It's Already May

...and we have snowy* weather in northeast ohio...

I’m sure you’re tired of hearing me complain about the cold… but being an Ohioan for most of my life, I’ve seen snow in June. This is honestly no surprise, but also… it’s annoying af.

How do you heat yourself up, Meesh?

By reading and writing hot stories, of course.

I just finished listening to a favorite - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. There is something so right about this book that I fall in love over and over again with Stella and Michael. The spicy scenes are SO good. This is my five out of five book. It’s rare I give a five star review, but this book hits every single one of my feels, every single time.

Freebies!

In case you’re also in a chilly area, I have some freebies to help heat you up.

Gora Shade

If you’ve been following my writing for a few years, you’ll already know Gora Shade from Chemical [se]X 2: Just One More for her story Beast, and several other titles she’s written.

The Everything Author:

Gora Shade has been writing steamy, sex-positive literary erotica since 2013, creating strong female characters in casual hookups, creative orgies, or exploring the world of monsters. She was a finalist for The Good Sex Award, 2021 for her submission “Vintage Treasures.”

She has lots of freebies on Theo, but the one we’re featuring today is called Sundays.

Summary: Jayden's secret Sunday routine involves spying on his dorm neighbor, Eric, through a hole in the wall. When Eric catches him, Jayden's humiliation turns into an unexpected shared experience. Their solo acts become a mutual encounter, breaking boundaries and leading to a surprising connection.

Highly recommend keeping your eye on Gora… she is a prolific writer and her imagination has no bounds.

Posy Churchgate

You can follow Posy right here on Substack, but she has a freebie over on Ream!

By following Posy on Ream Stories, you’ll gain access to her freebie: The Letters Between Us.

Summary: When Danni moves into her new university digs she discovers a cache of letters ... love letters. Written by unknown Matt to the mysteriously elusive Saffron. Danni staves off her loneliness by reading them, and becomes entangled in the past of two strangers, and intrigued by a growing mystery.

Because She Hates Me (by me) is available for free as well on Ream:

Summary: Motorcycle-riding badass Kerry is convinced of two things: she is hopelessly in love with her roommate, Nora, and Nora absolutely hates her guts. But when Nora calls her for a rescue mission on Valentine’s Day to escape a disastrous date, Kerry dons her helmet and becomes the “Princess in Shining Leather.”

Safe back at their apartment, they decide to salvage the holiday with a gift from Kerry’s friend Nico: a box of high-end truffles originally meant for the girlfriend who just dumped him. But after indulging in the decadent treats, they discover the warning label a little too late. These aren’t just sweets; they’re potent aphrodisiacs from Acme Confections designed to ignite desire. As the heat rises and inhibitions crumble, Kerry realizes the friction between them isn’t hate at all, and the only way to handle the spark is to finally let it burn.

If you enjoy Because She Hates Me, get the rest of the confection collection called Chemical [se]X 2: Just One More.

Goodies, but not so freebies:

If you haven’t heard, Draft2Digital has instituted at 12 dollar annual fee for low-earning authors. If they don’t earn 100 dollars in a year, they’ll be charged this fee. Look, I get it… but low-earning authors, like myself, are out here doing our best. Punishing us with fees is a great way to make us go elsewhere. Also, wtaf?

I closed my Smashwords accounts when I read D2D was buying them. I decided to go wide again and opened a new D2D account last July… and then sat on it. I was doing stuff in the background, but taking my time. D2D is different from other platforms I use, so I wanted to get it right.

And now I’m being punished for taking that time. I’ve created a discount coupon for Stumbling Toward Serenity on Smashwords. You can get it for 1.00.

Yes, I know, I’m releasing it chapter by chapter here, but if you don’t want to wait, the ebook and paperback are always available.

I’m releasing it here (and on Patreon and Ream) because I’ll be adding chapters from the POV of the MMC, Marcus. I have until July 1st to make the 100 dollar threshold through Draft2Digital. The coupon lasts until June 30th.

Summary: A high-powered career. A personal implosion. And a vacation she doesn’t remember booking.

Natalie had it all: prestige, power, and a reputation for getting results. But after HR complaints label her a “bully” and her boss issues an ultimatum—take a sabbatical or resign—Natalie plans to regroup. Unfortunately, Drunk Natalie had other plans.

After a wine-fueled night she can’t recall, Natalie wakes up to a waiting car and a confirmation email for The Haven. Expecting a luxury resort to wait out her suspension, she arrives on Revelry Island only to find she has accidentally signed herself up for a rustic, Wi-Fi-less retreat focused on “healing.”

Trapped by her own impulsive booking and eager to prove she can “relax” enough to get her job back, she is forced to endure meditation, chores, and Marcus—the maddeningly calm grief counselor whose quiet kindness and homemade beignets give her room to fall apart.

Natalie wants control. She wants her life back. But as the island’s rhythm seeps in, she realizes that the version of herself she’s fighting to save might be the very thing she needs to resign from.

Coupon Code: F7XMQ

Dwight’s Corner

Dwight, judging me as always, from his very warm habitat I wish I could crawl into. Highly recommend reptiles as pets if you live in an apartment that doesn’t mention them in a lease… that means no pet rent or pet deposit. Dwight loves salad, warm soaks in the tub now and then, scritches on his wee little head, and… well… giving me looks.

He also enjoys action movies and shows, will deliberately conk out in front of the door to the coldest room in the apartment (when it’s warm enough for him to be out of his cozy habitat), and run around his habitat like a looney toon.

I hope you’re all cozy and warm wherever you may be. Have a great weekend with some free (and not so free) reads!

*I didn’t see snow, but I’m sure it’s out there somewhere.