Thursday, October 30, 2014

Tiger's Breath


Tiger's Breath

Kyle and Justin are just friends, right? Well, friends who have weird superpowers—like Justin turning into a tiger and Kyle being able to control the cold (sort of). But maybe they're more than friends, too... 

Justin doesn't want to admit to his feelings, especially since Kyle is a little younger than him and seems so vulnerable and damaged.

There's more at work in their lives than sometimes out-of-control powers or teasing and flirting: there's a protective and easily annoyed boss, and unexpected danger. Because even out-of-control powers are of use to somebody. 


Length: 31,000 words 
Heat level: very low



Buy (or borrow through Kindle Unlimited) at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1KAFKO/
Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00P1KAFKO

If you need another format (for free) or a review copy (or an I-might-review copy) I will send it to you, just email me!  :-) 

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Elves and Deer

Yes, a Christmas story is released in October!  What can I say, I tend to write Christmassy stories more than Halloweeny stories.  :-)






Elves and Deer


Greer is a reindeer shifter working at a magical shipping hub up North. He has little use for or understanding of elves—such delicate, short-lived creatures—but he tries to do his best by the ones in his life. And it seems like more and more are coming into his life, confusing and frustrating him, needing help, needing rescued. 

Since Greer is always busy, it's easy to overlook the things he doesn't want to acknowledge—until a terrible danger gives him unwanted time to think…and to realize there's just one elf who means more to him than he's ever wanted to admit. 

A Christmas tale 
38,000 words 
Heat level: very low


Buy (or borrow through Kindle Unlimited) at:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZ1SLVK
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OZ1SLVK

If you need another format (for free) or a review copy (or an I-might-review copy) I will send it to you, just email me!  :-) 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

things about writing

So, you may or may not know I'm a fan of the Dean Wesley Smith school of writing fast and letting your right-brain have more control than your left- brain.  It's the creative side, and accessed more easily than when you're writing slowly and agonizing over the plot, it seems.  It tends to work well for me, and sometimes the faster I write a story, the better it is overall.  (Of course, you have to make time for changes and edits--fixing the things you didn't get right in the first draft!)  There's a certain amount of jumping off a cliff and learning to fly...and a certain amount of trusting the process, fighting back your fear, and seeing what your subconscious wants to talk about today.  You'll be surprised how fun it is, if you haven't tried!

I tend to focus on this method when I talk about writing.  But the truth is there's another method I follow.  The method of starting a story, getting stuck, and letting it stew for weeks or months till I can tackle it again with fresh ideas.  I find this process discouraging.  I don't like it very much.  It feels like a kind of death, setting a story aside and knowing I may never finish it.  (And with many, I really don't--even ones that are really quite long.)

But this method is as tried and tested and true, for me at least, as the other.  It's whatever a story demands.  I could tell you which of my stories have taken the longest and the least amount of time to finish.  (I'd rather not, though!!)  ;)  It's surprising that some stories have taken so long, but it's because of this--getting stuck and having to just give up and set them aside.

For some people, outlining works and they don't get stuck this way.  But normal outlines don't tend to work for me.  I do, however, take a lot of notes about character and the direction of the story and things I'd like to work in--themes, plot elements, emotions.  Stuff like that.   They tend to be short notes in my handwriting, which probably nobody else could actually read, but they can help jog my memory and settle my ideas and plans.

And then sometimes I write out what I think will happen and the exact opposite happens.  Or nothing happens, because it's another "lost story."

I have so many unfinished stories on my computer, and I'd be lying if I said they didn't discourage me.  But for me, it's part of the process.   Jumping off the cliff, flying on the way down, not knowing if the story is going to work, trusting the process...  And seeing some littered wrecks along the way.  I have to trust and hope that each one taught me something.  And maybe some of them are still in the other process, and somewhere my subconscious is planning how to finish them.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Dirt Magic



Dirt Magic, by Hollis Shiloh


Trey has dirt magic.  It's messy and not very fun.  But some miners in his old hometown are trapped underground, and he feels duty-bound to see if he can help.  He doesn't expect to meet a nerdy, weird gay romance writer who just might have a talent or two of his own.  But Leo has a way of growing on Trey—and together, they might just have what the situation requires.  Not to mention each other…


A quirky gay paranormal romance

Length: 18,000 words 

Heat level: low



Purchase or Borrow:





This story turned out weird.  It's just...the characters are weird.   It's not terribly sexy but the main character has, what my mother used to call "a dirty mouth on him." 

There are a couple of tongue in cheek references in this story--some of them more authentic than you'd think.  

I, like the author character in this book, am sometimes really annoyed by editing, and the fact that I've found myself writing "than" instead of "that" accidentally.  

I also do some of my editing on my ereader.  I also love Fiestaware.  (It's bright and pretty!).  I have a Doctor Who themed mug that I love.  I want to buy this shirt, although I don't own it yet: http://shirt.woot.com/offers/go-sports

And I really enjoy writing my stories, even if I don't always think they're very good.

But that's all.  Nothing else about this story is true to my life!   ;)

Hope you have a great (and not paranormal) Halloween!
(NOTE: this story is not Halloween themed.)

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

A Good Place - short story




Jesse is looking to get back to the land. He jumps at the chance when an old friend offers him a job on his ranch…even before he meets the quiet, handsome, and scarred ex-Marine who works there as a cook. 

A short, sweet gay romance - 12,700 words 
Heat level: very low 


Amazon

Amazon UK


Currently only on Amazon - if you need a different file, or a review copy, please write to me!  :-)
  
(If you are trying using the Kindle Unlimited program, you can read it for free and I will still be paid.)

Sunday, October 5, 2014

news!!

So, a big day today.

Brian's Mate is both a Rainbow Award Honorable Mention and a Rainbow Award Finalist in the Gay Paranormal Romance  section.  (It's still on sale at Dreamspinner, too.)

And...I just signed a contract for the second book in this series!!  :-D  It's currently called "Farn's Son," though I hope we can find a better title before it comes out.  (If you recall, Farn...and his son...were sort of the villains in Brian's Mate, so hopefully you'll find this interesting!  Farn isn't exactly homophobic...he just doesn't want his own son to be gay.  But his son is...and that means striking out on his own and finding a way to build a life.

It's tentatively scheduled for May / June 2015 from Dreamspinner Press.  I'm excited!!  :-)  (This is a full length novel so it will be out in print!)

(By the way, My Partner the Wolf, which isn't published through DSP, is in the same universe, but with a completely different slant or focus.  My Dreamspinner wolf title(s) more or less revolve around family and mates and sweet relationship growth.  Partner revolves around angst...with a little crime solving thrown in!  But mostly angst, to be honest.  ;)  I hope to write lots more in each vein, but...we'll see!  :-D

In other news, I am currently reading the Whyborne and Griffin series (loving it!!!) and recently fell in love with Amy Crook's books "The Courtship of Julian St. Albans" and "The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans."  So sweet!  (I've actually been reading lots more but I've been too busy to post properly about them all.  There are so many good books out there!!)

Also tried my hands at Twitter fic...not sure that's the perfect format for me, LOL.  https://twitter.com/thehollisshiloh  ;)

You guys take care now, and I hope you have a great week.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

upcoming stories

Here are the covers for some of my upcoming stories:



cover design by Book Cover Artistry




cover design by Clarissa Yeo
http://yocladesigns.com/ 




cover design by Marion Sipe, Dreamspring Design