Once Upon A Secret
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-016-0 (Electronic)

http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OnceUponSecret.html

The last thing Luke Fiorelli wants to do, being a member of a close-knit immigrant family living in the Italian neighborhood of a small town, is embarrass or upset them by openly declaring his sexuality. Moving to the big city isn’t an option for a couple of reasons: partly because he owns a successful landscaping business, and partly because his family wouldn’t understand him relocating on what they would interpret as a whim. So, by convincing himself that his strait-laced father would kill him if he ever found out about Luke’s sexuality, and satisfying his needs with the occasional weekend trip out of town, Luke has never had a problem keeping that part of his life a deep, dark secret.
That is, until he meets handsome and openly gay Travis Barrington III. The attraction between the two men is strong and instantaneous, and suddenly Luke is scrambling to invent even more excuses to keep his secret.
Travis, however, knows all about secrets and the harm they can do, but can he convince Luke to accept that and step out into the light?
Excerpt:
Luke Fiorelli watched Travis Barrington III across the makeshift desk in the construction site office, fascinated by the movement of the man’s nicely manicured hands as they sifted through the contents of a file. He swallowed hard, desperate to deny the shiver of awareness that heated his blood and sent his thoughts skittering in directions they had no business going.
He’d first met Travis a couple of months ago, at Barrington Properties’ corporate headquarters in downtown Rock Bay. Travis had personally taken delivery of Luke’s last-minute bid to landscape the grounds at what was to be the jewel in the Barrington crown, a new hotel on the coast a few miles north of town. Luke had hoped his bid would be successful, but he’d long ago learned not to expect miracles. Competition was stiff for plum commercial jobs like this and there were dozens of landscaping companies more experienced and better known than Fiorelli Exteriors.
However, in the split second it had taken for that envelope to change hands, something had passed between himself and Travis, and Luke had known for an absolute fact that the job would be his. He couldn’t explain how he’d known; he just had. Maybe it was what the experts labeled a moment, a flash of precognition that sometimes happened, or good old-fashioned e.s.p. Whatever it was, less than a week later, Travis had called to confirm Luke had indeed submitted the winning bid.
It had happened, it was over, but the incident still continued to bother Luke. He didn’t have moments or suffer from ESP. Even so, something must have triggered the sudden feeling of knowing the future, and he didn’t have much to choose from. There had been the initial, brief but all-encompassing eye contact with Travis that made Luke feel as if he’d been swallowed whole. Then the zap of electricity traveling up his arm as their fingers touched when Travis took possession of the package. Then again, maybe it had just been one of those weird, inexplicable things that happen but defy all rational explanation.
Whatever it was, from then on, any time Luke ran into Travis, he started feeling wary and off balance, like he was walking on eggs, or balancing on the edge of a cliff. And it didn’t help in between those times he couldn’t quit thinking about the man or having ridiculous dreams where the two of them were locked together in a passionate embrace.
Travis was handsome, rich, a real player by all accounts, and totally out of Luke’s league. The last person on earth Luke would want to hook up with, yet his fingers itched to touch his skin, to get naked with him. He wanted to run his fingers through the man’s long black hair and kiss his wide mouth. He wanted to taste him and—
Just then, Travis looked up, a faintly troubled look on his handsome face, giving Luke the craziest urge to just walk around the desk and solve whatever was bothering him with a reassuring hug. However, while Travis made no secret of the fact he was gay and proud of it, Luke was not. Hell, there were times when Luke wasn’t even sure what he was. Although that wasn’t exactly true. He’d done enough messing around, first in high school and later in college, to be very sure.
However, he’d grown up in a family with strong conservative values and strait-laced views on just about everything. He didn’t need to hear his dad’s views on homosexuality to know the way he and his friends thought. It was something decent people didn’t talk about, so telling his parents had been totally out of the question. As a result, Luke’s almost non-existent sex life was, of necessity, restricted to DIY and weekend trips out of town to somewhere like L.A., Vegas, or San Francisco.
If his secret ever got out… Luke shuddered inwardly at the very thought. His dad would kill him. Guaranteed.

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Missing, Presumed Dead – An Amber Cove Mystery
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-182-2 (Electronic)

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/MissingPresumedDead.html

Private investigator and ex-cop, Greg Stewartson, is on his way to bed when his Hollywood-producer brother, Vance, shows up on his doorstep. With him is the handsome, sexy, and blond Tim Fensham, the brother of Vance’s latest girlfriend, movie star Petra Lianne. Vance says Petra went missing more than a month ago after last being seen in Amethyst Cove. He has new information, but the police refuse to follow it up. They’ve closed the case, declaring the actress “Missing, Presumed Dead.”
But Vance and Tim don’t believe Petra is dead and ask Greg to take the case. After Greg agrees, Tim stays to help him find Petra, while Vance returns to L.A.
Greg doesn’t want or need help, and wishes Tim would leave, too. He’s attracted to the man and figures the feeling may be mutual, but he doesn’t mix business with pleasure and he doesn’t need the distraction of Tim staying in his house. He also doesn’t like the way Tim keeps trying to interfere in the investigation, or the unexpected moves Tim puts on him during a power failure.
Still, Greg can’t tell Tim to take his case elsewhere for fear of upsetting Vance, but he does tell Tim to back off. The trouble is, Tim is not a very good listener…
Excerpt:

…While Tim went outside to fetch his overnight bag, I collected the used mugs and empty beer cans, put them on the tray and took the tray out to the kitchen.
When he returned, I locked the back door, but didn’t bother resetting the alarm. If he decided to go back outside for whatever reason, I didn’t want the damn thing going off and waking me up. “If you want to come with me, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping. There’s an extra blanket in the closet if you’re cold, and there are soap and towels in the ensuite. If you need anything else, I’m in the room across from you.”
We’d made it halfway down the hall leading to the bedrooms when the lights went off, yet again. Tim cannoned into my back, almost knocking me over.
“Sorry about that. I hate the dark.” He gave a shaky laugh. “Always have. Scares the living crap out of me. Makes me jumpy as hell. Clumsy, too.”
Oh, yeah? I’ve seen more than a few clever moves over the years, but when it came to making the best of an opportunity, this guy was beyond good. Believable, almost.
He cuddled closer, presumably to prove his point, then wrapped his arms around my body, and I felt his hot breath tickling my neck. “I hope you don’t mind me hanging onto you like this.”
Mind? Why should I mind? The power’s never off for more than a minute, two at the very most, so I had no reason to worry about things getting out of hand. “It’s okay. You’ll be fine.”
Whether I would be fine was a whole different story. His heat, his scent, the way his hard cock was pressing against my crack was such a turn-on, I figured I might as well enjoy the thrill while it lasted. All I had to do was relax…one, two, three, four. Any second now there would be light. Five, six, seven, eight, nine… By the time I got to ten, my imagination had taken off and I didn’t care if the damn lights never ever came on again.
He was nibbling my ears and stroking my dick, and it didn’t take genius mentality to know where things were headed. But what the hell? Maybe he really was afraid of the dark rather than an opportunist, and if something we both wanted kept his mind off his fears where was the harm?
Just when things started to get really hot, the lights flashed on and off a couple of times, then came back on to stay.
He relaxed his hold and gave another shaky laugh. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to get quite so carried away. I guess what they say about fear being a powerful aphrodisiac is true.”
Oh, sure! The guy is edging in on forty and this is the first time he’s discovered the connection? I don’t think so. I may live in a small town, but he has to know us small-towners are not that naive. “You think?”
“Not really, no.” He visibly relaxed and treated to me to a soft, sexy chuckle that raised everything on my body, including my hopes, as he reached out and stroked a finger down my cheek. “You could have pushed me away.”
“True. I could also have screamed rape. Problem is living out here with my nearest neighbor working nights, I doubt anyone would have heard.”
“Would you have wanted them to hear?”
“Not particularly.” I smiled. This was California, and tall, good-looking, blond-haired, surfer-dudes are a dime a dozen. But there was nothing stereotypical about Tim. For one thing, he was much older than your average surfer dude, and while most surfers are just good looks and muscles, this guy had all that plus charisma to spare. His blond, sun-streaked hair looked natural, and his deep blue eyes were a turn-on all by themselves.
“You sure about that?”
“About as sure as I can be.”
The wanting was there on both sides. It was so damn obvious what was about to happen, and I needed to put a stop to it, now. This was where I was supposed to force a laugh, shuffle my feet to cover any embarrassment, and get back to showing Tim to his room. Except I knew I couldn’t do any of that. My rule of not mixing business with pleasure was about to get broken, and there was nothing I could do about it. At least, nothing I wanted to do…
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Double Delicious
by Christiane France
(Part of the AmberPax THREE TO TANGO)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-210-1 (Electronic)
Cover Copyright ©2008 Trace Edward Zaber

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/DoubleDelicious.html

Suzie Nield has been fantasizing about Matt Porter and Mike Hanes for weeks, ever since moving into the house across the street from the handsome duo. Unbeknownst to Suzie, however, Matt and Mike have being doing the same thing regarding her…
Yet except for the occasional smile or wave in passing, the trio never does more than fantasize. In fact, Suzie is fast coming to the conclusion the men are either painfully shy, which she seriously doubts, or that the pleasure-seeking playboys, as one of the other neighbors describes them, are the kind of men who are more interested in picking up babes and putting notches on their bedposts than they are in developing adult relationships.
But on Friday the 13th, fantasy becomes reality, and Suzie finally gets to know Mike and Matt. This will be the day she loses everything important in her life, and the day the sexy duo asks her to be the one thing that is missing in theirs…
Genres: Contemporary / Ménage [M/M/F] / Group Sex / Bisexual [M/M]
Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (15k words)
Excerpt:

…“What’s the problem?” Matt asked. “Can’t sleep?”
“No. I tried, but…” She shrugged and fiddled with the belt of her robe. “You know how it goes sometimes.”
He smiled. “Matter of fact, I’m having the same problem myself. Maybe we need something to settle us down.”
“You figure?” She gave him a flirty smile and ran the tip of her tongue along her upper lip. “And just what do think might accomplish that?”
“I might have a couple of ideas.” The smile turned into a lascivious grin, and he opened the door wide. Suzie went to step inside, then paused and sucked in a quick breath when she realized not only was Matt completely naked, he wasn’t alone. Mike was lying, spread-eagled, on the king-sized bed, naked as the day he was born, with his eyes closed and the loveliest erection jutting straight out from his crotch that she’d seen in…considerably longer than she cared to think about. She drew in another, deeper breath and let it out slowly. Was this an invitation to party? Or was this what she’d thought they were into the first time she saw them?
“You wanna join us?”
“Join you?” She hesitated, positive there must be something wrong with her hearing. If the guys were gay, gay men didn’t…or did they? Although, bearing in mind the way each of them had come on to her earlier, maybe they swung both ways. “I…umm…I don’t know…I…Betts…you know the lady who lives up the street, she said you weren’t, that you were… Oh, shit! But now I see she was wrong and that you are. I’m really sorry. Please excuse me for barging in like this. I didn’t know. Just forget I was here. I…I’ll go find that glass of cold—”
Matt grabbed her arm before she could take off and turned her around to face him. “It’s okay, Suzie. No big deal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Mike and I live together, and yes, we love one another, but that doesn’t mean we don’t also enjoy making love with women, because we do. And sometimes, when the right girl happens by, we like to do everything all together.”
Suzie forced the word out. “Together?” She hesitated. Her dreams never came true…or did they? Suddenly, the itch to watch them kiss and pleasure one another, and then to feel their hands on her and inside her grew by leaps and bounds, until it encompassed her whole body. She desperately wanted to touch them, too. Earlier, she’d have settled for either man. Now she was being offered the opportunity to enjoy both Matt and Mike at the same time. At least, that’s what it sounded like. “Meaning?”
Matt’s big hands slid down her body and squeezed her ass, and she felt her bones turn to jelly and her insides melt. “As in you, me and Mike. But if you’re not in to that and would feel more comfortable with just one of us, then that’s okay, too.”
She wrapped her arms around him and did a little squeezing of her own. It had been so long since she’d made love, let alone done anything this wild and adventurous, even so… “The three of us together sounds good.”
He gave a soft, sexy chuckle that set her juices to flowing and did weird things to her knees. “That’s what we hoped you’d say.”
“You did?”
“You bet. You’re gorgeous and you’re hot. And we figure you’re in dire need of some topnotch loving.”
“Topnotch?”
“Of course. After the day you’ve had, I’d say you deserve nothing but the best.”
As he bent his head and captured her mouth with his, Matt pushed the robe off her shoulders and let it to fall to the floor. Then, without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and they joined Mike on the bed.
Suzie’s previous knowledge of threesomes was limited to uninhibited, beer-guzzling college students with high testosterone levels and a thirst for adventure, and the mechanical, emotionless sex she’d seen on late night TV. But she knew the aim of a threesome like this wasn’t always just the woman’s pleasure—sometimes the woman got to watch while the men made love, and she had a feeling that was about to happen here. And to be included in that kind of pleasure party with Matt and Mike—whom she suspected knew exactly what they were doing—was beyond exciting.
“Just relax and leave it to us for now,” Matt murmured as he transferred his attention from her mouth to Mike’s.
Suzie licked her lips and feasted her gaze on the rapturous expressions on the two men’s faces as Matt groaned softly and dipped his tongue into his partner’s mouth. Watching the two of them kiss was a thousand times more erotic than what she’d seen those boys do back in college. This was the real thing. These guys loved one another. As their hands came into play and they began to stroke and fondle one another, her excitement grew to the point where her body began to react…

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OH, GEORGE

by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-341-2 (Electronic)
August 2008
Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber
Amber Quill Press – Amber Allure

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OhGeorge.html

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Romantic Comedy
Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (16k words)

Blurb:
By projecting the image of a swinging bachelor, company owner Zack Hannington has never had a problem keeping his personal life private from his employees. But when handsome and ambitious George Parker joins the secretarial pool, Zack finds himself indulging in X-rated daydreams that stress him out and seriously mess with his head.

He knows George is a kindred spirit, and he’s positive he’s met the man somewhere before, but he can’t remember where or when, and his own rule of never playing house with “the help” makes matters worse.

Zack doesn’t know if he’s in love or in lust with George, but just as everything seems to be working out even better than his dreams, he screws up and loses it all…

Or has he?

Excerpt:

Zack had finished going through the files for the Tarasios job and making a few necessary notes, and was about to quit for the day when he heard a sound in the hallway outside his office.
No one worked late on a Friday unless there was an emergency, and there were none he knew of. And the cleaning crew had finished and left some time ago.
Strangers couldn’t just walk in after hours, but all an employee had to do was insert his or her card into the electronic access system and enter their own personal password. Perhaps one of them had forgotten something.
He’d barely completed the thought when the door opened and George came in. Wearing fashionably ragged jeans, a white muscle shirt, and with his black hair gelled into a casual, windblown style, he looked nothing like the man who’d left his office a couple of hours ago. But Zack much preferred the way George looked now…cool, casual, and so incredibly sexy he could come just by looking at the guy
“You called, sir?”
Zack mentally licked his lips as he leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands loosely behind his head. “How did you know? I didn’t leave a message.”
“My machine records the numbers of all callers whether they leave a message or not.”
Something about the flat, accepting tone of George’s voice sounded to Zack like George had expected him to call, albeit for a very different reason. “I wasn’t calling to fire you, if that’s what you think. And I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier. It was totally uncalled for.”
He heard what sounded like a soft sigh of relief before George said, “That’s okay, sir. No problem. So, why did you call? Did I forget something? Something wrong with the files I left on your desk?”
His heart pounding and his breath coming in short, painful gasps, Zack stood up and smoothed a hand slowly down the front of his pants. “No, nothing like that. You did a great job. This is an unrelated problem. One I thought you might want to help me with.”
“A problem, sir? What kind of problem?”
“One that concerns just the two of us. I thought that’s why you came back.”
George visibly relaxed and smiled, a sexy, knowing smile that softened the wide mouth and did strange things to Zack’s pulse rate. He shrugged, folded his arms and leaned his back against the door. “Am I to assume you’ve had a rethink and decided you’d like to be friends after all?”
“Friends?”
George’s smile deepened. “Okay, so you want to be more than friends.”
“You have any objection?”
“None I can think of.”
“Does that mean you have some idea what my problem is?”
“Offhand, I’d say you’re desperate for a little action.” The smile broadened a little and the tip of George’s tongue appeared and traced the outline of his upper lip. “But why waste time guessing, hmm? Why don’t you come over here so we can find out if that’s what you really want, or if it’s all in your mind.”
The crisp British accent and the unexpected take-charge attitude was a turn on all by itself. Zack left his chair and joined George over by the door.
George continued to regard him through half-closed eyes as he hooked one arm around Zack’s waist and pulled him in close. Zack could smell George’s male scent beneath a faint hint of mouthwash and that excited him even more. He closed his eyes as George’s lips brushed against his, then George’s tongue slipped into his mouth for a moment to taste and tease. Breaking the kiss, George’s mouth moved down Zack’s neck while he used his free hand to unzip Zack’s pants.
Zack could barely breathe as George’s cool fingers slipped inside the opening and slid seductively down the length of his shaft.
“You want to stay here or go somewhere more comfortable?” George asked.
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STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
By Christiane France

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/StrangersNight.html

This is the story of Blaine Tyler, a New York businessman, who went to California and was seduced by the California lifestyle and a young man he met one evening on the beach. Then tragedy struck. The young man was killed in a freak accident for which Blaine feels morally responsible, and he just can’t seem to get past it. He knew Colin had a hair-trigger temper. And if he hadn’t started that argument, and if Colin hadn’t jumped in his car…

The story opens six months later when Blaine finally hits bottom. He knows he’ll never be able to move on with his life until he gets over the huge barrier of guilt and remorse he feels for Colin’s death. For a brief moment, as he runs along the dark beach with tears pouring down his face, trying to get past his pain, he even contemplates suicide. But suicide is not the answer. He knows that. He also knows that in order to heal, he must somehow find the strength to stop torturing himself over things he can’t change, and find a new direction for his life.

Enter Adrian Rossi. The attraction between the two men is instantaneous and solid. But Blaine immediately shies away. He’s not ready for anything new, and he’s definitely not ready for a repeat performance of the pain and anguish he’s suffered over the past six months if something should go wrong. However, Adrian is not a man who gives up easily. He wants Blaine, and he realizes the feeling is mutual. He’s also had some firsthand experience of what Blaine is going through. But does Adrian have the patience and understanding to help Blaine get past his misgivings and find true happiness with him?

Excerpt:

This comes after Blaine realizes he must get past what happened
with Colin and starting living again:

As he reached the steps leading up to the street, a shadow detached itself from the shadows. “Wanna party, man?”
The shadow turned out to be an attractive, pouty-lipped teenage boy wearing a pale blue muscle shirt and tight denim cut-offs. Blaine recognized him as one of the latest crop of enterprising young men who did their best to cover the cost of next semester’s tuition by spending their nights hanging out along the beach, or infiltrating some of the better parties and playing it either gay or straight, depending on demand. He shook his head and started up the steps. “No, thanks.”
The boy ran his tongue slowly along his upper lip and wiggled his hips in a way Blaine found more sad than suggestive. “Aw, come on, man. I can give you a good time.”
I’m sure you can. And If I’d met you on my way down to the beach instead of on my way back up, I might just have said yes.
Ignoring the boy, Blaine crossed the street mid-block by slipping through the traffic. When he reached the other side, he decided to go back to the bar and have the drink he’d never gotten around to earlier.
For a Friday night, the bar wasn’t that busy, there were plenty of empty seats, but the moment Blaine sat down on one of the barstools, another man sat down beside him. “Buy you a drink, bro?”
Blaine turned toward the voice and found he was looking at yet another of the handsome strangers who showed up nightly in the bars and clubs near the beach, looking to make a connection. This time it was a guy who Blaine figured was in his mid-forties, casually dressed in designer jeans and an open shirt with a thick gold chain nestling against the sprinkling of hair on his broad chest. He looked like a male model for something rugged like mountain climbing or big game hunting–short, black hair, dark brown eyes, handsome as sin and loaded with the kind of animal magnetism anyone, himself included, would have to be dead not to appreciate.
Temptation looking for a place to hang its hat is how Colin would have described the dude, but Blaine wasn’t interested in doing anything except getting his old life back. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
The man snuggled his leg up close to Blaine’s. “You meeting someone here?”
Blaine moved his leg away. But before he could think up a polite way of telling the guy to give him a break and go hit on someone else, the barman saved him the trouble by placing a glass of Blaine’s favorite brew in front of him and saying, “Hey, man, thought you’d gone for the night.”
“No. I just stepped out for a few minutes.”
“Jay hasn’t found a tenant for his condo yet, has he?”
“Not yet.” Blaine took a long, refreshing pull of the cold beer and put the glass down. “Why? You know someone who’s interested?”
“Yeah. Him.” Blaine followed the man’s glance to the far end of the bar. “He says he’s looking for something temporary. You have the key, right?”
“Yeah. But it’s at home.”
“He strikes me as the responsible type, so maybe you should take him over there and show him around?”
“Sure. If that’s what he wants.”
“Okay. I’ll go tell him.”
Blaine had hoped the prospective tenant would be someone else. But he might have guessed it would be the same man he’d noticed earlier, the classy, sun-streaked blond who’d reminded him of Colin. If the slight resemblance had been all that caught his attention, it wouldn’t have mattered. Trouble was it had been more than that. A whole helluva lot more, in fact. With that one half-glance his composure had suffered a real jolt. It was the first time he’d been attracted to anyone since losing Colin, and he’d been so damn scared of making the same dumb mistake, he’d taken off.
Still, that was then, this was now. If and when he met someone he wanted as more than a friend, he wouldn’t be rushing into anything the way he had with Colin. He’d get to know the guy a bit first. Make sure there was more there than surface attraction.
“Excuse me? The barman tells me you have the key to a furnished condo that’s available for rent. I just need something temporary. Around two months or so, three max.”
Blaine looked up, and he could have sworn the room tilted or did something equally weird. And it wasn’t one of the earth tremors the West Coast was famous for. He was pretty sure it had everything to do with the man who’d asked the question. The older dude who’d approached him a couple of minutes ago had vanished, and the blond from the other end of the bar was now sitting in his place. Trapped by the man’s sexy, charismatic smile and penetrating gaze, Blaine felt disoriented and out of breath, like he’d been sucker-punched. His chest started to hurt again, he had a hard-on that came out of nowhere, and for the second time in one night, he was having trouble with his breathing.
Just then, a noisy group burst through the door and shattered the moment. Blaine broke eye contact with the blond and reached for his drink, amazed to discover his hand didn’t shake. “’S right, I do. You wanna see it?”
“Very much. And as soon as possible, if that’s okay. When would be a good time?”
“Whenever. Right now, I guess, if you’re in that much of a rush.”
The smile increased enough to make Blaine sweat a little. “That’s perfect. Right now was what I was hoping for.”
It wasn’t what Blaine had meant to say, and definitely not what he’d been hoping for. He’d have preferred another time, like the end of next month or even next year. Some time in the future when he’d had a chance to get himself and his life under control, and he could look at a sexy stranger without thinking about Colin, past mistakes, or going into meltdown like the heroine in a romance novel.

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A Little Bit Of Country
by Christiane France
SBN-13: 978-1-61124-417-5 (Electronic)

When misfortune ended Max Mayler’s career as a singer, he bought The Showtime Bar, an establishment with a long history of giving aspiring artists an opportunity to showcase their talents. It’s where Max got his chance, and he wants to continue the tradition.
Jay Ferman has the exceptional voice and the sexy good looks to make it big, and although he’s been performing every Saturday night for weeks, no one pays him any attention. It could be canned music for all they seem to know or care.
Max quickly realizes the problem is Jay’s failure to truly connect with his audience. But, as Max tells one of his servers, he operates a bar and not a school for wannabees. He likes Jay, but his performance deficit is none of Max’s business.
But will Max make it his business and give Jay some much-needed advice, especially after the men connect in a very personal way?
Excerpt:
…The song ended and, as the last notes of the music faded away, the singer hesitated for a moment before he moved away from the piano. If anyone in the crowded bar noticed the skillful rearrangement of the popular ballad or the husky quality of his beautiful voice, they gave no sign.
My throat tightened with emotion while I watched him smooth a hand over his dark hair, pick up his jacket and step down from the stage. I knew he was hurt by the lack of audience response. It showed in his expressive blue eyes and the droop of his shoulders and also in each and every movement of his slim body. It was threatening to become a fucking Saturday night ritual. Jay Ferman sang; no one paid a scrap of attention. It could have been canned music for all they knew or cared.
I wanted to go over there and hug him hard. I wanted to tell him not to give up; that success rarely happened overnight. That sometimes it took years. He had to be patient. Work on his craft, give it time, and when he least it expected it, one of the talent scouts who dropped in from time to time would realize his potential and offer him that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He reached over the bar and shook my hand as he passed by on his way out. “’Night, Max. Thanks.”
“’Night, Jay. My pleasure. See you again next week?”
“For sure.”
His smile couldn’t have been brighter and he couldn’t have looked any happier if he’d stepped off the stage to thunderous applause, but I knew it was all show. Despite the bravado, the disappointment was there in his eyes for anyone who cared to look. And the reason he kept coming week after week was simple—he wanted to succeed. The reason I kept encouraging him was even simpler—I’d been there. Like Jay, I’d walked that lonely road for a long time. I knew all about the big dreams and the high hopes, the constant fear that I didn’t quite measure up, and then the indescribable thrill of knowing I’d finally made it. Maybe Jay would eventually get there and maybe not, but it was his dream and he wouldn’t thank me for interfering.
“Have a good week, Jay.”
“Yeah, you, too, Max.”
What Jay Ferman needed was— I warned myself to stop right there. What Jay needed was none of my business.
Unlike Jay, I’d been lucky enough to have the kind of help I’d needed to get where I wanted to go. And if I really cared about the guy I’d tell him the truth—that the scouts who trolled the bars and clubs looking for new acts wanted more than a good voice. They wanted the complete package—mind-blowing talent, good looks, the right clothes, a professional presentation, and the confidence to capture attention. The kind of star quality that would draw an audience in and make it forget about everything but the moment, the music and the man in the spotlight. What the scouts didn’t do was waste time on someone who kept his head down and blended into the background like elevator music.
The truth was, I did care for the guy, more than I wanted to admit even to myself. As he headed for the exit, I wondered if anyone had ever told him where he was going wrong. If they had, he hadn’t listened. The man had talent to spare and the kind of good looks a male model would envy. But he had no charisma, no stage presence, and unless he learned how to project and make contact with his audience, he was wasting his time.
Needing an outlet for my frustrations, I picked up a damp cloth and began cleaning the bar, rubbing at marks that had been there for years and I didn’t stand a chance of removing. Poor guy just didn’t have a clue…
Cool mysteries and hot romance – http://www.chrisgrover.ca
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Getting Real
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-401-4 (Electronic)

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/GettingReal.html

Blurb:
For TJ Delaney and Cole Labelle, it’s time to turn their lives around and get real.
TJ needs to exchange his playboy lifestyle for a job and prove he’s a responsible adult rather than a spoiled, rich brat.
Cole needs to free himself of his family’s control and their paranoid fears by proving being gay like his father is the only thing he and the man who gave him life have in common. And that by being openly gay he won’t cause them public embarrassment as his father did.
Excerpt:
…Talking with Maggie had renewed my excitement about being entrusted with a job of this importance. So what if it wasn’t rocket science and I didn’t need to wear a three-piece suit or take clients to lunch? I was doing something I loved, and I made a silent promise not to do anything that might make Maggie regret taking me on.
Between deciding what to put where and checking with Kreber’s on availability, the rest of the week passed in a flash. I hadn’t seen Cole since the night I ran into him in the Falls. If he regretted our conversation and was avoiding me, fine. I might not agree with his reasons, but it was his life and his decision.
Friday morning, Maggie called to say she’d be over around ten. About a quarter to the hour, I heard a tap-tap on the door. Figuring she was early, I yelled, “Come on in. It’s open,” only to look up and find Cole standing there, looking smart and delicious in a charcoal suit, pale blue shirt and patterned tie.
“You doing anything for lunch today?” he asked.
“No. Why?” If I sounded suspicious, I was. “I thought—”
“I know. The thing is I’ve been thinking, so hear me out, okay?”
He shuffled his feet, as if he were nervous about something. Then he smiled, a shy, tentative smile that once again made me want to rush right over and give him a hug. Again, I resisted.
“After I left the club the other night, I drove around for a while and thought really hard about what you’d said. You were right. I knew my family was scared I’d do something to embarrass them, and I took the easy way out by going along with it. I figured it was only temporary and that once Carla came home… Then I recalled you saying what if she doesn’t? That was something I hadn’t even considered.”
“So? You come to any conclusions?”
“That Carla has a life to live same as me. You were also right when you said I needed to forget about my family and concentrate on my own life. So that’s what I’m trying to do. If someone has a problem with us having lunch together that’s too bad. ”
“Okay, but one small step at a time, huh?”
Before Cole could reply, the phone rang, and I picked up.
“Hi, TJ. It’s me, Maggie. I’m afraid there’s been a slight change of plan. I can’t get there until sometime between noon and one. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s fine. See you then.”
I replaced the receiver with a sigh and looked at Cole. “How about a rain check for lunch?”
“Problems?”
“That was Maggie. She was supposed to be here at ten to finalize our order for the plants. Now she says she can’t make it until noontime. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, the job comes first.” He reached out and briefly touched my shoulder. “You want to go for a drink later?”
“You mean here in town, after work?”
“Why not?”
“I think you need to slow down. Lunch is one thing, Cole. You hired The Birds to supply the plants for the building, so it could even be explained as a working lunch. What you’re suggesting is something else. It’s like a date. It’s like making a major statement to the entire world. What if someone sees us and your family finds out?” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that, but I wanted Cole to step back and think what could happen.
“I’ve thought about that, too. If I lose my job and my mom wants me to move out, that will be their decision. This one is mine. If I’m to have the kind of life I want, I can’t keep putting it off. I have to start somewhere, and this is it, TJ. With you at my back, I’m ready to take this first step. We can have a drink or two, and hang for a bit. Maybe later go get something to eat. You cool with that?”
I high-fived him, swallowed the sudden surge of emotion that made my chest tight and my eyes blurry and finally gave him a hug. He smelled delicious and his body was hard and sweet as rock candy just waiting to melt and mold against mine. He started hugging me back, so I cut it short before nature took us in the direction I knew we both wanted to go. “You betcha, babe! Although, there are a couple of things you should know. Like you, I live at home, and right now I don’t have wheels…”
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I was born in London, England, and while I’ve often thought about setting a story there its never happened. But with so much focus on Britain lately it gave me the idea for a series–London Calling. Raindrops And Roses is the first in the series. Drew and Michael’s story will continue in The Holly And The Ivy (tentative title), Simply Irresistible—a story in which the main character discovers his new lover is connected to a friend’s mysterious disappearance. After that will be the story of two men who met at a train station and had a brief, one-night affair, then years later meet again by chance.
Raindrops And Roses
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-356-7 (Electronic)

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/RaindropsRoses.html

First in the LONDON CALLING SERIES

The day before Drew McEvoy is to fly home, following a temporary work assignment in London, he trips going down the stairs to a teashop and is saved from injury by the quick thinking of Englishman Michael Dawson. Michael can see Drew is a little shaken up by the incident, so invites him to sit at his table to catch his breath and offers to buy him a cup of tea.
The chemistry is there from the word “go.” Drew doesn’t know if it’s a momentary thing, or if it could turn into something more, but there’s not enough time for him to find out. All he can do is hold onto the moment and stretch it out to the very last drop.
But Michael surprises Drew by inviting him to have a drink at his flat and then go for dinner. Drew knows the most they can have is a few hours, that this time tomorrow they’ll be thousands of miles apart. Should he risk spoiling their brief time together by telling Michael that? Or would it be better to keep his mouth shut? After all, they’re just ships passing in the night, right?
NOTE: This story is part of the London Calling series.
Excerpt:
…I don’t believe in insta-love or what some call love at first sight. But sometimes the chemistry between two people is so strong and so compelling it’s overwhelming. A time when normal commonsense takes a vacation and anything approaching rational thinking goes along with it for the ride.
For me, this was one of those times. And I knew he felt it, too. That’s why we continued to sit here, staring at one another like we were under a spell or something.
“Can I buy you a cup of tea?” he asked.
“Umm…” I tried to break eye contact and failed. I knew I was in trouble. If I had any sense, I’d make up an excuse and go, now, while I still had the chance. And do what? Wonder what if, wish I’d acted differently and then come back in the hope he was still here?
The waitress placed a pot of tea and a bowl of soup in front of Michael. “Your sandwich will be up in a minute,” she said before turning to me. “And what can I get for you, sir?”
“I…er…I don’t know. I…” I glanced around for inspiration, a menu, wishing I didn’t feel so unsure, so vulnerable, so completely unlike my normal self. I gripped the edge of the table in an effort to get my thoughts back on track. I don’t do flustered. I’m the calm, cool, collected type. The guy people turn to when things get out of hand and panic sets in.
“Bring him the same as what I’m having,” Michael interjected smoothly. “Thanks, Sara.”
The waitress left, and he reached under the table and laid a hand on my knee. “Are you alright?”
“I’m okay.” I forced a grin. “Just a tad discombobulated, as they say…”

Cool mysteries and hot romance – http://www.chrisgrover.ca
Latest Release: RAINDROPS AND ROSES – http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure
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Anything You Can Do
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-297-3 (Electronic)

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AnythingYouCanDo.html

As teenagers, Devon and Julian denied their feelings for one another and avoided scandal by becoming fierce competitors and sworn enemies, even engaging in physical fights on occasion. After finishing school, Devon went to live and work in New York. Julian took his dreams of becoming a movie star to California and disappeared from view.
Now, years later, they’re both back home in Bayview and those old feelings are still very much alive and well. But Devon needs to focus all his efforts on bringing his family’s beach resort back to life. Julian has to decide what to do with his late grandfather’s house. Should he turn it into a B&B, or should he sell the property and move on?
It wasn’t the right time for them when they were in high school, and now, with problems to solve and decisions to make, the timing seems no better…
Excerpt…
…I focused on the shadowy image by the fire. It appeared to be a man about the same size and height as me.
Someone on the run from the law? A druggie looking for a secluded spot to give himself a fix?
I doubted either one would risk attracting attention by lighting a fire outside an abandoned house in a populated area. They usually knew enough to keep their heads down and stay out of sight. But desperation sometimes drove people to do weird stuff. If I was to hazard a guess, I’d say it was some poor schmuck who’d been tossed out of his home or lost his job and had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Or an abused teen, or…
My resolve to mind my business weakened. Commonsense said not to get involved, but… I know what it’s like to lose your job and the difficulties of finding another. My severance package had been more than I’d expected, but it wouldn’t have kept me going indefinitely. If it wasn’t for The Bayview and the opportunity my parents handed me to restore the resort to its former glory, I, too, could be sitting around with my thumb up my ass. I could be living on the street by now and spending my nights in abandoned or burned-out buildings.
I started across the strip of beach that separated the cottages from the Hanes’ place. If I got told to fuck off, so be it.
“Hey, there,” I called out. If the guy wanted to run, this was his chance. “Everything okay? I know it’s none of my business, but this doesn’t strike me as the best night for a barbeque.”
The man held his ground. “You’re right, it’s not; it’s—” He took a sudden step toward me and then hesitated. “Oh, shit! Devon Lister as I live and breathe. I don’t believe this. I thought you were living the high life in New York. If I’d known you were here…”
I stopped abruptly and stared in shock, while a dozen different emotions rushed through my body and fought for supremacy in my head.
It couldn’t be. It just wasn’t possible.
I’d expected to find some down-and-out stranger, a rebellious kid, a runaway, or anyone other than the person I’d been thinking about less than a moment ago. But that’s who it was. The drop dead gorgeous, dark-haired, dark-eyed Julian Hanes, my boyhood nemesis in the flesh.
“Nice to see you, too,” I muttered, fighting to stay calm and keep my tone casual. “You’d have done what? Gone for a swim? Taken the next flight back to Lalaland?”
He ignored my questions and gestured toward the house. “You know who did this?”
“No idea. Some pyromaniac who wanted to have himself a little fun, I guess. By the time the fire department arrived, it was too late to do much. The fire had too strong a hold.”
“No kidding.” He pulled up the collar of what looked to be a thin cotton windbreaker and used a stick to poke at the dwindling fire. Julian had always been on the skinny side, but the way he looked now was more than fashionably thin. I got the distinct impression he hadn’t had what I’d call a decent meal in weeks.
“Didn’t the cops get in touch with you?”
“No, but I’ve been moving around a lot lately.”
Unable to contain my curiosity, I said, “Then how did you find out about it?”
“I knew Granddad was gone, but I didn’t know about this until a few minutes ago. I needed somewhere to stay temporarily. The property is mine, so I figured I could camp here for a few days while I figured out my next move.”
I couldn’t quite suppress the tiny twinge of satisfaction that came from knowing Julian’s plans hadn’t worked out any better than mine. Not very nice of me, but habit dies hard, even though I’m no longer a kid. “Not in this weather you can’t. Guess you’ll have to move on to plan B…”
Cool mysteries and hot romance – http://www.chrisgrover.ca
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The Rivals
by Christiane France
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-260-7 (Electronic)

http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TheRivals.html

Rod Levins’ future as a newly qualified lawyer is anything but certain. After graduating with an above ninety-five-percent average, he’s in line for a job with the town’s number one law firm.
But so are three others, including the man Rod’s fantasized about for many months.
Jinks Jessop gives the impression he’s interested in Rod also, but each time Rod makes a move, Jinks backs off. Is Jinks gay, straight, or simply a rival amusing himself at Rod’s expense?
When it comes to both his career and his personal life, Rod knows that “wanting” and “getting” are not synonymous. But he can hope…
Excerpt:
…I was back in my office, reading over some old class notes on estate planning in preparation for my next appointment, when Jinks came in. He closed the door, dropped a file on my desk and came around behind my chair to sit on the window ledge.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I hear you went to lunch with Stew Chetley. How could you do that?”
Jink’s question struck me as blunt to the point of rudeness. I swung my chair around to face him. “What’s the problem? You jealous?”
“Jealous?” His mouth dropped open and he just stared at me for a second. “God, no! You think I’m jealous because you had lunch with that sleazebag? You must be joking. What I meant was, I can’t imagine putting food in my mouth and getting pawed by him all at the same time.” He shuddered. “The mere thought makes me want to throw up. I hope it wasn’t too awful.”
I smiled. “It was fine.”
“Fine?”
“Well, we didn’t have a cozy tête-à-tête in some dark, romantic bistro, if that’s what you’re thinking. We had lunch with his accountant to discuss the offer, which, by the way, has now gone belly up.”
“Oh, well, in that case…” He stood as if to leave, but then he hesitated, frowning. “Why on earth would you think I’d be jealous over you having lunch with Chetley?”
“A couple of reasons, I guess.” I gave an offhand shrug, aware I needed to choose my words very carefully. “He’s your dad’s client, you’re neighbors, and you move in the same social circles. I don’t know. I thought there was a chance he might be…how do I put it? Your special friend, perhaps?”
“My what?”
From the look on his face, I wasn’t sure if Jinks was about to pass out or explode. Then he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me close until our bodies were touching. His eyes were half-closed and dark as night. I could hear him breathing. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. My heart was pounding, too, so hard I didn’t dare move.
He angled his head, and I knew he was about to kiss me, then he said, “You’re damn right I was jealous—jealous because of you, not him. And the thought of him putting his slimy hands on you made me… Oh, God!”
“Made you what?”
“Want to kill the sonofabitch, that’s what. So there, now you know.”
I closed my eyes, but before our lips could touch, the door flew open, and I heard Scott say, “Oops,” then laugh and add, “Sorry, guys. Am I interrupting something?”
Jinks had immediately stepped back, so I made a stab at glossing things over with some fast thinking and what, to my ears, was a rather phony-sounding laugh. “I had an eyelash in my eye, and Jinks was kind enough to get it out.”
Scott looked from me to Jinks and back, then he shrugged. But I knew from the faint smile and the way he said, “Good for you,” that he had his own ideas about what we were up to.
“You need me for something, Scott?”
“Yeah. It’s about the Young Lawyers’ Club annual barbeque and softball game. In case you’ve forgotten, it’s tomorrow tonight, and you’ve both been drafted to play for McDain. You guys still okay with that?”
“Sure, just email me a reminder of the time and where it’s at, and I’ll be there for sure,” Jinks said as he snatched up his file and disappeared out the door.
After Scott left, I thought perhaps Jinks would come back. That didn’t happen, so I tried calling him a couple of times. All I got was a busy signal and after a couple of attempts, I gave up. Maybe he could pretend nothing had happened, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t forget a thing about those few precious moments. Not his words, the passion I’d seen in his dark eyes, or the look on his face when I knew he was about to kiss me…
Cool mysteries and hot romance – http://www.chrisgrover.ca
Latest Release: RAINDROPS AND ROSES – http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure
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