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Lime Gelatin, and several of my other stories, owe their existence to a unique and innovative author prompt series over at Amber Allure - the Amber Pax. Amber Paxes are five novella length stories written by different authors around a unifying theme. Though they can be any genre, the idea is to bring the story in under 40K (which has been a bit of a challenge for me on some of them and the Amber folks have been nice enough to let me slide on a couple of extra thousand words here and there.) The fun thing about these is you cn buy them individually, or save yourself a bit of cash and buy the Pax as a set of five. I've had the good fortune of being able to have my stories in Paxes with wonderful authors over the years - T.A. Chase, Lynn Lorenz, Rick Reed and so on. Some previous AmberPax stories and the prompts that cultivated them: Sub Zero, written in my ESTO Universe - Forbidden Liaisons Pax Canines, Crosshairs and Corpses: Brandywine Investigations 1 - Immortals Pax Dragons, Diamonds and Discord: Brandywine Investigations 3 - Dragon Pax Wild Rose, Silent Snow - Once Upon a Fairytale Pax And Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters? Part of the 77th Precinct Pax - a collection of stories about the paranormal 77th Precinct, each in a different city the authors chose. With stories from New Orleans, Minneapolis, Seattle, Philadelphia and   Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (Part of the Offbeat Crimes series) by Angel Martinez What good is a squad of cops with psychic abilities if all of them are defective? Officer Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to Philadelphia’s 77th Precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities. Just as Kyle’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, his new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. Now, if Kyle and Vikash can learn to work together, they just might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill. Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Paranormal / Mystery / Detective / Romantic Comedy / Action / Adventure / Series Heat Level: 2 Length: Novella (19k words)  Crazy Joe by A. J. Llewellyn Montana Delray, a hot, good-looking New Orleans detective, had it made until his captain found him fooling around with his son at the office Christmas party. Even a gold shield and a medal for valor can’t save him from being busted down and transferred to the last place any cop wants to go—the 77th Precinct. Detective Joe Hunter, nicknamed “Crazy Joe” because he has the sixth sense, flounders in a department where everyone has their “idiosyncrasies.” Then Montana Delray walks through the doors of the 77th and turns psychic Joe’s world upside down. For the two mismatched detectives, is the 77th Precinct a nightmare or their destiny? Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Mystery / Detective / Suspense / Thriller / Paranormal / Psychic Phenomena / Romantic Comedy Heat Level: 3 Length: Novella (25k words)  The Door Keeper by Hurri Cosmo The Minneapolis/St. Paul 77th police precinct has been labeled a group of misfits, but it’s actually rather unfair. In reality, the precinct has plenty of talent in its midst...paranormal talent. Of course, no one on the “outside” really knows that. And Nick, the boss of the 77th, keeps his team busy chasing, capturing, and returning to where they belong all those creepy-crawly things that tend to go “bump” in the night. Together, the officers of the 77th keep the twin cities safe and totally unaware that doors to other realms even exist, while Nick, the Door Keeper, maintains order in what would otherwise be chaos. But chaos has materialized in the form of a dangerous vampire. Viciously brutal, he is a killing machine and must be stopped at all costs. So the last thing Nick needs is another partner, especially one as sexy and distracting as Arrain. Yet Arrain intends to be far more than just a partner. He has come to be paired with Nick, something Nick cannot allow, mainly because he has a secret that he intends to keep. Arrain, however, has a few secrets of his own, and one thing he knows is that the vampire intends to not only kill the Door Keeper, but to take his power. Now, Arrain might be the only one who can save Nick, and the twin cities, from total destruction. Genres: Gay / Dark Fantasy / Vampire / Paranormal / Mystery / Detective / Suspense / Thriller / Action / Adventure Heat Level: 3 Length: Extended Novella (36k words)  Eye for the Prize by Darcy Abriel Detective Larke Ava doesn’t believe in magic or the paranormal. And he joined the Seattle PD in order to uncover and expose the unscrupulous, those like his mother and his brothers. Larke has few cherished memories of growing up on Vashon Island, except for the time he spent with his best friend, Roan Dwellen. But Roan, the adventurer, with a belief in the magical running deep in his veins, left the island when he was eighteen on a mission for his family—his Roma tribe—leaving Larke behind. Now a part of Seattle’s 77th Precinct, Larke has been assigned a new case—to discover the secrets behind a recovered stolen artifact named the Eye of Anu. Little does Larke realize the unique artifact is about to change his life. Not only will it reunite him with the boyhood friend he has never forgotten, but it also draws the attention of dangerous foes, including his own family, who will stop at nothing to acquire it. Soon, caught between the family he’s always tried to love but couldn’t, and the best friend he could not stop loving but doesn’t necessarily trust, and all the while tempered by his duty to the city he serves, Larke’s next move could mean live or death—especially his own. Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Mystery / Detective / Paranormal Heat Level: 3 Length: Extended Amber Kiss (17k words)  Scarecrows and Devils
by T. A. Chase Ace Castle, detective in the Detroit Homicide Unit, works in the paranormal division known as the 77th Precinct. He and his partner deal with the weird, odd, and downright strange cases popping up in the city. Ace has been doing the unusual work since he started at the DPD, and since then, he has learned that the monsters children swear are under their beds just might really be there. Now, when a girl is murdered in the city, it’s up to Ace and his partner to find the killer along with his motive for ending her life. Yet Ace soon discovers the victim was no ordinary human, but an Undine, and he’s pretty sure her killer is also one of those aforementioned monsters. Finding a murderer is hard enough without constant interference from demon lords and fallen angels, so when Dulles, a fallen angel Ace has known for years, is determined to make Ace fall in love with him, his job soon becomes twice as difficult... Genres: Gay / Dark Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Witchcraft / Magic / Paranormal / Mystery / Detective / Action / Adventure Heat Level: 2 Length: Extended Novella (32k words)
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This is an every year thing, looking for a different version of The Fields of France to share. While the song is about a young man who died in WWI, the words apply to any military member who died in any war, and it's a reminder to me, at least, about what we should all try to set aside for the holiday. This isn't about whether a war was just or not. It isn't about whether a war was fought for freedom or greed, or whether it was a war, a police action, an intervention or a single mission. It's about the men and women, so often far too young, who died serving their country. When you join the service, any branch, you make that promise to serve, to do what your country asks, to go where they send you. And that's what these men and women do, heads held high, keeping their promises, and every loss is a tragedy. My heart is with all the families, all the loved ones left behind, and I salute all of my brothers and sisters in arms. That's why this year I've chosen a female voice to sing the annual tribute for us here - because we often forget how many women have given their lives in the last century of wars. All my love - take a listen. In which Angel gets to explain the MCB avatars...  The MCB Quarterly, Volume 1 an emagazine of LGBTQ fiction from Mischief Corner Books Amazon All Romance Nook The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction - of all kinds. This volume features four short stories: Facsimile by Mina MacLeod, Leash on Love by Beany Sparks, Man of the House by Brigid Collins, and Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth. It also includes an Author Interview with Lexi Ander taking about writing gay science fiction, and a Featured Artist section about the multitalented Catherine Dair. And our very own Angel Martinez offers and Op-Ed on "When is an Author not an Author?" Previous Story Time excerpt reading of "Avalon" by J. Scott Coatsworth:
Avalon 
Today we're hosting Silvia Violet's wonderful new contemporary, Coming Clean. I had the good fortune to be able to beta read this one - and it's a keeper, folks! One of the things I love so much about Silvia's works that take place in and around Asheville is that the location itself becomes a character. And Asheville is certainly a character - a quirky, partly hipster, partly older town that's been a haven for artists and authors. I always get the urge to move there after reading one of Silvia's stories set there. :) And it's releasing today! 
Coming Clean
by Silvia Violet Publisher: Silvia Violet Books Cover Artist: AJ Corza Amazon All Romance Smashwords Release Date: May 20, 2015 Blurb: An unexpected inheritance lands Jeremy a large house and plenty of money to take a sabbatical from his job teaching poetry at a small college. He intends to sell the house and take off on a new path to discover what he wants out of life. Then he meets Connor. The attraction he feels to a man so different from himself is no less shocking than his change in financial circumstances, but Connor is in the closet and Jeremy wants a life lived out in the sun. Connor is a former Force Recon Marine who runs a housecleaning business. When he’s hired to get Jeremy’s house market-ready, he’s startled by how attracted he is to his client despite their many differences. But his past, especially his final mission, weighs heavily on him. He’s not certain he can be the man Jeremy needs, but no man has ever made him want to take a risk like Jeremy does.
About the author:
Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like "Do you write children's books?" She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she's actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring. Come visit me at my website: http://silviaviolet.com Where to find the author: Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/silviaviolet/ Tumblr: http://silviaviolet.tumblr.com/ Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25333705-coming-clean Tour Dates & Stops: 18-May Prism Book Alliance 19-May Cathy Brockman Romances Bayou Book Junkie 20-May Angel Martinez 21-May MM Good Book Reviews 22-May 3 Chicks After Dark 25-May Amanda C. Stone 26-May Molly Lolly 27-May Love Bytes 28-May The Novel Approach 29-May BFD Book Blog Parker Williams Rafflecopter Prize: $15 gift card to Amazon or AllRomance e-books In which Angel wears the Edgar Allen Poe shirt in honor of both the story and the rather dark and storm-laden day...  The MCB Quarterly, Volume 1
an emagazine of LGBTQ fiction from Mischief Corner Books Amazon All Romance Nook The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction - of all kinds. This volume features four short stories: Facsimile by Mina MacLeod, Leash on Love by Beany Sparks, Man of the House by Brigid Collins, and Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth. It also includes an Author Interview with Lexi Ander taking about writing gay science fiction, and a Featured Artist section about the multitalented Catherine Dair. And our very own Angel Martinez offers and Op-Ed on "When is an Author not an Author?"
Hi all! We're here today because 5/17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
I've talked about bi-erasure before and how difficult this can be for young people who are bi. I've heard all the sage comments that being bisexual is easier than being gay. That we can "pass." That we never have to come out or be put at risk. Sure. But this is true of gay and lesbian people as well. We can all choose to stay in out closets where it's "safer" and potentially self-destruct. But because there's so much misunderstanding about bisexuality, it's generally easier to pretend it doesn't exist. She has a boyfriend, so she's straight. He has a boyfriend, so he's gay. He really didn't like women all along and just had to wait for the right man to show up. Yeah. All of that. That's the bi-erasure part, where we're written out of novels and movies and TV, where we're assigned sexualities that aren't true for us. But sometimes that's easier to take than the amazing venom bi people experience from both the straight and the lesbian and gay communities. "Bisexuals are nothing but predators" a person said on a friend's Twitter the other day. It sets you back. It shocks you. Where did that come from? That statement certainly isn't the only one we get to hear, of course, but it was particularly hurtful because she was so smugly adamant about it, so sure of her self-righteous self. I did answer and told her that I'm bi and in my 50's, married for 26 years with never a divorce and with one grown college graduate son. Where is t he predator in that equation? Am I out trolling for young girls at night to fulfill the female part of my needs? Am I looking at everyone else's partner to try to snatch them away for my own satisfaction? Everyone who has met me in person is probably laughing hysterically at this image. Good gods, what a thought. No. I found someone to love and I married that person. He happens to be male, but I could have just as easily fallen for a female for my forever partner. But that's just it. I promised forever and I meant it. Just because I'm attracted to both men and women doesn't mean I'm any less faithful or any more apt to stray than anyone else. I've met so many more bisexual people in the last ten years than I did when I was young, maybe because we're becoming braver, more apt to talk about it, but most of the ones I've met are kindhearted, often shy and self-deprecating, concerned and compassionate rather than predatory. Bisexuals - not confused, not on the fence, not greedy, not copping out, not depraved, and not predators. 
The Mischief Corner authors and crew have done a combined Rafflecopter for you - this enters you for all of our prizes! (I'm giving away a backlist ebook and an AURA t-shirt :) ) You can scroll through all the prizes below!
In which Angel gets to wear her Gay Centaur Rights t-shirt and gets cut off at the end because she blabbed too long. It's OK - you just missed the thank you and please come back again message :)  Illusions and Dreams
by Z. Allora cover by Paul Richmond Dreamspinner Press Amazon All Romance Randy Camster failed at being married. His life now centers around work, TV sports, and listening to his friend Jake complain about how Randy’s lack of a sex life will be the downfall of mankind. Not true! Well, not totally. He’s just never understood the fascination with sex until… ladyboy performer Lalana Dulyarat shimmies into his world via an Internet ad for Thailand tourism. Jake O’Neil’s open pansexuality yields him interesting bedmates, but he’s never chased after the mythical illusion of love. He focuses on others, like his best friend Randy, who needs a Bang-Cock vacation. Finding an adorable little imp named Boon-nam wasn’t on the itinerary. Gay, straight, and undecided, Jake has had ‘em all, but never a virgin aching to take a walk on the kinky side after having her affirmation surgery. Talk about pressure. And what’s with everyone warning him not to break her heart? His is the one in danger.
*waves* Hi Everyone! Welcome to the first day of the MCB Quarterly Blog Tour! Just want to share a little bit about what the magazine is all about and then we have info on the first edition, followed by the Rafflecopter prize!
When we say we're giving voice to LGBTQ fiction, that's exactly what we mean. There are plenty of places to submit your gay and lesbian romance and erotica stories, but what about the rest of the spectrum? The MCB Quarterly is an emagazine for just that - LGBTQ fiction. Got a short story about a gay cop in the SF police force? Great. A lesbian attorney fighting a corrupt corporation? Fabulous. A transwoman moving to a new, small town that has secrets? We want her. Science fiction that ends in tragedy? Horror stories that are really horrific? Yes. All of these. Literary, genre fiction, contemporary - we want it all. (Not greedy or anything, are we? ;) ) No sex? That's more than fine. Don't get us wrong. We won't turn away stories with hot and heavy content, but the emphasis is on the fiction. All sub-genres are welcome as well - please send your science fiction, your fantasy, your horror, your steampunk, and so on. As long as the main character(s) is LGBTQ, we want a crack at it. No HEA/HFN? That's okay, too. We all appreciate a 'Happily Ever After' as much as the next reader but it isn't a necessity. A good fiction story with a solid LBGTQ MC is what we want. Solid, tightly-written short fiction with LGBTQ characters. For all the submission guidelines (and we're currently taking story submissions for the 3rd edition) please visit the Submission Page! 
The MCB Quarterly, Volume 1
Blurb: The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction - of all kinds. This volume features four short stories: Facsimile by Mina MacLeod, Leash on Love by Beany Sparks, Man of the House by Brigid Collins, and Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth. It also includes an Author Interview with Lexi Ander, talking about writing gay science fiction, and a Featured Artist section about the multitalented Catherine Dair. And our very own Angel Martinez offers an Op-Ed on "When is an Author not an Author?" Sales Links: Mischief Corner Books All Romance Bookstrand Amazon Barnes & Noble About MCB: Mischief Corner Books is an organization of superheroes... no, it's a platinum-album techno-fusion group...no, hold on a sec here... Ah, yes. Mischief Corner is a diverse group of authors who met on a mountain in Tennessee and decided since we probably were too easily distracted to rule the world that we'd settle for causing a bit of mayhem instead. In addition to making mayhem, we publish books with a diverse range of genres and topics... we live to break molds. MCB. Giving voice to LGBTQ fiction. Rafflecopter Prizes: 1 $15.00 Amazon gift certificate and copy of the Quarterly (winners choice of format), 2 $10.00 All Romance gift certificates, and 3 copies of the Quarterly (winners choice of format) 11-May Angel Martinez 12-May Bayou Book Junkie 13-May Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance 14-May Cate Ashwood 15-May Cathy Brockman Romances Full Moon Dreaming 18-May Divine Magazine Molly Lolly 19-May MM Good Book Reviews Carly’s Book Reviews 20-May Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words 21-May Inked Rainbow Reads 22-May BFD Book Blog 28-May Prism Book Alliance |
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About Angel
Angel writes (mostly) Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around queer heroes. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head, she has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate. |
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