Equal Rights Blog Hop!

As most of you know, equal rights are something that the GLBT community (or whatever acronym you prefer) has been fighting for across the world for some time now. July the 4th marks the celebration of Independence Day in the United States. We invite you to take place in a blog hop to celebrate our own march toward independence!

Be sure to drop in at Queer Town Abbey to add your name to the Rafflecopter for lots of great prizes!

So, we’re supposed to talk about our first experiences in the GLBT community, but honestly, you’d find my own story quite typical and a trifle tedious. I was a painfully shy, awkward girl sitting in the middle of class (we were seated alphabetically back then), bullied just because it was fun to watch me turn red and stammer. Lonely, wishing the boy I was crushing on would smile at me, desperate to hide the fact that I was in love with one of my girlfriends (i.e. A friend that was a girl).

My brother’s story is much more fun! Let’s go there. Younger than me by about five years, he had all the confidence I was lacking. Flamboyant style, perfect hair, Duran Duran posters on his bedroom walls. This was the time when the phrase ‘That’s so gay!’ was popular. My brother would get this smirk, amused and haughty, and say ‘That’s why I like it!’

He’s the one who slowly made me realize that it’s okay to be myself. I don’t have to hide ANYTHING about me to make others more comfortable. How about you? Do you sometimes feel the need to hide who you truly are?

Prize Time! Comment below for a chance to win a $5 ARe Books Gift Card and an e-copy of any book on my backlist. Don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Thanks for stopping in! For fun, here’s a little excerpt from my latest release, Stuck on Rewind. Enjoy the hop!

Stuck on Rewind–ARe Books
Blurb
Can Ashton let go of his jealousy and be the friend and lover that Lance needs?
Ashton has been in love with his best friend for years, watching him grow from a pretty high school boy to the gorgeous erotic dancer at the club where they both work. The problem is that Lance enjoys the attention of a variety of men while Ashton wants him for his very own.
After a day spent denying his attraction for Lance, standing by while their friend Trey openly flirts with him, Ashton decides it’s time to make his move or risk losing his man forever. Once Lance knows how he feels he’ll realize they should be together. Or is it already too late ?

Excerpt
“Fuck!” Ashton shouted, a mixture of anger and ecstasy as Lance swallowed again, then let his softening cock slip from between his perfect lips. Ashton leaned on his elbows, his chest heaving while he caught his breath. With a last kiss on his thigh, Lance climbed off the bed, sleek limbed and graceful, and walked to the dresser with a sassy sway of his hips.
Ashton stared after him and moaned, not sure if he wanted to pull his friend’s ass back into his arms or punch him in the face. It would be incredible to wake up with Lance every morning and make love to him. But he sternly reminded himself that they were only friends and Lance needed to stop climbing into his bed at night uninvited.
“You do remember you have a bed of your own?” he asked more sharply than he’d intended.
Lance gave him a smirk over his shoulder, making a show of licking the last of Ashton’s spunk off his swollen lips. “You told me to wake you at seven.”
“I didn’t mean… Oh hell.” Ashton fell back on the pillows and threw an arm over his eyes. He swore in exasperation when the mattress dipped and Lance’s familiar scent surrounded him. “Dammit—”
Soft fingers touched his mouth. “Don’t be mad, baby. I didn’t mean anything.”
Ashton peered at him. The guy looked positively forlorn, and Ashton sat up, giving him a one-armed hug. “I’m not mad. But you don’t need to keep doing that, either. You’re my friend!” He kissed the blushing cheek beside him. “You make a terrific roommate, and I like the company.”
“And I like you.” Lance walked his fingers up Ashton’s leg.
Ashton laughed and shooed the hand away, but couldn’t help staring at the enticing evidence of his friend’s arousal between his legs.
“Can I take care of that for you?”
“Not at all.” Lance stood up, waving off Ashton’s offer. “I’ll deal with it in the shower. You have to save your attentions for Mister Man.”
“Who are you talking about…? Wait!” Ashton rolled off the bed and trotted after Lance as he crossed the apartment.
Lance giggled, slipping behind the bathroom door but holding it cracked an inch. He smiled at Ashton with his pouty, kissable lips. “You know, the boss. Mister Kent.”
“I’m not saving myself for—”
Ashton blinked at the closed door. Why in the world would Lance think he was interested in his boss? Sure, the man was handsome as sin, but he was also an egomaniac and tyrant. Why only yesterday, he’d…
Hot blood scorched Ashton’s neck and face, his arm tingling where Morgan Kent had gripped it, towering over him. The man had bent to his ear, swamping Ashton’s senses with subtle cologne and the hint of sweat as he whispered, “If you can’t type a simple letter without mistakes, I’ll find a secretary who can.” He tightened his hand almost painfully on Ashton’s arm. “Or maybe I should just bend you over this desk and smack your ass for each mistake?”
Ashton’s dick jumped at the memory. He told it sternly to behave. “We’re not falling for that bastard. We’ll stick with the sweet boys at the club and call it good.”