Many thanks to Alex Whitehall for donating ebook copies of Mark of the Familiar, plus the forthcoming sequel, Gift of the Familiar, for a lucky commenter to win! Gift of the Familiar will be released by Storm Moon Press on December 13.

Ellis, having killed his abusive master, is placed in the custody of a safe house for magical beings. Within those brick walls, he finds more than safety. But William has dealt with people’s unwanted attentions his entire life and wants nothing to do with Ellis or his devotion. Except Ellis is determined to convince William that their bond is more than just skin deep and that together they can make something magical.

This story was previously released as part of the Written in Flesh anthology.

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I’ll add the cover art for Gift of the Familiar when I have it!

In Gift of the Familiar, Ellis and William have found their happy ever after in each other’s arms. But that doesn’t mean they can’t keep life – and love – interesting. As they celebrate First Day together, Ellis learns the origins of the day and of his people. In the spirit of the holiday, William gives Ellis a length of rope to further explore the boundaries of their relationship. In return, Ellis does his best to show he understands exactly what giving, and submitting, are all about.

This story was previously released as part of the Milk and Cookies and Handcuffs anthology.

Other Books

• Complete list

About Alex

Alex Whitehall may have grown up, but still wants to believe in magic—fairies, wishes, and things that go bump in the night – as long as it has a happy ending. Since none of that seems to exist in real life, Alex creates make-believe worlds where suffering is stopped, passions never cool, and the leads always end up happier than they started.

When not writing, reading, riding horses, working, running, reading, working and being social, Alex is sleeping.

You can find out more about Alex on via blog, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, December 12.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“I can’t believe you’re intruding on my ‘me’ time, Mom.” -Mayhem

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Make sure you enter the contest for signed paperback copies of The Replacement Guitarist (2nd ed) and Home for the Holidays (The Replacement Guitarist #2) (2nd ed) by Lori Toland! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Stop by and enter the contest for Christmas Serendipity by Liam Livings! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Definitely enter the contest for Secrets and Ink by Lou Harper! Closes 7 pm CST, Monday, December 9.

Don’t forget to enter the contest for In Another Life by Cardeno C! Closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, December 12.

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Today is a two contest day! Go enter the contest for In Another Life by Cardeno C!

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Congrats to Arzu, who won Making It Count by Kim Dare!

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Many thanks to Lou Harper for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Secrets and Ink, for a lucky commenter to win! Secrets and Ink will be released by Samhain Publishing on December 10.

When Karma writes you a ticket, pay up or else…

If life was like the movies, Jem Mitchell’s wouldn’t be such a mess. In LA’s glittering world of dreams, he works an unglamorous job at a gourmet grocery store. His past is so deep and dark, the details are lost even to him. All he knows is he was once cursed by a meter maid, and ever since, his love life has sucked.

When Detective Nick Davies becomes a regular at the store, Jem dares to hope he’s un-hexed at last. He should have known that sex with a remarkably normal guy, devoid of weird fetishes and fatal personality flaws, was too good to be true.

During a post-encounter cuddle, Nick recognizes the tattoo on Jem’s back – and remembers him as a young hustler he arrested nine years past.

As Jem’s memories come crashing back, he flees from Nick, but fate contrives to keep pushing them back together. And when Jem’s old partner in crime is found murdered, the stakes are raised for life, for love, and a dangerous drama with no guarantee of a Hollywood ending.

Product Warnings
Stars a mild-mannered store clerk with a shady past, a hunky cop whose passion in the bedroom is as big as his passion for justice, and celebrity sightings you won’t see on TMZ.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Other Books

• Complete list

About Lou

Under a prickly, cynical surface Lou Harper is an incorrigible romantic. Her love affair with the written word started at a tender age. There was never a time when stories weren’t romping around in her head. She is currently embroiled in a ruinous romance with adjectives. In her free time Lou stalks deviant words and feral narratives.

Lou’s favorite animal is the hedgehog. She likes nature, books, movies, photography, and good food. She has a temper and mood swings.

Lou has misspent most of her life in parts of Europe and the US, but is now firmly settled in Los Angeles and worships the sun. However, she thinks the ocean smells funny. Lou is a loner, a misfit, and a happy drunk. You can find out more about Lou and her books at her website, her blog, and Goodreads.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Monday, December 9.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“You’re boring me.” -Mayhem

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Make sure you enter the contest for signed paperback copies of The Replacement Guitarist (2nd ed) and Home for the Holidays (The Replacement Guitarist #2) (2nd ed) by Lori Toland! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Stop by and enter the contest for Christmas Serendipity by Liam Livings! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

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Today is a two contest day! Go enter the contest for Secrets and Ink by Lou Harper!

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Congrats to Arzu, who won Making It Count by Kim Dare!

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Many thanks to Cardeno C for donating an ebook copy of the freshly released m/m holiday romance, In Another Life, for a lucky commenter to win!

At age 18, Shiloh Raben is tired. He no longer has the energy to deal with mean classmates, inner doubt, and fear of familial rejection, so he takes a razor to his wrist. When he wakes up in the hospital, Shiloh meets Travis Kahn, the EMT who saved him and didn’t leave his side.

Travis is handsome, smart, and funny – the type of guy Shiloh would never be brave enough to approach. But his near-death experience has an unusual side effect: the life that flashed before his eyes wasn’t the one he had already lived, but rather the one he could live. With visions of a future by Travis’s side, will Shiloh find the strength to confront his fears and build a life worth fighting for?

This story is part of the 2013 Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar collection.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

• Other books
• Free reads

About Cardeno

Cardeno C. is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a little happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno often feels that characters write their own stories and just hopes to find enough time to get those stories on the page. And Cardeno loves to hear from readers so please drop a line to share your thoughts on a story. Find out more at Cardeno’s website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Contest Rules

• To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, December 12.
• By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
• If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
• Winners will be selected by random number.
• You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
• Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
• If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
• If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
• This contest is open worldwide!

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“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

The picture doesn’t really capture just how much he had to curl up to cram himself into a very small space.

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Make sure you enter the contest for signed paperback copies of The Replacement Guitarist (2nd ed) and Home for the Holidays (The Replacement Guitarist #2) (2nd ed) by Lori Toland! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Stop by and enter the contest for Christmas Serendipity by Liam Livings! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

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Make sure you enter the contest for signed paperback copies of The Replacement Guitarist (2nd ed) and Home for the Holidays (The Replacement Guitarist #2) (2nd ed) by Lori Toland! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Stop by and enter the contest for Christmas Serendipity by Liam Livings! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

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Congrats to Astrid, who won Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles!

Congrats to  choccygrl, who won A Lion in Tails by Andrew Grey! A Lion in Tails was released by Dreamspinner Press on December 1 as part of its 2013 Advent Calendar.

Congrats to Arzu, who won Making It Count by Kim Dare!

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Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be meeting Sort of Sinister Staring Guy (SoSSG).

When

discovered, at

, that he was

, he had to wonder if there was

behind the actions of the

, warning him of

, when

knew all too well that

for his

would be far more dangerous.

The end. Hmm. I can’t even tell if this makes sense any more!

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“I can’t take any more naughty boys, Mom!!!!!!” -Mayhem

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for signed paperback copies of The Replacement Guitarist (2nd ed) and Home for the Holidays (The Replacement Guitarist #2) (2nd ed) by Lori Toland! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

Stop by and enter the contest for Christmas Serendipity by Liam Livings! Closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 6.

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Congrats to Astrid, who won Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles!

Congrats to  choccygrl, who won A Lion in Tails by Andrew Grey! A Lion in Tails will be released by Dreamspinner Press on December 1 as part of its 2013 Advent Calendar.

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Randonymity

• I know I said there wouldn’t be linkity this week, but since I needed to post something about two contests closing this evening, you got a teeny weeny bit of linkity, too.

• I sold my old condo! And there was much rejoicing.

Bookity

• New releases and more: Fiction Vixen (romance/UF)

• Book and publishing news from Dear Author.

• “Taking the ‘bull’ out of book review ‘bullying’“.

• Three unpublished JD Salinger stories have leaked online.

• Infographic of all the deaths in Game of Thrones.

• Accurate for those of us who read fanfic.

Think, Do, Make, Learn

• Visualization of US public radio.

• Could you survive on pumpkin spice items for a week? (via Consumerist)

• Simon’s real cats.

• Antarctica from space.

Cookity

• Butternut squash, sage, and goat cheese lasagne. (via The Kitchn)

• Winter greens soup. (via The Kitchn)

• Cranberry margaritas. (via The Kitchn)

• Sparkling apple cider sangria.

Gluten Free

• Dairy-free Bailey’s Irish Cream copycat recipe.

• Vegan pumpkin cheesecake.

• Custard pie.

Wha…?

• Poutine-flavoured potato chips.

• Bacon deodorant.

LOL

• How telescopes are named. (Hover your cursor for more text.)

• 10 best “picture this” autocorrects.

• The cats and the couch.

Teh Cute

• The budgie and the tennis ball! Tiger and baby! Baby cheetahs! Black cat! Tiger and baby! Cat and kittens! Baby lions! Baby lion playing in a leaf pile!

Reading Update

• I’ll let you guess.

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Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, BatCat!