Thursday 31 May 2012

Guess What Comes Out Tomorrow!

Blood in the Sand comes out tomorrow!

We're both incredibly excited, needless to say. The book was a labor of love--we love these characters, we love this world, and we love sharing it with all of you. 

So here's the last excerpt. It features Jed being an old cat lady, which is always one of our favorite things to write.

       “Jed.” Redford’s voice was slightly muffled, probably because he’d buried his face under the pillows. He was just a lump under the blankets, grunting whenever Jed elbowed him back awake. “Tell me why we’re up at two in the morning again?”
        Jed covered the phone receiver with one hand. “Because,” he explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “the time difference means it’s eight in the morning back home.”
        Back to the phone, he raised his voice. “No, you are a sack of shit, and if you don’t fucking put the phone where I want it, I will personally— Yeah, you better run for your manager, you fucking pussysnatch.”
        “Okay.” Redford was apparently unfazed by Jed’s outburst. He’d rolled over just enough to peer out at Jed, eyes heavy with sleep. “But why does it have to be eight in the morning? ’Cause it’ll still be daytime back home if we did this at a normal hour.”
        Turning his attention back to Redford, Jed smirked at him, expression softening, running his hand through Redford’s hair. “Yeah, but you know how she gets in the morning. ’Sides, I was going to do this yesterday, but I went out. And my contacts are very good at what they do, but I don’t think this would have helped my credibility any.”
        There was a new voice over the phone, and Jed immediately started shouting. “Oh my God, whose cock do I have to fucking deep-throat over there to get one fucking simple thing done, you fucking sack of fuck-faced—” In an instant, Jed’s tone turned from murderous to crooning, and his whole face lit up. “Hi, baby. Who is being just the best kitty in the world? Hmm? How’s my Knievel?”
        There was a loud, disgruntled meow, and Jed could hear the rattling of the cage door. Probably their cat had just taken a swipe at the phone. “I know,” he apologized, raising his voice to be heard over the meowing. “But it wasn’t my idea to put you in a mean old animal hotel. That would be your other daddy. He is a very bad man.”
        Redford promptly thumped Jed on the leg, narrowing his eyes up at him from his cocoon of blankets. “Am not,” he mumbled.
        “Yes he is,” Jed continued, voice a soothing singsong tone. “But don’t worry, baby kitty, I will punish him. Now you be good, and I will be home to save you very soon. I just have to kill one little stupid man, and then we will all go fishing. Who likes fishes?” Delighted when he heard the loud carburetor purr and the distinctive sound of Knievel head butting the cage, he grinned. “That’s right! You do! We will go get lots and lots of fishes.”
        The phone was thrust at Redford. “Say hello,” Jed demanded.

For those of you who have already answered the previous five competition questions, thank you! We've got your answers, so you don't need to post them again. For those who are just joining us now, we're going to list all six questions so that you don't have to go post hunting to find them. We've put comments in a moderated queue so that only we can see them.

1. In Blood Howl, what was the one thing that could kill a werewolf like Filtiarn?
2. Jed and Redford met one of Jed's ex-clients at the gun show; what was his name?
3. What do Jed and Redford get to eat after they play basketball?
4. What is one of Jed's nicknames for Victor? (There's multiple correct answers for this one, Jed loves his nicknames.)
5. What are Jed's very last words in the book?

And now for the sixth, and last:

6. Whose house is Redford living in at the start of the book?

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Two Days To Go!

We're starting to get excited, needless to say. We loved writing this book, and we really hope that everybody enjoys reading it, too.

We have a second small excerpt for today - and coming up tomorrow is a much larger one. Stay tuned, viewers!


“Done. We’re in. My partner”—here he nudged Redford a little, playfully—“will be sending you over our budget requirements.”
“No fucking jet skis, Journey,” David grumbled, but he looked relieved.
Jed flashed a shit-eating grin, standing and hooking his arm around Redford’s waist. “Don’t call me Journey, you cocksucker.”

And for today's question:

5. What are Jed's very last words in the book?

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Four + Three

Two excerpts and two questions today! I'd say it's because we're generous, but actually it's just because we were both unfortunately too busy yesterday to get on our laptops. Still, we're happy to bring you a double feature today.

We'll begin with our fifth and last quote, shall we?


"So while David attempts to use his brain for the first time in his life, we, Red, are gonna ride some goddamn camels."
- Jed

And a paragraph excerpt!


“Well, holy shit.” Jed grinned at him, not very nicely. “We actually agree on something. Sound the fucking trumpets.” Clambering out, he tossed Victor the keys. “Keep her runnin’, princess. And try not to impale yourself on the driveshaft. I know you’ve never seen anything that big before, but remember, she’s not purring for you.”
- Yet more Jed, to Victor

Aaand our two questions for the day.

3. What do Jed and Redford get to eat after they play basketball?


4. What is one of Jed's nicknames for Victor? (There's multiple correct answers for this one, Jed loves his nicknames.)

Sunday 27 May 2012

Fiiiive Golden Riiings

Time for today's quote and question!


“Jed. I know you’re horny, and I know you’re possibly entertaining thoughts of me in nothing but a holster doing extremely kinky things. We can do that later. Right now there are lives on the line.”
- Redford Reed

And our second question:

2. Jed and Redford met one of Jed's ex-clients at the gun show; what was his name?

Saturday 26 May 2012

Six Days To Go

Six days until the release of Blood in the Sand!

Today we're starting the countdown competition for a free eBook of Blood in the Sand. What we're going to be doing is putting up six questions relating to Blood Howl over the next six days, and if you get at least three of them right, you'll have a chance to win the eBook!

So, without further ado, here's today's quote:


"I'll have you know that I can play a very distracting crossword session."
- Victor Rathbone

And today's competition question:

1. In Blood Howl, what was the one thing that could kill a werewolf like Filtiarn?


To give your answer, you can comment here, or email it to us at saxon.kidwell@gmail.com. Comments here won't appear on the page but we will see them - we're putting comments into a moderation queue so that the answers aren't given away in fellow comments!

Friday 25 May 2012

Bubble, Bubble...

Here we are, 7 days until the release of Blood in the Sand.  And once again, we're bringing you one of our favorite one liners from the book.

And keep your eye on the blog.  Tomorrow, along with the teasers from the book, we're also going to be starting a giveaway contest for your very own e-copy of Blood in the Sand!


For now, though, we have number two of our Five Fabulous One Liners:

"We've been over this.  You're not my type.  I like my men to wash now and again."
- David to Jed Walker

Thursday 24 May 2012

Captain Yo-Ho-Hobag's Pleasure Palace

It's happening! We're in the throes of a countdown to the release date of Blood in the Sand, second in the Sanguis Noctis series (and, of course, sequel to Blood Howl, our debut novel).

 In celebration of the impending release, we decided to give little teasers of the book in the form of five of our favorite one liners. There may also be an excerpt that we've been dying to share and a few tastes of the character interactions to come.  And yes, oh yes, there will be a giveaway.  You know how much we adore a good giveaway.


But today, it's number five of our Five Fabulous One Liners:


"We’re going shopping on David’s dime. What kind of gun would go best with Bermuda shorts?" 
                          --Jed 'Journey' Walker

Blood in the Sand: Sanguis Noctis II - Coming 1st June 2012!

Blood in the Sand Book Two of Sanguis Noctis

When David, an old contact and sometimes friend, hires Jed Walker to look into a series of seemingly unrelated disappearances in Cairo, Jed jumps at the chance to show his partner, Redford Reed, more of the world he’s been missing. David’s boyfriend, supernatural expert and resident stuffy professor Victor Rathbone, joins them in their journey to Egypt, which holds many more dangers and mysteries than Jed ever expected. Hidden natures resurface, relationships collide, and instincts are stretched to their breaking point. What seems to be a simple case turns out to be anything but.

David may have called for help, but he has his own suspicions about who’s behind the kidnappings—suspicions that, along with clashing personalities, make getting to the bottom of the mystery difficult. While Jed and Redford grow more intimate and trusting with each new obstacle in their path, David and Victor struggle not to lose their trust in each other in the face of their differences. As the four close in on the kidnappers, David is forced to face the one thing more dangerous than the mastermind behind the disappearances: himself.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in Hop Against Homophobia.  It was a fantastic event with tons of great posts by some amazing people.  We're so happy to announce a winner from the great folks who stopped by our little old blog.  Our random number picker has been whirring and smoking and has spat out the name of the chosen commentator.

Drumroll please!

...

KimberlyFDR!  Come on down!  We're sending you our Super Special Blood Howl prize pack, just in time for Blood in the Sand's release on June 1st.  Check your email for the deets.

Again, we so appreciate being able to take part in this.  The discussion of homophobia can be painful at times, uncomfortable, frustrating, infuriating, and sometimes it seems hopeless.  But it is the only way we can move forward.  Every conversation we have, every time we're able to come together and, with respect and love, talk and share and empathize, that's how we're most human.  That's how we'll be able to become something so much better.

-Alex & Robin

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Joy Comes With the Morning


It's Hop against Homophobia time!  This is such an amazing idea and Robin and I feel so lucky to have a chance to bring a focus to this issue.  Obviously, we both feel so strongly about the idea of combating homophobia with information, knowledge, and patient education, so we think the idea of getting several hundred of us together to talk about it is incredible.

Here's how we thought we'd do things.  I decided the only way we could really talk about homophobia and what that means to us now is to share my personal story.  As I told Robin the other day, it's pretty much the most generic 'Gay Person in the Midwest' story in the world, but I think sometimes, sharing something like that is the most important thing you can do.  Not because it's extraordinary - nothing about my life has really been that - but because it's not.  Because there are so many people, I know, who have grown up like I have, who have faced the same things I did.  I wish I'd known that, when I was younger.  Maybe this will be our own little Oprah moment, a way to all sit on the couch and have a drink and talk.

Of course, we also want to give some stuff away.  Everything's better with a give away!  Leave us your thoughts in the comments below, share your own experiences, ask questions, just say hi.  Make sure to include some way to get a hold of you, and you are entered to win this awesome prize pack.

Blood Howl Prize Package
Included are:  A signed paperback of Blood Howl (just in time to read before the sequel, Blood in the Sand, gets a release date announced), your very own whistle necklace (so you'll never get lost), and a dog tag and cling sticker from one of my favorite non-profit groups, the Human Rights Campaign.  (The profits from buying those, just like everything else from the HRC store, goes straight back to the organization.)

We're so incredibly grateful to the organizers of the Hop against Homophobia.  This is a fantastic idea, and we look forward to seeing what other members of the m/m fiction community have to say.  Writing gay fiction, for Robin and I, is one of the most rewarding experiences we could hope to have.  Not only do we get to do what we've always wanted to do - write - but we get to develop characters we believe in and stories we love.  Really, we have it pretty damn good.