Today is my day over at the Winter Manlove Fantasies Contest. For my winter-themed short story, I’ve written a follow-up with Sam and Ryan, set approximately six months after the events in Blowing Off Steam.
All you need to do to enter the contest to win a Kindle Fire HD loaded with m/m novels is to leave a comment here and include your email address. Good luck!
The indefatigable and generous Stormy Glenn is this month hosting Manlove Fantasies Contest Winter Edition:
Winter is here. It’s time to snuggle up to something hot…
There’s a chill in the air, snow on the mountains, and it’s time for a little snuggle with some of our hottest ManLove authors. Join us daily to catch some amazing stories, excerpts, teasers, and for your chance to win some MM magic of your own.
The contest runs from January 1st to January 31st. Each day a new author will be showcased, and each day you will have a chance to enter to win our grand prize of a brand new, just released Kindle Fire HD with an eBook loaded on it from every author in our contest. So, come visit every day to read a new winter fantasies snippet, discover which new book is being added to the Kindle, and leave a comment/email addy to be entered in our contest.
I’ve been spending an enjoyable time investigating breeches (for research purposes, honest) and learned that neither gentlemen nor ladies tended to wear underwear during the Regency period. It sounds rather uncomfortable to me, but it does make for smoother sex scenes!
I’ve also been reading a fascinating book on the history of duelling (Pistols at Dawn by Richard Hopton) and was surprised to find that ladies engaged in duels. Some ladies, in fact, fought gentlemen in duels and won.
One of the most widely reported duels between female protagonists (though denied by one of the alleged participants and not mentioned by Hopton) was in 1892 between Princess Pauline von Metternich and Countess Anastasia Kielmannsegg. They are said to have fought one another with rapiers over flower arrangements. I can’t quite imagine what insult one could offer a flower arrangement that would be unforgivable, but that’s probably why I’ve never called anyone out.
They fought with rapiers. The medical attendant, Baroness Medinska, who had a degree in medicine, had seen the horrific infections caused by war wounds and insisted the principals fight topless. It is still in dispute as to who won (though thankfully not disputed enough to cause further duels). The princess received a cut to the nose and the countess an injury to her arm.
I can see why a story with such potential to titillate spread far and wide, even if it isn’t true. And perhaps it is.
Duel Metternich–Kielmansegg by Paul Balluriau
This summer’s ManLove Fantasies contest is now open. It’s a fab opportunity to see what different writers do with the same prompt and also to have a chance of winning a Kindle Fire HD loaded with m/m romances. Simply comment, with your email address, to enter the contest – and you can enter every day.
Find it here:
For those who are not already aware, Siren Bookstrand have an ongoing special offer, with a selection of books available for 99c on the anniversary of their original release date (and for a few days thereafter).
So if there’s something you’ve always meant to get round to reading – I think we all have the same problem of too many books and not enough time! – or you just want to browse, looking for a new author, it’s a great place to visit.
Siren Bookstrand time machine is here.
I’m sure everyone will have heard the sad news about Samhain Publishing closing their doors on 28th February, but just in case the upside to this has escaped your attention, books on their site are on sale.
I, for one, am currently working my way through their back catalogue as they’ve published so many good books and I’m not sure which of them will be available in the future. It’s sad to see another independent publisher go, and I hope all Samhain authors find new homes.
Not really. I just couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to quote Captain America. But today is the final day in the Blowing Off Steam blog tour – though the lovely BDF Book Blogs are hosting me for a Facebook chat on Monday, and it would be fantastic to see you there.
Today’s tour stops:
Foxylutely Books (with a 5 star review)
Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter draw if you haven’t already done so!
And because this is probably the last time I can justifiably post a picture of a steam locomotive on this blog, I leave you with this beauty:
I’m being kept very busy today – there are no fewer than six blog visits on the schedule! As always, thank you to the bloggers for hosting me and to everyone who’s been part of the tour so far. It’s been lovely talking to you. Do drop in on one or more of the blogs and enter the rafflecopter draw while you’re there.
Today’s stops:
The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T Kat
Bike Book Reviews (with what may be the world’s first house-spider system of rating!)
Molly Lolly – includes bonus Blowing Off Steam scene exclusive to Molly Lolly
Vampires, Werewolves and Faires, Oh My!
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
I’m running a little late today due to a doctor’s appointment, but here are today’s tour stops:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
As always, it’ll be lovely to see you if you’d like to stop by – and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter draw for an Amazon gift card.
Blowing Off Steam is released today, and in celebration I’m visiting four blogs (listed below), where I share my favourite authors, recipes and more. Do drop by if you have a moment, and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter draw for a $20 (or equivalent local currency) gift card while you’re there.
Thank you again to all the bloggers hosting me on this tour – you’re so generous with your time and energy. And to Will of Pride Promotions, who is a treasure. And also to Amy Sherwood, my editor at Samhain, who is not only a terrific editor with an eagle eye but has the patience of a saint.
Today’s stops:
MM Good Book Reviews (with a 5 heart review!)
Book Reviews and More by Kathy
BFD Book Blog (and a 5 star review!)
And while not part of the tour, Gay Guy Reading has given Blowing Off Steam a wonderful review with the stamp of “Highly Recommended” and an equally wonderful banner to go with it. I did get a little over-excited when I saw the picture of the train. It seems I’ve gone from knowing nothing about steam locomotives when I started writing this book to being heavily invested in them. I see a holiday travelling the West Highland Line on a steam train in my near future!
Joy Lynn Fielding's fiction 