This weekend I finished the editing and ebook formatting for "Unwrapping Hank", my 2014 Christmas novella. It is going to be released Nov 14, 2014. It's already locked and loaded at Amazon, ready to go! You can pre-order it here:
Eli
New page added for "bones" (gothika #2)
Check out the new page for the "bones" anthology, coming out Oct 27th! Spooky/erotic stories from myself, Kim Fielding, Jamie Fessenden, and BG Thomas. You can read an excerpt from my novella "The Bird" on the new page here.
Cover and excerpt: "Unwrapping Hank" (due Nov 14)
"Unwrapping Hank", my 2014 Christmas story, is due to release Nov 14, 2014. The cover by done by the talented Reese Dante, who did my Mistletoe cover last year. This isn't a sequel, but it does have a similar vibe.
Blurb:
Sloane loves a good mystery. He grew up as the son of two psychiatrists, so he finds most people tediously easy to figure out. He finds his way to Pennsylvania State University, longing for a rural experience, and ends up being lured into joining a frat by Micah Springfield, the hippest guy on campus.
Nothing in Sloane’s classes is as intriguing as Hank Springfield, Micah’s brother and fellow frat house member. Hank looks like a tough guy—big muscles, tatts, and a beard—but his eyes are soft and sweet. He acts dumb, but he’s a philosophy major. He’s presumably straight, but then why does Sloane feel such crazy chemistry whenever Hank is around? And why does Hank hate Sloane so much?
When Sloane ends up stuck on campus over Christmas, Micah invites him to spend the holidays at their family farm in Amish country. It’s a chance to experience a true Americana Christmas--and further investigate the mystery that is Hank Springfield. Can Sloane unlock the secrets of this family and unwrap the heart hidden inside the beefcake?
Here's the first excerpt! (this is pre-editor)
1
“Sloane, why don’t you get us some more sangria? In the kitchen. On the kitchen table. That’s the good stuff.” Micah Springfield winked at me.
“You know, Hank is—” Brian started.
Micah put an arm around Brian’s neck in a casual stranglehold, clapped a hand over his mouth, and patted it lightly, as if he was joking around. “Sloane?” Micah held out his glass to me.
“Uh… sure.” I took his glass, wondering if this was a pledge thing. If I, as a new member of Delta Sigma Phi, and a lowly freshman, was going to be a community gopher for the foreseeable future.
But so far, Micah and the Delts had been amazingly benevolent. When I and four other freshman rushed, there were no illegal pranks, panty-on-head wearing, belly-crawling through urine, or naked spanking. Which was good, because I would have laughed, ho ho ho, at least at everything except possibly the naked spanking. Then I’d have made a beeline for the exit.
I never thought I’d be the type to rush a frat. In fact, if my parents knew about it, they’d be lecturing me over the phone on peer pressure, the dangers of co-dependency in closed social structures, and the effects of one’s social group on GPA in a university setting. They were both psychologists, and I, I was their lifelong patient. Nothing in my life went undeconstructed. But when Micah, a TA in one of my classes, latched onto me and gave me the hard sell, I didn’t resist.
Micah Springfield is president of the Delts. He’s that guy who is hipper than you will ever be, even if you took master lessons from Bob Dylan and Will Smith. He’s genuinely smart but a thousand leagues from being a nerd. He’s good-looking but lazy with it, you know? He has wild curly brown hair that’s down to his shoulders, with these little braids in it, dread-style, and a remarkably unskeevy soul patch. He wears slouchy low-riding jeans, crazy-patterned shirts, and leather sandals most of the time, even in November. He’s a senior in environmental science, of course, because that’s what terminally hip people major in. And he has these insightful brown eyes, eyes that looked right into yours and say I’m touching your soul, brother.
Micah was warm. In other words, the opposite of my parents.
Besides, the Delts lived in a cool old mansion, which was so much better than sharing a dumpy dorm room with my perpetually anxious, tums-chewing, pre-med roommate. I was over all the hair-pulling. He pulled his own hair, not mine, but still. I was definitely ready to move into a room in the Delts house that first weekend in November.
And if I’d had some stirrings of attraction to Micah at first, it honestly had nothing to do with my decision. I figured out in the first ten minutes that he was straight, and that was the end of that. Tiny nubbin of interest nipped in the bud, and we were both the better for it.
“Kitchen,” I repeated, looking pointedly at the punch bowl not two feet away.
“Trust me,” Micah insisted, winking at me again.
I sighed and went off to find the frat house kitchen.
* * *
I pushed through a swinging door and saw a refrigerator. I’d found the kitchen. My sense of accomplishment lasted for about two seconds. Then I noticed the guy standing at the sink doing dishes.
The Delts I’d met so far were upscale-looking guys. Even with Micah’s slouchy hippiness, there was a sense of quality about him that shone. And the other frat members, like Brian, tended to polo shirts and button-downs and managed to tread that narrow line between respectable students and nerds. They were more prone to hacky-sack and ultimate frisbee on the front lawn than video games or football and steroids. It was a zone I felt comfortable in, if not one where I precisely belonged.
But this creature at the sink was something else.
He was a big guy, had to be over six feet and he was broad. He wore old, holey jeans that showcased a perfect, firmly rounded ass. On top he wore a white wife-beater tank top and nothing else, which left acres of huge muscles and tattoos exposed. He had a thick buzz cut and a full beard. One bare foot was propped up on the opposing calf as he washed glasses in hot, soapy water.
I clenched the stems of the glasses in my hands so hard it was a miracle they didn’t break. Black began to descend on my vision and it took me a moment to identify the problem—I wasn’t breathing. Silly me. I gasped in a mouthful of oxygen and the sound caused sink guy to turn his head to look at me.
“Hey.” Sink guy’s grunt was low and rough like a dog or a bear. He turned around and went back to washing dishes.
I love a good mystery. In fact, I find it boring how unmysterious life is most of the time. Study the material, get correct answers on tests, get a good grade, eventually get lots of good grades to get a good job. Point A to B to C. And people? Growing up the son of two psychologists, and furthermore being a huge fan of murder mysteries, I had a tendency to analyze people and put them in boxes fairly quickly. For example, the pinch of my mother’s mouth can indicate long-suffering, irritated, or secretly pleased, depending on its exact tension. There’s a look a guy gets in his eye when he’s attracted to you and a different look when he finds out you’re gay and he’s disgusted by that. Most people are open books.
But standing in that kitchen my head was flooded with a dozen questions.
Who was this guy?
What was he doing in the Delts’s kitchen washing dishes? He didn’t look like a Delt, but he didn’t look like anyone a sane person would hire for catering or clean-up either.
He seemed young, about my age, yet I knew he wasn’t a freshman rushee, because I’d met all of them and we were currently being schmoozed out front in our ‘welcome to the frat’ party.
Why was he barefoot?
If he was a Delt, why was he hiding in the kitchen doing dishes instead of socializing with everyone else?
And why oh why did I have an overwhelming urge to run my hands over the plump muscles on those arms, shoulders, and back, when I’d never before in my life been attracted to muscle guys or tattoos? The guys I’d dated had been smart and fairly sophisticated. A guy like this should not move me. But he did, like Mt Vesuvius.
Oh God, was I going to hell? Would I end up living in Texas?
The guy looked over his shoulder at me again. His eyes were dark blue, with what looked like flecks of gold, and he had long, long black lashes. They were soft eyes.
How did a guy who looked like an ex-con have eyes that were that sweet?
“Need something?” he asked me with a slight frown.
Right. Because standing frozen by the kitchen door holding two glasses in a death grip was not weird at all.
I cleared my throat. “Refill.” I spotted the pitcher of sangria on the table and manage to fill up the two glasses. The guy had gone back to ignoring me, gently clinking glasses in the water and being ridiculously noir with the steam from the sink wafting around him like a figure in an old Humphrey Bogart film.
Some snooping was definitely in order. I left Micah’s glass on the table and wandered over to the sink with my sangria.
“Are you a Delt?” I asked, all casual.
He took his hands out of the suds and braced them on the edge of the sink. They were thick hands, flush with veins.
He looked me over critically, and I tried not to betray the fact that I found him incredibly attractive. Playing it cool, I took a sip of my drink.
“Yeah,” he said at last. “I’m Hank. Who are you?”
Oh, God. Oh, no. “Sloane. Greg Sloane.”
“Oh.” His face closed off in a heartbeat. He went back to washing dishes. “Yeah, Micah mentioned you.”
As it happened, I’d heard of Hank too. Hank—the one guy at the fraternity who’d voted against my membership, a fact I shouldn’t know but did because Brian had let it spill. He’d also told me to “never mind Hank. Just stay far away from the guy and he won’t bother you.” The impression I’d been left with is that bothering me—maybe with his fists—was entirely possible should I accidentally annoy this paragon.
Hank, the one Delt I’d never met but had a vague notion was homophobic and thus hated me on principle.
That’s when I noticed the cross tattooed on his impressive left bicep. Without another word, I picked up Micah’s drink and went back out into the living room. My heart was beating fast and something like disappointment burning in my stomach.
“Hey,” Micah said. He took his glass and threw his other arm around me. “Come on, I want you to meet Sam Wiser. He’s a junior and in the vet sciences program too.”
“Sure, uh… There was a guy in the kitchen… Hank.”
Micah stopped and looked at me, smiling shyly. “Yeah? What’d you think?”
What’d I think?
“He seemed really… domesticated. You know, for a white supremacist.”
I was being perhaps a wee bit judgmental, but Micah laughed, a big booming laugh that made everyone turn to see what was so funny.
“I guess you know the guy,” I commented, even more perplexed by Micah’s reaction.
“Oh, I know him.” Micah pulled me in by the neck to whisper in my ear. “Hank is my baby brother.”
EE
Review of the audio book version of "Blame it on the Mistletoe"
Thanks to The Blogger Girls for posting the first review of the audiobook version of "Blame it on the Mistletoe" with the fantastic narrator, Jason Frazier. Check it out! http://thebloggergirls.com/2014/10/05/audio-review-blame-in-on-the-mistletoe-by-eli-easton/
"Blame It On The Mistletoe" now out on audio!
Dreamspinner just released an audio book version of "Blame it on the Mistletoe". The narrator, Jason Frazier, is fantastic. So much fun. Here's a link on audible with a sample.
"Bones" is due Oct 27th -- Cover reveal!
Are you in the mood for Halloween this year? I have a new release coming October 27th. It's called "bones", and it's the second gothika anthology. (The first was "stitch").
Last time, in "stitch", four of us m/m romance authors wrote a story about a Frankenstein-like creature. That book included a novella by myself, Kim Fielding, Sue Brown, and Jamie Fessenden.
In "bones", the novellas are all around the theme of Voodoo. The anthology includes a novella from myself, Kim Fielding, Jamie Fessenden, and BG Thomas.
Here's the blurb for the anthology:
Vodou. Obeah. Santeria. These religions seem mysterious and dark to the uninitiated, but the truth is often very different. Still, while they hold the potential for great power, they can be dangerous to those who don’t take appropriate precautions. Interfering with the spirits is best left to those who know what they’re doing, for when the proper respect isn’t shown, trouble can follow. In these four novellas, steamy nights of possession and exotic ritual will trigger forbidden passion and love. You cannot hide your desires from the loa, or from the maddening spell of the drums. Four acclaimed m/m authors imagine homoerotic love under the spell of Voodoo.
And for my novella, "The Bird":
Colin Hastings is sent to Jamaica in 1870 to save his father’s sugar cane plantation. If he succeeds, he can marry his fiancée back in London and take his place in proper English society. But Colin finds more than he bargained for on the island. His curiosity about Obeah, the native folk magic, leads him to agree to a dangerous ritual where he is offered his heart’s most secret desire—one he’s kept deeply buried all his life. What happens when a proper English gentleman has his true sensual nature revealed and freed by the Obeah spirits?
Jamie's novella "The Book of St Cyprian":
"When Alejandro Valera finds a book of black magic in New Orleans, he ships it to his friend Matthew in New Hampshire so he can read it when he gets home. Unfortunately, Matthew’s dog, Spartacus, gets to the package first, and Alejandro returns to find Matthew locked out of his apartment by the suddenly vicious pit bull. The boys call on all the magic they know to free Spartacus from the evil spirit, but they might need to accept that they’re in over their heads."
I don't have the blurbs for Kim and BG's stories, but I can tell you can I really loved reading them!
More about the anthology later....
Eli
"Unwrapping Hank" -- my Christmas story for 2014
My 2014 Christmas story "Unwrapping Hank" is now in beta. It's always a sense of relief to finish a story, especially one that's important to you. "Blame it on the Mistletoe" did well last year, so I really wanted to do something good for Christmas this year. The jury is out until it releases, but I hope you'll like it! Love would be okay too. What's it about?
Like Mistletoe, "Unwrapping Hank" is set on a contemporary college campus, this time PSU--Pennsylvania State University.
Greg Sloane, aka "Sloane" is a freshman who has just rushed a frat, the Delts, lured by the super hip and laid back Micah Springfield, the frat's president. The one guy in the frat who voted against Sloane's membership was Hank, who turns out to be Micah's younger brother, and also turns out to be a majorly muscled, tattoo'd, and butch guy who sparks Sloane like kindling the first time he lays eyes on him in the frat house kitchen.
Here's my idea of Sloane (photo Googled off the web, I do not own):
Sloane is fairly sophisticated for PSU, having lived in major cities around the world with his two psychologist parents. He's also something of a smart ass and he LOVES a good mystery. Sloane figures people out easily--until he meets HANK. Hank is a conundrum. He's looks like a bad ass but he has the softest eyes. He acts like he's dumb but he's majoring in philosophy. He appears to be straight as an arrow, but then why does Sloane feel chemistry whenever they're in the same room?
Hank Springfield (stock image-- imagine more beard and tatts)
Hank is a loner whose gruff exterior puts off a lot of people. He's into body building and he's into his studies. The one thing he is most DEFINITELY not into is Sloane, aka "Frenchie", the stuck-up, sophisticated, gay guy absolutely no one else in the frat has a problem with. Hank doesn't want anything to do with Sloane. So why does fate (and his interfering brother Micah) keep shoving them together?
First, he has to plan the frat's Christmas party with Sloane, a partnership that will either tear the house down or produce the best party ever, and then Micah invites Sloane home with them for Christmas. What the fuck?
There are family wounds that have made Hank and Micah what they are. If Sloane can unwrap this mystery, maybe he can unwrap the man of his dreams too.
This is an Enemies-to-lovers story, sort of GFY and sort of not, with some humor and some hotness, particularly of a certain kind that readers have been asking me for. Done.
There may also be a quaint Pennsylvania Dutch country Christmas and a bulldog named Grinch. And pies. Lots of pies.
Oh, and thanks to Jamie Fessenden for coming up with the title for this story!
Length: 40K
Due out: Nov 14, 2014
Reese Dante is working on the cover now, and I'll share it when I have it!
Eli
Desktop: Heaven Can't Wait
"Heaven Can't Wait" is a 17K word m/m romance novella that is being published as part of Dreamspinner's Daily Dose for 2014. It's also available as a stand-alone novella here.
You can read an excerpt on my site on this page.
Here's the blurb:
When Brian Matheson dies at nineteen, his soul is in limbo. He has one chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a nasty pit. All Brian has to do is save the life of Kevin Anderson, a boy he and his friends tormented for being gay.
Kevin thought he’d finally escaped bullying. But his college roommate, Chuck, and his homophobic pals, prove him wrong. Now he can only wait for another room to open up—and try to keep his eyes off sexy, uber-straight Chuck.
Chuck is struggling to keep up the tough-guy façade everyone expects, but being trapped in a dorm room with the prettiest twink he’s ever seen isn’t helping him keep his feelings hidden.
If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings
This is my traditional "desktop" post, where I share images I used for inspiration during the writing of "Heaven Can't Wait".
Kevin & Chuck:
Above was my visual inspiration for Kevin and Chuck. These guys are Ty Roderick and Max Carter in a scene from Cocky Boys. I really love these two together and the contrast between them physically, so I had them in my head for Chuck and Kevin.
Cole Hall, University of Madison, Wisconsin
My story is set in heaven and on the U. Madison campus. My niece went there and I enjoyed a long walk around the campus one fine spring day. Below is the dorm where Kevin and Chuck share a room.
Peter
I think my favorite character in this story is Peter, the no-nonsense, highly impatient judge that Brian faces in heaven. I knew if I was going to include heaven in a story I couldn't approach it too seriously as it would quickly get deep and maudlin. So my approach is very lighthearted and humorous--and Peter provides that (and also the title of the story). Here's my idea of what Peter looks like--Alan Rickman (if he were wearing white robes).
And finally, a little 'mood' inspiration.
That's it for this time. Hope you enjoy reading "Heaven Can't Wait".
Eli
"Mistletoe" in Italian and "Superhero" in audio!
I have a few new releases to celebrate today! First, "Blame it on the Mistletoe" is now out in Italian from publisher Triskell Edizioni. This is my first Eli Easton foreign edition and it's very exciting:
http://www.triskelledizioni.it/ebook-tutta-colpa-del-vischio-eli-easton/
Second, "Superhero" is now available in audio! This is my first Eli Easton book done as an audio book. Thanks to Dreamspinner for producing this edition.
Eli
When M/M Goes Wild
I love contemporary m/m romances, as those on who follow my goodreads reviews (or even this blog) know. However, after reading hundreds of such books, I sometimes get a yen for something a little different. I grew up reading horror: Stephen King, John Saul, Dean Koonz, Anne Rice. Every book I read in high school—and that was a lot—had a shiny black cover. You know the books I mean. I also love science fiction movies (I Robot, Bladerunner, 2001, Matrix, District 9, Battlestar Gallactica). In a previous incarnation as an author I wrote thrillers and sci-fi in the 90’s.
So after getting addiction to m/m romance, and writing some contemporaries of my own, I find the “weird” and the “wild” creeping back in. After all – a plotty plot, some chills and thrills, and m/m sex. What could be better than that?
Some of my favorite “Wild” m/m stand alone stories:
Bone Rider by J. Fally – A ‘first contact’ story that reads like a best selling thriller. Excellent plotting and characters, plus an unusual and hot m/m romance, make this a must-read for m/m fans.
Kraken by M. Caspian – A wonderful blend of horror and m/m romance, in Kraken a man visits an island only to become trapped there and in a dubious consent relationship with something that has… tentacles. Creepy and compelling.
Billy’s Bones by Jamie Fessenden – A dark murder mystery/psychological thriller as well as a m/m romance, Billy’s Bones is an excellent story that will keep you hooked.
Wilde Stories: Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction anthologies:
This series collects the year’s best in gay sci-fi/fantasy/horror fiction. Not all of them are romance, but all are worth reading. My story “Caress” from Dreamspinner’s “Steamed Up” anthology will appear in the 2014 volume.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/65283-wilde-stories
Some good free stories from LHNB 2013:
Prisoner 374215 by Angel Martinez -- Sci-fi dystopian story about a man who no longer remembers who he was – angsty, dark and sweet!
The Sentinel by Eden Winters – Sci-fi story about a part android soldier who deserts in order to save a baby. "Terminator" meets a gay version of "Two Men and a Baby".
When You Were Pixels by Julio-Alexi Genao – A highly rated bittersweet sci-fi story with a hurt/comfort, enemies-to-lovers theme.
You Get Full Credit For Being Alive by Cari Z. – I would classify this as a thriller with a m/m romance subplot. Really well-written assassin/thriller characters and plot.
The gothika anthology series
My love of this writing type of fiction inspired me to start a new series of anthologies of gothic horror/fantasy stories with a m/m romance twist. I brainstormed with Jamie Fessenden and gothika was born. The first volume, “Stitch” came out Apr 21, 2014, and includes novellas by myself, Jamie, Kim Fielding and Sue Brown. All of the stories in “Stitch” have a Frankenstine/made man theme. Each subsequent volume of gothika will have a different theme (the next one is called “Bones” and features Voodoo—it’s due out Halloween 2014).
I love all the stories in “Stitch”, which isn’t surprising given the fact that I love all the authors. Kim’s story “The Golem of Mala Lubovnya” is set in 17th century Eastern Europe and retells the golem legend with a lovely m/m spin. “Watchworks” by Jamie Fessenden is set in Victorian London and involves a watchmaker and his unusual new client. (hot!) “Made For Aaron” by Sue Brown is a mostly contemporary story about a man who is rescued by an unlikely ally after being sent to an asylum for being homosexual. My story, “Reparation” is set on a dystopian sci-fi planet but don’t let that scare you off—it’s a moody “Wuthering Heights” type story featuring a huge and sexy cyborg named Knox.
Go Wild
Check out “Stitch” of any of these other stories and take a walk on the wild side of m/m romance. You might be surprised at how much you like the change of pace.
You can read an excerpt from my "Stitch" story here.
Eli Easton
The Bird - just completed
NOTE: This is a TEMPORARY cover, not a final cover. I just made it for my own iPad version.
It always feels great to turn in a finished story to the publisher. Today I turned in a novella called "The Bird", which will be part of an anthology called "Bones" and is the second in the gothika series (the first was the just-released "Stitch").
The idea behind gothika is a series of anthologies that contain a few quality novellas with a common theme written by known m/m romance authors. Each story has a gothic romance flavor. "Stitch" has stories by myself, Jamie Fessenden, Kim Fielding, and Sue Brown and had a Frankenstein/made man theme. "Bones" will include those same authors plus B.G. Thomas and has a Voodoo theme.
The photo I used on my *TEMP* cover is from the movie "Wide Sargasso Sea" starring Nathaniel Parker. I've always loved films set in the West Indies during the British colonial days. Stories like "Island of Dr. Moreau", "I Walked with a Zombie", the Night Gallery episode known as “The Caterpiller” where a man visiting the islands has an earwig crawl into his ear. There's something about the mystique of the islands set up against the stiff-upper-lip British which makes for great horror--and hot sex.
Here's a *TEMP* blurb for "The Bird":
Colin Hastings is sent to Jamaica in 1870 to save his father’s sugar cane plantation. If he succeeds, he can marry his fiancée back in London and take his place in proper English society. But Colin finds more than he bargained for on the island. His curiosity about Obeah, the native folk magic, leads him to agree to a dangerous ritual where he is offered his heart’s most secret desire. Colin has buried his sexuality deep inside himself. When that desire is exposed and placed into a bird, Colin becomes haunted by the creature. Is the bird a horror or his one chance at a life worth living?
I'll post more about "The Bird" and the other stories on "Bones" closer to publication.
Eli
Desktop: "stitch: Reparation"
The anthology "stitch" releases Apr 21, 2014. It contains four novellas by m/m romance authors including Kim Fielding, Sue Brown, Jamie Fessenden, and myself. You can read about all the stories and an excerpt of "Reparation" here. PURCHASE LINK on Dreamspinner Press website.
This post is a 'desktop' post in which I share my inspiration and visual images I used while writing the story.
Inspiration for Setting & Mood: Wuthuring Heights
Even though "Reparation" is a sci-fi dystopian novella, set on a different planet, it was inspired by Wuthuring Heights. I've always loved the setting of Wuthuring Heights--the sense of desolation and isolation of the moors, the wild weather, and the primal feel that gives to young Heathcliff and Kathy. Wuthuring Heights inspired my barren planet of Kalan and the sort of eighteenth-century English feel to the characters. Below are some of the Wuthuring Heights-ish images I used for tone.
Edward Palmer
Edward was born the second son in a family of spore farmers on the planet of Kalan. It's a very privileged position because the Federation values the spores highly and they only grow on one planet. Edward both loves and hates the barren Kalan, a place where almost nothing grows except for the spores. He was never meant to take over the family farm. He's not hard and ruthless like the other Kalanese farmers. But he's forced to take over when his father and brother are both killed. Struggling against the harsh conditions, and his own too-sympathetic nature, Edward is in desperate need of an ally.
"Reparation" has a somewhat Edwardian feeling and I used Jeremy Irvine from BBC's "Great Expectations" for inspiration for Edward.
Knox
Knox is a huge humanoid, a "recon" or reconstitute. Recons are labor slaves on Kalan, and they're part robot and part the remains of executed Federation prisoners. Knox exists in a sort of mindless haze of drudgery until one day he saves Edward's life and is pulled into the curious young man's orbit. Edward needs help to survive the harsh winter and Knox can provide it, but being around someone who treats him like a human being again, who gives him books, and expects him to carry responsibilities, causes Knox to remember things from his brain's past life that threaten his current stability. And it doesn't help that Edward is genuinely kind, very attractive, and seems to want Knox.
I love Frankenstein characters and I had fun with Knox. His body is simply huge, muscled and masculine while his mind is a far more delicate thing. I based his general looks (dark hair, face etc) on Tom Hardy in Wuthuring Heights.
For his body, I used a number of sports images for inspiration including Jeremy Shockey and Clay Matthews:
Trevellyn (tray-VELL-an)
It's a bit of a spoiler to say who Trevellyn is, but he is important in the story. I based him on Ralph Fiennes in Strange Days.
The Spores
The spores, which are farmed on Kalan to make life-saving pharmaceuticals, are an important character in the story. The families that hold the huge farms and harvest the spores are exempt from the Federation military service, are wealthy, and have other privileges. It's a very harsh life though, and if a farmer slips up and loses too many of the precious spores, his land can be taken from him.
The spores in "Reparation" are from a type of lichen that grows on the rocky purple surface of Kalan. Below are some research images.
If you're curious about "Reparation" you can read an excerpt here.
Or check out the Goodread entry here.
Eli Easton
"Stitch" is now available for pre-order!
"Stitch" is coming out Apr 21st and is now on the Dreamspinner Coming Soon page and available for pre-order.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4907
This anthology has FOUR gothic m/m romance novellas, all with a Frankenstein theme. The authors are myself, Sue Brown, Kim Fielding, and Jamie Fessenden.
And here it is on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20705898-stitch?from_search=true
Eli
What I'm Working on: Kingdom Come
I haven't posted for a bit, so I thought I should give you an update. I have a few things coming up and a new novel in the works. COMING UP:
APRIL: an anthology of 4 novellas called "Stitch" is coming out from Dreamspinner Press. The anthology includes novellas by myself, Jamie Fessenden, Kim Fielding, and Sue Brown. All the novellas have a Frankenstein/created man theme. I'm excited about this and hope it does well. Here's the cover.
JUNE: I'll have a story in this year's Dreamspinner's Daily Dose, a novella called "Heaven Can't Wait". Also in June or July, "The Mating of Michael" comes out. It's my first full-length m/m novel (73K words) and is the 3rd in the Sex in Seattle series. It stars Michael Lamont, a sex therapist, and I hope you all love it as much as I do!
IN PROGRESS:
I'm working on a novella for the next gothika anthology that's a m/m romance and gothic Voodoo-themed story. It's tenatively called "The Bird".
"Kingdom Come" -- I'm also currently writing a novel that's a bit different for me. It's a murder mystery with a m/m romance. I have written and published mysteries before, in my 'past life', but I haven't done one in a few years, and never with a m/m romance element to it. The book is set in contemporary Lancaster County, PA, where I currently reside. The plot involves the Amish culture. One MC is a homicide detective and the other is a young Amish widower. The mystery is quite heavy and dark. I hope to see it published in 2014. Here's a little taste of a visual I have been using to inspire myself. (NOTE: This is not a book cover, just a little wallpaper I made for myself.) Click for a closer view.
That's all the news for now. Enjoy the early spring and I'll post more about "Stitch" soon!
Eli
"Heaven Can't Wait" novella to be in Dreamspinner's "Daily Dose" June 2014
I just got the news that my novella "Heaven Can't Wait" will appear in Dreamspinner's Daily Dose this year. If you're not familiar with Daily Dose, it goes like this. You can subscribe to the whole Daily Dose package and receive a new short story or novella in the mail every day in June. "Heaven Can't Wait" will also be available for individual sale after June 1st, 2014. Here's the image I used for inspiration for my two MCs Chuck and Kevin. (This picture is Ty Roderick and Max Carter from CockyBoys):
And here's the *temporary* blurb I submitted along with the manuscript.
Brian Matheson died at the ripe age of nineteen. In heaven he’s informed that his soul is in a limbo state. He’ll have one last chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a very nasty pit. All Brian has to do is return to earth and save a life. The trick is, it’s the life of Kevin, his friend Chuck’s roommate. See Kevin is gay, and Brian and all his pals picked on him, making his life a misery. Still, Brian can see the error of his old ways now. And he can succeed at this challenge, turn Kevin’s life around, and avoid going to hell. Easy peasy. Right?
Kevin thought he’d left bullying behind in high school. But then his college roommate, Chuck, showed up and turned out to be friends with a bunch of gay-baiters. They loved to come over and give Kevin a hard time, so he spent as many hours as he could in the coffee shop. He was lonely and shy and he was depressed, but he had to hang in there until another room opened up. That and keep his eyes off his drop-dead sexy, uber-straight roommate.
Everyone thought Chuck was a tough guy. He looked the part so he acted the part. But what none of his friends knew is that Chuck, on the inside, was nothing at all like the exterior. He tried to be like all the other guys, but being stuck in a dorm room with the prettiest, gayest twink he’d ever seen was so not helping.
If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings. Good frickin’ luck.
As you can probably tell, it's got some humor, some paranormal, and some sexy UST. The novella is 17.4K words long.
Eli
Trailer for "Stitch" anthology
Jamie Fessenden made a cool trailer for our upcoming anthology, "Stitch", which will have 4 gothic m/m romance novellas by Jamie, Kim Fielding, Sue Brown and myself. Watch it here! Stitch is due out Apr 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCZ8S7uYZA
Just Finished: Heaven Can't Wait novella
I just finished writing/editing a 17.5K work novella called "Heaven Can't Wait". It's a humorous, bit sexy, m/m romance. I have submitted it to an anthology. I'll let you know how it goes. Here's my (temp) blurb for the story:
Brian Matheson died at the ripe age of nineteen. In heaven he’s informed that his soul is in a limbo state. He’ll have one last chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a very nasty pit. All Brian has to do is return to earth and save a life. The trick is, it’s the life of Kevin, his friend Chuck’s roommate. See Kevin is gay, and Brian and all his pals picked on him, making his life a misery. Still, Brian can see the error of his ways now. And he can succeed at this challenge, turn Kevin’s life around, and avoid going to hell. Easy peasy. Right?
Kevin thought he’d left bullying behind in high school. But then his college roommate, Chuck, showed up and turned out to be friends with a bunch of gay-baiters. They loved to come over and give Kevin a hard time, so he spent as many hours as he could in the coffee shop. He was lonely and shy and he was depressed, but he had to hang in there until another room opened up. That and keep his eyes off his drop-dead sexy, uber-straight roommate.
Everyone thought Chuck was a tough guy. He looked the part so he acted the part. But what none of his friends knew is that Chuck, on the inside, was nothing at all like the exterior. He tried to be like all the other guys, but being stuck in a dorm room with the prettiest, gayest twink he’d ever seen was so not helping.
If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings. Good frickin’ luck.
Hopefully the story will come out in the summer 2014.
Eli
"Superhero" Wins A Best YA of 2013 award from GR
"Superhero" won 3rd place for Best Young Adult book of 2013 from the Goodread's m/m romance group. That is so amazing! Thanks for those who voted for it. You can see all the winners here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1642136-2013-member-choice-awards-winners-list
An Interview with Eli and "Mistletoe" giveaway on Hearts On Fire
Hearts On Fire interviewed me about "Blame It On The Mistletoe" and they're giving away a free copy of it if you leave a comment. Check it out! http://heartsonfirereviews.com/?p=24057
Eli
Cover reveal: A Prairie Dog's Love Song
"A Prairie Dog's Love Song" is going to be published in Dec 2013 as part of Dreamspinner's Christmas advent calendar. Buy the entire advent 'calendar' and receive a new m/m romance ebook in the mail each day in December. You can preorder this year's event here.
I've bought the past few years and really enjoyed them, so I'm thrilled to be in this year's advent calendar. I'm not sure which day in Dec this story will appear, but I do know that at 22K words, it will be one of the longer stories in the advent.
This is the cover that was just done for it. You can read more about the story, including an excerpt, here.
Eli