Sexy Snippets #12: Be My Human

I'm taking this week's snippet from a WIP, Be My Human, the second book in the Moonlit Skies series by M.A. Church and myself. In Book One, Be My Alien, you met Reed and Taz. Reed is an overworked New Yorker who owns a men's boutique with a naughty back room. Taz is the alien on a bad date that was stranded at the Empire State building and literally fell into Reed's arms.

In book two, they're back! I think the snippet is self-explanatory. Enjoy!

Sexy green eyes looked up at him, the question in them clear.

Reed spread his legs a bit more. “Unzip me.”

A flash of desire and a quick smile. Taz bent over him and got to work. At the sound of his zipper coming down, Reed struggled to control his breathing. The fabric of his pants parted then Taz’s warm fingers dipped inside. Reed had been hard on and off since lunch, and Taz had been practically bouncing off the walls with desire. 

Want to know more about Reed and Taz?

Blurb:  Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

You can find Be My Alien at Dreamspinner Press.

Sexy Snippets #9: Be My Alien

Good morning and Happy Sunday one and all! Today's Sexy Snippet comes from Be My Alien, the first book in the Moonlit Skies series, brought to you by M.A. Church and myself. Taz is an alien, here on earth for what proves to be a disastrous first (and last) date with fellow Trygoshean Vorlod, and ends up being dumped at the Empire State Building. Reed Hatcher is an overworked businessman who has an upscale men's boutique with a naughty back room. They literally bump into one another and sparks fly. This takes place after Reed takes Taz home - and after he learns about his true origins, and gets past the idea he's hooking up with an alien. Reed seems to be struggling with alien technology in trying to get into Taz's pants. Enjoy! And don't forget to check out the rest of the blog hop here.

“Trying to find the magic words to open these damn pants of yours.” Reed laughed at the look on Taz’s face. “Little help here, please?”

Taz touched something and they came open easily. Shaking his head, Reed smoothed the material back. My, my. Seemed like going commando wasn’t just an earthling tradition.

Blurb: Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

Be My Alien is available from Dreamspinner Press here

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie.

My Sexy Saturday #1

My apologies for not posting last week as I'd intended, but Mother Nature had other ideas, and I was without power the whole weekend. But all's well that ends well, as the saying go. Also, better late than never lol

This week, my selection comes from a recent release from M.A. Church and myself, Be My Alien, the first book in our Moonlit Skies series. I hope you enjoy it! It's available from Dreamspinner Press

Once they arrived at Reed’s apartment, Reed paid the fare and walked Taz to the elevators. They stepped inside and Reed pressed the button for his floor. Seconds later, Reed found himself squeezed rather cozily into one corner, so close that Reed forgot how to breathe. Just as the doors were about to close, Mrs. Porter, who lived one floor under Reed, pushed her cane into the opening, halting it long enough for her to enter the car. She gave the two young men and the lack of space between them a pointed look. Reed resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Old busybody. The ride up was blessedly silent; finally they reached her floor. She doddered out with excruciatingly slow steps, turned to face them, and muttered, “Get a room,” before the doors slid closed, to Reed’s great relief. Oh, he planned to do just that.

Taz turned to Reed, his fingers seeming to take on a life of their own. “Now?”

“Almost.” Reed took a deep breath and smiled at the playful pout that graced Taz’s face. “Be patient.”

The elevator opened, and they walked to Reed’s apartment; he already had his key in his hand, almost dropping it when he went to insert it. Recovering from his fumble, he opened the door, moved out of the way for Taz to enter, and closed it behind them. Reed’s hand landed on Taz’s shoulders. He swung him around and backed him against the front door.

Reed crowded into Taz, caging Taz in his arms. “Now.”

Now . Just the word Taz had been waiting for. Despite his playful demeanor and lack of inhibition, Taz was not one to do any serious initiating, although he was also not shy about making his desires known either. Reed’s reply was as good as a command in Taz’s book. He pressed against the cute blond, his entire body vibrating with desire, and began to lick his languid way up the side of Reed’s neck.

“Oh God, Taz.” Reed buried one of his hands in all that sexy hair, clearly urging Taz closer.

Maybe next week, I'll give you a taste of the second book. Enjoy your weekend! And don't forget to check out the rest of the Sexy Saturday offerings - you can find them here.

Sexy Snippets #4: Be My Alien

Good morning and Happy Sunday! Welcome to another Sexy Snippets. I thought I would dip into Be My Alien again, book one of the Moonlit Skies series from M.A. Church and myself.  It came out May 8th from Dreamspinner, and I picked a scene where Reed and Taz are about to become intimate.  Enjoy!  And don't forget to visit the other participants of the Sexy Snippets - you can find them here:

“Throwing clothes at me, are you?”

Reed’s mouth dropped open.

Taz stood shirtless in the middle of the room, the soft light from the lamp falling over his body. A body that had stripes… stripes.

“Dude, are those tattoos?” he cautiously asked.

“What are tattoos?”

That’s what Reed was afraid of.

Don't forget to stop by my hop against homophobia post, you can win a copy of anything from my backlist, or maybe an Amazon GC!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Be My Alien has hit the charts!

Good morning and Happy Saturday!

As I believe I mentioned before, my first joint literary effort with my friend M.A. Church, Be My Alien, came out on May 8th from Dreamspinner Press. I am overjoyed to report that within 24 hours it received a silver star at ARe, and then it hit the bestseller list at 45, and has now progressed to the #34 slot! To say I'm excited would be an understatement!

M.A. and I are visiting with Gale Stanley today, and we've brought Reed and Taz with us, so stop by and say hello!  Also, I'm visiting at LaBelle Books, talking about Revelations and offering a chance to win something from my backlist.

On a side note, I know I owe two previous winners of my contests a copy of Be My Alien, so please email me to remind me about that. Thanks!

Blurb:  Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

Excerpt:  “Are you okay? Hello?”

Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”

Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”

The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.

“I really am sorry.”

“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most….world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”

For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”

A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 

Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.

 Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Sexy Snippets #3: Be My Alien

I'm taking today's Sexy Snippet from an upcoming release from M.A. Church and myself, Be My Alien, first book in the Moonlit Skies series. It comes out on May 8th from Dreamspinner Press and is available for pre-order here. Don't forget to check out the other authors of Sexy Snippets here.

Taz wasn’t even sure what peppermint was, so stars above, how would he know if he would like that peppermint explosion thingy? And he wasn’t at all certain he wanted something exploding in his mouth. Well, he wouldn’t mind if it was Reed.

Taz twisted the end of his braid, playing with the multicolored strands of hair, his eyes fixed on Reed. “Um, I’ll have what you’re having.”

Reed swallowed the impulse to say he wanted to have Taz… under him and crying out in pleasure. Holy hell, what had gotten into him?

Blurb:  Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

First release with a new publisher

On Wednesday, I had my first release with eXtasy Books. They released a story that originally began as part of my weekly flash fiction, posted on Wednesdays by the Wednesday Briefers. The story is Dallas in Wonderland. I had self-published it for a little while, but then I decided to submit it to eXtasy. The rest, as they say, is now history.

Naturally, I received a new cover and, while I thought the one I did wasn't too bad, I am really pleased with the new one.

Going down the rabbit hole has never been so sexy!

Blurb:  After finding his lover in the arms of another man, Dallas Crosby moves off campus to a Victorian-style apartment building to begin a new life. A chance encounter with the mysterious and sexy Dr. Samuel Levi has Dallas in a tailspin. But the man comes and goes unexpectedly and Dallas doesn’t know what to make of him. Just when he thinks he’s getting somewhere with the unusual man, he finds himself in an unbelievable situation, and he has to struggle both to find the man he’s fallen for, and to get back to where he belongs.

Can Dallas find a way to leave Wonderland or will he be lost forever?

Excerpt:  As Dallas fluttered back to consciousness, the first thing he became aware of was a great deal of warmth beating against his eyelids, trying to force them open.

He gapped first one eye and then the other. Damn, that was bright. Quickly he threw up a protective arm against the overly bright glare from the…

…the sun?

He sat up abruptly, instantly regretting that he’d done so. His head throbbed, conga drum painfully. He threw his hands to either side of him for balance, his fingers digging into the thick grass.

What the hell? Where was he? And why? And where was Samuel?

Think, think, think, he exhorted himself. What was the last thing he remembered?

The ache in his cock reminded him. He’d been dancing with Samuel. In one of the university houses. He was house sitting there or something. He remembered the heart-stopping kisses, taking his clothes off—with Samuel’s assistance—and spinning… Yes, Samuel had asked him to spin, so he had, receiving his approbation. Admiration. Confabulation. Spinning and spinning…

Eyes. He remembered seeing the eyes behind Samuel. Gleaming…dangerous…terrible eyes. Watch out, Samuel. But he couldn’t get the words out, no matter how he tried. Then nothing but darkness.

So where was he now?

Dallas in Wonderland is available here

I have also sold them Trapped in Time, which I am currently finishing. It too began as a flash fiction. I'll keep you updated as I progress. 

Next Wednesday, May 8th, my first collaboration with M.A. Church releases - Be My Alien, from

Dreamspinner.  It's available for Pre-order now. More about that later. Sexy Snippets tomorrow. Maybe I'll post from that.

Time to start my day. Edits to do, and writing. I'm working on Dead Vibrations, the prequel to my Stan and Ollie story. Feel free to ask me about that, or anything else I'm writing. 

Tomorrow we're going to see Iron Man 3! Will let you know how it is!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

A New Release, a coming attraction, and a new publisher

Happy Friday, everyone! TGIF, right?

I have so much to tell you today! Let's start with my new release.

Today my first horror story, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, releases at MuseitUp Publishing! I'm guest blogging with Kay Berrisford today, talking about horror stories, and giving away a copy. Stop by and comment!

Blurb:  On a dark and rainy night, a group of travelers takes refuge at the Black Raven inn, seeking shelter from the storm: Two knights who are brothers, and who believe in diametrically opposed doctrines. A brother who questions the path his sister has chosen to take. A mysterious doctor whose presence gives the innkeeper’s daughter chills. A handsome dwarf, half owner of a traveling troupe of actors. Will they find more than they bargained for?

What is the mystery of the locked door?

Excerpt: Lightning sliced across the night sky like a jagged scar. It briefly illuminated the countryside, throwing twisted-limbed trees into momentary sharp relief. The thick ripe foliage of summer was long gone, and the land was left naked in the barrenness of winter. Several heartbeats later followed the thunder, a dull drumming in the background of the heavens that steadily increased in volume with each repetition.

The horse was skittish and pulled against the reins at the sound, but its rider pressed a reassuring hand against its heaving flank and it grew still once more; the clop of its hoofs echoed eerily in the momentary peace between the waves of sound. A second steed stood beside the first; it, too, pawed the ground in disquiet, its ears flattened against its head, expressive of its disapproval.

“The storm approaches,” the second rider observed. His flat voice revealed nothing. “Perhaps we should seek shelter for the night?”

“Perhaps,” the first rider agreed. “But it changes nothing. Simply delays that which is inevitable, Jintaro.”

A wry smile curled the younger man’s lip. “Nothing is written, Kaorin, until it is written. Much can yet happen. It is not for us to know until it does.”

“You are right, nothing is written in stone. You can still change what will be. Tell them what they wish to know. Give them the names of the others with whom you conspire, and you will feel their mercy.”

“Do you think so little of me that I would betray my comrades as well as my ideals?”

“You were always the foolish dreamer, wasting your time with ridiculous schemes. And what have those dreams gotten you? You have betrayed the queen, and for that you shall die.”

“At least I dared to dream, elder brother. At least I have had hopes. What have you? A life given to a faded ideal whose time is long gone. That is no life at all.”

Kaorin stiffened and turned away as another flash of lightning illuminated the landscape, the accompanying thunder growing louder. “I too have had my dreams,” he murmured, but the wind held his words as it swirled between them, and the horses stamped nervously, anxious to move on, away from the elements that threatened to engulf them at any moment.

What was that? Kaorin turned his head and in the light of the next flash, he saw what appeared to be a woman’s pale face, framed by long blonde locks, floating in the air before him. He blinked and the illusion was instantly dispelled.  He wasn’t entirely convinced it hadn’t been there, though.

“I know of a place we can stop for the night. Let us go.” He would not concede it was not his idea, nor give his brother the satisfaction of being right. He kicked his horse’s flank; the other horse followed automatically, having no choice, as they were tethered together.  Jintaro said nothing, but Kaorin was sure he heard a soft snort of laughter, which he chose to ignore.

My second bit of new is that Be My Alien, my novella written with co-author M.A. Church has a release date from Dreamspinner  - May 8th! We shall be embarking on a whirlwind tour shortly to promote our story, so keep an eye out for that.

My third tidbit is that I have a new publisher! Two of my stories - Dallas in Wonderland and Trapped in Time - have been accepted by eXtasy Books. Dallas will be out  May 13th, and I'll report the date for Trapped when I get it.

Very heartening news, yes? A great start for the weekend!

Next time, I want to talk about Hannibal, which premiered last night.  Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

A New Cover and a little bit of disappointment

Happy Friday! TGIF, right? From what I can see, it's sunny here, maybe chilly (I'll know better when I go shopping later).  I am happy to report that M.A. Church and I have our cover for our first joint venture, Be My Alien, which is being released by Dreamspinner Press in May/June of this year. Things are moving quickly on that front, so probably May. But before I reveal that, I just have a couple of other things I wish to mention first.

I am visiting with Lexi Ander today, at her blog, and talking about Revelations, so please stop by and say hello!

Secondly, I'm in a bit of a slump right now. It's amazing how much of a writer's life consists of waiting to hear from people, particularly publishers. Waiting is the hardest part, once you've finished polishing your work/heart and sent it out for inspection. But sometimes receiving an answer is harder than not receiving one.

As you may know, I've recently re-acquired the rights to most of the works I had published with Silver (and that is a whole other can of worms that I won't go into). Like many other former Silver authors, I am trying to get them back into circulation with other publishers. I succeeded with A Special Christmas, which is being published by Torquere Press in December, and about which I am very excited. Still others are in the waiting stages. But one in particular, that I subbed to a publisher who shall be nameless, was rejected because the publisher said they had too many resubs and couldn't take it. I thought that was reasonable, considering how much Silver material must be out there, and probably Noble Romance too. But then the same publisher turned down an original book, as well as a book by a friend, and we put it down to they don't want paranormal right now.

Until yet another friend received contracts - and not just any contracts, but for resubs that are also paranormal.

So I was lied to. For what purpose? I have no idea. She could have told me anything else - the truth would have been nice - and I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Disappointed, sure. But now I'm pissed and I'm hurt, and I have to ask myself do I want anything to do with a publisher who would lie in such a way when it wasn't necessary? How cold and callous is this publisher? What else is she capable of?

Needless to say, I'm in a tizzy, and a writer in a tizzy isn't in the best frame of mind in which to write. Self-doubts creep in - those nasty little things that linger just beneath the surface at the best of times and come out when a writer is at her lowest.

I'll get over this and I know it. But it leaves me with a poor taste in my mouth, for I realized that so far, all of the publishers I've worked with have disappointed in some way - some worse than others. I hope this isn't the norm, and I pray that in the future I'll find out differently. But for now, color me jaded

Enough of that. On to the cover reveal. And a little bit about Be My Alien, the first book in the Moonlit Skies series by M.A. and myself.

What’s an alien to do? Dumped at the Empire State Building by the very male he’s been trying to get a date with forever, Taz is stranded on a backwater planet called Earth with no money, no idea where the motel they rented is located, and… he’s starving to boot! The lovely moonlit skies he had admired no longer hold any appeal for him.

Where can he go, what can he do? The answer comes in the form of a human named Reed… and a love that will travel across the universe. 

Blurb:

A man too busy for love…

Reed owns an upscale men’s boutique with a naughty back room. While making a late delivery to a client, he runs into Taz.

A man on a disastrous date…

When Taz agreed to come to Earth on a date, he didn’t expect to be dumped and left with no way home. Then he falls into Reed’s arms—literally.

A coffee date soon becomes a trip back to Reed’s apartment. But when Taz’s stripes begin to show, Reed discovers Taz comes from a planet far, far away.

Reed never believed aliens existed, but he’s facing one now. What in the world is he going to do?

Excerpt:

“Are you okay? Hello?”

Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”

Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”

The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.

“I really am sorry.”

“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most….world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”

For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”

A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 

Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.

A little bit about the authors:

Author bio:

M.A. Church

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.

My links:

Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com

Twitter @nomoretears00

Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church

Publishers:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_650

Romance First Publishing: www.rfppublishing.com

Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=177

Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/authors/MA-Church.aspx

Author bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing, and No Boundaries Press and she has also begun to self-publish at various places on the Internet.  

My Links:

My blog:  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

My Twitter: @ShelleyRunyon

My facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074

My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

My Publishers:

Museit Up Publishing:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222

M.A. and I are hard at work on the second book in the series, which will be full-length. As of yet, it has no title. We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Be My Alien! Have a great weekend!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Swept Away - Day Three

Day three of the Swept Away Valentine's Day Blog Hop! I thought I had a guest today but I was wrong, so I'm going to talk about two more of my couples. First, Hunter Long and Fisher Roberts, from Leonardo di Caprio is a Vampire. It was previously published with the publisher who shall be nameless, but I have actually added about 7k to the story in the form of Hunter's POV, and have subbed it elsewhere. I believe this addition rounds out the story nicely. I hope those who've read it will think so too.

I can't show you the previous cover, for obvious reasons, but I can show you my inspirations for these two.

Hunter Long

Fisher Roberts
















The inspiration for this story came when my daughter and I went to see Inception at the theater. I was thinking about Leonardo di Caprio and how he looks pretty much the same as he did years ago. Suddenly a voice in my head said, Did you know Leonardo di Caprio is a vampire? And a story was born!

Note: For you trivia fans, Fisher Roberts' name was derived from the Cillian Murphy character - Robert Fisher - reversed it and added an ess.

Blurb:  ‘Tis the night before Halloween, and Fisher Roberts wishes it was over, not being a fan of this or any other holiday.  But he tolerates it because his roommate/best friend Hunter Long takes a childish glee in all things Halloween.  And Fisher has a vested interest in keeping Hunter happy.  If only he could find the nerve to tell his childhood friend that he loves him, and has for a very long time.

Fisher thinks Hunter is carrying things a bit far this year, though.  First Hunter claims to be a vampire, and he just won’t let the silly joke go.  Then he forces Fisher to go to a costumed Halloween party which Fisher would rather avoid, especially when he realizes where it’s being held, and whose house it is. Things at Fisher’s job might just be going south, too, when he receives a mysterious summons to report to the editor’s office the next morning.  And then Fisher goes and does something stupid—like kissing Hunter!

Bad leads to worse when Fisher ends up at the Halloween party from Hell, and he learns something that threatens to destroy his and Hunter’s relationship forever.  Running from his fears, Fisher encounters a strange young man with an unusual resemblance to Leonardo di Caprio, who shows him things he never realized before, truths about his life and the people in it.

Can Fisher find his way back to Hunter, and can he find the courage to do what his heart wishes?

My next couple is a new one - Reed Hatcher and Fabrintazo (Taz for short). They are the leading men of a novella written by M.A. Church and myself called Be My Alien, and it's the first book in our Moonlit Skies series. Be My Alien is going to be released by Dreamspinner in May or June of this year, so look for it! Once again, no cover - yet - but we have a little promo pic for it.  

Blurb:  Reed Hatcher’s life is work, work, work. He owns a successful men’s boutique in New York City, but a love life is out of the question—for many reasons. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and business is brisk. On an unexpected visit to the Empire State Building, a sexy man literally falls into Reed’s lap. His name is Taz and he’s just been dumped by his date. One look and Reed is hooked. He offers to buy Taz some coffee and they leave together.

Reed is attracted to Taz and takes him home to his apartment. But Reed discovers there’s more to Taz than he realized—especially when Taz’s stripes begin to show. And he has a tail? Turns out Taz is not quite like Reed. In fact, he comes from another planet, far far away, and he’s only on Earth for a vacation.

Reed never believed in aliens before, but he’s facing one now, and dear God, what is he going to do? Just when he decides he loves Taz and together they can handle anything, the alien that dumped Taz decides he wants him back and steals him away.

Can Reed live with the memory of what he almost had, and the love he found and lost? How can he ever face the moonlit skies again?

And now here are the inspirations for Reed and Taz (just imagine Taz has multi-colored calico hair lol)

Reed Hatcher

Taz

We are currently working on the second book in the series, which is untitled as of now.

Enjoy your day, and come back tomorrow for more of the same! Don't forget to comment and leave an email address!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Sharing the good news!

I have to run to work this morning, but I wanted to share my wonderful news first!

M.A. Church and I have begun writing a series of m/m alien romance books called Moonlit Skies. The first book in the series has been contracted by Dreamspinner Press and will be out next May or June! Isn't that fabulous? I'll tell you more about it when I can, but we're very excited, as you can imagine!

Have a great day!

Winner of Michael's 70k Bash is.... and meet Reed and Taz!

Congratulations go to Debby! She's the winner in the recent bash to celebrate 70k with Michael Mandrake. Contact me and let me know what you'd like, Debby.  In the meantime, I'm going to repeat the blog posts regarding the WIP of M.A. Church and myself, in case you didn't get to see them - a little story that we've named Be My Alien. You'll meet our heroes, Reed and Taz. Have fun with them! And stay tuned - we might have an announcement to make any day now!

Thanks so much, Sharita, for having us here today! We love visiting with you, even if Chicago is chillier than we’re used to. Poor M.A., her blood is really thin from being down there in Mississippi. Me? I just have low tolerance for the cold. Oh wait, who are we, I can hear some of you ask? Let me back up a mo and start again.

I’m Julie Lynn Hayes, she’s M.A. Church, heretofore to be known as Michelle. Just call me Julie. We’re here today to talk about our first joint project. To be honest, it isn’t published. Not yet. But we’re excited about it, so we’d like to tell you about it. And since it hasn’t been accepted yet, we’d like to offer something else in our giveaways, namely a selection from our backlists.

Let’s start at the beginning. I totally blame Michelle for hooking me on aliens.

Michelle: *snort* I corrupted her, or so she says.

Julie:  *laughs* That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. It wasn’t until I read your most excellent book, Nighttime Wishes, that I first encountered your fixation on beings from other worlds, and… wait, hold on a second. What are you two doing here?

Reed: Don’t blame me, I was just following Taz. He said we needed to come here, and I guess he’s right. Look, you’re talking about us. That’s a bit cheeky, don’t you think?

Julie: What? Cheeky? Hey, Reed, I was going to say nice things, how does that make us cheeky? Michelle, a little help here?

Michelle: Oh no, don’t drag me into this. Besides, I think you’re doing just fine on your own, Julie.

Julie: Gee, thanks. *sneaks a peek at these two lovely men* Wow, what gorgeous guys we’ve created, I have to admit.

Taz: Reed, I appreciate these two humans and their efforts to talk about us, but I feel that we can handle this ourselves, don’t you?

Reed: Indeed I do. So why don’t you two ladies find something else to do? Maybe go to a strip club or something?

Julie: *look at Michelle, and she shrugs *

Michelle: Well, if they screw this up, it’s on them. I say we go look at pretty men. You’re driving, though.

Julie: *walks out door mumbling under her breath* Don’t I always?

Michelle: *pokes Julie in the back* But you like driving. Am I going to have to listen to this all the way to Atlanta next year???

Purses are grabbed and a door slams shuts.

Reed:  *whispers* Good Lord, are they gone?

Taz: *looks around the corner* Yes, thank the stars. I swear, those two… So… *Taz rubs his hands together, a gleam in his eye* Looks like we got free rein now. You ready to start?”

Reed: Yes, more than ready. They’ve gone about things the wrong way. Did you even hear mention of the title?

Taz: No, not a word.

Reed: *shakes his head* Women!

Taz: *cocks his head and regards Reed* My mother is a woman, Reed.

Reed: *snorts* I know, I met her, remember? So’s mine, by the way, and thanks for asking…

Taz: But I didn’t ask?

Reed: *sighs* It’s just an expression. *mumbles under his breath* Damn, need to get that book. Bad. Hey, babe, where do you think we should start?

Taz: How about like this? *he climbs onto Reed’s lap and lays his head on Reed’s shoulder, purring*

Reed: Oh damn, seriously? *takes a deep breath* I thought we’re here to talk? You know, about us?

Taz: *purrs louder* Go ahead and talk. I can hear you. *begins to rock in Reed’s lap*

Reed: Oh jeez louise, that’s distracting… *clears throat* Um, okay… we met… we met… oh yeah, it was almost Valentine’s Day. I was working late ‘cause I didn’t have anything better to do. You know how it is when you’re single and it’s been a while… that day means less than nothing.

Taz: It didn’t mean anything to me either.

Reed: Well, to be fair, you never heard of it ‘til you got here.

Taz: Oh yeah, I guess that’s true.  *squirms a bit on Reed’s lap* I’m just lucky I was in the right place at the right time.

Reed: I think I’m the lucky one, babe. That’s what they call karma.

Taz: Karma? What has this to do with driving?

Reed: *groans* Later, I’ll explain later. So anyway, I had to meet a customer at the Empire State Building after work, and that’s where I met Taz. He knocked me off my feet, literally.

Taz: What can I say, you caught my attention? My night hadn’t been going very well. I had just been dumped, then I saw you. I really didn’t mean to knock you down, you know.

Reed: Oh, I wasn’t complaining. I ended up on the floor with an arm full of sexy male. *blush* Well, at the time I thought I had an arm full of sexy male. Little did I know just what I was holding.

Taz: *giggle* You should’ve seen the look on your face the first time my stripes showed up! I mean, you freaked out, but still, for a second there… I don’t have the words!

Reed: *shakes head* It was probably the same kind of shocked look I had when that tail of yours put in an appearance.

Taz: *rubs cheek against Reed’s jaw* That reminds me, when are you going to let me—

Reed: Whoa now. Let’s not go there, babe. You give that away, Julie and Michelle will both want to skin you. It’ll be a race to see which one of them gets you.

Taz: Silly women. Neither one of them gets me. I’m all yours… *licks his way up Reed’s neck*

Reed: All mine, you’re right. Um, um…. Oh yeah, the title. Be My Alien. Pretty cute, don’t you think?

Taz: Mmhmmm, you’re very cute.

Reed: Not me, the title *blushes*

Taz: Oh, that’s not bad. Those two earth women seem to be able to put words together rather nicely, don’t they?

Reed: Better than me at times. Oh babe, you gotta quit that, or I might…

Taz: I’m wearing those special—

Reed: Oh lord, from the shop? *groans* Oh yes, my shop. I have my own business, I should mention that. A Touch of Class. Here in New York. I mean there… I mean… Taz, please be careful, you’re right over my—

Taz: I know, Reed…  I know… *silences him with a kiss*

End of part one, to be continued…

Hey y’all, and welcome back for part 2 of Taz and Reed’s interview. My name is M.A. Church, but call me Michelle. Julie Lynn Hayes and I are writing a series of books that start with our novella Be My Alien. We’ve subbed the book and are just waiting to hear something. *fingers crossed* We plan for the rest of the series to be novel length.

So, when we left last time, Taz and Reed were… what? *looks at Sharita* Oh my God, they did what? Are you kidding me? Oh man, Sharita, I’m sorry! I knew Julie and I shouldn’t have… huh?

Julie: Damn, we missed it. I bet nothing we saw was as hot as them two.

Michelle: *grins at both Sharita and Julie* So you got to see the stripes, Sharita? *snort* Yeah, I know.  Hehehe. Love me some sexy aliens. And oh, look who finally decided to show up. Hey boys, come on in. We were just talking about y’all.

Reed: *looks at Taz* Michelle has that look in her eye.

Taz: So does Julie. *whispers* Do you think they know?

Reed: *shrug* So what if they do?

Taz: You’re right, let them know. I think they know everything about us as it is, don’t they?

Reed: They know stuff about us you wouldn’t believe… *shakes his head*

Taz: *coughs discreetly* Maybe they should go to another strip show? Take her with them? *points at Sharita*

Michelle: *glances at both Sharita and Julie* I think we can take a hint, can’t we, ladies? C’mon. Oh wait. *turns back* First round’s on you. *holds out her hand*

Taz: *turns to Reed* I don’t see anything on you?

Reed: *grumbles as he reaches for his wallet* Later, babe. *hands them a few bills* Stuff some g-strings for us, willya?

Julie: You got it, tiger.

Taz: Wait, he’s not—

Reed: Let it go, babe, just let it go. Wave bye-bye to the nice ladies.

Taz: *waves even as he climbs back onto Reed’s lap* Now where were we?

Reed: Talking to the readers. That’s where we were. Remember?

Taz: Oh yes. We told them how we met. Did we tell them about ourselves though?

Reed: What do you mean?

Taz: Well, I’m from the planet Trygos, the most important planet in the Trygos galaxy, and only one of two planets capable of sustaining life. The other planet is Haatmiess. When Trygosheans put someone down, they say they’re like a Haatmiess, which is considered a major insult. My full name is Fabrintazo, Taz for short. I’m about 5'11" in your earth measuresments, and I have a wiry, muscular build. My hair is a mixture of red and orange and brown and it’s long and luxurious, and reaches below my shoulders.

Reed: That’s very true. He often twists it into a braid and lets it flow loose over his back. He’s very acrobatic and he loves heights. Which scared the hell out of me at one point in the book. Taz has cat green eyes and purrs when he's pleased. *smiles* I make him purr often.

Taz: Yes, you do. Reed’s full name is Reed Hatcher and he’s about my height and build. He has very light brown hair that tends to bleach out in the warmer months and he has the most beautiful hazel eyes. Oh! And he has this cute little dimple in his cheek too. The one on his face, not the other one. Though that’s cute too.

Reed: *blushes* Babe, too much information.

Taz: *grins* And  he’s a business owner, too. A very important man in his world.  *nods head* And in his business, he has a back room that sells very special things. I like the back room.

Reed: I actually have a degree in elementary education, but I never taught. My parents moved to Florida and I ended up here in New York.

Taz: Thank the stars you did! *frowns* Should we tell them about Vorlod?

Reed: What’s to tell? The bastard’s no longer here on Earth and can’t bother you anymore.

Taz: Well, he was the reason I was here on Earth to begin with.

Reed: We should save that story, though, don’t  you think? Can’t spill all the beans, now can we?

Taz: *glances around the floor* I don’t think we spilled anything.

Reed: *rolls his eyes* You’re right, we didn’t. What was I thinking?

Taz: *eyes him suspiciously* Are you having fun with me?

Reed: Not yet, babe, but I intend to, I promise you. Should we leave or wait for the ladies to get back.

Taz: That depends. Are we going to make love?

Reed: You betcha.

Taz: *grins even broader, stripes appearing on his neck* Then let’s go now and, how did you put it, avoid the rush hour?

Reed: *tries not to laugh* Close enough. *fastens their lips together, he rises, Taz clinging to him, and they make their way from the room. Moments later, the ladies return*

Michelle: Oh shoot, they’re gone.

Sharita: Where do you think they went?

Julie: *laughs* I can guess, I buet you can too, eh, Michelle?

Michelle: *laughs too* Three guesses, and the first two don’t count. I swear, keeping those two suppiied in lube…

Julie: Is a full time job.

Michelle: Oh well, I guess we’re done here now, right? *waves* Bye, everyone!