Guest Post - Pine Tar and Sweet Tea by Kerry Freeman

Pine Tar & Sweet Tea

by Kerry Freeman

edited by Jules Robin

cover by Fiona Jayde

published by Loose Id

Contemporary M/M

118 pages

Buy at Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/pine-tar-sweet-tea.html

Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pine-Tar-Sweet-Tea-ebook/dp/B009O74DVC/

Buy at ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pinetarsweettea-970104-145.html

Blurb

After playing eleven years in the Minor Leagues, Coach Matt Hawley has returned to his tiny Alabama hometown to lead his old high school baseball team to their first state championship. At the other end of the state, René Días, who left the Major League after one season, is getting his team ready to defend their state title for the second straight year. One is in the closet. The other is between relationships. Neither has any intention of hooking up at the state tournament.

Then they see each other.

Pre-game lust turns into an intense one-night stand neither man can forget, and when their best friends embark on a romance, Matt and René are thrown together again. This time they decide it won't be for just a single night. But the fear of disappointing his minister father and shaming his family forces Matt to keep one foot in the closet, even as he and René find their lust is maybe something more. He's going to have to make a choice between between his family and his freedom.

Excerpt

The clubhouse was sweltering, and René took his cap off to wipe his brow. The rows of lockers and wooden benches always reminded him of playing in the majors, where reporters wouldn’t even wait for the players to get fully dressed before accosting them for quotes about that night’s game. He’d never quite become comfortable with holding court while dripping wet and towel skirted. Then again, he’d never quite become comfortable with a lot of things he encountered his one year of major league play.

“Good afternoon, Coach Días.” The umpire walked toward him with an extended hand. “Good to see you again.”

René shook the umpire’s hand. “Good to see you again too. Hopefully you’ve had a good year.”

“A very good year. Thanks for asking.” The umpire nodded at David. “Hello, Coach Reynolds.”

“Hey, Bob,” David said, smiling. “No need to be so formal. We’re old friends by now.”

“Let’s just say I definitely wasn’t surprised to see your team back in the finals.” The umpire smiled. “Gonna be a great series, that’s for sure. Your opposition looks good.”

René’s ears practically twitched at the mention of the team from North Alabama. “Have you met their coach yet?”

“Met him this morning. He’s quiet, seems pretty serious. Nice fella too.” The umpire chuckled. “Speaking of which… Hello, Coach Hawley.”

The gracious greeting René planned stuck in his throat the instant he turned and gazed into a pair of intense blue eyes. René forced himself not to gaze up and down the opposing coach’s tall, tight body, but he couldn’t help following as Hawley slowly licked his lips. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the man had the most incredible wheat-blond hair just begging to be pulled.

David cleared his throat. “Um, Coach Hawley, I’m David Reynolds, Mobile’s first-base coach.” He shook Hawley’s hand. “This is René Días, our head coach.”

René finally remembered he was supposed to talk. “Nice to meet you, Coach Hawley.” René held out his hand.

Coach Hawley wrapped his long fingers around René’s hand and held on to it. “Nice to meet you too. Call me Matt, though.”

“We’ve been looking forward to playing your team.” René smiled when Matt’s grip tightened. “I’ve heard great things about how you’ve developed the team since you took over this year. Congratulations on your first state final.”

“Thank you. This is your school’s third year in a row here. That’s a sure sign you’re doing something right down in Mobile.”

If there was a sure way into René’s good graces, it was to compliment his team. He could think of plenty of other ways the gorgeous Matt Hawley could impress him—most involving them being naked together—but they had a few baseball games to play. René released Matt’s hand and tried to ignore David’s bug-eyed look at his side.

The meeting with the umpire was a formality. They discussed the rules of the best-of-three series and the umpire’s definition of the strike zone, and the coaches gave the umpire their batting order. René concentrated on each word of the umpire’s speech and blocked out the coach next to him. Baseball was serious business, and he couldn’t let Matt, however tasty he appeared to be, distract him. But as soon as the meeting was over, René found himself locked into that deep blue gaze again.

Matt swallowed slowly. “Well, René, it was nice meeting you. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” René could feel his cheeks heat. “Good luck to you guys too.”

Taking two steps back, Matt pulled on his baseball cap and smiled before turning to walk away. René couldn’t take his eyes off the slow sway of Matt’s hips. For just an instant, he imagined digging his fingers into those hips and the kind of bruises it would leave on Matt’s fair skin.

“Down, boy!” David punched René’s arm. “And retract your tongue before you close your mouth.”

René suddenly remembered where he was. “You think he noticed?”

“You’re kidding, right? I would say he noticed you every bit as much as you noticed him.”

“I meant— Oh!” René stared toward the door. “Cool.”

David shook his head. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he stomped off. “Biggest game of the year, and now he decides to take the dick out of storage.” He spun around and faced René again. “Just great!”

René jogged over to David and threw his arm around David’s shoulders. “Aww, come on, baby. Don’t be jealous.” He guffawed when David shoved him away. “You’re still my favorite guy, even if you kiss like a girl.”

An extended middle finger was the only farewell David gave him. Still chuckling to himself, Rene pulled his cap down over his eyes, adjusted himself, and walked into the sunlight to begin batting practice.

Check out this amazing story NOW!!!!!

Guest Post - Meeting Kerry Freeman

I'd love to introduce Kerry Freeman to my blog!  

You know the adage "Birds of a feather..." yeah, well, we authors flock together.  Sometimes called networking, sometimes called sound-boarding, sometimes called people who have voices in their heads talking to other people who have voices in their heads... or something like that...   

Kerry is a fellow writer, who I met through fanfiction, and through a friend  *waves to Bella Leone* and I'm pleased to have her guest posting on my blog today.

She's had a new release this week, and we're here to talk about it.  But first, let's get to know the woman behind the Southern accent...

The Short Version

Author. Southerner. Geek. Writer of romance, believer in HEA. Positive there's nothing better than shrimp & grits and red velvet cake.

The Longer Version

Kerry was born and raised in Alabama, and she grew up swearing she was going to get the hell out of Dodge the instant she could. Turns out Dodge ain’t so bad, and she never left. Alabama’s version of a city girl, she married a country boy, and the adorkable couple lives in a small town with their two socially awkward dogs.

Kerry loves to write about love, and it turns out most of the voices in her head are men. She also loves to write about the South, so most of her stories end up there, one way or another.

A tomboy and a geek from way back, Kerry has a day job but dreams she will one day write full time. She has a weakness for yaoi, Japanese stationery, YA, and ginger-haired singers from Britain. She owns an impressive t-shirt collection. Nowaki & Hiroki are her homeboys.

Links

Website: http://kerryfreeman.com/

Blog: http://blog.kerryfreeman.com/

Monthly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/pkZ95

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kfwritesbooks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorkerryfreeman

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4759363.Kerry_Freeman

****

When did October happen?

I have been a complete blog fail. I know... real life blah blah blah.  Somehow, amid the aforementioned never ending real-life-blah-blah-blah, September came and went and then October arrived without my knowing. 

But that's okay... Because October is release month for Three's Company!  

WOO HOO!!

I'll be honest here. When I wrote it, I didn't love it. The characters, yes. I adored them (Simon in particular) but by the end of it, trying to tell their story was like pulling teeth. And in the writing game, that never fares well. But I finished it, subbed it and went on to write other things, putting that story and those three boys to the back of my mind. 

Well, last night I did the final round edits, and in doing so, I re-read it.  And I have to say... I kinda forgot how good it was. 

I'm not saying my writing is awesome, by any means, but I simply forgot how much I loved those three boys.

So I'll do a little recap for you, and start with a few pictures I used as inspiration for the characters. 

Here's Wil

Here's Adam

And this is Simon

The blurb...


After being publically outed and his restaurant business in tatters, instead of vacationing with his lover, Wilson Curtis goes to Key West alone. He meets Simon and Adam and is soon invited into their bed for some holiday fun.

But once isn't enough, and the offer is extended for the remainder of his stay. As they get to know each other, in and out of the bedroom, sparks fly and ten days is all it takes to change their lives.

When it comes time for Wil to leave, with outside tensions closing in and time running out, tempers flare and emotions fray. Beneath the misunderstandings and lack of communication, is the realization these three men aren't ready to say goodbye.


I'll be posting teasers as we get closer to the 27th so you get taste of their story.

I can't wait for you all to meet these boys...

****

Three's Company

The amazingly talented Reese Dante has done it again!!

Three's Company has been gifted with an absolutely gorgeous cover.

It really is perfect for these three boys. That's definitely Adam in the middle. LOL  

Though it's still 7 weeks away, countdown to release day has begun.  October 28th will be here before we know it!

In other news, Blind Faith has a release date of January 26th. I'm 15K into the sequel. I can't wait for everyone to meet these boys. 

I also have some exciting news about some free-reads, but more on that when I know more. It might be a lovely little Christmas present to all my wonderful readers. :) 

Best Romance of 2012

Both of my stories, Point of No Return and Taxes and TARDIS have been nominated in the Best Romance of 2012 list on Goodreads!!!!

You can vote now!  

As of 23 August, Taxes and TARDIS was at 45 and Point of No Return was at 47!!!  

Let's see how well these can boys can do...  :)

Goodreads Best m/m Romance of 2012 list

Interviews!!!

So I've done some interviews for the release of Point of No Return...


http://www.bellaleonebooks.com/

http://laynefaire.blogspot.com.

http://kerryfreeman.com

http://authorsamcauley.wordpress.com

Thank you sooooo much for having me, Ladies!!   I really appreciate your time and effort. <3 

Point of No Return Excerpt

Excerpt (as on the Silver Publishing site)


The four of us hit the gym like we always did after a stressful day and were met by a round of applause from the other cops who were there working out. One of the TV screens was showing the five o'clock news, and they were watching the four of us standing outside the West Street headquarters.

A reporter introduced the story. "Breaking another link in one of LA's biggest drug chains, ex-Croat Pavao Tomic was taken down in what can only be described as a failed drug heist."

I waved them off, heading straight for the treadmills. I didn't need to watch it.

I was there.

"Detective Elliott, it must be a relief after weeks of hard work to finally have this notorious drug supplier in custody."

"Yes, it is," I heard myself answer diplomatically on-screen. "The streets of LA are safer. The people of LA are better off with Tomic behind bars."

What I couldn't say on air was that the slimeball deserved everything he got. With no regard for human life, with no regard for the expenditure or destruction of life in his wake, types like Pavao Tomic were best left to rot in jail.

Instead, all suited up out in front of HQ, the television version of me went on to say it wasn't just my doing, like the press insinuates, but a team effort. I didn't outrank the other three men on my team. I didn't do anything they didn't do, but that's not how the media portrayed it.

To them, I was the leader of the media-dubbed "Fab Four"--four detectives in the Narcotics Division who had broken crime rings right across the city. My partner, Detective Mitch Seaton, and Detective partners Kurt Webber and Tony Milic made up the team of four who had seen a record number of criminals put behind bars.

"Yeah," Mitch snorted from the treadmill beside me. "The one-man show here did it all on his own."

I rolled my eyes before looking over at the other guys. "Any time any of you three idiots want to speak up when the cameras start rolling, be my guest."

Kurt laughed. "No freakin' way! I'd rather your ugly mug be all over the news than mine."

"The general public would too," Mitch joked. He reached over and tapped the side of my face. "This pretty-boy makes all us cops look good."

Tony laughed at me, and the three of them started talking crap just like the media did. But they gave up trying to goad me when they realized I wasn't going to bite. I tuned them out and focused on the rhythm of my feet hitting the treadmill instead.

They'd settled in to running it out on the treadmills with me when Kurt told us he couldn't stay long because his girlfriend, Rachel, had dinner plans. "Workout first, then we hit the bar, just for a few. It's been a helluva week."

And so it had.

We'd spent months watching Tomic, waiting for the intel to pay off, nabbing him red-handed in a multi-million-dollar drug bust.

It paid off today. No one injured, no casualties, several million dollars' worth of cocaine, ice, and meth off the streets, and one more link in the crime chain behind bars.

So we did what we always did. The four of us hit the gym, then later we hit the bar. They didn't usually drink much when we went, and I drank even less, but we'd blow off steam in the gym then unwind in the bar, just talking crap and having a laugh. It was a cops' gym and a cops' bar.

I'd been a cop for ten of my twenty-eight years. Police work was all I knew. The guys I worked with were like my family, like brothers. I knew almost everything about them, as they did with me.

Almost everything.

There was one part of my life they knew nothing about.

When the other guys commented on me being the blond-haired, blue-eyed playboy of the police force, the one all the ladies wanted, I was reminded of exactly what it was they didn't know about me.

Because it wasn't the ladies I wanted at all.

That's what they didn't know about me. That's what I kept secret. Hidden. Private.

Would the guys I worked with treat me differently if they knew I was gay? Maybe... probably...

I wasn't ashamed. I wasn't scared. I didn't flaunt being gay because I didn't want it to precede me. I wanted to be known for being a good cop, not a gay cop.

But above all, I kept my sexuality to myself because it was no one else's goddamn business.

After twenty minutes on the treadmill, I jumped off, ready for my bag workout. Boxing was my thing. The gym had a sparring room--no ring, just mats and pads. It was mostly there as a form of fitness, and a little self-defense. The other guys on my team didn't bother with it. They'd watch me spar sometimes, and they'd tease and taunt me, but not one of them had the balls to spar with me.

I headed into the boxing room, and Chris, the owner of the gym, followed me. "Hey, Matt!" he called from the door. "There'll be a new trainer taking your session today."

"No worries," I replied. "Is Vinnie okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Chris nodded. "Just a change in his timetable, that's all." He looked over my shoulder and called some guy over. "Frankie, this here is Matthew Elliott. He's your five-thirty appointment. Matt, this is Frankie."

I looked at him then, my new boxing trainer. And I got stuck.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I did a double take, trying not to give myself away.

But he was fucking beautiful.

He had dark hair, dark skin, dark eyes. He was European, or Asian. Or both.

He smiled. Oh, fuck. His smile.

"Frankie's real name I can't pronounce," Chris went on to say with a laugh. "But he knows I'm an ex-cop and not overly bright, so he forgives me."

This Frankie guy extended his hand and introduced himself formally. "Kira Takeo Franco." I couldn't detect an accent, but his name rolled exotically off his tongue. I shook his hand, and our eyes met. It was like I couldn't look away. His stare deepened for just a second and his eyes flashed, as though he could tell I found him attractive. Then he smiled and said, "You're the guy on TV."

"The one and the same," Chris said with a laugh. "Anyway," he continued to me, with a smile, "I've seen Frankie in action and thought I'd come in and watch how he does with our best student."

Then the door behind me swung open, and Mitch, Kurt, and Tony walked in.

I looked at my team standing in the door, all smiling, then back to Chris. "And what are they here for?"

Chris answered hesitantly. "Well, Frankie's pretty good. I might have told them it could be... entertaining..."

I looked at the three smiling cops, my so-called partners. "And you guys have come in to watch me get my ass kicked?"

They nodded and laughed, and Mitch defended me... well, kind of. "I got twenty on ya," he said. He threw his thumb back at Kurt and Tony. "These two aren't so confident."

I rolled my eyes and smiled at them, then started strapping my hands. When I turned around and saw my sparring partner, I almost lost my breath. He was stretching out; his broad shoulders were barely concealed by his singlet top, revealing well-defined muscles and beautiful, olive skin. My dick twitched.

Goddamn it.

A hard-on in front of my team was the last thing I needed.

I faced the wall, bounced on my toes, and shook it out, wishing like hell my old trainer, the very not-attractive Vinnie, was still my sparring partner.

"Okay, we'll start on the bag," Frankie told me.

He held the punching bag still while I practiced jabs and sequences, and he grinned. His dark eyes were bright and smiling as he held the bag steady. Even though I knew he was staring straight at me, I deliberately didn't look at him, and kept my eyes on the bag instead.

But then he called time and picked up hand pads. He stood ready, his covered hands up between us, waiting for me to aim practice jabs into the pads. And in front of our audience, we went through the motions. I jabbed, he deflected.

But he smiled as though he was daring me.

It was as though his full lips, his almond-shaped eyes, that shiny black hair, and the dimple in his left cheek were goading me.

Luring me.

And my dick twitched again.

Fuck.

****

Point of No Return is released on the 18th August - just four days away!!