Nix Those Holiday Blues

The festive season is upon us and how quickly it arrived.

Seems like yesterday it was November and Thanksgiving... Oh, wait, that could be because I'm still seeing turkey everywhere since I cooked a 25 pound bird. My kitties and all those rampaging in the neighborhood are happy balls of fur who definitely put on a few pounds.

It's also the time of year an abundance of wonderful holiday stories hit shelves in every book outlet. I enjoy Christmas stories that give a peek at how many ways people celebrate the season. Do they stay home and decorate a tree or whip up delicious goodies that everyone samples around a fireplace as carols heralding the season play softly in the background? Is attendance at an office party or a small gathering of friends part of their festivities? And who doesn't wonder if an elf may show up--will they bring joy or mischief? As the scent of cinnamon, apples, and peppermint waft through air, I look for books that toss a generous dose of spice into a romance.

So many magical things crop up during this time of year as happens in my Christmas stories which are erotic romances. A visit to a far-off romantic island getaway, celebration of a special bonding ceremony, and Santa Claus, well, his son anyway.

HOLIDAY BLUES brings the story of an office manager who becomes entangled in a threesome with her boss and his best friend.

Two men who love each other, add one woman…

Pennington Seevers picked the same all-inclusive island get-away the very woman he wants to escape also chose. Partner, best friend, and lover, Rory Burton, is along for the trip and though they enjoy sex together, even love each other, Rory insists Pennington is more than attracted to Headley Etta Xavier and accuses him of not wanting to share as they often do.

Headley Etta Xavier who goes by the name Hex knows involving herself with her boss, Pennington, or his second in command, Rory, might mean an end to her job so she takes her first vacation in years hoping to wipe both from her mind. Little does she realize the men she watches having sex from a hidden spot behind a tree is Penn and Rory. Worse yet, seeing them in the act doesn’t deter Hex, it makes her hotter than hell!

A holiday to remember or a case of holiday blues?

THE GIFT tells the tale of two men who overcome adversity to celebrate a special bond.

Rad and Crayton— the same yet different. They meet as often as possible throughout the year to be together. Christmastime is particularly special; it's when they celebrate their bonding. Mermen, one born in the south Caribbean Sea, the other from frozen waters surrounding Iceland. Neither can exist for long in the other's climate.

Rad returns to his summer home in Pennsylvania, determined it will be the last time. The cold has taken a deadly toll on him. Cray can go no farther south, so they will have to give up their celebration, and the Christmas holiday together.

Cray discovers a way to defeat Mother Nature but—is it too late?

SANTA'S CLAUSE is now part of Changeling's A CHANGELING FOR ALL SEASONS, VOL. 8 Here you'll find a mix of holiday cheer by thirteen awesome authors! Mine has a heroine who finds breaking bad with Santa can be damn good!

Lacey Dalton gave up on Santa Claus a long time ago. Every Christmas Eve she waited like a good girl to see what Santa would bring. He never came. Now she’s in her late twenties and he shows up with a contract! If Lacey signs on the dotted line, anything she wants is hers… if she lets Santa have her for one night.

Hopefully, you'll find something to brighten your holiday, a story that brings back a wonderful memory, a new idea for celebrating the season.

Merry Christmas early!

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out. - J. Hali Steele

Mermen

I know, I know - merpeople, merfolk... no, no, NO! MERMEN. Okay, I will give that there are probably mermaids also. *smile*

I've written one story, have one on the back burner, and they'll all be about merMEN, men who love men. They're strong, beautiful, sexy, and just plain wonderful. They have the advantage of being able to live on land, but they need the water to revive themselves. In my mind they were different if born in a cold climate versus a hot climate. The cold water mers are very big, muscular and blond, the warm water mers are not as big, didn't need the muscle to help fight the cold, so they're more sinewy and tanned with darker skin and hair -- each cannot survive for long in the other's climate.

The Gift, a short holiday story I did for Silver Publishing, started it all. Here's a snippet:

     “Who else is here?” The unmistakable scent of merman lingered in the air. Rad’s nose wrinkled as he sniffed loudly at the cool, fresh, tangy smell of sea salt invading the room. Similar, but so different from Cray.

     “Quinn came down, needed a place to stay for a bit.”
     “What is it with you guys? Can’t any of you stay out of trouble? It must be the cold.” Rad shook his head and grabbed his slacks. Pulling them up, he said, “You could have told me earlier. What if he’d walked in?”
     Cray chuckled. “He smelled us, and wouldn’t dare interrupt. The consequences would be deadly.”
     “That’s what I mean. You’re combative, all the time.” His butt rested against the back of the sofa, and he pulled Cray between his legs and pinched his nipples hard. His lover’s cock was already at half mast and rising quickly. “That’s twice you’ve laughed tonight. What’s going on?”
     “You guys done?” Both heads swiveled toward the door. One word spoken together, “No.”
     Quinn laughed. “Hold it for later, I’m famished. Want to take a dip?”
     Blue eyes bore into Rad from both men, and he shivered. The air had already grown chilly, and he wanted a hot bath. “Don’t let me stop you.”
     Crayton was already naked, and Quinn didn’t take long getting out of his clothes. Mer weren’t shy about their beautiful bodies. He was a big man, almost as huge as Cray. They came bigger from the north, and the muscle helped protect them from the cold. His hair wasn’t as light, but like all northerners, it was blond and if that didn’t say enough, he had blue eyes that would have been a dead giveaway.
     And then there was that fresh, icy scent they all exuded. Each different, yet similar.
     Quinn fidgeted from foot-to-foot, peering at Rad. “Hot as hell in here. Don’t know how you stand it, man.” Silver dots of light danced from his aqua eyes when he turned to look at Cray. “Did you tell him?”

     “Tell me what?” Rad asked.

     “Shut the fuck up, Quinn.”

     “Sorry, forgot you two do the holiday thing.”

     “Wait until we reach the lake, you’re in for it, bastard.”

     “Hey, said I was sorry.”

     Rad grew anxious, and his golden lights vied with the silver flashing around the room. Laser-like points of light glanced from the walls. Part of their vision process, these rays allowed mer to see better when they swam deep into the darkness of ocean waters. Though they could control it, among their own kind they didn’t bother. “Somebody want to tell me what’s going on?”

     Cray twisted around and looked at him mysteriously. “Later, get your hot bath. We won’t be long.”

     There was no point in arguing with Cray. He’d tell him whatever it was when he was ready, not a minute before. He should be glad that he seemed happier, more animated than Rad had ever seen him.

     Especially knowing this would be their last holiday together.

I can't wait to finish Quinn's story... and yes, he went south too!!

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele

Hot and Cold...

weather...I've used both in my writing. If you've read any of the Sovereign Kind books, you know my cats are mostly desert animals. They love the heat, just like me. *grin* There are a few 'cold' cats. In Cougar by the Tail, I used mountain lions, or cougars, that much prefer the cold temps of the mountains. In Hard Case, the heroine is a snow leopard shifter--definitely a cold, snow-loving cat. Wicked me, I mated her with a white lion, a cat who thrives in the heat of an African savanna.

A recent story, The Gift, is about mermen--one from the cold waters surrounding Iceland, one from the Caribbean seas. That was not a match made in heaven, lol. Neither can stand each other's extreme temperatures.

Here's a bit of The Gift:

Climbing through the car window, he hurried to catch up with Cray whose strides were long and purposeful. New snow didn’t deter the cold bastard or slow him down one bit. Rad struggled behind him in dress shoes and a full length, heavy wool coat. He was glad as hell he had his wool cap. Cray wore nothing but a pair of flimsy white cotton pants tied at the waist.

“Each year I think you won’t come. Why do you?”

It was a question he’d asked himself often over the years. Losing his footing, he fell down face first in the snow. Icy fingers gripped the back of his neck and pulled him up.

The man pressed him against a nearby tree, his voice low and ragged. “Why do you?”

His skin warmed immediately under the touch of his lover, and considering how cool Cray was, that always amazed Rad. There was no chance to answer before hard lips smashed into his and stole his breath away. Cray’s tongue shoved roughly into his mouth, and Rad savored the cool, fresh taste that followed.

Hands were everywhere on his body, sending his temperature sky high. Frozen fingertips forged through the opening of the coat and under his sweater where they became hot as they moved up his stomach to his nipples. The man rolled the hard nubs between his thumbs and fingers, wrenching a moan from deep in Rad’s gut that shattered the silent night. Cray’s sweet mouth continued to smother his with kisses.

Thick, stiff cocks bumped together, and his ached for release. Pulling away, frozen vapor drifted into the air surrounding each breathless word. “I come for you.”

No matter the weather or the temperature outside, I always find a way to bring them together, and though the weather plays a big part in what I write about, it never hinders the Happy Ever After.

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele

It's Friday...

Thought I'd update you on some December contests. Who doesn't love free stuff? I know I do. I am doing Silver Publishing first because, drum roll please, my M/M mermen story, THE GIFT, releases today as part of Silver's 25 Days of Christmas, and it's HOT! You can read an excerpt HERE.

Blurb:

Rad and Crayton - the same yet different. They meet as often as possible throughout the year to be together. Christmastime is particularly special; it's when they celebrate their bonding. Mermen, one born in the south Caribbean sea, the other from the frozen waters surrounding Iceland--neither can exist for long in the other's climate.

Rad returns to his summer home in Pennsylvania, determined it will be the last time. The cold has taken a deadly toll on him. Cray can go no farther south, so they will have to give up their bonding celebration, and the Christmas holiday together.

Cray discovers a way to defeat Mother Nature, but it may already be too late.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Silver Publishing is also celebrating Silver's 100th Release by giving away a Kindle. Quoted from Silver's contest page: "On January 1, 2011 we will be releasing our 100th book. Come celebrate with us! We’re giving away a Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology to one lucky winner. This contest will run from December 10, 2010 until January 1, 2011." This is not to be missed and all the info on how to enter can be found HERE.

J. Hali Steele's Every Friday in December Contest continues…so does the 10% discount at Changeling Press on your entire order if you throw in any J. Hali Steele book. Now would be a good time to catch up on Shepherd's Watch. PROTECTED, the 3rd book in the series will release December 31st. Use the code WATCH01, and you’ll be entered into the grand prize drawing on January 1^st for a gift box of books and swag. Today's blog winners will have a choice of any book they'd like from J. Hali's backlist. For more information on how to enter, visit

A Sovereign Spot.

The Holiday Rush Blog Hop starts Saturday December 11th thru December 12th and there are lots of  goodies in store from participating authors, so don't miss it. You can find out about it HERE. There are always great excerpts, neat stories, and those *clears throat* very nice pictures!! Have your fans in hand.

There are still a few days left to enter Tabby's Nocturnal Nights Christmas contest. In the spirit of the twelve days of Christmas NN gives you twelve amazing authors that have been kind enough to give away twelve books to the winner of their Christmas contest. One lucky winner will walk away with twelve books, some signed copies, and some ebooks. This contest started on the 6th of Dec and runs until the 13th of Dec. To find out more visit Tabby's Nocturnal Nights.

Mark your calendar for The Long and the Short of It's (LASR) Jingle Bell Blog Fest. They are giving away a $50 Amazon.com OR Barnes and Noble Gift Certificate. To enter to win the contest you will only have to comment. The contest will run from 12/19/10-1/2/11. You can find out more HERE.

Well, that should keep you busy for the week. If you want to share contest information, put it in the comments. Why? Because we all like free stuff!! *smile*

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele

It's Friday...

And December, and what a busy month I have planned! The Gift will release from Silver Publishing on December 10th as part of their 25 Days of Christmas stories. If you prefer paper, all the stories will appear in an anthology, in print, early next year.

December 31st will see the release of Protected, the 3rd book in the Shepherd's Watch series, at Changeling Press. There are a couple new dogs in town!

This month, I am also the featured author at Selena Illyria's site, where she did an awesome interview. Gosh! The woman had me talking about everything, even personal stuff...Well, you'll have to run over there and see at http://selenaillyria.com/about/interview-archive/interviews/.

Now, for the Contest News!

I'm running a contest each Friday this month at http://www.sovereignkind.blogspot.com/, where you have to answer a question about my interview at Selena's, and I'm giving away lots of goodies, culminating in a wonderful grand prize of books and swag on January 1st. To be entered in the contest for the grand prize, purchase any one of my books at Changeling, use the code WATCH01, and you'll receive a 10% discount on your whole order--even if you see something else you like--and you will!!

Be sure to leave contact information in the comments at A Sovereign Spot.

What a great start to a fun-filled Holiday!
Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele