Showing posts with label Harper Jewel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harper Jewel. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Uncle Leon Soup - @HarperJewell #GayRomance #Christmas #FreeBook



By Harper Jewel (Guest Blogger)

Now that the 2017 holiday season has begun, I’m sure everyone has a fond holiday memory/tradition that has been passed down through the family. A family memory/tradition--one that my family stopped following once my grandmother passed away--I will forever cherish is helping Grandma make Uncle Leon Soup.

Grandma, although not born in Italy, spoke fluent Italian and French as her parents immigrated to the United States shortly before she was born. Whether the recipe for Uncle Leon Soup was one passed down from my great grandmother or whether Grandma came up with this one all on her own, no one in the family knows, but it’s something I miss at Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

I firmly believe being in the kitchen and cooking for the holidays always made Grandma happy. One thing my brother and I could count on: being kitchen helpers when it came time to make Uncle Leon Soup. Of course, we always asked how this yummy recipe ended up with the name Uncle Leon Soup, and no matter how many times Grandma told us the story, it never got old or boring.

When growing up, Grandma’s best friend Rose, my mom and her sister called her Grammy Rose, married Arthur Weingartner and they had a son named Leon who my mom and her sister called Uncle Leon. Grammy Rose and her family were always included at Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Eve dinner. The first Thanksgiving dinner to which the Weingartners were invited Grandma made this soup, which consisted of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, and a dash of nutmeg, Leon claimed it his favorite dish ever. Thus the name Uncle Leon Soup was born.

My brother and I never had the opportunity to meet Grammy Rose or her family, but pictures remain of Grandma and her friends. Watching and participating in the making of Uncle Leon Soup always put smiles on our faces. Grandma would lug her huge crank-handled meat grinder--remember this is from a six-year-olds perspective--up from the basement and attach it to her thick wooden kitchen table.
We took turns mixing the ingredients in a bowl then shoving handfuls of the mixture into the top of the meat grinder. Turning the crank was a chore as it required lots of elbow grease, but my brother and I shared in the duty. As the “noodles” came through the holes at the other end of the grinder, Grandma would cut them into a bowl. Once all of the noodles were ready, they’d be put in a pot with chicken broth and simmered on a low flame for at least an hour before it was pronounced ready to eat.

I suppose if I got my hands on a new electric meat grinder, I might someday try making my own Uncle Leon Soup, but I don’t think it could ever compare to my memory of Grandma’s creation.

In RIPPING OFF THE MASK, Cooper Brandt’s holiday memories are marred by a tragedy that took place the night before his high school graduation. As self-imposed penance for the heartbreaking misfortune, Cooper forced himself to wear a mask much like a hair shirt.

When Sergeant Cooper Brandt, thirteen years later, let his mask slip while in pursuit of some bank robbers, a second gut-wrenching catastrophe takes place. Taking full blame for this debacle, Coop swears he’ll never make that mistake again.

Upon meeting aqua therapist Dr. Westley James, Cooper curses the fates as he begins to believe that Karma has decided to retaliate for his misstep.
Westley’s first impression of Cooper isn’t a good one, but he’s willing to give the sergeant another chance.

Several more hairpin turns in the road await Cooper and Westley as they both strive to make holiday memories of their own. To find out if they succeed, be sure to read RIPPING OFF THE MASK by Harper Jewel, published by Loose Id.


Blurb

Can injured Sgt. Cooper Brandt, with the help of Dr. Westley James, rip off the mask he donned as self-imposed penance at the end of high school, or will fate determine a different path for both men?

Thirteen years after high schooler Cooper Brandt suffered a life-altering tragedy, Newark Police Sergeant Cooper Brandt suffers yet another earthshaking misfortune while on duty. As a result, he lets the mask he donned because of his first grief-filled setback slip. When overwhelming guilt consumes him for a second time, an unexpected, and oftentimes unwanted, helping hand tries to force him into making a choice: face his demons and rip the mask off, or continue living a lie while his facade stays put.

Upon his move to New Jersey, aqua therapist Dr. Westley James meets his toughest patient yet when a snarly police sergeant accuses him of duplicity at the start of their first session. When he discovers the reason for Cooper’s ornery attitude, an odd, empty feeling he’s lived with for as long as he can remember begins to fill in like missing pieces of a puzzle.

As a fragile relationship between Cooper and Westley grows, an unhinged sociopath threatens to ruin everything. Will fate force the emotionally bruised sergeant to fasten his mask on even more tightly or will the couple’s blooming love and partnership be strong enough to help Cooper rip his mask off for good?

Excerpt

They made their first stop at Dunkin’, and as promised, Silvio ran inside while Coop remained in the police vehicle. A few minutes later, with coffees in hand, he returned to the squad car and handed Cooper his iced coffee—black, no milk, no sugar.

“Thanks, Sil. Did you get your regular?”

“Sure did. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Because you might surprise me and forgo the coffee-milk you favor and go with something different for a change.”

Silvio stared blankly at his partner. “Coffee-milk?”

“Come on, you can’t possibly call what you have in your hand coffee. You tell the baristas to give you a medium but put it in a large cup and then ask them to add at least a full cup of milk to it. Seriously, man, how hot can it be after that? And why would you want to drink something even remotely warm when it’s already close to eighty degrees outside?”

“I don’t like my coffee too hot, but I don’t like it iced either. Besides, haven’t you heard that milk does a body good?” Silvio shrugged and gave his partner a smug, tooth-baring grin.

Coop burst into laughter. “You’re such a dork.”

“At the risk of sounding too dorky, suck it up, buttercup. You’re stuck with me. So you keep your end of the bargain and drive since I did the buying.”

Buy Links


About Harper


Harper Jewel lives in northeast New Jersey with her husband and college-age daughter. She has two cats, enjoys reading, and taking trips to Walt Disney World. With her outgoing personality and vivid imagination, she can create characters and plots that are believable as well as memorable.

Although she began writing male/female romance/erotica, she has finally found her niche in Gay Romance. She thoroughly enjoys her male characters as they speak to her quite loudly while proving love is love. She is proud to have the honor of being the first M/M author accepted at the now-closed Lush Publishing.

In addition to her writing, she’s expanded her skills to include formatting for Smashwords Premium Catalog, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, & Amazon.

In September 2015, she created Slippery Fingers Press & Publishing Services. She uses the company name for self-publishing as well as her formatting jobs.

Ripping Off the Mask, her first full-length novel, published by Loose Id is now available at most e-book retailers.

To find out more about Harper Jewel, visit her website at www.harperjewel.com.

Author Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarperJewel1 or @HarperJewel1


Giveaway! Leave me a comment with your email, and I'll send you a copy of my holiday story Santa's Naughty Elf! Everyone who comments gets a copy! (But don't forget to include your email...)

  

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Monday, July 13, 2015

Male/Male Erotica – An Easy Switch

By Harper Jewel (Guest Blogger)

Thanks, Lisabet, for having me here today. I appreciate the opportunity to share a bit about myself.

Ever since I was a child, I wrote stories for myself and for school when required. But when I began writing for publication in October 2012 and discovered my knack for writing erotica, I never intended to write a male/male story. I felt comfortable with my male/female and my male/female/male ménage ideas. Inserting a paranormal influence was not a difficult choice; it just came naturally. I did, however, feel the need to write straight contemporary erotica as well. Thus, my “A Seekers Story” titles and my “Inked Heat” titles (one of which is no longer available) came to be.

It truly amazes me how everyday situations or things can suddenly spark a story idea. As a result, I find myself wishing I could run for pen and paper or my laptop at truly inconvenient times—doing errands, driving my daughter to and from school, or standing under the shower for instance.

When I spotted a particular photo on a Deviant Art page, it sparked an immediate interest and sent my imagination wheels spinning. The picture of two men standing in front of a wall mirror, one embracing the other from behind as he kissed his way up his partner’s neck, “spoke” to me in such a way that it seeped into my pores.

Because I wasn’t completely convinced I could pull off a story with gay men as my characters, I didn’t act on the idea-kernel that continued to plague me for several weeks. But when I kept “seeing” that photo, especially at night when I was trying to sleep, not to mention that names for the characters kept playing on an endless loop in my mind, I simply had to sit and write.

The opening scene for MIRROR OF OBSESSION came so easily, it practically wrote itself. In fact, my fingers couldn’t type fast enough. Then Devin Hughes, the main character, continued to chatter away at me. It was his idea to bring the paranormal twist to this book, and it was his idea to create Matthew Lyons. He didn’t want Brice to be his love interest as I’d originally planned; he demanded that Matt be his heartthrob and perfect partner. At this point, I didn’t dare disagree.

Before I knew it, Devin, Matt, and Brice had taken complete control and the story was nearing completion. I’m not one that likes cliffhangers, even in a series, so the way these three ended the story made me smile. Upon writing THE END, I sat back and smiled. My first male/male story was complete and under my belt. I couldn’t believe how easy it had been and was beyond proud with the results. And just like that, my switch to the male/male genre was born. Simple as that.

This doesn’t mean that I’ll never write another male/female story (I already have one with a paranormal element finished that isn’t available as of yet) but for me, the male/male or, in the case of a current WIP for my Inked Heat series, the male/male/female category is my preference. For whatever reason, I find writing the male/male sex scenes grittier and easier to write.

For me, as a writer, there is nothing better than having a WIP fly off my fingertips. Head Game, another title I’m currently working on, has completely engulfed me. Adam Darling, my main character in what is turning out to be a raunchy romp, is taking up most of my waking and sleeping thoughts. In approximately thirty-two hours total time, I’ve put almost 10,000 words on page and I couldn’t be happier with the way things are turning out with this little vignette!

Most of my currently published books include a fair share of titillating sex and when a reader or reviewer mentions a particular scene and their sizzling reaction to it—getting a cold drink, taking a cold shower, changing their panties, or breaking out their B.O.B.s—I just sit back and grin. That’s what I aim for!

Some may wonder how I made the decision to move away from traditional publishers and give eXcessica a shot. I discovered the hard way that putting my manuscripts in the hands of others did not work out well for me. I like the idea of choosing my editor and cover artist. This way, I’m guaranteed to work with someone I’m compatible with. Choosing my own release date also works in my favor. I believe having a recognizable name associated with my latest release has helped tremendously. Now, I’ll feel much more comfortable self-publishing some of my other titles.

MIRROR OF OBSESSION, my newest release as well as my first foray into the male/male genre and my first publication with eXcessica Publishing has been reaping four- and five-star reviews. I do hope you’ll check it out.



Blurb

When fifteen-year-old Devin Hughes created his phantom lover to help him keep his sexual identity a secret, he never imagined that Brice would materialize in the flesh ten years later.
Convinced that the mind-blowing encounters he had with his hunky specter were nothing more than fevered hallucinations, Dev attempts to push Brice to the back of his mind and concentrate on his rising career as an advertising executive.

With the help of his newest client, Englishman Matthew Lyons, CEO of Lyons Security, Devin is able to forget Brice once and for all. Sparks fly between Dev and Matt, and they speed full-throttle into a relationship.

During a month-long separation, Devin struggles with uncertainty and reverts to his “hurt them before they hurt you” attitude, forcing him to get a grip and make things right or lose Matt altogether.

When an obsessed Brice finds out about Devin’s new relationship, his rage reaches an all-time high. The two men have ruined all his plans, and he will stop at nothing to reach his goal: harvesting Devin’s soul.

Will Devin, with Matthew’s help, find a way to banish Brice forever, or will they both succumb to the satanic powers of a maniacal demon?

Naughty Excerpt

“I’m your fantasy. I know everything that pleases you,” crooned Brice as his hand continued to pump Dev’s cock with firm, sure strokes.

Unable to fight his misgivings any longer, Devin relaxed, letting the apparition coaxing his length to life have his wicked way. The meaty palm caressing his staff stopped after a few minutes. Dev’s throbbing hard-on stood at attention from his groin as a set of moist lips latched onto his, forcing his eyes to open at the same time Brice straddled his hips. Two pools of liquid obsidian met his own baby blues, and he couldn’t help but shift his hips, begging for more.

“I’m going to ride your magnificent cock, Dev. Watch me as I do it.”

Devin focused on his lover as the man leaned slightly forward, pulled his ass cheeks apart, and lowered his body. Tight, tingling warmth surrounded his cock while his gaze flickered and refocused onto Bri’s steely erection bobbing before him, the domed purple head leaking profusely. Reaching out, Dev’s hands gripped the sides of the muscular waist riding his hips and grunted in animalistic satisfaction.

“Ready for me to move, Dev?”

“Hell yes. Do it.”

“As you wish.” As if in slow motion, Brice began to rock forward and back, riding the dick nestled in his ass. “So fucking perfect. I knew your cock would hurt so good, Dev. I just knew it.”

“Uh huh… don’t stop.”

“I have no intentions of stopping. Not until you’ve emptied everything you’ve got deep inside me.”

Brice’s words were so stimulating, Devin felt himself begin to burn from the inside out. When Bri picked up the pace of his swaying movements, a new sensation bombarded him. The walls of his fantasy lover’s rear passage began to undulate in pulsating waves as if it were some sort of penis masturbator. Wave after wave of a sensuous rhythm set in, dragging him closer and closer to blast off.

When Brice dipped down to tease Devin’s nipple with a swirling tongue, he felt a hand slide under his left ass cheek, squeezing through the gap created by the rocking motion. Suddenly, a finger began to slither inside Dev’s back entrance just before a tiny probe that felt more like a barb stabbed him right in the prostate. Setting off a tumultuous chain reaction, it began with his shout of release followed by jackhammer twitches of his cock, as burst after burst of his stringy load shot from his vibrating rod. A black hole of ecstasy opened its maw and swallowed Devin whole, while his entire body quaked with abandon.

“Oh, holy fuck, Bri!”

“Take my dick in your hands, Devin. Stroke me off while you empty yourself in my ass. I want my cum to coat your sinful body,” commanded Brice.

Doing as instructed, Dev grasped Brice’s impressively hard length with shaky hands, squeezing and stroking the vein-covered stalk, using the clear molten fluid leaking from the slit to make the carnal massage smoother and easier.

“That’s it. Grip me harder, squeeze me like a vise.”

Buy Links for Mirror of Obsession









About the Author

Harper Jewel lives in northeast New Jersey with her husband and 17-year-old daughter. She has three cats, enjoys reading, and taking trips to Walt Disney World. With her outgoing personality and vivid imagination, she is able to create characters and plots that are believable as well as memorable.

An avid reader of paranormal and erotic romances, she has always dreamed of becoming an author. The stories all began when she was in grade school and earned her writing honors throughout her school years. Now, she’s finally bringing them to life for others to read.

While working on her writing career, she’s put her college education and background in English and Language Arts to work as an editor, and she’s expanded her skills to include formatting for Smashwords Premium Catalog, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Amazon, and All Romance Ebooks.

To find out more about Harper Jewel, visit her website at www.harperjewel.com.

Author Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarperJewel1 or @HarperJewel1

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