I'm EM Lynley, author of gay erotic romances. One of my favorite aspects of writing romance is taking two characters who may not like each other on page one—or worse, absolutely hate each other—and get them into some semblance of a happy ending, making sure they get into bed along the way. Why let feelings get in the way of some potentially amazing sex, right? That's the motto of every erotic romance writer. But there is a definitely feeling of satisfaction to getting their hearts to follow their cocks, so to speak.

For that reason, sustaining an interesting storyline past their relationship has been something I thought was pretty difficult. I put a lot into messing with these characters, and once they got together, what's left to tell?

Plenty, it turns out.

As a reader, I do love series. Of course it all depends on the characters and whether I want to share another adventure—and several more hours of my life—with them. I particularly like series where we learn more about characters as the series progresses.

So, I decided to give a series a try. It happened for two reasons. Last year I wrote EMERALD: Rewriting History, about Tobin Wyler, a museum curator who sees his former boyfriend—and suspected jewel thief—at the reception for Tobin's brand new exhibition. He assumes Pierce Worthington is there to steal the main attraction, a huge emerald called the Green Sorrow. It was great fun to twist Tobin and Pierce's reunion around the theft of the gem. I also found myself fascinated with the art world, and the amount of fraud and shenanigans that go in, much of it by the museum establishment itself.

There was so much more to explore between Tobin and Pierce. They have lots and lots of incredible sex, but can a thief and museum curator build a lasting relationship? That all depends on what Pierce steals, and why. And on how far Tobin can bend the rules. If you like Leverage and White Collar, you'll know what I'm talking about.

The sequel to EMERALD, called ULTRAMARINE was born shortly after I finished the first book. This time Pierce and Tobin follow the trail of a suspected forged painting from London to Oxfordshire, and it doesn't lead where they expect. In fact, it puts one of them in very real danger, and it's going to strain their relationship even more to find the original and return it to the museum. How far will Tobin go to save Pierce?

The research for ULTRAMARINE was such fun, and it led me to want to take these characters on yet another adventure….which I'm currently writing. SIENA will take Pierce and Tobin to Italy, and against the backdrop of the Palio horse race, we'll follow Pierce as he discovers a secret about his own parents. But you'll have to wait for that. In the meantime, check out EMERALD and ULTRAMARINE!

Both are available from Torquere Press. Ultramarine releases July 30.

I've got plenty of free reads on my website, too. Stop by and entertain yourself.

EM Lynley writes gay erotic romance. Visit her online at http://www.emlynley.com

Tags: series | ultramarine | M/M romance | jewel thief | glbt romance | gay romance | gay erotic romance | emerald | EM Lynley | sequels

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From EM Lynley

To celebrate Pride and to support a great cause, It Gets Better, I'm going to donate my royalties from all copies of two of my titles sold during June! The project helps support GLBT teens and especially works hard to prevent suicide and address bullying issues.

At the end of the month, I'd like to share a list of everyone who buys one of the titles and the amount I've donated.

1. The Sweetest Christmas -- short, sweet and hot enough to melt chocolate... and it's only 99cents. (Since I can access sales stats for this title, I can see exactly how many copies are sold during June. But I'd appreciate if you let me know you purchased so I can add your name to my list. Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

It's Christmas and Jake brings Erik home to meet his family, but he's got some surprises in store for his nervous boyfriend. Take one hot, naked blindfolded guy, add a deviously creative boyfriend and mix in a bowl of truffles and an empty house on Christmas Eve, and you’ll get the sweetest Christmas you’ve ever seen (or tasted!). Will Jake’s family figure out what he and Erik got up to when everyone else gets back from Midnight Mass?

Buy at All Romance eBooks

Buy at Amazon

Read an excerpt

2. Emerald: Rewriting History 1

Tobin Wyler is about to open the most significant exhibit in his career as a curator, and everything is going perfectly until he spots his former boyfriend chatting with his most important contributor at the black-tie reception. It goes from bad to worse because not only did Pierce Worthington once break Tobin's heart, but he's suspected of being the elusive art thief known as Jaguar, and Tobin knows his target is the highlight of the exhibit: an enormous emerald known as the Green Sorrow.

Pierce is torn about seeing Tobin again. He is expected to obtain the emerald, but he knows it may damage Tobin's reputation. What Pierce doesn't expect is how quickly old feelings about Tobin rise to the surface. Hoping to ease Tobin's fears and spend time with him, Pierce offers to let Tobin keep a constant eye on him for the thirty six hours leading up to the exhibit. Thrown together again out of necessity laced with attraction, Tobin must figure out how to protect the emerald, his reputation, and his heart.

EMERALD is available from the usual places: publisher (Torquere), Amazon, ARe, Fictionwise, so I won't have accurate numbers for what is sold in June. Royalties are highest direct from Torquere so if possible,  please purchase from them.  If you buy this title, please email me to let me know where you got it, so I can calculate the amount of royalty to donate. (Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

Excerpt and buy links

******

See my Ravenous Romance Titles

Visit me online: http://www.emlynley.com

Tags: It Gets Better | EM Lynley | support charity | donate | GLBT Pride | LGBT Pride | GLBT | LGBT | Gay Pride

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From EM Lynley

To celebrate Pride and to support a great cause, It Gets Better, I'm going to donate my royalties from all copies of two of my titles sold during June! The project helps support GLBT teens and especially works hard to prevent suicide and address bullying issues.

At the end of the month, I'd like to share a list of everyone who buys one of the titles and the amount I've donated.

1. The Sweetest Christmas -- short, sweet and hot enough to melt chocolate... and it's only 99cents. (Since I can access sales stats for this title, I can see exactly how many copies are sold during June. But I'd appreciate if you let me know you purchased so I can add your name to my list. Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

It's Christmas and Jake brings Erik home to meet his family, but he's got some surprises in store for his nervous boyfriend. Take one hot, naked blindfolded guy, add a deviously creative boyfriend and mix in a bowl of truffles and an empty house on Christmas Eve, and you’ll get the sweetest Christmas you’ve ever seen (or tasted!). Will Jake’s family figure out what he and Erik got up to when everyone else gets back from Midnight Mass?

Buy at All Romance eBooks

Buy at Amazon

Read an excerpt

2. Emerald: Rewriting History 1

Tobin Wyler is about to open the most significant exhibit in his career as a curator, and everything is going perfectly until he spots his former boyfriend chatting with his most important contributor at the black-tie reception. It goes from bad to worse because not only did Pierce Worthington once break Tobin's heart, but he's suspected of being the elusive art thief known as Jaguar, and Tobin knows his target is the highlight of the exhibit: an enormous emerald known as the Green Sorrow.

Pierce is torn about seeing Tobin again. He is expected to obtain the emerald, but he knows it may damage Tobin's reputation. What Pierce doesn't expect is how quickly old feelings about Tobin rise to the surface. Hoping to ease Tobin's fears and spend time with him, Pierce offers to let Tobin keep a constant eye on him for the thirty six hours leading up to the exhibit. Thrown together again out of necessity laced with attraction, Tobin must figure out how to protect the emerald, his reputation, and his heart.

EMERALD is available from the usual places: publisher (Torquere), Amazon, ARe, Fictionwise, so I won't have accurate numbers for what is sold in June. Royalties are highest direct from Torquere so if possible,  please purchase from them.  If you buy this title, please email me to let me know where you got it, so I can calculate the amount of royalty to donate. (Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

Excerpt and buy links

******

See my Ravenous Romance Titles

Visit me online: http://www.emlynley.com

Tags: It Gets Better | EM Lynley | support charity | donate | GLBT Pride | LGBT Pride | GLBT | LGBT | Gay Pride

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Read GLBT Fairy Tale Week posts: at my blog or at LiveJournal



Bedknobs & Beanstalks: An Anthology of M/M Fairy Tales

Edited by EM Lynley
ContributorsKilt Kilpatrick, Clancy Nacht, JL Merrow, Mina Kelly, Jason Rubis, SJ Frost, Jason Rubis, Lenore Black, Mercy Loomis and Jay DiMeo

Available from Ravenous Romance, Fictionwise, ARe, Kindle or paperback from Amazon




Rumpled Silk Sheets: Lesbian Fairy Tales from Ravenous Romance

Edited by EM Lynley
Contributors include: Shanna Germain, Sunny Moraine, Vivica Lace, Kilt Kilpatrick, Michael Jones, GG Royale, Kenzie Mathews and Jean Roberta

Available from Ravenous Romance, Fictionwise, ARe, and Kindle

Tags: f/f | m/m | rumpled silk sheets | bedknobs and beanstalks | glbt fairy tales | fairy tales | EM Lynley

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I recently read a great blog post about heroes, done by fellow writer Sage Whistler. She found nine types of heroes. I'm excerpting it here for an informal poll.

Which ones are your favorites or least favorites? Which do you most/least like to read about? [I have a more formal poll over at my LiveJournal blog.]

Divine Nine Types of Heroes

1. Mr. Wonderful
2. Mr. Badass
3. Mr. Confused
4. Mr. Shy
5. Mr. Caveman
6. Mr. Pincushion
7. Mr. Evol
8. Mr. TSTL
9. Mr. E

Mr. Wonderful
I will start with Mr. Wonderful. You may see him most often in the romance genre. He is perfect. He is handsome, available, muscled, educated, well-spoken. *insert sigh here* Oddly enough I find this guy the least bit interesting. Where are his flaws? Someone find a pimple on his ass or something. You know how his story will go. He’ll meet the girl, put on his charm, snag her, bag her, and nine months later she’s preggo. The End. Good riddance.

Occupational hazard: Lawyer, doctor, dentist, veterinarian, CEO

Mr. Badass
*insert evil grin here* I like him. *pats head* Mr. Badass is probably still handsome, intelligent, available, OR he might be banging his next door neighbor, the girl at Rite Mart, AND the ticket ripper at the local theater. He’s going to get into trouble. He’s going to curse. He’s going to growl and complain and roll his eyes and maybe hurt your feelings.. AnyHOO at the end of the day Mr.Badass does the right thing.

Occupational Hazard: Tattoo Artist, Construction Worker, Bartender, Repair Shop Owner, Professional Jewelry Thief

Mr. Confused
He doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. He doesn’t know if he wants to be married or remain a bachelor. He can’t even remember where he left his briefcase this morning.  You will most likely have your heart wrenched for Mr. Confused. He goes through a lot of trials and tribulations before he ends up with Mr. (or Ms.)  Right.

Occupational Hazard: Office assistant, Clerk, College Kid, Photographer

Mr. Shy
“He blushed. His cheeks flushed. He ducked his head. His hand trembled. He dropped his keys and then kicked them under the car. He was nervous. His stomach flip-flopped.” What are these, you ask? Well, these are all reading cues that let you know you are dealing with Mr. Shy. He’s a very popular hero to use in gay fiction.  He’ll get the guy (or girl) by accident because the guy will be pursuing him.

Occupational Hazard: Artist, Computer Techie, College Student, Engineer

Mr. Caveman
Meet Crug. He’s one step away from bopping you on the head and dragging you off to his cave. You love to hate this guy, and though you’re sure the hero(ine) should shoot him in the leg, you still *swoon* over him. Mr. Caveman is a combination of Mr. Wonderful (smart, handsome, successful, muscular) but he has all the characteristics of Mr. Badass. (Dominant, smug, bossy) He just gets away with it because he’s handsome.

Occupational Hazard: Caveman, Soldier, Firefighter, CEO, Inherited Wealth (Secretive business)

Mr. Pincushion
Hey, can I have twenty bucks? Yeah, this guy will give you his last two cents. He’s the caretaker who inadvertently became everyone’s walking mat. He thinks everyone is his friend. He’s a handsome, likeable guy, OR he might just be average looking but intelligent or wealthy.  Mr. Pin will eventually find his happily ever after. It could be with Mr. Right or Mr. Loving, OR a Dom named Jackal who beats the snot out of all the people taking advantage of him.

Occupational Hazard: Accountant, Doctor, Teacher, Musician, Inherited Wealth, Manager, Store Owner, Scientist

Mr. Evol
He’s not a hero! Course not. He’s not like Mr. Badass at all. He’ll steal lollipops from babies and push little old ladies to the back of the line. He’s handsome  He’s also VERY rare as a protagonist. Who’ll ever love this black-hearted scoundrel? Well, apparently, there is such a thing as redemption. There is always a loophole that wins Mr. Evol into the hearts of others.  On the rare occasion Mr. Evol goes from good to bad. Either way this character is evolutionary and bound for a happy ending—or, some time in prison. *shrugs*

Occupational Hazard: Thief, Drug-Lord, Kingpin, Assassin, Pirate, Mercenary

Mr. TSTL (too stupid to live)
Burn this after reading. That’s what Mr. TSTL makes you want to do to your book. If he were a hero he’d be the one who showed up to rescue the woman in the burning building after she’d thrown a mattress out the window and rescued herself. Mr.TSTL pisses the heroine or hero off with his sheer stupidity and thoughtlessness. To be fair he isn’t a bad guy, just not the brightest light bulb in the bunch. By some freak of nature he gets a HFN or a HEA. You’ll probably care less though.

Occupational Hazard: In the interest of being diplomatic I won’t fill in an occupation here.

Mr. E
Mr. E is a ‘mystery’ you get it?  He’s not the typical hero. He might be overweight, handicapped, or a freaking shapeshifter. Mr. E is here to shake things up. He’ll never do what you expect of him. He’s a wicked combination of almost all the Misters I’ve mentioned so far. If Mr. E was a superhero he’d probably be the antihero turned hero, turned antihero again.  He’s the one the town calls a murderer when in reality his best friend died in a car accident.  Mr. E might be a killer on the gossip mills but later you find out he’s a retired veterinarian that still takes in animals. If Mr. E finds Mr. or Mrs. Right it isn’t because he went out looking. His other half will have to come to him.

Occupational Hazard: It’s a Mr. E. (You SO knew I was gonna say that.)

Now, for the poll! Which are your favorites or least favorites? I'd love to see some comments with your favorite books with these hero types.

[See Sage's post for the full analysis]

--EM Lynley

website: http://www.emlynley.com
blog: http://emlynley.livejournal.com

Tags: EM Lynley | heroes | poll | romance | reader poll | romance heroes

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I recently got a lovely email from a reader telling me how much she loved my book, SEX, LIES & WEDDING BELLS. She mentioned details about the storyline and the characters and how following their relationship had been so enjoyable.

It gave me such a great feeling that I felt an immediate boost in not only my mood but my enthusiasm to get back to work on one of my current writing projects. I have gotten similar comments about my writing before, including a number of readers who said they stayed up all night reading because they couldn't put the book down, even if they'd be tired at work. One reader told me she left work early one day to get home and finish the book! I cannot even put into words how flattered I felt that readers were re-organizing their schedules around reading my work!

These uplifting comments made me wonder about how often other authors receive direct feedback from readers, and how they feel about the experience. I also wanted to discover if readers knew just how much we love getting those emails or letters! [read more]

Tags: EM Lynley | fan mail | reader opinion | sex lies & wedding bells | motivation | writing

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M/M Romance Reading Challenge!

To introduce new readers to the genre, there is a fantastic & fun reading challenge going on through the end of August! And prizes to be won!

This reading challenge is for those who enjoy reading Male/Male romances or those who are interested in starting. If you aren’t familiar with M/M romances, they are novels and other books where the main focus of the story is the romantic relationship between the male protagonists. There are all types of genres and themes available: historicals, fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, detective stories, paranormal romances, vampires, shapeshifters, erotica, menage a trois, time travel, BDSM, cowboys, cops, romantic comedies, even regency-sci-fi! There’s a wealth of material out there just waiting to be read.  We have lots of options for you to start with in our Panamour section.

Read more about the challenge, prizes and how to sign up. I'd love for you to leave a comment if you sign up. I hope we can get at least a few new readers to try their first M/M Romance!

Tags: M/M romance | reading | challenge

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Tags: academia | popular cutlure | journalism | sex-lies-and-wedding-bells

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Kieran Quinn is a Texas native transplanted to Manhattan and working as a columnist for a national magazine. He's famous for his snarky, sardonic columns, but deep down he's more interested in what makes people tick than his editor would like. He keeps his desire to find his own Mr. Right hidden under a sexy, carefree persona that favors champagne and underwear models of the male variety.

When Kieran goes to Texas to cover the latest wedding of a real-life "runaway bride," he falls hard for the gorgeous—and straight—groom. Jaxon Lang is the handsome, confident high school principal in a tiny Texas town, where he relocated from Dallas to pursue his relationship with a woman he thinks he wants to settle down with, despite the fact she's left three men at the altar before him.

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Tags: chat | book giveaway | romance junkies | FUN

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I just did a guest blog spot at Midnight Seductions...about everyone's favorite topic: Sex!

You know what you like about sex, it feels so damn good, right? But did you know that in addition, there are health benefits from having sex? There are. Lots of them. So every time you have sex, you are getting healthier!

Read more....

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Sex, Lies, and Wedding Bells is an intensely emotional read that I had a hard time putting down. I love how EM Lynley brought all these powerful emotions to the surface which serve to pull the reader into the story and make you root for her characters from start to finish. The inner conflicts and sex are emotionally charged and very gripping. Kieran is a jaded reporter who works for what could only be called a smut magazine which lead Kieran to learn, the hard way, through all this that there is a price to selling out. Jaxon is confused as he has always believed himself straight and a man that goes after what he wants. But when life throws him a curve ball of being attracted to another man, Jaxon finds out he might not be as straight as he once thought. Read Sex Lies and Wedding Bells for some emotionally charged angst that will keep you on the edge of your seat. (Read the full review)

Heat Level: Hot m/m lovin' Rating:

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I'd like to thank everyone who entered my contest to win a copy of  SEX, LIES & WEDDING BELLS!!

The winner is xangel780! Congratulations!

I've commented back to everyone who entered on the original posting.

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Happy Mardi Gras!

In honor of the occasion, let's have some fun here.I'm having a contest to give away one copy of SEX, LIES & WEDDING BELLS (m/m contemporary romance). I'll choose a winner randomly at Midnight Wed Feb 25, from everyone who comments to this blog posting and answers one of these questions:

1. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras or Carnivale (Brazil/Venice) and how did you like it? Was it what you expected?

2. If you haven't been, would you like to go, why or why not?

3. What's your favorite holiday to celebrate, and why?

Tags: contest | mardi gras | emlynley

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I just came back from a walk around my neighborhood.

We've had rain for most of the week, but yesterday and today the sun is shining and it's really warm, so I went outside for some fresh air and vitamin D.

I wish I had a digital camera because the trees are blooming and it's just so damn pretty out there. I love dogwoods. I grew up in Florida where we had no seasons and no flowering trees. We had beach sand and crabs on the front doorstep and mango trees in the backyard and of course coconut palm trees.  I never saw flowers on a real tree until I was 11 and we moved to New Jersey. That was probably the only thing I liked about NJ, all the flowers on the trees and every week in the spring a different tree would come into bloom and it was just so ... pretty.

The dogwoods started blooming a couple of weeks ago, and so did the cherry blossoms. At least the dogwoods hold their blooms. The cherry blossoms start losing petals right away. I know this because my car is parked under one and it's constantly covered in tiny pale pink petals that dry and stick to the windshield. I almost feel another "when I lived in Japan" story coming on here, but I'll spare you all, unless anyone is interested, then let me know.

But anyway, I can highly recommend a stroll around flowering trees for putting oneself in a better mood. Now, I'm ready to sit down and put in a few solid hours of writing on my next novel for Ravenous. I'll share some information about that next time!

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Tags: flowers | springtime | writing

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No matter what stage or state my love life is in, I always feel like Valentine's Day is just a disaster waiting to happen. Expectations are high—unrealistic in many cases—and you are bound to put a foot wrong. The gift was not expensive enough. The gift was too expensive. The restaurant was all wrong… the complaints go on.

As much as an American Valentine's can be stressful or disappointing, we've got it good compared to the Japanese.

I lived in Japan for five years, working as a financial markets economist, and I still never quite understood how their version of Valentine's Day evolved. It's as ritualized as anything that happens over there and you deviate from the expected behavior at your own risk.

First off, women buy gifts for men on Valentine's. Men don't buy anything—just wait, they aren't off the hook though. Women who work in the more traditional Japanese office were expected to buy a gift for every male co-worker. Maybe it was just something small like some chocolates, but you couldn't leave anyone out. So now it's expensive and stressful.

Fast forward one month to March 14. White Day. This is the day the guys have to pony up. Men are now expected to give a gift to each woman who gave them something on Valentine's. The custom is that the man's gift be three times the value of the woman's gift. You can imagine the gaming that goes on here by couples. If she wants something really wonderful, she can give the man something expensive. Then she's guaranteed a minimum value of her gift. If she doesn’t get it -- well let's just say breakups occur with startling frequency on March 14. The smart guys would break up on February 13, just to avoid all of this ritual.

I'm sure that makes you feel a lot better about your own Valentine's Day-related stress, right?

So, how about sharing your worst Valentine's gift? Whether you gave it or got it, we can all have a good laugh about it now, right?

[ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | visit my website | friend me on LiveJournal ]

Tags: life in japan | gift giving | discussion

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I've been awarded 4.5 Nymphs by the Literary Nymphs!

Sex, Lies and Wedding Bells is an intriguing saga of how secrets and lies can hurt. Kieran prefers men to female lovers and is attracted to Jaxon, yet he makes no attempt to seduce him, thinking that Jaxon is straight. What started out as curiosity for Jaxon soon evolves into an eagerness to be intimate with Kieran. Danetta is self-absorbed; she gives no thought to anyone’s happiness but her own. EM Lynley has created a fascinating tale with a touch of mystery, betrayal and interesting revelations as the plot unfolds. The characters are realistic and the love scenes are sensuous. I enjoyed this impressive story immensely!  Read the full review.

Their scale:
5 Nymphs - An outstanding read. The reviewer found this book a credit to its genre!
4 Nymphs - An impressive read. Quality literature, recommended for anyone who enjoys the genre(s)

Apparently, I'm somewhere in between impressive and outstanding, and I'm happy with that!

Question for readers: Do reviews influence your decision to buy a book? Why or why not?

Tags: happy dance | review

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Tags: falling in love | mysteries | reading

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I'm so pleased to see that the Panamour m/m novels here make up most of the spots on the Top 10 sellers list on the home page, though they represent only about ten percent of the titles available. It leads me wonder a few things.

How many readers out there are already fans of m/m erotic romance, and how many of you have just decided to see what you've been missing as a result of the Top Sellers list?

And if you haven't ever read one before, now is the time to check out what all the fuss is about by reading some of the steamy excerpts from the Panamour books. Come back and let me know if you decided to buy one after you cooled off a bit.

--Em
*happy to be in sunny, snow-free Northern Cali*

Tags: m/m erotic romance | Panamour | questions

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