Enjoy a Taste of Rainbow Connection Classic by Lynn Townsend

I’m really pleased to host Lynn Townsend, beta-reader extraordinaire today. She’s bringing Beau and Vin back for another wonderful story.

Hi everyone! Thanks so much to EM for hosting me here on her blog. I’ve been a fan of EmMs work for quite some time, and when I have spare time and she needs the help, I’ve been known to do some last minute beta reading for her… so it’s good to be here, and nice to meet all of her readers.

One of my favorite writers is quoted as saying, “When a man writes a romance, the woman dies. When a woman writes one, it ends all tidy and sweet.”

The Rainbow Connection, a series of novels I have been writing for the last four years, is a romance. Admittedly, it is a gay romance, and until very recently, the likelihood of it ending in legal wedding was up for debate. But it was always meant to end happily.

The truth is, I was inspired to write what started as a short story and grew into a series of novels (three have been, or will be soon, published. One that’s being written, and one — maybe two? — that are in preliminary planning…) from an event that took place shortly before another wedding, many years ago. I had a tumultuous affair planned, for characters who took on a life of their own, ripped my control right out of my hands, and took me on a ride that I’ll never forget.

So, when I offer forth this little short story, I say to you, this is not a true spoiler. You always knew we were going this way. The road has been long, it has been winding, and it has had a great many bumps in it. But you knew the destination when you got in the car with me…

These books were always meant to be a romance, and a romance often needs a good wedding…

Full list of buy links

From Torquere Press

Catch up with Rainbow Connction 1 and 2: Roll and Blues

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4139
http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Lynn-Townsend-ebook/dp/B00IO4JNA2/

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=196&products_id=4347
http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Rainbow-Connection-Lynn-Townsend-ebook/dp/B00S31I3NE/

Bio

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include geek comedy music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @tisfan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter
Website & Blog: http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kthicks3/rainbow-connection-novels-storyboard-inspirations/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tisfan
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LynnTownsend
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5262501.Lynn_Townsend
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Townsend/e/B005OQA0AA/

Part One, Wedding March is hosted at VL Locey’s blog, Thoughts from a Yodeling Goatherder.

* * * *

The basic questions, Vin knew, were going to be the things that he and Beau were most likely to fight about. It was always that way; Beau had this Southern Manly-man hangup about Vin spending money. Like, what the hell else was money good for? Investing, spending, and lighting cigarettes, amiright? He’d already done all the investing — in his future, in Beau’s future. Both businesses were running well; truth be told, Beau’s mixed martial arts gym often cleared a better profit than the art gallery.

On the other hand, Vin thought, eyeing the painting he’d sold Aglaia Sachdeva, when he did make sales, they were fairly robust. Maybe he should contact that artist again, host an event just to showcase her work, which was sensual without edging into indecent…

“I’m sorry, what?” Vin came back to the conversation with an abrupt jerk.

“He gets that way,” Beau said, by way of apology. “He was probably mentally redecorating. Artists, you know.”

Aglaia beamed at them, “Not to worry, gentlemen. This is all about your special day, and I am right here to make sure you get every little thing your hearts desire.”

Beau snorted. “You’re an optimist,” he said.

“Honey,” Aglaia said, taking Beau’s hand and patting it like he was some sort of half-tamed beast, “I am surrounded by happy couples all day long. I do believe in the Happily Ever After. This is what I do. Of course I’m an optimist.”

“You’ll have your work cut out for you,” Vin said. “He’s all for elopement. I’d like something big and festive.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll find something that will make both of you happy.”

“Or both of us equally miserable,” Beau said.

“That’s a form of compromise, yes, but not preferred.”

As expected, Vin’s proposed budget nearly sent Beau into a lower Earth orbit. One might even think, listening to him carry on, that he wanted two attendants, a judge, minimal flowers, and a cake, and that was all. For forty guests. This was not going to fly; not even a little bit. No wings under that idea.

“You are not spending half a million dollars on our wedding,” Beau protested.

“Yes, actually, I am,” Vin said. He crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. “Look, we have well over two hundred friends who will want to come. And that’s not including all our various clients and vendors with whom we have enough of a relationship to invite. We’re successful business men. It would look tacky if we didn’t pull out at least some of the stops.”

Beau muttered something that probably had to do with the differences between what Vin considered successful and what normal people considered successful.

“Besides, if you say half a million, that sounds like a huge amount, but it’s really not. Five hundred thousand dollars. You paid off the loan for your gym in less than three years and that was, what, just under?”

“The original loan was not quite seventy thousand,” Beau continued to mutter. “The improvements, however, after the roof sagged…”

“Whatever. I’m just saying.”

“Vin, I ain’t got even half of half a million.”

“But I do,” Vin said. He cast an apologetic look at the wedding planner, who was very good naturedly not quite watching them argue.”Look, if it makes you feel better, we can have Gerald put together a nice, legally-binding pre-nup that will limit how much of my personal fortune you’re allowed to steal when we get divorced.”

Beau gasped, shocked and hurt. “We ain’t gettin’ a divorce,” he stated, absolute and firm.

“Of course not, darling,” Vin said. “So here’s a thing you’re going to need to come to grips with, and that right soon. Once we get married, my money and your money becomes this strange, hybrid creature called our money. And you know, that means we get to spend it however we like. I’m not going to give you an allowance like you’re a child, and I’m not going to do some weird economy thing where we live in a crappy house so that you can pay half the rent. We’re going to invest in your business and grow it, like any other company, and we’re going to both benefit from everything that both of us bring to this relationship. That’s the whole idea of marriage, right? Two people, sharing a life?”

“So,” Aglaia said, chosing that moment to look up from her tablet. “Five hundred thousand, for a budget, with a conservative estimate of five hundred guests? We can work with that. Let’s talk about how you want the ceremony to look, and then we can see what venues I have that will work with your vision.”

[Part Three to continue on Delilah Devlin’s blog on Thursday.]

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