Update: Three Months and Three Books Coming Up

How time flies. Construction on my house did not go ahead as scheduled. The architect promised three months and done. I have the screenshots to show if anyone cares to see. I asked said architect several times through the course of the first three months that the way I saw how the work was being done, the house wouldn't get finished on schedule. Several times, said individual reiterated their assurance that the schedule was right on...well, schedule.

Fast forward to the fifth month and the architect and contractor had been fired. I kept the foreman and his men because they were just as infuriated and angry at the two. I took over everything. Like...everything.

The good news is, the men stayed on because they were finally getting paid. The construction proceeded at a faster pace and eventually, on the last day of the fifth month, 90% got done. The painter, bless him, abandoned his job. He was connected to the architect and contractor and they diverted him.

I'm not suing them, but I am actively making sure everyone in the community, meaning the city, knows what they failed to do. Word of mouth still works, even in this day and age :D 

All the time the house was getting done, I was too distracted to write. And if I so much as attempted to sit down and write, the BLOCK reared its ugly head. So I relaxed. Enjoyed the new house, etc. I relaxed.

The relaxation worked for the better. As you read from the title, I have three books coming up.

October ...sometime this month, THE HUNT will be released.

Sometime during the Christmas Holidays, HIS CHRISTMAS VALENTINE is releasing.

I don't know the exact date or month, but sometime before this year is over, DIVORCED DIVAS ANTHOLOGY: AROUND THE BLOCK will also be releasing.

Except for THE HUNT, I don't have the covers for my stories yet. I'll be posting those as soon as. 

Title: THE HUNT

Release Date: TBA

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Blurb:

When the hunter becomes the hunted, the only thing left to do is run.

Lieutenant Marcus Kildud and his men are rangers for hire. They specialize in insertion, extraction, escape, and evasion. He answers an urgent request from the Planet Terrus’ Prelate, the Lord Fulsam, whose son has disappeared and presumed dead. 

Their task is to find the ring the Prelate’s son wore. The promised compensation and bonus offered are enough to make this their team’s final mission.

What they meet in the forest is something none of them have ever encountered before. Marcus now faces the unimaginable. He realizes too late that sometimes, running away may be the only option left to stay alive.

Note: This work has been previously published but has been reworked, re-edited, and expanded.

Title: His Christmas Valentine

Release Date: TBA

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Blurb:

Can a Valentine song be the perfect Christmas gift?

It’s Christmas Eve and Vince is faced with a difficult decision. He’s wanted to marry his lover and partner, Iñaki, for the longest time and yet every time he asked, Iñaki always said no.

Can Vince set aside his personal misgivings and gift his beloved Iñaki the one thing he had been waiting to hear him play? Can playing this one song be the secret to getting his Christmas wish?

Note: This work has been previously published but has been reworked, re-edited, and expanded.

Title: Around The Block

Anthology: Divorced Divas

Release Date: TBA

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Blurb: 

Sometimes the second time around is the right time.

Kevin McCallum ran out of a verbally abusive relationship of over twenty-four years. It was bad. Without going into the gory details, he left his house and ended up in an apartment. His older brother, Jason, sends him a private message on messenger telling him that an old boyfriend of his, Matthew Logan, was saying hi.

It troubles Kevin. At the time he’d dated Matthew, he had broken off the relationship before it had gone two months. He’d realized then that he hadn't cared for him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it hadn’t felt right when Matthew had held him in his arms. Kevin decides what the heck. He could talk to Matthew, no biggie. It doesn’t take long. Kevin finds Matthew’s profile page and requests a friendship. An hour later, the chat box pops up and Kevin and Matthew start chatting. They chat until dawn. The next day, they chat again right after work. Before Kevin realizes it, he’s telling Matthew everything and discovers he and Matthew have a lot more in common than he realized. Matthew’s going through a bad divorce himself, and with two kids, too. That was not the end of the common things and life events they shared.

Kevin couldn’t resist saying yes to Matthew’s invitation to meet up. The friendship soon turns into a romantic bond, and both men discover that yes, it is possible to find a healthy relationship the second time around.

What Am I Working On Now?

I have several Works In Progress going on, but these days I am actively writing on several series installments. I can't talk much about them but two are of the Sci-Fi category, one (or two) are Horror, and the other two are contemporary. 

That I could finally write again is kind of freeing, so I will keep at it until my fingers drop.

Wish me luck :D

This Nov 1st, Check Out Being Me Anthology #charity #LGBTQIA #homophobia #marked #discrimination

Proud to be a part of this charitable anthology. Releases November 1.

So Proud To Be A Part Of This Incredible #Sci-Fi #Collection: #Flight by @QueerSciFi #Flash #Fiction #Anthology

SALES UPDATE: Over the Rainbow by Friends of Dorothy #charity #pulseshooting #OrlandoUnite

262 BOOKS SOLD ON EXTASY SO FAR, THATS $1307.38 RAISED FOR PULSE SHOOTING CHARITY

Extasy Books

Over The Rainbow, a remarkable collection of short stories from authors all over the world in aid of the ORLANDO PULSE SHOOTING CHARITY. Please help to support this remarkable piece of work, written with love, and sent from our hearts, to support those so affected by this terrible tragedy.

All sales from the Extasy Books website will go towards the charity. Amazon will take at least 40% of the sales, and only then will the rest go towards the charity, so please, if you can, purchase this amazing Anthology from Extasy Books.

Please share this post as much as you can. We need all the help and support that we can gain for this important charity book.

We are one world, and together we will hold hands until we meet our friends on the other side of that rainbow.

Other Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

PreOrder Link for Over The Rainbow is now Live: #Charity #MM #Anthology for the Victims of #Orlando

Published By: eXtasy Books
Author: Friends of Dorothy
Word Count: 82004
Estimated Publish Date: July 1, 2016

CLICK FOR PREORDER LINK

Until we meet again on the other side of the rainbow.

We all woke up to the terrible news on Sunday 12th June, 2016, of the horrific attack in Orlando, and not only did it affect the LGBT community, it also outraged the world.
So many of us felt powerless as we watched the horror unfold upon our screens, but Patricia Strehle had a remarkable idea, one that would galvanize an entire community into action. Patricia brought a group of people together with the idea of creating a book, an anthology, and donating all the proceeds from its sale to the families affected by this terrible tragedy.
Over The Rainbow is the result—stories contributed by so many wonderful authors from all over the world. These stories are meant to inspire, to warm the heart, to bring a smile or a gentle laugh to help guide us all through the darkness, and to remind us that we all inhabit this world together, that we need to be kind, and that sometimes, we just need to follow that yellow brick road hand in hand.
All sales proceeds from this Anthology will go to the following Charity: https://www.gofundme.com/PulseVictimsFund

Hi guys, this is a post I hesitated to put up. I didn't want to focus on the marketing aspect of this incredible anthology but if I don't then no one would know about it. 

Who can forget that terrifying day of June 12, 2016? I definitely never will but I have to be honest, I saw it announced on TV and dismissed it. I did, yes. It was another horrendous breaking news where a psychopath got the courage (note sarcasm) to express his feelings using a gun that should never have been sold to a civilian in the first place. I was getting tired of it. Who isn't? 

That is a behavior I'll never repeat for everything that happens can impact our lives. It did mine.

Mind you, before you judge, I handled guns. Note, it's past tense. I come from a country where the inability to use a gun is just plain stupidity. I come from a time before Martial Law was put into place. I come from a country where gun fights a la O.K. Corral was an everyday occurrence. I grew up seeing people bringing high powered guns everywhere and I did get trained using them—by my father along with my brothers. However, my father did it with a lot of caution and a whole lot of love. He had to do it. It was a necessity for us, growing up. Being female. After Martial Law, things got a bit quieter and I grew up in a country where the political tension simmered. When ML was lifted, we could all use guns again, but this time within the confines of a gun club and under strict government control on licenses. A decade later, more laws were passed and it grew harder and harder to use or even buy a gun. Time passed and now my country only has one computer to handle all the gun licensing and it is very difficult for everyone and anyone. Through all these years, you could only count on one hand the incidents like those happening in the U.S. Barely even. Don't blame me if I got sick opening CNN and the news is another stupid act of violence. 

But something caught my attention hours later.

The number of deaths was a shock to see on the television screen. It involved people who were just having fun in a club they deemed safe. The victims were young men and women, lovers, parents, new graduates, even a mother who only went to the club to celebrate another cancer remission. 

The tears began to fall and they continued to fall for days. Not two or three days. More like, a whole week. The reading of the names, that broke me and many more who monitored the news and other social media.

I didn't know how to reach out or to help. That is, until I chanced upon a post on Facebook. It called for authors to donate a short story that would celebrate life and love. I shared it and continued to monitor, not knowing who to call, how to connect, or even what to write if I ever did. It's quite difficult to come up with a light-hearted story when all I could do was cry. 

But then, as they say, when the plot bunny comes knocking, you answer the door. I sat down and wrote four thousand words and in a day, was done with the first draft. On the second day, I made my children read it, yes it is safe for straight eighteen-year-olds. Between us three, we managed to tweak it good enough for submission. 

My story, the title is Sock It To Me. It is a short story sci-fi that addresses the mysterious disappearance of socks. It is not meant to provide explanation of where pairs of socks go after a round in the dryer, but it is a theory I'd been playing around with for years. 

There are many others involved in the anthology, and eXtasy Books was good enough to help out and make this publication possible. There is no money involved for me, or the other authors who donated stories. Even the author name is Friends of Dorothy who is in toto, all of us who love the rainbow way. Each book sold will help me and others lend a helping hand to the victims of the Orlando shooting as well as their families. It may be small, but all help is appreciated.

I hope you love our little anthology, many authors answered the call to arms. It's only right we go Over the Rainbow and to help out so in the end, love wins.

ANZAC DAY #SALE! Going On at Wayward Ink Publishing and at All Romance Books 24-26-APRIL-2016! 50% OFF EVERYTHING – INCLUDING COMING SOON TITLES

THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF ANZAC DAY TO AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS

ANZAC DAY is a national day of remembrance observed on 25 April each year in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.”

Anzac Day was originally intended to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during the first World War.

Over time, however, Anzac Day has grown beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day on which we remember all Australians who served and died in war and on operational service. The spirit of Anzac, with its qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.

WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY:

“FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY”

THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT by Jo Tannah
All Romance 
Series: Standards Series , Book 2.0
Published By: Wayward Ink Publishing
Published: Feb 12, 2016 
ISBN # 9781925222777
Word Count: 34,745
Price: $4.99 $2.49

As a member of a wealthy and influential family, Jaime “Jamie” Abello had his life mapped out. Being shipped off to LA with an insurance scam linked to his name was not part of his plan.

It had seemed so simple: pass the Philippines Medical Board Exam;practice in the family-owned and -controlled hospital; join the Board by age forty; and find a partner with whom he could settle down and be himself. 

Instead, his father supplies him with a surfeit of money and dangerous secrets and sends him to a strange country.

The Pediatric Residency Program Jamie applies for brings him face to face with untouchable 

Program Director, Miles Kwon, whom Jamie soon finds to be a man of integrity and vision. 

When tragedy strikes, Jamie finds himself falling deeper into depression. Unexpectedly, it’s 

Miles who helps him work through his pain. 

Will Jamie ever experience a life with a loving partner, or will his father's secrets cause him to lose everything he’s gained?

MEN IN UNIFORM: A WAYWARD INK PUBLISHING ANTHOLOGY
All Romance
By: Alina Popescu | C. J. Baty | Carol Pedroso | Eddy LeFey |  Eric Gober | Jim Dunaway | Jo Tannah | Kassandra Lea |  Lily Velden 
Published By: Wayward Ink Publishing
Published: Dec 18, 2015 
SBN # 9781925222722
Word Count: 105,887
Price: $6.99 $1.99

Like your boys in blue keeping the… peace? 
Hot firemen dealing with… heat?
Naval Officers getting in way too… deep? 
Perhaps you have a ‘thing’ for marines…
Or do you prefer your Men In Uniform to belong in the future?
Another galaxy?
Another time? 

Wherever your love of a uniform leads you, MEN IN UNIFORM has something for you.

It's Release Day!!! Exclusive Excerpt & #Giveaway: Men In Uniform: A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology

Men In Uniform Anthology Cover & Book Trailer Reveal Time!

Here it is! So excited to share with you the cover for Men In Uniform Anthology which features, among others, my short story The Royal Guardian. 

We Have A Date!

September 13th I posted Royal Guardian: Short Story for Anthology Contract Signed. Well, we have a date! 

Friday, December 17, 2015. (Do mark your calendars)

It will be published under Wayward Ink Publishing Men In Uniform Anthology. Mine is not the only one in it, it is an anthology after all and there will be about eight stories written by eight (ahemahem) incredible authors. I am just glad the date is finally set and can't wait to hear what you think of them.

Until then, ta ta! 

Do take a peek at some of the anthology book trailers  from WIP.