A Week of Giving Thanks: Day Five

I am so grateful that my new book has come out—or at least to subscribers. And you know what? It never gets old. Holding that book in my hands. It never gets old. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t. Its exhilarating. I’ve read books all my life and looked with awe at the author’s names there on the covers. And now that book arrives in the mail and there is my name, clear and bold and my heart leaps into my throat and sometimes I have to choke back tears of joy.

Getting His Man is especially exciting and I am not sure why. Maybe because it looks like the books I bought growing up. Dreamspinner Press paperbacks are oversized, what we called trade paperbacks when I worked at Walden Books all those years, and many years ago. I always bought what my parent’s generation called “pocket books” and my generation called paperbacks. I bought a lot of series too, from the Dark Shadows books to Star Trek books and so many more. This book looks like the books I always bought (hard covers were a special gift). And its been almost an hour since I got it and my heart is still humpin’ and a bumpin’.

Getting His Man was fun to write too. So many of my books are filled with angst (and a different kind of dark shadows) even though the light comes shining through and there is the Happily Ever After readers want (and so do I). But his series, the Dreamspun Desires series, are contemporaries and are good clean fun, even though they can have some exciting moments and even a few on-the-edge-of-your seat ones as well. It was a joy to write and I even got to help design the cover and the badge for the series (I am seeing two more).

I got my copy in the mail today, along with Elizabeth Nobel’s High Test. What an honor to be paired with her. Wonderful lady and a wonderful writer as well.

Anyway, even though I have already been thankful this Thanksgiving week to be a writer, I have to say it. Today I am grateful and thankful to not only be a part of Dreamspinner Press and the Dreamspun Desires line, but to have it in my hands. It is heck’a exciting. And a dream come true.

Namaste,
BG “Ben” Thomas

So For the First Time in Over Two Weeks….Coffee!

So as some of you know I’ve been sick. Sick for weeks. I was sick before I went to Chicago but thought I was better. I wasn’t. I got worse on the flight back home. I thought I was better so I could go away with my husband on our big anniversary weekend (14 years!) and I wasn’t. And I didn’t even party that weekend. Made three cocktails and sipped them and threw them out. I slept half that weekend! I got home and I was worse. The doctor finally ordered me to take a week of bed rest and I am finally starting to feel human again. Just hoping I can go back to work and make it through the twelve hour shifts starting Thursday.

Anyway…. I haven’t even desired coffee…not really. And for my faithful, I think you all know how much I love coffee. For those of you who don’t know….I love coffee! It just sounded so….strong.

But this morning I made a pot of coffee (if you can call it that). It is only 20° outside and I just couldn’t take one more cup of tea. I think if I have another cup of tea I will transform into a tea bag. And it is so much more inconvenient than coffee. Coffee, I grind the beans, put it in the coffee maker and press a button and have cups of coffee for hours. With tea I have to wait until the water heats, wait until the bag seeps, and then I have only one cup of tea! If I drink it fast then I have to go through the whole process again.

I found I have liked tea (and better than I remember-even found the chamomile delightful with a bit of spiced rum) but tea takes way too much effort, especially when I’m sick. I don’t find it the least bit comforting (to make). I need a hunk to be making it for me!

(since R is at work after all)

So here I am drinking coffee and I have committed a sacrilege. I am drinking flavored coffee! *gasp!*

But it is Gevalia (which for mass-produced coffee isn’t too bad) and it’s German Chocolate Cake-flavored and it has lots of sweetener and milk and it is preparing me to leap back into coffee land. And I am reading a good book (Stephen King’s new book, Revival, and omg it is amazing–reminds me for some reason of The Body / Stand By Me). And Sarah Jane is curled up next to me. AND last night I actually worked on a new novel which I think could turn out to be one of the best things I’ve ever written.

So apparently I have passed through the dark tunnel and there was no train waiting for me on the other side, except to allow me to board aboard and take me to lands of lonely men finding love.

So three more days! Three days of resting, reading, writing, and cuddling with Sarah Jane. Not bad at all, even if I have to wear pajamas (which I also don’t do but it has been oddly comforting). I could get used to this.

Here is claiming the reality that in a year or so it will be my life. Writing full time and not being sick that is.

So love and light to you all!
And remember….
Leap and the net will appear!
BG Thomas

I Am So Excited (and so nervous…)!

SO excited! The amazing Mary Calmes had me for a guest at her blog. Check it out! http://www.marycalmesbooks.com/2013/05/guest-blogger-bg-thomas.html?zx=da79cf5e2f5feb92

Also my new novel–The Boy Who Came In From the Cold–comes out today!
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=the+boy+who+came&osCsid=ndcrtu1pm5pa7r7ag84t1899d6&x=5&y=6

TWO NEW NOVEL SALES!

So I sold a new book a few months ago called The Boy Who Came in from the Cold. A few days later I find I’ve sold the spinoff, Anything Could Happen.

I am very excited. Here is the cover for The Boy..

Dreamspinner Press provides the BEST covers!

I will let you know when the book is going to be available soon!

HUGS
BG

Wonderful News About Two of My Stories!

First, I was very excited to find out that I was one of Amber Allure’s bestsellers for July!

1. Clay’s Challenge – Cassandra Gold (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Lucky – K. M. Mahoney (Gay / Shapeshifter)
3. The Truth About Al – M. L. Rhodes (Gay / Contemporary)
4. Under My Bed – T. A. Chase (Gay / Paranormal)
5. Trust Me – B. G. Thomas (Gay / Contemp. / Western)
6. Cemeteries – Lynn Lorenz (Gay / Paranormal)
7. Lost Between – Shawn Lane (Gay / Paranormal)
8. Hellish Twist In Tinseltown – Lee Avalone (Gay / Paranormal)
9. Echoes – Rick R. Reed (Gay / Paranormal)
10. For One Night Only – Anne Brooke (Gay / Contemp. / BDSM)

Considering that my book came out halfway through the month, that says something, don’t you think? So happy!

AND ML Rhodes, only one of the best and finest M/M romance writers, gave it five stars and said, “I love this book!” WOW!

This is what it must feel like if an author of a “straight” romance got such kinds words from Kathleen Woodiwiss or Diana Gabaldon!

SECOND! Silver Publishing is putting out an audio book of “Never Say Never,” the anthology with my story “A Secret Valentine!” I was SO amazing listening to the first version (they send it to you to see if any mistakes were made) of the story, hearing that strong masculine voice read my words. I got chills. The good kind!

I will be sure to let you know when it is released.

So life is good! I am working hard to finish my Christmas story this week, and then will get busy on one of two (or both) other stories right away.

My daughter is staying a few days with me. It was her birthday the other day and we are still celebrating. It has included a nice dinner, my husband grilling huge chicken breasts for another meal, two movies (Captain America; the First Avenger and Rise of the Planet of the Apes – both were surprisingly good and I recommend them highly!) and finally we are going to go have Pad Thai today at Thai Place. It is the best I’ve ever had and I’ve tried it at quite a few places.

Jayli and I have had quite a lot of fun. Like I’ve said before, I see her just enough to miss her when she’s not here! LOL!

So that’s it for now! Until next time,
Namasté,
B.G. Thomas

Look At Me! Horseback Riding!

So yesterday I had the most wonderful opportunity ~ and a simply terrific afternoon.

My friends Julie and Mike had me out horseback riding! I wasn’t sure what I was going to get to do, but just meeting their horses would have been a treat and wonderful real-life research for my new story (which has no name). Julie told me she hoped I could ride her horse, and that Mike would lead me around.

WELL! As it turned out I not only got to ride her and be led, but I was a pretty good student and Mike was able to take of the lead rope and step away and I rode Mystic all over that arena. She was incredibly responsive, zigging and zagging to my heart’s content. I learned SO much.

This is going to be just brilliant for my new story, about a lonely widower who goes with his extended family to a dude ranch, the last place on Earth he ever thought he would want to spend his vacation. Boy, does he learn different.

Mystic was a wonderful, wonderful horse, and stunningly beautiful. Look for Mystic in my story! I’ve already made some changes. She also inspired lots of stuff and a whole new chapter. Trying to write this story I realized I needed to at least go somewhere and see some horses and talk to owners about them. I did a whole lot more.

I am just a lucky, lucky guy!

Now if only it hadn’t snowed last night and this morning! I thought we were done with that! It is already 34° with a high of 41° later. Maybe it will go away and not hurt my miniature iris (tiny tiny flowers). It is supposed to be 71° by St Patrick’s Day (this Thursday)! Hey, at least it should keep me in and writing!

Have a great day all!
Namasté,
BG

Pirates Are On the Back Burner (darnit)

So after getting myself geared up to do what I didn’t know how to do, it turns out I missed the deadline for the pirate story I was planning already. EC has an in-house deadline and an outside deadline. It was the in-house deadline that was a month away. The outside deadline was a few days ago…

*sigh*

So it is temporarily on the back burner. Dreamspinner is taking pirate stories and I have plenty of time. I also see now that EC does take unsolicited manunsripts after all, it is just harder to get in that way.

SO…when I am done with my dude ranch story, I will write my pirate story. If it works under 12k words, I will send it to Dreamspinner. If it goes over, I will try EC.

I’ll sell it! *G*

I’ve been really wanting to start in on this dude ranch story anyway, and this will make it happen sooner. YES!

Now, to work!

Worn OUT This Morning

I am up too early and need to go back to bed.

Yesterday was a whirlwind of information CRAMMED into my brain about cows and ranching and the like. It is different than I expected, and how!

I even helped make this very small corral and tried to call in three stubborn cattle that were spread out over a huge pasture. I spotted the two missing ones, impressing the ranchers, but we were not able to go after them… It will probably happen today.

I was right there with the cows and I can still smell them! In a corral with a bunch of them and had no idea how many types of cows there were, even miniature ones. Got to pet a little guy — this is a cow so he wasn’t that small — named Ike. Sweet thing. LOL!

Lot of stuff whirling through my brain, FAR too much for a 10-12k story. We are talking novel here, so I will just have to start with the short story and then progress it into much more… Think I will go ahead and go with the point of view of the young guy who knows nothing about real cowboys and make the story where I really start presenting all this information in a story from the other character’s point of view…

WHEW!

Going back to be now! I had a great time!

Another Submission!

So two things…

One: I finished up my final edits to the galley of All Snug and sent them off to Dreamspinner Press just awhile ago. Made a few changes, mostly technical. I hope I don’t have to read it again for a long while! LOL!

I adore the story and it makes me very very proud, but I have read it too many times! Hopefully I am finally done with it.

I can’t wait for it to see “print!”

Two: I just sent a submission to a publisher I have never submitted to before; Silver Publishing. They seem to be a pretty reputable house and I am very excited by the idea of selling them a story.

A dear friend, , suggested that I get my stories sold to as many houses as possible as it looks good as an author resume. She didn’t use those exact words, and maybe she will comment here, but you get the idea.

It looks good to show that multiple houses think you are worthy of publishing.

This story is called A Secret Valentine and I am submitting it to their anthology Never Say Never.

This is what they are looking for:

Any subgenre will be accepted, but must follow a Valentine’s Day theme.

This anthology will feature M/M couples celebrating Valentine’s Day!

We’d love to see something off the beaten path. What have you got for us? An alien being introduced to the customs of Valentine’s Day? Non-human creatures affected by the magic of the holiday? A secret admirer revealed? An ex back in the picture? A wish fulfilled in a new and interesting way? We want to see your best sensual or erotic romance Valentine’s Day story.

Now there are no aliens in this story. It is more like a “A secret admirer revealed,” and I think it is very sweet and romantic with a fearsome HOT love scene. Let’s hope they agree.

Silver Publishing was also accepting Halloween and Christmas stories and wound up closing their submissions weeks (almost two month respectively) early. So even though the deadline wasn’t until January 8, 2011, I wasn’t taking any chances!

I love this little story and I hope they do as well!

And now to bed and tomorrow it will be working on a second draft of my vampire story!

Good night all, and pleasant dreams!
BG

November is National Novel Writing Month; And I Have a Novel to Write..!

So November is National Novel Writing Month!

That is where you take on the challenge of writing 50 thousand words in 30 days.

I’ve attemtped it in years past and didn’t seem to have a chance. With the hours I work and all that goes on in November, it just wasn’t happening.

Of course that was before I wrote near 40k in three or so weeks when I wrote two Christmas stories for Dreamspinner Press..!

So maybe?

And I do have a novel to write. A company has helped me start and wants to look at it.

There are still my hours and all I do in November PLUS finishing my vampire story…

But I am going to give it a go!

This could be good!

And for everyone doing this? Good luck!