Inside Look at Writing More 2: Poor Luke

Posted on March 6, 2013 by SloanParker

Yesterday while working on the sequel to MORE, I added something I hadn’t planned on before now. It was a very intense moment between Matthew and Richard. No matter how far Luke has come, it’s a little scary when he’s the one who has to make the other two talk. This scene doesn’t take place until later in the book than what I’ve been working on, but I just had too many ideas running through my head. I had to get their conversation down. Now I’m back to working on earlier chapters. I cannot wait to get to the follow-up scenes after that Matthew/Richard moment.

I also completed changes to the Epilogue for BREATHE that I’ve been wanting to write since I first finished that book. As I read through it one last time, I cried and sighed and smiled like a goofball. Love those guys. I’ve sent it off to my editor to review. More news on that will be coming soon.

And part six of MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK has been sent to a couple of people who help me with the editing. My newsletter followers will be the first to be notified when part six is available to read via my website, so be sure to sign up to receive my newsletter if you haven’t yet.

Well that’s where I’m at with my current projects. Hope you all are having a great week!

Trade Paperback of BREATHE is now available

Posted on November 28, 2012 by SloanParker

I’m so very pleased to share that my Rainbow award-winning novel BREATHE is now also available for purchase in paperback. As of right now, you can pick up a copy at Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble.

Lincoln McCaw lost everything—his home, his job, his partner—after he caused a fatal accident. A year later, he’s drowning the guilt and despair in whiskey, but he needs to move on. His sister and her kids are counting on him. Then he meets a man who ignites a passion Lincoln thought he’d never find. Too bad one night is all they can have together. Now he needs to figure out how to turn away from the only person who makes him feel alive…before whoever is sending him threats decides Lincoln needs to suffer more than he already has.

Jay Miller is surrounded by grief and misery until he finally gives in to all those years of sexual fantasies about being with another guy. Realizing he’s ended up in the arms of the man who caused his wife’s accident, he tries to pull away. But how can he give up a friendship he needs more than anything—a friendship and a love that could save him? He may not have time to make the choice before someone else destroys it all.

This book contains explicit sexual content and graphic language.

A Story Preview in a Word Cloud

Posted on October 15, 2012 by SloanParker

Last week I posted at Loose Ends (the Loose Id author blog) about Wordle, a neat web app that generates word clouds of any text.

I’ve created clouds using sample text from each of my books and added the Wordles to my website. Just a different way for readers to preview my stories.

I was surprised by some of the words that showed up in prominence. And some that didn’t.

MORE:

BREATHE:

TAKE ME HOME:

And here’s one for a preview of my next book release, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE:

Get a “Kindlegraph” autograph for my books

Posted on September 10, 2012 by SloanParker

My books are now on the Kindlegraph website. You can request a personalized autograph with the cover for each book (MORE, BREATHE, and TAKE ME HOME), and it will be sent directly to your Kindle.

If you want the inscription personalized: When you send in your request, insert your name as you’d like it to appear into the comments box.

Get started here.

The Good and Bad of my Blogging Hiatus

Posted on September 3, 2012 by SloanParker

“Life can be like a roller coaster…
And just when you think you’ve had enough,
and you’re ready to get off the ride
and take the calm, easy merry-go round…
You change your mind, throw your hands in the air
and ride the roller coaster all over again.
That’s exhilaration…that’s living a bit on the edge…that’s being ALIVE.”

–Stacey Charter

Here’s some news from my recent blogging hiatus:

The Good News

Breathe was listed in RT Book Reviews magazine as a must-have from RT readers alongside some of my favorite authors and books. The mention (on page 3) was part of the very exciting feature article “It’s Raining Men: Tackling The Torrents Of Male/Male Romantic Fiction Flooding The Market.” Huge thanks to all who mentioned the book to RT!
The Happily Ever After blog at USA TODAY featured the trailer for TAKE ME HOME. Thanks to author Robin Covington for the mention!
TAKE ME HOME placed first in the Erotica category of the 2012 FTHRW Lories Best Published contest.
TAKE ME HOME also won first place in the Contemporary category of the 2012 Oklahoma RWA’s International Digital Awards.
For the first time, books from digital-first publishers won in the Romance Writers of America RITA awards.
My friend and critique partner’s first book Fairyproof is out this week (print is out now). Congrats, Constance Phillips! So proud of you!

The Bad

I lost my writing buddy in July. He held on for almost a year since his bad crash the vet thought he wouldn’t make it through. For most of that year, he did really well, so it was hard to see him lose all his strength and energy in the very end. He definitely wasn’t ready to go, and I wasn’t ready to let him. It’s not quite the same in my writing room anymore. I kept plugging away on the final edits for How to Save a Life (and it was nice to have something else to focus on), but it also made the moment bittersweet without him there.

Good-bye, my bubby. You made every day special in so many ways. Writing sure is lonelier without you.