New Website is Live!

New Sloan Parker Site DesignMy new website went live this week. There are a few minor tweaks my web guru and I need to work on yet (including a mobile version), but all the content from the old site is there and the new design has been added to the blog as well. I’m very happy to have the website and blog more integrated. I hope it makes it easier for new visitors to browse around and find what they’re looking for.

If you’re trying to find something and can’t locate it, or if something doesn’t look or work right on your end, please drop me a line so we can get it corrected. Thanks!

 

M/M Reader Appreciation Day: 15+ Prizes and a Day of Gay Romance Excerpts

This Saturday, February 16th is another Reader Appreciation Day at the Sweet Spot Yahoo Group (hosted by me, SJ Frost, and Jambrea Jo Jones). Stop by to enter the giveaway, read excerpts, and chat with authors of M/M romances. The giveaway runs from 8 am – 8 pm EST.

The following authors have generously donated these books or other prizes. Thank you, authors!

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

  1. If you haven’t already, join the Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheSweetSpotMM/
  2. Watch the group page (or your email if you choose to receive emails from the group) on Saturday, February 16th for a message with instructions on how to enter. The subject of the post should read something like “Enter the Giveaway: Respond to this message for a chance to win”
  3. Reply to that message between 8am and 8pm EST indicating you’d like to enter the giveaway.

That’s it. You’ll be added to the drawing for your chance at a random prize. Winners will be announced via the group after the giveaway closes. Authors will be sent the winning email addresses at that time and will contact their winners directly.

 

Complete List of Prizes

Hope you can join us at The Sweet Spot Reader Appreciation Day on February 16, 2013.

Authors of m/m romances, if you’re interested in joining us for our next RAD, we’d love to have you. Send me an email and I’ll add you to our author contact list.

Reader Book Recommendations for Newcomers to M/M Romances

At the end of 2012, I hosted my annual happy holidays giveaway on my blog where I asked readers to name a non-Sloan Parker m/m romance they’d recommend to a friend who hasn’t read any gay romances but would like to. The final list is below and includes over 130 titles, which I guess goes to show how vast reader preferences are when it comes to favorite reads.

I apologize for any misspellings of titles or author’s names. Each recommendation was copied as it was originally entered in the readers’ comments.

Thanks to all the readers who responded. I hope everyone who checks out this list finds some great new-to-you books to read.

Recommended Books

  • 7 Days of Christmas by Nicole Dennis
  • 911 by Chris Owens
  • A Better Man by RJ Scott
  • A Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon
  • A Matter of Time series by Mary Calmes
  • A Strange Place in Time series by Alyx Shaw
  • A Strong and Sudden Thaw by RW Day
  • A to Z by Marie Sexton
  • Absolutely Eric by Erica Pike
  • Adrien English series by Josh Lanyon
  • After Ben from the Seattle Stories series by Con Riley
  • Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price
  • Archer’s Heart by Astrid Amara
  • As You Are by Ethan Day
  • Bareback by Chris Owen
  • Bear, Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune
  • Blacque/Bleu by Belinda McBride
  • Blue Notes by Shira Anthony
  • Bob the Book by David Pratt
  • Brute by Kim Fielding
  • But My Boyfriend Is by  K. A. Mitchell
  • Cards on the Table by Josh Lanyon
  • Caught Running by Abigail Roux and Madeline Urban
  • Change of Heart by Mary Calmes
  • Chase in Shadow by Amy Lane
  • Clear Water by Amy Lane
  • Close Protection by Cordelia Kingsbridge
  • Coda Series by Marier Sexton
  • Collision Course by  K. A. Mitchell
  • Coming Home by Ava Rose Johnson
  • Companions Nich’ooni by Jed A. Bryan
  • Conquest Series by S. J. Frost
  • Cop Out by KC Burn
  • Crossing Borders by ZA Maxfield
  • Crying for the Moon by Sarah Madison
  • Cut and Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban
  • Dance with the Devil by Megan Derr
  • Dark Soul by Aleksandr Voinov
  • Diversion by Eden Winters
  • Duck! by Kim Dare
  • Fair Game by Josh Lanyon
  • Fairy Tales Volume 1 by Megan Derr
  • Fall in the Sun by Val Kovalin
  • Finding Zach by Rowan Speedwell
  • First Kiss by J. Tomas
  • Force of Law by Jez Morrow
  • Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino
  • Frog by Mary Calmes
  • Good To Know by D.W. Marchwell
  • Gravediggers’ Brawl by Abi Roux
  • Grey’s Awakening by Cameron Dane
  • Hammer series by Sean Micheal
  • Heaven Sent series by Jet Mykles
  • Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price
  • Holland Brothers Series by Toni Griffin
  • Home Series by Cardeno C
  • Hot Head by Damon Suede
  • Hunter’s Moon by M.J. O’Shea
  • I Spy Something Bloody by Josh Lanyon
  • In the Company of Men series by Lynn Lorenz
  • Incursion by Aleksandr Voino
  • Infected series by Andrea Speed
  • Into Deep Water by Kaje Harper
  • Jarhead series by Sean Michael (starting with Three Day Passes)
  • Jay Bell’s Something Like Summer
  • Jewel Bond series by Megan Derr
  • Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane
  • Knitter series by Amy Lane
  • Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper
  • Lost Boys series by JP Barnaby
  • Lost Gods series by Megan Derr
  • Love Means…No Shame by Andrew Grey
  • Love, Hypothetically by Anne Tenino
  • Loving Instincts by SJ Frost
  • Magic Mansion by Jordan Castillo Price
  • Marie Sexton’s Song of Oestend
  • Mark of the Gladiator
  • Missing Butterfly by Megan Derr
  • My Summer of Wes by Missy Welsh
  • Nighttime Wishes and Nighttime Dreams by M.A. Church
  • No Going Home by TA Chase
  • One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O’Shea
  • Pricks and Pragmatism by JL Merrow
  • Prisoner by Megan Derr
  • Promises by Marie Sexton
  • PsyCop series by Jordsn Castillo Price
  • Quinn’s Hart by Cassandra Gold
  • Rayne’s Wild Ride by Jambrea Jo Jones
  • Regularly Scheduled Life by  K. A. Mitchell
  • Riding Heartbreak Road by Kiernan Kelly
  • Rough Stock series by BA Tortuga
  • Sanctuary series by RJ Scott
  • Scarlet and the White Wolf series by Kirby Crow
  • Scrap Metal by Harper Fox
  • Second Chances by T.A. Webb
  • Shadow of the Templar by M Chandler
  • Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander
  • Sinders and Ash by Tara Lain
  • Sno Ho by Ethan Day
  • Sock it to Me, Santa! by Madison Parker
  • Something Like Summer by Jay Bell
  • Special Forces epic by Aleksandr Voinov
  • Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton
  • THAW by Jordan Castillo Price
  • The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson
  • The Bonds of Earth by G.N. Chevalier
  • The British Devil by Greg Hogben
  • The Cat in the Cradle by Jay Bell
  • The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott
  • The Cowboy Poet by Claire Thompson
  • The Cranberry Hush by Ben Monopoli
  • The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest
  • The Ghost Wore Yellow Shoes by  Josh Lanyon
  • The Guardian by Mary Calmes
  • The Little Boy Lost series by J.P. Barnaby
  • The Missing Butterfly
  • The One That Got Away by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban
  • The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper
  • The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters by Amy Lane
  • Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy
  • Timing series by Mary Calmes
  • Tinseltown (author unnamed)
  • To Touch the Stars by Jeremy Pack
  • Tough Love by Helen Gabriel
  • Tri Omega Mates Series by Stormy Glenn
  • Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane
  • Turbulence by Jordan Castillo Price
  • Unconventional at Best Anthology
  • Wanting by Piper Vaughn
  • Where He Ends And I Begin by Cardeno C.
  • Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen
  • Witness by L.A. Gilbert
  • Wolfman Apocalypse by Brannan Black
  • Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville

General Recommended Authors

  • Andrew Grey
  • Belinda McBride
  • Ethan Day
  • JM Snyder
  • Josh Lanyon
  • Lex Valentine
  • Mary Calmes
  • Megan Derr
  • T. J. Klune
  • Vic Winter
  • Zathyn Priest

Loose Id Books On Sale This Weekend

Your local big box stores aren’t the only ones kicking off the holidays right! Check out the details below for what’s happening at my publisher Loose Id and their resellers:

BLACK FRIDAY BLAST!
All Loose Id titles will be 20% off this Black Friday at All Romance eBooks (ARe) – www.allromanceebooks.com. The sale runs midnight to midnight starting on Friday, November 23.

CYBER MONDAY SCI FI MANIA!
Loose Id is having a Cyber Monday Sci Fi Mania sale on our Web site, www.loose-id.com. All Science Fiction & Space Opera, and Steampunk titles will be 15%. The sale runs midnight to midnight starting on Monday, November 26.

HISTORICAL HYSTERIA!
Select historical titles will be on sale for $0.99 in the Kindle Store, beginning on Monday, November 26, and lasting until Friday, November 30.

Happy holidays!

It’s MOVEMBER

Thanks to a post from Untreed Reads Editor-in-Chief Jay A. Hartman, I learned about this worthy cause.

“Movember is the global men’s health charity engaging men to grow and women to support the Mo (moustache) for the 30 days of November. Through the power of the moustache, awareness and funds are raised for men’s health, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.” –Movember.com

Let’s see those mustaches!

Friday Photo: Mini Golf & Technology Collide

Totally off topic of writing and romance, but I love playing mini golf.

I stink at it, yet I almost always have a blast.

One thing that sucks (along with my score) is having to keep track of the scoring with those tiny pencils that always poke me in the leg when I cram one into my pocket on my turn.

Then it occurred to me, there’s gotta be an app for that.

Yep!

My Mini Golf Scorecard. It worked great on my iPhone. No more tiny, poking pencils!

And here’s the first course I tried it on. My score sucked (as usual), but I had fun playing with the new app.

Anyway, just had to share for any of you fellow mini golf lovers out there. Check out My Mini Golf Scorecard or one of the other mobile apps for keeping score. Save yourself from the poke of a pencil!

 

Make the Yuletide Gay

Join me and several other m/m authors as we celebrate the holiday season on Keira Andrews’s blog. You can check out several of the posts already there. Mine will be coming December 19 and will include an excerpt from Take Me Home that I have not shared yet here on the blog or my website. Although, it won’t be new to those of you who pick up a copy of Take Me Home when it releases this week.

For those of you who do check out Take Me Home, I truly hope you enjoy Kyle and Evan’s story.

Thanks for checking out Keira’s blog and helping us celebrate the holiday season.

You Never Know What You’ll Hear at a Writers’ Brainstorming Retreat

Two weeks ago I attended a brainstorming event with some of the writers in my local writing group. It was my third year attending this annual event, and I had such a fabulous time. Not only is it productive in generating story ideas, it’s also a time to recharge my writing energy. Just hanging with these fabulous women (and our lone, brave man who slept in a lake cottage with 12 women) gets me excited about writing. These people have amazing energy and talent. I’m always in awe of their creativity.

We spent the weekend talking about each other’s stories and coming up with titles, plot ideas, ways to kill off characters (don’t worry, that wasn’t mine), and more. We have writers of all genres and heat levels in the group. From contemporary to sci-fi. From sweet inspiration to steamy erotic romance and erotica. Most write romance, but some don’t.

So what kinds of things did I hear that weekend? Here’s a sampling:

“He’s a schizophrenic vampire priest!”

“Die, bitch, die!” (which worked for several of the stories)

“Orgasmoplasm“

“Hooha goo”

“Viagraville”

“Regrow the cherry!”

“Everybody use frickidous in a sentence.” Our 18-year-old, youngest member immediately told us all to, “Go frickidous yourselves.”

“bilabial frickidousness and glaodal stoppages”

And perhaps my favorite…“We need to make his junk grow!”

So yeah, it was a blast. Thanks ladies and Ray! I had a wonderful time.

Who’s Going to GayRomLit?

GayRomLit is just over a week away. I won’t be in attendance, but someone (who shall remain nameless in order to protect their super secret identity) shared some info with me about a scavenger hunt taking place at the event.

For those of you who haven’t heard of it, GayRomLit is a new retreat for readers and writers of GLBT romances organized by J.P. Bowie, Ethan Day, Lynn Lorenz, Carol Lynne, and Amanda Young. This is the first year for the retreat, which is being held in New Orleans on October 13 – 16. My publisher, Loose Id, along with several others and many authors of m/m romance will be there. It should be a great time for authors and readers to mingle and talk about male/male romances. I can only imagine some of the conversations that will take place over those four days. ;)

For those of you attending, I was given a preview of the Scavenger Hunt that a group of the authors have planned. Here’s how it works:

  • 17 authors are participating in the scavenger hunt.
  • The retreat’s registration bags will contain a clue sheet and empty bracelet for all attending the retreat.
  • Attendees who want to participate in the scavenger hunt will solve gay romance riddles to find out which authors are part of the game.
  • You collect beads from the authors and there are more raffle prizes at the end.

I can’t tell you who the 17 authors are, but I’ve seen the game and it’ll definitely be an entertaining way to break the ice and meet some of the well-known and newer m/m authors at the retreat.

So who’s all going? Anyone who follows the blog? I hope you guys have fun! Don’t get too crazy. Ah forget that. It’s a once-a-year event with fellow lovers of m/m romances all in one place. Have a wicked good time!!