I Can Feel The Weather In My Bones

Luke Garrett, come on down!! You're the winner of a free copy of Black Fire. Thank you to everyone who sent in their entry for my contest. I wish I had more copies to give away, but alas, I do not. So, Luke, shoot me an email with your snail mail info and I'll send the book right out.

In more book news, Sex at Work is now available and features my story, Needled. It is right along side stories from such awesome authors like Rachel Kramer Bussel, Jeremy Edwards, Justine Elyot, K D Grace, Kay Jaybee, Sommer Marsden, and Charlotte Stein

I hope you all had a nice weekend, I know I did. Spending time at the Mothership always feels good. Got a haircut, finally saw my cousin after having to reschedule three times and spent time with my niece. Her pre-school teachers think she's too quiet. They should hang out with us for an hour and they'd have an entirely different picture! I'm ready to get back to work this week, hopefully with a little extra peace and quiet to go along with it.

It's almost time for the AFL season to start. Welcome to the league, David Swallow. (yes, that is his real name!) Man Candy may as well have been invented for that very reason. Game on!

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But Still It's Farewell

Today is the last day to enter my contest to win a free copy of Black Fire. Go to this post to check out all the details. The deadline is 6pm EST today. I'll announce the winner on Monday. The response has been great, but let's keep those entries rolling in!! Come on, who doesn't love free smut?

And to anyone who needs a giggle, check out this clock. It will let you know when the contest ends and make your day go faster!

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It's So Hard to Just Slow Down

A few nights ago, I had drinks with a friend who I used to work with, back when I had a day job. It was at a bank, and to say I was ill-suited to work there would be a staggering understatement. Much like all the jobs I'd had before it, being a bank teller just wasn't for me. It took me a long time to find my way. I took a lot of wrong turns before I got to where I am today; following my passion and writing for money. As I talked to my friend, I realized I am a very lucky person. I get to do what I love. Most people are doing a job they hate, or at the very minimum don't like very much.

Lately, if I'm being honest, I haven't exactly been loving my job. I have found myself uninspired, listless and just plain frustrated. Not just by the words that only seem to be coming in fits and spurts, but at a million different little things that seem to be conspiring against me at the moment. I'm trying to push through it, but it hasn't been easy. I always wonder where the mojo goes when it disappears. It always returns, eventually. Or at least, it better, if it knows what's good for it. There's some good news on the horizon, which just might help. I'll keep you posted. Don't forget to check out this post, for your chance to win a free book. There are still a few days left to enter.

Well, I better get back to banging my head against the wall. Man Candy is helping, of course.

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How Long Can This Take, Tell Myself That Everything is Great

I really too tired to be writing this now, but I'll give it a chance. This weekend pretty much rocked. Lancaster on Saturday to meet the super nice and super talented Megan Hart. She was signing books at the Borders and it was well worth the trip down the highway to see her. Before we stopped by the book shop, we went to a wonderful little donut shop called Fractured Prune where we ordered the most insanely delicious and decadent donuts. We have to go back there very soon, despite the fact that those bad boys are a diet killer.

It's back to work this week. There just never seems to be enough time to get it all done. Maybe it's time to scale back my ambitions a bit. Or redirect my energy to more satisfying projects. Perhaps that is the better solution to the ambivalence I've been feeling lately. Lord knows, somethings got to give. Man Candy, take me away!

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You've Lost All Your Feeling For This Town

*Sigh* I wish it were summer, or at the very least, I want to be on this beach. My hubby is back from the frozen tundra, and all his bits and pieces are still attached. It was kind of lonely around here without him. Very quiet. Usually, I don't have a problem with that, but for some reason, I found myself missing the outside noise. Without it, the noise inside my head felt way too loud.

I wasn't nearly as productive as I hoped I'd be either, but such is life. Sometimes, the words just don't flow like I want them to. Maybe I'm too distracted at the moment. My brain seems to be constantly humming, like the little fan on my laptop. But, it all just feels like wheel spinning. And, I hate that. I'd kill for some clarity or a nice change of scenery. But, out my window, it's the same dreary picture. I think the boy in the picture looks like he needs some company, don't you?

The entries are pouring in for the Black Fire give away. There is still plenty of time to enter the contest. Go here for all the details!

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Looks Can Be Deceiving, Better Guess Again

I'm a huge fan of RuPaul's Drag Race. As an avid fan of Seasons 1 and 2, and the recently introduced RuPaul's DragU, I was so excited when Season 3 kicked off a couple weeks ago. I usually take a couple of weeks to pick my favorite, waiting to see how the queens fare in the first couple challenges. I already have a few favorites, but one stands out. Raja. She's fierce, tall and beautiful. I think she will go far in the competition, or I should say I hope she does.

I might be a little biased, however. As I have seen Raja before. She graces the super-hot cover of the awesome collection, Please Ma'am, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. In honor of that fact, I've put up an excerpt of my story from the collection, The Crack of the Bat. Powerful women are sexy, in all their ways, shapes and forms.

“I’m afraid under the circumstances, Mr. Brenner, I’m going to have to do something a little different with you.”
“Look, I don’t know what you think is going to happen here, but . . .”
“Shut up.”

I sat back in my chair, unable to speak with her blue eyes ripping into me. She leaned forward, her knee slipping in between my thighs on the chair. Her hands pinned my wrists to the leather covered wood, her grip surprisingly strong. I strained but, fighting her didn’t seem to do much good.

“You’re an arrogant son of a bitch who needs to be taught a lesson. But, let’s face it. You’re also hot. Punishing you is going to be fun. It’s not going to be some easy way out for you, Mr. Brenner. I believe you said you’d do anything.”

She leaned into me further, her face so close to mine I could smell her perfume.
Her knee pushed against my crotch, my cock stirring against her stocking covered leg.

“Yes. I did.”

Another smile spread across her painted red lips. Her fingers squeezed my arms, just enough to hurt a little. She released my hands, but I didn’t move them. Her fingers slipped the knot of my tie loose, yanking the silk free from my collar.

“Get up.”

I pushed myself out of the chair, but before I could fully stand up, she pulled me forward, throwing me onto the mess covering her desk. She moved behind me, her feet kicking mine apart.

“Give me your hands. Now.”

I did it, for the first time in my life not minding being told what to do. I felt the soft fabric of my tie pulling my wrists together.

“You’re just a pampered little rich boy who needs to be taught a lesson. And, I think it’s high time I do that. I bet you’ll love it, too. Something different from your usual routine of bedding sluts.”

She grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling me up to standing. I cried out once into the silence, and then again when she bit my neck.

“God, I love that sound. Not such a big man now, are you Mr. Brenner?”

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. But, I couldn’t ignore the hard-on in my pants. She pulled my hair harder, forcing my head back until I was staring at the ceiling.

“Answer me, damn it.”
“No. No, I’m not a big man now.”
“That’s better.”

She pushed me back down onto the desk, my chest flat against the wood. I felt her palm run over my ass, teasingly.

“Have you ever been spanked, Bryan?”
“No. Well, not for real.”

Another mocking laugh sprang from her throat. I felt her eyes running all over me, even though I couldn’t see her. Without warning, I felt the hard smack of her palm hit me solidly on my ass. I was surprised by the pain radiating from one single hit of her hand. I didn’t mean to moan, but I did. After the shock wore off, I felt the heat traveling up my spine. As I settled onto the desk, two more hard blows hit me, her hand striking at full force.

“God, you’ve got such a sweet ass. I’m sure you’ve heard that before, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“For an ass like that, I think I’m going to need a little help.”

I picked my head up and watched as she went behind her desk, pulling open the bottom drawer. My eyes widened as she pulled out a wooden paddle, a smaller version of a cricket bat.

“Ms. Thomas, please. Don’t. I’m sure we can work something else out.”
“Did I tell you that you could speak?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t know the meaning of the word. But, you will soon enough. How many whacks to do you think it’s going to make you sorry? 5?”

I couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through me, my knees a little weak as I waited. She let out another clipped laugh, clearly enjoying my plight.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

I didn’t answer her, my mouth desiccated by fear. Moving behind me, I felt her hands reach under and undo my belt. Her fingers brushed my hard cock, straining against my zipper.

“Well, you little devil. You’re more excited than I thought. I should have known you’d be into it.”

My pants were around my ankles, my ass completely exposed to her. I jumped when I felt her hand hit my hot skin, the soft touch stinging like fire.

“Now, Mr. Brenner. Are we going to have anymore trouble during this media campaign?”

Before I could answer her, the wooden paddle struck my ass hard. I damn near screamed as the pain shot through me, my whole body pushed forward by the blow. I barely recovered when another swat hit me square. God, she could’ve been a great hitter. My cock twitched in response, my body reacting without my head getting involved.

“I asked you a question, Mr. Brenner.”
“No. There won’t be anymore problems.”

I didn’t recognize my own voice, the pain cracking my usually deep timber. My sweaty palms rubbed together, the tie digging roughly into my wrists. I could hear her pacing behind me, her heels muffled by the carpet. My balls ached and my cock was desperate to be touched.

“Are you sure? Because we can’t have you peeing anywhere you feel like. And, don’t get me started on that window. I hope fucking that bimbo was worth it.”
“I’m sure. I’ll be good I swear.”

This time, the paddle struck twice quickly. Sweat was pouring off me, my screams getting lost in the sound of the smacks ringing off the walls. Suddenly, she stopped. We were both breathing heavy, for different reasons.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other. By the way Mr. Brenner, how many was that? I’m afraid I’ve lost count.”
“Four.” I could barely whisper, my voice saved for screaming.
“That leaves one more. Do you think you can handle it?”

My body was tense, but the pain was giving way to deep, throbbing waves of
pleasure. Nothing I had ever done before had felt this good and bad at the same time.
“Yes. I can handle it.”

And You Know They Picked a Winner

What a lazy weekend. Just the way I like it. I had time to think and time to get some writing done, although not as much as I would have liked. I have my eye on some deadlines and they are fast approaching. Am also mulling the burning question: To Tweet or Not To Tweet. If anyone has any thoughts or opinions on the subject, comment and let me know. I'm still torn on what to do. Does an author need a Twitter presence?

On a different note, Amber Allure is running a February sale and offering 25% off all novels and novellas. If you haven't picked up a copy of my novella, White Out, now would be the time. It's being sold for just $3.75!! It is also available on Kindle for $4 for those of you lucky enough to own one. Plus, I've decided to sweeten the deal just a bit. If you buy a copy of my novella, shoot me an email at hlchampa [at] comcast [dot] net, with proof of purchase (don't need your private details, just enough to verify purchase) and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Black Fire: Gay African-American Erotica. You have until February 25th to enter the drawing, but feel free to buy my novella well beyond that!

I just got back from driving my husband to meet his friend. They are driving to Green Bay, Wisconsin to celebrate the Packers Superbowl win. I officially hate him at this moment. The Man Candy is helping, as is the quiet.

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Coach Says I'm Real Good

In honor of this year's Superbowl, I thought I'd put up an excerpt from the Tight Ends collection, put out last year by Ravenous Romance. Hope it gets you in the mood for the big game.

“I thought you said this was a Superbowl party, Evan. Where is everyone?”
“It is a party. It’s just a private party. I didn’t think you would come if you knew.”
“What about the game?”
“You really don’t care about the game, do you?”

I opened my mouth to say something, but he stopped me with a kiss. It was what I had been dreaming of for the last month, but now that it was actually happening, my brain could scarcely handle it. He pulled back, both of us panting a bit.

“See, I didn’t ask you to be in the football league for your playing skills. I had heard you were pretty awful at sports. I just wanted to get to know you. But, then you up and quit on me. So, you forced me to be sneaky.”

His hands ran down my back, making me shiver despite the heat of the room.

“You didn’t have to be sneaky.”
“I know. But, it’s more fun that way.”

I let him lead me to the couch, falling easily next to him, our knees touching. He leaned towards me, my heart in my throat. It was so unexpected, my mind buzzed until his soft lips shut it up. When he pulled back, I had to tell myself to take a breath. Evan took that breath away when he touched my cheek, running his thumb along the slope of my jaw. My mouth fell open, a deep sigh floating out of my lips. The television was barely noticeable now, its larger than life images of the football game the last thing on our minds. His kisses took away my remaining nervousness, my brain finally giving in to the rest of my body.

Slipping off the couch to the floor, Evan put both hands to my belt. Kneeling between my legs, he leaned forward and kissed me. His tongue dove past my lips, devouring me. I couldn’t stop the moan from bubbling up in my throat, my hands clutching at his broad shoulders. I felt my pants open, then slowly lowering, and I instinctively lifted my ass to make it easier for him. He broke our kiss, tossing my clothes aside.

“This is why I wanted some privacy.”
“I think that was a good idea.”

Evan put his hand on me, his fist wrapping gently around my cock, which was already half hard. I groaned at the contact, my eyes locked with Evan’s. He jerked me slowly; his other hand massaged my thigh. My hips started rising and falling without conscious thought. I leaned forward, stealing another deep kiss before falling back against the couch. When he dragged his thumb over my weeping slit, I bit my lip harder than I needed to.

“Jesus, Evan. You’re killing me.”
“Well, we can’t have that, now can we?”

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We Could Be Stuck in Traffic For Over a Week

In honor of the recent release of the book Nice Girls, Naughty Sex, I thought I'd put up an excerpt of my story, At a Stand Still. Please to enjoy.

“So, you come here often?”
“I can’t say I’ve ever been stuck on this bridge before.”
“I was. Years ago. When I was a kid. My family and I were heading to the beach when a camper rammed the wall up there. Closed down the bridge for hours. But, I had my Walkman with me then.”
“I could turn on the radio.”
“Or we could think of something else to do with our time.”
“We could.”
“Are you hot?”
“Sweltering.”
“Let’s see if we can do something about that.”

His thick fingers were back on my blouse, this time right above my pearl buttons. My eyes held his as one button opened, followed by another. He pushed the silk open, my skin exposed. Cool air came from his mouth, blowing against my chest. Despite the heat, I shivered. Goose bumps rose, both from the breeze and his fingers opening the last of my buttons. I was staring at his mouth, the thick bottom lip begging to be licked and bitten. Leaning forward, our lips touched, barely glancing off each other before he pulled back.

Trying again, I leaned a little closer, half into the passenger’s seat. But, he still kept avoiding me, making me pant with anticipation.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any hotter, his mouth dropped to my neck. His lips took a deep, sucking pull on my skin, no doubt leaving behind a red mark. I moaned into the quiet, wrapping my hands around his damp shoulders. Then, he assaulted my mouth, our tongues finally meeting in a swirling dance. I heard his hands moving around, fumbling in the dark near the door handle. Turning from me, he put both feet outside the now open door.

“Where are you going?”
“I think we need a little more room, don’t you?”

I watched with a pounding heart as he opened the back door of the car, and slid inside, relaxing back into the spacious seat. He patted the leather next to him, a silent invitation to join him. The backseat of my Volvo had seen its fair share of action, one of the benefits of a huge, clunky car. But, lately it had only been used for hauling work to and from home. Without a sensible thought in my head, I got out of the car. The anemic sea breeze hit me the face, the salt smell hanging in the humid sticky air. No amount of deep breaths could calm me, the air too thick to clean out my lungs.

I put a trembling hand to my chest, realizing my shirt was still open. Easing the silk from my arms, I threw it behind the wheel before joining my new friend in the back seat. I snuck a glance at the cars around us, wondering if anyone could tell what was going on; if anyone knew what was about to happen in my car.

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Faster, Faster, Faster, Thoughts Scatter

This blog post may contain several random and unrelated things. Sometimes, it's really difficult to have one coherent thought that is good enough to write about. And, I didn't feel like waiting until I had something profound or deep to say.

Anyway, I had a wonderful shout-out from the fabulous Violet Blue the other day. She is a fan of my Man Candy and supplied a little of her own. Needless to say, I was chuffed. In other Man Candy news, I super-excited about Henry Cavill being named the new Superman. I don't even like superhero movies, but I'm all about the lovely Henry in tights, just like he was in the Tudors.

It's that time of year again. AFL Dreamteam time. For those of you who don't have a clue about who I am, I love Australia. I also love Australian Rules Football, more specifically, The Geelong Cats. AFL Dreamteam is their version of fantasy football. I spent about an hour drafting my team today, and although it's early, I'm cautiously optimistic about my chances of kicking Anthony's ass. Last year must be avenged.

On the work front, today, I did something I don't normally do. I let some deadlines pass me by. On purpose. I've been torn between the idea of keeping up my anthology pace or focusing more on my single author titles and expanding my horizons in that arena. It seems my decision has been made, at least for the time being. I have to admit, it felt kind of weird. It wasn't that I didn't want to write something, but I've realized that I just can't do it all. I know, weird right?

After many months of deprivation when it comes to going out and doing fun things, I decided to treat myself. To Henry Rollins tickets. What's a girl to do, when he's going to be doing a show twenty minutes from her house? It's fate, don't you know. It should be a great way to spend St. Patrick's Day. Plus, transporting him back to the house after I kidnap him will take a lot less time.

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I Don't Mind The Shadows

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone.
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