Six Sentence Sunday - Where There's Smoke

More Six Sentence Sunday!

This week, one last little bite of Where There's Smoke, which was released earlier this week from Loose Id, LLC:

I couldn’t get my fucking cigarette out fast enough. Fumbling with it and, subsequently, my lighter, I swore under my breath, desperate for that hit of nicotine. After a long, aggravating moment, everything cooperated. I held the flame to my cigarette, lit it, and set my lighter on the table as I pulled in that glorious lungful of smoke. Still watching him, trying to read his posture or his expression or something, I turned my head and exhaled.

Once the nicotine was safely working its magic on my nerves, I said, “How long has this been going on?”

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy!
1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published
2. pick six sentences
3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

NOW AVAILABLE: Where There's Smoke

Where There's Smoke is now available from Loose Id, LLC! Additional links will be listed here as soon as they're available.

Anthony Hunter wonders what the hell he’s gotten himself into when he agrees to manage an unproven candidate’s campaign for governor of California. As soon as he meets the gorgeous, charismatic—and married—politician, attraction gives Anthony’s rock-solid professionalism a run for its money, and Anthony knows he’s in way over his head.

Jesse Cameron doesn’t like the idea of putting himself out there as a happily married, wholesome candidate, but his retired senator uncle insists it’ll give him an edge over a challenging rival. The only problem is that Jesse’s marriage is over, existing only to maintain his heterosexual façade. Oh, and there’s that minor detail about his undeniable attraction to his smoking hot campaign manager. Or the fact that the attraction is very, very mutual.

Before long, temptation explodes into a sizzling, secret relationship, but under the microscope of the media and the relentless scrutiny of the voting public, Anthony and Jesse can only keep their secret for so long. And this is one scandal a campaign won’t survive…

Jessewave gave Where There's Smoke 5 stars:

"Whether or not [American politics and adultery] are subjects that interest you initially it would be difficult not to become invested in the protagonists – a political candidate and his manager in a campaign for Governor of the State – because if you like excellent writing and great characterizations, in my opinion this is L.A. Witt’s best work to date. [...] Highly recommended. (review)"

Read an excerpt of Where There's Smoke here.

Links N Things

Today is Six Sentence Sunday, of course, so if you want to check out a quick snippet of Where There's Smoke -- due out this Tuesday! -- click here or scroll down to the next post.

I'm over at Jessewave today discussing when cheating is -- and isn't -- cheating. I'm interested in your opinions, readers, so stop by and sound off on how you feel about cheating and all its gray areas.

And as long as I'm posting links, I completely neglected to post about a couple of guest blogs that came up in the last week or so. Over at Sara Brookes' blog, I'm talking about my first time submitting a manuscript. And over at Book Faery's blog, Liam from A Chip In His Shoulder discusses his fascination with the New Orleans funeral culture as part of an author spotlight for the upcoming Authors After Dark in NOLA.

Also, Circlet Press is conducting a poll to pick the best stories for an upcoming lesbian anthology. My good friend Kathleen Tudor's story, Navigator, is in the running, so I promised her I'd post the link here. Now go! Go and vote for your favorite!

Finally, Until It's Over is still available for a you're-practically-stealing-it price of $0.99 over on Amazon, and there's just a few hours left to enter to win a copy of Where There's Smoke from Stumbling Over Chaos. Hurry, folks! What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go!

Phew. That's a lot of links.

Six Sentence Sunday - Where There's Smoke

More Six Sentence Sunday!

This week, a little bite of Where There's Smoke, which will be out on Tuesday from Loose Id, LLC:

The last thing I needed was my damned campaign manager catching on that in spite of his intimidating presence, he was also attractive as all hell. His features were as sharp and rigid as his presence, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to find out what it was like to be the center of his attention, even for the span of a conversation. There were people who could make someone feel like they were the only person in the world. I had a funny feeling Anthony Hunter could make someone feel like they were the only suspect in the world.

And this was the guy who’d be running my campaign. Between drooling over him and being intimidated by him, I was fucked.

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy!
1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published
2. pick six sentences
3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

The SAMMIE Awards - Vote!

First, Stumbling Over Chaos is giving away a copy of Where There's Smoke, my February release from Loose Id! Click here and comment to enter.

Moving right along, Samhain Publishing has activated the link for readers to vote their favorite 2011 Samhain books.

Categories are:

• Reader’s Choice Best Cover Art eBooks
  
• Reader’s Choice Best Cover Art Print Books
  
• Reader’s Choice Best eBook
  
• Reader’s Choice Best Print Book
  

The link will take you to the page where you can vote your top 3 picks for each category. Voting ends March 19, 2012, and winners will be announced March 24, 2012.

Click here to vote!

Reviews, Updates, and an Excerpt

Time for one of my "none of this warrants a blog post of its own, so I'll put it all in one big one" updates! Lots going on, as always...

First, I'll actually be showing my face at some events this year. So far, I'm signed up, paid, confirmed, written in blood attending RT in Chicago in April and Authors After Dark in New Orleans in August. If you're at either of these events and see some girl in glasses looking incredibly lost, that's probably me.

Moving right along. To whet everyone's appetite, I've put up an excerpt of Where There's Smoke, which will be out February 21st from Loose Id, LLC.
And speaking of new releases, there are a couple of new release dates to add to the lineup for 2012:

• The Healing & The Dying, Samhain Publishing, July 17
• For The Living, Amber Quill Press, April 1

These are both L. A. Witt titles, but rest assured, there are some Lauren Gallagher books in the works, so expect news on those fairly soon.

And finally, a couple of lovely reviews for A Chip In His Shoulder. BookAddict at The Romance Reviews gave it 4 out of 5 stars:

"I recommend this book to fellow cyberpunk lovers who enjoy a hot m/m love/hate relationship." (review)

And Lasha over at Jessewave gave it 5 out of 5 stars:

"LA Witt takes the vampire genre into the future with an unique twist that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!" (review)

That's all for now -- stay tuned for more updates!

COVER ART: Where There's Smoke

I am so in love with this cover art it isn't even funny. April Martinez, I am prostrating myself before you:

Anthony Hunter wonders what the hell he’s gotten himself into when he agrees to manage an unproven candidate’s campaign for governor of California. As soon as he meets the gorgeous, charismatic—and married—politician, attraction gives Anthony’s rock-solid professionalism a run for its money, and Anthony knows he’s in way over his head.

Jesse Cameron doesn’t like the idea of putting himself out there as a happily married, wholesome candidate, but his retired senator uncle insists it’ll give him an edge over a challenging rival. The only problem is that Jesse’s marriage is over, existing only to maintain his heterosexual façade. Oh, and there’s that minor detail about his undeniable attraction to his smoking hot campaign manager. Or the fact that the attraction is very, very mutual.

Before long, temptation explodes into a sizzling, secret relationship, but under the microscope of the media and the relentless scrutiny of the voting public, Anthony and Jesse can only keep their secret for so long. And this is one scandal a campaign won’t survive…

Where There's Smoke will be out Feb 21 from Loose Id LLC.

Six Sentence Sunday - Where There's Smoke

It's already Sunday again, which means it's time for more Six Sentence Sunday ...

Another nibble of my current work-in-progress, Where There's Smoke:

Neither of us had said a word to each other since we arrived at the airport at crap thirty this morning.

Thankfully, Ranya—who was appallingly perky for being conscious at this hour—had bought our excuses about working late last night, not being morning people, and not having nearly enough coffee in our systems. She already knew Jesse didn’t function this side of nine o’clock, and it hadn’t taken much to convince her I was equally anti-early.

And by the time we made it to the gate, she was in no mood to give a shit anyway. Perky and chipper made a very quick switch to pissed off and silent thanks to security treating her like a potential terrorist.

Well, wasn’t this trip off to a spectacular start?

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy!
1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published
2. pick six sentences
3. post ‘em on Sunday

Six Sentence Sunday - Where There's Smoke

It's already Sunday again, which means it's time for more Six Sentence Sunday ...

This week marks my last Sunday six posted from Japan, as next week I will be leaving The Land of the Rising Sun for the Land of the Falling Rain, where I will spend two months before continuing to Nebraska.

So, one last nibble of my current work-in-progress, Where There's Smoke, before I jet off to Seattle:

“You are aware you’re a predator, right?” Ranya gestured at her eyes. “Forward-facing eyes? Teeth meant for cutting?”

“You’re talking to a man who buys cigarettes on his way to a health food store,” I said. “I assure you, what nature intended and what Anthony does are not always in synch.”

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy!
1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published
2. pick six sentences
3. post ‘em on Sunday

WIP Wednesday - Where There's Smoke

For WIP Wednesday, some more from Where There's Smoke, this time from a scene where Anthony is watching Jesse give a press conference:

Even Roger couldn’t hold me spellbound like this. I’d long ago developed an immunity to even the most charismatic politicians, but Jesse worked me just like he worked everyone in this crowd. Whatever my doubts or reservations about this inexperienced candidate, one thing was for certain: Jesse was born for the podium.

It didn’t hurt that good-looking, charismatic politicians like Jesse had an advantage. They didn’t always win, but a gorgeous, clean-cut candidate with a flawless smile and perfect poise had a distinctly easier time persuading people than a grizzled, aesthetically off-putting opponent. JFK had capitalized on that in the television debates against Nixon, and while such a thing wouldn’t win an election, it certainly helped to have that point of favor in the subconscious of the public.

Which was one hundred percent why I was staring at Jesse. He was the flawless package deal: a confident, smooth talker with a stunning smile, the perfect stage presence that came from a lifetime under the camera’s scrutiny, and youthful good looks that promised “fresh, new, something different from the old” to the public. That was why I was staring. Only that. No other reason.

Oblivious to me, Jesse gestured as he spoke, and a light glinted off his wedding ring. I couldn’t help a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.

A straight, unavailable man? Again? Really, Anthony?

I’d never broken up a relationship or tried to “convert” someone, but for whatever reason, the men who piqued my interest were always either taken, hetero, or both.

Sighing, I kept watching Jesse. I mean, the press conference. I kept watching the press conference.

Stay tuned for more WIP Wednesday!