Sloan Parker Blog

5/4/12 10:00 AM EST: Updated to add a couple more prizes to the list
5/4/12 4:20 PM EST: Added another new book. We now have 21 prizes!!

This Saturday, May 5th, the lovely SJ Frost and I are hosting another m/m Romance Reader Appreciation Day at the Sweet Spot Yahoo Group. This is a day for authors to say thank-you to the wonderful readers of m/m romance. This month we have a fantastic list of prizes! Be sure to check them out below. Some of the authors included in the giveaway will also be sharing excerpts of their work.

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, May 5th for a message with instructions on how to enter.
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.

So far, the following authors have generously donated these or other prizes. Thank you, authors!

• Erica Pike – ebook copy of College Fun and Gays series – winner’s choice
• Lori Toland – ebook copy of The Long Con
• Michael Mandrake – ebook copy of Vertigo
• Belinda McBride – ebook copy of Blacque/Bleu
• JM Cartwright – ebook copy of A Change Of Pace
• Kendall McKenna – $15 gift card to Silver Publishing
• Kendall McKenna – ebook copy of Brothers In Arms
• Kaje Harper – winner’s choice of ebook from her backlist
• Jambrea Jo Jones – winner’s choice of ebook from her backlist
• Sue Holston – PDF copy of In the Name of the Law
• H.L. Holston – ebook copy of Coffee,Tea and the Mile High Club
• Lex Valentine – ebook copy of Afterburner
• Lex Valentine – ebook copy of Kissing Joan Collins
• Allison Cassatta – ebook copies of Dear Diary and Pride (combo)
• PD Singer – ebook copy of The Rare Event
• Ellis Carrington – ebook copy of Immortal Valentine
• TN Tarrant – pdf copy of The Absentminded Astrophysicist
• Sloan Parker – ebook copy of Take Me Home
• Sloan Parker – $15 in eBooks Bucks from All Romance eBooks
• S.J. Frost – $15 in eBook Bucks from All Romance eBooks
• S.J. Frost – winner’s choice of ebook from her backlist

Hope you can join us at The Sweet Spot Reader Appreciation Day, hosted by Sloan Parker and S.J. Frost.

I’m pleased to announce the release of part 4 of Mark and Scott’s story, More Than Just a Good Book, which you can read free on my website.

Writing this story has been such an interesting process for me. This is the first time I’ve ever written and polished anything one section at a time before finishing the rest of the story. I have the entire book outlined, so I know the major plot points, but I often explore new ideas as I write and then go back and rework the beginning later. Overall though, I’ve been really surprised at how well this new process is working out for me. I hope you guys are enjoying it as well.

No Multiple Formats until Complete: I’m no longer posting each installation in multiple formats as that takes quite a bit of time to put together, and I figured I’ll save that work for when the full version is complete. This should help me prep new parts more quickly. I hope this isn’t an inconvenience for anyone. You can read the individual installments on my site or parts 1-4 in PDF format.

Just a note for those of you waiting to read the entire story all at once: I will be making it available as a full download in various formats when the story is complete. My best guess is that’ll be sometime next year. I have 10 parts planned, but again, that’s just a guess as things might change the more I write. I might end up cutting some chapters or adding more.

When I’m finished I may decide to publish the full story and make it available for purchase, but there’ll be some time where you can download it first, so be sure to keep an eye out here on the blog or via my newsletter for more on when the full story will be ready.

Thanks for checking out Mark and Scott’s journey together.

Here’s an excerpt from part 4:

Scott shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong.” Since that first kiss in the elevator, he’d been able to let go, to be in the moment with Mark. He wanted that feeling again. He breathed deep and let himself fall into it. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Good. Because I’ve been dreaming of doing something to you.” He ran his hands down the front of Scott’s bare chest and abs straight to the small dragon tattoo on his hip. He gripped both hips and dropped to his knees. Then his tongue was exploring the dragon. “God, I love this tat.” He stroked the hard length of Scott’s cock with one hand. “Been dying to suck you.”

“Oh God.” This was not happening. Scott’s entire body shook as Mark’s warm breath hit the top of his dick. “What are you doing?”

“Want to feel your cock on my tongue, in my mouth.” He held the base of Scott’s dick and angled the head toward his mouth. “You are free to move as you’d like. Touch me, touch yourself, fuck my mouth, whatever you need.” He leaned forward and licked the tip of Scott’s dick.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Nothing had ever felt like that. Scott hissed as Mark did it again, tonguing all over the head and the sensitive skin below. The wet heat of Mark’s saliva covered the end of his cock. Then Mark opened wide and took him deep, sucking his way to the tip again.

“Oh. My. God.” How could this feel so differently than a handjob? He jerked his hips forward and immediately pulled back. Too much. “Wait.”

Mark sat back on his heels. “You don’t want me to?”

“I… I do. No one’s ever…”

“Never?”

Scott couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Mark released him and stood. “What the hell kind of men have you been with?”

“Not many.” He shrugged. “I usually blow them, or they fuck me then leave.”

“Not this time. This time, I’m sucking you until you come. Unless you don’t want—”

“I do!”

And before Scott could dwell on how the squeal of those words must have sounded, Mark dropped to his knees again and had his cock surrounded by that wet heat. Scott’s ass hit the wall. He reached out and gripped the top of the desk in one hand and the dresser in the other. He watched Mark’s head bob faster and faster, and the intensity built with each plunge of his mouth. So different. Real. Powerful. And that was the problem.

Staring down at Mark felt…wrong. He gripped Mark’s shoulders. “Please.” Mark sucked harder, faster. “Please. Can I…”

Read More of More Than Just a Good Book

I need to do these more often. I always have a great time picking out these fave excerpts from other authors of m/m romance. This one’s from a BDSM erotic historical by Ava March. A great series to start out with if you’ve been wanting to try reading BDSM.

“Love you,” Oliver whispered.

Vincent’s lips curved in a smile, his blue eyes softening with genuine affection. Oliver’s heart leapt into his throat, pleading for the response he knew Vincent would not utter. He wanted to hear those words just once. One time. Even if Vincent didn’t feel them. He could at least have the sound of them as a memory and play them over in head as he lay alone in his bed and pretend they had come from Vincent’s heart.

Vincent cupped his jaw. Eyes drifting closed, Oliver leaned into his touch. A quiver of need shook his body. Soft lips brushed his, the lightest of touches, a mere whisper of skin against skin. Then that large hand slipped away.

- From Bound to Him (Bound, #2) by Ava March

You can find out more about Ava’s work at www.avamarch.com

Sorry I didn’t get anything posted yesterday. It was a crazy Monday, but a good kind of crazy. Today I’m going through the line edits for Take Me Home. Should be getting cover art in the next few weeks. I’ll share the art and a new excerpt as soon as I can. It’s getting closer!

I’m thrilled to share that part 3 of More Than Just a Good Book is now available. You can read the opening of it below. I’ve also updated the cover art based on tips I learned in a publishing class. A special thank-you to Connie and Rosie for critiquing the story.

If you check it out, I hope you enjoy this next installment of Mark and Scott’s story.

More Than Just a Good Book: Part Three

Mark had no words. He just stared down at Scott. He couldn’t help himself. Never had he met anyone this smart and sexy, so utterly inspiring. “You’re pretty cool, you know that?”

Scott met his stare. “Me?”

“Hell yeah, you.”

“Oh.” Scott searched Mark’s eyes. “Have you…” He looked away and shifted his ass between Mark’s thighs.

“What?”

Scott stilled and met his gaze again. “Have you done this a lot?”

“Done what?” Mark moved to lie on his side beside Scott again, and Scott followed until they were face-to-face. The intimacy of being in bed with a guy long after the sex washed over him. This was crazy. He was usually the one coming on strong. Now it was Scott, with his curiosity and quiet, nervous charm, who was the one slamming into Mark’s resolve to take this slow. To keep his emotions in check. Or else he’d push Scott too far too fast. He didn’t want to scare Scott off. He could come on strong, could be too intense for most guys.

Scott said, “Bring men home you barely know.”

“Sometimes.” None of them had been this interesting, this meaningful, not on a first date. He kept that to himself.

Scott’s brow furrowed, and then, in a swift move, he turned onto his back.

Shit. That look. Hurt? Confused? Mark didn’t want Scott to misunderstand. What they’d done at the library and again at his apartment was special—damn special. But yet again, he held back from saying too much. Not now. Not yet. He sat up and leaned against the headboard. “I’m not all about getting laid. It’s just sometimes I meet someone, and I bring him home.”

“Of course.” Scott sat up and turned away, his legs swinging off the side of the bed. “I get it. I mean, I know I’m weird. Not going out that much…not sleeping around…”

“That’s not weird.” He couldn’t hold back on all of it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted anyone to stay in bed with me. Since I’ve wanted to talk with a guy.”

Scott turned and met Mark’s gaze. “But you’re talking to me.”

“Yeah. That’s the difference with you.”

Scott cocked his head to the side, not as animated as before, but he was still staring with an openness that called to Mark. “Difference?”

“I want to get to know you. I’d like to see you again.”

Scott pulled one leg onto the bed and turned toward him. “Yeah?”

Mark hesitated. This could be more than he’d let himself hope for with any man. More than he was ready to put himself on the line for. So far Scott was proving he was worth the chance. Even with only the possibility of four months. “Yeah.”

“That…that would be—” Scott stood. “I don’t know how to—I should go.” He glanced around the room, his head jerking side to side so quickly he’d give himself whiplash if he didn’t let up. “Where are my pants?”

Mark sat up. “Living room. Scott, what’s wrong?”

Read more

It’s official. I’ve signed a contract for TAKE ME HOME, my love story about two friends finding their way to what started 10 years before with one passionate night that ended too quickly. Tentative release date is December 13, 2011 from Loose Id. Sometimes Loose Id will adjust their schedule closer to the release date, but I’ll keep you posted if that happens.

Thanks to all who commented on the blog, sent an email, or have chatted with me on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere for your support while I was working on this manuscript.

Those of you who follow the blog regularly may have seen last week that I finished editing part 2 of More Than Just a Good Book. Mark and Scott’s short story was the first fiction I shared on sloanparker.com, and I’m excited to continue their story in a serial novel.

You can now read part two or download both parts on my site. I’ll be announcing future installments via my newsletter.

I hope you enjoy reading more about Mark and Scott as they find out what else is better than a good book.

For those of you in the US, I hope you have a safe and fun 4th of July!

I don’t have it added to my site yet, but I just had to share my news. I finished the next installment for MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK featuring Mark and Scott. An excerpt and link for part two will be in the next issue of my newsletter, which will be sent out sometime this weekend. Then after that I’ll post the link on my site and here on the blog next week.

This story is both a gift to my readers and a way for me to explore a new writing process. I’ve never polished a story one chapter at a time, and so far this has been a fun, interesting change for me.

Here’s how the serial story will work:

• I’ve outlined a short novel (with at least 10 parts) for Mark and Scott. As I have time between my other writing projects, I’ll work on this story.
• As they are released, links to each installment will be available via my newsletter, website, and announced here on my blog.
• After I finish the last installment, I’ll go back through and do a final review/edit of the entire story as a whole.
• When complete, all installments of this serial story will be compiled into one ebook.

Again, I’ll be sending out the newsletter with the link to part two this weekend.

I hope you enjoy Mark and Scott’s story.

Have a good one!
Sloan

Finished revising and editing my latest short story (based on the picture above), and it’s off to my critique partner. There will probably be a few corrections/changes, but for the most part it’s done!

I have to say, I’m really happy with how quickly I wrote this one, as well as how the story turned out. I won’t share the title yet as the group at Goodreads is doing some fun stuff with guessing titles and character names.

In celebration of finishing it, I thought I’d give you guys a little preview.

Here’s a snippet:

I expected him to bend me over a piece of the matching wicker deck furniture, the table or maybe one of the oversize lounge chairs, but he didn’t. He smiled again. I hadn’t seen him smile this much in months. He looked like a dope with the silly grin and his dick rock hard. I didn’t care. It was a stunning combination.

“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.

- From a new short story coming soon to the M/M Romance group at Goodreads and my website

Edited post on 7/1/11: revised the above except to incorporate final revisions.