I have someone very special to me on my blog today. I met Teegan Loy some years ago through a mutual love of slash m/m sexing in fanfiction.
She's a bit of a writing buddy for me. We cheer each other on, and kick each other's ass when required. More often than not, we tend to talk about m/m obsessions like tumblr porn and 1D (don't judge).
When I first got published, Teegan held my hand while I freaked out on release day.
Teegan's been published before, she has releases out there (really, check them out. You won't be disappointed) but this release, these boys, her hockey boys, are special.
So without further adieu, please make very welcome, Teegan Loy...
First off, thanks to the wonderful NR
Walker for having me on her blog. I feel like we should be sitting across from
each other having a drink or a cup of coffee. But alas, we live on opposite
ends of the world. I mean, she’s in summer and I’m in winter. She lives kind of
close to the ocean. To reach an ocean, I would have to drive at least 1500
miles east or west. My goodness, there might be some sort of sad love story
there if we change the characters from girls to boys. Aha, my Slash is showing.
However, I do not want to classify myself as strictly an m/m romance writer. I
am a storyteller. As of this moment, I am a published m/m romance author with
hopes of venturing into young adult and gasp, mainstream hetro.
Okay, getting off track. I’m guesting on
this Blog because I have a book coming out on March 2nd through
Silver Publishing called Frozen Hearts.
I’m excited, nervous, and sick to my stomach. NR is probably going to have to
virtually hold my hand when the book goes live, because this whole publishing
thing is her fault. She was the one who encouraged me to send my stuff off to a
publisher. I rolled my eyes but took her advice. I didn’t think it would ever
happen and then the “YES” came in the wee hours of the night and I almost died.
My hockey boys are near and dear to me. Not
only because they are my first stand-alone novel, but also because I’m a huge
fan of the sport and the boys who play hockey. This particular story was actually
inspired by a song. I wrote the “almost” ending before I wrote anything else
listening to Be Still by The Fray. My
hope is that the reader falls in love with Erik and Tyce like I did. Be warned,
the story is not all sweet boy love and roses.
Forced to live a
lie for an image, the best college hockey player in the nation is quitting the
game. Can Erik make peace with his past and the boy he left behind, or will he
fold under the pressure.
As I was writing this blog spot, I signed a
contract for a short sports story, called The
Magic Broom that will be released in June through Dreamspinner Press. I’m
also close to finishing up a full-length m/m romance novel called Echoes of Us. I’m sure I’ll be pitching it and hoping that
someone will pick it up and publish it. My next project will bring me back to
the ice with a story called Picks and
Pucks.
I have amazing new covers and banners for Blind Faith, made the ever so lovely and talented Sara York.
Isn't it just beautiful? Words can't describe how grateful I am to Sara for her hard work and understanding. This is the Isaac I used as a picspiration from the very beginning, and to now have him on the cover is just amazing!
The book is now available again for sale!! Yay! So I'm not an un-published, published author any more!!
I'll have it up at other sites over the weekend, and fingers crossed I'll have the sequel up sooner than expected, but no later than March 15th.
I have re-released this book at a reduced rate of $3.99, which is a fair price for a 48,000 word book. The sequel, Through These Eyes is 69,000 words and will hit the shelf at $5.99.
A very big thank you, to everyone who has supported me and showed patience and kindness during what has been a fairly stressful time.
Okay, so I have some news... First of all, I'd seriously like to thank every single person who has bought and read, loved or hated my books. I've met some amazing people, both readers and authors alike, who for all the little words of encouragement, thanks and love, have reminded me why I do this. I'm new to this publishing game, and when I was first published it was a real dream come true. But, all love of writing aside, it's a serious business. I've learned some incredibly difficult lessons, and I've learned a lot about myself. Two weeks ago, I was ready to quit. Seriously. I never wanted to bother again. It was too hard, too heartbreaking, too much. Then, like the universe knew, I got a run of emails from readers who simply just wanted to thank me for writing. I can't begin to tell you how much that meant. And that is why I didn't quit. (Well, that, and the voices in my head probably wouldn't have let me...) So please, take this as a very heart-felt thank you. I am really, very grateful. Now onto the news part... In the next few days, Blind Faith will be unavailable for purchase. So yes, that means I will go from having four books published and two coming-soon titles, to having none available. At all. I know, believe me, I know. I've mentioned heartbreak and stress, yes? But, the good news is I will be re-releasing Blind Faith as a self-published title and then the sequel, Through These Eyes shortly after. (For those who know me, know technology and I have a mutual dislike for each other, so this is kind of daunting for me...) Anyway, I'm hoping to have Through These Eyes published before it was due to come out on March 30th. I'll be aiming for mid-to-late March, so please, watch this space for news. :) In other news, my Thomas Elkin series has been accepted at Total-E-Bound!!!! I don't have a release date yet (maybe September-ish?) but it will be a three-part series. I'm working on some pre-edits for the first installment, Perfect Retrofit, right now. But this is much anticipated, much needed good news!! No word yet on my other titles. But at any rate, I'd be surprised if they'll be re-released this year. :( I really wanted Matt & Kira's second story out this year, but that's in the hands of the powers that be. I might even try and get something else self-published so I'm not bookless for most of this year. Okay that's all my news for now. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me. I hope to have more news soon. *mwah*
PUBLISHER UPDATE: Unfortunately, I'm still none the wiser about when my stories will be available again. At this point, it looks like there will be quite a wait :( I've sent them all off to one particular publisher and still haven't heard. I'm hoping they'll love me and take all of them... *crosses fingers and wishes really hard* So, for the record, the titles I'm waiting to hear about are: * Taxes and TARDIS * Point of No Return * Three's Company * Breaking Point (have to wait to see if they want PoNR 1 first) * The Thomas Elkin Series (three-part novella series) Technically it's seven titles, so believe me, I'm checking my inbox ALL the time... I'm trying to stay positive, and keeping up with the writing, but to be honest, it's disheartening. To have books released is such a high, and to have them taken down is just as equally depressing, not to mention stressful. But in all that, I have created Tom and Cooper and I adore them. As in, seriously LOVE them. I'm about one third through the third and final novella, Sense of Place, and I can't wait to see them published. Also, I'd like to thank everyone for the love and support for Blind Faith! I've done the first-round edits on the sequel, Through These Eyes, and I've changed the ending. It now opens up an avenue for Mark to have a short story of his own. :) No promises, and seriously NO clue when it can be written, but the idea is there. Finally, I'd like to thank everyone for the emails and pm's asking where they can get my books. Hopefully I will have good news soon!!
Yes, I'm aware that today is the release day of Blind Faith. I was hoping this news would wait until next week, but apparently it's all happening today. My three books, Taxes and TARDIS, Point of No Return, and Three's Company will be temporarily unavailable for purchase from today. I'm hoping to find a new home for them soon, and will let you all know as soon as I know where you can get them from. Blind Faith is released today through Silver Publishing and you can expect the sequel in March to be released through Silver as well. :) Blind Faith will be available through the usual channels (Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc) in the usual 2-7 days after today. Thank you all for your understanding and patience in what has been a stressful time. I'm also hoping to have news on my new series soon, so I expect there will be busy times ahead. *mwah*
So, to celebrate I'm giving away TWO copies! I know it's common for all authors to say they fell in love with their characters. I know, I've done it. I've said it. These boys were no different. I adore them. I love Carter's ability to love so completely. I love Isaac and his defensive arrogance. I love Brady's loyalty. *sigh* But I adored Isaac the most. He's flawed, not by his blindness, but by his reluctance to let himself be loved. Carter has the patience of a saint, but by the same token, he takes no crap from Isaac. He refuses to let Isaac's inability to see stop them from having a normal relationship. Blind Faith is the story of how these two men meet in the middle, and how Carter can get Isaac to see what's in front of him before it's too late. The story is told in first person, from Carter's POV, but it's Isaac who I fell in love with. He's arrogant, short-fused and foul-tempered. This character has flaws, and he'd rather push people away than risk being hurt. There is a song that I listened to while writing Isaac. And every time I've heard this song since, it makes me smile. The song is Better Than I Know Myself by Adam Lambert.
Copyright of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music 2012.
Here's an excerpt...
My next house call
to Isaac's didn't exactly go as planned. I certainly didn't go there with the
intent of asking him out, but that's exactly what happened.
It was a Thursday, and since Isaac worked
later on Thursdays, it was already getting dark. He and Hannah had only gotten
home about ten minutes before I arrived. Isaac was in a good mood, he even
smiled at me when I walked in.
He was just
finishing up on a phone call on his cell, so he walked into another room,
giving himself some privacy. I greeted Brady with a good pat and when I looked
up, Hannah was grinning at me. She pointed toward the room where Isaac had
gone, and whispered, "I have to whisper, because he has impeccable hearing,
but I think he likes you."
Before I could
respond, or even turn her words over in my head, Isaac walked into the room. "Sorry
about that," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Just
sorting out details for work next week."
I was almost
glad he couldn't see me, because I was still staring, open-mouthed, at his
sister.
"Everything
okay?" he asked.
Hannah giggled,
and I recovered quickly. "Oh, sure. Everything's just fine."
Isaac turned his
face toward me. "Did she say something to you?"
Jesus.
Isaac was blind,
yes. But he didn't miss a thing.
He turned his
face in my direction. "Silences, pauses in conversation… you'd be
surprised at how the lack of sight improves other areas of interpretation."
Hannah rolled
her eyes and changed the subject. "Isaac, I'll just be finishing up in the
laundry, okay?" and with that, she left us alone.
So I checked
Brady over, just as Dr Fields had told me to, asking a few questions about his
diet and his behavior, which seemed to please Isaac. I noticed he was wearing
another well-fitted suit like the one he wore the other day, and I wondered
where he worked. So while everything was still going well, I decided to ask him
some questions.
"Okay, my
turn," I said.
"Your turn
for what?" he asked quietly, hesitantly.
"For Twenty
Questions."
Isaac sighed,
and after a few seconds, he frowned. "Okay."
"Are you
sure?" I asked. "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"Is that
one of your twenty questions?"
"No,"
I replied. "Should I start again?"
"Jeez,
Carter, that's eighteen to go."
I smiled, and
with a laugh, I asked, "Okay, where do you work?"
"Hawkins
School for the Blind."
"How long
have you worked there?"
"I went
there as a student," he explained. "Now I work there."
"What do
you do?"
"I teach
English, and I'm on the Board."
"Are all
the students you teach blind?"
"To some
degree."
"That's
excellent," I told him. He turned his face toward me quickly, and I
realized how my words might have sounded. "No, I mean your job is
excellent, not that the students are blind."
"Oh,"
he said quietly.
Shit. Okay, next
question. "How do you get around your house so well? You walk around like
you can see."
He almost
smiled. "I know where everything is. My mind has this house mapped out."
"That's
pretty cool."
He gave me a
half smile. "That's not a question."
I found myself
smiling back at him. "How do you buy clothes? I mean, you're always
impeccably dressed, and… and… "
"…and what?"
he finished. "Everything matches?"
I laughed. "Well,
yes. Do you just call Bloomingdale's and order their season collection?"
Isaac tried not
to smile. "Hannah."
"Hannah
what?"
"Hannah
orders my clothes for me. She knows what I like, what suits me."
"Um, I don't
mean to sound rude, but how do you know what suits you?"
Isaac smiled,
but then he shrugged indifferently. "I don't. I can tell which fabrics are
which by feeling them, and the quality, but as for color… or what's written on
them."
"As in
written on your clothes?"
Isaac nodded. "A
few years ago, there were a few occasions where I'd, well, I'd pissed Hannah
off, and she paid me back."
"Paid you
back with what?"
"Well,
apparently I've worn Sesame Street and Disney to school."
I looked at
Isaac. "Really, Isaac? She did that to you?"
Isaac nodded. "Apparently.
Of course I didn't know until I got to school and someone told me the Big Bird
shirt I was wearing was so yellow even they could see it, and they only had ten
percent vision." Then he added, "She hasn't done it in years though.
Well, not that I've known."
I laughed
incredulously. And then I laughed some more because it was funny.
Isaac scowled at
me. "It's not that funny."
"Oh, yes it
is," I told him. "What else does she do to you for payback?"
Isaac sighed. "She'll
put broccoli on my plate and not tell me."
"And that's
bad?"
He screwed his
nose up. "Anything that tastes like broccoli is bad."
I laughed again,
but he just shook his head and smiled. "You're really not very good at
twenty questions, Carter. You've used up nineteen of your twenty and haven't
really asked me anything."
"Oh, come
on!" I said. "We were having a conversation! That's not fair!"
He smiled
victoriously. "You have one more question, Carter. Better make it a good
one."
I wanted to ask
a lot of things. I wanted to know about Rosie, his guide dog before Brady. I
wanted to know what he did for fun, if he had a girlfriend, or preferably a
boyfriend. I had no clue if he was gay, and I realized, even if he wasn't, I
wanted to know a lot of things about this man. So instead, I asked something
else entirely.
"What are
you doing on Saturday?"
* * * *
Eeeeep!! Aren't they gorgeous? lol
Don't forget, the sequel to Blind Faith, titled Through These Eyes, has a release date of March 30th 2013. So there's more of these boys to come! :)
So for my give away, to celebrate the release of a story about two men and a remarkable dog, I'm giving away two copies.
All you need to do is leave a comment below.
Oh, and I'll be back next week with some big news!!
Don't worry, this isn't drivel about making resolutions. I don't make them. I'm far too lazy for that. I'd just like to wish all my readers and followers a very happy New Year and I hope 2013 brings you all your heart desires! 2012 was a busy year for me. I have met some amazing people, and am now a published author! 2013 will be even busier! I have three releases so far and am working on a three-part series, which will make six releases all up so far, and it's only January 1st!! I'm hoping to offer some quick short reads, some long novels and maybe even some more freebies! I also have a lot happening in my real life... we've sold our house, so we'll be moving soon into a rental while we build our new home! It's very exciting! So, not only will we be moving TWICE, I also have changed schools for my daughter so we have that adjustment to make this year as well, plus the ever-draining EDJ which I hate. Yeah, yeah, I know... take a number... And so the fun of a new year begins. Hope you all have a happy and healthy 2013 and may there be pretty boys who kiss and fall in love...
