Monthly Archives: December 2010

A Thank-You and My Blog Plans for 2011

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Happy New Year! I hope each of you have a wonderful new year full of fantastic stories to read.

As 2010 comes to a close here in the US, I’d like to thank each and every one of my readers for taking the time to check out my first two novels. I know there are many new authors, with loads of stories released every week in this genre, and I truly appreciate all of you for considering my work to be a part of your precious reading time. This has been a year full of firsts and wonderful experiences for me, and I couldn’t continue down this writing path (at least not in this manner) if there was no one to read my stories. Thank you all!!

Also I thought I’d give everyone an update on my blogging plans for the coming year. I’ve enjoyed blogging this past year. It was a nice break from writing, and even if I was only posting a quick video or quote, it was fun to share various things I found inspiring, interesting, and entertaining with all of you.

This next year, I’m going to continue posting on a regular schedule (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, although hopefully a little bit more consistently than in 2010), but I’m also planning to change up my blog topics. Rather than post to the same categories on particular days each week, I’m going to post about whatever is most relevant to me at the time. Over the past few months, I had several topics I wanted to write about or I saw various links or videos I wanted to share, but it didn’t fit my blog schedule so I didn’t post them. This year, I’d like to share with my readers anything I think you might find interesting (or at least I hope you might find interesting), and also share a bit more about my work and occasionally the work of other authors of m/m romance.

So here are some of the categories I’ll be posting to in no particular order on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of 2011:

  • Announcements/News
  • Writing Updates
  • Excerpts
  • Behind the Story
  • Contests
  • Video I Love
  • Quote I Love
  • Just for Fun
  • Wordless Wednesday
  • Friday Photos
  • Sexy Inspiration

If there are any topics you’d like to suggest or any questions you’d like me to answer, feel free to send me an email.

I hope you all have a safe and happy new year.
Sloan

Quote I Love: Life would not be complete without…

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Sorry I missed posting on Monday, but I’m plugging away on Walter and Kevin’s story to meet my last writing goal for the year: finishing the first draft of this novel. Two days to go. Not sure I’ll make it, but I should be pretty close by the end of the day on Friday. Then I’ll be in editing mode.

Today I wrote a couple of passion-filled scenes. I was pretty happy with how they turned out (even in this first draft), so I felt like sharing a quote about love and passion today.

“Life would not be complete without the smell of your hair, the touch of your hand, the taste of your lips.The beating of your heart, your breath, as you rest on my chest. To hear your sighs and feel the passion, desires coming from within…I know men have surely died for less.”

Author Unknown

Quote I Love: Own It!

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Writing doesn’t always come easily to me (especially the first draft of a story), so I appreciate quotes like this one.

“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.”

-Oprah Winfrey

Winners for Happy Holidays eBook Giveaway

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Thank you to everyone who entered my first Holiday eBook Giveaway. There were well over 50 entries, so I’m giving away two prizes. Using random.org, the following have won their choice of 1 of my eBooks, a choice of any 1 eBook available at Loose Id’s website, or a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I have sent an email to each of the winners.

  1. #63: Cj
  2. #8: Carole Lake

Congratulations, Cj and Carole!

Thanks again to all of you for keeping the m/m romance genre alive. You guys rock! A special thanks to everyone who picked up a copy of my books. I appreciate you giving my stories a try.

I wish you all a wonderful and safe new year!!

Happy Reading!
Sloan

For the Love of: Public Libraries

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This post is dedicated to my mom, a small-town librarian from the time I was four until she retired earlier this year, who took me to work with her during my youth and shared her love of reading with this curious dreamer.

I recently had dinner with a friend who works at a public library here in my home state, and she told me about a very interesting program she had just finished teaching. It was a creative writing course for veterans. The class was made up of men of varying ages who served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. Most came for two reasons: to learn creative writing techniques that could help them share their stories with others and to learn how to write for their own therapeutic needs.

She called it powerful watching the men slowly open up to her–and each other–about their experiences and why they needed to write about them. As she talked about the class, I could picture the mix of old and young men from very different wars all nodding in understanding as common themes were explored. My friend said she was certain she learned more from them than they did from her. Hearing about the class and the experience it must have been for everyone reminded me how much I love libraries.

Even today, with the vast amount of information available on-line, libraries are offering services that are hard to replicate. Those veterans came together in one room, face-to-face, and learned ways to share their tragic and heroic pasts with others and how to use writing to heal their own hearts.

Libraries still offer so much to those who may not otherwise be able to afford or locate certain resources.

So if you haven’t been by your own local library lately, take a look and see what they are offering. You might be surprised.

Sloan

Sloan Parker’s Happy Holidays eBook Giveaway (CLOSED)

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No Monday video this week. Instead I’m announcing my 1st Happy Holidays eBook Giveaway.

As a thank you to all the readers who keep the m/m romance genre alive, I’m giving away free eBooks. You guys rock!

Here’s how the giveaway works: One random winner for every 50 entries (up to a maximum of 6 winners) will have their choice from the following options:

  • Option 1: Winner’s choice of 1 of my eBooks.
  • Option 2: Winner’s choice of any 1 eBook available at Loose Id’s website.
  • Option 3: A $10 Barnes and Noble gift card.

Rules and instructions for the giveaway are listed below. Contest closes at 12:00 pm EST Monday, December 20, 2010 or 300 entries (whichever comes first).

Instructions / Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment on this blog post indicating that you’d like to enter. Be sure to include a valid email address in the email form field in order to be considered. Your email address is for my use only (in order to contact the winners). It will NOT be published on the blog or used for marketing/promotional purposes.
  • If for any reason you cannot leave a comment, email me and I’ll post your comment for you (that way everyone can see how many entries there are).
  • Winners are randomly drawn from the total list of entries.
  • One entry per person please.
  • Contest closes at 12:00 pm EST Monday, December 20, 2010 or 300 entries (whichever comes first).
  • Winners will be announced on the blog and privately emailed by 11:59 EST on Monday, December 20.
  • If I do not hear back from the winners with their selections within two weeks, I reserve the right to select another winner.

Feel free to share the link to this blog post. There’s also a direct link to the contest on my website. You can use the graphic at the top of this post if you’d like.

Good luck and thank you again to all the readers. Happy reading in 2011!
Sloan

More wins Best Gay Romance Rainbow Award

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Posting late again this week but wanted to share some exciting news about an award, an upcoming contest for readers, and a few reviews.

MORE wins a Rainbow Award
I am thrilled to announce that MORE won first place in the Best Gay Contemporary Romance category of the Rainbow Awards. I would’ve been excited to see my debut novel in the top 10, but to see it win was both shocking and fantastic. Thanks to Elisa for hosting the awards and the judges for volunteering their time. Congratulations to all the winners, including the other top winners in my category, Marie Sexton and Eden Winters! You can view the full list of categories and winners here.

Happy Holidays Reader Contest
Next week I’ll be starting my first Happy Holidays blog contest. I’m giving away gift cards and free ebooks. Be sure to check back on Monday to find out how to enter.

Reviews for BREATHE
Thought I’d share the links to some reviews and mini-reviews for BREATHE. Thanks to Chocolate Minx (at Literary Nymphs), Chris (at Stumbling Over Chaos), and Wave (at Reviews by Jessewave) for taking the time to read my second release. Reviewers are like gold to newer authors like me (every mention of our work helps us get noticed in the sea of new book releases).

And lastly this week, I just want to say thanks to everyone who has picked up a copy of BREATHE. I hope you’ve enjoyed Jay and Lincoln’s story.

Have a fab weekend everyone!
Sloan