Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be meeting Baddest Santa Guy…
,
, wanted to make sure
was
, or, basically,
by giving him as
(plus he hoped it would be
for Jesse, instead of the
he usually got). Jesse’s first words upon being presented to Santa were, “
” and then, “Whoa, check out
!”
and some
later, he was
, making him
through to his
.
Erm. Yes. Moving right along!
“Wait a minute… Santa Claws is a kitty, not a naughty boy!” -Mayhem
Congrats to elaing8, who won A Gift of Mistletoe, by Alex Whitehall!
Congrats to Wendy, who won Dreams of a Stolen Child (Stolen Child #3) by Anna Mayle!
D’oh! My sixth blogiversary was November 22. The blog now bears little resemblance to the blog then, other than regular cat photos. 🙂 Of course, it was just Chaos back in those days… Anyway! Thank you all so much for visiting and commenting – you make each day a little brighter for me.
Contests
Bookity
Ebookity
Do, Think, Learn, Make
Holidity
Cookity
Crafty
Cool
Cool or Wha…?
Wha…?
LOL
Teh Cute
Reading Update
The Gift by Kim Dare. ebook. Sweet kinky m/m holiday romance about a dom who’s visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past and shown how his sub has interpreted their time together…
An Australian Christmas in New York by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about an ex-pat Australian living in New York City with his American boyfriend and feeling homesick for a properly hot Christmas. Tim Minchin’s “White Wine in the Sun” made an excellent soundtrack for reading this.
Carol of the Bellskis (Bellskis #1) by Astrid Amara. ebook. reread. Very good m/m Hanukkah romance about a paralegal who breaks up with his boyfriend (also his boss) because his closeted boss is backing out of their vacation plans. The paralegal heads off on vacation to his aunt and uncle’s kosher B&B alone… and finds himself taking care of all the guests, with his aunt and uncle nowhere to be found.
Miracle of the Bellskis (Bellskis #2) by Astrid Amara. ebook. Very good m/m Hanukkah/Christmas romance that takes place several years after Carol of the Bellskis, as Seth meets Lars’ somewhat icy parents for the first time… because Lars’ parents are staying with Lars and Seth for the holidays.
Fire Thief by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good steamy short m/m story about two guys who strike some sparks together in a bar.
Numbers by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Very good, very short m/m romance about two guys who are acting together in the musical Grease and dancing around each other offstage.
The Housekeeper (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a housekeeper from Mexico who falls in love with his movie star employer.
Picture This (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Good short m/m story about a discreet photographer who’s hired to take nude photos by a closeted movie star. I wish I had realized that this is a series of sorts, and that The Housekeeper was the most recent one – I read The Housekeeper first and kept wondering if Will was cheating scum as I read this one.
Love at First Sight (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m romance about a closeted actor who pursues a bookstore owner who isn’t interested in one night stands. I’m still confused about these “Will Crawford” books. In this one and in Picture This, Will gets involved with a guy and the story ends with the sense that they’re in a relationship, trying to make things work. The Housekeeper begins with Will not involved with anyone and ends after Will makes a commitment to someone and follows through with it. Are the three books to be taken together as Will’s journey to finding love and coming out? Note: The author just posted the order of these yesterday, and I read them exactly backwards. 🙂
Zombie Wonderland by Piper Vaughn. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a waiter who’s rescued from encroaching zombies by the customer he’s been crushing on for weeks. I’m not a fan of gruesome stories, but I am fan of Piper’s writing, so I braved it.
Christmas Baby by Johnny Miles. ebook short. This short story takes place right before Christmas in 1957 and is told from the perspective of a teenager whose parents drive off to a holiday party, never to return. Suddenly, an uncle he’s never met before is the only person he has in the world.
Secret Santa by Clare London. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two guys who are always fighting, including over the mysterious Secret Santa presents they received.
NYPD Christmas by Eden Cole. ebook short. Meh m/m romance about a guy whose sister sets him up with a cop. Although he ditches the cop after they screw, he can’t get seem to get the guy out of his mind. Near instalove and awkward writing make this one to miss.
“That was a very suspicious noise, big kitty!” -Mayhem
“I agree, May, I agree. Stay alert!” -Chaos
Congrats to lovely m, who won Fangs, Fur and Snowballs (Lost Shifters #15) by Stephani Hecht! Fangs, Fur and Snowballs is being released today by eXtasy Books.
Many thanks to RJ Scott for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m holiday romance, Jesse’s Christmas, for a lucky commenter to win! Jesse’s Christmas will be released by Silver Publishing on December 25.
For Jesse Connor, Christmas is nothing but a series of bad memories. It takes a man imbued with the spirit of Christmas to help him realize that the Christmas spirit lies in everyone – if they only know where to look.
Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)
Other Books by RJ
About RJ
RJ Scott lives in the Chiltern hills just outside London, England. She loves reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.
She is published with Silver Publishing and Dreamspinner Press and was nominated in the Love Romance Cafe Awards of 2010 as Best GLBTQ Author, for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror (Oracle) and as Best Paranormal Author. Oracle was also nominated for Best Gay Paranormal / Horror 2010 in Elisa Rolle’s Rainbow Awards and was awarded an Honorable Mention (5th). RJ’s contemporary romance, The Christmas Throwaway, remained at number one on Amazon and at All Romance over Christmas and into the New Year. She cannot believe how lucky 2010 was for her and her foray into the world of MM writing.
RJ writes across all the genres, but if pushed she says she enjoys writing contemporary romance over the rest. Her newest release, Back Home, has already received favourable reviews on the Silver site and on Goodreads.
You can find out more about RJ and her books at her website, on Facebook, and via Twitter.
Contest Rules
*streeeeeeeeeetch* -Chaos
Congrats to Maya, who won The Santa Problem by Tam Ames! The Santa Problem is being released today by Torquere Press.
Congrats to Zeneida, who won Melting Mr. Mowburrey by Kim Dare! Melting Mr. Mowburrey is being released today by Resplendence Publishing. And check out Kim’s post about the inspiration for the story – a photo I took! 
Many thanks to J.M. Cartwright for donating a copy of her forthcoming holiday m/m romance, Winning in a Landslide (Change #1.5), for a lucky commenter to win! Winning in a Landslide will be released by Torquere Press on December 21.
Sheriff Grissom has just won re-election, but the campaign got nasty. Johnny and Grissom are at odds with each other, the reality of their world sinking in for both men. Johnny’s frustrated and Grissom’s patience is stretched to the limit.
Johnny’s come to understand exactly what their relationship could cost Grissom, and he’s having second thoughts. But the two men have established a family, and a life together – a good life, despite their differences. Plus, it’s almost Christmas – and they’re breaking in a new housekeeper. How will she like working for two daddies?
Can they really make it work in small-town West Virginia? Join the boys from A Change of Tune and find out!
J.M.’s Other Books
About J.M.
I’m a Midwesterner by birth – lived briefly in the Pacific Northwest – and I dream of the Appalachians and someday sitting on a veranda looking over one hundred acres of paradise. Writing stories about lovers butting heads, making each other crazy, laughing and loving is what I like to do.
You can find out more about J.M. at her website.
Contest Rules
“I’m keeping an eye on you, Mom!” -Chaos
Congrats to Maya, who won The Santa Problem by Tam Ames! The Santa Problem is being released today by Torquere Press.
Congrats to Zeneida, who won Melting Mr. Mowburrey by Kim Dare! Melting Mr. Mowburrey is being released today by Resplendence Publishing. And check out Kim’s post about the inspiration for the story – a photo I took!
Many thanks to Devon Rhodes for donating an ebook copy of her recently released kinky m/m holiday romance, Let It Snow, for a lucky commenter to win!
Since he’s housesitting a gorgeous inn over the holidays, Garrett invites his single friends to help keep Christmas merry. Then the snow hits and his friends can’t make it up as planned. Alone on Christmas Eve, Garrett makes a private Christmas wish for Ethan to see him as more than a best friend and a willing sub to spank. When the snow stops, will Garrett’s hopeful wishes come true?
Excerpt (scroll down and expand)
Other Books
About Devon
Devon started reading and writing at a young age and never looked back. After a creatively sapping career in the business world, she gratefully took some time off to be at home.
At 39 and holding, Devon finally figured out the best way to channel her midlife crisis was to morph from mild-mannered stay-at-home mom into erotic romance writer.
She lives in Oregon with her husband and two children, who are (mostly) understanding of all the time she spends on her laptop, aka the black hole.
For all the latest, visit her blog.
Contest Rules
“I’m keeping an eye on you, Mom!” -Mayhem
Through Friday, December 23, Keira Andrews is hosting Make the Yuletide Gay, which is a holiday extravaganza featuring giveaways, recipes, and plenty of hot man-on-man action! The following guest authors will be blogging, sharing their holiday books, and more:
| Berengaria Brown | December 6 | ||
| Samantha Kane | December 8 | ||
| GR Richards | December 9 | ||
| Kayelle Allen | December 10 | ||
| Silvia Violet | December 12 | ||
| Matthew Lang | December 14 | ||
| Tam Ames | December 17 | ||
| Tory Temple | December 18 | ||
| Sloan Parker | December 19 | ||
| Z.A. Maxfield | December 21 | ||
| Jaxx Steele | December 22 | ||
| JM Cartwright | December 23 |
Come on over and join in the fun! You can win some great books, learn yummy recipes, and discover some steamy new romances this holiday.
Keira has also donated an ebook copy of her delightful m/m Hanukkah romance, Eight Nights, for a lucky commenter to win!
Lucas McKenzie figures spending the holidays with his annoying roommate’s family is better than being alone on campus. The last thing he expects is to lust over Sam’s brother – or for Nate to actually want him back.
They hide their attraction during Hanukkah celebrations, but behind closed doors, Lucas and Nate can’t keep their hands (or mouths) off each other. Nate’s only looking for a bit of holiday fun, and amazing sex with a hot virgin definitely fits the bill.
Yet as the candles burn, Nate and Lucas begin to realize eight nights will never be enough.
About Keira
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes both contemporary and historical fiction and – although she loves delicious angst along the way – Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.” You can find out more about Keira and her books at her website, Twitter, and Facebook.
Contest Rules
Congrats to Dianna, who won Winter Warmers by Josephine Myles, JL Merrow, Clare London, Chrissy Munder, and Lou Harper!
When I started the Misadventures back on December 3, 2009, I had no idea it would evolve into a long-running series of quirky, incoherent little stories strung together from book titles. Thanks to all of you for reading and commenting! A special thanks to those of you who’ve sent me covers, too. I’m honored to be part of you never looking at book covers the same way again. 😉
For this, the 100th edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography, I thought we should go back to the very beginning, to the cover that started it and gave Candy Cane Guy his name. 🙂
Because he was
,
just couldn’t seem to stop himself from
, especially when he was
, wandering the
and trying to avoid
with
as he looked for things that needed to be
while a not-quite-
(maybe a
?) kept playing in the back of his mind. Obviously he hadn’t done enough
in his misspent youth, when he worked as a
, then abruptly left behind his
of
and went
, traveling
to stay
‘s notice.
*blink blink blink*
“I can’t believe there are so many naughty boys! Surely you must be almost out of them by now, Mom?!” -Mayhem
Bad news, May: I have plenty of naughty boys stocked up! 🙂
Congrats to Sammy2006, Yvette, and Heather K, who won Simple Gifts (Cornwall Novellas #2) by LB Gregg!
Congrats to Morgana, who won My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March, which is now available from by Carina Press. It’s also available in the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology.
Congrats to Dianna, who won Winter Warmers by Josephine Myles, JL Merrow, Clare London, Chrissy Munder, and Lou Harper!
Contests
Bookity
Ebookity
Think, Make, Do, Learn
Holidity
Cookity
Crafty
Cool
Cool or Wha…?
Wha…?
LOL
Teh Cute
Reading Update
Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore #2) by KA Mitchell. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romance about a teacher who’s dumped by his closeted boyfriend of ten years, then picks up a hot younger guy at a bar to take along to the baptism of his ex’s baby.
While Under the Influence (Perfect Timing #8) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s in denial about being gay. He foolishly mentions it to his cousin when he’s drunk, thus setting in motion her plan for him to find out definitively whether he is or isn’t.
Paper Planes by M. Jules Aedin. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a photographer whose partner died in a plane crash a year ago and who isn’t really moving past that until after he becomes friend with an older pilot. I particularly liked that this book didn’t go in for quick fixes – recovering from a significant loss takes time – and that one of the main characters had a disability. Perfect main characters get boring!
Search Me (Cover Me #3) by LA Witt. ebook short. Good short m/m romance following up on Andrew and Nick from Cover Me, who we saw were having problems in Trust Me. I got a little sniffly when things didn’t look too promising for the guys…
The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters by Amy lane. ebook. Very cute holiday m/m romance about a grumbly Colorado alpaca rancher who takes a liking to the cute younger guy who moves in next door.
Let It Snow by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Good short kinky holiday m/m romance about a professional house sitter who’s feeling lonely and a little sorry for himself on Christmas Eve as he falls asleep making a wish…
What Can Be by Mary Calmes. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about a guy who hasn’t seen his father or brothers for 13 years, since his mom took him and left. Since then, he’s avoided getting close to people… except he has and now he’s running away from that.
Happiness for Beginners by Zahra Owens. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two guys, one gay and one presumably straight, who used to play a gay couple on a tv show but haven’t seen each other for ten years. And then the straight one shows up at the other guy’s front door out of the blue…
Winter Rescue by Dawn Kimberly Johnson. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a guy trying to make it home for the holidays after not seeing his family for a few years, but he ends up in the ditch during a bitterly cold and snowy night and almost doesn’t make it home…
A Walk in the Dark by Kate McMurray. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a guy with a crush on his roommate’s boyfriend. This needed to be just a bit longer to be a satisfying read.
Prey Time by Sue Brown. ebook short. Steamy m/m/m encounter between a guy in a bar and a couple he picks up… or do they pick him up?
Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a wealthy guy who recently moved to a small town in North Carolina from San Diego. One morning, he discovers the son of his house’s former (deceased) owner sitting outside. Alas, I never got fully invested in the main characters as a couple.
No One Should Be Alone by Tinnean. ebook. Ok holiday m/m romance about two operatives in a top-secret government agency who hook up. This one just didn’t work for me – not only could I simply not get into the story, it was told in alternating first-person with insufficiently distinct voices, so I kept getting confused.
Feels Like Home by Rowan McAllister. ebook. Sweet m/m holiday romance about two guys who end up spending a couple of days together because of a snowstorm. Editing inconsistencies kept annoying me and pulling me out of the story. (Really, that spare tire that got run over by a Hummer H2 at the beginning of the story? You’re not going to be putting it on and driving on it later in the story…)
Bringing Home the Ice Prince by Jana Downs. ebook short. Meh short m/m holiday romance written in the sort of flowery, over-the-top style that annoys me no end.
“Can’t… quite… hit… the… itchy… spot…” – Mayhem
Many thanks to Stephani Hecht for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming holiday paranormal m/m romance, Fangs, Fur and Snowballs (Lost Shifters #15), for a lucky commenter to win! Fangs, Fur and Snowballs will be released by eXtasy Bookson December 15.
It’s never easy dealing relatives during the holidays, but when you mix a feline coalition with a wolf pack, things get downright hairy. And that’s before adding the two missing Eagle brothers, a Lion trying to run away from home, and a Hawk more cranky than Scrooge or the Grinch. But coalition leader Mitchell is determined to have the best Christmas ever – even if he has to kill everybody to make them cooperate. Oh, and where is Shane and why did he leave his favorite gun behind?
Also by Stephani
About Stephani
Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings! You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine at her favorite coffee shop.
When she’s not running around like crazy, trying to get her kids to their various activities, she’s working on numerous projects.
You can visit Stephani at her blog or her website.
Contest Rules
“Clean paw, clean paw, I’m going to have a clean, clean paw!” -Chaos
Congrats to Beatrice, who won Search Me (Cover Me #3) by L.A. Witt! Search Me is being released by Carnal Passions today.
Many thanks to Alex Whitehall for donating an ebook copy of her recently released historical holiday m/m romance, A Gift of Mistletoe, for a lucky commenter to win! (Please to ignore how completely unhistorical the cover looks – it was used for all of the short holiday romances in the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar.)
After heading home from university for Christmas, Harry takes a gamble and confesses his feelings to Theodore Dorry, his brother’s tutor. Magically, Theodore feels the same way, but both know the relationship doesn’t have much hope of surviving the ramifications of society’s judgments. However, for those with the courage to try, sometimes Christmas can grant miracles.
About Alex
If there are two types of people in the world, Alex Whitehall probably isn’t one of them, despite being a person. Her – for lack of a better pronoun – favorite pastimes include reading, horseback riding, reading, watching geek-tastic television, reading, and running. While Alex prefers writing over doing anything else (except maybe reading), sometimes she emerges from the cave to be social and to hunt for food at the local market. She can be found blogging, searching the Internet for more books to read, and tending after her aloe plant Cornwall. You can find out more about Alex on her blog, at GoodReads, and on Twitter.
Contest Rules
“That looks painful, Mom. You really shouldn’t have called me malevolent, you know. I bet you regret that now.” -Chaos