Out of the Gate released on Monday and it’s already a bestseller at Dreamspinner Press and in five different countries on Amazon.

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.

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.

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I was surprised and thrilled when a reader told me that my Precious Gems series with Dreamspinner Press was nominated for Best Series of 2013. If you’ve read and enjoyed it, I would appreciate your vote. If you haven’t read any of the books, it’s best described as Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone–only gayer. It’s a fun adventure/mystery/romantic suspense series.

The poll is on the LRC Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/surveys?id=2487856

More about the Precious Gems Series Rarer Than Rubies, Italian Ice and Jaded. Available from Amazon, Dreamspinner Press and other distributors.

I was also lucky enough to also be nominated in the YA/New Adult Category for my holiday novella SNOW JOB, my very first Loose Id title. So if you don’t already have a favorite in that category, please consider voting for my book. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/surveys?id=2487839

Here’s the blurb: Two weeks in a remote mountain cabin with his hunk of a jock college roommate Monty Jameson has Zack Gregory hot under the collar in all the wrong ways. Truth is, Zack would rather be almost anywhere else, but it’s his only option if he’s to finish a project he needs to graduate from the University of Washington. Even worse, the nearest town is a faux-Bavarian village that looks like someone poured a snowglobe out on the eastern Cascades.

Late-night fantasies aside, Zack’s no fan of manslut Monty, preferring his men with virtues that are more than skin-deep. A few days into their retreat, Monty’s raw sexuality and flirtatiousness has Zack questioning his resolve. The idyllic setting is Zack’s Christmas fantasy come true, and even the splashy village eventually works its charm on him. Then when the cabin’s power goes out and Monty lays himself bare–in every way imaginable and then some–Zack sees a whole new set of possibilities. But will falling for Monty make the best Christmas ever, or is Zack just getting snowed?

Buy at Loose Id or All Romance or Amazon.

Thank you very much for your support.

I’ve discovered that the blog subscription emails do not notify subscribers of new pages, and that is where most of the new information on this website is generated.

If you want to be  more up to date with book releases, upcoming events, and other news, please consider subscribing to my newsletter. I do one newsletter per month (sometimes not even one) so you won’t get spammed with new information.

The signup form for the newsletter is here:

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Thanks for your interest in my books!

–EM

Writing two different holiday stories guaranteed my releases would bunch up in December. Gingerbread Palace just came out, and I haven’t even mentioned Snow Job except in passing. Here’s the gorgeous cover art. It’s coming 12/17 from Loose Id. They don’t do pre-orders, but you can add it to your Goodreads shelf with the handy button below, and I’ll post additional buy links as soon as I have them.

This gorgeous cover is by Fiona Jayde. She did the covers for my Totally Bound titles that came out earlier this year (A Lesser Evil and Venus Envy). She’s incredibly talented and I’m thrilled to have another one of her creations.

Two weeks in a remote mountain cabin with his hunk of a jock college roommate Monty Jameson has Zack Gregory hot under the collar in all the wrong ways. Truth is, Zack would rather be almost anywhere else, but it’s his only option if he’s to finish a project he needs to graduate from the University of Washington. Even worse, the nearest town is a faux-Bavarian village that looks like someone poured a snowglobe out on the eastern Cascades. Late-night fantasies aside, Zack’s no fan of manslut Monty, preferring his men with virtues that are more than skin-deep.

A few days into their retreat, Monty’s raw sexuality and flirtatiousness has Zack questioning his resolve. The idyllic setting is Zack’s Christmas fantasy come true, and even the splashy village eventually works its charm on him. Then when the cabin’s power goes out and Monty lays himself bare–in every way imaginable and then some–Zack sees a whole new set of possibilities. But will falling for Monty make the best Christmas ever, or is Zack just getting snowed?

Buy at Loose Id (after December 17)

Plan Your Novel in as Little as One Day

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is an annual event for writers around the world. It offers participants an opportunity to write a 50,000-word novel with the support of others. It may be just the motivation you need to get writing.

The key to NaNoWriMo is planning–not outlining–your book before you even write a single word.

• Have you been dreaming of writing a novel for years and didn’t know how to tackle the daunting task? This book is for you.
• Have you attempted NaNo and found your story and inspiration flagging long before you hit 50,000 words? This book is for you.
• Are you an experienced writer or published author who wants a comprehensive planning tool to enable you to plot, write and revise more quickly? This book is for you.

This step-by-step method will enable you to build the foundation for a complex novel, with engaging characters and an emotional journey that will keep your readers turning pages. Accompanying worksheets and full instructions make the process almost foolproof.

Author EM Lynley has used this technique for more than five books, and shares her proven method with you.

Download the Worksheets

(The server may be overloaded, so wait a moment for the DL to start. Please e-mail me if you have trouble.)

You’ll need two sets of Worksheets to use the book. The Worksheets are FREE. The instructions for using the sheets are in the book, How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner.

[purchase_link id=”3823″ style=”button” color=”blue” text=”Download Story Planning Worksheet” ] the Story Planning Worksheets.

[purchase_link id=”3847″ style=”button” color=”blue” text=”Download Story Skeleton Worksheet” ] the Story Skeleton Worksheets.

Save

As a thank you to the fantastic fans who have liked the Precious Gems series page on Facebook, I’m offering an exclusive special short for each 100 fans we add to the page. I want to write the stories you want to read, so please let me know with this little poll.

New to Precious Gems? Check out Rarer Than Rubies, Italian Ice and the upcoming Jaded–all from Dreamspinner Press.  [Series details]

[polldaddy poll=”7432903″]

I know a lot of you have been waiting for the next part in my free online story Dirty Dining, and I’m glad to announce it’s here!

If you haven’t started, I hope you’ll start. I’ve posted about 25k so far, and there is plenty more to come… literally.

It’s NSFW in the most delicious way,  a fun, smutty story with a hint of romance.

Jeremy’s a grad student who’s always short of money. When his fellowship gets canceled he’s tempted to take a job at a men’s dining club as a serving boy. The uniforms are skimpy and he’s expected to remove an item of clothing after each course.  He can handle that, but he soon discovers there’s more on the menu here than fine cuisine. How far will he go to pay his tuition, and will money get in the way when he realizes he’s interested in more from one of his gentlemen?

Part 1 (NSFSW)

Part 2 (NSFW)

Part 3 (NSFW)

GAY FAIRY TALES ANTHOLOGY: BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS 2013

(m/m fairy tales 5-15k)
Edited by EM Lynley

Send all submissions, queries and questions to lynley.editor@gmail.com

I’m putting together a revised and expanded version of my very popular gay fairy tales anthology, BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS, first published in 2009.

I have room for a few new stories in addition to the originals, so if you love writing fantasy, this is a great chance for you. Let’s see some dragons, knights in shining armor, dudes in distress, princes and sorcerers. Let your imagination go wild.

I’m looking for original fairy tales or a twist on a traditional tale, but with a gay slant. Here’s your chance to spice up some childhood favorites in a way you’ve never seen before, but always wanted to tell the story! Feel free to use non-European tales as a base. Here are a couple of great resources for inspiration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fairy_tales, http://store.doverpublications.com/0486454355.html, and http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/talesindex.html

All stories must have an erotic romance element, with a preference for romance over pure erotica. That means there should be a relationship between the characters beyond merely a sexual one. The sex should have emotion and I want to feel that along with the characters. These are fairy tales so there should be HEA or HFN, whichever is more appropriate for your story.

The key factor I’m looking for is chemistry between the partners beyond the sexual attraction. I’d like to see the makings of a romance.

Transgendered and bisexual characters welcome!

NO: underage sex (18), bestiality, non-consensual sex, necrophilia or scat/water play.

DEADLINE: October 31, 2013. Rolling acceptances, so earlier is better. If you can’t make the deadline contact me to discuss.

LENGTH: 5k-15k. I’m looking for full stories with engaging characters and containing beginnings, middles and ends. It’s hard to do that well under 5k. I’m more flexible on the upper end of the range. Please polish your story before sending!

HOW TO SUBMIT: Send the story as an RTF attachment, and include a 1-page summary/synopsis (with all the twists and the ending).  Make sure your real name and pen name is on each document and NAME THE FILE with your name and story title.

Example: RapunzelNeedsAShave_Lynley.rtf

Your cover email should contain:  your name, the name and length of your story and a 1-2 paragraph summary of the story. Please also include a short bio including previous publication experience, if any.

PAYMENT: Royalty split between authors and editor.

EM Lynley writes for Dreamspinner Press and Total-E-Bound, and has edited anthologies for MLR Press and Ravenous Romance. Lynley’s previous anthologies include: GOING FOR GOLD (2012 m/m Olympic theme from MLR Press), BEDKNOBS & BEANSTALKS (m/m fairy tales), WICKED GOOD (m/m angels and demons), and RUMPLED SILK SHEETS (f/f fairy tales). Contact her online: http://www.emlynley.com

Send all submissions, queries and questions to lynley.editor@gmail.com