not to Outline

2014-04-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

To outline or not to outline...

That is now the surprising question.

Although I'm still learning when it comes to writing (and, in fact, aren't we always learning?), I'd always done things the same way up till now: outline outline outline!

Perhaps it's the need to have control over a process (namely, writing) that in itself is quite creative. Perhaps it's my background as a lawyer that means I like to know what to expect. Or perhaps it's the problem solver in me that likes to think "hey...how exactly do they get from meet-cute to HEA?"

Anyway, up until now, I've always been about the outline. Even if it wasn't a completely detailed outline, it always took me along the main events from Point A to HEA. With every story I've written, there has been some kind of outline.

Well, no longer.

As an update on the kickboxing boys, I turned that in last week. (yay!) So keep an eye out for Punch-Drunk Love when the M/M Romance Group releases it this summer alongside a bunch of other nifty freebie stories. Like my other M/M Romance Group freebies BTW I Love You and Man-to-Man Coverage, it's around 15-20K words of fluff. On a separate note, the 15-20K words mark appears to be my sweet spot when writing, but maybe that's a subject for another blog post. :)

Anyway, I completed the kickboxing boys' story and immediately turned to a new one that had been waving its arms at me for attention. This story has taken up my writing time the last few days, and it's basically giving the finger and sticking its tongue out to my other WIPs.

I had a general idea that I wrote down in a quick paragraph of story direction.

But here's the thing...after that, I just sat down and began to write it.

No outline, no other notes, nada.

It's been so much fun.

The story is about a werewolf (yes, watching Teen Wolf has definitely provided some paranormal writing inspiration), and it's pretty much fluffy lycan office romance fun. :) Let's just say surprise shifting, bad dates, some porn mags, and a charming new personal assistant are involved.

The process of not having a process has been eye-opening. It's quite freeing, and I can definitely see the appeal of how writers favor this approach. That isn't to say that I don't have a rough outline in my head, but it's almost like not putting it down on paper has some kind of psychological effect of feeling no pressure to take things one way or another.

It might be that extra step of writing it down that has made me feel more locked into an idea. While my outlines in the past have themselves been fluid, my decision (or reluctance?) to change major points possibly was influenced by the fact that they were already down on paper in the first place. So maybe having it in writing already felt like a commitment, whereas doing it from the inspirational paragraph and whatever thoughts are in my head instead permit a lot more straying.

I have no idea, but it's making me question how I approach my other WIPs. Which could be a good thing. Or a bad thing. >__>

We'll see, right? As it is, I'm working on my werewolf boy for now and will take the others one day at a time. I've had a lot of fun trying out this new approach, so who knows? Maybe that'll be my new MO when it comes to getting my stories onto the page.

I've heard so many things about how people plan their stories one way or the other. If you have any opinions on how to organize and put together your tale, please share. I'm curious to hear what you guys think. =)

Now...back to my werewolf!

♥,
NJ

Kickboxing Smuff Progress, Title Madness & Another Sex and Candy Giveaway!

2014-04-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, so I thought I'd add a little update about the kickboxing Love's Landscapes story that has been consuming my free time. Consuming it voraciously. Like a puppy with a juicy bone. *ahem* I finished up the draft last night (yay!), and since I do most of my edits as I write (which is just as time-consuming as it sounds, heh), I polished it up this morning and sent it to my awesome beta buddy for thoughts. >__>

A lot of stuff happens, and, at the same time, it's total smuff (smut + fluff), too. I'm a little nervous about how that combo works here, so we'll see what she thinks. I wanted to post a cool kickboxing photo, but there weren't any decent ones in the public domain. Thus, instead of a kickboxing or boxing photo, here's a picture of Nico-kitteh sitting in a box:

I can also tell you that a unicorn costume makes an appearance in this story. Anything else is secret, and you'll just have to see what happens when the (freebie!) story comes out this summer! ^__^ The full prompt and picture can be found at the end of my post here.

I would totally share the title with you, too, except I'm not sure yet what it is. Eeps! Yes, I sent the title Punch-Drunk Love to the event organizers, but now I'm not sure if I like it enough to use it for the story. *shakes fist weakly* Argh, why is the title so hard?

For my latest story Sex and Candy, the title was automatic.

Have you heard the Marcy's Playground song "Sex and Candy?" That's one of my favorites, and I had it on repeat often in college. Of course, when I set the decidedly smuffy short story in a club called Hard Candy (which you can read more about here), the title Sex and Candy immediately popped into my head. At the time, there was only one other story out there with that title, so I thought it was good to go. I wrote the story back in the autumn and didn't give the title a second thought.

It's funny because a few weeks before the March 30th release, another story with the title Sex and Candy came out from MLR Press. That came as a surprise, but then, after reading the description, I realized the stories were completely different. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that people give my Sex and Candy a shot, too. =)

So while I'm waiting for my beta buddy to get back to me (alliteration there, eh?), I thought I'd post a bit about Sex and Candy and give some stuff away. Yay!

There have been some amazing reviews, and I'm so freaking grateful to everyone who has checked it out. Thank you! You can see what the folks at Prism Book Alliance, My Fiction Nook, and 3 Chicks After Dark had to say about the book if you're curious. =)

Another thing to mention is that the publisher, JMS Books, is having a sale this weekend. All ebooks are 40% off, including Sex and Candy. You can enter the giveaway below for an ebook copy or, if you can't wait to read it, you can pick up the discounted story (for $1.79) here at JMS Books through April 20th! :D

Anyway...GIVEAWAY TIME.

Yay!

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away another prize package to celebrate the Sex and Candy HARD opening (heh heh, hard) now that it's available everywhere. *tosses confetti* The soft opening on March 30th was a publisher-only release date, so here's a quick listing of some of the other ebook retailers where you can now find Sex and Candy:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

To celebrate all the sexy and sweet things, I'm doing a giveaway package with these lovely goodies:

- ebook copy of Sex and Candy

Plus a snail mail package of these items (open to international winners because you guys read books, too!):

- a pair of electric blue undies (unfortunately, hot guy not included)

- a candy-colored gumdrop bead bracelet

- a silver-colored metal "love" ring

HOW TO ENTER

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with a means of contacting you (e.g., email, Twitter handle, Goodreads profile link, etc.) and, if you feel like sharing, let me know what your favorite type of candy is! :)

Hrmmmm...or, since I've asked that before and maybe you'd like to share something else, how about letting us know what song inspires you? "Inspires me to do what?" you ask. Anything! We're equal opportunity inspire-ers here. ;)

Contest closes at 10PM (Pacific time) on Monday, April 28, 2014. The winner will be chosen using a highly scientific internet randomizer (i.e., the 21st century's answer to "names in a hat") and should reply within 48 hours or else another winner will be chosen.

You can also add Sex and Candy to your Goodreads shelf here. Thanks for checking out the post, and happy reading!