Book Name: Designated Bottoms
Author Name: Katey Hawthorne, Kiernan Kelly, Sean
Michael, Julia Talbot, BA Tortuga, KC Wells, Shannon West
Author Bio:
Contributors
BA Tortuga: Texan
to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with
her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican
food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off
watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's
personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael,
and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything
from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her
damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast
Texas, but has responded to the call of the high desert mountains. With books
ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional
of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon- holed by anyone but the voices in her
head. Find her at www.batortuga.com
Katey Hawthorne is an
avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she
holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she
holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of
West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic
books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills. Find Katey at http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/
Julia Talbot lives in
the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and
everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex.
A full time author, Julia
has been published by Torquere Press, Ellora's Cave, and Changeling Press. She
believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love
without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get
together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are
involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com
Sean Michael: Often
referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while
still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his
days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing
about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe
crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings,
Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama
sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with
the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of
complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of
plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll
stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to
see if they spark.
Sean's available for interviews,
by the way. He can always be talked into, well talking about himself. Find Sean
at www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Shannon West: Shannon
West currently lives in the South with her husband and family. A lover and avid
reader of M/M romances, she began writing them a few years ago and now has over
forty short stories, novellas,and novels to her credit. Her series about wolf
shifters, the Dark Hollows Series and the sci fi series, Love Slaves of the
Alphas, produced sixteen bestsellers with four of them going to number one on
the third party sites. She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013, a
nominee for best sci fi series in the Love Romances Café and very honored to be
named an All Romance ebooks top ten author for 2013. She writes BDSM and some
ménage as well. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love
is love, no matter the gender. She mostly spends her days at the keyboard,
trying to elude housework, which stalks her relentlessly.
Links: www.shannonwestbooks.com
Twitter: @shannonwest8
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shannon-West/e/B006M4L976/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1378053402&
mp;sr=8-2-ent
Kiernan Kelly: Kiernan
Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in
SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad
cabana boys.
All right, the truth is
that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay
erotic romance while chained to a temperamental laptop, drinking coffee, and dreaming
of thong-clad cabana boys.
Sigh.
To date, Kiernan has over
a dozen novels in print and ebook, and a plethora of short stories in both
formats.
Links:
KC Wells: Born and
raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were
important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the
writing ceased, as life got in the way.
K.C. discovered erotic
fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling
discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a
really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An
even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love
was even hotter...
K.C. now writes full-time
and is loving every minute of her new career.
The laptop still has no
idea of what hit it... it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now
has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.
K.C. can be reached via
email (k.c.wells@btinternet.com),
on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld)
or through comments at the K.C. Wells website (www.kcwellsworld.com) K.C. loves to hear
from readers.
Blurb: So, what happens when you get a bunch
of m/m writers together on a panel at a steamy little convention called Authors
After Dark in Savannah?
In this case, we all sat around with
the readers who came to our panel and chattered and laughed like idiots, and we
talked about what we liked to read and write. There was a lot of smutty puns,
and it was all fun and games until someone uttered the fateful phrase, “Right,
and every story has to have a designated bottom.”
The writer and editor in me both went,
“ooooh”. And I said, “Hey, does anyone want in on an anthology for next year
with this theme?”
Enough of the writers at that panel,
and a few who weren’t, said yes, and Designated Bottoms was born. When I sent
out the call, this is what I said.
You’ve heard about Designated Drivers?
Well, what about a Designated Bottom? The theme
is open to all m/m stories where one man is a designated bottom boy, Whether
self-imposed or by the Dom/lover/alpha of the pack or simply (either true or
not) by society. Feel free to play with burly bottoms who surprise the
deceptively sweet top, or with the too-smart kid who's the pushy bottom to end
all bottoms. BDSM is fine, but not mandatory. A bottom may simply like to catch
instead of pitch.
The stories I received delighted me. From a first-time cowboy and
his new lover to a hardass Sergeant falling for a determined young soldier,
from a hot gamer geek who doesn’t date to a sweet young thing on his first
visit to a BDSM club, there’s something for everyone. There are princes and
paupers, werekitties and strippers, and skinny twink-looking tops and big,
gentle bottoms. They all left me fanning my hot cheeks and smiling at how the
end result was two men in love, no matter how they got there.
The authors in Designated Bottoms have all reminded me why I fell
in love with m/m as a genre damned near fifteen years ago, and of why I’m still
writing, and publishing those stories today.
We’d like to dedicate this book to all the readers at Authors
After Dark who thought this collection was a great idea, and to all the readers
who keep us going every day by reading our books and letting us know they like
them! I hope y’all love these stories as much as I do!
XXOO
Twitter: @torquere
Cover Artist: Anne Squires
Publisher: Torquere
Press Inc
Blurb(s):
Some men are bottoms by birth, others
by choice. Whatever the reason, a designated bottom is someone who’s happy to
surrender, to submit, or just catch instead of pitch!
In Czech Me Out, by BA Tortuga, Korde
discovers what it’s like to fall for someone when food truck owner Josh takes
on the cowboy virgin. Katey Hawthorne’s gamer grad student Paul doesn’t date.
He keeps things strictly physical. So why is Sammy so important to him in The
Mistell? Kitty shifter and stripper Aleks doesn’t mix business with pleasure,
but he thinks Rafe might just be the master for him in Julia Talbot’s Faster
Bobcat.
Sean Michael’s Peter isn’t sure about
the club his friend takes him to, especially when Doms start hitting on him.
Experienced Dom Rupert is happy to help, explaining about that Little Square of
Cloth. In Sgt. Hardass, by Shannon West, recent ex-Army man Jake meets up with
a man he has history with, and Chad isn’t sure he can explain himself and
defuse Jake’s anger. In the Prince of Paupers by Kiernan Kelly, Prince Liam and
longtime friend Deacon have to go back to Deacon’s Appalachian home, much to
the prince’s dismay. And in Switching It Up by KC Wells, Jay knows he looks
like a twink, but only hunky Dean understands that looks can be seriously
deceptive.
Excerpt:
From Czech Me Out by BA Tortuga
Josh
had texted the fine cowboy as early as he felt comfortable doing it. He’d
waited until nine. He figured it was gratifying that he got an immediate
response.
“Noon?”
he’d sent, and when he got an affirmative, he’d send his address. Then he set
about making lunch.
He
could tear that sweet body up, turn the Marlboro Man inside out and make Korde
like it. He would soften the guy up with a few barbecue-filled potato skins...
Barbecue, the redneck aphrodisiac.
Josh
grinned. He’d swayed more than one hot little cowboy with his special sauce and
some crispy potatoes. Of course, he’d never asked one to come to his house
before, and certainly hadn’t gotten so interested so damned fast.
He’d
never changed his sheets and made sure he was stocked with lube and rubbers,
either. Not on a not-even-a-first-date. Lord. He was hopeful today, for sure.
Hopeful,
horny and... oh, man, he needed an ‘h’ word...
The
doorbell rang, saving him from having to be too creative. He told his cock to
stay down for a bit and went to answer.
Frack
and Frick were yapping their damn fool heads off, wagging and bouncing. Silly
mutts. “Y’all get down.”
Josh
opened the door a few inches. “You’re not afraid of dogs are you?”
“Not
even a bit.” Korde leaned down and gave scritches, easy as pie.
Those two beagle-shepherd
monstrosities went nuts, yodeling and wagging and begging.
Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, MM Good Book Reviews, Decadent Delights, Wake
Up Your Wild Side, Prism Book Alliance, Regular Guys, Hot Romance, Full Moon Dreaming, The Hat Party, Fallen Angel Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts
& Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Jade Crystal, Wicked
Wolves and Dreaming Dragons,
Iyana Jenna, Boy Meets Boy Reviews
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The Manic Monday REVIEW
4.5 smoking hot stars
Czech Me Out: an Austin Tale
by BA Tortuga
Korde is a virgin cowboy new to
Austin. Killing time, he investigates the food trucks he’s heard about. There
he meets Josh, one of the truck’s owners. Over lunch, Josh finds out Korde knows
how to do tile work and things go from there.
There’s the usual humor one
expects from BA Tortuga, lol. The dog’s names just killed me! The chemistry
between Korde and Josh is instantaneous
and so cute. Gawd, Korde is so cute. You just want to hug him. The story is
charming with hot sex and a cowboy’s panic after having sex for the first time.
I really enjoyed it, lol.
The Mistell
by Katey Hawthorne
Peter, an art history gamer
grad student, doesn’t date. He keeps things strictly physical because he can’t
find what he wants. So when he learns fellow gamer Sam lives close by, they
agree to meet. Let the sparks fly, lol. The build up between these two is slow
and intense. And there’s a reason the buildup is slow. Then a minor
misunderstanding happens and things get derailed.
I had trouble getting into the
beginning since I’m not a gamer. The lingo threw me. But I liked Peter, so I
stuck with it. I’m glad I did. It’s a wonderful story.
Faster Bobcat
by Julia
Talbot
Lynx shifter and stripper Aleks
doesn’t mix business with pleasure. He doesn’t mix sex and shifters, either.
But Rafe, another cat shifter, just may change his mind. Can he tempt Aleks?
Can he be the master Aleks desires?
Okay, yay for cat shifters! And
D/s. Already a check in my happy column. Aleks is another sweet bottom who’s a
little insecure. Rafe is a smoking hot, strong shifter. Both men have hang-ups
they need to work through. I got attached to these two characters quickly. There
was a point I wanted to throttle Rafe, lol. This was my favorite of all the
stories.
Little Square of
Cloth
by Sean Michael
Thanks to an insensitive friend, Peter learns just what exactly that
little square of cloth in his back pocket stands for. Okay, with friends like
that, who needs enemies? Gawd! Peter was thrust out of the closet in a major
way. He has interest in BDSM, but didn’t realize what he had just got thrust
into.
My new favorite word: fuck a
doodle doo! I’m in love, lol. This is Sean Michael, so there’s a smoking
hot Top and a nervous, sweet bottom. Love me some D/s and oh yeah, spanking!
Yes, I’m a Sean Michaels fan, lol. Really like this story.
Sergeant Hardass
by Shannon West
Jason, a recent ex-Army man, has
been burned by someone. Now, all he’s interested in is some submission in the
bedroom with no strings attached. Then Fate steps in and sucker punches Jason.
There stands his ex. The history between the two men is explosive and
dangerous. Will Chad be able to defuse Jake’s anger before things get too far?
I actually felt sorry for Jason
as the story went on. The man’s had a rough time of it, and he’s angry. Can’t
really blame him, even if he did act like an ass. I really enjoyed this story
too. But then, I’m a Shannon West fan.
Prince of Paupers
by Kiernan Kelly
Prince Liam and longtime friend
Deacon have to go back to Deacon’s Appalachian home, much to the prince’s
dismay. It’s a trip Deacon is dreading. The days of poverty aren’t that far
behind him and seeing it all again isn’t easy. In fact, things might even be
worse than he remembers.
The prince cracked me up, lol.
He was such a… *snort* prince. But his heart is gold, and he’s crazy about his
best friend even if they are totally different. There was one character in this
story I’d love to have strangled. Seriously. I live in a small town and this
happens more than it should. (No, not saying what, lol.)
Switching it Up
by KC Wells
Don’t judge a book by its cover. That’s the whole point of this one. Jay
is a twink, so of course he must bottom. Right? Then there’s Dean. Big,
muscular, tall. So, of course, he must be a top. Right? Oh, but looks can be deceiving. Jay is the
top, and he likes big, strong men. Dean is the big, strong man, but he’s pure
bottom.
They meet and sparks fly. A hook-up blows both men minds, but Jay gets
cold feet and runs off first thing. Has he made a huge mistake?
This is a cute story I enjoyed. The sex was smoking hot and I really
liked both characters. I think this was a good pick to end the anthology.
I have to say, I really liked this anthology as a whole. Usually
there’s one or two stories I like and that’s it. That didn’t happen with this
one. I enjoyed every story and have reread them already,
lol. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with
this anthology.
~M
