Sloan Parker Blog

International Day Against Homophobia is May 17th. To help spread the word and get people thinking about what homophobia is, what kinds of damage it can cause, and how we can all help to combat such discrimination and hatred, I’m participating in the Blog Hop Against Homophobia.

To view links to all the blogs participating in the hop and how you can enter each giveaway, go to http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com.

Keep reading for details on how to enter to win a copy of my latest eBook TAKE ME HOME.

SLOAN’S MESSAGE ABOUT HOMOPHOBIA

There are many ways people discriminate. One I’d like to share about today is discrimination through the support of laws that continue to ban gay marriage, or more precisely the act of discriminating by not supporting marriage equality.

There are many people who do not consider themselves to be homophobic. They know (and often love) gay men and women. They’re family and friends and coworkers and neighbors of LGBT people. They say they have no issues with gay relationships. Yet, they do not believe we need a federal law for marriage equality. They do not understand or acknowledge that gay and lesbian couples need the same protections afforded heterosexual marriages. Perhaps they are in favor of civil unions or some other designation for gays and lesbians, but are opposed to calling it marriage.

The thing is…Separate is not equal. Unequal leaves a lot of room for discrimination to occur, leaves room for legal interpretations that are not the same as the rights automatically granted to married couples.

A scenario like the video I’ve included below, and even worse—not being allowed to say good-bye or to care for my partner in an emergency—is a fear I live with every day. Without going into a long history of our lives, I’ll just say situations similar to what you’ll hear about in this video are a very real possibility in my life.

And yeah, that scares the hell out of me. Even after 20+ years of living with my partner, and no matter how many legal documents we sign, we are not married.

I have a roommate.

If you’re unsure about the federal government stepping in to legalize gay marriage, to protect gay and lesbian couples under the same rights as heterosexual marriages, please watch this video to the very end, and give it some thought.

What if that was you? What if that was your child?

Direct link to the video

Here’s what Shane says on the video’s YouTube page:

“It has been said that sharing personal stories is one of the most effective ways to change people’s hearts and minds. This is my story and I hope you are inspired to share it with others.”

For more information on combating homophobia, to donate to a worthy cause, or learn about more ways you can help, check out these sites:

• Americans for Marriage Equality
• The Coalition for Equal Marriage (UK)
• The Trevor Project
• Stop The Hate
• GLADD
• Straight But Not Narrow
• PFLAG
• GLBT National Help Center

SLOAN’S GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away an ebook copy of Take Me Home for the Blog Hop Against Homophobia. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post stating you’d like to enter the giveaway. If you are unable to leave a comment for any reason, shoot me an email and I’ll add your comment for you.

Be sure to include a valid email address in the email form field in order to be entered in the drawing. Your email address is for my use only (in order to contact the winner). It will NOT be published on the blog or used for marketing/promotional purposes.

This contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 20th.

The winner will be randomly selected on May 21st and contacted via email. I’ll also post the winning name in a new post on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out Shane’s video!!
Sloan

Tomorrow, April 7th, is the first m/m Romance Reader Appreciation Day at the Sweet Spot Yahoo Group. It’s all about saying thank-you to the wonderful readers of m/m romance. Over the past few years, we’ve heard from many authors who are amazed and delighted by how supportive, kind, and generous they’ve found the people in the m/m reader community. We couldn’t agree more. You guys are the best. So we’d like to say THANK YOU for your part in supporting the various genres of m/m romance.

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 (or your email if you choose to receive emails from the group) on Saturday, April 7th 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 books or other prizes. Thank you, authors!

All books are in ebook format unless otherwise indicated.

• Scrap Metal by Harper Fox
• Winner’s choice of ebook by ZA Maxfield
• A Change Of Pace by JM Cartwright
• Southern Winterland by Taylor V Donovan
• Six Degrees of Lust by Taylor V Donovan
• Winner’s choice of ebook by K-lee Klein
• Hot Hands by Erika Pike
• Diversion by Eden Winters
• Under the Gun by Michael Mandrake
• Take Me Home or winner’s choice of ebook by Sloan Parker
• Winner’s choice of ebook by S.J. Frost (2 winners selected)
• $15 in eBooks Bucks from All Romance eBooks donated by Talia Carmichael
• $15 in eBooks Bucks from All Romance eBooks donated by Sloan Parker

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

Fellow author SJ Frost and I are thrilled to announce the all new M/M Reader Appreciation Day at The Sweet Spot. This is one day every month for authors of m/m romances to say thanks to all the readers out there who support our writing efforts.

Readers, every month stop by the Yahoo Group to chat with authors and enter for a chance to win free books and other prizes from a variety of m/m authors.

The first Reader Appreciation Day will be held on Saturday, April 7. On that day, we’ll post a list of all prizes available. Just respond to the giveaway thread on the Yahoo Group between 8 am and 8 pm EST to be included in the drawing.

Authors, if you’re interested in participating in the giveaway, send an email to s.j.frost3 [at] gmail.com AND sloanparker.author [at] gmail.com with what you’d like to donate for the April giveaway. In the future we’ll include you in our monthly announcement for a chance to donate. You can participate as little or as often as you’d like. During the Reader Appreciation Day event, everyone who donated a book in the giveaway is welcome to post to the group with a blurb and buy link for their donated book(s). Gift certificates and other prizes are welcome too.

Hope to see you at TSS on April 7th!

Registration is still going on for the Blog Hop Against Homophobia. This is an all m/m blog hop organized by authors Erica Pike, NJ Nielsen, and K-Lee Klein.

What is a blog hop?
The host of the hop puts together a list of all participating blogs. During the dates of the hop, each blog owner posts on his/her blog about what they are offering as a prize. Readers follow the links to the participating blogs (going from one blog to the next) and post comments or follow the blogger’s instructions at each in order to enter the individual giveaways.

Authors/Publishers/Sellers/Reviewers of M/M Romances: Go to the registration page to learn more about how you can participate.

Readers: There’s nothing for you to do yet. The International Day Against Homophobia, May 17th, is the hop’s official kickoff date. There are already over 135 authors, reviewers, and publishers signed up, so be sure to check out the hop page in May for your chance to win from what is sure to be a huge list of fantastic m/m prizes.

I’m thrilled to announce the winners of my 2nd Annual Happy Holidays Giveaway (original giveaway post is here).

There were over 100 entries which means there are 3 winners this year.

So here are the 3 random winners (selected using random.org) who will receive their choice of a $25 gift certificate from ARe, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Congratulations to…

SarahM

Tracey D

Rita S

I’ll be emailing the three of you shortly so you can verify which gift certificate you’d like to receive. If you don’t get the email within 24 hours, feel free to contact me.

Thank you all for stopping by the blog and entering the giveaway. I had such a great time reading your responses to what you love about romances. I loved hearing from people who are as into this genre as I am. You all rock!

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and romance-filled 2012!

All the very best,
Sloan

As a thank-you to my readers and all readers of the romance genre, I’m holding a giveaway for free gift certificates (winners’ choice between Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance eBooks).

Here’s how the giveaway works:

One random winner will be selected from all who comment on this post. Additionally, for every 50 entries another gift certificate will be given away (up to a maximum of 6 total winners). All winners will have their choice from the following options:

• Option 1: $25 gift certificate to amazon.com
• Option 2: $25 gift certificate to barnesandnoble.com
• Option 3: $25 gift certificate to allromanceebooks.com

Rules and instructions for the giveaway are listed below. Contest closes at 11:59 pm EST Sunday, January 1, 2012 or as soon as there are 250 entries (whichever comes first).

Instructions / Rules

• To enter, leave a comment on this blog post indicating that you’d like to enter and share what you love about reading romances.
• Be sure to include a valid email address in the email form field in order to be entered in the drawing. 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 11:59 pm EST Sunday, January 1, 2012 or as soon as there are 250 entries (whichever comes first).
• Winners will be announced on the blog and privately emailed within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.
• If I do not hear back from any winner with his or her selection 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 giveaway on my website.

Good luck to all who enter and thank you again for your love of reading!

Also, for those of you interested in my latest release, Take Me Home, a friends-to-lovers romance, check out Chris’s post at Stumbling Over Chaos for a chance to win an ebook of Take Me Home. (Thanks, Chris, for hosting the giveaway!)

Happy reading in 2012!

Much love and happiness to you all.
Sloan

Reminder: To enter the gift certificate giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post indicating that you’d like to enter and share what you love about reading romances.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my blog hop giveaway for all your interest in reading Take Me Home. And for the wonderful comments about my writing and the rainbow awards. I have the best readers!!

The winner of my blog hop giveaway is Sylwia. Congratulations, Sylwia! I’ve sent you an email.

Thanks again, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Thanks to author Drea Becraft, a huge group of authors are participating in a blog hop giveaway. There are over 190 authors offering up prizes on their blogs. All the contests will start Friday, December 16, 2011 and will go until midnight Sunday, December 18, 2011. (Not sure, but that might be midnight EST). Just go to the blog hop page and click to each author’s blog to enter their giveaways.

For my contest, I’m giving away one e-book copy of TAKE ME HOME. The winner will be selected randomly from all who comment here on this post. Be sure to include your email address in the email form field so I can contact the winner.

Also, I was recently interviewed at Joyfully Jay, sharing more about the writing of Take Me Home. You can also enter there for another chance to win a copy of the book. Just leave a comment on the post for a chance to win. The giveaway closes Tuesday, December 20 at 11:59 pm EST.

Happy Holidays!

Edited to add: Thanks guys for all your interest in reading Take Me Home. And for the wonderful comments about my writing and the rainbow awards. I have the best readers!!

Thanks again, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

I mentioned the other day there would be a few more chances to win a copy of TAKE ME HOME. The lovely Janna at Rarely Dusty Books invited me to do a guest blog today. I’m talking about the setting of the train in Take Me Home and how setting can be used to help shape the story and the characters.

Comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book on release day. The winner will be announced on December 13.

What are some of your favorite settings in a romance? I’d love to hear from you!

In the next two weeks there will be several chances to win an ebook copy of my upcoming release, Take Me Home.

The first is at my guest blog post at Babes in Boyland where I’m talking about Sex, Love & Danger. The giveaway closes on Tuesday, 12/6/2011 at 9PM CST.

Keep an eye on my blog for more chances to win.