As someone who is currently in her forties, I can honestly say I feel freer and less inhibited when it comes to what I read and enjoy. Is it because I’m “older and wiser”? Not sure about the “wiser” part, to be honest.
When you’re in your twenties and thirties, you’re bogged down with making your way in the world, possibly raising a family, moving up the ladder. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed those decades and hard as they may have been, I wouldn’t change them. But I noticed something in my forties.
I began to judge myself less harshly. Stopped placing impossible expectations on myself. I had grown and for the first time, I began to relish the experiences in life. The feelings I had ignored for so long.
When I stumbled onto some free online erotica, I was drawn in—and blushed a bright red as I devoured tales of men and women reveling in sexual freedom. I read every pairing I could find and began to see sex in a new way. It was freeing!
It took some time, but I found myself writing stories. Romance with a little erotica or vice versa. I wrote in private, still blushing as I typed the scenes onto the page. But the more I wrote, the more I enjoyed it.
And did I tell anyone? Of course not! Not yet, anyway. In fact, only recently did I share my pen name with a good friend of mine. It wasn’t that I was ashamed, it was more about how I would be perceived. I’ve worked for years to build a reputation in the professional world I work in. I worried—what would he think of me?
I received my answer when he presented me with a gift—a wonderful book called Naughty Words for Nice Writers, A Romance Novel Thesaurus by Cara Bristol. Trust me, it’s come in quite handy! But he was proud of me and to be honest, I was—and am—proud of myself.
There is a world of books out there and I enjoy many different genres: Sci-Fi, Historical, Nonfiction, Romance, Political… I could go on and on. But I also enjoy reading—and writing—erotica.
My newest MM Romance has sexy cowboys and hot sex—and I hope readers enjoy the story.
*****
Excerpt:
“This is nice,” Wade said as he moved closer to the pictures. Lots of family photos, some of his graduation. It was like a timeline of Lance’s life. When his eyes fell on one photo, he stopped, leaning in. It was a picture of Wade, Casey, and Lance on the sofa, playing video games. Probably one of the many nights Lance spent there as a teenager. But Lance wasn’t watching the game. He was staring at Wade.
“I remember that night,” Lance whispered, suddenly by Wade’s side.
“Brings back memories,” Wade admitted. “Who took the picture?”
Lance blushed. “Landon had been bugging us to let him join in on the video games, so I handed him my phone and let him play something on there so he’d leave us alone.”
“Ahh, the little brother bribe. I know it well,” Wade said, grinning.
Lance laughed. “Well, he must have been bored, because when I got the phone back, there were a lot of new pictures. He took some of his room, the barn, the horses, and this one of us playing video games.”
Wade’s chest tightened. “You kept this one…why?” There was nothing really remarkable about the picture. Other than Lance staring at him. But that could have been anything. He could have said something funny or they could have been talking.
Lance’s cheeks pinked. “I just liked the picture.”
He cocked his head and stood in front of Lance. “No reason?”
The man took a step back, and suddenly they were in the same position in which they’d found themselves this morning in the hallway. Lance looked into his eyes and Wade’s heart did a somersault. Lance’s eyes were dark with desire.
“Tell me,” Wade ordered. “Tell me why you kept the picture, Lance. Why were you looking at me instead of the game? Were we talking?”
Lance shook his head. “No,” he breathed out, his voice shaky. “God, I remember like it was yesterday, though. Casey and I were playing a game and you came in and joined us. When you sat next to me…I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t even breathe.” He looked to the side.
Wade cupped his chin and tilted his head to face him. “Why? Tell me, Lance.”
Lance licked his lips. “Because I was crazy about you, Wade. And I was scared of my feelings.”
*****
BLURB:
Wade Dwyer’s life is turned upside down when his father dies and he learns he must marry or he and his siblings will lose the ranch. One last jab of the knife from his father. On top of that, his father’s only friend knows about the stipulation and is determined to own the property by any means necessary.
He’s facing the very real possibility of being the reason his family loses their home when his brother’s best friend, Lance Matthews, offers to walk down the aisle with him. A faux marriage to the man he’s loved for years is a torture he isn’t sure he can endure.
Can he keep the ranch … and the man of his dreams, too?
*****
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the non-profit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures up in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have co-starred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity to live. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.
Website: www.sarahhadleybrookwrites.com
Email: contact@sarahhadleybrookwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahhadleybrook
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SHadleyBrook/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahHadleyBrook
Instagram: @sarah_hadley_brook_author
QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/?s=sarah+hadley+brook&search_type=book_search
*****
GIVEAWAY!
Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.
Thanks for hosting!
I encourage reading so having a family who loves to read I sure support.Thanks for sharing your terrific read with us.
Thanks for hosting!
Great excerpt and awesome giveaway, thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Great guest post
Thank you for the excerpt!