Action? Check. Suspense? Check.
Romance? Check, check, CHECK!

June 12 (Friday) is release day for 24-Karat Conspiracy!

24-Karat Conspiracy is Book 4 in the Precious Gems Series, but I’ve been planning this book since I wrote Italian Ice in 2011. This installment in the series is truly Reed’s story. You’ll learn things about him I’ve had to keep under my hat for ages, and I’m thrilled and relieved to be able to share them with you now.

Excerpt

They had the weekend to settle into Fort Sam Houston before Reed had to report for duty Monday morning, as “Rex Atwater.” Since he couldn’t start snooping right away, this investigation could take a lot longer than Trent had realized. Tom White was pretty smart sending Trent along so Reed could take his time and not risk blowing his cover just to take shortcuts.

“Whoever is running this ring is in it for the long haul,” Reed had said before they left LA. “They’ve been sitting on the gold items for years before starting to move them again. They’re not in a huge hurry, and I’ll have to bide my time and observe without tipping anyone off.”

On Monday, Trent kissed Reed and waved as he left their little house to report to work.

It took less than a week for Trent to see that Army life—at least life as a supply unit grunt—didn’t suit Reed at all. He came home in the evenings frustrated, but they couldn’t risk talking openly about it. Instead they went for walks around the neighborhood when they needed to talk.

“I had forgotten how damn stupid most of the Army is.”

“Stupid how?”

“Don’t get me started. Sometimes it seems we’re supposed to move things around just for the sake of moving them and for no real purpose.”

“It’s not your real job. Don’t let it get to you so much.”

“I can’t help it.”

“If the job’s that easy, then you should have plenty of time to use looking at things that are out of place.”

“It’s harder than it sounds, because nothing makes a lick of sense. I can’t tell what’s wrong and what’s just fucked up the Army way.”

“You’ve only been there three days. Give it some time.”

“I may kill someone before the end of the week.”

“I guess it’s not a good time to mention that at some point I’ll have to host some of the spouses for coffee.”

“As long as I’m not home when it happens, I don’t care.”

“They’re very curious about you.” Trent grinned at Reed’s discomfort at the thought of being the center of attention of a bunch of Army wives.

“Well make something up so they aren’t curious.”

“I’ll tell them you’re gay.”

“That should do it.”

######

But wait, there’s more:

Win this gorgeous lapis lazuli pendant!

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Here’s more about 24-Karat Conspiracy by EM Lynley

Love is the only gold

Former Ranger turned FBI agent Reed Acton faces his biggest challenge yet: a Christmas visit from partner Trent Copeland’s parents. He’s less equipped to handle hugs and holidays than the Taliban or international art thieves. When he’s assigned to track down a set of gold Babylonian artifacts looted from the Iraqi National Museum after the fall of Baghdad, things start to look up.

This time, Trent’s part of the mission, which takes them to exotic Istanbul. The crowded streets and labyrinthine markets fascinate Trent, but soon murder is on their trail. The investigation continues as Reed goes undercover at a US Army base, with Trent masquerading as his spouse. Surprisingly, fastidious and ever-fashionable Trent fits into base life right away and soon takes one of the suspects’ wives under his wing when domestic abuse rears its head.

Their faux marriage leads Reed to appreciate Trent in ways he never expected, strengthening their bond—until Reed has to confront the worst demons from his past: his relationship with his estranged family.

You can (pre)order this book at Amazon, Dreamspinner Press and All Romance

Read an extended excerpt at my website.

Please check out the rest of the Precious Gems Series at Amazon, Dreamspinner, All Romance, or your favorite bookseller. (24-Karat Conspiracy may not be available at all distributors until release day, 12 June).

About EM Lynley

EM Lynley writes gay romance with a touch of mystery and suspense. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. A Rainbow Award winner and EPIC finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she’d rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.

She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others.

Visit her online Website – Blog – Free Reads — Facebook – Twitter – Newsletter — Pinterest

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It’s been pouring here in Northern California. We’re in a drought situation, so we really need it, but it’s no fun driving in the rain. I love hearing the rain on the roof when I’m snug and warm at home.

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!

Word Counts – Today: 0 | December: 0 | 2014: 0

I got a lot of entries for the title contest for Precious Gems Series book 4.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a name. After brainstorming with beta readers, I’ve got some new options and selected the most relevant of the entries from the blog and Facebook. (Expect an email if you won a prize)

So, now it’s time to vote.

And there is a giveaway here too.  First, vote in the poll. Then, leave a comment telling me which title you like best. I’ll randomly select at least one commenter to win an e-book from my backlist.

Read the blurb, then select the best titles that fit with the blurb, not just the best-sounding title.

Reed Acton has something more difficult to face this time around: a visit from Trent Copeland’s parents. He’s less equipped to handle hugs and holidays than the Taliban or international art thieves. When he’s assigned a case to track down a set of gold Babylonian artifacts looted from the Iraqi National Museum after the 2003 fall of Baghdad, things start to look up. The investigation takes him and Trent to Istanbul and then to an army base on US soil where Reed has to confront the worst demons from his past–his own parents–in order to find out which soldiers have been selling off the smuggled items.

Word Counts – Today: 0 | October: 0 | 2014: 0

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.

My newest novel JADED is finally here!

I’m so thrilled about this particular release.

I’ll explain my use of “particular” with a true confession: Very often, by the time a book comes out, the author has been through more rounds of edits and galley readings than we would like, and we’ve written half a dozen other pieces in the meantime. The actual release day feels almost anti-climactic. We work hard to pump up our enthusiasm to engage readers and reviewers, but many of us just want to get back to what we are writing at the moment.

However, JADED is different. This is one of the books I wanted to write for a very long time. I am a huge, HUGE fan of mysteries, and while I’ve ready thousands, I never felt confident enough to write a true murder mystery. Until now my stories have had mystery elements, but not what I would call an “official” mystery. I decided it was time to give it a try, even though I wasn’t sure I was good enough to pull it off. (still crossing fingers on that). I hope you’ll find it works.

One of the many small Shinto shrines in Tokyo. (Photo EM Lynley)

Second: I lived in Japan for five years. I worked for an international bank and did economic research on Asian financial markets. I had learned Japanese in college and studied the history, politics, and economics of Japan (historical and modern) and was so thrilled to finally get to work there. It was an incredible experience. Every single day was new, exciting, sometimes frustrating, but absolutely never ever dull. I met so many wonderful people, visited beautiful places, even learned to scuba dive off the Izu Peninsula (where Trent and Reed go in Jaded), and visited more hot springs than I could count.

It took me at least a year to get over reverse culture shock when I moved back to California. I missed everything about Japan, from seaweed on pizza to rice vending machines to the beautiful little temples dotted all over ultra-urban Tokyo, even the crowded subways (still better than a 30-mile drive in rush-hour traffic).

I wanted to share these experiences with you. Like the other Precious Gems series books, I brought Trent and Reed to places in the world I absolutely love, so I could bring you along on the journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed the change to travel and see some incredible new things almost as if you are there.

Guardhouse at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Trent goes to view cherry blossoms here. (Photo EM Lynley)

Another fun thing about this book was making a few real people into characters. There’s a real Sam Kobayashi, a Nishikatsu and absolutely a very real Shindo. In fact, they are all men I dated while living in Japan. I may write another blog just about that! There is also a real Motofuji. He was one of my Japanese professors at UC Berkeley. I loved the man. He was such a sweet person who made third-year Japanese a pleasure instead of a terror (like one of the other instructors). I discovered he recently passed away and felt a real sense of loss, though I hadn’t spoken to him for many years. While his character in Jaded is a Yakuza leader, I’ve made him a very old-fashioned and extraordinary man who has many of the same fine character traits in my Motofuji.

Not only did I included Japanese friends as characters, one of my readers, Christopher Hammel, makes an appearance in this book! Christopher asked me quite emphatically if he could be in the book, so he plays a role I think of as Reed’s Agent Coulson. He knows just how to get whatever Reed needs and has contacts all over Japan. He helps save the day.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading JADED even half as much as I enjoyed planning and writing it. I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment, or send me an email.

Here’s more about JADED:

It’s book 3 in the series, and to get the most enjoyment, I suggest you read them in order. While the plots do not connect, the character development and relationship progression is very important.

BLURB: Gay-romance writer Trent Copeland finds his life in a rut while his boyfriend, Special Agent Reed Acton, is away on an undercover mission. After attending a special course at FBI headquarters in Quantico, Trent’s eager for another challenge. He jumps at the opportunity for a trip to Japan to oversee appraisals of two art collections to be sold at the gallery he co-owns. But the trip isn’t all cherry blossoms and Hello Kitty. When one of the collectors he meets—rumored to be the head of a Yakuza gang—turns up dead, Trent is accused of the murder and thrown in jail.

Reed drops everything to help find out who really committed the crime. He’s in unknown territory in Japan, forced to navigate Tokyo’s sex underworld to unravel the truth and save Trent. He poses as a “host” at a seedy late-night club. When Reed’s undercover activities place him at a ruthless Yakuza leader’s sex party, he must be willing to go to any lengths to secure Trent’s safety and freedom. But trusting the wrong people brings both Reed and Trent to the Yakuza leader’s attention. If they’re ever to have a happy ever after, they’ll first have to call on every skill just to stay alive.

Read the sneak peek

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″]

When Trent Copeland runs into Reed Acton at a Bangkok airport, he thinks the handsome American is too good to be true. Why would someone like Reed be interested in a quiet, introverted gay-romance writer? After all, even an obvious tourist like Trent can see that there is more to Reed’s constant unexplained appearances in his path than meets the eye.

Reed Acton has one mission and one mission only: he needs to get the map that was accidentally slipped into Trent’s bag and keep the mobsters who want the priceless artifact from taking deadly revenge. Trent Copeland is a delicious and damned near irresistible diversion, but Reed can’t afford distractions right now, especially if he wants to keep Trent safe.

From Bangkok’s seediest back alleys to the sacred north, the two men will fight to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and learn that the only treasure worth finding is… each other.

This is a second edition, completely re-edited and expanded from an earlier e-book release, and containing several scenes not in the e-book originally published by Ravenous Romance, titled Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand.

Excerpt

“Are you following me around?” Trent put his backpack on again, this time putting both arms through the straps. Obviously he wasn’t taking any more chances. Reed knew he wouldn’t get another chance to get into the pack, but where could the map be? Had Trent found it in his pack and knowing it wasn’t his, already thrown it away? Or was he working for a competitor and had already passed it off. Reed hadn’t let him out of his sight for very long, but there might have been someone waiting in his room at the Pink Tiger.

But this guy appeared too clueless to be part of any underworld organization. No one was that good an actor. The only explanation was Trent somehow realized the map was valuable and hidden it hoping to sell it to someone who would pay big money for the information.

“No, man. Bangkok’s really kind of a small place for farangs, you know? I run into the same people all the time. I’m Reed Acton, by the way.” He started to put a hand out but Trent didn’t look to be in a trusting, hand-shaking mood yet. He also didn’t volunteer an introduction.

“Farangs?” Trent rolled the word around on his tongue and squinted in puzzlement.

“Foreigners.Westerners. It’s kind of an insult, but if you spend enough time here you get used to it.”

“But you speak Thai. You said you live here?”

“Yeah, for work.” Fuck. This conversation was getting into dangerous territory for Reed. But he didn’t want to just walk off on his own and suddenly it had nothing to do with the map. He wanted to get closer to Trent Dallas and breathe in the beautiful scent of him — probably courtesy of that fancy body wash Reed had watched him apply earlier — and lick along the curve of his jaw, and then maybe rip off that shirt Trent was wearing and trace around every muscle on his chest and abs. Reed had seen what was under there and this time he wanted more than to look. He wanted to touch, and taste and —

“Well, thanks for getting my bag back. Do you want a reward or something?” Trent’s voice jolted Reed back to reality and with difficulty he pulled his mind out of Trent’s pants. Which was too bad, because he was just starting to plan out what he wanted to do with that ass.

“No, no.” Reed shook his head. “I don’t want money. If that’s what you’re thinking, that I’m trying to scam you or something, you’re dead wrong.”

“Well…” Trent looked at Reed out of the corner of his eye and Reed knew he wasn’t convinced Reed was harmless.

“Look, let’s sit down for a few minutes and grab something to drink. The heat is getting to me.” Reed wiped the back of his hand across his sweaty brow and smiled up at Trent, getting another suspicious look in return. But Trent looked hot and sweaty, too — ”though it just made him look even sexier — and let Reed lead him to table set up under a canvas canopy near half a dozen street vendors.

Reed ordered cool coconut drinks for them. Trent eyed the drink warily at first, but when he saw Reed slurp down half the glass in one long pull he cautiously sipped and smiled in delighted surprise. The coconut drinks were one of Reed’s favorites, though some vendors made them too sweet. He loved the soft fresh coconut flesh that floated in the glass and he’d usually save a few pieces to suck on and savor the taste after he’d drained the liquid contents. From the look on Trent’s face he seemed to be relaxing and Reed decided to take a time out here and put him at ease.

“I admit I saw you in the airport and thought it might be fun to hang out. I know a lot of places to go in the city, if this is your first time here.” Reed smiled hoping Trent would trust him, no matter how suspicious Reed’s behavior might have been up till now. He wished he could forget about the map and enjoy a few fun-filled days with Trent Dallas–preferably in a bed in Reed’s air-conditioned apartment where they ordered in food and didn’t get dressed the entire time.

“How do I know I can trust you? I mean, what were you doing in the airport anyway?” Trent repeatedly poked his straw at the pieces of coconut at the bottom of his glass.

“I had to pick up a package for my boss.” Thankfully Reed could tell the truth. “It got misdirected so I have to get it from a different location later today.” He paused for a moment. “You can eat that. It’s coconut flesh.” Reed took a bite from a piece he pulled from his own glass, to demonstrate it was safe.

“Really? I’ve never seen it so soft.”

“It’s from young coconuts. I guess they don’t leave them on the trees long enough to get really hard. They’re much easier to open when they’re young, too.”

Trent fished a piece out and took a tiny bite. He quickly ate the rest of it. “Mmm.”

“See? You can trust me.” Reed laughed. He enjoyed watching Trent consume the rest of the coconut pieces, picking each up and licking it to catch the last drops of the drink before sucking it into his mouth with a tiny slurp.

“Eating coconut and going somewhere with you are two entirely different things.” Trent tilted his head slightly then licked his lips and Reed had to keep from jumping across the table and kissing him. Did Trent know how he was torturing Reed as he imagined what else those lips and tongue could be doing. The smile on Trent’s face led Reed to believe that maybe he did. Damn tease! But Reed was enjoying the game. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt a spark like this for anyone.

“Fair enough.”

They chatted casually for another ten minutes, where Reed kept the conversation mainly about Thai food–deftly avoiding personal topics–until Trent seemed to have relaxed and become less suspicious. Reed noticed Trent’s appraising glances and grinned, hoping his dimples might be extra convincing. God, he hated doing it this way but he was on a short timetable and he didn’t have the luxury of being smooth about it.

“Have you decided you can lower the threat level on me to blue or green?”

Trent laughed and Reed’s spirits picked up. He liked the sound of Trent’s laugh.

“Well, I might go as low yellow, with an option for blue.”

* * * *

Available from Dreamspinner Press, Amazon/Kindle, All Romance eBooks and more.

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