MargueriteLabbe.com

January Recap

2012-01-30T15:51:00.000-08:00

I cannotfreaking believe that the end of January is already here. At this rate 2012 is going to pass evenfaster than the previous year. Januarywas a very crazy month filled with upheaval so I apologize now for not updatingmore often. I have scoliosis andstarting around the beginning of December the pain got to be constant. Then a had a few days in the 2^ndweek of January where I couldn’t even walk, sitting up for the next week waseven painful. Now after several weeks ofchiro appointments I’m pain free unless I’m on the bus. After 90 minutes of bouncing and jostling,even with wearing a brace, I’m usually achy. I hope that will ease off soon too. It usually comes and goes in stages and only gets really bad every twoyears or so.

Then a littleover a week ago I had to call an ambulance for my husband. He’d been sick awhile, recovering frombronchitis and his bounce-back was slower than we’d both wished. He’d had an appointment with his doctor thenext week for a follow up when he came to me with swelling in his legs. Terrible swelling. One of them looked like a Lincoln Log. There was absolutely no definition to hisknee or ankle. Given his past hearthistory I wasn’t taking any chances. Hisblood pressure was ridiculously high, the oxygen level in his blood low and hehad congestive heart failure.

They believenow that it was sleep apnea related. Thenight he came home from the hospital I didn’t sleep one bit because every timehis breathing changed I woke up. He’sdoing a sleep study this week, they’re going to fit him with a machine and setit up at our house. I could really livemy entire life without another scare like that.

All in all,this month hasn’t been very conducive to writing or editing, though I’ve beenworking on a few projects when I could. Between the days I couldn’t sit up and the hours waiting at the hospitalI managed to catch up on quite a bit of reading though. Here are the books that really stood out tome. If I keep picking a book up evenafter I just set it down, it’s a winner. Warning, I read all kinds of things, not just m/m.

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians seriesby Rick Riordan. My son got all fivebooks for Christmas and they were still on the coffee table when I was stuck onthe couch. I picked up the first one outof boredom and because I was a comparative folklore and mythology major. I had even taken my son to the movie lastsummer and thought it was okay. Knowingthat the book is always better than the movie I figured why not give it ashot. I freaking loved it. I like how Riordan took myth into today’s ageand made it relevant. And the wordsflowed so smoothly. I like it enoughthat when I finished the first, I picked up the second, then the third and soon until I was done with the entire series. Then I took the first book to the hospital so my husband could readit. He rarely reads and now he’shooked. Now if I could just get my sonto pick them up. He’s more intoscientific books.

The next bookthat totally blew me away was The Game ofLove by Jeanette Murray. I’veenjoyed her shorter stories, but after this novel, she’s an absolute must readfor me. I started reading it while inthe waiting room at the doctor’s office to get blood drawn. Normally needles cause me some anxiety but Iwas so wrapped up in the story that I took it in the labroom with me andcontinued to read while I let the vampires at me. Probably the best thing because the techactually managed to get the vein on the first try. I can see how some people would have issueswith the heroine Chris St. James, especially at the start with herattitude. But it’s warranted. The characters were so real to me. Like people I’ve actually met and becomefriends with. And Brett Wallace wasdownright yummy. Chris and Brett areboth retired pro athletes with a history that makes them distrustful of futurerelationships. Chris had been involvedwith an abusive hockey player and Brett’s wife left him for another pro athleteafter he was forced to retire. I reallyloved watching them working through their issues and learning to trustagain. The book can be found at CarinaPress: http://tinyurl.com/6nad8rl

I read anumber of m/m books in January but two really stuck out with me. The first was Burnt Offerings by Pearl Love. It’s been already said, but I’ll say it again. I love myths and old tales and this had thefeeling of an old tale. I loved thedescriptive writing even though it was a little repetitious at times. It was a short read, only 65 pages, but it’sone that I would pick up again and again when I want to get lost in anotherworld. Plus I’m a fan of unconventionalendings. Alen is a boy who’s beentormented by his unusual beauty, both coveted and hated by his village, heprefers a solitary existence except for his mother and the being that hecommunes with in his hearth fire. Whenhe is forced to defend himself and accidentally kills a man, his life isforfeit and he is condemned to die on the altar of a volcano. If you like myth and fantasy, I recommendit. It’s available through DreamspinnerPress: http://tinyurl.com/7pn7usk.

The second m/m book that I really enjoyed wasHer Two Dads by Ariel Tachna. I really liked watching Sri and Jaime growand learn when baby Sophie burst into their lives. Sri was never expecting to be a father butwhen his friend Jill died, leaving him as the only parent he tried to do whatwas best for Sophie. Jaime is hislongtime roommate and close friend. Therelationship that develops between them is based on friendship and slowdiscovery. It was such a sweetread. And I admire Jaime for knowing hislimits too and Sri’s insistence on working through his issues to keep them as afamily. And his fears were groundedtoo. The emotions that the book evokedwere very tangible. I felt the samehelpless fear that Sri did when Child Protective Services showed up to see ifSophie was being abused. It was a good,sweet story. It can also be foundthrough Dreamspinner Press: http://tinyurl.com/7hxlzfu.

More updates to come in a few days. I hope February is a much calmer month. I’m eyeballing it with a steely glare.

Time In a Bottle

2012-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon everyone. I've emailed the winners from the New Year's Day contest. In the meanwhile, I've been busy wrapping up the second draft of my lastest story Time In a Bottle. I just sent it off to beta readers yesterday. I hope to have it polished and submitted by Valentine's Day so keep your fingers crossed. In the meanwhile I thought I'd share the blurb, the opening bit and a NSFW picture with you.

* * * * *

Andrei Cuza and Dean Marshall just celebrated the ten year anniversary of their commitment ceremony only to have their happiness shattered. On his way home from closing a business deal, Dean stops on the side of the parkway to help a young mother with her flat tire when her ex catches up with her. Blake Olsen murders her and Dean and takes off with his two kids.

Andrei has been haunted by ghosts all of his life and bears the guilt for his younger sister Ileana being stuck in limbo. When Dean returns to him as a ghost the double-punch of losing him and now having to watch him founder if he doesn’t move on is almost more than Andrei can bear. Ghosts are stuck at the moment they died, unable to adapt to the changes in their living loved ones.

Dean has made a promise though and until he helps Andrei track down the missing kids, he isn’t going anywhere. There are dangers in limbo that Andrei doesn’t know about, hounds that devour souls who succumb to their anger and they’re hunting Dean. And dangers to Andrei as well, who pays a price so he can have Dean’s touch one more time. Time is slowly running out as Dean and Andrei try to figure out how to say goodbye while they track down a killer who’d be more than happy to kill again.

* * * * *

Dean Marshall savored the rare morning when he got to linger in bed instead of having to be out the door before the sun rose. Especially mornings like this, with the sun streaming through the window and with his partner Andrei Cuza curled against his back. Andrei’s calf had slid between Dean’s legs sometime in the night, as usual, and his hand splayed against Dean’s stomach. Dean smiled sleepily and let his eyes drift shut again as he burrowed back into the warmth of Andrei’s body. Now this was the only way to wake up right. He drank in the sun on his face, the scent of fresh brewed coffee in the air and the feel of Andrei stirring behind him.

Breath brushed the nape of Dean’s neck followed by a kiss to his shoulder. The hand on his stomach shifted and long fingers stroked his skin. “Morning, iubito,” Andrei said in a sleep husky voice that made desire stir Dean’s blood. He loved the dark timbre of his partner’s tone, the quiet manner he had which made people listen without ever having to raise his voice.

“Hey, babe,” Dean murmured back, turning his head to graze his lips along Andrei’s stubbled jaw. Cool cotton sheets caressed his skin as he shifted and he longed for Andrei’s hands to do the same. “Tell me you don’t have anywhere that you have to be in the next hour.”

“I have a pile of paperwork waiting for me on my desk.” Andrei smiled, his dark eyes lightning up with teasing. “She’s a cruel, demanding mistress.”

“Leaving me naked in bed for paperwork is a cardinal sin.” Dean’s breath caught as Andrei’s hand slid lower between Dean’s thighs to cup his morning wood. He reached behind him and burrowed his fingers into Andrei’s thick hair. “Stay and play with me, Andrei.”

“You make it sound like I have any chance of resisting you. We both know the truth about that,” Andrei replied, his lips trailing down Dean’s neck to linger at his pulse. “Besides, I’m not the one with an oh-so-important meeting in DC today.”

Dean’s eyes flew open with a curse and he untangled himself from Andrei’s embrace as he leaned over to check the time on his cell phone. Andrei started chuckling. “You should’ve seen the look of horror that crossed your face.”

“Ass, you knew I didn’t oversleep.” Dean whacked him with a pillow and leveled Andrei with an accusing glare. His partner seemed unbothered as he grinned back at Dean, the sheet tangled around his waist and a gold crucifix gleamed against his bare chest.

“It is so much fun to fuck with you. I rarely get the chance. Think of it as retaliation for all those times you messed with me on the big days.” Andrei took Dean’s hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing Dean’s knuckles before turning his hand around to kiss the inside of his wrist as well. The look in Andrei’s smoky, dark brown eyes was warm and seductive as he continued to rain kisses along Dean’s arm.

Dean fought a smile and tried to hold onto his glare, but the teasing lift of Andrei’s lips beat him. He grinned and sank back into Andrei’s arms determined to relax instead of triple checking and making sure he had everything for his proposal ready before heading out. He already knew he had it together and obsessing would only get him all worked up for nothing. Dean wanted to lose himself in the taste and feel of Andrei as they moved together.

“And you call me evil. I didn’t think retaliation was your style.”

His partner’s black hair was a tumbled mess from sleep and the sun highlighted his swarthy skin that he got from his Romani blood. He was more rugged than handsome, with his too strong nose that bore a kink from being broken more than once, and his chiseled jaw that had a cleft and which gave him a rough hewn appearance. Andrei’s smile widened into a devilish grin as he tugged Dean over him. “You do have your moments.”

Dean brushed his lips along his partner’s jaw again, savoring the familiar sensation of Andrei’s long, lean body beneath him. After all of these years it didn’t get old. The hot rush of teenage hormones had settled somewhat and Dean found the familiarity between them to be a comfort. He knew every inch of Andrei, knew how to drive him crazy in slow degrees. If anything, he wanted Andrei more now than when they’d first fallen for each other.

Their tongues tangled in a slow, lazy kiss and Dean sighed in pleasure as Andrei’s hands ran over him in a lingering sweep from his shoulders down to the backs of his thighs. It was easy to dismiss his excitement over the possibilities later on that day in favor of making love to his partner. Andrei’s arms came around him, holding him closer as he broke the kiss and bared his neck.

Dean chuckled and nuzzled Andrei’s throat, hearing his partner’s soft intake of breath. “Now where was that spot?” He murmured.

* * * * *

Now this man right here *fans self* He reminds me

of Dean. His hair is a little darker than Dean's, but

that nice guy smile absolutely fits him so does that

beautifully toned body. I haven't had any luck

hunting down the perfect picture that reminds me

of Andrei, but when I do, I'll share that as well.

I hope you enjoy!

A New Year and New Beginnings

2012-01-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody, welcome to my new home on the web. Fae created it for me. Isn’t it gorgeous? We’re moving off in different directions because we both have a number of exciting solo projects lined up. I’ll leave Fae to tell you what her projects are, but I’m so excited for her that I’m bouncing. Good stuff, I promise you.

As for me, I’m wrapping up the second draft for my ghost story Time in a Bottle. I should be getting it out to beta readers today. And then I’ll work on the blurb and synopsis, as soon as I have the blurb done I’ll post it. I really love Dean and Andrei’s story. When I first thought of it a little over two years ago on my way to South Carolina, I wondered how a story like that could ever be written and told myself that I should look into other projects. Well Dean wouldn’t let me leave it alone and almost a year later he made me sit down and write the first chapter while I was on vacation.

Then I set that aside to finish up the rough draft of All Bets Are Off. I was definitely excited to get back to Andrei and Dean when I was done. I hope to have it submitted sometime during the first couple months of 2012 and I promise to keep you update.

In the meanwhile, here is my Six Sentence Sunday offering from the first chapter of Time in a Bottle.

* * * * *

Cool cotton sheets caressed Dean’s skin as he shifted and he longed for Andrei’s hands to do the same. “Tell me you don’t have anywhere that you have to be in the next hour.”

“I have a pile of paperwork waiting for me on my desk.” Andrei smiled, his dark eyes lightning up with teasing. “She’s a cruel, demanding mistress.”

“Leaving me naked in bed for paperwork is a cardinal sin.”
* * * * *

In honor of the New Year and New Beginnings, I'll be giving away a couple of prizes. Just leave a comment here with your preferred prize and I'll be grabbing names on Tuesday.

1 signed print copy of All Bets Are Off

1 reader's choice of backlist (both my solo and my stories with Fae Sutherland are eligible)

1 $10 Amazon gift card

I hope you enjoy and Happy New Years!