Hello and Happy New Year!
Thank you, Jana, for having me to celebrate the start of 2019 and the release of my latest MM Romance!

Bryan, the main character in Always Forward! Never Straight, is a nerd. That’s what he calls himself, anyway. To the rest of the world (the story world!) he’s a tech whiz hermit, so I had to give him something cool to invent. Every tech start-up has to have an idea, a spark that sets them apart from the others. But I’m no tech whiz (although I do love tech toys!) so I went through a few ideas before deciding which one would be BaxCo’s signature, their golden ticket to start-upsville. Here are two of those, deleted from early drafts, as described by Bryan.

“My Voice” app that filters your voice with the press of a button. Actually, it’s a sliding scale. You drag your finger between “male: young” and “female: young” and the other scale drags between “male: mature” and “female: mature”. There’s a setting for everyone on “MyVoice” and you can have more than one pre-set too, to cover you no matter who you’re talking with.

“Just Friends” app matching LGBTQIA+ users for things like concerts and movie nights, all without actually outing anyone who wanted (or needed) to stay on the d-l. (Oh. My. God. You didn’t just think that. You’re too old for expressions like “on the downlow”. You don’t even know if it’s all one word or hyphenated.)

Obviously, I’d buy either of those in a hot minute!
Now here’s an excerpt where he ponders the tech toy that made the cut and is featured in the story. Stick around after the excerpt and comment about an app or a tech toy you’d like to see invented. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter!

Sponsors got to park in a special lot, so once I navigated the traffic—thick even by Portland standards for a Saturday morning—it wasn’t much of a walk to get to the starting line. The usual crowd had gathered: serious runners who looked like a half marathon would be a cakewalk, slightly doughy folks like me who seemed as spooked as I felt, and people wearing regular street clothes, whose plan aligned with what mine would have been a year ago—listening to the music and avoiding the exercise portion of the day.

Children ran around laughing, wearing new and often matching running gear. No teenagers I could see, which was disappointing. Teenagers were an untapped demographic for my—or rather, BaxCo’s—drone butler, Alfred. His main function was to patrol the perimeter of a property, but he could hover over a pot of boiling water or watch a driveway for parents to arrive if that’s what you needed him to do. Alfred could watch just about anything you didn’t have time to watch yourself.

Ugh, I’m playing BaxCo’s YouTube commercials in my head; that’s gotta be a new low.

I walked along the race course to the first stage, where my sponsorship dollars proudly proclaimed that BaxCo cared about the environment.

We didn’t draw the best location, but maybe that wouldn’t matter. Some of the crowd had come for the music and not the exercise—hopefully they would spend enough time at the first stage to recycle something. The green and black logo had been designed for optimal marketing impact—brand recognition—it was boring and generic and, in my opinion, didn’t say anything at all. I caught the negativity of my internal monologue and resolved not to think about BaxCo for the rest of the day. While I stood there, bemoaning the placement of three glorified garbage cans with the company’s logo, the race started.

After the serious runners passed me, I began to run. Okay, jog. I intended to make a real effort to participate in the race. I’d trained and psyched myself up for weeks—promotional opportunity aside. I casually scoped all the runners, not actually looking for anyone, content to do some people-watching. I snickered at myself because secretly I hoped to hook up with one of the men blowing past me, to have their slender, muscled bodies pressed against mine, their lung capacity put to good use—

I almost swallowed my tongue when a tall, striking man pulled up alongside me. His arm brushed against mine, and even though skin didn’t touch skin—he wore a long-sleeved shirt, no doubt a technologically advanced fiber meant to wick the sweat away from his skin, probably as it gave him a massage and helped combat climate change—I felt an electric shock at the contact. It actually crackled.

He turned, one eyebrow raised, and smiled. “Did you feel that?”

“Um, yeah.” I tried to keep up, even though men like him—svelte athletic types who can pull off trendy shaved-on-the-side-and-longer-on-top haircuts—didn’t usually notice plain, out-of-shape nerds like me.

His handsome face creasing in concern. “Sorry. If the spark came from me.”

Fuck, he’s hot.

“N-no problem. No harm done. It was probably me.”

I shocked myself all the time—literally, not figuratively. I led the most boring life imaginable and rarely left my apartment unless forced. Pavement doesn’t exactly possess the same properties that make carpet and wool socks generate static electricity, but it still could have been me. Just looking at this man gave me a charge.

He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but he smiled instead. His blue eyes held as much flash as the actual static that had passed between us.

“Cay.” He held out his hand, and we shook.

“Bryan.” The breathless quality of my voice had little to do with the running. Or at least that’s what it felt like. “Kay, as in Sir Kay, the knight?” I don’t know how I was able to grin at him, but I did.

“No.” He chuckled. The rich sound of his voice set something alight inside me I hadn’t heard from in years. “C-A-Y. As in Cayman. Like the islands.”

He gave me a look, and it took a moment to realize he was serious. Luckily, that happened before I tripped on anything or ran into anyone. “So, is your sister’s name Aruba?”

“No. That’s my brother.” He turned to face forward for a few paces and then shot me a wink.

That wink made me stumble. I’m in trouble.

Media Kit: Always Forward! Never Straight by Charley Descoteaux

Blurb:

Love isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

Baxter Bryan is the nerdy half of BaxCo, a start-up in Portland’s Silicon Forest creating cutting-edge high-tech toys. He’s also a hermit. When BaxCo sponsors the Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon, Bryan decides to break out of his comfort zone and do more than listen to the music with a beer in hand. The race has barely started when he bumps into a fit, handsome man, causing sparks to fly. But the long hours needed to make BaxCo a success aren’t the only reason Bryan spends most of his time alone in his apartment.

Cay Nissen runs every day to stay in shape. He would love to run away from his job in a Silicon Forest cube farm, but keeps returning to support his teenaged daughter. His true love is music. Cay writes songs for the band he helped form in high school but doesn’t see any way to turn music into a career. The half marathon seemed like a decent way to pass a Saturday, make his boss happy, and catch a performance of his old band all at the same time. When he meets a man who sparks his interest, the safety of his cubicle isn’t the only part of his life that’s in jeopardy of changing.

Buy Always Forward! Never Straight or read free on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Universal Link: mybook.to/AlwaysForward

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43096991-always-forward-never-straight?from_search=true

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About the Author:

Charley Descoteaux is the author of the Buchanan House Love Stories. Book One was a USA Today Must-Read Romance.

Charley has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through a single day without stories.

Rattle Charley’s cages:

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Blog: http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/

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Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthor/

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Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/

e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

Publisher: CeeTwo Publications
Release Date: January 1, 2019
Pages: 86

Cover Artist: Rainbow Danger Designs

Blurb:
Christmas used to be a time of joy for me, but since my mother’s death three years ago the holiday has lost all meaning, becoming nothing but a harsh reminder of what I’ve lost. I’ve become bitter and skeptical of everyone around me, and the cold aloofness has kept me from being hurt that deeply again. But this year the thought of yet another blue Christmas alone sends me on a path that will change my life forever.

Genre: Romance Contemporary Gay

Excerpt:
Somehow, I managed to fall into a restless sleep and before I knew it the nurse came in to wake me up and bring me breakfast. I scowled at her as she raised my bed and set the tray on the table before me. I grimaced at the dried out eggs and hard toast. There was no way I’d eat this so I just pushed the table away. “Where are my clothes?” I demanded of her.

“They’re in the closet over by the bathroom, dear. Everything you came in with is in there.” She made a notation on my chart at the foot of my bed and then left the room.

I wanted to be gone before Carter got there. I slid from the bed, gripping the back of the gown closed. Cold air slipped under the hem and I winced at how chilly the tile felt on my feet. Everything was where she’d said. I bundled my clothes together and headed into the bathroom to get dressed. Maybe I underestimated Carter because when I came back out, he sat in the same chair from last night, a magazine propped open on one knee.

He looked up and smiled. “Ah, good, you’re already dressed. I took the liberty of going into your apartment and grabbing a coat for you since you were brought in without one last night. Also the little girl who lives next door to you wanted me to tell you Simba is okay and she’ll take care of him until you get home.”

I tightened my lips into a flat line. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ll take a cab home.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m already here and besides we have to stop at the lot and pick out a tree. Oh, I went by my parents’ house and snagged some of their decorations. My mom has so much of them she insisted I take some of hers.” Carter stood and held out the jacket. It was my favorite one, the one my mom had given me the year before she started to get sick. Though a little worn in some places, it still provided enough warmth against the chilly winds and snow.

“Thank you,” I said stiffly. “But I really don’t need a tree or decorations.”

Once again, he didn’t listen to me and waved away my refusal. “You can make me dinner on Christmas Eve and we’ll call it even.”

I shook my head and started to tell him no once again when the door opened and one of the orderlies came in with a wheelchair. “I can walk,” I protested.

“Hospital policy. Please have a seat, Mr. Lords. You’ll be out of here in no time.” The orderly gestured to the wheelchair.

With a sigh, I gave in and settled into it, embarrassed once again. Carter just silently followed along, a smile on his face. Once the papers were signed and I was outside of the front doors, I got out of the chair. I stepped in the direction of the nearest taxi, but Carter grabbed my arm and led me toward the parking garage. “I can walk on my own,” I said, disturbed at his touch and nearness.

“Of course you can. I just wanted to make sure you were heading the right direction,” he soothed. He stopped at a red pickup truck, unlocked the passenger door and opened it, waiting for me to get in. I glared at him, but slipped into the front seat. I breathed a sigh of relief to be out of the cold air, huddling deeper into my jacket.

Carter loped around the front of the truck and slid into the driver’s seat. Christmas music played from the speakers when the engine started. I crossed my arms and turned my head to stare out of the window as he drove.

Buy Links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/909631
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KY576HC?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

BIO:
J.R. Loveless is a native Floridian who spends her days in an office physically, but mentally is frolicking between the pages of her imagination. Writing has been a lifelong passion for J.R. and she has pursued it from an early age, even winning awards in school and finally beginning her life as a published author in 2010.
She is a self-confessed Potterhead spending her days with her three furbabies and enjoying the major chapters on her long journey through life. One day she hopes to visit far off places and have grand adventures like those of the characters in her stories.

Contact Info:
Blog: http://jrloveless.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.jrloveless.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theJRLoveless
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jrloveless
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jrloveless/
Email: jrloveless@gmail.com

Title: Midnight Twist

Author: Rian Durant

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Comedy

Pages: 54

Publisher: Nine Star Press

Buy links: NineStar Press || Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk || Smashwords

Blurb

Jaydon can’t afford to lose a bet he’s made, so when the sweet as sin Eluin offers him The Contract, it may be exactly what he needs. Or is it? Things get a little twisted with the cheeky demon being around.

The number of demons in Jaydon’s apartment grows, with Eluin’s big brother Eluel and his wayward lover Sam showing up. The couple is at a breaking point in their own on/off relationship and this time getting back together seems as probable as hell freezing over.

Excerpt

I found myself face-to-face with a rather delicate blond boy with round glasses and a white starched shirt, who greeted me politely.

“Good day to you, sir. I have a great offer for you if only you could spare few minutes of your precious time.”

He smiled, even winked at me, or so it seemed, but since I had valid reasons for not being in the mood, I just replied with the required level of politeness.

“Thank you, but I am not interested.”

“You haven’t even heard what I have to offer.” He hugged his suitcase and showed me his pearly white teeth in a charming smile. “You won’t regret it.”

The last thing I needed were salesmen, and I was close to slamming the door under the nose of the bespectacled creature, but he gave me such a wounded look that I decided to let him in. At the end of the day, it wasn’t his fault I’d chosen someone born with a silver spoon up his ass for a boyfriend. I only hoped he wasn’t going to prate too much, as there was no way my head could handle it. I cursed the key, which had given me a hard time recently, making evil plans to get stuck sooner or later, and when I finally succeeded in locking the door, I was ready for some information.

“And what do you off—”

The boy wasn’t in the hallway, and I knit my brows at the thought that he’d let himself into my apartment. Anyway, the whole world was against me, so I reconciled myself with my destiny and headed for the living room.

The light in the hallway was a bit weak as I never got round to buying a brighter bulb, but the view that met me in the room made my eyes pop. The little cheeky brat lay sprawled on the sofa like a prince, and a sexy one at that. He’d taken off his starched nerd shirt, and he was presently adorned in a short top neatly defining his obvious charms. In total, he looked like a different person. A delicious one, stirring some thoughts in my head that shouldn’t have been there, given the present situation. So you don’t get the wrong impression, although his short, delicate frame compelled me to call the guy “little,” his overall looks and demeanor were of a person still too young to legally drink alcohol but old enough to rent an apartment of his own. Currently, he seemed to feel totally at home in mine.

Author Bio

Rian Durant is a writer roaming the MM fiction sphere but doesn’t like being confined by (sub)genres and categories. The only rule she believes in when it comes to life, love and writing is to do everything with passion or not at all.

Links:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/riandurantauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rian_durant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rian_durant/

Blog: https://riandurant.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14370031.Rian_Durant