Winter Wonderland is now available!!!

The newest story in my International Relations series, Winter Wonderland, is now on sale at MLR Press!

Winter Wonderland is a sweet male/male Christmas romance and continues the journey of Connor Marino and Delaney Carmichael, whom readers first met in International Relations. If you haven't read International Relations, don't worry - each book in the series can be read as a standalone (in fact, I finished writing Winter Wonderland before International Relations).

Buy link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=RS_WNTRW

Below are the book blurb and cover for Winter Wonderland:

For Connor Marino, Christmas can’t get here soon enough. It’s his first holiday alone with his boyfriend, Delaney Carmichael, and they plan to celebrate by playing tourists in New York City on Christmas Eve, followed by a romantic Christmas day at home. But lately Delaney’s behavior has been odd and Connor is concerned. Connor knows Delaney loves him. Yet he can’t help but wonder if their “Winter Wonderland” of a holiday will be the thing that sends his and Delaney’s relationship into deep freeze...or be the gift the two of them need.


Happy Holidays,
Riley

Blood Rose is now on Amazon AND Loose Id

Woot!!! I just found out that Blood Rose, book one in my Realm of Nine series, is now on sale at Loose Id AND Amazon.com!

To save his people, a half-mad prince must enlist the aid of a woman who has no reason to help him…and who he has every reason to desire.

At sixteen, Rose Carrison lost both her parents and her freedom. Since her father’s death, Rose has had to pick up the mantle of her family’s legacy and guard an object of incredible power, one the monsters who murdered her parents would kill to get their hands on. After ten years on the run, Rose’s luck finally runs out. A fate worse than death threatens to consume her. Then, out of the darkness, comes the most unlikely of rescuers...

Grayson van Court is a man skating on the edge of damnation. He’s a revenant: a powerful, blood-drinking, returned-from-the-dead, magical creature that no other magical species wants anything to do with. For centuries, Gray has bargained and fought for the revenants’ right to survive, but his efforts are hampered by his sociopathic mother and the madness that permeates his own soul. When Gray rescues Rose from his mother’s machinations, his intention is only to stop the attacks against his people that would surely come if Rose were harmed. But then he sees her, and everything changes. Two people who should never have met soon find themselves fighting side by side for the chance at a love that could prove to be their salvation.

Buy Links: Loose Id | Amazon


Now it's back to work for me. I've got to work on Blood Kiss ;)

Happy Reading,
Riley

Blood Rose is now available!!!!

I'm so excited I'm practically bouncing - Blood Rose, book one in my Realm of Nine series, is now on sale here at Loose Id! I hope you enjoy Blood Rose. It's a dark, full-length, male/female paranormal romance and it's very different from anything else I've written so far.

To save his people, a half-mad prince must enlist the aid of a woman who has no reason to help him…and who he has every reason to desire.

At sixteen, Rose Carrison lost both her parents and her freedom. Since her father’s death, Rose has had to pick up the mantle of her family’s legacy and guard an object of incredible power, one the monsters who murdered her parents would kill to get their hands on. After ten years on the run, Rose’s luck finally runs out. A fate worse than death threatens to consume her. Then, out of the darkness, comes the most unlikely of rescuers...

Grayson van Court is a man skating on the edge of damnation. He’s a revenant: a powerful, blood-drinking, returned-from-the-dead, magical creature that no other magical species wants anything to do with. For centuries, Gray has bargained and fought for the revenants’ right to survive, but his efforts are hampered by his sociopathic mother and the madness that permeates his own soul. When Gray rescues Rose from his mother’s machinations, his intention is only to stop the attacks against his people that would surely come if Rose were harmed. But then he sees her, and everything changes. Two people who should never have met soon find themselves fighting side by side for the chance at a love that could prove to be their salvation.

Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/Blood-Rose.aspx


Now it's back to work for me. I've got to work on Blood Kiss ;)

Happy Reading,
Riley

International Relations is now available!

MLR Press released my newest story, International Relations, on Thanksgiving!!!

International Relations is a sweet contemporary male/male romance and the first in an ongoing series of the same title. I hope you enjoy this first look into the lives of Connor Marino and Delaney Carmichael - they'll be showing up again in a few weeks when Winter Wonderland, comes out on December 14th.

Buy link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/Bookstore.php?bookid=RSINTREL

Below are the book blurb and cover for International Relations:

Connor Marino has driven Delaney Carmichael to distraction since the seventh grade. They may be in college now, but that doesn’t stop Delaney from cursing when he and Connor are assigned to work together in their Model United Nations class. Connor, with his Irish-Italian good looks, South African accent, and athletic body is an international smorgasbord of hotness that still leaves Delaney tongue-tied, and the admittedly awkward bookworm doesn’t like that one bit.

When Connor drops by Delaney’s dorm room, things come to a head between them. What’s supposed to be a simple discussion on international relations turns into something much more...

International Relations releases this Friday!!!

How are you celebrating Black Friday this year? I'm forgoing shopping (don't hate me - my holiday shopping is already done) and instead my plans for this Friday include a book release: International Relations!!!

Yep, the first story in my ongoing International Relations series is due out November 26th - only two and a half weeks before book two in the series, Winter Wonderland, comes out.

Below are the book blurb and cover for International Relations:

Connor Marino has driven Delaney Carmichael to distraction since the seventh grade. They may be in college now, but that doesn’t stop Delaney from cursing when he and Connor are assigned to work together in their Model United Nations class. Connor, with his Irish-Italian good looks, South African accent, and athletic body is an international smorgasbord of hotness that still leaves Delaney tongue-tied, and the admittedly awkward bookworm doesn’t like that one bit.

When Connor drops by Delaney’s dorm room, things come to a head between them. What’s supposed to be a simple discussion on international relations turns into something much more...

Cover Love: Blood Rose

We're only 8 days away from the release of Blood Rose, the first book in my Realm of Nine series and my very first male/female paranormal romance!!!!

I cannot wait for Grayson and Rose's story to be released. Adding to my excitement, I got the cover art for Blood Rose last week. Check out the gorgeous cover by April Martinez (who also did the cover art for Two-Man Advantage:

Celebrate the holidays with MLR Press!!!

Starting today and all through December 31st, MLR Press will be releasing a new holiday short story or novella a day. The stories range from sweet to red-hot and the genres include romance, mystery, and general fiction. The one thing they all have in common? Two men and some holiday excitement ;)

I’m excited and honored to be a part of this collection – huge thanks to Laura Baumbach and Kris Jacen. Look for my story, Winter Wonderland, to be released December 14th.

Below are the release dates for this fantastic event. With 42 stories in all, there’s something for everyone. The stories will be released individually as ebooks and then later in the season as a two-volume anthology.

Happy Holidays,
Riley

November 20: Christmasing with You by William Neale
November 21: Holiday C.A.M.P. by Victor J. Banis
November 22: An Early Snow by Derek Adams
November 23: A Picture Perfect Holiday by Z.A. Maxfield
November 24: Tis the Season by Vivien Dean
November 25: Good Will Shopping by Mia Watts
November 26: Someone to be Thankful For by DH Starr
November 27: The Advent Calendar by Christopher Koehler
November 28: Joy of the Season by TA Chase
November 29: Snowy Nights by Laura Baumbach
November 30: Christmas Wishes by JP Bowie
December 1: Scarcity Holidays by AKM Miles
December 2: Chance of Snow by Brynn Paulin
December 3: Holiday Matinée by Elizabeth Lister
December 4: First Christmas by Stevie Woods
December 5: Silent Nights by William Maltese
December 6: Southern Winterland by Taylor Donovan
December 7: Matches by Rick R. Reed
December 8: All He Needed by Simone Anderson
December 9: Christmas Memories by Matthew Lang
December 10: A Summit City by Ethan Day
December 11: Christmas Future by Ally Blue
December 12: Cuddle Time Chicken Soup by Cherie Noel
December 13: All the Souls on Earth by Barry Brennessel
December 14: Winter Wonderland by Riley Shane
December 15: Breath of Heaven by Lex Valentine
December 16: Blue River by Theo Fenraven
December 17: Together by Diana DeRicci
December 18: The Good Shepherd by Jardonn Smith
December 19: Personal Shopper by Tere Michaels
December 20: What You Will by Charlie Cochrane
December 21: Deepest Night by Maura Anderson
December 22: Secret Santa by Claire London
December 23: Every Time a Bell Rings by Missy Welsh
December 24: Noche Buena by Neil S. Plakcy
December 25: Beautiful Harmony by S.J. Frost
December 26: Tofurkey and Yams by Karenna Colcroft
December 27: Finally Home by K-lee Klein
December 28: Christmas Gifts by William Cooper
December 29: Light Me Up by James Buchanan
December 30: Where the Heart Is by Kaje Harper
December 31: Drag and Drop by Kimberly Gardner

Book News: International Relations

I'm so excited to announce that I have not one, not two, but THREE stories coming out in the next month! The first two I've talked about before - Blood Rose (a full-length male/female paranormal romance novel) and Winter Wonderland (a male/male contemporary romance short story). Recently, I signed a contract with MLR Press for International Relations, a male/male contemporary romance short story!

International Relations is the first story in an ongoing series about Connor Marino and Delaney Carmichael. I don't have a release date for it yet, but at the latest it'll be out on December 9th, the Friday before Winter Wonderland releases. What makes it more exciting is that Winter Wonderland is book two in the International Relations series. That's right - there'll be back-to-back stories for Connor and Delaney!!!

Both International Relations and Winter Wonderland can be read as standalones. I hope you all like Delaney and Connor as much as I do. It was pure pleasure to write these two and watching how they and their relationship develop over the course of the series has been and I hope will continue to be pure joy for me.

Below is the (unedited) book blurb for International Relations:

Connor Marino has driven Delaney Carmichael to distraction since the seventh grade. They may be in college now, but that doesn’t stop Delaney from cursing when he and Connor are assigned to work together in their Model United Nations class. Connor, with his Irish-Italian good looks, South African accent, and athletic body is an international smorgasbord of hotness that still leaves Delaney tongue-tied, and the admittedly awkward bookworm doesn’t like that one bit.

When Connor drops by Delaney’s dorm room, things come to a head between them. What’s supposed to be a simple discussion on international relations turns into something much more...

Book News: Winter Wonderland

I’m very happy to announce that on December 14th – exactly one month from today - Winter Wonderland will be available at MLR Press!

Winter Wonderland is a male/male contemporary romance that takes place in New York during Christmas. Winter Wonderland is the sweetest story (not cloying sweet - just sweet) I’ve ever written and I'm looking forward to sharing more news about Connor and Delaney soon.

Below are the book blurb and cover for Winter Wonderland:

For Connor Marino, Christmas can’t get here soon enough. It’s his first holiday alone with his boyfriend, Delaney Carmichael, and they plan to celebrate by playing tourists in New York City on Christmas Eve, followed by a romantic Christmas day at home. But lately Delaney’s
behavior has been odd and Connor is concerned. Connor knows Delaney loves him. Yet he can’t help but wonder if their “Winter Wonderland” of a holiday will be the thing that sends his and Delaney’s relationship into deep freeze...or be the gift the two of them need.

The Taste of Magick is now also available on All Romance eBooks!

I'm a bit late in posting, but The Taste of Magick is now available on All Romance eBooks (in addition to Amazon and B&N)!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased Jason and Travis's story. These two sexy warlocks have a special place in my heart :)

To purchase The Taste of Magick, visit these sites:
All Romance eBooks
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.fr
Amazon.de
Barnes and Noble

Book description:
Warlock Jason Prescott hates Halloween with a passion. His boyfriend, Travis Byrne, loves it with equal fervor. When Halloween time rolls around, the couple’s relationship hits its breaking point. In order to save it, Jason will have to learn to open up, step outside his comfort zone, and show Travis how much he means to him. With the help of a little magick, Jason will deliver a Halloween surprise that turns into a bewitchingly erotic night neither he nor Travis will ever forget.

For more information on Jason and Travis's book, visit The Taste of Magick page on my website :)

Happy Reading,
Riley

The Taste of Magick is now available on Amazon and B&N!!!

It's Jason and Travis's anniversary, and what better way is there to celebrate than the re-issue of their book, The Taste of Magick? The Taste of Magick is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for just .99 cents! For those of you who prefer to buy your books from All Romance eBooks, I'll have The Taste of Magick up there within the next few days :)

To purchase The Taste of Magick, visit these sites:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.fr
Amazon.de
Barnes and Noble

Book description:
Warlock Jason Prescott hates Halloween with a passion. His boyfriend, Travis Byrne, loves it with equal fervor. When Halloween time rolls around, the couple’s relationship hits its breaking point. In order to save it, Jason will have to learn to open up, step outside his comfort zone, and show Travis how much he means to him. With the help of a little magick, Jason will deliver a Halloween surprise that turns into a bewitchingly erotic night neither he nor Travis will ever forget.

For more information on Jason and Travis's book, visit The Taste of Magick page on my website :)

Happy Reading,
Riley

The Taste of Magick is being reissued!

That's right - just in time for Jason and Travis's anniversary, The Taste of Magick will be re-released for a new, lower price - .99 cents!!! It's the same story with only a few minor (non-substantive) changes. Best of all, The Taste of Magick will be available on Amazon (US, UK, France, and Germany), Barnes and Noble, and All Romance eBooks.

It'll be a day or two before the book is available, but I'll be posting the details as soon as it's released. In the meantime, check out The Taste of Magick's HOT new cover:

Only one week until Halloween!

Perhaps that should read, "Only one week until Halloween?!!!" I seem to have lost most of October to editing Blood Rose. But before I get sidetracked rambling on about next month’s paranormal, I wanted to talk about Halloween magick…or rather, The Taste of Magick.

Like sexy warlocks making up and making love on All Hallows’ Eve? Hate that they miniaturize candy on Halloween? If you answered “Yes” to either of those questions, check out my male/male paranormal romance, The Taste of Magick, available now at Torquere Press and All Romance eBooks. For more information, check out The Taste of Magick page on my website.

Story Description:
Warlock Jason Prescott hates Halloween with a passion. His boyfriend, Travis Byrne, loves it with equal fervor. When Halloween time rolls around, the couple’s relationship hits its breaking point. In order to save it, Jason will have to learn to open up, step outside his comfort zone, and show Travis how much he means to him. With the help of a little magick, Jason will deliver a Halloween surprise that turns into a bewitchingly erotic night neither he nor Travis will ever forget.


Happy Hauntings,
Riley

Book News: Blood Rose

I'm so, so, SO excited to announce that the first book in my Realm of Nine series will be available this winter! Blood Rose is due out on November 29, 2011 at Loose Id!!!

Blood Rose is a full-length male/female paranormal romance novel. It's a lot darker than my current books, but I'm very excited for readers to delve into the Realm of Nine series. I love Grayson and Rose and there are so many characters in Blood Rose that I want to write about.

Right now there's an unofficial book blurb on my website and closer to the release date I'll be posting it here as well :)

Cross Bones is now available!!!

Who wants to read about sexy pirates? Me! I'm very excited to announce that my newest story, "On the Wings of Lir,", is now available at Dreamspinner Press as part of the Cross Bones anthology!!!!


Cross Bones is out in both ebook and paperback form. You can find the ebook HERE and the paperback HERE.

I can't wait to get my copy and read my fellow authors' stories. I hope everyone enjoys the Cross Bones anthology. I had a great time writing "On the Wings of Lir" - the roguish Captain Kelly and the not-so-innocent Lieutenant Hugh Edwards were a delight. I'm really looking forward to revising the steampunk world I created - hopefully later this year, should my schedule allow for it. A secondary character from Hugh and Kelly's story has been talking to me ;)


About "On the Wings of Lir":
In the time of Queen Victoria, the invention of airships has brought about a resurgence in piracy. Of all the buccaneers who sail the skies, pillaging merchant airships, the worst is Patrick Kelly, captain of the Wings of Lir. When fate lands Captain Kelly in Hugh Edwards's path, the young lieutenant can't believe his luck. He's determined to capture the pirate...but finds himself caught instead.


About Cross Bones:
Ahoy, me proud beauty, shiver me timbers! I ask ye to sail me jollyboat on the high seas, lubber, but will ye dare to accept? On offer be a pirate's life full of danger and risk, and not just to yer neck, but to yer very virgin heart! There's many a bodice to be ripped--or perhaps I should say many a codpiece to be snapped--and should ye be graced enough to cross bones with a corsair, don't be an addlepate! Heave ho, lad, handsomely, and show him how ye bury yer treasure!

Pirates didn't only sail the high seas in historical times. Modern-day renegades and futuristic rebels are just as ripe for adventure and plunder. No matter the time, place, or circumstances, bad boys steal affection as often as they salvage treasure, and in these stories of romance, a rogue's black heart always conceals a center of gold.

Stories included:
Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen
Rough Trade by Cooper West
Touched by the West Wind by Ellen Holiday
The Winds of Change by Maggie Lee
My Hand in Yours by Emily Moreton
Ghost of Jupiter by Jana Denardo
The Golden Galleon by K.R. Foster
Objectivity by K.J. Johnson
Worth the Price by Cornelia Grey
Peter and the Lost Boys by Juan Kenobi
Officer and a Gentleman Pirate by E.S. Douglas
On the Wings of Lir by Riley Shane
From a Simmer to a Burn by B. Snow
Irish Red by MJ O'Shea
Black John by Piper Vaughn

T-1 month until the sparks - and airships - fly!

That's right - there's only one month to go until the Cross Bones anthology - with my steampunk romance, "On the Wings of Lir," in it - releases from Dreamspinner Press!!!

I just sent the galley back to my editor, so now it's time to hurry up and wait for the release of Cross Bones. I can't wait to read my fellow authors' stories. I love a good pirate romance, so I'm particularly excited for this anthology :)

To whet your appetite for "On the Wings of Lir," here's the (unedited) blurb:

In the time of Queen Victoria, the invention of airships has brought about a resurgence in piracy. Of all the buccaneers who sail the skies, pillaging merchant airships, the worst is Patrick Kelly, captain of the Wings of Lir. When fate lands Captain Kelly in Hugh Edwards's path, the young lieutenant can't believe his luck. He's determined to capture the pirate...but finds himself caught instead.

Book News: On the Wings of Lir

A quick note before the breaking news: Thank you SO much everyone who has purchased Chasing Alex. It was on Dreamspinner Press's bestseller list for more than two weeks and I'm both honored and thrilled by this :)

I'm very excited to announce that I'll have another new story out this summer. "On the Wings of Lir" will be available August 15th in Dreamspinner Press's Cross Bones anthology!!! Best of all? The Cross Bones anthology will be available in both ebook and print!

"On the Wings of Lir" is a male/male steampunk romance. That's right - steampunk, pirates, and romance. I'll post more information closer to the release date, but for now I'll say that "On the Wings of Lir was both fun and challenging for me. I've never written steampunk before, but creating the world of Lieutenant Hugh Edwards and Captain Patrick Kelly was exciting. As for the men themselves...damn, those guys had a few surprises in store for me as I wrote. I hope you enjoy this pair. As of right now, "On the Wings of Lir is a standalone story, but who knows? Perhaps these guys might talk to me again in the future.

Regarding the anthology as a whole, Cross Bones will contain stories from a variety of genres. The one thing all the stories have in common? Pirates, of course ;)

Now it's back to work for me. I've got the edits for "On the Wings of Lir sitting on my virtual desk. And after I finish with Hugh and Kelly....*rubs hands together*....just wait and see.

Chasing Alex is now available!!!

I'm very excited to announce that my newest story, Chasing Alex, released yesterday at Dreamspinner Press! I had a blast writing Chase and Alex's story and I hope you all enjoy it :)

Chase Larkspur is a rodeo cowboy who likes a good ride…as long as he’s the one calling the shots. Alex Dawson is a bull rider who tests every limit Chase has ever set. The passion between them burns bright and hot, until Alex grows tired of keeping their relationship a secret—and of being the one who’s always ridden. Alex lays down an ultimatum, and then the rest is up to Chase. Does Chase let the best thing in his life run away to the family ranch, or is he brave enough to chase Alex down?

Buy link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=55_436&products_id=2320

What's on your nightstand?

I'm hard at work on a story, but I'm trying to sneak in a book here or there. On my virtual nightstand this week is a sexy paranormal romance:

Ardent by Jan Irving
MLR Press
Erotic Male/Male Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60820-368-0 (print) / 978-1-60820-369-7 (ebook)
Buy it here at MLR Press:

It sounded like something from one of the graphic novels Jaime Anderson aspires to create, but Arden Kaller is real. Once the lover of Jaime's older brother, his blood coats Jaime's lips the first night he hits town when he heals him after Jaime is involved in an altercation in a brick-lined alley. Arden has spent long years studying his amphora, his pot shards. How can a small town boy exert such a hold on him? But it isn't long before he tricks Jaime into wearing his mystical token.

Jaime's life is complicated enough just handling classes. Now his guitar-playing friend Mondo turns out to be a werewolf who wants Jaime to be his-and then there is Arden, his dark, dangerous, and slightly nerdy vampire lover.

What's on your nightstand?

Melinda Barron had a book release last week, so of course it's on my virtual nightstand this week. What is everyone else excited to read?

Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron
Resplendence Publishing
Erotic Fantasy Ménage Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60735-292-1
Buy it here at Resplendence Publishing:

Bestselling Author Krisily Carmichael needs a break from her life. Her horrid ex-boyfriend sold naked photos of her, and now she’s plastered all over the nation’s largest skin magazine. So when an advertisement for a rental cottage near Bath appears in her mailbox, she snatches up the offer.

When she arrives at the remote English cottage, she finds a charming country home with a huge botanical garden…complete with four magical beings trapped inside.

Victim of a wayward spell, the Sorcerer Uriel and his alchemist cousins, Bythos and Acolius, have spent centuries trapped inside their garden with an evil witch who wants their secrets. Krisily’s arrival sets off a string of events foretold to bring about the witch’s end. Unfortunately, they have to contend with the witch’s curse, which took one sense from each of the men.

But the four of them find a way to communicate, and they come together in a blaze of passion that helps them to destroy the witch and meet their destiny.

Dreamspinner Press Turns Four!

Dreamspinner Press (home of my upcoming story, Chasing Alex) is celebrating its fourth anniversary by having all kinds of specials and drawings!!! Check out the Dreamspinner Press Blog for details.

Cover Love: Chasing Alex

We're less than one month away from the release of Chasing Alex and I'm getting excited enough to consider adding a countdown button on the side of the blog. In the meantime, visit my website and check out my Coming Soon page to read the blurb for Chasing Alex :)

Chasing Alex also happens to have not one, but two covers. Since the story is part of Dreamspinner Press's 2011 Daily Dose line, the cover that will up on their site is the Daily Dose: First Time For Everything cover. Inside the book itself, Chasing Alex gets its name in lights (or pixels, as it were).

Interested in a sneak peek? Here are both covers:

What's on your nightstand?

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blogging for some book news! Check back on www.rileyshane.com on Monday for to see the cover and blurb for my upcoming Dreamspinner Press release, Chasing Alex!!!

Now, onto this week's reading. The audio book madness continues as I work on In the Penalty Box, and since it's Royal Wedding Week, what better choice is there than an audio book with a wedding-ish theme? Just omit what happens to the bride in this book (yikes). I have to say, the narrator is one of the best I've ever heard.

Veil of Night by Linda Howard
Ballantine Books/Random House Audio
Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 978-0345506894/978-0307577634
Description from Amazon.com:

Jaclyn Wilde is a wedding planner who loves her job—usually. But helping Carrie Edwards with her Big Day has been an unrelenting nightmare. Carrie is a bridezilla of mythic nastiness, a diva whose tantrums are just about as crazy as her demands. But the unpleasant task at hand turns seriously criminal when Carrie is brutally murdered and everyone involved with the ceremony is accusing one another of doing the deed.

The problem is, most everyone—from the cake maker and the florist to the wedding-gown retailer and the bridesmaids’ dressmaker—had his or her own reason for wanting the bride dead, including Jaclyn. And while those who felt Carrie’s wrath are now smiling at her demise, Jaclyn refuses to celebrate tragedy, especially since she finds herself in the shadow of suspicion.

Assigned to the case, Detective Eric Wilder finds that there’s too much evidence pointing toward too many suspects. Compounding his problems is Jaclyn, with whom he shared one deeply passionate night before Carrie’s death. Being a prime suspect means that Jaclyn is hands-off just when Eric would rather be hands-on. As the heat intensifies between Eric and Jaclyn, a cold-blooded murderer moves dangerously close. And this time the target is not a bride but one particularly irresistible wedding planner, unaware of a killer’s vow.

What's on your nightstand?

This week I finished going through the galley copy of Chasing Alex, my upcoming release (June 1st) from Dreamspinner Press. I'm really excited for Chase and Alex's story to be released. Within the next two weeks, I'll be posting the cover and blurb for Chasing Alex both here and on my website :)

I'm still hard at work on In the Penalty Box - Lord save me from heroes who change the plot of their book multiple times. I think Samson and Landon might be my biggest PITAs yet. Still, I'm enjoying writing their journey, detours and all.

Since I'm pounding away at the keyboard, I haven't had much time to read. Thank goodness for audio books:

Cruising by J.P. Bowie
Total-E-Bound
Contemporary Male/Male Romance
ISBN: 978-0-85715-198-8
Click here to buy from Total-E-Bound

Adam Brenner is looking for a life change when a long-time friend and associate, Tom Hathaway, offers him a position as casino manager aboard The Maid of the Seas, a luxury cruise ship out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Trying to leave behind haunting memories of an alcoholic boyfriend on a path to destruction, Adam succumbs to the Latin charm of Vittorio Borghese, the ship’s architect. After a night of hot sex, Adam thinks he might have found the one to help him forget the misery of the past, but Adam soon discovers that life on board a floating resort has its drawbacks to go hand-in-hand with the perks.

Dismayed by the hostility shown toward him by the ship’s captain, and Vittorio’s seeming indifference, Adam finds comfort in the company of Brett Jarvis, a talented singer/guitarist who plays nightly in the ship’s lounge bar. The two men quickly form a warm and loving relationship, and Adam starts to look forward to ‘a life on the ocean wave’, thinking that it will now all be plain sailing.

However, he soon discovers that out on the vast regions of the Atlantic, sudden squalls, both natural and man-made, happen all too frequently—and some people are definitely not the great guys they appear to be.

What's on your nightstand?

I've been in a mood lately where I haven't wanted to read anything on my bookshelves (literal or virtual). Not because the books are uninteresting, merely that I haven't decided what I'm in the mood for. So, if you've read something lately that blew you away, I'm trolling for recs this week.

This week on my nightstand is Stranger, the fourth book in Zoë Archer's Blades of the Rose series:

Stranger by Zoë Archer
Blades of the Rose, Book 4
Zebra
Paranormal Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-1420106817
Description from Zoë Archer's website:

He protects the world’s magic—with his science. But even the best scientists can fall prey to the right chemistry...

LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

Gemma Murphy has a nose for a story—even if the boys in Chicago’s newsrooms would rather focus on her chest. So when she runs into a handsome man of mystery discussing how to save the world from fancy-pants Brit conspirators, she’s sensing a scoop. Especially when he mentions there’s magic involved. Of course, getting him on the record would be easier if he hadn’t caught her eavesdropping...

LIGHTING HIS FUSE

Catullus Graves knows what it’s like to be shut out: his ancestors were slaves. And he’s a genius inventor with appropriately eccentric habits, so even people who love him find him a little odd. But after meeting a certain red-headed scribbler, he’s thinking of other types of science. Inconvenient, given that he needs to focus on preventing the end of the world as we know it. But with Gemma’s insatiable curiosity sparking Catullus’s inventive impulses, they might set off something explosive anyway....

What's on your nightstand?

I've slightly switched gears in my reading this week and am enjoying Finding Deaglan by George Seaton. It's an engaging paranormal fiction novel and the author so seamlessly weaves together multiple plot threads that I'm in awe:

Finding Deaglan by George Seaton
MLR Press
Paranormal Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-60820-298-0 (e-book), 978-1-60820-297-3(print)
Click here to buy from MLR Press

A coterie of inheritors of Denver's old money, including twenty-four year old Stephen Thaxton, find themselves inextricably entwined in an imperative to close a hoary circle left open in the other world, the other side where retribution is sought for wrongs committed by their progenitors a century before; wrongs that eradicated wolves from Colorado, and saw the indigenous Indian tribes of Colorado robbed of their lands, all to enhance the wealth and privilege of those who now find themselves the last of their family lines.

What's on your nightstand?

The writing madness continues and I haven't had much time to read. I have, however, been torturing myself with trips to my favorite independent bookstore, buying up all kinds of things to add to my insanely huge TBR pile.

How about you guys? Anything interesting in your TBR piles?

I'm not reading anything at the moment, but I did recently sneak in some time to read a charming, unique steampunk novel:

Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Parasol Protectorate, Book 1
Steampunk
ISBN: 978-0316056632
Description from Amazon:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Two-Man Advantage now available on Amazon and ARe!!!

I've had people ask me when Two-Man Advantage would be available All Romance ebooks and Amazon. Good news: they went on sale this week!

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Two-Man-Advantage-ebook/dp/B004TH0INO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301026447&sr=1-1-catcorr

ARe link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-twomanadvantage-528193-144.html
(Note: If you're searching for Two-Man Advantage by title at ARe, leave out the dash.)

And for those who prefer to buy their books at ARe, my first story, The Taste of Magick, is also available: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thetasteofmagick-508475-143.html ;)

Book News: Chasing Alex

I'm very excited to announce that I'll have a new story out this summer. Chasing Alex will be available June 1st as part of Dreamspinner Press's Daily Dose: First Time for Everything line.

Chasing Alex is a male/male contemporary romance that's a bit sweet, very sexy, and features two hard-headed cowboy heroes. I'll post more information closer to the release date, but I will say that I had a blast writing this story and I love hot-as-hell cowboys.

I'd also intended for Chasing Alex to be a standalone, but...well, let's just say a certain hero busted into my brain this morning, laying claim to Alex's brother. So look for news as I write Claiming Braden this spring/summer (depending on my schedule). I'm sure Braden and Donovan will take me on one hell of a ride. Braden doesn't want to be "claimed" by anyone, least of all a smooth-talking country singer like Donovan Lane.

Before I get ahead of myself, it's time to get back to work on In the Penalty Box. Those hockey players sure do like to drive me crazy ;)

What's on your nightstand?

First: Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

Second: be sure to check my website next week. I'll be posting some book news. Want a hint as to what the story is about? I've got a famous Big & Rich song stuck in my head at the moment ;)

Third: I've been hard at work on In the Penalty Box, book 2 in my Seattle Marauders series, so I haven't had much time to read. I have, however, been listening to audio books. This week the story on my iPod is J.P. Bowie's Lunches in Laguna:

Lunches in Laguna by J.P. Bowie
Total-E-Bound
Contemporary Male/Male Romance
ISBN: 978-1420106817
Click here to buy from Total-E-Bound

Scott is intrigued by an art collection in a Laguna gallery, but it's the gallery manager, Michael, who gets his full attention!

By his own admission Scott Stevenson is a rough and ready kind of guy, but even he can appreciate art on occasion, especially when it comes in the form of Michael Taylor, the manager of a Laguna Beach art gallery. Invited to spend a lunch hour with Michael, Scott doesn't hesitate to let his new friend know he considers him a perfect work of art.

The attraction is mutual and the two men start seeing each other regularly for 'lunch'. But when Michael fails to show up at the gallery one day Scott discovers that his perfect man may have an imperfect past, and if Scott wants lunch to progress to dinner he'd better ensure that those who are threatening Michael aren't around for dessert!

Take a peek inside the Marauders' locker room

I'm hard at work on the second Seattle Marauders book (still untitled, but hopefully that problem will be fixed shortly) which will feature Gregory Samson, one of the Marauders' defensemen. For those hockey-loving fans who are hoping to spend more time on the ice, you’re in luck – this book takes place during the season. And for those who loved Kyle and Nate in Two-Man Advantage: 1) Thank you! and 2) They'll be back in Samson's book for at least a small portion of the story. Kyle couldn't bear being left out and he's dragged Nate along for the ride.

More details on Samson's book are sure to come. In the meantime, why not take a peek inside the Marauders' Locker Room? The Locker Room is still under construction, but it has a partial Marauders roster, player information, and - would ya look at that - even some gossip about one Gregory Samson ;)

What's on your nightstand?

I've been pounding away at the keyboard, working on a few books, so I haven't had much time for fun. Still, even when things get crazy it's good to take some time to read, right? ;)

On my virtual nightstand this week is Diana DeRicci's Beneath the Shield, a sexy male/male contemporary romance novella:

Beneath the Shield by Diana DeRicci
MLR Press
Contemporary Male/Male Romance
ISBN: 978-1420106817
Click here to buy from MLR Press

Jack Torres has been harboring, zealously nurturing a hidden guilt for three years. This mire of emotions has hardened his heart and his want to reconnect to the living world, keeping him isolated and unapproachable.

Brant Teller is a chance encounter Jack keeps from growing physically violent in a crowded nightclub. Parting ways, Brant doesn't expect to see the brooding, silent officer again. Yet when a domestic violence call brings the surly officer right to his ER, Brant takes a chance. What begins as a Sunday of football has the possibility to become so much more. If Jack will open himself up enough to release the agony of his own personal nightmare.

What's on your nightstand?

Things have been crazy here in Riley Land, so I haven't had much time to read. The good news is, now that Two-Man Advantage has been out for a little over two weeks, I've finally stopped climbing the walls. Now it's time to catch up, write more, and see what other people are reading.

And if you're curious about some of the projects I'm working on, I've listed a few on my coming soon page ;)

On my virtual nightstand this week is Rebel, the third book in Zoë Archer's Blades of the Rose series:

Rebel by Zoë Archer
Blades of the Rose, Book 3
Zebra
Paranormal Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-1420106817
Description from Zoë Archer's website:

On the Canadian frontier in 1875, nature is a harsh mistress. But the supernatural can really do you in...

A LONE WOLF

Nathan Lesperance is used to being different. He’s the first Native attorney in Vancouver, and welcome neither with white society nor his sometime tribe. Not to mention the powerful wildness he’s always felt inside him, too dangerous to set free. Then he met Astrid Bramfield and saw his like within her piercing eyes. Now, unless she helps him through the harsh terrain and the harsher unknowns of his true abilities, it could very well get him killed…

AND THE WOMAN WHO LEFT THE PACK

Astrid has traveled this path before. Once she was a Blade of the Rose, protecting the world’s magic from unscrupulous men, with her husband by her side. But she’s loved and lost, and as a world-class frontierswoman, she knows all about survival. Nathan’s searing gaze and long, lean muscles mean nothing but trouble. Yet something has ignited a forgotten flame inside her: a burning need for adventure, for life—and perhaps even for love...

Two-Man Advantage has arrived!!!

The wait is finally over - Two-Man Advantage, my first Seattle Marauders book, is now on sale HERE at Loose Id! I hope you all enjoy reading Two-Man Advantage as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

When Professor Nathan Troy walks into his cabin and finds a naked man in his bed, he figures his one-man vacation to snowy Lake Tahoe can’t get any worse. It’s not that Nate doesn’t appreciate the view...he’d just prefer he knew the man in question.

Kyle Harper has come to Lake Tahoe to escape the memories of his former life -- one where he was a star hockey player until a career-ending injury shattered his dreams forever. All Kyle wants is peace, and he certainly isn’t going to get it with a prickly, stubborn man waking him up, insisting that Kyle is in his cabin.

An accidental double-booking and a wary compromise puts the two in close quarters. Attraction heats things up, but Nate’s not about to let his libido lead him into making the mistake of getting involved with his unexpected roommate. Kyle, however, seems determined to get under his skin at every turn. Both men soon learn that they can’t outrun desire. But lust is easy; it’s opening their hearts that’s hard. Each will have to let go of the past before they can take advantage of the future the two of them could have together.

Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/Two-Man-Advantage.aspx

First Lines

We’re only ONE day away from the release of Two-Man Advantage. Nervousness has set in, but as I was anxiously reviewing the manuscript for the eight billionth time I got to thinking about first lines. For example, the first line of Two-Man Advantage is:

“There was a naked man in his bed.”

Now, I’m fairly attached to this sentence, mostly because I can clearly hear Nate in my head (unavoidable author bias). But, looking at that sentence made me think about my general affection for the first sentence (or even first few sentences) of a book. Great first line(s) can be a breath of fresh air, the herald of good things to come. Quite honestly, there’s something just plain fun about a fantastic hook.

Here are four of my favorites:

“Yesterday, Carl Hades had been shot at by a man wearing a black thong and a pink silk nightie. Even in his line of work, that was hard for a devout heterosexual male to digest.” – Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig

“The voice on the phone rasped, ‘Bones of anger, bones of dust, full of fury, revenge is just. I scatter these bones, these bones of rage, enemy mine, I bring you pain. Torment, fire, death the toll, with this hex I curse your soul. So mote it be.’
“I handed the receiver to Angus, who was facing out the ‘We Recommend’ stand by the counter. ‘It’s for you.’” - The Hell You Say by Josh Lanyon

“Being dead didn’t make Jack Mercy less of a son of a bitch.” - Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

And the granddaddy of them all:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Do you have any favorite opening lines? Let me know in the comments (and since I’m always looking for book recommendations, let me know if the book as a whole is something I should be adding to my TBR pile).

Oh, and if Two-Man Advantage’s first line intrigued you, check out the entire excerpt here ;)

What's on your nightstand?

We're only 5 days away from the release of Two-Man Advantage and I'm doing two things to keep myself from climbing the walls: 1) Working on the sequel (Samson's story - you'll hear a bit about him in Two-Man Advantage) and 2) reading.

So what's on my virtual nightstand this week? Well, I just finished Melinda Barron's Master of the Sun (I always enjoy Mel's work) and now I'm reading the His for the Holidays anthology. Four talented male/male romance authors' stories in one anthology? I'm game ;)

Note: Each of the stories are also sold individually by the publisher, Carina Press.

His for the Holidays by LB Gregg, Harper Fox, Z.A. Maxfield, and Josh Lanyon
Carina Press
Contemporary Male/Male Romance
Click here to buy.
ISBN: 9781426890833

Hope brightens a bleak Edinburgh December. A man gets a second chance with his high school crush. A decade-long game of cat and mouse comes to a passionate conclusion. And Santa Claus drives a red muscle car. Heat up your holidays with this collection of four festive tales from some of the top talent in the male/male genre.

Friend's New Release: Master of the Sun

We're only ONE WEEK away from the release of Two-Man Advantage, and I can't tell you how excited I am!!!!

But there's another book I've been highly anticipating and it's out today at Loose Id: Melinda Barron's Master of the Sun.

If you haven't read Melinda Barron's work before, you're missing out. So what are you waiting for? Check this out:

Master of the Sun by Melinda Barron
Loose Id
Erotic BDSM Contemporary Romance
Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/Master-of-the-Sun.aspx
ISBN: 978-1-60737-932-4

Calliope Ingalls had it all: a loving Dom who was also her husband, and a great job that took her all over the country. But it all came crashing down when her husband died unexpectedly. Not sure what to do, she retreated inside herself, shutting off everyone as she wished for the impossible. But there was still work to be done.

When Calliope finally agreed to photograph the construction at his new hotel, Silas Hope was thrilled. His attraction to the sub was strong, and he wanted nothing more than to see her bound in his dungeon for both their pleasure.

To do that, though, Silas would have to convince her to open up to him, mind, body and soul. He knew what Calliope liked, because he’d witnessed her submission firsthand. Now all he had to do was get her to let him wrap his ropes around her wrists and put the kiss of his leather on her bottom.

But while the two of them are exploring a new Dom/sub relationship, another force is at work in Augstown, one that shows that some spirits don’t like change...especially when they’ve been around for four hundred years.

Cover Love

We're only eight days away from the release of Two-Man Advantage and while www.rileyshane.com has been revamped to include all of Two-Man Advantage's info, I thought I'd share bits and pieces here as well.

To start off your Monday right, how about I share something gorgeous? It's the cover for Two-Man Advantage, created by the very talented April Martinez:

What's on your nightstand?

1) Slipping in a short(ish) plug: my first Seattle Marauders book, Two-Man Advantage comes out in just 12 days at Loose Id! I've done an overhaul on www.rileyshane.com to coordinate with Two-Man Advantage's cover (neurotic author alert) and you can find the cover, blurb, and an excerpt of Two-Man Advantage here.

2) I'm not asking what's literally on your nightstand, so don't worry ;)

I'm always looking for something interesting to read and can think of no better way to add to my enormous TBR pile than to ask what people are currently reading and loving.

On my virtual nightstand is Strange Familiar by Cassidy Hunter. I've never read Ms. Hunter's work before and this book sounded too fun to resist

Strange Familiar by Cassidy Hunter
Etopia Press
Erotic Paranormal Romance/Romantic Comedy
Buy Link: http://etopia-press.net/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=8&=SID
ISBN: 978-1-936751-06-8

Fate finally brings Olivia her Familiar… too bad fate is a bored bitch with a dark sense of humor.

At last, Olivia Brew’s Familiar has found her. Now that the search is over, her weakened powers and strength will be restored, and she can get on with her witchy life. But there’s a problem. Her familiar’s not exactly what she expected. And she just might be falling in love with him.

Kane Oliver’s got problems of his own. He’s not interested in being anyone’s pet, and he’s got secrets so deeply buried even he isn’t aware of them. Though he can’t deny the powerful connection between himself and Olivia, he’s not exactly Familiar material. And there are beings more powerful than either of them who want to keep it that way…