Wow--Happy Holidays you guys, whether it be Hanukah (which starts this evening) or Christmas or Yule or the winter holiday of your choice.
Here's hoping it's a good one--because we have got some stunning choices at Kermit Flail and I can't hardly believe I get to pimp them all!
I want to start with the Code Name: Winger series, by Jeff Adams, because the concept-- a high school student secret agent-- is so, so cool. Jeff (and his husband, Will) are pretty iconic in the gay romance community-- their Big Gay Fiction Podcast is rapidly becoming the go-to place for fiction shout-outs and news, and Jeff and Will are warm and funny and ever so much fun to talk to. But I wanted to pimp Jeff's series, because it looks fun and exciting and action packed--and it features a normal everyday teenager who has trouble balancing being a secret agent and a personal life, and I eat that shit up with a spoon!
So thanks, Jeff, for helping me shout this out to the world--I don't just want to read it myself, I want to order it for my kids. THAT'S how good it looks!
Code Name: Winger
YA Series
High school student. Hockey player. Computer whiz kid. Boyfriend. Covert agent. Theo Reese's life is split between being a normal teenager and Tactical Operational Support agent Winger. After years of being safe behind his keyboard, he's now thrust into the field to protect his family, friends and the world.
Code Name: Winger
Audio Assault
Theo Reese is just like any other seventeen-year-old—with one small exception.
This summer all he wants is to spend time with his boyfriend, Eddie, and work on his MIT research project. His parents have other plans.
An old friend needs the help of Theo’s family. Oliver Glenwood is an ’80s music star who runs his own label. His wife and his daughter, Sofia, now a chart topper herself, are the targets of kidnappers. Oliver hopes they can eliminate whoever is behind the threat.
When Theo uncovers an even more insidious plot, the covert agency the Reeses work for, Tactical Operational Support, swoops into action.
Song files have been modified to steal personal data from devices and emit a tone that drives listeners into a homicidal rage. Theo and his parents race against the clock to stop this mysterious enemy from releasing the music on an unsuspecting populace and causing worldwide chaos.
Just when Theo thinks the mission couldn’t be more complicated, Eddie shows up in New York looking to hang out with his boyfriend.
No one ever said being a teenage secret agent would be easy.
Series Link
Audio Assault on DSP
Next on the list is Edie Montreaux's debut story--and y'all? I'm like all zooming with pride here. About three years ago I was at Yaoi-Con and Edie came to talk to me. She asked if she could "pick my brain" about how I write and I was like, "Sure!" She's a friend of Roget Ratchford, whom I ADORE WITH ALL MY HEART and I'd do anything for Ro-- talk to his friend? Not a problem. Well folks, she was organized. She had a notebook and a list of questions and she was so thoughtful-- I really enjoyed our conversation, and we've followed each other on social media since. And guess what? She took all that research and she wrote her own romance book! I'm like WHEEEEEE!!! This is SUCH A RUSH!!! It's like the greatest thank you card ever, that she took that conversation and used it and here it is-- HER romance story! Come check it out!
by Edie Montreaux
Spread Your Wings is the tale of Sammy Connelly’s first job as a CNN Correspondent in Sarajevo in February 1992. The job and rising tensions in Sarajevo do little to calm Sammy’s nerves before the biggest concert of his lifetime: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. One of the hotel clerks, Mustafa, helps Sammy with a health scare and distracts him from the war. When Mustafa ends up in the hospital as a casualty of war, Sammy knows he’s got to get him to London, and home to Atlanta, if Mustafa will go. Along the way, they experience the largest celebrity tribute concert of our time and find “Somebody to Love.”
Buy at MLR
And next on our list is Kim Fielding, with Summerfield's Angel-- And the super cool thing about THIS story is A. Kim gives the proceeds of her self-published work to Doctors Without Borders because she's A.MA.ZING. and B. She got together with some FANTASTIC writers to put out an anthology of individually published work! Here's her website link about THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL-- come check it out--writers like L.A. Witt and R.J. Scott and Kim herself and so many more contributed to this. SO worth it!
by Kim Fielding
After the hard winter of 1888 ended Alby Boyle’s work as a Nebraska ranch hand, he returned to New York City in search of his long-lost family. His mother and brothers are nowhere to be found, however, and after Alby’s years of absence, Five Corners no longer feels like home. His prospects seem as dim as the nighttime alleys.
When Alby pauses to admire an angel ornament in a department store window’s Christmas display, he meets Xeno Varnham-Summerfield. Wealthy, handsome, and enthusiastic, Xeno brings Alby some temporary cheer. But for Alby to achieve his dreams of love and a real home, well, that may take a bit of holiday magic.
Buy on Amazon
Now Ellis Carrington is a very gifted writer--but she's also a very awesome friend. She writes this amazingly erotic, quirky romance, and at the same time she sends me very quirky, dry mom-memes that make my day to day SO much easier to bear. When I saw she had a new release out I HOUNDED her to put it on Kermit Flail, and because she loves me, here it is! Not Chrismtassy--but very July in December, and we all need a little bit of that!
Total Immersion
by Ellis Carrington
A college study abroad trip goes bad fast when Evan's boyfriend dumps him right before takeoff. Last thing he wants is to make nice with the preppy stranger on the plane who won't leave him alone.
Sweltering days, a shared hotel room, and embarrassing adult toy mishaps lead to an unexpected friendship. They couldn't possibly have less in common. A fact that matters less and less when they're thousands of miles from anyone they know.
Turns out Bale wants to be more than friends with Evan. A lot more. Too bad Evan doesn't believe he's telling the truth.
Sweltering days, a shared hotel room, and embarrassing adult toy mishaps lead to an unexpected friendship. They couldn't possibly have less in common. A fact that matters less and less when they're thousands of miles from anyone they know.
Turns out Bale wants to be more than friends with Evan. A lot more. Too bad Evan doesn't believe he's telling the truth.
So Jaime Samms is a friend of mine and a very talented writer, and I was so delighted when I saw she had a new release. I was also warmed when I saw the note she wanted posted with her Flail--and since it's the holidays and we all need a little warming, I thought I'd post it here:
"I love that Amy does this every month. It's such a wonderful chance for us authors, and for readers to find new-to-you authors. I'm super excited about this book, since Dragons! and I'm just a big kid at heart, sometimes :) Thanks Amy!"
You're welcome, Jaime-- I really love doing this every month. It gives me a chance to connect with my fellow authors and help them celebrate their amazing talent and share it with as many people as I can. I'm always so grateful when people send me things to post--it means I get to throw a little party in my friends' honor! YAYAYAY!
Sometimes the best Christmas gift is knowing what you really want.
Rusty Baker is a rich, entitled, oblivious jock, and he might have stayed that way if he hadn’t become friends with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. When Oliver kisses him goodbye before Rusty leaves for college, Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.
But nothing can help Rusty survive a semester at Stanford, and he returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. But with Oliver’s love and the help of Oliver’s amazing family, Rusty realizes that failing college doesn’t mean he can’t pass real life with flying rainbow colors.
Crispin Henry isn’t an adventurer. He learned early on that the world is a frightening place and that home is rare and precious. If his friends didn’t drag him to sports games and ill-advised trips to Vegas, he wouldn’t get out at all—and his trip to Munich for Oktoberfest is no exception. But it’s there that he meets Luka Gabriel, and he learns to take a chance.
Luka is a free-spirited world traveler, working at Oktoberfest to feed his enchantment with new places and new people. His only possessions fit in his backpack, and he depends on the kindness of strangers for a place to sleep. Crispin should know better—but he takes Luka’s hand anyway, and together they turn three nights in Munich into the relationship neither of them has been brave enough to risk—and neither can let go of.
When Luka turns up on Crispin’s doorstep before the holiday season, Crispin takes him in on hope alone. Yes, he knows the odds are good Luka will flutter out of his life again and leave him bereft, but isn’t it worth it to see if Luka is a homebird after all?
Sunshine in the Dragon's Heart
Jaime Samms
When Sunny retires to the northern Ontario wilderness to mourn his parents’ deaths, he’s hoping the change of scenery will afford him some peace and quiet.
His hopes are soon spectacularly dashed.
In self-imposed exile, dragon Emile runs across the Fold between his dimension and Sunny’s—and right into Sunny’s arms. Centuries out of touch with human culture, bright, beautiful Emile incinerates any hope Sunny had for an ordinary existence. With dryads and water sprites coming to life all around them, Sunny can’t deny the magic Emile brings to his life—or his heart. But that same magic leads the unrelenting dragon who would keep Emile captive right to them. To save his love, Sunny will have to reach deep and find some magic of his own.
A Faith, Love & Devotion Anthology
What happens after the story ends?
Join Matt, Evan, Jim, Griffin, and their friends and families for a glimpse of what happens after happily ever after. Between growing up and growing pains, weddings and retirement, changing careers and changing diapers, life is never boring. Changes, decisions, tears, and joy await as the years march on.
Buy at DS
When Sunny retires to the northern Ontario wilderness to mourn his parents’ deaths, he’s hoping the change of scenery will afford him some peace and quiet.
His hopes are soon spectacularly dashed.
In self-imposed exile, dragon Emile runs across the Fold between his dimension and Sunny’s—and right into Sunny’s arms. Centuries out of touch with human culture, bright, beautiful Emile incinerates any hope Sunny had for an ordinary existence. With dryads and water sprites coming to life all around them, Sunny can’t deny the magic Emile brings to his life—or his heart. But that same magic leads the unrelenting dragon who would keep Emile captive right to them. To save his love, Sunny will have to reach deep and find some magic of his own.
So this next one is... damn.
I'm like so honored to get to host it.
Tere Michaels is one of the first people in this genre to write everyday people and to take them seriously and to make it possible that a cop or a security expert or your neighbor might be gay or bisexual and that their story is just as beautiful as anybody else's.
Faith and Fidelity is an iconic book, and over the ten years since it's release, Tere has never let the story die. This is the final release in the seres--a wrap up of all the characters we've loved so hard for so long. I'm pleased to announce Forever and Ever by Tere Michaels will come out from DSP this month.
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!
Forever and Ever
by Tere Michaels
A Faith, Love & Devotion Anthology
What happens after the story ends?
Join Matt, Evan, Jim, Griffin, and their friends and families for a glimpse of what happens after happily ever after. Between growing up and growing pains, weddings and retirement, changing careers and changing diapers, life is never boring. Changes, decisions, tears, and joy await as the years march on.
OH!
And then there's me :-)
I have two releases this month. Christmas Kitsch is a re-release--it has a new cover, but not much has changed on the inside, which I think pleases the people who loved it the most and there does seem to be a lot of them. I'm so proud to have this story out under Dreamspinner now. It's always been one of my favorites and DSP is my favorite home.
Below THAT is this year's Christmas story, Homebird.
Sometimes writing a story is building a dollhouse, detail by detail, moment by moment, everything is carefully crafted and put in its place.
But sometimes it's like hitting a perfect chord in one go. You assemble all the ingredients in your head, play your instrument, and AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH... You can hear it in your head. All the elements. It's exactly how you wanted it to be.
Christmas Kitsch was like that-- and so was Homebird. I really love both these stories, and while neither of them concentrate so much on the holiday as they do on the people, for me they will never cease to fill me with the sort of joy and contentment that I want to give people when I write a holiday story.
So I hope--whatever your holiday-- that you find your joy and contentment and your perfect chord.
And I really hope you enjoy your reading!
Happy Holidays!
Amy
Christmas Kitsch
by Amy Lane
Rusty Baker is a rich, entitled, oblivious jock, and he might have stayed that way if he hadn’t become friends with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. When Oliver kisses him goodbye before Rusty leaves for college, Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.
But nothing can help Rusty survive a semester at Stanford, and he returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. But with Oliver’s love and the help of Oliver’s amazing family, Rusty realizes that failing college doesn’t mean he can’t pass real life with flying rainbow colors.
Homebird
by Amy Lane
Crispin Henry isn’t an adventurer. He learned early on that the world is a frightening place and that home is rare and precious. If his friends didn’t drag him to sports games and ill-advised trips to Vegas, he wouldn’t get out at all—and his trip to Munich for Oktoberfest is no exception. But it’s there that he meets Luka Gabriel, and he learns to take a chance.
Luka is a free-spirited world traveler, working at Oktoberfest to feed his enchantment with new places and new people. His only possessions fit in his backpack, and he depends on the kindness of strangers for a place to sleep. Crispin should know better—but he takes Luka’s hand anyway, and together they turn three nights in Munich into the relationship neither of them has been brave enough to risk—and neither can let go of.
When Luka turns up on Crispin’s doorstep before the holiday season, Crispin takes him in on hope alone. Yes, he knows the odds are good Luka will flutter out of his life again and leave him bereft, but isn’t it worth it to see if Luka is a homebird after all?
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