Of course extreme weather can offer some nice opportunities for romance. I have a scene in Rarer Than Rubies where the main characters are stuck in a little hut during a monsoon rain. Talk about setting the mood. It worked perfectly for Trent and Reed–it was their first time together, way back when.  In Snow Job, my two boys are stuck in a cabin for Christmas when the power goes out and they have to keep each other warm. Then Zack and Monty go a few steps farther and it’s sizzling!

What kind of weather do you think makes the best setting for romance, and why? Leave a comment for a chance  to win a copy of your choice of Rarer Than Rubies (hot in Thailand) or Snow Job (Christmas in a cold climate).

NOTE: Please give the poll widget below a moment to load in your browser so you can vote!

As an extra thank you when you order before release date, I’ll be again offering a special bonus freebie starring Riley Emerson and Colby Zane, of Spaghetti Western. This was such a huge and popular success with Gingerbread Palace, I am really excited to offer it again.

How to Claim Your Free Story

1. Pre-order Spaghetti Western from Amazon, Dreamspinner Press or All-Romance (where it counts towards your 1 free for 10 purchases)
2. Email me a screenshot or cut/paste of your receipt showing the book title and date. PLEASE remove any personal information and credit card numbers if they appear. Email address: emlynley AT gmail.com
3. You’ll get an email pointing you to a download page during October.
4. Questions? Leave a comment below.

More about Spaghetti Western

A hunky, honorable cowboy and a sweet but hesitant chef heat up a Colorado ranch.

Cordon-Blue trained pastry chef Riley Emerson arrives in Aspen, Colorado for a summer season at the best restaurant in town, only to discover his jerk of a boyfriend has dumped him, leaving his heart and his summer plans in tatters. Doubting himself and longing for a change of pace, he takes a low-paying position as chef at a guest ranch, the Rocking Z. The scenery is gorgeous, but he expects that nature up close and personal can’t hold a candle to his exciting Paris lifestyle.

When born-and-bred cattle rancher Colby Zane spots a newcomer letting himself be pawed at by a passel of horny cowboys at Aspen’s Club Rawhide, he doesn’t think twice before rushing in, throwing the guy over his shoulder, and rescuing him from the volatile situation. Sober, Riley Emerson turns out to be sweet and sexy, but not interested in more than a one-night stand with Colby. Initially disdainful of the guest ranch side of the business, Colby’s over the moon when Riley late arrives as the new cook on his family’s ranch

But all’s not well at the Rocking Z. Unsurmountable financial problems force them to rely on a cash infusion from an outside investor, Fitz Wellington. Only Fitz is hot for Colby, and he won’t sign on the dotted line without some very personal incentives. The future of the ranch is at stake, and Colby’s just desperate enough to go along, but saving the Z might mean losing Riley.

**This book also contains recipes mentioned in the story**

Read a NSFW excerpt

Read a SFW excerpt

Pre-order Spaghetti Western from Amazon, Dreamspinner Press
or All Romance eBooks

Grand prize in the Spaghetti Western Release Party Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Maserati brings Parker and Blake together, but will Blake slow down and discover the important things aren’t in the fast lane?

Here’s another tempting excerpt from the upcoming Unconditional Surrender Military Bundle coming your way in October. 13 novellas by your favorite M/M authors for just 99 cents.

Don’t forget you can pre-order it! Amazon (also available in UK, CA, FR, DE, JP, AU, and just about everywhere), All Romance Ebooks, B&N

Enjoy a sneak peek at “Cruise Control” by Kerry Adrienne. I can’t wait to read the whole thing. Fast cars and fast men? I’m hooked!

Excerpt:

The passenger door opened and a man’s deep voice rang out, “You won’t touch it.” The man stepped out of the truck. “Unless I am directing you. Clear?”

Parker licked his lips, Maserati forgotten. Maybe if the porn magazines had men like this specimen, he’d have at least peeked. Tall and muscular, the man seemed to have stepped off the pages of his imagination.

“Did you hear me?” The man put his hands on his hips.

Parker nodded and took a wobbly step. A Maserati and a hot man? More excitement than he’d seen on a Friday night since he’d been home. Maybe ever.

The man smiled, and Parker flushed. A moment later, the smile was gone and the man was all business.

“Blake Best.” He stuck out his hand. “This is my car, Leon.”

Parker took Blake’s large hand and held on while the other man shook for both of them. He looked into Blake’s blue eyes, or were they brown? He couldn’t tell in the half-light, but whatever their color, they were framed by gorgeous dark lashes matching Blake’s cropped, dark hair.

“P-Parker Monteith.”

“Good to meet you.” Blake squeezed his hand. “I’m making it clear up front. You don’t touch my car unless I say so.”

“Hey, I gotta get to another call,” the tow truck driver yelled. “Let’s get this showboat off my truck.” He pushed a button and the truck bed squealed lower.

Parker looked down. He was still holding Blake’s hand. He pulled away and cleared his throat. “Help get this car into the garage so I can take a look.”

Blake headed to the truck bed and Parker followed. Parker couldn’t help but watch Blake’s ass. Clad in thick jeans, it was difficult to tell exactly how firm it was or its exact shape, but damn, it was the first exciting ass he’d seen in forever.

“Be careful, that’s my baby,” Blake called.

“Huh?” Parker’s face flamed, and then he realized the man was talking about the car. Oh my God, the car. It sat, or did it float, on the truck bed, a vision in creamy white with dark shadows spiraling along its side. It’s black top was closed, but Parker knew exactly what the car looked like with the top down. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

Yeah, it was just a car, but oh, what a car it was.

“Stand back!” The tow truck driver unlatched the last of the wheel lashings and pushed the button to extend the winch.

Blake turned toward Parker. “I can’t watch.”

“He knows what he’s doing.”

A loud screech sounded. Blake cringed and whirled toward the tow truck driver.

“What in the hell?”

“Calm down. Your precious car is fine.” The driver lowered the front end of the car then released the winch.

They pushed the car into the garage without a problem, though Blake insisted they wear cotton gloves, which he provided from the trunk. In the stark garage lights, the white car appeared even brighter, like a gleaming star, lit from within. Blake fussed over the car, running his hand along the body and cupping the headlight and squeezing.

“Sign for it.” The tow truck driver shoved his clipboard under Parker’s nose.

Parker signed for receipt of the car and the driver capped his pen and stuck it back in his pocket.

“He’s your problem now.”

Parker gathered he wasn’t talking about the car.

LINK TO Kerry Adrienne

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How to Claim Your Free Story

1. Pre-order Spaghetti Western from Dreamspinner Press. (25% off until Sept 5, so even more incentive to order NOW)
2. Email me a screenshot or cut/paste of your receipt showing the book title and date. PLEASE remove any personal information and credit card numbers if they appear. Email address: emlynley AT gmail.com
3. You’ll get an email pointing you to a download page during October.
4. Questions? Leave a comment below.

More about Spaghetti Western

A hunky, honorable cowboy and a sweet but hesitant chef heat up a Colorado ranch.

Cordon-Blue trained pastry chef Riley Emerson arrives in Aspen, Colorado for a summer season at the best restaurant in town, only to discover his jerk of a boyfriend has dumped him, leaving his heart and his summer plans in tatters. Doubting himself and longing for a change of pace, he takes a low-paying position as chef at a guest ranch, the Rocking Z. The scenery is gorgeous, but he expects that nature up close and personal can’t hold a candle to his exciting Paris lifestyle.

When born-and-bred cattle rancher Colby Zane spots a newcomer letting himself be pawed at by a passel of horny cowboys at Aspen’s Club Rawhide, he doesn’t think twice before rushing in, throwing the guy over his shoulder, and rescuing him from the volatile situation. Sober, Riley Emerson turns out to be sweet and sexy, but not interested in more than a one-night stand with Colby. Initially disdainful of the guest ranch side of the business, Colby’s over the moon when Riley late arrives as the new cook on his family’s ranch

But all’s not well at the Rocking Z. Unsurmountable financial problems force them to rely on a cash infusion from an outside investor, Fitz Wellington. Only Fitz is hot for Colby, and he won’t sign on the dotted line without some very personal incentives. The future of the ranch is at stake, and Colby’s just desperate enough to go along, but saving the Z might mean losing Riley.

**This book also contains recipes mentioned in the story**

Read a NSFW excerpt

Read a SFW excerpt

Pre-order Spaghetti Western from Dreamspinner Press.

Join me today for a wonderful excerpt from “Arctic Fire,” Keira Andrews’ novella in the Unconditional Surrender M/M Military Bundle coming your way in October. 16 novellas by your favorite M/M authors for just 99 cents.

Don’t forget you can pre-order it! Amazon (also available in UK, CA, FR, DE, JP, AU, and just about everywhere), All Romance Ebooks, B&N

Arctic Fire is HOT…. read on:

Captain Jack Turner is at a crossroads. A routine mission to the Far North gets him away from his desk, but he’d rather be anywhere else. The Arctic’s in Canadian Ranger Kin Carsen’s blood, but with Jack, he’s on unfamiliar ground. When they’re stranded by a blizzard, unexpected desire begins to burn…

EXCERPT

Jesus Christ it was cold.

Keira’s inspiration for Jack! Hottie Matt Czuchry.

With fingers stiff in his gloves, Jack flicked on his little flashlight under his sleeping bag. It was only zero-four-hundred, but it had been dark for so many hours it felt as though the night would never end. It must have clouded over, since there was no light from the moon making its way through the tent walls. He shuddered to think of what it was like in the winter when the sun barely rose at all.

Carefully, he pointed the flashlight around the tent, aiming it high to avoid waking Kin, who slept peacefully a few feet away. The red of Kin’s toque peeked out from his sleeping bag, and Jack could see his closed eyes and his nose. He was breathing deeply and evenly.

The odds of turning on the stove without waking him were nil, so Jack stayed put, shivering in his sleeping bag. Kin didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all, but Jack’s teeth chattered. He wanted to wrap himself in one of the pelts beneath them, but the idea of moving out of his bag was not appealing.

He should have turned off the flashlight since he was wasting the battery, but he found himself watching Kin sleep. He’d shared tents with dozens of men over the years, but none had intrigued him like Kin Carsen did. Not even Grant. He winced at the familiar sting of guilt twisting in his gut.

His scars flared to life, and he scrabbled at the back of his neck and shoulder, dropping the flashlight with a thud, the beam of light spinning around the tent. It was as if his flesh was burning again, and it prickled unbearably. He yanked off his gloves to scratch properly, squirming in the tight sleeping bag.

“Jack?” Kin murmured.

“I’m fine,” he gritted out. “Go back to sleep.”

Kin’s tone was sharp, all drowsiness vanished. “What is it?”

The light shone in his face, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut and burrowed into his bag. “I said it’s nothing. Leave me the hell alone.” He dug his blunt nails into his skin even though he knew it would pass faster if he left the scars untouched. The doctors said the itching was all in his head, but it was hard to believe when he trembled with hot prickles. At least he didn’t feel as cold.

“I’m only trying to help.”

“Then don’t. I don’t need your help.”

“Well, excuse the fuck out of me. Sir.”

The flashlight snapped off, and when Jack opened his eyes the tent was black again. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He breathed heavily through his nose, forcing himself to stop scratching. “I’m sorry. It’s not you, okay? It’s a hundred percent me. I’m a bag of shit lately.”

There was silence for a long moment. Then, “Is that the official diagnosis?”

Jack barked out a laugh, some of the tension leeching from his body. He felt around for his gloves but couldn’t find them, so he curled his hands against his chest in the sleeping bag. “It should be. Sorry for being a drama queen. You’re more patient than I would be stuck with an FNG.”

“You’ll have to enlighten me.”

“Fucking new guy.”

Kin laughed softly, and Jack wished he could see the little dimples that creased his cheeks. He tried to think of something else he could say to make him laugh. “I wouldn’t blame you if your GAFF was pretty low right now.”

“Okay, I’ll bite.”

“Give a fuck factor.”

Kin laughed again, and despite the cold Jack felt a bloom of warmth in his chest.

“Do you have an army to English dictionary? My students would love these.”

“No, but someone should write one.”

“Maybe that should be your next assignment.”

“Maybe.”

Jack breathed easily again. There was something nice about talking in the dark in their sleeping bags. Reminded him of when he was a kid sleeping over at Jimmy Leclerc’s house, talking until all hours of the night on the old shag carpet in the basement. And just like he had with Jimmy, Jack inched closer to Kin, shifting himself as quietly as possible.

He didn’t know why he had that urge, since he was a grown man now and he didn’t have the excuse of being afraid of the dark, or the rumbles and clangs from the Leclerc’s furnace. Outside the tent there was only the steady whisper of wind. But he still felt drawn to Kin, and the low sound of his exhalations.

“What’s it like during the midnight sun? When there’s daylight twenty four hours?”

“It’s…lively. The restaurant at the hotel is open day and night since there’s always someone awake. I try to keep normal hours, but it’s hard. There’s a lot more noise, and people out and about. We pretty much hibernate in the winter and make up for it in the summer.”

“Must be strange. I guess you get used to it.”

“Yeah. It’s just the way it is. Everyone has blackout curtains. But there’s always a party going on somewhere. Once—”

Jack waited a few heartbeats. “Once what?”

“My brother snuck off and went fishing with his buddies in the middle of the night. They ‘borrowed’ a boat, and of course they got caught since there they were in the middle of the bay, clear as day. Even in the winter, there’s always someone watching. Hard to keep secrets in Arctic Bay.”

“Have you tried?”

Kin was silent for a moment. “Everyone has something to hide.”

It was all Jack could do not to ask. But he had his own secrets, and it was best to keep it all locked away, no matter how safe it felt cocooned in the dark with Kin. Anything Jack said tonight could haunt him in the dawn.

“That’s why I like coming out here. There’s only the land, and it keeps all its secrets.”

“How about the polar bears?”

Kin chuckled. “They’re the worst gossips. Never tell a polar bear something you don’t want the whole world to know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m shooting the breeze with one.” Jack flexed his fingers, rubbing his bare hands together. “Christ it’s cold. I dropped my gloves.”

“Here.”

As material rustled, Jack expected the flashlight to come on. But his heart skipped a beat as Kin spoke.

“Give me your hands.” Kin’s voice was closer.

Jack’s mouth went dry, and he heard his heartbeat thumping in his ears the way he could when he wore earplugs on planes. He shimmied his arms out of the sleeping bag and fumbled for Kin. When their fingers brushed together, he had to bite back a gasp at the flare of desire in his belly.

Smoothly, Kin took Jack’s hands between his and rubbed. He’d taken off his gloves, and he massaged Jack’s fingers. God, it felt good. Kin’s hands were slightly callused—more so than Jack would expect from a teacher. Granted he was also a Ranger, but a Saturday soldier didn’t usually get his hands that dirty.

“Why didn’t you say anything? Frostbite can happen really easily out here. You have to be careful. Your fingers are way too cold.”

Jack opened his mouth to give some kind of excuse, but any words were lost in a strangled gurgle when his index finger was enveloped by wet heat. Kin sucked, and his tongue swirled around, rough and slick at the same time. Jack was glad he wasn’t standing, since so much blood rushed to his cock that he likely would have gotten lightheaded.

Copyright © Keira Andrews

About Keira Andrews

After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.” You can find out more about Keira and her books at herwebsite, and on Facebook and Twitter.

What influences you to buy a book?

This is the magic question for authors and publishers. We try so many different ways to tell readers about our books, but which ones really work? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Whether you are a reader or an author, please let me know what influences you. I will compile the results into a later post with some discussion.

I would love to see a lot of reader comments on the topic. What’s the best way for us to give you the information you need to make a decision? Or would you rather get information from friends, peers and “neutral” sources?

Leave a comment about any of these issues for a chance to win an e-book from my backlist.

For the most important factor, I’m trying to go beyond cover, blurb, and except, since we know those are important. Which of these social and external factors most affect your decision?

[BTW, “other” in the following poll stems from people combining several items into one, so it doesn’t reflect a true most important factor. I’ve disabled the option to add your own answer, but if there is one specific thing I haven’t mentioned here, please leave a comment.]

What keeps you from buying a book?

There are plenty of books we don’t want to buy, for a variety of reasons. Why might you decide not to buy a book, besides the obvious that you aren’t interested in the subject matter? Please add your own answer if it’s not listed and feel free to add comments, rants, raves, etc. I’m even more interested in this topic!

A few months ago I was walking down the street in Oakland. You may associate Oakland with high crime and the Raiders, but it’s a pretty diverse city and not as bad as the press would have you believe. Anyway, as I was walking a city bus stopped about 20 feet ahead of me. I’m not one to notice ads on buses, but this one caught my eye.

Family Builders, finding homes for LGBT foster kids

Wow. That ad would look right at home in San Francisco, but in Oakland?

When I got home I went to the Family Builders website to see what they’re all about. While I can’t foster a child, I did become familiar with the alarming statistics about LGBT kids in foster care while researching for Gingerbread Palace, where one of the characters was a foster kid who finally found a loving home after years of abuse in the foster system. I made up an organization that he worked with helping out foster kids. But Family Builders was a real life organization that did exactly what I imagined.

I immediately sent in a donation. It wasn’t much, but any little bit counts.

I also called to find out about volunteer opportunities. The woman I spoke to was surprised, because they don’t usually get volunteers and didn’t quite know how I could help, though she’s keeping me in mind.

That was also when I decided to donate the royalties from my Gingerbread bonus story to Family Builders.

I was going to post about that during May, which was Foster Care Month, but didn’t manage to.

So I’m posting about it right now. During June, as part of Pride Month, Family Builders is running a special campaign and I’d like to be able to send them a much bigger donation than last time.

Would you believe their goal is only $2500 for this special Pride and Joy campaign? That’s a tiny amount for such a huge problem. I imagine they don’t get much support at all, if that’s all they’re trying to raise.

You can help by buying a copy of An Extra Helping of Gingerbread. Whether or not you’ve read the original novella, this stands alone and doesn’t give spoilers about Gingerbread Palace. It’s a Christmas story with a hot fireman and a sexy chef. What’s not to love about that?

It’s only $2.99 at Amazon and All Romance.

Why you should consider supporting this project:

• LGBT youth enter foster care due to homophobia and transphobia in their homes and schools. Research shows that LGBT youth enter the foster care system at a disproportionate rate to other young people.
• Of the 59,000 children and youth in foster care in California, it is estimated that anywhere between 25% and 40% are LGBT youth. That’s at least 14,000 kids just in California, who might not find the right family without support from Family Builders. Extrapolate that out to the rest of the country and you see the magnitude of the problem.
• 100% of LGBTQ youth in New York City group homes reported that they were verbally harassed on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity while at their group home.
• 70% reported physical violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• 78% were removed or ran away from their foster placements as a result of hostility toward their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• 56% spent time living on the streets because they felt “safer” there than they did living in their group or foster home

(Statistics from Family Builders and National Center for Lesbian Rights)

Please pick up a copy of An Extra Helping of Gingerbread and help support these kids to find permanent accepting families.

Amazon All Romance

More about Family Builders:

Family Builders believes that every child has the right to grow up in a permanent, nurturing family regardless of that child’s age, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or medical, physical or emotional condition. Family Builders educates the community about the needs of waiting children, advocates on their behalf, and places children with permanent, secure families through adoption, and other forms of permanence. Family Builders’ goal is that no child will leave the foster care system without a permanent, loving and caring parent.

Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased the book! This has been one of my all-time favorite books to research and write. It’s the story of a British actor in Hollywood who buys a racehorse with some of his friends, then falls for the horse trainer. I was lucky enough to spend a month shadowing a local trainer at nearby Golden Gate Fields for my research. I think it brings a real taste of authenticity to the story.

I’m giving away a few T-shirts sporting the gorgeous cover by super-talented Reese Dante!

Here’s more about the book and an excerpt to whet your appetite:

BLURB: British actor Wesley Tremayne thinks he’s close to hitting the big time—a film career—with his role as a hunky explorer on a popular American TV show. Success should be just around the corner, as long as he keeps his sexual orientation a secret. Wes’s best friend and beard, Julia Compton, forms the other half of a glamorous Hollywood couple that’s merely a façade.

Evan Taylor left his acting career behind five years ago without looking back. He’s always been more comfortable around horses than people—especially Hollywood types. His new life training racehorses is a dream come true, but increasing financial problems and an abusive boyfriend have him doubting himself and his choices.

Then Wes and his friends buy a third-rate racehorse—partially for publicity—and send him to Evan’s stable. Wes’s friendship with Evan soon develops into an overpowering attraction he can’t act on. He’s never met a man like Evan, but if there’s any chance for a future together, Wes must choose between a career he loves and the man he adores.

Excerpt

photo by EM Lynley

“I see exactly what you’re doing.”

Wesley Tremayne put down his binoculars and turned around to see Vanessa Vandermere wagging a long pink-and-black fingernail at him. Best not to reply. He willed his heart—beating like a jackhammer—to slow as he pasted the perfect, innocent grin on his face. Years of acting—onstage and off—had taught him to dissemble.

“Think you can spot the winners before they even get to the ring?” Vanessa continued, her tone teasing, cheerful, not accusatory. “Or were you checking out the shapely blonde leading the third horse?”

He inhaled slowly when he really wanted to gulp in much-needed oxygen. He’d overreacted. No, he’d responded just in time to what could have been a disaster. As much as he was enjoying the day out at the racetrack with his friends, he was restless. He’d been the center of too much attention, and he was fraying at the edges.

“You caught me,” Wes replied, playing up his right dimple.

“Oh, Jules, good thing you’re here.” Vanessa grabbed onto Julia Compton’s arm. “You need to keep Wes on a shorter leash. He’s got a wandering eye.”

Julia gave Wes an appraising look, then turned back to Vanessa. “Vee, I’m not worried Wes will run off with another woman. I trust him completely.” She slid an arm around Wes’s waist and he gave her a suitably adoring look. “Only we’re not a couple. How many times—”

“You can fool some people, but not me. You two are the worst-kept secret in Hollywood, honeybuns.” Vanessa gestured as she spoke, and Wes wondered how she didn’t poke her own eye out with her outrageously long fingernails.

“Think what you like.” Julia let go of Wes and took the binoculars from him. She held them to her face and trained them on the track.

“I’m heading down to watch them saddle the horses so I can decide which one to bet on.” Vanessa gave them a dangerous wave of her talons and left them alone in the private grandstand box.

Julia gave the glasses back to Wes. “He’s gorgeous.” She winked.

“Which one do you like?” Wes asked, again looking through the binoculars.

“I thought we were talking about which one you like?”

“Number four.” Wes glanced down at Julia’s head. She was a good six inches shorter, and it was the view he often had to settle for.

“Oh, really? I thought you’d go for one. Or at least his trainer.” She gave a silvery laugh and put her arm around his waist again.

photo by EM Lynley

Wes kept the glasses focused on runner number one’s trainer as he reached up to adjust the horse’s bridle. His navy sport coat rode up, giving Wes—and anyone else looking—a nice view of his arse in well-fitting dark-blue jeans. Wes held in the smile the sight induced and resigned himself to admiring the good-looking man from a distance. His light-brown hair fell in wavy curves and the full-lipped smile made Wes want to lick his own lips. Something about the chiseled chin and the shape of the man’s nose twigged a hazy memory Wes couldn’t quite bring to the surface.

“Let’s go down to the saddling ring so you can get a closer look, Wes.” Julia tugged his hand, then gave an encouraging squeeze.

He didn’t know what he’d do without Julia Compton. She’d gone from costar to friend to lifesaver in the space of a year. He followed her down the steps and into the sunshine as the runners for the third race at Santa Alamita were saddled up. Wes pulled the baseball cap out of his back pocket and settled it onto his head, a moment too late.

“Look, is that Wes Tremayne?”

“Wes! Hi Wes!”

“Go ask him for his autograph.”

“He’s with Julia Compton. I told you they’re dating!”

Wes smiled and waved, but didn’t stop for autographs. By the time they reached the paddock, the hot horse trainer was gone. Probably just as well; someone might have noticed if Wes paid him too much attention. There was a limit to his acting abilities, but so far he’d fooled everyone. Some days he fooled himself, but during lonely nights he wished away the talent and fame he’d achieved.

If he hadn’t upped sticks and made his way from the London stage to Broadway and then to Hollywood, he might be living a boring, settled life with a man he adored. He’d chosen a career he loved over a private life.

But Julia was tiring of her role as Wes’s love interest. When she quit the production, he’d have some tough decisions to make. For now, he replaced his mask and took Julia’s hand and kissed it.

The audience should love that performance.

[Read another excerpt here]

If you’ve ever eaten matzo, you probably don’t think there’s much to love about it, but I hope to change your mind about it. If you haven’t eaten it, keep reading, because it’s actually more interesting than it is tasty.

One of my favorite things about matzo is that to me it looks like a piece of ancient parchment. It feels like I’m eating a piece of history and heritage with each bite. It’s a symbol of a long history that Jews around the world share, even if they celebrate in different ways.

Tuesday is the last night of Passover, one of the most important holidays for Jews around the world. This year, Passover coincides with Easter. If you remember your Old Testament or Sunday school, you’ll recall that the Jews fled Egypt in a big hurry and that Moses looked like Charlton Heston.

Matzo became a symbol of that hasty trip, since there wasn’t time for the bread to rise before they had to bake it and run. Now, matzo isn’t just for Passover anymore, but it is a large part of the celebration.

Do you have a favorite religious food tradition? Some foods become part of a holiday, while others, like mazto are an integral part of celebrating the holiday.

Fun matzo facts:

• Matzo has to be mixed and baked within 18 minutes for it to be considered kosher for Passover. Any longer and fermentation might occur.
• Matzo is made from special wheat which has been observed continuously from harvest to packaging to make sure it never comes into contact with heat or water, also to prevent any fermentation. (This probably explains why flat flour and water is so expensive!)
• In the old days, matzo was round, but once they started baking it commercially, they started making it square: easier to cut and box up. You can still buy round matzo in Israel, but I don’t think any US companies make round ones.
• Sephardic Jews make a different type of matzo: round and soft, like a tortilla.
• In the Soviet Union, it was forbidden to openly practice Judaism. Jews would smuggle matzo from the rabbi’s house so they could celebrate Passover in their own homes. I heard a wonderful story on NPR about this. Give it a listen. Even if you hate matzo and Passover, the stories will bring tears to your eyes.
• During the seder, the traditional Passover meal, we talk a lot about matzo, but we also eat it. A favorite is called the “Hillel sandwich” after Rabbi Hillel who spread a layer of charoset (dried fruits) between pieces of matzo, to symbolize the mortar that binds the bricks ancient Jews made during their time in Egypt.

Matzo ball soup is probably the most famous use of these square crackers, but my favorite way to eat matzo is matzo brei (rhymes with “fry”), which is kind of a matzo omelet. Here’s my favorite recipe, which is 3 sheets of square matzo to 2 eggs. Families argue about the best ratio of egg to matzo. It’s a Passover tradition! Arguing is just a Jewish tradition.

Shira Anthony and I shared this recipe in our book Lighting the Way Home. It’s actually a Chanukah story, but the recipe works all year long.

• 3 sheets of matzo (available year-round at most grocery stores)
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Note: The correct ratio of egg to matzo is a time-honored topic of argument among every family. One egg per sheet of matzo is fairly standard, with some recipes calling for two eggs per sheet, or two sheets of matzo per egg (in communities where eggs were scarce). We like it somewhere in between, so two eggs for three sheets. Not too eggy or too dry.

1. Heat oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high heat.

2. Break matzo in 1-2 inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Cover with water while beating eggs in a separate bowl. You just want to moisten the matzo in the water for a minute or two.

3. Drain matzo. Add the beaten eggs into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir carefully to coat matzo with egg.

4. Pour matzo mixture into hot pan and spread out evenly. Lower the heat to medium and let it cook until the egg firms up.

5. Break into several pieces so you can easily turn the matzo brei. Flip and continue to cook until the edges brown. The more pieces you break it into, the crispier it will be. Turn a few times until the egg is cooked to your liking and serve.

Panicking because you aren’t ready for today’s tax deadline? Here are some last-minute tips to make the process a little less painful. To get all the deductions you deserve and plenty of tax planning and prep advice, check out EM Lynley’s book Tax Tips for Authors.

If you try to rush through a Schedule C in a day or two, I guarantee you will miss deductions and end up paying more tax than you really owe, especially if this is the first or even the second year you are filing a Schedule C as a writer. There are a lot of specialized deductions you may not know about, and it’s worth the effort to keep good records and allow enough time to properly prepare your tax return.

Also see 5 Things Authors Miss on Their Tax Returns

1. Didn’t get organized in time? File an extension. If you haven’t got your expenses tallied in time to get all the deductions on your Schedule C, don’t worry. You can file an extension that gives you until October 15 to file your return: another six months to get your act together. Most tax software has an extension option, or you can go to the IRS website and download the PDF at the link below. Fill it in and mail it to be postmarked by April 15.

The caveat here is that the IRS expects you to pay what you owe now, even if you haven’t completely figured it out! If you have a refund coming, don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything. But if you have a balance due, or you aren’t sure, make sure that between withholding and other tax payments that you pay as much as your tax liability from LAST year. Then you won’t get an IRS penalty. You may owe interest on the difference, but it’s far less than the penalty for under-withholding during the year and not paying anything by April 15.

Form 4868 Extension Request

Tax liability is on Line 61 of Form 1040 for last year.

2. Owe money to the IRS and you can’t pay it by April 15? That’s not as big a problem as it sounds. Go ahead and file your return on time, and send what you can afford now, even if it’s just $10. The IRS is happy to send you a bill for the remainder, and that letter will have instructions for setting up a payment plan. You can take up to 5 years to pay any balance due, at a monthly payment that’s affordable for you, as low as $30 or $50 a month.

Remember: the penalty for NOT filing is 5% of the balance due per month, up to a maximum of 25% of the amount you owe. But the penalty for paying late is only 0.5% per month, just one-tenth of that amount. File, then figure out how to pay later and you will save yourself a lot of money and a lot of stress.

3. Realized you forgot to claim something after you filed, or are you missing a vital receipt for a deduction? Not a problem. You can file an amended return up to three years after the due date. For 2013 returns you have until April 15, 2017 to correct anything you forgot to deduct. You’ll file a Form 1040X (Amended Return) for the specific year you need to correct, after you’ve redone your return with all the deductions you are entitled to.

4. Want to reduce your 2013 tax liability? The only way to fix what you owe for 2013 now is to put some money in a traditional IRA account by April 15. You can deduct up to $5,000 of traditional IRA contributions, depending on your income level and whether you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at your day job. Roth IRAs aren’t deductible. They are made with post-tax dollars, so they’re completely tax free when you take the money out in retirement.

NOTE: IRA contributions only reduce your income tax liability, not your self-employment tax liability.

Get more useful tax prep and planning advice in my book Tax Tips for Authors. It will help you get all your deductions for 2013 and get organized in advance for 2014 tax filing, with lots of essential bookkeeping advice.

(Available from Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Smashwords and AllRomance/OmniLit and in print)

Want even more information? Sign up for my Tax Tips Newsletter, or visit the Tax Tips for Authors website. Best of all, pick up a copy of my book Tax Tips for Authors 2014. It’s got new information for filing 2013 returns, a Schedule C walkthrough, chapters on self-employment taxes and quarterly payments, and a whole lot more.

Available from Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Smashwords and AllRomance/OmniLit and in print

EM Lynley is a former investment analyst and White House economist. For the past five years she has been much happier writing erotic romance. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. Her Precious Gems series is best described as “Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone”—only gayer. The Delectable series is Gay Romance with Taste. Her books are available in print and e-book from Amazon & other book distributors.

Visit EM online Website – Blog – Facebook – Twitter