Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Daydreaming! Reviewing LGBTQIA Books, all formats ! Binge Watching A World of Romance
More Winner Announcements! Both winners and authors have been notified. Congratulations and our thanks to these wonderful authors for their participation and contests!
Author/Giveaways Winner
Christian Baines Waxapplelover
N. J. Nielsen: Julie Small
Beany Sparks Denise Duchene
Toni Griffin Alaina
Our first Down Under Author Showcase ended yesterday and what a marvelous event it was. We had the participation of 28 authors and 2 independent Down Under publishers and gifts from the Embassy of Australia and the Embassy of New Zealand here in DC. My thanks again to Bottom Drawer Publications, Wayward Ink Publications and all of the wonderful authors from Down Under! It’s been grand! Let’s do it again next year! And if you need a refresher, our Down Under Author Showcase Page will remain up until its updated at the next Showcase!
I discovered many new authors myself and am still happily buried in John Wiltshire’s series “More Heat Than The Sun”, and then will move on to more discoveries from authors this month. I hope everyone had a great time and made discoveries of their own, that extends not only to authors and books but facts they learned about Australia and New Zealand as well.
Some of my favorites?
Wombat poop looks like cubes. -picture 1
There are caves in New Zealand where glow worms light the ceilings like stars -#2
An ancient tree so old it has its own name and looks like an elf should be standing beside it.
Flightless parrots, mobs of camels and kelpies who cross the backs of sheep!
And so many places of incomparable beauty from the red dirt deserts of the Northern Territory to the beaches of the south, to the hills so green in New Zealand they remind you of emeralds and mountain lakes with water so clear it looks crystalline. And don’t get me started on all those cities and towns I now wish to visit as well! What were your favorite facts this month?
Over the next several days I will be announcing winners of the various contests. Today we will start with the winners of our Down Under Scavenger Hunt. Here they are!
The Winners of our Down Under Scavenger Hunt are, in the order that their entries were received:
First Place: Julie Small $75.00 Amazon gift card
2nd Place:Vitajex First Choice of any of the following gifts listed below
3rd Place:Jennifer Florence 2nd choice of any of the following
4th PlaceShirley Speakman 3rd Choice
5th Place Antonia Aquilante 4th Choice
6th Place:H.B. 5th Choice
7th Place: Hannah B 6th Choice
Prizes to Choose From: Choice of 1 box from Australia or New Zealand Gift Box (large), Choice of 1 of the Smaller AUS or NZ Gift Box* or
Under the Southern Cross Anthology from Dreamspinner Press – a total of 5 e books*
How to Speak Kangaroo or your choice of any 2 books from our Down Under Authors*
Note: I will be posting some pictures of the boxes later today!
Now as the dust settles from our first big event, just a note that May will be Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Authors Across the Pond Showcase…all month long! Just a little something to scribble on your calendars!
Today brings to a close the wonderful Down Under Authors Showcase at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. My thanks to all the great authors who participated, sharing their thoughts, stories, and giving away their precious books as well. All the reviewers here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, including myself, have found new authors and books to love and we hope that you have done the same.
We’ve gone from the Northern Territory of Australia to the beaches of the South, from the shores and cities like Christchurch of New Zealand into the pastures and mountainsides of that uniquely gorgeous and largely uninhabited country. We’ve had amazing and fun facts about both countries and had to look for some Down Under words and phrases for the Down Under Scavenger Hunt. What fact stuck with you? Was it the one about wombat poop? Or the world’s largest insect? Who has the most Scottish piping bands? And have you learned a little Aussie or Kiwi words to mingle in with your every day vocabulary? Send us an email and let us know which authors are new discoveries for you, new books you put on your TBR pile and any other comments you want to share! We’re going to do this again next year, so all suggestions are helpful.
R. J. Jones has a wonderful bio and new books about to be released! Check out her author’s page to follow along with her bio, books, and interview. Oh, and of course, her giveaway! The authors showcased this week will have extra time added to their contests so more can enter.
Look for another post about the contests, notifications, and prizes on February 1st. My thanks also to the Embassy of Australia and the Embassy of New Zealand (in DC) for their contributions to our prize packages. Their media staff couldn’t have been lovelier. My thanks also to Bottom Drawer Publications and Wayward Ink Publications for their contests and giveaways as well. I’ve loved every bit of this month and hope you all have too!
Now onto our last Australia and New Zealand facts of the day, at least until next year!
Some of Australia’s best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat. We’ve shared facts about the dingo (see John Wiltshire’s page). We’ve talked about wombat poop! How about a little about the Platypus and Echidna, the world’s only egg-laying mammals?
The Echidna
Echidna’s lifespan is over 45 years, and grow up to 20″ in length
Their tongue is very long and sticky and is perfect for catching the hundreds of termites and ants that make up their staple diet.
An echidna can lift objects twice its weight, drink water and can swim.
Like the male Platypus, the male echidna has spurs, but has no venom glands attached to them
Echidna is slightly less intelligent than a cat
Mating takes place Belly-to-belly, which avoids the male spiking himself on the female’s spines-Echidna sex fact!
The echidna is best known not only as a mascot of Sydney Olympic Games 2000, but also for its amazing biology. Like the platypus, this unusual mammal lays eggs and suckles its young. The echidna and platypus are the only members of a primitive group of mammals known as monotremes.
Echidnas are widely distributed throughout Australia and Tasmania. Although not commonly seen, they are not considered threatened. They live in a wide variety of habitats, from cold mountainous peaks to deserts.
They usually found in places with a good supply of ants and termites, where it lies on an ant-mound, sticks out its tongue and lets ants walk onto it. Echidnas have no teeth. It crushes its insect food between horny plates on its tongue and the roof of its mouth.
The Platypus!
The platypus is among nature’s most unlikely animals. In fact, the first scientists to examine a specimen believed they were the victims of a hoax. The animal is best described as a hodgepodge of more familiar species: the duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail), and otter (body and fur). Males are also venomous. They have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and can use them to deliver a strong toxic blow to any foe.
Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling with their front webbed feet and steering with their hind feet and beaverlike tail. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. In this posture, a platypus can remain submerged for a minute or two and employ its sensitive bill to find food.
These Australian mammals are bottom feeders. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption. Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to “chew” their meal.
On land, platypuses move a bit more awkwardly. However, the webbing on their feet retracts to expose individual nails and allow the creatures to run. Platypuses use their nails and feet to construct dirt burrows at the water’s edge.
Platypus reproduction is nearly unique. It is one of only two mammals (the echidna is the other) that lay eggs.
Females seal themselves inside one of the burrow’s chambers to lay their eggs. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, but platypus infants are the size of lima beans and totally helpless. Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own.
The tuatara may look like a rather ordinary reptile, but it’s a highly unusual creature. This New Zealand native has a unique, ancient lineage that goes back to the time of the dinosaurs.
There are two living species of tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus and the much rarerSphenodon guntheri, or Brothers Island tuatara, which is found only on North Brother Island in Cook Strait.
Mature tuataras usually measure between 12 and 30 inches long and weigh between 0.5 and two and a half pounds. Their skin is greenish gray and is sometimes speckled. Tuataras make their homes in coastal forest and low scrub, preferring areas with crumbly soil in which they can burrow.
1. The tuatara may look like a lizard, but it’s unique. The tuatara is not a lizard; it is the only living member of the order Rhynchocephalia, which flourished around 200 million years ago. All other members of the order became extinct 60 million years ago, in the late Cretaceous period.
2. The name “tuatara” comes from the Maori for “peaks on the back.” Tuataras have spiny crests along their backs made from soft, triangular folds of skin. These spines are more prominent in males, who can raise them during territorial or courtship displays.
3. They are surprisingly long-lived. Tuataras mature slowly and don’t stop growing until they reach about 30 years old. It is thought they can live up to 100 years in the wild. Part of the reason for their longevity may be their slow metabolism. Tuataras can tolerate much lower temperatures than most reptiles and they hibernate during the winter. The body temperature of tuataras can range from 41-52 °F over the course of a day, whereas most reptiles have body temperatures around 68 °F. This low body temperature results in a slower metabolism.
4. They have a third eye. The tuatara has a third eye on the top of its head called the parietal eye. This eye has a retina, lens, cornea, and nerve endings, but it is not used for vision. The parietal eye is only visible in hatchlings, as it becomes covered in scales and pigments after four to six months. Its function is a subject of ongoing research, but it is believed to be useful in absorbing ultraviolet rays and in setting circadian and seasonal cycles.
5. They can regrow lost tails. The tuatara can break off its tail when caught by a predator and regenerate it later.
6. They have unusual teeth that can’t be replaced. Tuataras have a single row of teeth on the lower jaw and a double row of teeth on the upper jaw, with the bottom row fitting between the two upper rows when the mouth is closed. It’s a tooth arrangement not seen in any other reptile. And unlike all other living toothed reptiles, the tuatara’s teeth are not separate structures but sharp projections of the jaw bone. This means that worn down or broken teeth cannot be replaced. Older tuataras with worn-down teeth have to switch from eating hard insects to softer prey such as earthworms, larvae, and slugs.
7. Tuataras reproduce slowly. They take 10-20 years to reach sexual maturity. Males can mate every year, but females breed every two to five years. It takes the female between one and three years to provide eggs with yolk, and up to seven months to form the shell. Then it takes an additional 12 to 15 months from copulation to hatching, possibly the longest incubation rate of any reptile.
A male tuatara named Henry, living at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, became a first-time father at the age of 111. He fathered 11 babies with a female named Mildred, believed to be in her seventies.
8. They’re diurnal when young, nocturnal as adults. Hatchling tuataras are believed to be active during the day to avoid the cannibalistic adult tuataras that come at out night.
9. They cohabitate with birds. Tuataras can dig their own burrows, but also use the burrows of seabirds for shelter when available. The seabirds’ guano provides an attractive environment for the invertebrates that tuataras prey upon, such as beetles, crickets, and spiders. Tuataras will also sometimes eat the eggs and young of the seabirds.
10. Tuataras’ worst enemies are rats. Tuataras once inhabited the New Zealand mainland as well as offshore islands. But when the first humans arrived from Polynesia, they brought rats and other animals that devoured tuatara eggs and hatchlings. The situation was so dire that the New Zealand government fully protected tuataras in 1895. Despite the protection, tuataras were extinct on the mainland and confined to around 30 offshore islands until the first mainland release of tuataras into a sanctuary in 2005. Three years later, a tuatara nest was uncovered, thought to be the first case of a tuatara successfully breeding on the New Zealand mainland in over 200 years. Along with captive breeding and release programs, attempts to eradicate rats from offshore islands have also met with success and allowed tuatara populations to rebound.
Bette Browne is the author of Exposed, The Not Quite Shakespeare Anthology, Dirty Martini, among others listed below.
To get to know Bette Browne a little better, the author agreed to write a guest post about Christmas in Australia. It’s a fascinating window into how much we differ and yet are so much alike. Look for that below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.
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Bette Browne is wife to an extremely understanding husband and mother to two very tolerant children. In her mind they are the most accepting family in the world, allowing her the freedom to indulge her passion for fiction, whether it is reading or writing it.
She enjoys traditional male/female romances, but male/male is her passion. In her mind nothing is more erotic than two (or more) beautiful men finding love together.
For Bette, the fight for tolerance in all its guises is an important one, and hopefully her contribution, even if it is only in the form of the occasional love story, is one she will continue to happily find the time for.
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Contact/Follow Bette Browne at:
Email: authorbettebrowne@gmail.com
Website (Blog): http://bettebrowne.blogspot.com.au
Facebook: https:www.facebook.com/bette.browne.1
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/bettebrowne
Goodreads: 12327021-bette-browne
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Second Chances Anthology (Dirty Martini) Bottom Drawer Publications
Dirty Martini (published at Bottom Drawer Publications):
Blurb:
This story was originally included in the SECOND CHANCES Anthology released in August 2012 and has been individually released to celebrate BDP’s anniversary.
Daniel Fletcher knocks back his third vodka of the night after running into his ex out with the same lover he had found him with in their bed two months before. He’d ended their relationship that night but coming face to face with them still together makes the pain of the breakup still very real.
Nathan Smith has seen more men than he count drowning their sorrows in a bottle at his bar. He understands – he’s been there himself. One night a handsome brunette with sad blue eyes makes Nate want to assure him that everything will be okay. The connection he feels from a fleeting touch, as he walks the man out of the bar, shakes and stirs him in ways that he never expected.
What starts out as a means to forget might just be what they both need.
The Candidates *M/M Romance “Love Has No Boundaries” Story
Not Quite Shakespeare Anthology (The Jacobite)
Exposed (Love’s Landscapes Story)
Coming soon:
Bared (Exposed Sequel)
Genres: contemporary fiction, M/M romance
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1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Bette Browne) is an eBook copy of the winner’s choice of Dirty Martini, or even the anthology Second Chances (Dirty Martini is in it) . Enter using this Rafflecopter link here.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt “word or phrase” in bold green .
Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.
Christmas and summer, and why as an Australian the blend of the two is so incredibly important to me . . .
As you read this, you will most likely be trying to forget Christmas (or whichever holiday you might celebrate at this time of year). I know I do in the immediate days and weeks following it, happy to pack it away in neat boxes until next year. But as I write it is still looming in the very near future, barrelling down upon me so quickly that I feel if I blink I might miss it. As much as I love the holiday season, it makes me sweat big fat drops of perspiration (literally as well as figuratively—it is summer here right now after all) and causes my blood pressure to soar—but I really do love it, and all the crazy joy associated with it.
So why would I write about a holiday that will be well and truly over by the time anyone reads my words? Because if the Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words team want to showcase the differences between Australia (and New Zealand) and much of the rest of the world, i.e. the Northern Hemisphere, then Christmas in summer is one of them as far as I am concerned.
Picture this, it’s Christmas Eve, those nearest and dearest to you are done with work for the day, excited that they’re about to have a few days off, and have converged on your house this year, Eskys in tow (that’s a cooler, btw) loaded with icy cold beers
and bottles of wine, and maybe a kilo or two of fresh trawler-caught prawns. The kids—nieces, nephews, friends, whoever—already dressed in their swimsuits, have towels slung over their shoulders, but not for long. As soon as they get the okay from their parents, those towels are re-slung over the pool fence, or straight onto the ground, and the splashing begins—they won’t get out until you drag them out later that evening with threats that Santa won’t come if they are not in bed and asleep by midnight (although it will actually be 10 p.m.—sanity does prevail!). Of course, after all that activity sleep will come easy, and their pool-red eyes will close fast. Thank you! The adults enjoy the balmy evening sitting under the twinkling fairy lights strung around, occasionally slapping away a mosquito as twilight descends (Where are those mosquito coils again?), discussing in quiet tones how many presents are still left to be wrapped after the kids are asleep and what’s on the menu at their house tomorrow. That conversation might move to whether Uncle Jim (or Tom or Fred or . . .) will be joining the festivities this year, and how many beers he’ll drink before he becomes argumentative and wants to fight.
It’s still 30°C at nine p.m., and the forecast for tomorrow says it will be another hot one, maybe even reaching 42°C. As a few of you wander the neighbourhood, glass of wine in hand, to look at the Christmas lights on the houses, you all discuss how to beat the heat on the most-loved-day-of-the-year. Envy abounds that you have a pool, but it will be too hot to be in it if the temperature reaches that high. What will actually happen is that you’ll huddle away inside until late in the afternoon, leaving Uncle Jim snoring on the couch, and you’ll all pile in the car to go to the beach to enjoy both a swim and the cool sea breeze that will break the heat, and calm everyone’s escalating (by then) nerves. And then you’ll mosey on home, tired and sated, able to now utilise the pool and the outside entertaining area and graze on leftovers and finally relax.
It’s Christmas Day. Everyone in your house is still asleep, for how long you have no idea, but you’re awake, so you’re going to make the most of the slightly cooler morning and get a start on things. You drink your first cup of coffee looking at the flashing lights on the Christmas tree, happy that wrapping any extra presents is not something that needs to be done this morning—you were organised this year. Then you go to the kitchen.
Everyone’s awake now. Presents have been opened, and the kids are enjoying the spoils of the day. It’s nice to have a moment to enjoy that—it’s maybe your favourite part of the whole silly season, even as they get older. But there is only so much time you can sit and relax.
The temperature is rising, and as you move around the kitchen and perspiration begins to cover your body, it is finally time to turn on the air-conditioner. It would be miserable today without it; besides, you need to try and fight the heat of the oven cooking the turkey and roasted vegetables you just can’t do without. That’s certainly a tradition you have never been able to let go of. Many have, because really who would cook a roast dinner during the hottest part of the year, choosing instead to feast on the magnificent seafood so plentiful in this part of the world. But you love it, Christmas just isn’t the same without it, and you have the air-conditioning to help stave the heat.
Again you look at the clock (such a shame that even a day like today can’t run without one) and notice the guests will be arriving soon. Time to go and change into the lovely soft summer dress you decided on for the occasion.
Lunch is served. Well not really, it’s later than that. It’s been just too hot to eat—and you’ve been nibbling all morning. But you look at your beautiful table, proud of your achievement. The lovely place settings, the bon bons, the lovely centrepiece, and the food, so much food—turkey, potatoes, gravy, ham, pork, vegetables, some seafood, salads, and more . . .
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As I read back over what I’ve just written, I wonder whether Christmas in Australia is actually any different at all to anywhere else in the world. Yes, the weather is hot, excruciatingly so at times, and that is a big difference, but in so many ways it’s the same: being overwhelmingly busy, threats that Santa won’t come if the kids aren’t asleep, the gifts, the food, Uncle Jim (and his drinking problem) . . .
I am fortunate enough to have experienced a Northern Christmas, and don’t get me wrong, I loved every moment of it, and would love to do it again one day, but would I trade? No. There was no riding of new Christmas bikes on the driveway, or beach swims at the end of the day, or even that leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood to view the Christmas lights. It just wasn’t he same. It didn’t herald the beginning of my children having their long summer break, or mark the end of yet another school year, or the precede the Boxing Day sales (similar to Black Friday in the USA).
I suppose what it boils down to is that Christmas, or anything else for that matter, is what you know along with memories forged over a lifetime. It’s what you have grown up with that makes something special, as well as the people you are able to spend it with.
Maybe one of the wonderful Down Under authors being showcased needs to write an appropriate Aussie/NZ Christmas tale. Now where is my notepad . . .?
Happy “belated” holidays!
Bette
[STRW Note: No, there are no misspellings, that’s the difference between US English and Down Under English (with differences still between NZ and AUS.}]
I can’t believe the month has gone so quickly and our time Down Under is almost finished. I have love making the acquaintance of every single author who has participated. Through their interviews and guest posts, bios and books, each has given me a different way to look at things as well as so many new books to put on my reading list. I hope that they have done the same for you! Two more authors to go. Today let’s welcome, Bette Browne who is talking about Christmas Down Under!
You still have time to enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest, just go to the Down Under Author Showcase page and look for the Rafflecopter link. Don’t forget as well to enter Wayward Ink Publications contest too!
Am I running out of facts for you? No, I’m not, so onto our facts of the day.
Australia Facts of the DayThe largest Greek population in the world beside Athens in Greece can be found in Melbourne Victoria.
The only nation-continent of 20 million people in the world.
The wattle was adopted as the national floral emblem in 1912. Does the US have a national floral symbol?
The first Australian Friendly Society with the motto of ‘Advance Australia’ was the Australian Natives’ Association (ANA) formed in Victoria in 1871.
More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coast making Australia one of the world’s most urbanised coastal dwelling populations.
Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is the world’s steepest street. The road has a gradient of 1 in 2.86 at its steepest section, a 38 per cent grade. What is a certain street in San Francisco known for?
From 1867 to 1927, the government planed ahead for shipwrecks by building supply-filled huts on remote islands.
There is a clock in Dunedin which has been running since 1864, despite never having been wound since it was made.
Gisborne airport has train tracks running across the middle of the runway. Quite often, trains and planes have to stop until one moves out of the way.
Only a few days left and a couple more authors to welcome! Today our featured writer is author Ellen Cross from north eastern Australia. I don’t know where she finds the time to write…why? Check out her bio along with her books and lovely giveaway! Ellen Cross’ contest ends February 6 instead of the 31st to give more people time to enter.
Now on to our facts of the day.
‘Wave Rock of Hyden’ is a natural rock formation resembles a tall breaking Ocean wave which is 46 ft in height and around 360 ft long. It lies about 3 kilometers east of the small town of Hyden and 296 km (184 mi) east-southeast of Perth, Western Australia. It is a part of 395 acre natural reserve of Hyden Wildlife Park.
About Wave Rock of Hyden…
It consists of 2.63 billion year old Biotite K feldspar.
Wave Rock of Hyden is a perfect example of ‘Flared Slope’,
Wave rock of Hyden has become a tourist spot with over 140,000 visitors per year.
What is Flared slope?
Flared slopes like Wave Rock are particularly well developed in granitic landforms of south-western and southern Australia.
Do you know where our own US rock formation called The Wave is located?
Split Apple Rock of The Tasman Bay!
Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation in The Tasman Bay off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
Made of granite, it is in the shape of an apple which has been cut in half. It is a popular tourist attraction in the waters of the Tasman Sea approximately 50 metres off the coast between Kaiteriteri and Marahau.
The rock sits in shallow water at low tide and is accessible by wading. It is also a point of interest for the many tourist boats and pleasure craft which operate along the shores of the Abel Tasman National Park.
The cleft to produce two sides of the ‘apple’ was a natural occurrence. It is unknown when this happened and therefore the cleaving of the rock has attracted mythological explanations
Barry Lowe is the author of so many books (with memorable titles) that we couldn’t list them all. For the full list, see Barry Lowe’s Goodreads page. Among his many titles are gems like these: Homo for the Holidays, Guys and Trolls (Guys and Trolls #1), My Dad’s a Vampire, Love with a Side Order of Pelicans, The Bear’s Guide to Depilatory Wax , and so many more that I want to continue listing them all! To get to know Barry Lowe a little better, we have an interview with Barry at the end. Look for that below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.
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Barry Lowe writes about love and sex so he won’t forget how to do it. When he’s not out doing field research, he’s writing about love’s wonderful variations for a series of smut eBooks, novels and anthologies for Lydian Press. He lives in Sydney with Walter, his partner of 42 years.
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Contact/Follow Barry Lowe at:
Website http://www.barrylowe.info
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barry.lowe.3591
Goodreads Author Page
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I began writing weekly short stories (around 5000 words for loveyoudivine which were collected into anthologies eventually). Now I write longer stories at a slower pace. Amongst the longer works or collections are The Gravy Train; Butt Boys; Your Boyfriend is Hot; How Much is That Doggie in the Window?; Bear Skin; Rough & Ready; Busting Billy’s Butt; Cock-Eyed Optimists; OMG! Not Another Gay Erotica Anthology?
How Much is That Doggie In The Window – Lydian Press
How can anyone resist those eyes?
Leon has a way with animals as well as a way to use them to help ease the suffering of those with long-term illness or injury. He’s loved by patients and nurses alike until, that is, he’s asked to drop in on reclusive old codger, Ralph Esseltine, who has a reputation of reducing health workers to tears. Instead of tears, Esseltine goads the placid Leon to anger by kicking the frisky puppy Leon has brought along as therapy. Expecting the worst, Leon submits his resignation only to discover that Esseltine has requested he visit again. What sort of revenge does the old recluse have in mind? And what of Esseltine’s estranged grandson and his obnoxious boyfriend who turn up to count the family silver?
Your Boyfriend Is Hot: Gay Cuckold Erotica – Cleis Press
Is it cheating if it excites your boyfriend?
In this collection of gay cuckold erotica you’ll meet men who are complicit in their own ‘betrayal’ and those to whom it is a wake-up call. Whatever your taste you’ll find a story here, from a man at a college reunion who watches as his boyfriend cuckolds him with the bully from his former frat house; a young toy boy whose sexual favors are part of a takeover bid for his lover’s company, a callous actor who will hawk his virginal ass to his boyfriend’s employer for a chance at the big time, a young man who resorts to tarot in order to experience a threesome, a world famous television chef who enjoys watching his lover put out for fans, and a boyfriend who loves to secretly watch the humiliation of his lover at the hands of his friends and enemies alike.
Your Boyfriend is Hot: Gay Cuckold Erotica includes: From Here to Fraternity, Stripping His Assets, Indecent Exposure, Middle Man for Madame Blavatsky, A Cook’s Tour, and Topping the Pizza Delivery Boy (originally titled Christmas on the Rocks) – all previously published as individual eBooks by loveyoudivine Alterotica. Middle Man for Madame Blavatsky was first published in Middle Men: Gay Erotic Threesomes, edited by Shane Allison.
The Death of Peter Pan – Lydian Press
To fall in love, really in love, would be an awfully big adventure. Renowned Scottish playwright, James Matthew Barrie, lies abed, unable to sleep, dreading the anniversary of one of the most tragic moments of his life. Lulled by the persuasive power of the syringe, he falls into a fitful sleep as the events play out in his mind. It’s Armistice Night in London and Michael Llewelyn Davies, one of Barrie’s adopted sons and one of the models for Peter Pan, celebrates with friends when he runs into the mysterious Rupert Buxton. They meet again in Paris, and later at Barrie’s retreat on the Scottish island of Eilean Shona where the relationship between the two men becomes passionate. Will their love survive the censure of 1920s England, and will it destroy James Barrie’s reputation? Love sometimes has tragic consequences. Based on a true story.
Three tales of men who’ve played both sides of the blanket until they fall in love.
THE GROOM CLOSET
Richard Flanagan receives an invitation to his estranged daughter’s wedding while he still pines for his dead lover. He hopes that when he gets back to his old home town, he can reignite a passion with one of his old college jock mates—if they’re still amenable.
SUMMER AT RAINBOW COVE
Ty Cody is one of the hottest straight studs in town, and no one knows that more than his girlfriend, Tina. She also knows he has a wandering eye. When her father decides that she spend the ten-week summer break with the family in Europe—no boyfriends allowed—she hatches a scheme that will stop Ty from playing around while she’s away. She gets him a job at a gay resort.
LOVE WITH A SIDE ORDER OF PELICANS
Single dad, Travis Black, takes his young daughter, Penny, to see the feeding of the pelicans, where they are befriended by town vet, Spike Donovan. While it’s love at first sight between Penny and the pelicans, it’s Travis who feels a strange attraction to the Pelican Whisperer.
Be sure to check out all of Barry Lowe’s stories and books, especially for the titles which will leave you smiling!
Genre(s): M/M Romance; M/M Menage; Historical, detective, horror, sci-fi, shapeshifter. If there’s a genre I’ll probably plunder it somewhere along the line.
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1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Barry Lowe) is the winner’s choice of two eBooks from Barry Lowe’s list at Lydian Press. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt “word or phrase” in bold green .
Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.
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When did you start writing?
In primary school around age 11. I began a serial about a young masked figure called The Count who solved mysteries. I used to read a chapter a day to my classmates with the teacher’s permission. I can’t remember how long it lasted. In high school, a mate and I produced a myriad roneoed magazines usually devoted to horror stories. It’s no wonder I went into advertising, journalism and magazine production as an adult.
Were you a reader as a child?
Voracious, beginning with Enid Blyton. The Noddy books before moving on the the Secret Seven series and the Faraway Tree series. We were given a free school magazine with fictions stories for comprehension and read-aloud skills in primary school (I loved being called on to read to the class). My grandmother introduced me to pulp westerns, and in high school, my English teacher, Mrs. Patterson, demanded an wide interest in reading material. She was also the school librarian and I remember reading a book of Asian short stories she had on the shelves. Unusual for 1963.
What books as a child has the most impact on you?
Just about anything by Enid Blyton except, surprisingly, the Famous Five books. John Wyndham, especially The Day of the Triffids. Lots of pulp horror and science fiction anthologies. I think TV had a bigger influence back then: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller with Boris Karloff, The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond. Oh, and anything where a man took his shirt off. My parents could never understand why, on a Sunday evening when I was doing my homework, I’d rush out to watch the opening credits for Cheyenne and then go straight back to my homework. It was because hunky Clint Walker was shone with his shirt off. Plus Gordon Scott’s Tarzan movies.
Did that impression carry over into adulthood when you started writing?
The early influences have had minimal impact on my work. After I left school I was too busy exploring gay life in the late 1960s/early 1970s to write. When I went back to writing as an adult, it was as a playwright. For twenty years I was a moderately successful stage writer, productions throughout Australia as well as Italy, England and the U.S.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Anything sets me off. An expression, something on television, a piece of music, a photograph, a memory.
Favorite genres to write in and why?
I don’t have a favorite. I’ll try anything once. What I write is not great literature. I’m a yarnspinner, take it or leave it.
Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?
All the above, plus a photograph, a news report, a magazine article. Just about anything sets my mind going. Sometimes I wish I could switch it off, but that will happen soon enough.
Do you have a favorite character that you have written?
My all-time favorite character creation is Tofu who is a tiny dinosaur who travels with my partner and I all over the world. He’s appeared in one short story, The Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Love on Tofu. I’m also very proud of my play, The Death of Peter Pan, which Lydian Press has published.
Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source)?
One of the banes of Facebook is the constant barrage of self-help quotes of such staggering banality that if I never hear another quote again, I’ll be grateful. Even Shakespeare gets dragged into the circus with gems such as ‘To Thine own self be true.’ It might have been fresh back when he penned the words but I really don’t need to be bombarded with variations on a theme every day. Curmudgeonly rant over.
Favorite book/story you have read as an adult
There are certain authors whose works I will buy rather than favorite books: Arnaldur Indridason from Iceland (one of my favorite countries in the world, along with Malta where my partner and I hope to be Civil Unioned in 2016); Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May series; quite a few Romance authors.
Do you have a certain regimen that you follow as a writer?
Yep. I get out of bed.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Compulsion. Since I was a young boy I have had the need, the compulsion, to write. I suspect they’ll have to unglue my fingers from my keyboard when I die.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I’m very good at parody so I can imitate just about anyone’s style but I guess I also have a unique voice but that would be up to my readers to describe.
What’s the hardest part of writing your books?
Rewrites and editing.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your first book?
There’s nothing distinctive about my first fiction book. In fact, my first published print book was a biography of 1950s blond bombshell, Mamie Van Doren, called Atomic Blonde. In fiction, I’ve written too many to worry. You can always improve on what you first wrote, nothing is ever perfect, so I prefer just to leave it alone and move on. I would correct grammar and spelling mistakes if I could.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor or has the biggest influence on you?
None really, that I can think of.
What book are you reading now?
I’m re-reading E.M. Forster’s Maurice, and a whole pile of m/m romance fiction. Just completed Tim Federle’s wonderful duet of books Better Nate than Ever, and Five, Six, Seven, Nate.
How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?
You could write a thesis on that question. Briefly, it’s the tyranny of distance from the rest of the world, particularly the Western World which influenced us greatly until comparatively recently. Now we’re more Asian focused. For Australians, too, there’s the vastness of the continent with the major centres of population clinging precariously to the coast line. I find Australians tend to be more relaxed than their European and American counterparts. I think it has to do with the weather. Although a certain conservatism and racism is leaching into the local psyche.
What are your current projects? What’s next up for you?
Rewriting the final chapters of my Australian historical novel, The Major and The Miners because it was too rushed when it was first released about five years ago. I need to make it more truthful psychologically. I’m also extending the first m/m romance novella I wrote, The Min Min Lights, another Aussie historical which could certainly stand quite a few extra chapters. Then there’s a Steampunk novel, The Extraordinary Victorian Clockwork Derriere; a fantasy, Guys & Trolls, and lots of shorter romance and menage erotica for Lydian Press.
Many thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself to a new audience, it’s appreciated.
Our countdown continues and today our featured author on our Down Under Author Showcase is Barry Lowe. Barry Lowe is a prolific Australian writer with a penchant for hilarious titles and thought provoking plot lines. Be sure to search out the wonderful interview he gave us along with his bio, books and giveaway!
For the rest of the week, each author’s contests will continue into February to give everyone ample chance to locate the authors and listen to the stories they have to tell.
Now onto our Australian and New Zealand facts of the day. I’ve learned about cube-shaped wombat poop and wild Australian camels, subterranean glowworms who turn their cavernous ceilings into glowing night skies and red dirt deserts among the driest places on earth. What have been your favorites facts so far? Have you been able to answer the questions I have posed along the way? Hmmmm. Maybe you might want to backtrack and pick them up. Figure them out…..maybe there’s another contest still to come?
How I am enjoying this journey!
In the US we are proud of our trees, from the oldest in our great Redwood forests to the beauty of our flowering Magnolias in the south. Here are some facts about the trees and forests in Australia!
Australia’s tallest trees can be found in the south-west of Western Australia in the Valley of the Giants. Giant tuart, karri, and rich red jarrah which live for up to 500 years can be found here. The 1000 kilometre (621 mile) Bibbulmun Track traverses a variety of jarrah, marri, wandoo, karri and tingle forests as well as internationally significant wetlands.
The cool temperate rainforest of the World Heritage-listed Tasmanian wilderness contains some of the oldest trees on the planet including the rare Huon Pine.
The majestic Wollemi pine is a remnant from a 200 million year-old landscape, when Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica were joined together as the supercontinent Gondwana. It was thought to have been extinct for millions of years, until rediscovered by a bushwalker in 1994. Fewer than 100 trees exist in the wild, growing in the deep rainforest gorges of the Greater Blue Mountains.
That first photo should resemble one you would take if you visited a certain park in Northern California. Which park would that be and why?
New Zealand’s high rainfall and many sunshine hours give the country a lush and diverse flora–with 80 percent of the trees, ferns, and flowering plants being native.
From the kauri forests of the far north to the mountain beech forests and alpine tussock of the Southern Alps, you’ll find fascinating plants and trees in every region. You’ll be awed by the majestic evergreen native forests that include rimu, totara, many varieties of beech, and the largest native tree of them all, the giant kauri.
Waipoua is home to Tane Mahuta, king of the forest and the largest remaining kauri tree in the country. The 1,500 year old Tane Mahuta is 51.5 m (168 feet) tall, with a girth of 13.77 m(45 ft).
Tane Mahuta -see picture at right.
The forests of Waipoua are vitally important refuges for threatened wildlife. The endangered North Island kokako and the North Island brown kiwi both live here. More abundant are the kukupa/kereru (New Zealand wood pigeon), fantail, pied tit, tui, grey warbler, shining cuckoo and kingfisher. Another distinctive creature is the large and very handsome kauri snail, a carnivore 
which feeds mainly on earthworms, slugs and soft-bodied insects.
A lasting reminder of the once-thriving kauri industry are the kauri dams. Kauri driving dams were built by loggers to drive large quantities of kauri logs downstream from remote areas. While they played a major role in the destruction of the forest, they were also impressive engineering feats, built without drawings or detailed calculations, yet able to withstand the pressure of tonnes of water and kauri logs which were swept through with tremendous force when the dam was tripped.
In the Kauaeranga Valley on the Coromandel, kauri was logged extensively for over 50 years with more than 60 dams built. In 1970 remaining areas of surviving forest were deemed protected as part of the Coromandel Forest Park.
The Kaiaraara Dam on Great Barrier Island (40 m wide and 14 m high), is one of the largest of 3,000 kauri dams built in New Zealand in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nic Starr is the author of recent releases in her It’s Not Easy, A Day At A Time, and many others.
To get to know Nic Starr a little better, the author agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.
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Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!
When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family–an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters–and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.
You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter and her blog. She’d love it if you stopped by to say hi.
Contacts/Follow Nic Starr at :
Twitter https://twitter.com/nicstar000
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/nicstar000/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8139967.Nic_Starr
Website: http://www.nicstarr.com
Blog: http://www.nicstarr.com
Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nic-starr
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nicki.nicstar
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Your Books:
It’s Not Easy (available at Dreamspinner Press) Book Details and Blurb:
Ben Cooper gave up on following his dreams to keep the peace in his family. Best friend Spencer Henderson has always been Ben’s rock. For Spence, who is in love with Ben, supporting Ben always came first, but as Ben starts to date their friend Suzie, Spence has to think of himself for the first time. The ramifications of one fateful night means leaving their small town may be Spence’s only option to protect his broken heart.
With trouble escalating at home and Spence out of reach, Ben finds it harder to cope. Without Spence’s help, Ben’s life may finally spiral out of control.
ebook, 130 pages
Published July 23rd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 22nd 2014)
original titleIt’s Not Easy
ISBN139781632160171
A Day at a Time (available at Dreamspinner Press): Book Details and Blurb:
Sean Vargos is quiet, well respected, and dedicated to his job. But Dave Simpson sees Sean as more than a coworker. He’s fought his attraction to Sean for months but can’t get him out of his thoughts.
They tentatively embark on a relationship, but Sean isn’t all that he seems. He struggles to put his past behind him and overcome his fears.
Dave, with his good looks and open nature, accepts that sometimes Sean’s doubts get the better of him and he runs. Dave just wants the chance to show Sean he can be trusted and the past doesn’t have to dictate their future.
ebook, 78 pages
Published October 29th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632161215
More Than a Superstar (available from Dreamspinner Press) Book Details and Blurb:
Sam Miller’s dreams are simple—to give back to the aunt who supported him since his mother’s death and to have a family of his own. He focuses on making a success of their catering business Poppy’s Pantry, and his close group of friends. However, when Aunt Poppy ends up in the hospital, it’s a stranger Sam meets in the corridor who gives him the support he needs.
Rob Taylor is a man with secrets. His life in the public eye has taken its toll, and now he lives with the repercussions. When he finds himself falling for Sam, he knows things are finally going his way.
But just as Sam and Rob find their happiness, another secret threatens to tear them apart.
ebook, 106 pages
Expected publication: December 17th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632162977
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://nicstarr.com/ni
Waiting, Hoping, Wishing (Love’s Landscapes) Book Blurb and Details:
Dear Author,
He’s been waiting for that text for more than a week. Please tell us either what happens next or what happened to get him here and whether he frowns or smiles next.
Photo Description:
A gorgeous young man is lying on a bed in nothing but his grey boxer briefs. He is clean-cut with a tanned, smooth and beautifully defined body. He should be enjoying the luxurious bed with its crisp, white linens as he relaxes in the hotel room, but his look is pensive. In the first photo, he is clearly worried and slightly sad. In the second photo, he is focused on his phone, as if it can provide the answers he is looking for.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love’s Landscapes” event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
ebook, 58 pages
Published July 18th 2014 by M/M Romance Group @ Goodreads
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mmromancegroup.com/waiting-hoping-wishing-by-nic-starr/
seriesLove’s Landscapes
charactersDean Clark, Matt (Waiting, Hoping, Wishing)
settingSydney (Australia)
Genre(s): m/m romance, contemporary
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1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Nic Starr) is an eBook copy of A Day At A Time. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt “word or phrase” in bold green . Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.
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There’s something you should know about us Australians – we LOVE our Public Holidays – a day off work or school, a chance to have a long weekend, an excuse to eat, drink and be merry.
We don’t need a reason for a public holiday, we’ll celebrate anything. We celebrate the Queen’s Birthday (although nothing much about it is related to the monarchy), Labour Day (it’s just a day off work) and a horse race. Yes, you read correctly. The lucky folk in the state of Victoria, have a gazetted public holiday for the running of the Melbourne Cup. The rest of us in other states are supposed to work, but having a Melbourne Cup lunch and stopping to watch the race in the mid-afternoon, has become a bit of a tradition. This is why the Melbourne Cup is known as the race that stops the nation.
Today, the 26th January, is Australia Day. It’s the day we celebrate everything Australian. And it’s the one Public Holiday that means the most to me. It’s a day for reflecting on the wonderful country we live in and recognizing Australian achievers. It always reminds me that we DO live in the lucky country, with a diverse culture and many blessings.
Australia Day is all about our Australian flag, the green and gold, lamb on the barbecue and a cold beer. It’s about going to the beach, getting together with family and friends. It’s about fireworks.
This Australia Day, my hubby and my girls are at the Sydney Cricket Ground watching the Australian Cricket Team play in a One Day game against India – you can’t get more Aussie than that! I’m spending the day with my mum and friends having a barbie while overlooking all the activity on Sydney Harbour.
As I watch the boats on the harbour and the Sydney ferries, decorated with their balloons and banners, competing in the iconic Ferrython, I’m will be thinking of my dad. He was very patriotic and adored this great country. He raised an Australian flag every day but this special day gave him even more reason to be proud.
So here’s to my dad who’s no longer with us, and here’s to Australia! ❤
*The Ferrython is a race held every Australia Day where Sydney ferries compete against each other for the honour of winning. They race from Circular Quay to Shark Island and back to a big finish directly under the Sydney Harbor Bridge which makes a great finishing line. The photo above was taken a few years ago when I had the privilege to be on one of the ferries during the race.
Does that sight above look familiar? Yes, you would think you were looking at a 4th of July celebration. Instead that’s the Australia Day celebration in Perth. What is Australia Day, you ask? Australia Day, January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in the country and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories.
On Australia Day, Australians come together as a nation celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. It’s the day to reflect on what everyone has achieved and what they can be proud of in Australia.
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).
Though January 26th marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: the diverse society and landscape, its remarkable achievements and its future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s history, and to consider how all can make Australia an even better place in future.
On Australia Day, over half of the nation’s population of 21 million attend either an organised community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating the national day. Many more spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.
It’s the Australian equivalent of our 4th of July. Let’s celebrate with them, raise your glasses, give them a clink and say all together now “Happy Australia Day!”
Here in the US, Australia Day is celebrated as well. The U.S. Australian embassy has organized a party; G’DAY USA, an Australian diplomacy program in the United States has barbecues, cricket, and dinners lined up across the country; and Australian Nexus, an online hub for Australians in the United Kingdom, has barbecues and art shows, among other events, lined up. So raise a glass of Fosters, mate, and wish all the Australians, here and at home, a wonderful Australia Day!
Happy Australia Day! We’re heading into our last week of our Down Under Author Showcase. Today’s featured author is Nic Starr. Author of many M/M romance novels, Nic has a special guest blog today in keeping with the fact that its Australia Day! Please check that out, along with Nic Starr’s bio and giveaway! And don’t forget to find the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the Day!
Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of January every year, marked by most Australians with a day off due to the national public holiday, along with parties, going to the beach and attending fireworks displays.
But do you really know what Australia Day really symbolises? We have compiled a list of some fun and interesting facts about Australia Day and our history that you may not have already known!
• The first recorded Australia Day celebrations were held on January 26, 1808 to mark twenty years since Captain Arthur Phillip raised the flag at Sydney Cove.
• Lachlan Macquarie was the first Australian Governor to hold the first “official” Australia Day celebrations in 1818, to mark thirty years of European settlement. The celebrations included a thirty gun salute and a ball at Government House.
• Australia Day was called “Foundation Day” in the early part of the nineteenth century, and was typically marked by sporting events including horse racing and boat races.
• The first colony to declare Australia Day as a public holiday was New South Wales in 1838, on the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Cove landing.
• By 1888 nearly all of the colonies had declared a public holiday to celebrate Australia Day, but it wasn’t until the 1940’s that January 26th was agreed upon by all states as the proper day to celebrate.
• The two animals featured on the Australian coat of arms are the Emu and the Kangaroo – the reason for this being that neither animal can walk backwards, but instead can always go forwards, symbolising Australia’s desire to do the same.
Does New Zealand have an equivalent to Australia Day and the 4th of July? Yes, it does. It’s Waitangi Day.
Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In that year, representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs signed what is often considered to be New Zealand’s founding document. The day was first officially commemorated in 1934, and it has been a public holiday since 1974.
For some people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Māori, it is the occasion for reflecting on the Treaty. Since the 1970s the style and mood of the commemorations on Waitangi Day have been influenced by the increasingly heated debate surrounding the place of the Treaty in modern New Zealand.
Waitangi Day is recognised as New Zealand’s national day, but the long-standing tensions associated with it are always likely to surface in one form or another. The date is an important marker in the country’s history. Recognition of the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi as the nation’s founding document will continue to encourage leaders, communities and individuals to mark the day in new ways.
So while it’s not yet Waitangi Day, let’s put a note on our calendars for a special upcoming celebration. Raise a glass of wonderful New Zealand wine, enjoy a movie, perhaps, one of the Lord of the Rings or Whale Rider (a favorite also of mine) and celebrate with them.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 
