Spotlight on the Something New on the Menu Series

Good morning. I’m happy to be here to talk about the series from Naughty Nights Press my two muses have worked on as a team. Yes, I know, two sides of me working on different books. I’m sure that makes you wonder just how crazy I am but for me this is an everyday thing.

Back to the series! It’s a collection of manlove romances surrounding food and or beverages. Each book has different settings, characters, and situations but all have a common theme. Men involved in the food industry falling in love.

In my first book under BLMorticia, my protagonist Jimmy works at a burger joint in Chicago and is a homophobe. However, when his boss offers his position to someone else, the new owner and manager Alex teaches him some very valuable lessons.

Next up is Time to Make the Donuts under Rawiya. Christopher spends a lot of time running his uncles donut shop and has no time for romance. That all changes when Andre walks in the door with his winning smile and hot body. Christopher falls for him immediately but Andre has a secret that might get in the way. Will it keep them apart?

Third is Smooth Like Latte, also under Rawiya. Brendan Walsh is the CEO of his dad’s financial company and is in the closet. When he visits the coffee shop in his building, he meets Latte, a smooth talking barista who woos him from the start. Still, he’s afraid to come out to his father but desperately wants to know Latte better. Will he let go his fears for a chance at love?

Fourth is Sugar Daddy, the latest by Rawiya. The setting shifts to Britain where Matthew Davidson wants to be in a relationship. He wants a lover who takes care of him as well. While on the computer, he finds a man who he’d like to get to know better but this hot man holds secrets of his own. What are they and will they prevent them from being a couple?

Finally, the fifth book under BLMorticia is Candyman, due out Jan 2013. Alain has been given the task to take care of his father’s company Diamond Candies. He has no interest until he meets one of the workers, Ty Washington. They hit it off almost immediately but Ty has hang-ups about being gay. Will they overcome these to become lovers?

There are sequels planned for Latte, Sugar Daddy, and Candyman for the exterior characters as well in 2013. Whew, a lot but I’m very proud how all the stories turned out. If you haven’t checked out my manlove romance series with food, laughs, and hot sex by now, I hope I got you interested!

Thanks for listening.

Something Fresh Served Hot from Something New on the Menu Series Book One

A gay contemporary comedy which features a Chicago homophobe by the name of Jimmy LaCosta who works at a diner called the Greasy Spoon on the Northside of Chicago near Boys Town. While working, Jimmy meets the incoming manager, Alex Seidling, a young British man who his present boss is hiring to take his place as he retires.

After the initial meeting in which Jimmy feels uncomfortable with Alex's stares, Jimmy cultivates a friendship with Alex which develops into something totally different than he himself expects. This shocks him and he tries to fight it but because of his growing feelings he decides to pursue it despite all of what he has been taught.

Will he do what his body wants? Will Alex accept his advances even though he will soon become Jimmy’s boss?

Click here to read an excerpt

Buylinks - Amazon ARe Smashwords NNP

Time to Make the Donuts Something New on the Menu Series Book Two

Blurb: Andre, a customer, comes in and pays him a visit. The two lock eyes and immediately connect on a personal level. Because of this, Christopher decides to pursue when Andre passes him his card. He wonders what the young man does for a living however, he’s so smitten by him, Chris doesn’t give it much thought.

Little does the shop owner know, Andre actually works for his biggest competitor as a secret shopper and has been told to use any method necessary to find out the secrets of the shop as well as convince him to sell his shop and become part of the national chain.

When Christopher finds out, he has a surprise for Andre and deals with him in a rather humorous way. Will he trust Andre once he finds out this fact? Will he give up his shop under the pressure the well known franchise?

Buylinks ARe Smashwords Amazon NNP

Click here to read excerpt

Smooth Like Latte Something New on the Menu Series Book Three

Blurb: Brendan Walsh is an uptight business executive working for his father and missing out on real life due to his relentless drive for success. Fearing his homophobic father’s wrath - and the potential to destroy his financial future - Brendan hides is true orientation and lives a life of boring celibacy.

Upon meeting Davori Jenkins when the hunky barista serves him a latte just the way he likes it, Brendan takes a chance, leaving his number with the tip in the hopes of changing his future love life.

Will Brendan be able to come clean with his father - risking his fortune - or will he take a chance at losing a man who he wants as his future?

Warning: This is an m/m interracial romance. Real romance. Some sappiness is ahead with two very good looking men who are searching for that happy ever after ending.

Amazon, Smashwords, ARe NNP

Click here to read an excerpt

Sugar Daddy Something New on the Menu Series Book Four

Blurb: Matthew Davidson wants a MAN! The setting shifts away from the America’s to Britain where Matthew and his childhood friend, Devon Peartly attend a cooking school to obtain their cooking certificates. The young man wants a partner so badly, he decides he’ll try an online dating service in hopes of finding a black man that can take care of and satisfy him romantically.

He finds that man, Antwon Bantu on an online dating site and is instantly intrigued. Little does Matthew know that Antwon is involved in a “convenient” marriage and is seeking a younger partner so he can finally get on with his life. Instead of confessing the truth, he decides to hide it, fearing he’ll lose the chance with Matthew if he informs him. To complicate things, Antwon’s wife claims to be in love with him. Antwon must choose what’s more important; loving Matthew or saving his impeccable reputation as a top barrister in the London courts?

Which will he choose?

Click here to read an excerpt

Amazon, Are, Smashwords NNP

Candyman Something New on the Menu Series Book Five

Blurb: Alain Roux is the new President of the world famous Diamond Candies chocolate factory on the South Side of Chicago. His father, Demi Roux lost his battle with cancer and has left it in his care despite Demi’s brother’s advice to leave it to him. Alain has no interest in the company but to fulfill his father’s last wish, he takes on the day to day of it anyway.

Ty Washington is a born and raised Southsider who’s working there to put him through college. Recently, his father threw him out because he confessed he might be gay. When he and Alain talk, his heart soars and as badly as he tries to fight it, the two connect and eventually they decide to give their relationship a try.

In BL’s own humorous way, she’ll tell the tale of a man and his subordinate as they overcome the struggles to build a long lasting commitment.

Read an excerpt here

Available January 8, 2013 at Amazon, Smashwords, Are, and NNP

BLMorticia is currently a published writer with Naughty Nights Press and Rebel Ink Press. She entertains her readers with hot and smexy sex, humor, and lots of swear words. She attempts to incorporate metal music or the military in most of her works. Nothin’ sexier than metalheads or military servicemen and women! She also writes a biweekly column on Blak Rayne Books and blogs on the First Thursday of the month at NNP Blog. For more info, please visit, Erotica With Snark


RAWIYA is the more sensual erotica writer in the BLRawiya duo. Rawiya's first sole author book, “Time to Make the Donuts” is now available in multiple digital formats through online vendors and her first MMF Living In The Now was released in April from Naughty Nights Press.

Rawiya loves multiracial characters who overcome obstacles other than race. Sweet, sassy, and spicy would be the best way to describe her work. Happily married mother of two, loves music, computers, and travel. She blogs regularly at Wicked Sexy Writers. For more please visit the Rawiya’s blog on Wordpress.

The Literary Triad - http://www.thelitriad.com/#!

Michael Mandrake – http://tabooindeed.blogspot.com

BLMorticia - http://blmorticia.wordpress.com

Rawiya - http://rawiyaerotica.wordpress.com

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/rawiyamikembl

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TheLiteraryTriad

Kindlegraph - http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/rawiyamikembl

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I love dandelions

There, I said it. Now every lawn fanatic out there is going to get their knickers in a knot. Especially when I tell them that their obsessive quest for the perfect lawn needs to be stopped. Why?

Lawns use three times more water than corn does in America.

They require constant mowing, which uses gas or hydro

We poison our community with pesticides used to kill off insects, good and bad ones

We poison our community with herbicides to kill off everything but a single breed of cultivated grass.

We further pollute our already unclean water with fertilizers, artificial or natural it all runs off.

And why? So we can have a green carpet when you just as easily Astroturf it. You might as well, since that's what it looks like.

The biggest crime is this goes on even in parts of the country where water is always in short supply. But all that aside, why are people so obsessed with having a perfect, sterile mono-culture mat growing on their property? It supports no life, and what it does support, lawn owners spend millions of dollars killing it, along with any other insect, even the valuable ones. Pesticide makes no distinction. Don't people stop and think about what they are doing when they have to post signs all over their lawn to stay off it, it's toxic? Doesn't that ring any alarm bells?

Why can't we learn to love a rich, multi flora lawn filled with ground cover? I've seen spreads of small lavender flower as well as white, that would be lovely to look at, require minimal care and more than likely would take next to no water to survive. And dandelions. I defy anyone to look at a field filled with dandelions no to see how beautiful it is. There aren't many cultured plants that have that brilliant a shade of yellow. And if we did more of that sort of planting – really just encouraging them to grow – everybody would have a unique yard, that would also be home for other living things. There'd be no more daily watering needed, no using gas or electricity to mow everything to a uniform 2 inches of green desert. There'd also be no expense in buying seed, fertilizer or pesticides. Your kids could roll around on the lawn with no threat of being exposed to toxins of one kind or another. Ditto your pets.

On top of all that, you can eat them. I've seen dandelion leaves sold at the supermarket. They're great in salads, the flowers are sweet, you can make wine out of them too. And if you have pets like rabbits or other plants eaters, they'll consider them a delicacy. My rabbits loved dandelions and clover—another colorful lawn covering.

Pat Brown pens M/M crime fiction. Her L.A. series, featuring LAPD homicide detective David Eric Laine and his lover Christopher Bellamere, is currently undergoing major revisions which will come out over the next few months. Her frolicking gay romance MAN'S BEST FRIENDS will be out soon. Her other series with Santa Barbara Detective Alexander Spider and his lover Jason Zachary was recently re-released with new covers and revised content.

She is also the author of stand alone novels MEMORY OF DARKNESS, LYNX WOODS, FALL INTO THE NIGHT, and shorter pieces THE BEAR and PLACING OUT.

Her latest novel, LATIN BOYZ was recently released by AmberQuill Press. This novel represents the years I lived in Los Angeles and the years since in the path I've taken since leaving L.A. It's dark and tragic, but it's also filled with love and faith. It is by no means a standard romance novel. Rather, it deals with strong characters who have to fight to find both safety and love that some call wrong. Come and see for yourself

... beautifully written, a solid, well-crafted story given life with all your LA street and police smarts, and an incredibly satisfying

read. I can't say how, but I think your writing got deeper emotionally in this book...  this book was a feast -- Lloyd Meeker

This is my newest and possibly darkest novel. if you like your romance with a dark edge, then LATIN BOYZ is just the fix you need.  Pushing the envelope on romance. Enter a world of violence where the only thing worth holding onto is your family.

BLURB

Twenty-one year old Gabe will do anything to keep his family safe from the Locusts XIII Crew, a Cypress Park gang, especially his 14-year-old sister Nattie. In Gabe's struggle to keep his small, fragile family safe, he meets LAPD patrol officer Alejandro Cerveras and must come to terms with his attraction to him--and decide whether to believe his Church’s teachings or what his heart tells him. Then tragedy strikes, fueling his rage. As the need for vengeance drives him past all reason, violence and hatred erupt between Gabe and the gangbangers, spiraling out of control, leading to tragedy and the greatest loss of all.

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EXCERPT

Thanksgiving, Cypress Park, South-Central Los Angeles

P-Bull swung the thugged-out Buick onto Merced Street.

Sadboy shoved the barrel of his gun out the car window. "Gonna get us a piece of White Fence ass," he screamed. "Bang, bang. Fucking lame-ass chuntaros!"

"I'm down with it." P-Bull jacked a load into his Raven and checked the sight. Beside him Sadboy rocked and grinned and waved the chrome around. Happy as a shitbird. "Don't go shooting your ass off, mijo." 

P-Bull knew this street. He grew up here. He rolled past yards he'd spilled blood in years ago, before the Locusts jumped him in. Down the street little kids played some little kid game, making noise. Old chocho pushed a lawn mower and spit grass all over his skinny legs. The puta, Gabe's mother, and his sister, Nattie, came out of the house beside the White Fence crib. That little girl gettin' all grown up. Gonna have to pay her a visit soon. That sweet little fox about ready to meet a real man.

"There he is!" Sadboy shouted when a scrawny boy P-Bull recognized as Ruiz, the new White Fence banger, came out of the house. Sadboy bounced on the Buick's seat, waving his chrome around. P-Bull was gonna tell him to cool it when the fool opened fire. He yipped and hollered while he sprayed the front of the houses with brass. "The White Fence pussy ocho make a run for it."

P-Bull lit in a second later, blowing the running man down. Gabe's mother ducked. Her and Gabe's sister went down in a tangle, the girl's fine strong legs in the air for everyone to see. Man, he had to get a taste of that.

"Where you from now!" Sadboy screamed. He punched P-Bull's shoulder. "Lay it down."

P-Bull stared at the front yard where the old woman and daughter lay sprawled on the ground. "Later, Sancha." 

Gabe flew down the stairs. From half a block away, P-Bull laughed. When the man who had once been his best friend screamed and fell to his knees beside his mother, P-Bull's lip curled.

"Balless coward, should go back and cap your ass." Before he could act on the thought and throw the Buick into reverse, a black and white, followed by another, screamed around the corner. P-Bull slipped the Raven under his belt.

Sadboy grew so excited, P-Bull thought sure he'd start firing out the car window again like Clint Eastwood as some baddass cop. P-Bull reached over and clipped the back of Sadboy's head.

"Idiot, you lookin' to get 5-0 after us? Put that away."

Sadboy sullenly did, glowering at the dashboard.

P-Bull slipped the car into first, driving slowly, to avert 5-0's attention.

He cranked the music up, rocking to words about killing cops and banging whores. His hand slapped against the car door in beat to the rap; his shaved head bobbed.

All the time he watched the activity behind him.

The cops swarmed out of their cars. One checked Ruiz, then spoke into his shoulder mic. The others approached Gabe, guns coming out when Gabe stared at them blankly, not reacting to to them and what they were probably telling him to do. 

P-Bull couldn't hear the words but he knew what was coming. Gabe ignored 5-0 and crawled over to his sister, cradling her in his arms. P-Bull watched to see if she was alive. Be a pity if she died before she got to meet him. 

Both cops screamed and drew closer to the kneeling man.

Even from the slowly moving car, P-Bull could see the blood on both Gabe and his sister. He howled with laughter when one cop, female, finally proned Gabe out, yanked his hands behind his back. She hauled him, his face and T-Shirt soaked in crimson, to the curb and stuffed him in the back of a cruiser.

"Don't need to cap his ass." P-Bull threw his head back and laughed. "5-0 do it for us." 

With the cops; attention somewhere else, he turned the car down a narrow alley to Pepper Street, getting clear of the streets before 5-0 started looking around for suspects. Not that they'd look too hard. It was just brown barrio chollos lying on the ground.

Once on Cypress, P-Bull laughed and punched down on the gas, spewing oily smoke and burnt rubber when they left Pepper. They circled back, passing Merced where cops and ambulances turned the street into a carnival of lights.

P-Bull didn't hear any sirens following them while they fled to Eagle Rock, looking to chase some dragon.

""Takin' care of business," he said and knuckled Sadboy. "Right on. Locusts rule!"

"Fuckin' A." Sadboy giggled. "You see that cabrão go down? Fuck White Fence."

"Fuck 'em all."

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