The Love's Landscapes Anthologies are in the process of being released by the wonderful organisers of the event—Don't Read in the Closet 2014. It astounds me the contribution these amazing people have made to make these stories so readily available. Thank you! Exposed is included in Volume 6 with a load of other great stories from authors including Lisa Henry and Amy Jo Cousins. A great way to add some awesome reading to your collections.

Don't miss out. Download it here . . .

Love's Landscapes Vol 6

(pub, mobi & pdf available)

Add on Goodreads . . .

www.goodreads.com_Love's Landscapes Volume 6

2014 Goodreads M/M Romance nominations . . .

I was incredibly delighted this week to learn that my novella Exposed was nominated in not one, but two, categories in the Goodreads M/M Romance Member's Choice Awards for 2014. I hadn't expected it at all, so the nominations are even sweeter because of that. Thanks so much to M/M Romance Group members Jeanne and Simone for feeling it worthy of their nominations.

Then to add icing to a very lovely cake, I found that the Not Quiet Shakespeare Anthology, of which my story "The Jacobite" is included, was nominated in the Best Anthology category. So woohoo (just saying). Not that I'm laying claim to that one by any means, but it was exciting to see this nomination too, and I still feel extremely honoured to be in such wonderful company as I am in that book. Congrats to my fellow NQS authors as well. All in all it's been a good week.

While I'm here I suppose I should add an update on my writing progress. I didn't bother beginning a NaNoWriMo project this year, but I have been writing when I can. It has been much slower than I would like—real life and other commitments are a bitch—but it is coming along. Mase and Tom are just as sexy as ever (especially Mase—black lingerie this time anyone? Tom?) and happily telling me their story. And because I'm feeling generous, here is a little peek. Enjoy!

Before he’d even opened his eyes, Mason Reid knew it was still dark in the room around him and that the sun had yet to rise. He also knew he was alone in his bed. He tucked one hand under his pillow and reached with the other into the cold space beside him—he’d been alone awhile.

Eyes still closed, he rolled over and reached for his phone. He pushed a button on the screen, and only then did he open an eye and squint at the illuminated display: 4:32 a.m. He’d only been asleep—this time at least—since just after three. He wondered how long Tom had continued to hold him in his arms before he got out of Dodge—not long at all it seemed.

When he woke the first time, somewhere close to two, wrapped around Tom in a tangle of limbs and heat, he’d been instantly aroused. Finding Tom, fast asleep, his breaths low and steady, in his bed, was . . . fuck, it was amazing. And he could hardly believe it. Maybe he should have been content with that, content just to have Tom in his bed, something three weeks ago he’d have never let himself think of let alone believed a possibility. But he was greedy. His cock, hard and pressing into Tom’s hip, was greedy too, and being such a greedy bastard . . .

Maybe he’d pushed too far. Not that Tom had complained. But then again, what man complains when he wakes to find his dick in a warm, willing mouth?

Mason ran his fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp with the tips. His flesh was tender, and he could feel each individual follicle protesting as he passed over it, the errant pain reminding him of how tight Tom had gripped his hair as he’d thrust into his mouth. He could live with that reminder. Fuck, Tom could tear his damned hair out if doing so meant he was lost to the sensations of having Mason’s mouth on him. Hell yeah. Tom had not complained, at all. The memory bringing a sleepy smile to Mason’s face in the darkness. No, not at all.

But the simple fact was, Tom wasn’t there. And even as Mason let his mind drift back over the night, his heart hurt to think those few experiences might be all he’d ever get. Because when it all boiled down to it, three times was not enough—not even close.

Copyright 2014 © Bette Browne 

Note: excerpt is a draft only.

I'm also pottering away on some other projects and would hope to have them ready for submission in the new year—even though Exposed is my priority. Wish me luck.

That's it for today. :)

Bette.

Love's Landscapes "Exposed" Now Available.

I'm excited to announce that my Goodreads MM Romance story for the Love's Landscapes event has been released. Exposed is available to read only on the event page right now...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/230111?group_id=20149

[The MM Romance group is a private group, so you must join. In saying that, with over 15K members—one of the largest private groups on GR... Who knew reading about boy loving was so damned popular ;) —sign up is as easy as asking to join as long as you have a GR account.]

...but the story will be available for download (in epub, mobi & pdf) on the group website soon.

http://www.mmromancegroup.com/exposed-by-bette-browne/

If you decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy Mason & Tom. I'd love to know your thoughts, so please comment here or on the book page on my profile on Goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22855822-exposed

I certainly enjoyed writing this book, which it turns out is only the beginning of their story. I say the beginning because my intention is to continue on from this novella with at least another novel, and if things work out, maybe even more.

Exposed is only a taste of what Mase & Tom have to offer. In it you get the beginning of their relationship but not much more. And there is so much more to them. These guys are NYPD detectives, and book two (as yet untitled) begins with the discovery of a dead body. I have actually started a brand new Scrivener file and two scenes are underway, so be sure this is happening. I do of course have to "finish" this wonderful that idea that is currently living mostly in my head, but I am certainly hopeful at this point. ;)

Anyway, that's it from me for now.

Bette.

Not Quite Shakespeare

On June 2, 2014 my short story, The Jacobite, will be released in the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology by Dreamspinner Press. I'm now part of the author stable at DSP, which is exciting because I am in some rather brilliant company. Maybe one day, I too might have a few books under my name there.

The Jacobite is a sweet little tale about meeting someone who you immediately click with, and who you also find incredibly attractive. Who could ask for more? At only 7,500 it's a quick read to enjoy over a coffee.

Here is the cover. It is so cute!

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/notquiteshakespeare

And my author page is:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/bettebrowne

Bette.

Love's Landscapes.

I'm back! It's been almost three months since my last . . . LOL, it almost feels like I need to confess for staying away so long. One day I'll have loads to write/add/ramble on about, so maybe then I'll make more consistent appearances.

I have two things to get excited about right now, but I'll make two separate posts. They each deserve it and are rather special to me.

I finally finished my DWitC story for the MM Romance group. And wow, what a journey that has proved to be. It was "finally" sent to the organisers of the event, coming in at just over 21K for its first draft. It is yet to be edited by the team over there, so that may change, although I am reasonably happy with it as it stands. My issue with completing the draft and sending it in its current form is that I was running so behind I had to send it in without being able to step back and reassess it. The ideal would have been to have a few weeks' or even a month's grace to do so, but that wasn't to be. Luckily my CP/editor seems happy with it too, actually she's rather excited, so that's a bonus—and I trust her opinion very much.

Exposed is the story of Mason (Mase) Reid and Thomas (Tom) Perkins, two NYPD detectives. They've been partners for two years, but not all was as it seemed, or so Tom found out the night he found Mason in a rather compromising predicament. 

Here is the picture prompt that was given, and the accompanying author request:

Fuck! I got all dressed up for an evening alone and forgot that tonight was my night to host "pizza and basketball night" with the guys. My detective partner arrived at my house first and came looking for me upstairs and found me like THIS!!! How am I going to explain this to him?! He doesn't even know I'm GAY! Much less that I have a lingerie and heel fetish!

Author, the kinkier the better (no ménage or cheating). I want there to be tons of tension during the basketball game and please do not have it resolved immediately. I give you the freedom to choose from which pov you want to tell their story.

To say Tom is shocked by what he finds out about Mase is an understatement, but it makes him question more than just what he didn't know about his friend, and question equally himself.

What I discovered while I was planning and writing this story is that the story of these two men is much bigger than I could tackle in the time allocated me to submit to the event. Some authors have written novels in the time, but that wasn't a possibility for me, so my plan is to continue Mason and Tom's journey in a sequel. Fun times ahead.

For now here is the cover for Exposed, I hope you all like it.

Thanks to XDRESS.com for permission to use their image as part of my cover art.

The gorgeous red panties are product #290 on their website. 

I'll bring details of release as soon as I know them, but seeing as there are over 200 stories to be posted as part of the event (starting in 5 days) it could be awhile. If you're not a member of the group on Goodreads, make sure to join. Here's the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/20149-m-m-romance

Bette

It's been a while . . .

Here we are, well and truly into the month of March, and I realized I hadn't posted to the blog for a very long time . . . far too long. So here goes.

It's been a big few months. I'm happy to say that I have a story coming out with Dreamspinner Press in the Not Quite Shakespeare anthology. The book is due for release in early June, which I know will come around very quickly, but it is exciting, and equally nerve wracking. My story, called "The Jacobite," was fun to write and based on a real-life experience . . . well, at least the traveling on the train bit was, the boysecks, not so much. O.O But so far everything has happened with great ease, which is what I would have expected from DSP, and I hope it continues that way through the edits. Exciting months ahead for sure.

Which leads me to my next adventure. I've just signed on again to participate in the Goodreads MM Romance group Don't Read in the Closet event 2014—Love's Landscapes. This happened only in the last hour, so I am still coming to terms with the prompt and how I'm going to tackle it, but I am super excited. Watch this space for the prompt pic (wow it is smokin' hawt) and anything else I can come up with.

Bette.