Jan Irving's Ephemeral Writings

Jan's News

2011-08-02T07:21:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the debut issue of Jan's News! In this issue, a review of Shy Cowboy, an interview with ARe, news and excerpts of upcoming stories, what I made artistically in July and a free story from The Contenders verse featuring Dane and Noel.

Review

First up, Shy Cowboy received a wonderful review from Serena Yates at Queer Magazine Online:

If you like stories about vulnerable characters, cowboys, wolf shifters and hot men, you will probably like this book. I certainly really enjoyed reading it.

Read the entire review here.

Upcoming story excerpts

September:

My first m/m/f menage will be out from Loose Id. And yes, I've been asked by readers--will my two men be involved? Very definitely. I decided that was part of the excitement of writing it and Ismet and Tahir have a fiery relationship. Take a look at the cover and excerpt of A Pastry Princess here.

October:

For those enjoying the Uncommon Cowboys series, Wounded Cowboy book four will be out in October. See the new cover and excerpt here.

Creative

I made something I've wanted to try for a long time. A hanging pendant light fixture in pottery. This is it here, with multi holes on one side, a flower pattern and sometimes just some negative space. I glazed the piece recently in turquoise and moss green, so we'll see how it turns out.

Here are what pendant lights look like hanging up.

Interview

I was interviewed by ARe recently. Read more about my upcoming books and my erotic comfort zone here.

What I'm working on now

At the moment, I'm working on A Cowboy in Siena, book six in the Uncommon Cowboys series for Total E Bound. I hope this book will be out at the end of January. It's the story of Trin who struggles with wanting to claim his mate, the much younger and innocent Chace. I hope to hand it in at the end of August.

What have I been reading

Basically a lot of Cassandra Clare since I've been going through her Mortal Instruments series. Wonderful reading.

Free Story

And to celebrate having a monthly newsletter I took requests for a free story. The first one is for Jambrea Jo Jones, "Yow," a story from The Contenders verse (The Janitor, The Boxer) featuring Dane and Noel.

Read "Yow" here.

Have a great August, see you again in September!

Jan

The Wanderer and Jesse out

2010-10-20T17:16:00.001-07:00

Two books out this fall.

The Wanderer and Jesse from Loose ID.

When Jesse Coulter roars up on a Harley one dusty afternoon back into ranch foreman Kyle Jacob's life, Kyle is confronted with everything forbidden he has wanted for years. Jesse is twenty years old, with a ruff of dark hair and blue eyes that remind Kyle of the heart of a lit gasoline flame yet Kyle can't let himself touch Jesse because not only is he too young, he's the brother of Kyle's lost lover.

To read an excerpt and purchase Jesse go here

As the story grew to a close, I wondered just how the author would be able to finish the story and still stay true to the characters, especially Gabriel, but I should not have worried as she did an excellent job. The Wanderer is another great story that will leave fans of this author wanting more--Critter Nymph at Literary Nymphs.

Find The Wanderer here.

The Boxer by Jan Irving is out

2010-07-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Former boxer Dane Connelly faces losing it all, everything he fought for in The Janitor. He's hiding problems with his fight-damaged eyesight from his uptown lover, Noel Atherton. How can he be a man for him if he can’t see to fight or to paint? And now the vicious killer Narone, who almost broke him in the ring, is out on parole, looking for payback. Dane is desperate to protect the man he loves.

But Noel has had enough of sleeping alone in their empty bed, aching for Dane, so he devises various exotic scenarios to seduce him, giving his lover the sexual domination he needs. He knows Dane is not being upfront with him, and after being patient for months he’s growing alarmed something is really wrong. Now Noel has to use his body and his heart to fight for his beloved boxer.

Read a new excerpt and find it here.

Born to be Wylde is out

2010-07-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

Deputy Ken Ito wakes up from a nightmare in a strange place—a cave in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, cared for by a beautiful young man with long hair that smells of cedar. As he heals from an assault, Ken wants Wylde's body to cover his, feeling like he’s lost in one of the captive-captor romances he used to sneak from his mother.

But Ken has to get back to his life and find out who targeted him. He was investigating some disappearances on the remote stretch of road he patrols when someone got the jump on him, beat him, and left him for dead. Fortunately, Wylde found him, took care of him…but now he considers Ken his.

To read an excerpt of the first chapter and purchase Born to be Wylde go here.

Luke is out

2010-07-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Wandering cowboy Luke Walker is at the end of his rope after his girlfriend abandons their newborn daughter. A terrified new father, he’s grateful to meet Dr. Morgan Gallagher. Morgan recognizes that he and Luke could help each other: Luke can rebuild Morgan’s property and land so Morgan can have the horses he wants, and Morgan can provide the younger man with a safe place to raise his daughter. In theory, it should work out perfectly, except that Morgan is instantly attracted to Luke—a straight man—and sharing the same cabin and caring for the baby is a more intimate arrangement than he’d imagined.

Luke is a spin off of Sylvan.

Excerpt and purchase link for Luke here.

Sylvan now available!

2010-04-20T16:26:00.001-07:00

Back home in Sylvan, the small Western lake town where he grew up, Mal Harrison is grieving over the loss of his grandmother and his former life as an Olympic swimmer. He’s building a new life but just doesn’t know where to begin; then he meets Leif Gunnar and finds the instant crackling chemistry between them might just be a place to start.

But Leif is carrying a heavy burden in caring for his father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. It consumes his life, and despite Mal’s efforts to woo him and his own frustrated desire for Mal, Leif just can’t let him get close. To find happiness and a future, they’ll have to agree that searching together is better than being found alone.

I have so much writing news piled up. Have to do an update soon about what's going on. For the moment, I'm really happy this story is out.

Excerpt of the first chapter and purchase link here.

Mastering Toby celebration

2010-03-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Jared Asche has secretly loved Toby Rafferty from the moment he grabbed Toby’s bare ass and had pretend sex with him for the cameras on the soap Mission Bay. But Jared knows Toby is straight and just needs a friend, so he lives with the pain of unrequited love… until Toby impulsively kisses him, crossing the line between friends and lovers.

Despite his fears about being with another man, Toby pursues him, and Jared is helpless to refuse as their passion explodes during a sexy game. Confused, Jared decides to take a trip to see a long-time friend for advice, leaving an insecure Toby vulnerable to the advances of his ex-girlfriend.

Jared’s hopes for life and love with Toby are crushed—but Toby’s not willing to give up. He’ll have to convince Jared that his intentions are serious if they’re going to weather this and other threats to their newborn relationship.

My book Mastering Toby is now available from Dreamspinner Press in ebook and paperback.

I am holding a special contest for a signed print copy of Mastering Toby on my yahoo group. Details here.

New cover art for Sylvan

2010-03-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Back home in Sylvan, the small Western lake town where he grew up, Mal Harrison is grieving over the loss of his grandmother and his former life as an Olympic swimmer. He’s building a new life but just doesn’t know where to begin; then he meets Leif Gunnar and finds the instant crackling chemistry between them might just be a place to start.

But Leif is carrying a heavy burden in caring for his father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. It consumes his life, and despite Mal’s efforts to woo him and his own frustrated desire for Mal, Leif just can’t let him get close. To find happiness and a future, they’ll have to agree that searching together is better than being found alone.

I think this one might be out in April since I've done the edits for it. This one is a favorite of mine, a story about coming back from failure.

I sold Born to be Wylde

2010-03-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have a lot going on this spring. One is that I just sold Born to be Wylde, a novella, to Dreamspinner. It's slated to come out possibly in May.

Deputy Ken Ito wakes up from a nightmare in a strange place—a cave in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, cared for by a beautiful young man with long hair that smells of cedar. As he heals from an assault, Ken wants Wylde's body to cover his, feeling like he’s lost in one of the captive-captor romances he used to sneak from his mother.

But Ken has to get back to his life and find out who targeted him. He was investigating some disappearances on the remote stretch of road he patrols when someone got the jump on him, beat him, and left him for dead. Fortunately, Wylde found him, took care of him…but now he considers Ken his.

Cover art for Mastering Toby

2010-02-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Like most of my thumbnails, click and it gets bigger.

My take on the cover. I wanted it extremely sensual, all about the need between these two friends that has been building for years. Jared holds Toby. Love his bed hair and morning beard. The setting is a floating home and the bust on the table is Quan Yin, Chinese goddess of Mercy.

This is my third cover by Paul. I dedicated the book (along with a couple other people) to him. Last I heard, it should be out maybe in late March. The spin off, Sahara Blue, I am half done writing and hope to finish after The Boxer.

The Janitor awarded for most sensual of 2009

2010-02-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

The Janitor was honored as one of the most sensual of 2009 by Catanetwork.

List of awardees is here.

The Janitor came in seventh and in the top ten for erotic.

See results here.

To anyone who voted for it, thank you.

The Pleasure Slave

2010-02-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

Lucius Mettelus Carbo, once a legate on the rise in the Roman army, rescues a beautiful young prostitute, Varick, who immediately stirs him. However, Lucius doesn't believe anyone could want him, a man cursed by the gods with an ugly, twisted leg. He resists his attraction to the pleasure slave as they forge a tempestuous relationship, and Varick tries to convince Lucius that he desires his master despite the injury. Both men are fighting their fears as they strive toward a future together… a future in the shadow of the volcano Mount Vesuvius.

Excerpt of The Pleasure Slave

Lucius asked, "You like men?"

"Yes," Varick admitted, eyes on his hands as he played with a rose he'd picked. "I used to meet with a boy in the fields."

Living vicariously, Lucius leaned forward. "What did you do with him?"

"Took him in my mouth." Varick tossed aside the rose in an impatient gesture and cupped Lucius's cheek. Lucius tensed, parting his lips to speak and Varick caught him, a gentle kiss, sucking Lucius's lower lip into his mouth, holding his gaze as he did so.

Lucius groaned and, unable to help himself, buried a hand in Varick's hair, like silken wheat to his touch. Ecastor! It felt so good, those lips on his, the teeth nipping him gently as if Varick had lain with him a thousand times and knew just how to make him burn.

Somehow Varick was lying on his back and Lucius crushed him into the pebble mosaic flooring, Varick's body a cradle for Lucius, his cock heavy, confined by clothing but insistent against Varick.

Lucius wanted to feast on him as he had not feasted on anyone since he'd been injured.

"You…" Breathless, wide eyes, Varick cupped Lucius's cheek. "You could have me now and in the morning I could wake in your bed."

Lucius blinked, pulling away, feeling like he'd been drowning like a lost bee in a jug of wine. "What?" he growled, fuzzy.

Varick's blue stone eyes looked up, captured him. "If you bought me, I could stay. You could have me whenever you want."

Purchase the ebook here.

Wylde

2010-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

Wylde

Noah Matthews brought his son Josh to the pristine woods of Washington State to make a fresh start. The first night in their new home, Noah meets Kell Farraday when the laconic police chief shows up on his doorstep searching for two people lost in the forest. It's the start of a sexy new friendship when Kell decides to pursue the shy but flirtatious Noah.

But a new beginning won't be so easy. Noah's former boyfriend shows up to try to reclaim a place in his life, and worse, Josh is drawn to the growing mystery in the forest. People disappear and then one turns up dead. There's something haunting the forest. Something watching. And soft-spoken and confident Kell's reassurances can't ease Noah's fear when Josh goes into the woods alone.

Wylde in ebook and paperback.

The entire first chapter can be read here.

Thanks to permafrost of Rainbow Reviews for reviewing Wylde and giving it five stars: Escalating suspense, subtly inspired and reader-captivating, begins right away and keeps reader attention on the story, turning pages both to find out the "secrets" and to discover what will happen to Noah, son Josh, Chief Kell, and the other secondary, but not unimportant, characters.

The full review is here.

I have written a spin off to this novel. Hope to share more about that sometime soon.

Paul's illustrations

2010-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

I ordered a gilcee print of Paul Richmond's illustration of The Hired Man. If anyone wants to order Paul's work take a look at his store here. I can tell you it's totally gorgeous. It arrived this morning and I'm using Wylde, which he also illustrated, to straighten the print.

My holiday novella The Star Man by Jan Irving is out

2009-12-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, Matthew Cromby is fired by Dove Hollister, the man he has a secret crush on. But things get much stranger when, right in front of him, Dove is hit by lightning and wakes up a different man--a sweet, sexy, and untouched angel who has been watching Matthew, drawn by his yearning. Dove can't stay on Earth, and protective Matthew vows to help him get home, despite his desire for the innocent angel who is trying to heal his heart.

Purchase it here.

I have to say I think the cover by Catt Ford has a nice retro look. I hope you enjoy it. And there are some really fantastic stories out in this collection this year from other DSP authors. Check them out here.

My hands are all covered with stripes of silver paint right now. I wasn't happy with a green tree, couldn't find silver or white, so I spray painted my own tree. It probably could use a few more coats. Maybe next year. I decorated it yesterday and it has only blues, greens and silvers on it. And some pieces of driftwood and seashells from my beach walks. The top of the tree is a big fish I picked up on a trip to California a few years ago.

The Summer Gardener by Jan Irving is out!

2009-11-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Alejandro Moreno drops out of college and puts aside his dream of a degree in landscape design to take care of his mother and younger brother. Then he gets the chance to restore a strange and unpopular patch of land with an uncanny inhabitant—Fane, a prickly fairy.

At first, Alejo isn’t thrilled to share the space with the annoying fae, but as they work together on the neglected garden, both men discover they have two things in common: a love for working with the natural world and loneliness. But how can Alejo handle feelings for not just another man, but one who isn’t human at all?

To purchase The Summer Gardener go HERE.

For the excerpt, slide and more, visit The Summer Gardener page HERE.

I love to garden, so this story is special to me since it was infused like potpourri by this year's summer. Alejo is a man who will do what it takes, sacrifice himself in a quiet way, for those he loves.

Yesterday I spent all day in the garden, so here is a photo of my November garden:

Mask by Jan Irving in the Rainbow Awards finals

2009-10-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

I had a nice surprise from Elisa's awards. First, The Janitor received an honorable mention in debut fiction for the popular vote, which was nice, especially given the lovely company. But then you could have knocked me over with a feather because my second book Mask was chosen by a judge to be in the finals for futuristic fiction! Wow, that is such a nice surprise. You can see it here.

Nice review of The Hired Man by Jan Irving

2009-10-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lydia at Rainbow Reviews: "When dealing with the subject of intimacy between the men, the author does an excellent job showing not only Ian's confusion over his feelings, but also his struggle in dealing with his desire to please Bryn while having no idea what he is doing. A far cry from the normal perfect lover that readers usually see in erotica books." Find more here.

The Summer Gardener by Jan Irving out Nov 4th!

2009-10-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

See it here.

New cover art and blurb for The Star Man by Jan Irving

2009-10-11T06:50:00.001-07:00

And the folks at DSP gave me my cover art for my holiday story, which can be bought as part of the bundle of Mistletoe Madness on sale now or as a single title on December First. I really like it; it's kind of 'my favorite martian' retro.

On Christmas Eve, Matthew Cromby is fired by Dove Hollister, the man he has a secret crush on. But things get much stranger when, right in front of him, Dove is hit by lightning and wakes up a different man--a sweet, sexy, and untouched angel who has been watching Matthew, drawn by his yearning. Dove can't stay on Earth, and protective Matthew vows to help him get home, despite his desire for the innocent angel who is trying to heal his heart.

Well, just goes to prove before Castiel I had wing kink. So I have my edits now for this one, so back to work.

The Janitor by Jan Irving makes Elisa's list

2009-10-09T05:15:00.001-07:00

My first book, The Janitor, made Elisa's list for new writers here.

The Hired Man is out!

2009-10-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's out!

Reverend Ian Kenyon knows the harsh sting of life and how a man can suffer a loss of faith. The death of his wife and newborn son shook him to his foundations, and he's been drifting ever since. Bryn Morgan has returned home from prison to the only family he has—an abusive father who abandoned him to the law when Bryn was unjustly accused of rape. Still poor, lost, and shunned, Bryn searches for work, any work that will allow him to survive.

Reluctantly moved by Bryn's plight, Ian hires the young man to work on his farm despite Bryn's prickly, defensive nature. Soon Ian fears his growing feelings of grace and compassion might be something else, something more... heated. Whatever the cause, he knows they are impossible to pursue, because Heaven only knows what would happen if a man of God began to have forbidden feelings for his hired man.

Ebook and Print.

Excerpt and more details on my site here.

And a contest running for a print of this or another of Paul Richmond's covers along with a book from the winning cover here.

My wiki page

2009-10-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

I redid my Wiki page recently. Really like how it's looking so take a look here.

Nice review of Mask by Jan Irving

2009-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Jen from Dark Diva Reviews says:

Mask by Jan Irving is a book with a very unique twist to storytelling. I have never read a book that utilized instant messaging as a technique to get into the personalities of the characters. I have to admit, it was a little odd at first, but I really grew to love it. The quick banter was fascinating and revealing as to Nick and Kain’s personalities. The way in which Jan Irving allowed the characters to have a security in the instant messaging that they didn’t have face to face really came through for me. Not only did this lead to interesting character dimensionality, it also allowed the reader to feel Nick and Kain’s insecurities in a way that I really didn’t think would be possible without this technique.

More of this review here.

The Hired Man by Jan Irving special Paul Richmond cover artist event

2009-09-27T15:07:00.001-07:00

The cover for The Hired Man is part of a special event from artist Paul Richmond. Take part to win a beautiful giclee print here: Paul Richmond's special uncovered contest.

The book will be out October 5th!

Tea ceremony

2009-09-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

So we went to the beautiful Nitobe Garden yesterday for the tea ceremony. Here is a view of the garden from the island.

This is the tea house and inside you can see the server mixing formally the macha version of tea we were served. It was actually very good tea, made from a powder and because these are tea enthusiasts, they chose a very expensive tea from Kyoto to share with us as their gift. Each tea bowl was chosen to reflect the season, going into fall. The black teabowl you see there is the one she used to make my tea, which I had after a sweet wafer made of ginkgo.

If you click on the first picture you can see the chicadees who came to drink from this small out of the way fountain in a part of the garden normally off limits. The lantern here has a prehistoric feel, one of my favorite of the many in the garden.

This is the stream rushing by into the small lake and grandfather lantern.

So next I want to translate this experience into Mastering Toby for an important scene after my men have been at painful odds.

I have sold The Pleasure Slave!

2009-09-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Lucius Metellus Carbo, once a legate on the rise in the Roman army, is now crippled, a recluse in disgrace. When he rescues a whore from abuse, he can't help but be drawn to the beautiful young Gaul. Varick shows up at his house in Pompeii, and the two men slowly form an odd friendship. Eventually, Lucius buys Varick but he doesn't want Varick's sexual compliance out of duty. Can he believe his slave truly desires him?

I already have a cover for this but can't share it until I have the final, but I really like it. This is a story I found wonderfully absorbing to work on. It is slated for a January 2010 release date. I put up a short excerpt from the novella here.

Now I just have to get back on track with what I'm working on now. Mastering Toby has been shuffled aside a lot so I got a little stalled. I'm eager to get it recharged and get back to work on it. It is just under 40,000 words now.

Tomorrow we will be attending the Japanese tea ceremony at Nitobe Gardens. I'm really looking forward to that and hope to take pictures.

I sold The Woods, an m/m romantic suspense novel

2009-09-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Noah Matthews brought his son to the pristine woods of Washington State, thinking it was a great place to make a fresh start away from the pain of his life in Seattle. But there is something haunting the woods. Something watching. Even the reassurances of soft-spoken and confident Chief Kell Farraday can't ease Noah's growing fear.

I'm so happy about this because this novel took me three months to write this summer. Very tough going but it also means that I might do another romantic suspense novel in future. I also like this one for having older heroes.

The Star Man will be in the DSP holiday anthology

2009-09-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

On a rainy Los Angeles Christmas Eve, ex-con Matthew Cromby is fired by the man he has a secret crush on, but things get much stranger when his ex-boss is hit by lightning and wakes up a different man--a sweet, sexy, and untouched angel who has been watching Matthew, drawn by his yearning. But Dove can't stay on Earth, and protective Matthew vows to help him...despite his forbidden desire for an angel.

I'm pleased to let you all know that my novella, The Star Man, will be in the DSP holiday anthology this year, Mistletoe Madness. Can you believe I finished it back in June? It's nice because I really liked this tongue in cheek cover by Paul Richmond. I saw on his blog that he put up a spread of his latest covers for DSP here. Dash and Dingo not only looks like an amazing future book, but the cover is wonderful. And Facade? I adore that cover.

Veiled Security by Carolyn LeVine Topol

2009-09-17T08:52:00.001-07:00

Veiled Security by Carolyn LeVine Topol
Ebook available: here.
Length: 222 pages

In the guise of Venus, the sexy drag queen persona, Dell first attracted the attention of Joey in college, but soon Joey got closer and became Dell's first everything. Now deeply in love, the men resolve to begin a new life in New York City and pursue dreams of becoming a successful singer and song writer team.

Shadowed within by insecurity about revealing to the world who he truly is, Dell is also shadowed without by a group of homophobic stalkers who haunt the area where he and Joey perform. When their dreams are smashed can they pick up the pieces together?

This is a tender and unusual romance, kind of like a stem of soft pastel glass and the length is quite satisfying, almost as long as a novel.

Mask receives another 5 star review

2009-09-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

From Rainbow Reviews:

Ms. Irving has created a Gothic style contemporary paranormal romance with many interesting twists that keep the reader spellbound until the very end. I loved how the story began as an internet chat that continued throughout the story between Nick and Kain. The paranormal aspects of the story added mystery and depth to the plot line. It was incredible to watch the growing relationship and changes that occur in Nick and Kain as they accept each other's love. Things don't go smoothly as they deal with the difficulties in each other's lives knowing that their love strengthens and supports them. Thanks go to Ms. Irving for an incredible story.

Link for the entire review is here.

Thanks to the folks who read my books there.

New silk dyeing and Mask receives a Five Star review

2009-09-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is Cadfael with his little dress up costume for holidays. It's a little ring we can put around his neck for festivities.

And I promised to share the results of my dyeing day.

I did some modern takes on design and then I experimented with crimping the silk scarves. One has the traditional Fortuny Delos pleat and the other two I crimped with some interesting texture using a crimping iron I picked up for the task. I'm really happy with these. There is also a close up of the necklace I designed and is being made up today.

I was very pleased that Mask got a five star review at Literary Nymphs:

Mask is a fast read, not because of its size (over 200 pages) but because once you start it, you won't be able to put it down. The story is centered on two lonely men, one a young, innocent artist and the other a reclusive, jaded businessman who meet in a chat room. Drawn to each other from the beginning of their relationship in a world that is often dark, intense and occasionally violent, they will have to survive many tests before they can find their happily ever after.

Filled with strong interesting characters, a story line that will keep you on your seat and some intensely hot sex scenes, Mask is a must read for any M/M lover.

The rest of the review is here.

Cover art for The Hired Man

2009-09-02T04:34:00.001-07:00

Reverend Ian Kenyon knows the harsh sting of life and how a man can suffer a loss of faith. The death of his wife and newborn son shook him to his foundations, and he's been drifting ever since. Bryn Morgan has returned home from prison to the only family he has—an abusive father who abandoned him to the law when Bryn was unjustly accused of rape. Still poor, lost, and shunned, Bryn searches for work, any work that will allow him to survive.

Reluctantly moved by Bryn's plight, Ian hires the young man to work on his farm despite Bryn's prickly, defensive nature. Soon Ian fears his growing feelings of grace and compassion might be something else, something more... heated. Whatever the cause, he knows they are impossible to pursue, because Heaven only knows what would happen if a man of God began to have forbidden feelings for his hired man.

Out sometime in October!

The Summer Gardener

2009-09-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

Alejandro Moreno had to drop out of college to take care of his Mama and younger brother Jose but fortunately he likes the outdoors, working with the earth as a seasonal gardener for the city. His life is blisters, cold Mexican beer after a long day of work and a stiff back so nothing prepares him for the unusual inhabitant of Autumn Grove, Fane, the real guardian of his alloted garden.

Despite their differences, the two men form a friendship based on restoring the neglected garden. But Alejo is troubled by his growing desire for another man, and someone who is not even human. Although Fane can spin some temporary magic to bring them closer, can this escape into an unfettered, lush world stand the chill of the coming fall, when Alejo will have to leave the garden in search of construction work?

It felt right to be working on this novella on and off all during the rich, hot days of summer since it's saturated with the garden world. I'm not sure I could have written it in winter time.

It is tentatively slated to come out in December from Dreamspinner Press.

Mask is out!

2009-08-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

My book Mask is out.

This book is truly beautiful. It has domino masks typeset into each chapter header and the cover art by Anne Cain is absolutely gorgeous.

If you'd like to read the first chapter and purchase it in ebook or print, click on the cover below:

Remember that DSP has a special promotion to win an Itouch running this month and also that their popular anthology titles are 25% off. It's a good time to pick something up from the site.

I will be holding a raffle for a hand-made by me silk scarf. The details are here. And I decided to run this raffle on Friday sometime, this week. So to take part you need to pick up the book, you need to watch that live journal. The first person to answer a question found in the book will be the winner, not counting previous winners since I want everyone to have a chance.

To visit my site and see the excerpt, book trailer vid and more, go here.

Special raffle to celebrate Mask

2009-08-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'm running a special raffle again to celebrate the publication of Mask this Monday. Details here.

Mask out August 17!

2009-08-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

I have some happy news to share. First, Mask will be out earlier than I anticipated, on August 17! And second, The Hired Man will be out in October.

Mask is on the DSP coming soon page: here.

The book has beautiful typset masks on each chapter heading and this Anne Cain cover. PB made it a little smaller, but you can see leaves hinted on the arms, harkening to the vegetation that is swarming over the gothic-type Southern mansion.

Click on this to see it larger. This is the cover for Mask. Really, I have to say, this is a beautiful cover and I'm very happy with it. It's lush and sensual and completely in character for Nick, an artist who forgets to get a hair cut. I feel like I lucked out big time twice with cover art.

Can't wait for this book to be out.

On my LJ Jan_revealed here, I will be running a raffle to celebrate the book coming out as I did with The Janitor. Friend the journal to keep track.

And you can check out my website to see what I have in the works, with excerpts, blurbs and more: http://janiceirving.com/

Book Review: Impacted! by Mickie B. Ashling

2009-08-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Impacted! by Mickie B. Ashling
m/m contemporary BDSM romance
Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/newreleases.htm
This book is available in both ebook and print

It's true I have a big kink for, well, kinky fiction, but how to find it meshed with the romance and tenderness I also crave? Not always easy. In this case, Red, a red-haired Dom and Scott, a dentist on holiday, hook up to get their needs met. They immediately recognize their D/s dynamic and celebrate in a hot encounter in Scott's car.

Despite perfect, sizzling chemistry they part, but then their hidden lives collide with reality when Red shows up as the candidate of dental hygenist at Scott's new practice. Now Scott, a man who proved how much he loves being on his knees for Red, is going to be Red's boss.

Of course they can't leave it all business, so they negotiate to explore their unconventional relationship in secret. But under the play there are growing feelings, vulnerbilities. Impacted! is a wonderful offering of kink for the romantic.

Available in print and ebook
Dreamspinner is having a special promotion for the month of August. For every $10.00 you spend you receive one entry in the drawing for a free Apple iTouch. Add the free Stanza ebook Reader and you can have your own portable library. All anthologies are 25% off for the entire month.

New slide for Mastering Toby

2009-07-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is my newest WIP so I made a slide for it for fun. It's an unusual story I hope to finish possibly in September.

My new Wiki page

2009-07-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just put up my new wiki page. See it here.

I have sold The Hired Man!

2009-06-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I just sold my fourth book to Dreamspinner Press, a Western historical which I finished two weeks ago.

After the death of his wife and their newborn son, a reverend loses his faith, and yet he's reluctantly moved by the plight of an abused young ex-con wrongly sent to prison and offers him a job. What happens when a man of God begins to have forbidden feelings for his hired man?

Excerpt from chapter one is here.

I think this is good news for those of you who want a book that had a bit of the emotional feel of The Janitor.

The book is tentatively scheduled for January 2010 and will be in print and ebook form.

New book trailer vid for MASK

2009-06-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

We used the Moonlight sonata score and some of the images we used are pretty cool, things we both dug up and found. The house featured is actually a ruined mansion outside of Moscow.

Enjoy!

Happy news! I have sold Mask, my next book.

2009-05-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I sold my novel Mask! I'm really happy about this since I know people were wanting to see more of my work come available. It happened really fast which was wonderful. The novel is tentatively out in October 2009 which is when it's actually set.

It is an erotic gothic novel and possibly the first of three. I'm now working on a historical that regularly brings my critique group to tears--but in a good way. If you liked The Janitor, then The Hired Man is a story I think you'll enjoy. I actually have so many stories I want to work on that I'm excited about.

I am already working on the book trailer vid for Mask. My friend found the perfect picture to imply Kain and Nick's Dominant/submissive relationship, a picture of Kain 'taking what's his.'

Mask may also have two sequels in a series. I'm going to wait and see how the first book does and if it seems readers like it and want more, I will write more.

Now some of you know about the special raffle on my livejournal, Jan_revealed, here: http://jan-revealed.livejournal.com/8409.html

That is where the snippets and most up to date news is about my work. It will be a short lived but special raffle for all those who purchased The Janitor, so take a look here for details: http://jan-revealed.livejournal.com/6487.html

To purchase The Janitor, click on the swimming goldfish below:

The cover for The Janitor

2009-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I’m a naturally optimistic type of person, you know? Yeah, I think good things will happen, only they don’t usually--Dane, The Janitor

Dane bleeding all over the cover, perfect. I think this cover by April Martinez is award-winning material.

So, yeah. I really can't believe it. The actual cover is really huge, it was downsized by PB, but if you click on the cover, it will become larger. Some of Dane's magic rubbed off and this happened.

The novel is out May 5th!

To purchase The Janitor, click on the banner below.

And I have lots of news and excerpts for my upcoming work on my live journal set up for my original work, Jan Revealed. It's a little easier for me since I can put excerpts under a cut but I update it weekly with book reviews, excerpts, raffles.

Horizons, a book review

2009-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling

M/M romance, novel length
Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/horizons/horizonsbuynow.htm

When Clark Stevens, a popular wide receiver with a potential NFL contract, winds up in the ER because of an injury, familiar ground for the young and troubled athlete, he is overwhelmed by his attraction for his male trauma doctor, Dr. Jody Williams. He can't stop himself from flirting with him, even though he's struggled for years with his forbidden desires for other men.

Jody also struggles to keep up a professional front with his patient, a young, beautiful man who he immediately empathizes with. But it's clear from Clark's mixed signals that he's hiding who he is, which Jody knows is disaster. He can't let himself fall for this 'straight' football player.

This story gives us the sympathetic and emotional struggles of both Jody and Clark as they can't seem to stay apart, even though Clark kids himself he can bury his want. It also features some of my favorite 'kinks,' an innocent-to-being-with-other-men young hero, a caring relationship that benefits both men, and lots of angst which is believable and grounded.

The link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/horizons/horizonsbuynow.htm

The Janitor Book Trailer Vid

2009-03-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

I had never seen a book trailer vid until recently. I immediately wanted one for my novel The Janitor because I thought it would be fun to make and a way to draw readers into my story world.

I told my friend Furriboots 'let's make it short so it won't suck.'

After making it with her--and she did all the images and vid stuff and I did the story telling, I have to say this is the funnest thing I've done to date with book writing. Neither of us have ever done anything like this before!

I hope you enjoy the debut of our adventure into vid making.

Taster for The Janitor.

Oh, and someone pointed out to me that my publisher has a page up for my book: http://www.loose-id.com/prod-The_Janitor-941.aspx

The Seduction inspired picspam

2009-03-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm celebrating Seduction today. So here is a beautiful pic spam of the model I used for Jaime.

Leandro Okabe, he's half Brazilian, half Japanese. What a beautiful man. I love several of his photoshoots, one he did in Karate gear and this one. He's done one lately I'm waiting to find some good scans of. Black leather!

More The Seduction inspired pic spam

2009-03-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

I knew when I was working on my second book, Seduction, a vampire m/m novel, that I'd want to be able to see my men, that I'd want them to be unique looking.

Seduction is the story of a young college student, an artist, who meets a tall, dark and dangerous vampire in an alley one night--a vampire who decides one way or another Jaime will belong to him.

Click on the thumbnails to make them full-sized.

For Arden, Jaime's vampire, I needed a quality of danger, as well as sensuality. If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, think of the feral gaze of Eomer.

The book really has a feel of being erotic, emotional, devastating...

The Seduction inspired pic spam

2009-03-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is Leandro Okabe, and he's half Brazilian, half Japanese. What a beautiful man--his look was what I used for my character Jaime in The Seduction.

*dies* That last one realy does it for me, more than the nudity. I have a thing for martial arts.

Say it Without Words pic spam

2009-03-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

I found my interest caught by images lately of men and women. I like all bodies, all pairings, but it seems like I have some het stories I want to tell again.

Some of these have a definite 'woman on top' vibe, which I also like. If you appreciate beautiful men and women. NWS.

Click on the thumbnails to make them larger.

ETA: I found a link of better quality and larger photos here.