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Rainbow Snippets*–Happy Spring!

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Spring has sprung! (Again. I think I said that a couple of weeks ago--before we got more cold weather and snow flurries.) It looks like it might dip again for a couple of nights next week, but I'm going to enjoy this first official weekend of spring. Shoes off and lawn chair ready for some afternoon reading! This week's snippet is from Blind Ante , the first book in my Bar Games series. Jordan is homeless. He makes a living playing poker. It keeps him alive, but he's tired. Jordan is about to leave the game when a guy throws a deed on the table. One more hand, and he leaves with the deed in his pocket. This is the first time we meet Roger, albeit briefly. He'll show up again later—and then get his own book!  “ Illinois ,” [Jordan] said aloud to the purple-flocked cow sitting on his dashboard. He studied the deed to the 5 acres he now owned. At least there was another state between it and Kansas . The man mentioned a trailer on the property–that was the true jackpot , i...
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Rainbow Snippets*–March

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I made it through January and February fairly unscathed. They're usually the worst two months of the year for me, and there have been some ups and downs, but it's more the state of the world and less seasonal depression. Every day there's more bad news. And sadly, I imagine it'll get worse before it gets better. 😪  Books are my escape, and I think a lot of readers, especially Romance readers, are the same. I also find, when my brain is unsettled, like it is now, I have a hard time finding a book I can sink into. It makes for a longer list of DNFs than normal. (I am definitely a mood reader more than a trope reader!)  My snippet this week is from Delicious . It takes place on a quiet evening at Hanson's house, the kind of quiet evening I'm looking forward to. Told from Grady's POV: The evening was unexpectedly pleasant, despite the change in plans. Hanson fixed us steaks and threw a couple of hot dogs on the grill for the kids. Although Gina said she’d fed t...
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Rainbow Snippets*–Celebrate!

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This last week has been one of extremes. We had temperatures of over 70F–I got my lawn chair out and soaked up some sun, walked at the nature center, and lit up the grill. It was fantastic but short-lived. There was hail and a tornado in my area as the temperature dropped back down into the teens. And I somehow picked up a cold. It's done its own swing all week. Just as I was feeling better, it took another plunge down, oddly following the pattern of the weather.  Could it just be spring already? This week was Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week. To 'celebrate', my book Cinders and Ash is on sale. Lindsey is having an argument with her brother, Cherry, when Brian, the maintenance man, comes out of the bedroom, where he'd been adjusting the closet door. Lindsey takes advantage of the moment. Told from Lindsey's POV: Cherry grabbed onto one of the words I’d just said. “Boyfriend? You? Since when?” His tone irritated me, which made it into a challenge. And I never backe...
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Rainbow Snippets*–Happy VD (for those that celebrate!)

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Midway through February and the snow from three weeks ago is finally almost melted. Not that we can't get more, but historically, any deep snow happens for my area in the first two months of the year. It doesn't mean we can't get any later, but it's usually less. And that's a good thing! Delicious is live! (link below) Delicious is a low-angst novella, meant to be a fun, afternoon read. So yes, when the guys bring up the word love, it's in a joking manner. And since it's Valentine's day...  (Told from Hanson's POV:) “I really like you, just so you know.”  It was dark enough that I couldn’t see, but I would have bet [Grady's] cheeks were red. “I really like you, too. I mean, I really, really like you.”   Grady chuckled. “We sound like grade schoolers. ‘Do you want to be my boyfriend? Check yes or no.’” “Yes.”  “‘Do you love me? Check yes or no.’” My breath hitched. Was he making a joke, or was he serious? The hesitation was only for a second bec...
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Rainbow Snippets* -- Delicious is up for Pre-Order

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Like so much of the US, we're still stuck in the deep freeze. The almost foot of snow we got last weekend is still on the ground since the highs have barely gotten to the teens and the sun has hidden more than shown. But January is done, so we're one more month closer to spring! Delicious is up for pre-order! It's a quick-read, low-heat novella that was supposed to be part of a multi-author series that didn't happen. But after putting so much time into imagining the characters and writing the first half, I didn't want to drop it. And I'm happy with it. (That's the thing, isn't it? We, the authors, should like our stories, I think.) Grady, wanting to move away from the city, buys an old house, site unseen, and hires a contractor to make it livable. Although he's spoken with Hanson over the phone numerous times, this is their first time meeting in person. Told from Grady's POV: “Oh, my,” I said under my breath. That sunbeam from earlier landed on ...
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Alternate Universe

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The husband and I were talking about an alternate universe where the last election had gone a different way, and that made me think about my personal timeline. Specifically, where I'd be now if I hadn't stumbled onto The Mighty Boosh back in 2013. I know, it sounds ridiculous that a comedy duo could make such a difference in a person's life, but it changed who I was.  Or maybe, I just refound myself.  It's hard to explain. I've always had a tendency to obsess over things I found interesting: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Beatles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All things that have caught my attention ever since I was a young teen. I had to know more, to dive headfirst and learn as much about them as I could. This bizarre British television show did the same thing at a time when I was floundering. And there was so much to explore.  Movies. Other television series. New-to-me music. And the best thing? The active, very queer fan community. They shared their art and...
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Rainbow Snippets*--The Moms

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I just finished my third viewing of Heated Rivalry . I find myself, on each rewatch, catching something I've missed during previous viewings. There are so many emotional scenes in the series, but the one that makes me teary every time is the conversation between Shane and Yuna in The Cottage. It's just this gut-punch, and I think it was handled beautifully.  I don't have many coming-out scenes in my books because most of my characters are older, in their 30s or 40s, but in Smoke and Sparks , Daryl and Vaughn are 21 years old when they meet. Meeting Vaughn is the catalyst for Daryl coming out even to himself. And I have a scene with his mom. Sorry, I've gone way past a paragraph or two, even though it's compressed from the full book version: I sat at our kitchen table, alone in the big room, except for Mom. With six siblings, that was a rare occurrence. She set a mug of coffee and a slice of apple pie in front of me and then dropped onto her usual chair. I glanced at...
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