NOW AVAILABLE! SLOW HEAT by LETA BLAKE – An Alpha/Omega Erotic Romance

JASON & VALE COLLIDE IN THIS HOT ALPHA/OMEGA EROTIC GAY ROMANCE!

Available now at Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited

A lustful young alpha meets his match in an older omega with a past.

Professor Vale Aman has crafted a good life for himself. An unbonded omega in his mid-thirties, he’s long since given up hope that he’ll meet a compatible alpha, let alone his destined mate. He’s fulfilled by his career, his poetry, his cat, and his friends.

When Jason Sabel, a much younger alpha, imprints on Vale in a shocking and public way, longings are ignited that can’t be ignored. Fighting their strong sexual urges, Jason and Vale must agree to contract with each other before they can consummate their passion.

But for Vale, being with Jason means giving up his independence and placing his future in the hands of an untested alpha–as well as facing the scars of his own tumultuous past. He isn’t sure it’s worth it. But Jason isn’t giving up his destined mate without a fight.

This is a stand alone gay romance novel, 118,000 words, with a strong HFN ending, as well as a well-crafted, non-shifter omegaverse, with alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. Content warning for pregnancy loss and aftermath.

EARLY REVIEWERS SAY:

• “Holy hotness, YES, LETA BLAKE, you just gave me another reason to love you.” – Jordan, Alpha Book Club

 

• “Wow– I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. Those who like their mm romance on the hot side will looove this one!” – Eli Easton, author of Blame It On The Mistletoe and the Howl at the Moon series

 

• “I loved this book. Really LOVED it. The author once again proves her extraordinary versatility. This book is so much more than a love story. So multi-layered. So wonderful.” – Katerina, Don’t Love Me, Jack Reviews

Leta Blake Recommends Kit Brisby’s ROGUE MAGIC! Check it out! #gay #romance

I’m thrilled to welcome Kit Brisby today to talk about her excellent book Rogue Magic! It was one of my favorite books I beta read last year and I highly recommend it!

Let’s get started:

1. Rogue Magic is deeply romantic, but more than that it’s a wonderful but never heavy-handed allegory for persecution based on religion, race, or any other human quality that might go against the values of the established culture. Was this intentional on your part?

 

Persecution based on religion, race, and countless other identities has existed for centuries. It’s a common theme in stories, and I don’t think I was doing anything revolutionary here! When I wrote this book, the political climate in the United States hadn’t quite reached its current fever pitch. I’ll be honest – I hoped that by the time the book was released, our nation might be entering a time of healing under the leadership of the first female president.

But that’s another story entirely.

Ultimately, I believe #ownvoices is incredibly important, and while ROGUE MAGIC might be read as an allegory about what marginalized people face today, I urge readers to seek stories written by members of those populations. I’m a queer white woman with anxiety. I can speak to those experiences, but I can’t begin to speak to the lived experiences of people of color, Muslims, and other marginalized people. I’m touched that readers have drawn parallels but a direct parallel was not my intention.

 

2. Do you remember the first moment this story came alive in your mind? The point of inspiration? Can you tell us a bit about it and how it made you feel inside?

 

The opening scene was always the foundation of this book. The act of sacrifice and the immediate consequences. The mix of confusion and fear and empathy. I get a little squiggly feeling in my stomach over that scene, and it’s that kind of excitement/inspiration that fuels me as a writer as the story unfolds.

 
3. Was there a point with this story when you felt like it was too much, or that you’d never be able to complete it satisfactorily? What got you through that time and led you to persevere?
I’m always very excited for the first 15,000 words of a new draft. Then I enter the “despair and whining” phase until I’ve got about 15% left. I stick to a fairly stern drafting schedule that gets me through the agony of the “I’ll never finish this garbage” doldrums. Revisions and line edits can be rough, but in this case I had amazing guidance. That always makes the hard work more gratifying.

 

4. Many authors write with music playing or use songs to drive inspiration and channel emotion. Is there a particular song (or songs) that will forever be attached to Rogue Magic or its characters for you?

 

I listen to moody Google Play Radio stations when I’m writing. I also listen to short, curated playlists that help me get into characters’ headspaces. The Shins played a large part in ROGUE MAGIC’s playlist, along with a little Belle and Sebastian. I have a feeling that was more Levi’s influence than Byron’s.

 

5. You have an annual star chart you use to track your writing and edits. I found it deeply inspiring and started doing a similar one for myself. Do you want to briefly explain it?

 

I’m deeply inspired by author V.E. Schwab. She popularized the “star chart” method and uses monthly calendars. Her productivity is amazing, and she’s very transparent with her fans about the amount of labor that goes into producing a book. Using a star chart to tracking drafting is particularly motivating, but I’ve found a lot of value in visualizing revisions, which aren’t nearly as sexy as cranking out brand new words. (But they’re so much more important!) I use a year calendar from NeuYear.net to track my book-related work.

 

6. What is the one thing you hope readers take away from Rogue Magic and what is the one thing you are most proud of when it comes to the book?

 

I hope readers enjoy themselves as the story unfolds. I’ve found great comfort and escape in books throughout my life, and it’s truly the greatest honor to offer that to others.

*

Thank you, Kit! Congratulations on the release of Rogue Magic! 

Important Information Regarding the ’90s Coming of Age series (Pictures of You & You Are Not Me)

For a long time now, I’ve been trying to figure out how I wanted to make this post and what I wanted to say and disclose. And for an equally long time I’ve put it off. Mainly because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone and I kept hoping for some kind of change that would make it unnecessary. But, truly, it’s been necessary from the get-go because that’s how publishing works.

When I made my initial projections regarding the release dates for We Can Be Good (Bk 3) and We Make It Real (Bk 4), I operated on a central assumption based in prior experience: that the first two books would pay for themselves. See, as long as I’ve been self-publishing I’ve never had a book not pay for the cost of creating it. I’ve had books earn more or less profit, but I’ve never failed to cover my expenses. So, when I set aside the money to publish the four book series, I went with $5,000, thinking that would be more than enough. I was wrong.

See, it’s a rule for me that each book carry itself. It becomes dangerous to my business for me to allow for a situation where Peter pays for Paul. At least during this stage of my career. Maybe when I have many more books out and a steady back catalog income coming in I could take that risk. But at this juncture, I just can’t. It would only take a few books that didn’t sell with a profit for me to have no capital to work with at all.

So, back to Pictures of You & You Are Not Me. They’ve been so well received by readers who took the leap and reviewers that it may come as a surprise for many to hear that they have barely covered even half of their expenses. I put $3,600 into those books (editing, covers, formatting, marketing) and as of the other morning they had earned $1,900. Not each, but both of them together.

Perhaps it’s crass to be giving you guys actual numbers, but I want you to understand that this isn’t a case of the books not earning enough to satisfy me. I never thought they’d make that much of a profit because they are a little out of the box. But rather these books just aren’t carrying their weight financially. This at a time when my day job is precarious and my book sales are down by 1/3 across the board last year.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Well, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get the rest of the ’90s Coming of Age story. I am DEFINITELY writing the next two books. What it does mean is that I need to bend my rules and allow for Peter to pay for Paul. But I need to do that on future books, not past ones. The plan has to change because the outcome didn’t work out the way I’d initially assumed it would. (Humbling? You bet!) I simply don’t have the leeway financially right now to take another $3,600 hit with the hopes it will pay off eventually. (And I do believe these books will pay off eventually! It may take time, but as a back catalog piece, they are going to be a good asset, in my opinion.)

It means that I have to publish at least one, if not two, books that make a decent profit so I can save up that $3,600 with the idea that it won’t be coming back to me quickly. I don’t know that my next releases will provide that profit. I have no idea, frankly, what will sell and what won’t. It’s always a bit of a mystery.

But here are a few things I do know:

1. I love this series. I’ve been working on it off and on for fourteen years and I won’t let it go until it’s finished.
2. I will not take fourteen years to finish the back half of it! LOL!
3. I WILL put We Can Be Good out in 2017 for sure. If I can, I’ll also do We Make It Real, but I can’t know if it will be 2017 or 2018 at this point.

I want to apologize to everyone who is eagerly awaiting Peter’s next adventure. I am sad to know that I’m disappointing you and a little embarrassed to know that there is no way out of it. At this point, even if some crazy generous weirdo (LOL) were to fund the cost of the edits, etc, I’m so far down the path of trying to get this next unrelated release out that I’d need to do that first.

Again, I’m so sorry to let everyone down. I’m not giving up, though. I’m still enthusiastic af for the books and for Peter and for his story! I’m still invested 100% and that’s part of the reason I’m slowing the timing of releases down, too. Obviously, I could forgo editing, etc, to lower costs. But I can’t ask you guys to accept lower quality books for the last two. I’ve waited this long to put his story out, and I’m not going to send sub-par follow-ups into the world.

I hesitate to call ’90s Coming of Age series a failure, but this Winston Churchill quote does sum up how I feel about the future of the books. I refuse to lose enthusiasm for the books and I refuse to quit on them.

In the meantime, I’m serving up some hot, slow-burn omegaverse for my next release (hopefully in late Feb or early March). I hope you’ll join me for that wild ride! Sending love to all my readers out in the world! Every last one of you makes the difficulties worth it! Every review, every bit of feedback, every email and FB like and Twitter reply.

You make it real, you make it fun, and you make it worthwhile. ❤

ETA: At the urging of a reader, I’ve updated my Patreon site with some goals regarding audiobooks and getting these next two books released. You can become a patron (and access some extras!) by clicking here:

“Funny, cute, snarky and just plain fun.” Review: Will & Patrick Wake Up Married by Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths #gay #romcom

“I love this set up for the story…drunk and married in Vegas! This is very funny, cute, snarky and just plain fun. Looking forward to the next installment.”

via Julie, Goodreads

 

.99 for Episodes 1-3 Bundle of Wake Up Married serial! #deal #sale

 

Get the first three episodes for just .99 (or comparable regional price) at the following retailers! Good through August 17, 2016!

 

 

 

 

Experience the fun of this romantic comedy serial by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths! 

Episode One: Will & Patrick Wake Up Married

After a drunken night of hot sex in Vegas, strangers Will Patterson and Dr. Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage. Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!

Episode Two: Will & Patrick Meet the Family

Meeting the family is challenging for every new couple. But for Will and Patrick, the awkward family moments only grow more hilarious–and painful–when they must hide the truth of their predicament from the people they care about most. Throw in the sexual tension flaring between them and you’ve got a recipe for madcap laughs and surprisingly heartwarming feels.

Episode Three: Will & Patrick Do the Holidays

A couple’s first holiday season is always a special time. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are magical when you’re in love. Too bad Will and Patrick’s marriage is a sham and they’re only faking their affection for each other. Or are they? Sparks fly in this episode of the Wake Up Married serial. Will the sexual tension between Will and Patrick finally explode in a needy night of passion? Or will they continue to deny their feelings?

Word count: 101,000; page count: 332

“This is a stunning story.” Diverse Reader’s Review of Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn

Diverse Reader’s review of Vespertine:

 

“I love Leta Blake’s work so hard. This was the first time I read any of Indra Vaughn’s. ( I will be rectifying that now)

Now, I was skeptical at first when I read the blurb. Scared even. A priest. a rocker. long ago lovers. As a Christian I feared it would be insulting. I also feared it would be preachy. I’m sure some of you feel or felt the same way. I’m here to tell you it is none of those things.

Leta and Indra were so respectful.

Nicky and Jazz. Were there ever two men who loved more than these two did each other? I doubt it. A love that was like walking through a battlefield. Each hit hurt, each hit scarred. Each scar, a memory. Time was killer for them. Only when they reunite after Nicky not only hit rock bottom but crashed straight through to Hell’s bedrock do we see their story. A story of long ago crashing into the present.

This is a friends to lovers back to friends back to lovers story LOL. This is a tale of strength, courage, trust, healing, and loyalty. God does work in mysterious ways. His answers aren’t always clear and through Jazz we get such a crystal clear view of the struggle of choosing a path. One forever or the right forever.

Nicky and Jazz. Badger and fox. two sides of the same coin. One a saint one a sinner. And yet for them to be together makes so much sense.

This is a stunning story.”

 

 

 

Can a priest and a rock star obey love’s call? 

Seventeen years ago, Jasper Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld’s childhood friendship turned into a secret, blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper’s calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.

Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He’s determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.

As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.

Jasper and Nicky’s careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past’s lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.

Now Available on Kindle Unlimited! Angel Undone by Leta Blake #KU #gay

 

“It was good. It was fun. It was sexy as all get out and it was utterly romantic and… sigh. Maybe I’m the one undone after reading it?” ~ Ginger, On My Shelves Reviews
“Angel Undone is romance with a soupçon of angst, sweet with just the right amount of spice, and poignant with exactly the right amount of cheek to keep it from becoming overdramatic.” ~ Lisa, The Novel Approach

“I am a huge Leta Blake fan and if you are too, and especially if you enjoy angel stories, this may be a good one to check out.” ~ Jay, Joyfully Jay Reviews

 

***

The Archangel Michael is tired. He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there’s little personal joy in it.

Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher.

Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about his restrained depths, gentle smiles, and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.

Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven.

Warnings: this novella contains urban fantasy, wings, angels doing unangelic things, erotic content, and playful blasphemy.

Word Count: 25,000

NOW AVAILABLE! Angel Undone by Leta Blake #gay #romance #playfulblasphemy

 

The Archangel Michael is tired.

He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there’s little personal joy in it.

Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher.

Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about his restrained depths, gentle smiles, and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.

Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven.

Warnings: this novella contains urban fantasy, wings, angels doing unangelic things, erotic content, and playful blasphemy.

Word Count: 25,000

NOW AVAILABLE on B&N, Kobo, iTunes! Will & Patrick’s Happy Ending by Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths

The final installment of the Wake Up Married serial is out of Kindle Unlimited and available at most retailers! If you’ve been waiting for this last Will & Patrick story, or if you’v been waiting to start until they were all out at your preferred retailer, now’s the time! Thank you to all the readers who have made this journey so fun!

“This is a series that will stick with me hundreds of books from now.” Ulysses, Prism Book Alliance

“I adore this series more than words can express. The writing is stellar and the storyline just keeps getting better and better.” Bayou Book Junkie Reviews

“Ms. Blake and Ms. Griffiths have crafted an endearing tale full of promise, humor, tension, drama, sadness, and forgiveness. An incredible read!” Alpha Book Club

“If you have not read these stories yet what are you waiting for?” Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews

“A sweet, powerful, and sexy romance. I can’t recommend it enough.” Review: Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn

“I wasn’t ready for how beautifully moving this book ended up being. I was completely floored by these characters and the raw and gritty honesty in which we get to know them. They were so beautifully flawed and so beautifully human that it seriously took my breath away. This story was so much more than a romance, it was a testament to the human condition. How we make mistakes, how we learn from them, and how we move on from them. I won’t spoil a bit of these story for you guys because I want you to FEEL and EXPERIENCE every single moment without me preparing you. This book was written to resonate and it has with me and I assure you that if you have a beating heart and are made of human bone and flesh it will touch you too. A sweet, powerful, and sexy romance. I can’t recommend it enough.”