~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~it's all about the love~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, December 14, 2014

It's New Release Day for Unwrapped Hearts & there's a Giveaway!

Good morning, everyone, and happy start to the holidays. I began mine with a BANG! 

Today is the release of Unwrapped Hearts - an Unbreak My Heart story, and I've very excited to have another small part of Brett & JT's lives exposed. Lol.


These men are still my favourites to write, and I think most readers know that Brett is my favourite character of all those I've written, too. It's not like I don't love my other boys, but when I wrote Brett, I suffered along with him. You can even say he destroyed me in some ways, but then I put us both back together, kind of like Humpty Dumpty I suppose. Brett is also the character that talks the most inside my head. If he wants something said, he's damn persistent and I love him for it. It doesn't hurt that he's modelled after one of my fave singer/actors, too. ;)


This is the third book in the series starring Brett Taylor and JT Campbell, and it's also the shortest one. It's a small, sweet and fluffy glimpse into Brett & JT's Christmas so I hope y'all like it.  I'll be giving away one ebook copy so make sure you leave your information and a comment below. I'll leave the contest open until Tuesday, December 16 - so it's a quickie. ;) 


Below you will find all the pertinent information. :)



~*~*~


Blurb

Brett Taylor and JT Campbell have been together for over a year, and Brett is like a little kid when it comes to Christmas morning. He has plans for the two of them to have some quiet time, open gifts, and maybe even share some sweet loving before relatives descend on them for dinner.

Brett has on his Santa hat and his sexy surfer-boy lover right where he wants him, until a certain whirlwind of a pup takes matters into his own hands. Whiz isn’t about to be left out of the Christmas celebration, and he’ll do whatever it takes to demand his daddies’ attention...

~*~*~

Now an excerpt…

…JT cocked his head farther to the side as Brett grazed teeth, then tongue, over the mark he’d sucked into JT’s skin. “I could have helped with the chores.”

“Did all my chores, thank you very much, and I even started the coffee,” Brett said with a nip to JT’s ear.

Truth be told, Brett had been happy to let JT sleep. The morning was crisp and clear when he and Whiz had trotted outside. The kind of morning that didn’t freeze the end of your nose but cold enough to see your breath, and just right for making rare Texas snow hang around long enough to make the trees real pretty-like for Christmas Day.

“Besides,” he said between kisses. “You were a little feisty last night. Thought you might need a little extra shut-eye.”

JT’s chuckle was almost swallowed up into his pillow. He turned his head then, reaching back to pet Brett’s hair again. “Feisty sounds like something Millie would say.”

“You prefer horny?”

“Only if you’re going to do me with that hat on.”

Brett nodded with a laugh. He rubbed slow circles with his tongue and lips down JT’s backbone again, trailing fingers and mouth lower with each rotation. “I’d be much obliged.”

JT writhed against him, head tipping back suddenly. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Brett asked. He stayed true to his task but listened carefully. “No.”

“Sounded like something fell—where’s Whiz?”

“Oh shit!…”

~*~*~

I was a bit late with deciding to publish this short so it will only be available at my publisher, Amber Quill/Allure, until the new year so you'll have to scoop it up there. They offer it in all ebook formats so if you're worried about getting it onto your Kindle, it should be easy peasy. While you're over there, check out Amber's new website and gift certificates that are now available.

The buy link is here --> Unwrapped Hearts at Amber Quill/Allure AND it's even on sale. :D


Don't forget to comment with your email address - maybe tell me what your fave part of Christmas is - for the giveaway. Happy holidays, everyone.


PS I'm trying a new font colour. Is it better than the white? The problem is I don't know how to change my blog format so I can have a white background. It'd have to have someone do it for me. Ugh. I'm very tech-challenged.



Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Never the Perfect Moment giveaway winners.

Woot! The random generator, AKA Bob, has drawn the numbers for the two winners of Never the Perfect Moment!

*drumroll*

Number 13 - Roger

and

Number 1 - Debra


Congrats! I'll be emailing you both for your format preference. Thanks for playing everyone and if you happen to buy Never the Perfect Moment, I really hope you enjoy it.

Oh - I almost forgot. I received my first review - 5/5 stars. That makes me very happy. :) Check it out here MM Good Book Reviews

Have a great week everyone.




Thursday, July 17, 2014

Never the Perfect Moment giveaway!

NEVER THE PERFECT MOMENT GIVEAWAY!

*brushes off dusty old blog* 

I really need an intervention for my blog-phobia. 

But anyway...hey! I have a new release this coming weekend - Never the Perfect Moment will go live on July 20 at Amber Quill. :) I'm running a very short contest for 2 ebook copies so leave your name, a comment (you know that always makes me happy) and your email.


Monday, May 26, 2014

Tabby's Pride WINNERS!

I have winners!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my Tabby's Pride blog tour. I appreciate the support of my wonderful bloggers and everyone who took the time to comment and enter the giveaway so much I added a couple of extra copies to the mix. :) Winners have been notified - congratulations!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

HAHAT 2014 - Jake Jaxson talks mentoring

Hey y'all. This is my last post for the HAHAT 2014, and I'm very pleased to have the second part of my Cockyboys 2014 interview on Mentoring. RJ has been swamped with filming and now the Grabby Awards in Chicago, but I did manage to wrangle Jake into answering some questions. So here we go.

~~Jake Jaxson ~ Filmmaker, artist, collector, hopeless romantic, and insatiable flirt. He lives in New York with his two loves and collaborators, R.J. Sebastian and Benny Morecock, & their four canine gaybies ~ Raif, Sebastian, Bailey & Jackson. Jake is also the owner/director of CockyBoys.~~

Hi Jake. Welcome back. 

Thank you for having us again -- I means so much to be asked back.

Final HAHAT 2014 post 1 of 2 - Being an ally

This was supposed to be my last post of the HAHAT 2014, but I received a surprise in my email this morning so there will be something else posted later on today. But first I want to talk to you about…me.

I'm a straight, married female and also mother of three who just happens to write gay romance. If you've ever watched Sesame Street, you may remember the game "One of these things is not like the others". That comes to mind a lot when people question why I write m/m romance with all my unsuitable qualifications.

The first thing I'm usually asked since I write what I do, am I gay? I honestly don't see how the two are correlated unless I was to write lesbian romance not m/m. But then again, I also know many lesbians who write what I do. So in that case, my answer is just no, I'm a woman who is attracted to and has relationships with men.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Tabby's Pride blog tour final post!



The tour is complete. Did you hit all the stops?
Giveaway closes on midnight May 21. 
Thanks so much for all the support. 

HAHAT post - music videos for the cause

Being a writer, words are very important to me, but images and videos can be just as inspirational and moving. I thought I'd share a few videos I've picked up here and there that fit with the HAHAT. I'm a self-proclaimed music video whore - have been since they first appeared in the 80's.

I also fancy myself a bit of a closet poet and a few of my books have lyrics I've written - I'm not saying they're any good but they are lyrics nonetheless. I find the process of putting words to music then music to pictures and video just completes the cycle and can produce such lasting impressions of thoughts and feelings.

Please leave a comment and enter the giveaway. I hope you enjoy these and they provide some emotional connection to the theme we're all supporting. Cheers.


~*~*~

Andrew Hozier-Byrne is an Irish musician.
His voice & this song itself give me chills, & the video is so powerful. 

 

Sunday, May 18, 2014

It's Release Day! And here's a 24 hour Tabby's Pride give-away

Greetings all. My life has pretty much run off the tracks between this blog tour, the Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia (check out my post here
--> HAHAT & BENNY MORECOCK IN THE HOUSE), and my knee issues, but I can't forget release day, can I. I'm doing a twenty-four hour give-away just for this post so leave your name and email address, and you know I love comments too. :)

I've already received one review that made me very happy. 10/10 pots of gold from Rainbow Gold Reviews. Here's the link for the review. Check it out. :)

Bethany Gives 10 pots of gold to Tabby's Pride

"From the beginning I wanted to know Levi’s secret, and I wanted to know right that second.  Yet she keeps you guessing, makes you work for it.  When Levi tries out for Lions Pride and comes face to face with Xan you know that instant that they have a past, a connection.  I loved the history they shared, it was sweet and heartbreaking at the same time.  It makes them comfortable with each other, yet Xan knows Levi is keeping something hidden."

And it included some beautiful fan art.



Saturday, May 17, 2014

HAHAT and Benny Morecock are here

Greetings my friends and welcome to my first post for the 2014 Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia. As one of the organizers, I want to thank you for joining us in our third year. If you recall, we began this journey in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia and there are a lot of useful links and information over there. Give them a looksee when you have a moment.

I hope you find interesting, thought-provoking posts that you feel the need to share with family and friends. Remember, word of mouth is the best way to pass along understanding and encourage change.

Before I go any further and because I have more than one post in mind for the next week or so, this will page will act as my master post to the HAHAT. So check back with it if you think you've missed something. There will also be a list of links for all the participants in the HAHAT at the end of all my posts.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Tabby's Pride blog tour & giveaway UPDATE

Hi guys. 
I'm updating the stops in the tour 
and letting you know what you may have missed. :) 
So far I've talked about 
~emotion & writing (Dean) 
~done a fun interview for Jade
~squeed over rock stars & shifters (Jay)
~and released a new excerpt over at Piper's pad. 


Monday, May 12, 2014

Tabby's Pride blog tour and giveaway starts here!

Hi and welcome to the first stop in my Tabby's Pride blog tour. Tabby comes out on May 18 from Amber Quill so I thought I'd make the rounds before I set him free.

This will be my first release that is part of a PAX collection with Amber Quillthat means you can buy all 5 titles in the Purrfect Tales Collection for a reduced price. 

I'm feeling a little humbled at being associated with the other authors in this group of cat shifter stories - Sean Michael, Deirdre O'Dare, A.J. Llewelyn, D.J. Manly, and Carolyn Valdez. They're all fabulous authors. Make sure you check them out. If you click the Purrfect Tales link, it will take you to the collection.


~*~*~

Now back to Tabby's Pride - here's the blurb. 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Sneak peek at K.C. Well's upcoming release, A Dance with Domination

The fabulous K.C. Wells has a new release going live on May 23. Today she's been nice enough to share the blurb and first chapter with us. Here we go. 

~~Recently returned to the UK after living in the States since he was eleven, Andrew Barrett is determined to keep busy and make a new life for himself. He works full time as a copywriter and strips at a club on Canal Street on weekends. But it still leaves him too much time to think. Then he finds the BDSM club, Collars & Cuffs, where at twenty-nine, he is their youngest Dom. Young doesn't mean inexperienced, however. All this activity keeps him focused with no time to dwell on the past. But the past has a way of intruding on the present. 

It's been four long years since Gareth Michaels last set foot inside Collars & Cuffs. But when he finally summons his courage and steps back into his former world, he finds the man who drove him away is still a member, and what’s more, he wants Gareth back. Two men in pain need the freedom they find in each other, but it takes another man's horrific plans to make them see it.~~

A Dance with Domination pre-order link


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Guest post: Terry Millien's Iron Will blog tour

Please welcome the fabulously talented, and I'm proud to say, one of my best friends, Terry Millian, to the blog. Terry is hopping around from blog to blog to promote his new release, Iron Will. I was lucky enough to beta on this one and I can assure it's truly a creative and interesting mecha story - my first in fact, and I enjoyed immensely. Make sure you check out the links at the end.
Ripples in the Water
Rick, who you meet a few chapters in, is one of those characters that, once you’ve outlined the whole story, pops up out of nowhere as soon as you sit yourself down to start the actual writing and messes the entire plot, like a pebble making ripples in water.
Eventually, though, the water surface will be smooth again, won’t it, but the pebble will still be somewhere underneath, and after much grumbling and bitching, I soon came to realize I simply could not get rid of him and return to the old plot, no matter how hard I tried to. It was like the pebble had always been meant to be there, at the bottom of the pond, had just been removed at some point and had now resumed its rightful place.
I couldn’t tell you much about him, however and because of that, since he is so intricately woven into the plot that anything I could say about him would basically spoil one thing or another.
Anyway, thanks for joining and you can read my ramblings about idioms and made-up swear words at Piper's blog (include link), and you can even enter a giveaway at my own site ~~ Terry Millienl).
Don't let your gears rust. :-)

Iron Will blurb

Gael has never believed in “Steel Giants” and magic; they’re just stories told to captivate children and remind everyone of the power of the Corporation. Those beliefs fall prey to doubt, however, when he abruptly finds himself enemy number one and being hunted down by those who are supposed to protect…

Rating - m/m/m/m

Iron Will was released from Less Than Three Press on April 9, 2014. For links and information about Iron Will, please go to 
IRON WILL

BIO - Terry Millien


Terry has always loved making up stories. Even before he could write or read, he could be found changing around Disney's stories after he'd watched the movies. The youngest of five, the odd one out, he grew up constantly bored because his siblings were "too old to play", so making up stories was really a necessity. At 11 he was hooked by the Harry Potter phenomenon, and by 16 he really couldn't wait for the damn translations to be made so he decided to go for the original versions. Since then he mostly writes, reads and watches TV in English.


Saturday, April 12, 2014

The Writing Process blog hop

Hi guys. Today I'm involved in a blog hop based about what I'm currently up to and my writing process. I was invited to take part by fellow author Christiane France who posted last week. Check out her blog at:  ~~ Christiane France ~~

I'll try to answer these as best I can, but since I consider myself an ADHD-writer, it might be a little difficult. You'll see why.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

Oh boy, this could be a long answer so I'll try to keep it short. I just finished Tabby's Pride - a cat shifter / rock 'n roll story so I'm waiting for edits on that. The release date for Tabby is May 18 from Amber Quill/Allure (insert of random promo plus lol). Last week I finished Never the Perfect Moment which is a SWAT story but with not a lot of SWAT, and it will be out in either June or July.

Currently, I'm working on Manny's Heart, the third book in my Family of Misfits. Manny is the sweetest and, perhaps, most naive character I've ever written so it's hard to break him like I know I have to in order to give him his HEA. I suspect his book will come out in late summer from MLR, and the cover will be done by the fabulous LC Chase again.


I'm also working on a free story for the M/M Romance group about a dancer, incorporating Lazy Sundays and Lazy Valentines into one book with the rest of Devon & Scott's story to be released in novel form, hashing out a long-ass sequel to Finally Home, and writing a Winter Olympics short. Lol, and that's not including the little plot bunnies my muse makes me write down for other characters daily.


HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN MY GENRE?

I don't know that my work is all that different from others, but I have branched out into different sub-genres--rockstars, cowboys, paranormal, contemporary, fantasy. I don't write a lot of sex scenes, usually only one major one per book, and I try very hard to get inside my characters heads so the reader can see inside their hearts. I prefer to write the emotional and romantic angle of relationships more than the physical--unresolved sexual tension, kissing, little touches here and there. Lol. Lame answer. Yeah, I'm not really sure I can answer this question so I'll just leave it at that.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

The first question people usually ask is why m/m romance. and I don't have a definite answer except that's all I've written or even read in the last five years or so. I love the emotional connection between two men, the possibilities that arise because of stereotypes and prejudices. I like to crack open the hard-shelled exteriors that society and history have put in a place, and redefine what being man can be and what it doesn't have to be. And I like to do it with the help of a loving male partner at said man's side.

So basically, I write what I like to read, as does everyone else I suppose.  My favourite stories are usually romantic, angsty, but  with light humour, and definitely the pain of hearts stinging before they become one. The fact that I tend to write with my heart instead of my head helps to do that. Trying to put a little lightheartedness into the angst is also something I do because I know first hand that drowning in too much sorrow is really hard on the soul. 

Writing is an emotional release for me so trying to write something I'm not comfortable with or fully into, does not make K-lee a happy girl. I tried doing that with a prompt for a free group story involving infidelity, Las Palabras de Amor, but I ended up spinning it my own way so I didn't have to deal with the issue in such a harsh manner. 


In keeping with writing what I like to read, I'd never try to write BDSM, threesomes or scifi because none of those particularly appeal to me most of the time. I stick to my emotional fluffiness and always hope the reader cries during the same parts as I did when I was writing them.


HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?


Did I mention writer's ADHD? I swear it's a real disorder just suffered by writers. I actually envy authors who can write one thing at a time, or even just two things at once. I just can't seem to do that. When in good form, my muse is a hyper-charged maniac and doesn't even give me the opportunity to try to be a plotter. It's pantser, flailer, and WTF-is-going-on-er all the way for me. I've tried outlining and being aggressive with notes, but most of the time everything ends up changing. Most times my characters write themselves and correct me when I've done something wrong. 


Most of my stories start with characters rather than plot, and I can honestly say that is the one bit of organization that stays firm throughout my process. I make character bios because I "must" know what colour eyes and hair my MCs have. Is it short or long, curly or straight? If it's long, do they wear it up? How tall are they? What sort of physical attributes do they have? Do they like their family? Do they have any quirks or squicks? What do they drive? You get the picture. For me, knowing all these little elements makes it easier for me to write my characters. Of course I keep adding to the bios as the story progresses but the original characteristics I stared with rarely change.


Some of my own quirks--

- I write scenes out of order just because they come to me that way, and forcing myself to write chronologically is writer's block just waiting to happen. 
- If I'm stuck or blocked, I find writing a scene of dialogue will help pull me through it, and then I add the details later and figure out where to put it within the story. 
- I cannot work on one story for longer than two days straight without delving into another that's gnawing at the back of my brain. If I attempt this, my muse explodes and either stops talking to me or whispers inappropriate things for characters from one book to do with ones from another. I kid you not. It's happened and it's not pretty.
- Some of my best and most focused writing occurs in the tub on my iPad. I can be blocked or anxious all day, but get me in the tub, and the words flow.
- I get up some mornings to find I've texted or emailed myself with strange notes and scenes that I don't remember writing or a lot of times even know where they go.

So that's it…it was almost painless. But now you need to mark the next three weeks in your calendar so you can check out my friends joining me in this hop. Make sure you stop by and ssee what their writing process is.


APRIL 19 - EMBRY CARLYSLE

Embry Carlysle has always had her head in the clouds or in a good book. Her dad always told her, her overactive imagination would get her into trouble one day. She certainly hopes so. Embry lives in the south with her family where she loves the warm weather, beach trips and writing to her heart's content…as long as she locks the door first. She believes in love at first kiss, and big alpha males brought to their knees by a sexy, funny, smart partner. She always wants the HEA…but they have to work for it. "Hey, Dad. Look at me now!"

Eloreen Moon is a pen name for a writer, reviewer, beta reader/editor, and reader of all things romance, including alternate lifestyle (LGBT) stories and novels.  In Real Life, she works full-time, has a blended family with children, and enjoys gardening, computer games, and nature.

MAY 3 - VJ SUMMERS


When not obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing over what kind of trouble the Godkid is getting into, making coffee, drinking coffee, or feeding and otherwise fawning over the cats who allow her to live with them, VJ Summers can be found obsessively reading or writing erotic romance – either solo as m/m author VJ Summers or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half I Sierra Summers).


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Rainbow Gold Reviews scavenger hunt

The  Rainbow Gold Reviews Scavenger hunt is today, but this is not the post you want to find in order to fill our your treasure cards. Hidden in one of my past posts is the picture of a pot of gold filled with a rainbow - the same one on the Rainbow Gold Reviews website. Your mission is to find it and all the ones hidden on participating authors and bloggers sites. And while you're at RGR, check out all the great reviews.
http://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress.com


The scavenger hunt starts at 3:00 EST, 2:00 CDT, 1:00 MST - you'll have to remember where you saw the pot of gold on each blog but try not to give your answers away in public. Good Luck!

RGR is a new review site and I've been honoured to already have had two books reviewed by them - both 10/10 pot of golds. Click on the pictures for the reviews. 



I'm also doing a giveaway of my own. Comment on this post by telling me if you've read me before and you'd you'll entered to win an ebook copy of one of my backlist books OR a print copy of Unbreak My Heart, Lucius' Bite, or Ali's Intuition. I'll be giving away two different prizes so make sure you leave your email address so I can get in contact with you.



Sunday, March 2, 2014

It's Release Day for Unbroken Hearts! And I have give-away winners.


Brett & JT are back! Unbroken Hearts is live on Amber Allure and soon to be released on Amazon and ARE. I hope it lives up to the love that y'all showered on Unbreak My Heart, and thanks so much for all your support. Click on the picture for the buy link from Amber. :)

I also have winners of the giveaway for two ebook copies of Unbroken Hearts - fresh from the random winner generator. Drum roll please…and the winners are…

Karen Lewis
and 
Nova 

Congrats. I'll be in touch with you both, and thanks to everyone who stopped by. 
Happy Sunday.





Wednesday, February 26, 2014

New release giveaway - Unbroken Hearts

I can't believe I haven't dusted this old thing off since September but here I am. It's not really release day either, but I am doing a giveaway for a new release. To be honest I'm not having the best of days so this will be short and probably not too sweet. I'll be back soon with something more entertaining, I promise. AND I've finally updated my WIPs so you can see if what I'm working on. :)

Unbroken Hearts - an Unbreak My Heart story comes out on Sunday, March 2. I'm excited about it even if I don't seem like it at this moment. It's roughly 25,000 words which is quite remarkable for me since it had started out with a maximum word count of 10,000. Obviously, the boys had more to say that I thought - and when I say boys, I mean JT since it's in his POV this time. 

That doesn't mean you won't see and hear Mr. Brett Taylor but it's JT's turn to let you into his head a little more. I can honestly say the story is sweet and sappy, but will also tie up some loose ends from Unbreak My Heart and show the boys working things out in their own special way. 

Blurb

~~JT Campbell knows Brett Taylor’s proclamation of love a few months earlier was true and honest, and Brett’s nothing if not sweet and attentive. But when the most romantic day of the year rolls around and Brett seems to be ignoring it, JT finds himself drowning in disappointment. Growing up, JT was never allowed to celebrate Valentine’s Day and was taught to reject the sappy, fake sentiments of the holiday. But would it be too much to expect Brett to at least acknowledge the day?

On top of that, JT can’t help but feel uneasy about the one huge reminder still standing on the ranch of Brett’s old lover. JT tries hard to pretend it doesn’t bother him, but he worries that as long as it’s there, Brett will never fully be able to let Walt go and move forward with JT. Can an unexpected show of love and commitment soothe JT’s fears?~~


So…I'm doing a giveaway for two ebook copies for anyone who sees fit to leave me a comment. I'm not making it a requirement but I'd really love it (and it would make my day better) if you told me what part of Unbreak My Heart you liked best - scene, character, circumstance, whatever. Or if you haven't read it, tell me how you feel about angsty stories which I believe Unbreak has been described as. Since I'm so late, I'll run the contest for only a short while - until March 3, the day after release date so get your entries in quick. 

I want to thank everyone who supported Unbreak My Heart and also share some of the fabulous fan art starring Brett & JT. These are very special to me. AND lastly, here's an excerpt form Unbroken Hearts. Hope you enjoy.

Excerpt - Unbroken Hearts - an Unbreak My Heart story


...JT Campbell felt like he had loved Brett Taylor every single day of his twenty-eight years of life. If given the chance, he would have burrowed beneath Brett’s skin like some all-consuming virus just to ensure he would always be with him. And if that wasn’t a statement of true love, or, in the least, the musings of a man completely under the spell of a former country singer with more issues than People magazine—he didn’t know what was.

In reality, six and a half months was no more than a drop in the proverbial bucket of relationships. But it was far longer than any other romantic liaison JT had ever experienced, and if he had his way, Brett would be the last lover he ever had…period. There just weren’t enough words to describe how much he loved his cowboy.

As for Brett himself, he was moody, sensitive, stubborn, caring, annoying, sweet-as-pie, and so damn beautiful it hurt JT’s heart. But despite the good, the bad, and the shameless sexiness that was Brett Taylor, he always came out on top—well, in a non-literal sense—even when it came to planning the worst Valentine’s Day dinner ever.

“G’morning, Darlin’,” Brett had said when they woke up. “I told Ray and Mama we’d have dinner with them at Bubba’s tonight. Old friend of mine is dragging his guitar out of storage for a one-night-only performance. I said we’d be there for moral support.”

JT didn’t really define himself as a hopeless romantic, and he hadn’t necessarily expected a sappy card or a vase filled with fabulous red roses—though that would have been really sweet. But what he had expected, or, yeah, wanted, was some adult alone-time with Brett on the so-called most romantic day of the year. Something private and intimate, that didn’t involve Brett’s foreman and friend Ray Durant barging in at any given minute just because, or revolve around being horizontal and sweating, at least at first. He wanted to hold hands across a table, have Brett gaze adoringly into his eyes as wine sparkled in fancy glasses, flowers scented the room, and goddamn cupids played tiny harps… So, yeah, that hopeless romantic thing was a possibility after all.

His gift for Brett wasn’t the most romantic thing in the world either—a book about foals or fillies or some kind of baby horses Brett had been talking about lately, plus a card JT had painstakingly picked out. The flaming red paper practically oozed just how much in love he was with Brett, and was the sappiest thing he’d ever bought, or even ever considered buying. Love did strange things to people, and JT had fallen hard for every single one of those things that involved Brett Taylor…