An excerpt from SWEPT AWAY (free M/M fiction)

I’ve made some awesome progress on my current projects lately, so I hope you don’t mind the recent lack of blog posts. (If you’re curious about what I’ve been working on, you can see the latest status updates on the Works-in-Progress page of my website.)

One of the things I’ve been wanting to do with the blog is get a few excerpts of my published works posted since a fair number of new readers find me through this site. So starting this week, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite moments from each of my titles.

To start things off, here’s an excerpt from SWEPT AWAY with Eddie and Mike

Why I chose this excerpt: I’ve always loved the contrast of how Eddie was feeling in this moment (when he first enters the cool ocean water and sees how happy Mike is) with the way he was feeling earlier (both in the stifling courtroom and at the airport when he was hot and sticky and thought he was about to see Mike’s ex). 

Swept Away by Sloan Parker

Setup: The biggest case of Eddie’s career and nothing’s going right. He’s stuck in a stifling courtroom with no air conditioning during the worst heat wave in years, and the judge has denied his latest motion. He just wants to spend a quiet night celebrating with his partner, Mike, on their fifteenth anniversary. But Mike has a surprise in mind this year. A surprise that may be more than Eddie imagined possible.

“Race you,” he said, then jumped off the deck and ran onto the beach stark naked, heading for the water’s edge.

“Asshole,” I called out as I kicked off my shorts and shoes. I chased after him, laughing all the way to the water. He’d already made it in waist-high by the time I got there. He splashed me as I ran in. I lunged at him, and he let out a huge-ass giggle as I wrapped my arms around his chest from behind. A fucking giggle.

Wait. That hadn’t come from him. It was from me. His laugh still sounded like a guy his size normally would. It sounded great. I sounded like a kid running to get to the dodgeball first at recess. Maybe it was the sound of pure joy.

I had every intention of dunking him under the water, but I gave up on that idea. I couldn’t bring myself to end his laughter. Better to cut off my own embarrassing sounds. I let go of him, dove under the surface, and basked in the cool water that surrounded my heated flesh from head to toe. The stickiness of the past twelve hours washed away, and every concern and worry went with it.

Maybe I had been under too long. His large hands grabbed my arms and yanked me up. “Come here.” He brought his lips to mine. The stubble on his face was wet, and the water dripped to my chest as we pressed closer together.

He grabbed the back of my head and parted his lips. So many times we’d done this, a caress of tongues, the intensity building, our cocks growing harder as our bodies surged together, as we shifted our hips and found the rhythm that drove us both to the edge. But we’d never done anything outside. We’d fucked year after year in front of forty guys, but not once had he given me a simple kiss on the lips outside of our place or a gay bar. Never outdoors where someone might see. Never standing naked in the ocean.

He backed up a few steps toward the cottage tugging me along with him, never stopping the touches or the kisses until we reached the water’s edge. He pulled me down to the sand until I was lying on top of him. I braced myself, hands in the wet sand on each side of his head, and lined up our bodies groin to groin. I stared down at him. The wet hair on his chest shone in the dim light of the moon. The muscles of his biceps flexed as he ran his palms down my arms. His eyes crinkled up again at the corners as he gave me a slow smile. God, he’d never looked better. The swell of the surf rolled in around us, the water shallow, barely an inch deep where he had decided to get horizontal. Such a smart man.

We moved together, creating friction that had my cock wet at the tip for reasons that had nothing to do with the ocean. I rocked faster, loving the groan he gave up as my shaft grazed the sensitive skin below the head of his dick. I didn’t want the moment to end. But I also wanted the wave of orgasm to crash into us both, like the surf washing over our tangled limbs. I wanted to watch his face in the moonlight as he came.

He must have had another idea. “Eddie, stop. Up. Inside.” Maybe those were all the words he could form right then.

Read the full story at: Amazon| iBooks | B&N | Smashwords | Kobo | Google Play

Interview and Giveaway: More about MORE series

Diverse Reader

I’m the author spotlight this week over at Diverse Reader, sharing about the MORE series, writing sex scenes in a menage story, and the actors I’d pick for Luke, Richard, and Matthew.

As of this posting, there’s 36 hours left in the giveaway, so be sure to stop by my interview at Diverse Reader to enter for a chance to win a free e-book from my backlist.

The behind-the-story page for MORE series has been updated

Quote_MoreThanMost_6

 

My website has been updated with all the behind-the-story info for MORE THAN MOST (More Book 2). I shared most of these during the book’s release party, but now all the character interviews, playlists, related blog posts, and character sketches for the series are available in one place. And if you haven’t read it yet, don’t miss the brief conversation with Matthew that takes place before the third book in the series.

 

Look what I found: Breathe Character Note Cards

I was cleaning my office the other day and stumbled across these note cards. They’re my original ideas for the characters in BREATHE. I had forgotten all about them. Most of the characters from the story were in the stack, even Duke, Lincoln’s old dog.

(c) Sloan Parker

(c) Sloan Parker

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by the release party last week. And a big thanks to those of you who wrote to me with your giveaway entries. All your kind remarks about my work meant a great deal to me, and I’m thrilled so many of you have enjoyed MORE THAN MOST. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.

The winner of the release party giveaway was selected and has been contacted about their prize. Congratulations to the winner and thanks to everyone who entered!

Release Party: A Conversation with Matthew

More Than Most Release Party

Click here to enter the giveaway. One entry per person per day during the release party.

Today is the last day of my MORE THAN MOST release party. Thanks so much to everyone who’s stopped by. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading all the comments with the giveaway entries. You guys are the best. Hearing from individual readers who’ve enjoyed my work makes the difficult days in this business truly much brighter. THANK YOU!

Today is also the last day to enter the giveaway. We’ll be selecting a winner tomorrow, May 4th. I hope you enjoy the final, and my favorite, post of the blog party.

A Conversation with Matthew

The following conversation between Sloan and Matthew takes place after MORE THAN MOST (More Book 2). Slight spoiler alert for MORE THAN MOST.

I rang the bell, and a short moment later the door flew open. Matthew’s eyes lit up the moment he saw me. “I’m so glad you called. I’ve been waiting forever to talk to you.”

I returned his smile. “Yeah, me too.”

“Come on in.” He stepped aside and gestured for me to enter, moving with an animated excitement I found contagious. “The guys should be home soon. I know they’d love to see you.”

“That’d be great, but I’m afraid I can only stay for a minute.”

“Oh, okay.” Despite his words, his tone demonstrated he wasn’t too disappointed by that we’d be alone. Maybe he didn’t just want to talk to me. Maybe he needed to. “Let’s go in the living room.” He laughed as he pointed down the hall. “I guess you know the way.”

I laughed with him. “Yeah, I do.”

We settled ourselves on the couch, and he turned to face me, pulling one leg up onto the cushion between us. I matched the pose and didn’t bother getting out a pen and paper. With him, taking notes would’ve felt wrong. It was more like we were two old friends catching up.

Although he did seem slightly nervous, and that bothered me. But it didn’t diminish the smile he couldn’t seem to contain. He was wearing skinny jeans, a black T-shirt with gray lettering that read Keep Calm and Rock On, and white athletic socks that were too big for his feet and hung off the ends of his toes. Richard’s socks? I didn’t ask.

“You seem happy,” I said.

He nodded. Then he dipped his head and folded and unfolded the bottom edge of one pant leg on his jeans.

“What’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “Richard said you’d probably know stuff I haven’t told anyone yet, stuff I haven’t even realized about myself.”

“I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

He met my stare, and the anxiety melted away. “Nah. I trust you.”

“Thanks.” I paused, for the first time, unsure if I could push him the way I did Richard and Luke. But we both needed me to. “I think you just don’t like that I know something you haven’t told them yet.”

He bit his lower lip and fiddled with his pants again. He whispered his next words like Richard and Luke were there with us and might hear him. “I guess.” Then his head shot up, his eyes wide. “It’s not something I’ve been keeping from them. It’s just… stuff I think I’m finally starting to understand.”

“I know.” I offered another smile. I hated that I’d upset him. I leaned forward and laid a hand over one of his. “I think you’re worrying too much. You just need to talk to them.”

He nodded and drew in a deep breath like that was easier said than done.

Just then a puppy came barreling into the room. She pressed both front paws against the couch and tried to scramble up the side without success. Matthew reached down and scooped her up.

When she was situated on his lap, I spoke again. “She’s even more adorable in person.”

He laughed as he stroked her head between her ears. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“So are you.”

He blushed, his gaze never leaving the dog.

I decided to offer him a reprieve. I sat back. “So, Matthew, if there was one thing you’d want readers to know about you, what would it be?”

He stared off toward the hall leading to the front door. “I don’t know… I guess…” Then he seemed to settle on something. He confidently met my stare. “That I love Richard and Luke.”

I smiled at him once more. “I think people get that.”

“Yeah?” He sighed. “Good.”

I shifted around and settled my right leg on the floor again. “Well, I don’t have a lot of questions yet. I just wanted to touch base, make sure you were okay with what was going to happen next.”

He cocked his head to the side and studied me with curiosity.

I hesitated, searching for the right words. “There are still a few things you have to work through, Matthew.” I waited again in case he had anything he wanted to ask. When he didn’t say more, I stood. It was probably a good idea for him to think through what I might’ve meant and what he was feeling about it before we talked more. “I better get going.”

He stayed seated and watched me with wide dark eyes. “But…”

“What?”

“I’m doing fine. More than fine.” He stared down at the puppy again. “Aren’t I?” The insecurity in those two words broke my heart.

“You are, but…” I was having a hard time offering more.

He lifted his head and searched my eyes. Then he looked to the hall again like he could see Luke and Richard standing there, or was thinking through what I’d said. With a deep breath, he sat taller, the tension fading away. He nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” He set the puppy on the couch beside him and got up. “I guess that means we’ll be talking more soon.”

“I hope that’s okay.”

He threw me another one of those killer grins. “I can’t wait.”

Enter the Release Party Giveaway for a chance at a $25 e-gift card to All Romance eBooks and a bundle of Sloan Parker’s novels in print. You can enter the giveaway once per day for a total of seven entries per person. The giveaway ends 11:59 PM on Sunday, May 3, 2015.

>> View all the release party posts