Life is bittersweet sometimes. For the first time in years I will not be at the Dreamspinner Authors Conference taking place this weekend. And I also have had to cancel on GRL this year due to some family medical concerns. While staying close to home is the right thing to do, I hate missing out on being with my writing tribe—authors and readers alike. I get so much energy from sharing this world with you. Meanwhile, writing has been a boon.

COVER

For those who missed it last month, here’s the amazing cover by Adrian Nicholas for The Kinsey Scale, my new college novella out from Dreamspinner November 9.

You can pre-order The Kinsey Scale here, currently on sale for $3.50.

I finished and submitted the second story in the Campus Connections Series, The Player’s Protégé, and have an excerpt for you.

The teaser for the story:

Spurred by a bet, cynical and successful player Jerry helps sweet but inexperienced Arlo “get out there” after a breakup. PYGMALION + DANGEROUS LIAISONS – gay New Adult college contemporary version.

EXCERPT

Smoothing down his hair, Jerry took a quick glance in the mirror, then chided himself for being ridiculous as he went to open the door to Arlo. They had the place to themselves, Jerry having bribed his roommates to make themselves scarce for the next few hours.

Arlo looked amazing but Jerry was puzzled as to why. He still wore generic, unstylish clothes. He still seemed slightly gawky and blushed when Jerry put his hand on Arlo’s arm to draw him inside—not really necessary but ever since finding out Arlo was a 3^rd degree black belt, Jerry had burned to check out his muscles. They did not disappoint. Perhaps it was the steady, honest light emanating from Arlo’s eyes. Whatever it was, Jerry felt drawn to Arlo—a little too drawn, if he was to maintain his boundaries as mentor.

“Hello there,” Jerry lilted, with a coquettish tilt to his head. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Cheesy as all get out but it was the first test: would Arlo flirt back?

“Uh, hi.”  Arlo walked in and surveyed the apartment with a serious air.

Answer: no. Apparently immune or oblivious to flirting.

“Come in, come in.” Jerry steered him to the living room where he’d set a bottle of wine, a few beers, and a plate of cheese and crackers on the coffee table. He sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

Arlo sat and rested his forearms on his thighs, clasping his hands like a prayer boy.

Farmer boy, prayer boy. Jerry needed to get Arlo to loosen up for the conversation they were about to have. “Have something to drink. Beer or wine?”

“I’ll take a beer.”

“Excellent.” Jerry handed him the bottle. “Help yourself to the cheese and crackers.”

“Thanks.” Arlo sipped his beer and gazed around the room. He seemed reluctant to meet Jerry’s eyes.

Jerry poured himself a glass of Chardonnay, considering his options. Although quiet, Arlo seemed like a straightforward type. May as well jump right in. “Tell me about your sexual experience.”

Arlo started, then turned to Jerry. “What?”

Jerry took his time answering, letting Arlo’s question linger in the air. After a leisurely sip of wine, he said, “If I’m going to coach you in becoming a sexual stud, I need to know what I’m working with. But wait. Let’s back up. I shouldn’t put words in your mouth. Tell me what exactly you’re looking for and how I can help.”

“I want to get out there and… I guess, find out what I’ve been missing. I don’t know about becoming a sexual stud.” His lips quirked and Jerry smiled encouragingly. “Uh, but I want to figure out how to… like, have casual… um….”

“You want to figure out how to hook up and have casual sex? Is that it?”

“Yeah. I mean, I guess.” Arlo started studying the furniture again.

“Well, are you sure? The casual sex part will be easy. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of. But are you sure you don’t want to find another long-term relationship instead?”

Jerry knew he was torpedoing his chances of winning the bet with Eric, but he wasn’t interested in turning Arlo into a player if Arlo didn’t want to be one.

*****

SALES – SUCH A DEAL!

Paperback novels are 30% off at Dreamspinner right now.

Serpentine Walls                          Aidan’s Journey

Sex, Love, and Videogames       Wild and Precious Collection

 

And this week Dreamspinner has all ebooks on sale while the DSP conference is happening.

So have fun and happy reading!

Enjoy the Fall weather and I’ll talk to you in October.

CJane

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

CJane is the author of the award-winning Serpentine Series, New Adult contemporary novels set at the University of Virginia. Serpentine Walls was a 2014 Rainbow Awards finalist, Aidan’s Journey was a 2015 EPIC Awards finalist, and Sex, Love, and Videogames won first place in the New Adult category in the 2016 Swirl Awards and first place in Contemporary Fiction in the 2017 EPIC eBook Awards.

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