And on the 57,428th day, Rolex got a name.

Remember that time Aleksandr Voinov and I had this contest to name Rolex from Market Garden, but then real life decided to be a bastard and bring everything to a grinding halt for like six months? And then we kept everyone waiting forever for the results of that contest because OMG we just could not catch a break in 2014?

Yeah, me too.

First of all, thank you to everyone for your patience. 2014 was quite a roller coaster for both of us, and it really put a dent in productivity, concentration, etc. We haven't even co-written since July (up until today), so...yeah. Which meant dragging this contest out for MONTHS.  Sorry about that! :(

But blah blah blah, that's not why y'all are here. You want to know Rolex's name, right?

Well, wait no more.

Rolex has a name.

Yep, we finally found a first name.

And then we paired it with a surname.

And when we put them together, they worked pretty darn well.

So we said, "Yes, that is Rolex's name."

You ready for it?

You ready to find out what Rolex will be called?

OMG A hedgehog with a dinosaur! How adorable is that?

Right?

RIGHT? Just LOOK at how adorable it is!

Here it is again in case you missed it...

See? It's so--

OKAY OKAY I won't tease you anymore.

Rolex's name is:

Blake Raleigh.

Which also means that our contest winners are Kristie Sanchez and Antonia. If both of y'all could e-mail me at gallagherwitt (at) gmail, I'll get some prizes out to you.

So thank you again to everyone for your patience, and we really apologize for the huuuuge delay in wrapping up this contest. Rest assured that Rolex's story is in progress as we speak. Watch this blog and our Twitter feeds for release info.

Who Is Rolex? We're Asking You...

So Aleksandr Voinov and I are spiraling closer to writing the Market Garden book that we know a lot of you have been waiting for: Rolex's story.

We know his story. We know who we're going to hook him up with. (It's going to be hot, y'all. So hot.)

Yesterday, we were pondering what to call Rolex, since presumably his parents didn't name him after a luxury watch brand in hopes he would eventually become successful and develop a taste for the finer things in life. And it occurred to us that we could turn this into something fun for you, our readers.

So.

Here's how it works:

Rolex needs a name.  I guess in a way he's kind of like the childlike Empress in The Neverending Story. The story can't go on until he gets a name. Except he's not childlike, not an empress, and no fantasy worlds will actually fall apart if he doesn't get a new name. Though I suppose he does live in an ivory tower of sorts. (This is what happens when I write blog posts before I've had caffeine.)

Anyway. Where was I? Right. He's an American businessman, and his name could very well determine things about his background. We're hooking him up with a guy named Jason, so...we can't name him Jason. I mean, we could, but it would be really confusing, and Aleks and I are easily confused as it is. So no Jasons.

What's in it for you? A dedication in Rolex's book, plus a signed copy of If It Drives or Capture & Surrender (winner's choice) and an ebook off each of our backlists.

What do you have to do? Name Rolex. It's that easy. Comment on this blog with a name -- as many as you can think of -- and we'll select the winner. It's entirely possible that we might pick a first name from one entry and a surname from another, in which case both winners will receive prizes and a nod in the book. If there are a bunch of really awesome names and we remain undecided, we might even have y'all vote on the finalists! (And if you seen an entry you really like, feel free to comment to that effect!)

Deadline for entries: June 11, 2014.

Judges: Aleks and L.A., with the possibility of voting if there are numerous awesome entries.

Go forth, brave readers! Name the man we all know as Rolex!

NEW RELEASES: If It Drives, Guarded, and For The Living

It's been a busy week -- three new titles launched! I didn't want to do a post for each release because that would just clutter everything up, so I've rounded them up for a single post.

Cat Grant and I are pleased to announce the release of our kinky rock star novel, Guarded, available on Amazon, AllRomance, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.

 On the surface, rock star Jordan Kane has it all. No Rules is burning up the charts and headlining a world tour. His bodyguard doubles as his hot, kinky boyfriend who knows just how to push all his buttons. But behind the scenes, he’s suffocating. 

Jase never imagined he’d have a shot at bedding the larger than life rock star, never mind dominating him, but now he’s worried he’s in over his head. Jordan’s kinks run deep, dark, and sometimes dangerous, putting Jase’s desires to both pleasure and protect him at odds. 

They might have a fighting chance at finding the safe, happy medium between what Jordan needs and what Jase is willing to give, but there’s one problem: Daniel, Jordan’s childhood best friend, the band’s talented guitarist—and the volatile, hard-partying drug addict. Jordan is determined to save Daniel from himself, but Jase has been there, done that, and desperately wants to protect Jordan from the inevitable heartache of watching an addict self-destruct. 

When Daniel goes off the rails again, Jordan calls off the tour to get him help. Tension within the band skyrockets and pressure from the record label sends Jordan into a dark spiral. Now his band—and his life—are balanced on a knife's edge, and Jase is the only one who can pull him back... but only if the echoes of his own tragic past don't push him over instead.

Aleksandr Voinov and I have been busy too, and we're taking you back to Market Garden in the seventh book in that series, If It Drives, available from Riptide Publishing, Amazon, AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

If it flies, drives, or fornicates, it's cheaper to rent it. 

After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel. 

But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden. 

As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realizes, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.

And finally, I've re-released my novel, For The Living, and it can be found on Amazon, AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

For the last year, Jay Warren has struggled to find the nerve to tell his wife he’s gay. Every time he gets the chance, though, he freezes up. He’s ashamed of hiding it all this time and he doesn’t want to hurt her, and the guilt has been almost unbearable. 

Then his wife dies suddenly, and Jay’s conscience threatens to eat him alive. 

Funeral director Scott Lawson deals with the bereaved every day, and he’s all too familiar with the inside of the closet. He offers Jay some much-needed compassion and understanding, and from that connection comes a friendship that quickly—perhaps too quickly—turns into something more. 

But are grief, guilt, and loneliness the only things tying them together? Or will Scott get fed up with being used as an emotional crutch before Jay realizes what he has? 

This book was previously published.

 Stay tuned -- Roped In (written with Marie Sexton) is out later this month, as is the seventh Tucker Springs book, It's Complicated!

NOW AVAILABLE: If It Drives (A Market Garden Tale)

Red Tie is back, y'all!  The seventh Market Garden story, If It Drives, is available now from Riptide Publishing, and can be purchased directly or from Amazon, AllRomance, or Barnes & Noble.

If it flies, drives, or fornicates, it's cheaper to rent it.

After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel.

But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden.

As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realizes, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.

The 2013 Wrap-Up and What's Happening in 2014 Post

Okay, so 2013 was not a great year when it came to keeping up with my blog. Understatement, I know. Quite honestly, it just came down to being incredibly busy as well as traveling a lot, which is totally no excuse for being a lame blogger, but there it is. Author fail.

So as I've mentioned in a few posts over the last few months, I'm basically calling this year's blogging efforts a loss and resolving to be more on top of things in 2014. More on that in a minute, but first, let's recap the parts of 2013 that didn't suck. Namely, everything besides my blogging.  Or if you want to skip ahead to the 2014 stuff, scroll down til you see the red text.

This was a year of traveling and co-writing. Sometimes both at the same time. I spent a total of six and a half weeks in Europe, most of that with the awesome Aleksandr Voinov. We explored London, spent a few days in Manchester for the UK LGBT Meet-Up, and visited Poland and Germany right in the middle of a ridiculous heat wave. Hey, HVAC companies? Get a foothold in the air conditioning market in Berlin. Seriously. You'll make a killing. The place has no A/C.

Anyway, in addition to traveling together, Aleks and I did a ton of co-writing. We released the first Market Garden book, Quid Pro Quo, back in January, and have been having a ball writing additional stories in that series. Four of them came out in 2013, and in 2014, we look forward to releasing Payoff and If It Drives in the very near future. Will there be more? Of course! Updates to come. (No, really, I will totally be updating my blog this time.)

We're looking forward to the release of our suspense novel, Hostile Ground, and hopefully we'll also have our next World War II book finished soon, along with some cool fantasy/sci fi shenanigans we have in the works. I'm also currently working on a novel-length continuation of one of Aleks's popular books (with his blessing and guidance, of course). Expect details on that one around March, but I am so excited about it, I can barely stand it. Sooooon...

I didn't just join forces with Aleks, though. Since co-writing is ridiculously fun and surprisingly addictive, I've been plotting and scheming with a number of other authors for various joint projects. No details on those yet, since they're not set in stone, but there are several being batted around. Plus there is a new multi-author series in the works that's along the same lines as Tucker Springs. Exciting stuff that I can't wait to share!

As for unholy alliances that have resulted in actual completed projects, I've begun writing with both Cat Grant and Marie Sexton. Cat was actually the first one I started chatting with about a co-written book, but it was a little slow-going at first mostly because yours truly was insanely swamped during the first few months of the year. But Cat patiently waited for me to get things under some semblance of control, and in the end, we wrote two Navy SEAL books, The Only One Who Knows and its sequel The Only One Who Matters, both of which will be released by Samhain in early 2014. At the moment, we're writing a rock star novel  called Guarded, which we'll also release in 2014.

Marie Sexton and I have written a contemporary western novella called Roped In, which will be out sometime in April. We're batting around an idea for a sequel, but nothing's set in stone there yet. Definitely stay tuned for those updates!

And there were quite a few solo books out this year, but co-writing was 2013's new frontier, and I'm looking forward to continuing with my current co-authors as well as possibly adding a few others to the mix.

Speaking of collaborating, I've also joined forces with androgynous model Victoria Victor and photographer McCade Dolan of Cadeography to produce a cover for a not-yet-written transgender romance novel. We've already had one photo shoot, and the results were amazing. The second shoot (the cover has two images) is coming up, and I'm thoroughly excited to see how it turns out. Once the cover is finalized, I'll be writing the book based on the result.

Finally, I've moved into the realms of self-publishing this year, mostly to re-release some books whose rights have reverted to me. A few have been released already, including Light Switch and The Best Man, as well as World Enough and Time (formerly Until It's Over), and additional titles will be available again in 2014, including the Cover Me trilogy.

Speaking of re-releases, Static has been acquired by Riptide Publishing, and will be available in January. I adore LC Chase's cover art, but folks, she seriously outdid herself on this one. Just look at that thing:

Love it. Love it, love it, love it.

So that was 2013 in a nutshell.

But let's move on to 2014, shall we? 

First, let's talk about the blog.

The blog, which has been pretty much dead all year. NO MORE OF THAT! I've got a few topics and posts lined up on everything from conferences to writing techniques to random musings. All kinds of fun stuff. And as per usual, you can expect the odd rant when there's some kerfuffle or another in the industry or the genre Assuming I actually poke my head up and realize there's something going on in time to post a reasonably timely commentary on it -- I spent a lot of 2013 realizing something was going on, but the window of relevance had passed while I was facedown in something else. *sigh*

My other dead blog -- aka, my personal blog -- will be resurrected as well. That one's been a little quiet in part because of my total lapse in blog commitment this year, but also because it's kind of hard to write about Adventures in Navy Wifing when those adventures are occurring in Nebraska. Let's chalk that up to lack of material, shall we, and hope the Navy sends us someplace more interesting when we transfer at the end of 2014.

Back to this blog...  If you are an author looking to promote a book or need a stop for a blog tour/blog hop, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to host you.

There will also be some regular contests this year! Because contests rock. I mean, what's not to love? You win stuff!  "Stuff" in this case will include ebooks, signed paperbacks, and other cool prizes as I acquire them.

And speaking of contests and such, I'll be starting a newsletter in 2014.  I promise -- Scout's honor, pinkie swear, the whole nine yards -- that you'll receive a maximum of two messages a month. A monthly newsletter, and then one --ONLY one -- additional newsletter if there's something going on that's, well, newsworthy. You can sign up here, or at the upper left corner of my blog. No spam. Promise.

Email Address 

There will be some contests here on the blog, and there will be some exclusive to newsletter subscribers. Sign up! You know you want to! There's cake*!

* There isn't really any cake.

So that's what's happening on the blog.

What about the books, yo?

Well, there are a few of those coming out this year.

Re-Releases:
As mentioned above, Static is coming in January from Riptide, and the Cover Me trilogy -- Cover Me, Trust Me, and Search Me -- will be re-released in early 2014. Noble Metals is also making a comeback around mid-year, along with a previously unpublished sequel/spinoff. Also keep an eye out for details on Ex Equals and Disengaged.

Lauren Gallagher:
Lauren is finally going to get off her butt and have a few new releases this year, but they'll be in the latter half of the year. Look for I'll Show You Mine coming from Samhain in December, as well as Razor Wire and Peer Review from Riptide. A few others are in the works -- details to come.

L.A. Witt:
 - With Aleksandr Voinov -- Payoff and If It Drives are the latest additions to the Market Garden series, and we're working on a few more ideas for 2014. Also coming in 2014, our suspense novel, Hostile Ground. We've written a book in my Wilde's universe (aka, The Distance Between Us) called No Distance Left to Run, and that will be out in May from Samhain. And of course there's that continuation of Aleks's book, but don't tell anyone.

 - With Cat Grant -- The Only One Who Knows is out January 7th, The Only One Who Matters will be along March 18th, and Guarded will be out...soon.

 - With Marie Sexton -- Roped In will be available April 20th from Amber Allure.

 - Tucker Springs -- I'm currently in the home stretch on It's Complicated, which is due out in April, and we'll be adding an additional author in 2014.

 - Solo -- Conduct Unbecoming's spinoff, General Misconduct, will be available in July from Samhain. Also from Samhain, The Walls of Troy will be out in October.

There's lots more in the offing that I can't post about yet, so stay tuned! It's going to be a busy year, which is a good thing, of course. And there really will be more blogging this time around -- promise!

Happy Holidays, everyone, and here's to a kickass 2014!

Some long overdue updates.

Wow. I really need to stop slacking on my blogs. I've been saying that for a while, I know. I'm trying, I swear!! :)

So here are some updates and what's coming up over the next few months.

If you're in the UK and will be attending the UK LGBT Fiction Meet-Up, I'll be there along with my lovely partner in crime and co-author, Aleksandr Voinov. After the meet-up, Aleks and I are going to kick around London for a while before jetting off to Germany and Poland for some on-location World War II research.

I'll also be going to Toledo Pride in Ohio on August 24th, and GayRomLit in Atlanta in October. If you're at any of those events, do come say hello!

Now, what about books? Well, there are a few of those coming down the pipe...

For one, I'm now co-authoring with the amazing Cat Grant, and we're wrapping up our first book, a Navy SEAL story called The Only One Who Knows. That one will be available from Samhain Publishing in late 2013/early 2014; keep an eye on this site for updates.

Aleks and I are releasing our fourth Market Garden book, If It Fornicates, which will be available from Riptide Publishing on June 10th. The following week, on the 17th, you can grab my kinky little leather convention romance, Finding Master Right.

Aleks and I also have our first historical, Unhinge the Universe, coming out this summer; details on that one coming very, very soon.  August will be another double-hitter, with Market Garden #5, Capture & Surrender, and The Distance Between Us #3, Meet Me in the Middle. And then in September, both Tooth & Claw #3, The United & The Divided, and Tucker Springs #6, After the Fall, will be released.

Now you can see why I've been so busy these last few months! LOL

What about the future? Well, Aleks and I have a number of books lined up and ready to write as soon as we've both finished some solo projects, and Cat and I are plotting and scheming to join forces again as well. Some other co-authored projects are being bounced around too, but you'll just have to wait for details on those. ;)  And of course, there will be plenty of solo books, too. Lauren Gallagher might even be writing a bit more in the near future.

So for the next month or so, I'm still plowing through a few projects before my workload is a bit more manageable, and then I SWEARZ I'll be updating these things more often!

Lots and lots of pretty covers!

The art department at Riptide has been busy this week (Samhain too, but I can't show that one off just yet), and they've sent over three shiny new covers this week!

If It Fornicates and Capture & Surrender are both available for pre-order, and Finding Master Right won't be too far behind.

NOW AVAILABLE: Take It Off (Market Garden #2)

Take it Off, the sequel to Quid Pro Quo, is now available from Riptide Publishing, Amazon, and AllRomance Ebooks.

High-end Market Garden rentboys Tristan and Jared have found their niche. Men are willing to pay good money to watch Tristan tease Jared, and the two of them seduce London’s elite with sex and power games. 

Except Tristan is less and less interested in getting money out of the johns these days. He wants his partner in crime, and he wants the seduction to be real. But is Jared just in this for the pay? 

When Rolex, the john who started it all, returns to Market Garden, the boys jump on the opportunity to service him—and each other—for a fresh pile of cash. Rolex isn’t the only one itching for a rematch, though. Jared’s been waiting for a chance to get back at Tristan for teasing him so mercilessly the first time. 

And for a former stripper, revenge is a dish best served extra hot.

Stay tuned for more Market Garden stories!

New Books Available for Pre-Order!

Some shiny new books are available for pre-order from Riptide Publishing!

Before I get to those, though: I'm getting ready to launch a HUGE book giveaway for readers who've never tried the M/M genre. If you know anyone who hasn't tried it, but might like it, tell them to watch this space over the next week for a chance to snag ebooks by some of the genre's hottest authors!

And back to the pre-orders...

First is Take It Off, the sequel to Quid Pro Quo and written with Aleksandr Voinov. This naughty little short will be available February 25th.

Turnabout is foreplay.

High-end Market Garden rentboys Tristan and Jared have found their niche. Men are willing to pay good money to watch Tristan tease Jared, and the two of them seduce London’s elite with sex and power games.

Except Tristan is less and less interested in getting money out of the johns these days. He wants his partner in crime, and he wants the seduction to be real. But is Jared just in this for the pay?

When Rolex, the john who started it all, returns to Market Garden, the boys jump on the opportunity to service him—and each other—for a fresh pile of cash. Rolex isn’t the only one itching for a rematch, though. Jared’s been waiting for a chance to get back at Tristan for teasing him so mercilessly the first time.

And for a former stripper, revenge is a dish best served extra hot.

Then there's Covet Thy Neighbor, book #4 in the Tucker Springs series, available March 25th.

Opposites attract, but heaven help these two.

Tattoo artist Seth Wheeler thinks he’s struck gold when Darren Romero rents the apartment across the hall. The new guy is gorgeous, witty, and single, plus he’s just the right blend of bold and flirtatious. Perfect.

Except then Darren reveals that he moved to Tucker Springs to take a job as the youth pastor at the New Light Church. Seth is not only an atheist, but was thrown out by his ultra-religious family when he came out. He tends to avoid believers, not out of judgment but out of self-preservation.

But Darren doesn’t give up easily, and he steadily chips away at Seth’s defenses. Darren is everything Seth wants in a man . . . except for that one massive detail he just can’t overlook. Is Darren’s religion the real problem, or is it just a convenient smokescreen to keep him from facing deeper fears? It’s either see the light, or risk pushing Darren away forever.

While we're visiting Tucker Springs, book #5, Marie Sexton's Never A Hero, is also available for pre-order and will be released May 13th. 

Everyone deserves a hero.

Owen Meade is desperately in need of a hero. Raised by a mother who made him ashamed of his stutter, his sexual orientation, and his congenitally amputated arm, Owen lives like a hermit in his Tucker Springs apartment. But then hunky veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

Nick is sexy and confident, and makes Owen comfortable with himself in a way nobody ever has. He also introduces Owen to his firecracker of a little sister, who was born with a similar congenital amputation but never let it stand in her way. When she signs the two of them up for piano lessons—and insists that they play together in a recital—Owen can’t find a way to say no. Especially since it gives him a good excuse to spend more time with Nick.

Owen knows he’s falling hard for his neighbor, but every time he gets close, Nick inexplicably pulls away. Battling his mother’s scorn and Nick’s secrets, Owen soon realizes that instead of waiting for a hero, it’s time to be one—for himself and for Nick.

Also, Heidi Cullinan's Dirty Laundry, Tucker Springs #3, is available now!

The course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

And finally, it's back to Market Garden for If It Flies.  The blurb and information about that one will be up very soon, and the book is available March 11th. 

There's more coming, so keep an eye on this blog!

Also, as I mentioned earlier, there is a huge giveaway coming down the pipe sometime in the next week. Stay tuned...