Amber Quill January Best Seller Lists

What's Hot?
January 2010
Best Sellers!

1. Fires Of Ballian
- M. L. Rhodes
(Gay / Shapeshifter)
2. Wranglers: Judgment
- Vivien Dean
(Gay / Contemporary)

3. His Wolf Heart
- Lila Dubois
(Gay / Werewolf)

4. Quinn's Hart
- Cassandra Gold
(Gay / Contemporary)

5. Solitude & Sea Glass
- T. D. McKinney/Terry Wylis
(Gay / Contemporary)

6. Schnickelfritz In Love
- Deirdre O'Dare
(Gay / Contemporary)

7. Wanting
- M. L. Rhodes
(Gay / Contemporary)

8. A Stranger's Touch
- Anne Brooke
(Gay / Contemporary)

9. No Good Deed
- Lynn Lorenz
(Gay / Mystery)

10. Ticket To Ride
- Shawn Lane
(Gay / Suspense)


How cool is it that Ticket to Ride made the best seller's list two months in a row? Prety cool to me.

Amber Quill December Best Sellers List

Made December's Best Seller's List twice. # 2 for Ticket to Ride and #5 for The Best Gift. Thanks to you!

What's Hot? December 2009 Best Sellers!
1. Wanting - M. L. Rhodes (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Ticket To Ride - Shawn Lane (Gay / Suspense)
3. No Good Deed - Lynn Lorenz (Gay / Mystery)
4. Tango In The Night - KC Kendricks (Gay / Contemporary)
5. The Best Gift - Shawn Lane (Gay / Contemporary)
6. Sins Of Omission - India Harper (Gay / Suspense)
7. Your Cheatin' Heart - Mimi Riser (Gay / Werewolf)
8. Dead Man's Curve - Vivien Dean (Gay / Contemporary)
9. The Devil Went Down To Georgia - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Dark Fantasy)
10. Cy Gets A Sex Demon - Angela Fiddler (Gay / Paranormal)

Just One to Go...

Thanks to everyone for the great response to Ticket to Ride so far. Once I got who the characters needed to be for that story (thanks to Nelson, lol) it flowed fairly easily for me. Darn thing has been done since August so I was very ready for it to come out.

It's funny, a friend said to me, now that you have a book with the Beatles title, Ticket to Ride, are you going to make it a series with other Beatles song titles like Eight Days a Week or Paperback Writer or You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.

Um, I admit, my stupid brain sort of perked up at the notion. "Hmm, I could write a mystery series starring Chad and Jack. Or a new couple every book," the brain said. Hmm...fortunately, I turned off the brain and said no to it.

In other news, I am on the last chapter of Only in His Dreams. Go me! I should get it done today and off to where it needs to go. Huge sigh of relief. I'll post a release date, etc, when I know.

Since I am about done with that, I should be able to post part two of the Christmas story sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Speaking of those whose names are in for winning this weekend's release, The Best Gift are:

Anna
Shayne
Andi
Kara
Drew
Brent
Josh
Lindsay
Eyre
Ivan
Kathy K
mishkismom
Sharon
Martha W
Rachel
Jack
Nick
Sidda Lee
Spring

Please, if I have missed anyone, let me know. Sometimes my eyes skip over names.

The Best Gift is short, being under 10,000 words and it will fly by as you read it, promise. I went the opposite in that Chad and Jack are older heroes. In The Best Gift, Malcolm and Dusty are in their 20s.

Ticket to Ride is Released

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TicketToRide.html

And the Winners Are

I decided to choose two winners of Ticket to Ride


There were 13 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Josh
Mindy
Shayne
Sharon
Zach
Eyre
Gabbi
Brent
Drew
Andi
Ivan
Maggie
Anna

There were 12 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Drew
Andi
Eyre
Maggie
Sharon
Anna
Mindy
Brent
Ivan
Gabbi
Zach
Shayne

Two winners are Josh and Drew. You'll need to email: authorshawnlane@gmail.com with your email addresses so I can send you the book. Please list format preference. If you don't list a preference I'll send pdf.

Thanks to everyone, and don't forget you can still win The Best Gift next week.

Don't Be Shy

There's still time to put your name in to win Ticket to Ride.

The winner will be chosen by the randomizer thingy tomorrow and the book will be given during the weekend (when I receive my copy)

Good luck

Inspiration Strikes Everywhere

As I get close to the release of Ticket to Ride I am reminded of how it came about. Earlier this year, I volunteered with several other authors to work on a story with a song title. It would become one of five stories that become an Amber Quill Pax, basically you can purchase all five stories at once or you can buy the stories individually.

As someone who has always been a Beatles fan I wanted to use a title from one of their songs. For some reason I chose Ticket to Ride. At first I didn’t even have a clue what the book would be about, and then, eventually when I did start writing it…well the two heroes were Malcolm and Dusty.

That’s right my heroes from The Best Gift were originally the heroes for Ticket to Ride. But as I wrote the beginning it just didn’t seem to go where I wanted it to go.

Then in early June, I went to Las Vegas with my friends. We usually drive from Cali but for that particular trip we flew out of Burbank. On the way home, we were sitting in the airport waiting for our flight when my friend leaned over and asked, “Isn’t that the Nelson twins?”

For those who don’t remember in the early 90s (I think), Ricky Nelson’s twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew formed a band called Nelson. They did sort of glam rock and had long blond hair.

Anyway, I checked out the two guys sitting a couple rows away and noticed one of them had a guitar with them. Sure enough it was the twins. They were now in their early forties with short blond hair.
What does this have to do with Ticket to Ride? Out of this sighting, Chad Storm, former lead singer of Lightening was born and suddenly Ticket to Ride became a different book. Chad’s hero became a tough homicide cop, Jack Reeves.

Ava March, who some of you may or may not know, is my critique partner of a couple of years now mentioned to me that she had liked Malcolm and Dusty and hoped I would consider writing a story for them even though they were not right for Ticket to Ride and The Best Gift was born.

So these stories have always been connected really. It seems appropriate they release within a week of each other.

Ticket to Ride Contest So Far

Here is who I have listed for the contest for Ticket to Ride so far.


Ivan
Andi
Shayne
Zach
Gabbi
Drew
Maggie
Brent
Mindy
Anna
Sharon
Josh
Eyre
EH

If I have missed anyone let me know.

You still have until Thursday, December 10, 2009, to put your name in to win Ticket to Ride. I'll choose the winner Friday.

Blog at Amber Quill

I've blogged at Amber Quill's blog about The Best Gift and Ticket to Ride and included Excerpts if you'd like to check them out:

http://www.aqpauthors.blogspot.com/

Here It Is...Ticket to Ride Contest

It’s December and only two weeks to the release of Ticket to Ride. Wow, it seems like it took a long time to get here. To me anyway.

Today starts the giveaway for Ticket to Ride. I’m going to add a new element. The winner will be chosen randomly among those who can correctly answer one of three questions. You only need to answer one correctly when you comment.

The qualifying questions are:

1) What is the name of Michael’s brother in Car Wash?
2) What mental illness does Craig have in Perfect Man?
3) How does Justin make his living in Trust?

There you have the questions. Hopefully you can find one of those that you know the answer to.

Here is the official blurb if anyone is interested:

Chad Storm's longtime on-again, off-again boyfriend has a ticket to ride on a plane to Maryland and out of Chad's life for good. But someone decides on a more permanent end to their relationship. Former lead singer of the rock band, Lightning, Chad is working on his comeback album when he finds the body of his murdered ex-lover floating in his swimming pool.

Lieutenant Jack Reeves, from the homicide division, has never heard of Lightning, but now he has a gruesome murder to solve. The more he learns of Chad, the more intrigued he becomes, and his protective instincts kick in when Chad begins to receive strange phone calls—from the dead man.

Jack doesn't believe in ghosts and knows someone is trying to mess with Chad, leading him to think someone close to the singer could have murderous intentions. But his attraction to Chad takes him off the investigation.

Drawn to each other, Chad and Jack begin a steamy affair, and that brings the ruthless killer out of hiding...

Wetting Your Whistle for Ticket to Ride

Jack’s face was so close to Chad’s he could feel his breath when he spoke. “You fainted.”

Chad’s mouth made an O and Jack’s gaze fell to the lush plump lips. As though he willed it or maybe God just wanted to torture him, Chad’s tongue darted out to run along his bottom lip. Jack’s cock sure appreciated it, rising and pressed against his briefs. He stifled a groan with effort.

“Sorry,” Chad said, very softly. “I have a tendency to have sort of panic attacks. I’ve hyperventilated before.” He smiled then, just a slight curving of the lips. “Not in a while though.”

“No doubt the stress.” Jack continued to stare, fascinated by those lips. Wanting to taste them as though they were a raspberry on a fruit tart. He swallowed, trying desperately to get the lust back under control. But damn it was hard with this man on a bed and Jack’s hands all over him.

Chad nodded. “Yeah, you have no idea.”

Jack lowered his lips until they were only one, maybe two inches from Chad’s. It still seemed too far. He could smell spearmint as though Chad had recently chewed a stick of gum. It turned him on more for some unfathomable reason.

The man’s lids lowered, and his lips puckered just a bit. An invitation if ever Jack saw one. He’d been a cop long enough to know that it was the baddest of bad ideas. His gut told him Chad hadn’t killed Mark Walters, but any involvement with even a potential suspect was taboo.

Still he grazed his lips over Chad’s in a light touch, a mere tease. A whisper of flesh against flesh. Definitely not enough. The second kiss lasted longer, but he didn’t apply much more pressure. It was like he was testing the waters. He couldn’t decide if he was drowning or dying of thirst.

Chad’s eyes opened, revealing the crystal blue. “Jack?”

His mouth slid over Chad’s. The man’s lips were soft, warm, moist. Incredible. His hand cupped Chad’s jaw, bringing their lips together firmly. A moan escaped Jack’s lips and he slipped his tongue inside Chad’s mouth. Somehow, and Jack was pretty sure it was his fault, his body ended up draped over Chad’s, crushing the slighter man into the mattress. He also knew the hard object pressing into Chad was not Jack’s gun and Jack was indeed glad to see him.

Chad barely allowed the intrusion of Jack’s tongue and he decided to take more. His thumb feathered along the man’s lower lip before going in to force Chad’s mouth open wider. Success! He sucked Chad’s elusive tongue into his own mouth. If anyone’s tongue had ever tasted so good, Jack hadn’t found them. He could easily become addicted.

The man he crushed into the bed whimpered and for just a breathless second Jack thought Chad would push at him to dislodge Jack from his body. Of course he would acquiesce. He was not a mindless brute, after all. Well, most of the time.

But to Jack’s happy delight, Chad’s long, pale fingers slid under Jack’s buttoned down shirt to caress the bare skin of his abdomen. His cock jumped so intensely Jack was surprised he hadn’t come right then.

Teaser Excerpt for Ticket to Ride

Since Ticket to Ride doesn't come out until December,here is Ticket to Ride teaser:

“Holy shit, do you know who that is?”

Lieutenant Jack Reeves paused his pen in the middle of a notation about the crime scene and eyed Detective Albert Ramirez who stood beside him.

He followed Al’s gaze to the man sitting in the white plastic patio furniture chair. The man leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He had short, straight blond hair done in some fancy salon fashion. Jack still visited barbers himself. Jack estimated the blond to be in his mid to late thirties, and though he admitted the guy was pretty, he was also a total stranger.

“No, should I?”

Al shot him a look that said he was a complete idiot. He supposed he was to the much younger detective. Jack, who had turned forty-three on his last birthday, felt positively ancient compared to thirty-three year old Al. He started jotting down his notes again.

“Chad Storm,” Al said.

A soap opera name if ever he’d heard one. He shrugged. “Actor?”

Al groaned. “No, lieutenant. Chad Storm.”

Like saying it again would clue him in. He shrugged again.

“The lead singer of Lightning.”

“Oh.” Jack nodded and closed his spiral notebook. “Rock music, right?”

Al tsked. “Yes.”

“I’m not really into that sort of thing.”

Al rolled his eyes. “Fifteen years ago Lightning was the hottest group out there.”

“Hmm. What about now?”

“Well, they broke up a few years ago, actually,” Al admitted. He turned to watch the body of the victim being lifted out of the bloody swimming pool. Then he turned back to Jack. “Can I question him?”

“No way. You’re too much of a fan boy. I’ll talk to Mr. Storm. You go talk to the maid.”

Al grimaced. “All right.”

Jack patted Al’s shoulder and walked past him toward the rock star. He grabbed a nearby plastic chair and brought it over next to Storm. He sat down and cleared his throat.

Storm straightened and looked at him. He had killer blue eyes, Jack quickly noted. “Hello,” he said softly.

“Chad Storm?”

“Yes.”

“Lieutenant Reeves, Homicide.” He opened his notebook again. “Is Chad Storm your real name?”

“Yes. Well, it is my legal name. I officially changed it when I formed Lightning.” Storm smiled a little crookedly. “You know, it went with the band name.”

“Uh-huh. What’s your real name then?”

Storm shifted uncomfortable and stared out at the reddish pool, looking vaguely green. “Do you really need that?”

Though it wasn’t a funny situation, Jack found himself smiling just a little. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It is.” He sighed. “Lester Chadwick.”

Jack blinked, wrote it down, and cleared his throat. “Okay, Mr. Storm, how did you know the victim?”

“We were…you know, a couple.” Storm looked away from the pool and bit his bottom lip. “Not anymore. I mean even be-before this.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Years ago when he’d began his career as a police officer he practiced those words. Practiced making them sound almost casual. A police officer wasn’t supposed to have any feelings. Or at least that’s what his first partner told him. He no longer needed to practice. The words just came out, though they still sounded hollow to Jack’s ears. “How long ago did you and Walters end your relationship?”

“I didn’t,” Storm said softly. “Mark did. He wanted his freedom, I guess.”

“To see other men?”

Storm nodded.

"How long ago was this, Mr. Storm?”

He met Jack’s gaze and his baby blue eyes were filled with an almost unbearable sorrow. “A few weeks ago. I found an airline reservation in the desk drawer. It was for a one-way ticket to Baltimore. I asked him about it and he said he was flying there to meet someone.”

Jack made notes. “And when was his ticket for?”

“Um, tonight actually. He was supposed to leave tonight.” He studied his folded hands a moment before looking up once more. “Do I need a lawyer?”

Jack gave him a reassuring police detective smile. “Not unless you have something to hide. You aren’t under arrest. You don’t have anything to hide, do you, Chad?”

“No. I didn’t kill Mark. I found him.”

He nodded. “When was the last time you saw Walters alive?”

Storm flinched. “I…last night I guess. This house is mine. I mean, I bought it when I was with the band and Mark lived here with me, but I told him he could just stay here until he left.”

“That was nice of you considering the circumstances,” Jack said dryly.

“I’ve known Mark since we were kids.” The man looked stricken. “Knew. How do you get used to it?”

“Used to what?”

“Talking about someone in the past tense. I don’t think I ever will.” Storm closed his eyes. His Adam’s apple bopped as he swallowed heavily. He buried his face in his hands then for a moment, exhaling slowly. When he looked up at Jack, his eyes were watery. “What else do you need to know?”

Jack was torn. He needed to ask a lot more questions of Chad Storm, but the man seemed at his breaking point and something about him tugged at Jack deep inside. Still, he had a job to do and that job was to find out if Chad Storm had killed his ex-lover, Mark Walters, or if not, who did.

“Chad, there you are!” A very tall, very thin, balding man with a goatee, probably in his mid-sixties, came rushing over to them and made a beeline for Chad. He shot Jack a look of disdain and grabbed Chad’s arms, hauling him out of the plastic chair and into his arms in a tight embrace. “I came over as soon as I got the message. Oh, God, it’s just terrible.”

Jack stood and cleared his throat. “And you are?”

“Ronald Epstein, a dear friend of Chad’s. And just who are you?”

“Lieutenant Jack Reeves, Homicide.”

“You’re questioning Chad without a lawyer?”

“He’s not under arrest.”

“It’s all right, Ron.” Chad pulled out of the man’s embrace and gave Jack a weak smile. “Is there any way we could continue this later, lieutenant? I’m feeling rather ill.”

“Very well. Tomorrow morning at ten?”

Chad nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“If you have a few minutes, Mr. Epstein, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Epstein raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. “All right. But how about inside? I’d rather not have to look at,” he paused with a dramatic shudder and glanced toward the bloody water, “that.”

I Just Love Easy Edits

Got my edits yesterday for Ticket to Ride and they were a breeze! I can't tell you how happy that made me. Even though my cold is still hanging on a bit that put a giant smile on my face.

I also re-read Ticket to Ride from page one to the end and I have to say, I was very pleased with the result. The first couple of intimate scenes between my protags, Chad and Jack, I think, are among my best.

I can even forsee myself revisting these two in a future book or two.

Anyway, I cannot wait until its release in December to learn what everyone thinks.

Ah, A Long Weekend

Nothing all that new and exciting to report.

Beyond the Norm seems to be doing well in its first couple days of release so I am pleased about that.

I got my galley for Sweet Reunion so I will be going over that over the long weekend.

And my few days of rest after completing Ticket to Ride must officially come to an end and work begins in earnest on Twice in a Lifetime.

Also the most generous Barbara of the fabulous blog, Happily Forever After, who did some work on Ava March's blog has generously offered to tweak mine if I so desire and of course I do. So watch out for a new look sometime soon (got to figure out what I want).

As the Beatles Sang...

I think I'm gonna be sad...

NOT!!! Ticket to Ride is done!

For all intents and purposes anyway. I sent off the last chapter for review by Ms. Ava March and I have some forms to do for Amber Quill, but I am intending to send it off to the powers that be tomorrow.

What a relief! I can't believe I finished it by the deadline of September 01.

I am ridiculously happy to have finished another one. The release date is December 13, 2009

Of course on another note, I lost a follower so I am gonna be sad after all, :(
Ah, well, all is well in Shawn Lane land especially since Handsome Jack is now following me.

Progress is Made

After a not so successful weekend, I am making decent progress today on Ticket to Ride. I've got close to 1,000 words done and that's just on a break and lunch at the EDJ. Pretty cool. I'm hoping tonight I can finish up the chapter.

I broke the 15,000 word mark too so I think by the time it's finished it will officially be novella length. I figure I have 2-3 chapters left. Can I finish it off by September 01? Um, well, I don't know, honestly. That's just a week away. But if not by then, not too many days after.

I can already see a sequel to these two, Chad and Jack, coming in the future. Thankfully if it does come down to a sequel it won't be until spring 2010. I have way too much to write now to even think of it now.

When this is over, I think in the last few months of this year (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec), I can get maybe two stories done. One will be Twice in a Lifetime. This is the story of Jude, my rather flamboyant Englishman from September's release of Sweet Reunion. Jude is definitely insisiting he is next. Depending on how long Jude's story takes it is possible I can get to another story, but no promises, especially since I also plan on writing and posting the Christmas stories for my heroes in Pulling Away and Car Wash.

Still if Twice in a Lifetime ends up being the last book I write this year, I think I've had a very, very full year of releases and hopefully 2010 will bring many more.

A Requested Update

My friend, Ryan, who checks out my blog on a regular basis complained that I hadn't updated it all week so this is for him.

As you probably know, I have no releases in August, so it's difficult for me to find much to post about.

I will say that I am going right along on my song-themed story, Ticket to Ride. I just crossed the 12,000 words mark and expect it will end somewhere around 20,000 words when I end. Which is novella length.

Unfortunately, Ticket to Ride is part of the song themed PAX collection for Amber Quill and though it wasn't due until September 01, five other AQ authors beat me. Their stories are already done and submitted. So, my story will not be part of the first collection being released in November. Bummer.

No worries, though, it will be released either in December as part of a second collection or on its own.

Beyond the Norm, my goth/biker story, releases in less than three weeks so I will do a giveaway closer to the date.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Shawn's Boring Life

Haven't had much to say as you can see. Just working on Ticket to Ride.

Hope to be able to post my cover for Beyond the Norm from Dreamspinner Press soon, but until then, I really am left with nothing to say.

Anyway, enjoy the eye candy and hope everyone else is having more excitement in their life.

Ticket to Ride Excerpt

So today I decided to post an excerpt from my current work in progress, Ticket to Ride. Probably to be released in December. I think.


“Holy shit, do you know who that is?”

Lieutenant Jack Reeves paused his pen in the middle of a notation about the crime scene and eyed Detective Albert Ramirez who stood beside him.

He followed Al’s gaze to the man sitting in the white plastic patio furniture chair. The man leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He had short blond straight hair done in some fancy salon fashion. Jack still visited barbers himself. Jack estimated the blond to be in his mid to late thirties and though he admitted the guy was pretty he was also a total stranger.

“No, should I?”

Al shot him a look as though he were a complete idiot. He supposed he was to the much younger detective. Jack, who had turned forty-three on his last birthday, felt positively ancient compared to thirty-three year old Al. He started jotting down his notes again.

“Chad Storm,” Al said.

A soap opera name if ever he’d heard one. He shrugged. “Actor?”

Al groaned. “No, lieutenant. Chad Storm.”

Like saying it again would clue him in. He shrugged again.

“The lead singer of Lightning.”

“Oh.” Jack nodded and closed his spiral notebook. “Rock music, right?”

Al tsked. “Yes.”

“I’m not really into that sort of thing.”

“Fifteen years ago Lightning was the hottest group out there.”

“Hmm. What about now?”

“Well, they broke up a few years ago, actually,” Al admitted. He turned to watch the body of the victim being lifted out of the bloody swimming pool. Then he turned back to Jack. “Can I question him?”

“No way. You’re too much of a fan boy. I’ll talk to Mr. Storm. You go talk to the maid.”

Al grimaced. “All right.”

Jack patted Al’s shoulder and walked past him toward the rock star. He grabbed a nearby plastic chair and brought it over next to Storm. He sat down and cleared his throat.

Storm straightened and looked at him. He had killer blue eyes, Jack quickly noted. “Hello,” he said softly.

“Chad Storm?”

“Yes.”

“Lieutenant Reeves, homicide.” He opened his notebook again. “Is Chad Storm your real name?”

“Yes. Well, it is my legal name. I officially changed it when I formed Lightning.” Storm smiled a little crookedly. “You know, it went with the band name.”

“Uh-huh. What’s your real name then?”

Storm shifted uncomfortable and stared out at the reddish pool. “Do you really need that?”

Though it wasn’t a funny situation, Jack found himself smiling just a little. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It is.” He sighed. “Lester Chadwick.”

Jack blinked, wrote it down, and cleared his throat. “Okay, Mr. Storm, how did you know the victim?”

“We were…you know, a couple.” Storm looked away from the pool and bit his bottom lip. “Not anymore. I mean even be-before this.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Years ago when he’d began his career as a police officer he practiced those words. Practiced making them sound almost casual. A police officer wasn’t supposed to have any feelings. Or at least that’s what his first partner told him. He no longer needed to practice. The words just came out, though they still sounded hollow to Jack’s ears. “How long ago did you and Walters end your relationship?”

“I didn’t,” Storm said softly. “Mark did. He wanted his freedom, I guess.”

“To see other men?”

Storm only nodded.

“How long ago was this, Mr. Storm?”

He met Jack’s gaze and his baby blue eyes were filled with an almost unbearable sorrow. “Last week. I found a plane ticket in the desk drawer. It was a one-way ticket to Baltimore. I asked him about it and he said he was flying there to meet someone.”

Jack made notes. “And when was his ticket for?”

“Um, tonight actually. He was supposed to leave tonight.” He studied his folded hands a moment before looking up once more. “Do I need a lawyer?”