NaNoWriMo Update

So much for the elusive 50K. Seeing as there are only 4 days to go and my start, although fabulous on Day 1 (and really poor since, i.e., not added to at all), sort of . . . stopped. Well, that's it for me this year.

I actually have a document open right at this very moment on my desktop, just not the one I began for NaNoWriMo—story of my life. I haven't NOT been writing, just like is my way, I've been shuffling through different manuscripts, and new starts, as the mood took me. I've probably gained 10 odd thousand words over the last three weeks (crazy-busy weeks at that), so I'm happy at least that I'm not in a writing funk (definition when it comes to me to be determined). I do wish I could finish one (at least one) of my stories. Maybe that is the definition there.

I may even add to my NaNo novel before the week is out—stranger things have happened. So I won't remove my blinky. I will even hope that the number may move if even only a tiny bit. At least I know it won't go backwards . . . or could it? If I'm honest about my editing and the removal of great chunks of words, I suppose it could. (But that's just our secret.)

So no novel written in a month this year, but there is always next, and knowing me, I'll be prepared to throw my hat in the ring again.

On a complete side-note, I was very chuffed to find that The Candidates has been nominated in the goodreads M/M Romance Group Member's Choice Awards in the category of "Enemies to Lovers". Surprised doesn't even come close to describing what I thought when I saw it as I was leisurely browsing the books up in the various categories. I actually even had to click the link to check they meant my story (there could be another story called The Candidates, surely). So thanks Jeanne. I'm really pleased you thought it deserving, the fact ultimately encouraging.

Off to do some writing. Maybe I might even stay with the story I have open for a few thousand words or so.

Bette.

NaNoWriMo '13

So... I've decided to bite the bullet and give this thing a go! I'm all pumped up and raring for it right now, and hopefully that feeling will stick with me. At this point I have nothing to lose, and I regularly write around 2K a day, which is above the average of 1666 to get to that elusive 50K. Mind you, I have no illusions that I'll be writing every day. It won't happen, especially on weekends, but we'll see. I suppose that just means I'll have to up my count on the days I do write. Here's to 50K!

Good luck to anyone taking up the challenge with me. Here's to November.

I'll post updates and teasers here from time to time.

Till then,

Bette.

Prizes to win!

It is Bottom Drawer Publications first birthday.

I'd like to help get the word out about this great little publishing house and share the details of some birthday promotions they have happening this weekend.

Click on the above BDP badge to take you to the Rafflecopter entry page where you can like BDP's Facebook page to gain entry to win the WHOLE BDP e-book catalogue and any books that they release over the next twelve months - that is AWESOME! (There may even be something else from me there soon.) Plus there are some vouchers as well.

Good luck to those that enter.

Bette. :)

YOu can also go to Rafflecopter this way:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Facebook Banner...

I'm about to (maybe) post this wonderful banner that was made by BDP for the release of Dirty Martini to Facebook, but seeing as it is a bit of a "desert" over there right now, I've decided to post it here too.

I should really be spending more time over at Facebook developing my page and relationships, but it just hasn't happened for me yet. I find it hard enough to post the odd comment on Twitter, and I have that account open and accessible on my iPad/iPhone all the time. I do like that about Apple's Twitter app, that you can flip through accounts without incessantly needing to log in and out. I have four Facebook accounts at last count: one personal, one work, and two anon (of which one is Bette Browne), and I find that because I have to be able to access my work one, for obvious reasons, it is there I stay logged in. I am totally lazy about logging in and out of things, to the point I will avoid something with the intention of doing it at a later time, which of course rarely then happens. Sigh, isn't this social networking thing supposed to be "easy." I know for a fact it is time consuming. I rarely even go to my "fun" Facebook account anymore (and no, that isn't my personal one ;) ) because it is a notorious time absorber—but then I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone else that!

Anyway... here it is. Thank's, Suz. (she's a clever chickie), and now to some writing. Which story will I open and ponder on today? Hmm...

Till next time,

Bette.

Dirty Martini has been released!

Dirty Martini was released yesterday as an individual ebook. This is very exciting. What is even more exciting is that it is currently sitting at #74 for its genre on Amazon - wow!

I hope it continues to do well and that those who read it enjoy Nate and Dan as much as I do.

Here is the cover and an excerpt different to the one provided on BDP and the seller sites.

Summary:

Daniel Fletcher knocks back his third vodka of the night after running into his ex out with the same lover he had found him with in their bed two months before. He'd ended their relationship that night but coming face to face with them still together makes the pain of the breakup still very real.

Nathan Smith has seen more men than he count drowning their sorrows in a bottle at his bar. He understands - he's been there himself. One night a handsome brunette with sad blue eyes makes Nate want to assure him that everything will be okay. The connection he feels from a fleeting touch, as he walks the man out of the bar, shakes and stirs him in ways that he never expected.

What starts out as a means to forget might just be what they both need.

Excerpt (unique to my blog):

DANIEL FLETCHER’S THROBBING head proved he was at least alive—not that he was sure he wanted to be—and although he was in his own bed, Dan had no idea how he’d gotten home. The pain that rushed through his body at the memory of why he had drunk himself into oblivion the night before, made not only his head but his heart hurt as well.

He glanced at the clock on the side table. The illuminated numbers were hard to make out in the bright morning light, but he squinted and moved his head a little to get a better angle, groaning when he saw that it was close to ten-thirty—shit! So much for being at work on time. His inner sarcasm wasn’t lost on himself. Fuck! Even the word, screamed silently inside his head, hurt. Why? he pathetically mused. Well, he knew why; seeing Adam out with that guy—the guy he’d walked in on him fucking in their bed two months ago—had hurt. It had hurt like a bitch. And even if he’d thought he was starting to get over the man and the end of the three-year relationship they’d shared, yesterday had torn open wounds that had only begun to heal. Rationally he knew he was better off without the traitorous bastard, but rationality didn’t always play a fair game in matters of the heart.

Dan pulled himself out of bed and stumbled for the bathroom. His bladder was painfully full, but it wasn’t his only motivation for dragging himself out of bed. He needed Advil and about a gallon of water, and then he needed to call his assistant, Beth. At least he’d had the forethought to send her an email last night—well, he thought he had. He’d have to check his phone when his head stopped spinning.

After relieving himself, he turned to the sink, avoiding his reflection in the mirror. He had no doubt that he looked like shit, just another reminder of the reason he had written himself off the night before, and it was better to avoid that right now. Instead, he turned on the faucet, leaving the water cold, and bent his head down into the bowl, first of all splashing water over his face and neck, and then cupping one hand under the flow of the water and drinking about a pint of it. It felt good, immediately invigorating him. He opened the mirrored wall cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Advil, popped the lid and tipped three caplets into his hand. Hopefully, they’d work quickly, because he felt as if his head were about to explode on his shoulders.

Clutching the small white tablets in his hand, he walked from the room, not caring that he was naked since there was no one there to see him—that was either a good or a bad thing—and made his way to the kitchen. The world seemed so quiet in his apartment. There was none of the frenetic activity he generally associated with this time of the day on a Friday. Today it was just him alone, with his hangover and his misery.

“Screw you, Adam,” Dan yelled in an attempt to break the eerie quiet surrounding him, instantly regretting the action as his head thumped its discomfort. “Screw you,” he mouthed dejectedly, hating the man he had once loved so much for causing him all of this pain. Hating that it still mattered, hating that Adam still had such a hold on his heart. He knew two months wasn’t long, not really, especially considering that he hadn’t seen Adam’s infidelity coming—he’d been totally blindsided. Dan had been in love and had thought that his love was returned.

What a horrible night.

Adam had begged for Dan’s forgiveness, claiming he did love him more than anything in the world, but he’d also admitted that it wasn’t a first-time thing when Dan pressed him on it. Then he’d had the audacity to put the blame on Dan, telling him it only happened because Dan worked too hard, that his hours were too long. It was all bullshit.

His eyes immediately teared up, and he leaned against the kitchen counter, taking a moment to draw in a few deep breaths to steady himself. He knew he needed to forget Adam and move on, and it had been getting better, day-by-day, until yesterday at least, until he’d seen them together. He wasn’t quite back to square one, but he hated that he’d slipped back . . . again—screw you, Adam. It was easy in the light of day to be rational, to try and make his head rule his heart, but knowing and doing were two very different things.

An hour, three Advils, a long warm shower, and a greasy breakfast of bacon later, Dan finally felt reasonably human again. He’d called and told his assistant that he’d be working from home for the day, which she’d expected because he had, in fact, emailed her the night before, claiming that he was coming down with something. She hadn’t pressed him during their call, but they knew each other well enough that he could clearly hear the doubt—and the gut-wrenching tone of sympathy—in her voice.

Jesus! He didn’t want people’s sympathy; all that did was prolong the pain. If they weren’t constantly reminding him that he felt like shit, then maybe he’d be able to get past it.

Dan rolled his eyes at his own patheticness. If there were such a word his name would be the definition.

Get over him, dickhead. Stop wasting time on the cheating bastard and go and find someone who can take your mind off him. A good hard cock and a nice long fuck should do the trick.

His inner voice was spot on. Maybe that was just what he needed. Finding someone to screw had certainly made Adam’s transition a smooth one, if the little punk hanging off his arm last night was any indication of how good Adam had it now.

Dan got himself a hot cup of coffee and carried it into his study. The plan was to follow up on the reports Beth was sending him, and then deal with his own emails and his clients after that. Nothing different really than what he’d be doing if he were in the office anyway. And he could do all of that sitting in his boxer briefs. It seemed rather win-win.

<<<>>>

Dirty Martini is available now from all major ebook sellers and from the BDP shop. Find it here.

Bye for now, Bette.

BetteBrowne©2013

Dirty Martini Re-release.

It is almost twelve months since the release of Second Chances and with it, my story, Dirty Martini. This Friday the 23rd of August will see the individual release of the story by Bottom Drawer Publications in celebration of their anniversary. I don't have the cover to reveal yet, but as soon as I do, I'll post it with links.

Here is the blurb as a reminder:

Daniel Fletcher knocks back his third vodka of the night after running into his ex out with the same lover he had found him with in their bed two months before. He'd ended their relationship that night, but coming face to face with them still together makes the pain of the breakup still very real.

Nathan Smith has seen more men than he count drowning their sorrows in a bottle at his bar. He understands—he's been there himself. One night a handsome brunet with sad blue eyes makes Nate want to assure him that everything will be okay. The connection he feels from a fleeting touch, as he walks the man out of the bar, shakes and stirs him in ways that he never expected.

What starts out as a means to forget might just be what they both need.


It is very exciting! I'm looking forward to revisiting Nate and Dan.

Bette.

The Candidates available to read free right now.

Many months ago I mentioned I had put my hand up to write a story for the M/M Romance Group over at Goodreads, in their event: "Love Has No Boundaries." Well, today it was posted.

My story focuses around Reece, a marketing professional, who is sent away for a few days to participate in a trial run for a new job. The job is all he could ask for, and he's excited by the prospect of it, until he runs into someone from his past.

Enter Cameron. Reece knew Cameron at college where they were rivals in every sense. Reece has always found Cameron attractive, but that never offset his intense dislike of the man.

Now that they are competing for the same job, will that rivalry continue, or will they be able to get past it and find a more harmonious existence?

The story is titled: The Candidates. Jump on over to Goodreads to read it now. Please note you will have to be a member of the group to access it at this time, and I would advise anyone interested in M/M romance to become one if you're not already. On top of my story, you will find over 100 stories written for the event, with more to come. What have you got to lose?

Here's the cover.

The Candidates on Goodreads

Enjoy!

Bette. ;)