The Love In Bloom Extravaganza will feature an author a day from 3/30 – 5/16/12. Daily book give aways and a GRAND PRIZE of a Nook Touch or Kindle Touch ($99 gift cert for INT) See form at end of post for details.
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Spring in Books
Spring, to me, represents the end of a dark winters and a new beginnings. In Iceland it’s also a time of windy weather and endless rain, but the rain is important for the growth of plants and the wind is important to pollination. Each season means something different to me and in my first published novel, A Life Without You (Boston Boys #1), I used the seasons to represent stages in the story. A Life Without You is about Adam who’s in love with his apparently-straight college dorm mate, Jesse. The story starts in autumn with the falling leafs, stripping away Jesse’s guard toward Adam. The winter is cold and snowy, representing difficulties and the upcoming catastrophe, but is also nice and cozy for heated intimacy. At the beginning of spring, the catastrophe hits like a storm and tears are shed like raindrops, but as the summer approaches, nearing the end of the spring, new hope blossoms and together the two protagonists head into summer (no spoilers here, all my stories end with a HEA or HFN).
Hi! I’m Erica Pike, an Icelandic mother of soon-to-be five year old twins. I’ve been writing various things for several years, including YA and MG manuscripts (that are still unpublished), but really found my niche in gay male erotic romance. What is it about gay male stories? After much internal deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the mystery of male-male relationships that fascinates me. I can experience male-female myself, but male-male is something I’ll never experience firsthand.
I’m so in love with the M/M genre, that I decided to organize an M/M-only blog hop along with a couple of friends. Over 200 M/M authors, reviewers and publishers have signed up, and this will truly be a schmorgage board for M/M lovers. However, we welcome readers of all genres to come and sign up for the prizes. For those who have read M/M and hated it: I commend you for having tried it. For those who haven’t tried it: you may be in for a very pleasant surprise. The blog hop is called Hop Against Homophobia and will kick off on May 17th, which is the International Day Against Homophobia, and end on May 20th.
Today I’d like to share with you the blurb and excerpt of my upcoming book, Absolutely Eric (Boston Boys #2). It will be released on May 11th and features the sassy Eric, who is a secondary character in the first book. He’s a twenty year-old college student who wants to find love, but instead of going for Mr. Right, he goes after Mr. Wrong. The two books are independent of each other, so it’s okay to read the second book without having read the first. I’m offering an e-copy of Absolutely Eric at the end of this post.
Blurb:
Eric Wesley is short and snazzy, hot and happy. Or that’s what he thought. After three years of living on the wild side he’s tired of being a playboy and wants to find love.
Eric, however, has never been in love before and doesn’t see that the guy who’s been gazing at him all summer might be Mr. Right. Boring-suit-guy Alexander Centauri isn’t only style-less and clumsy, but also terribly awkward. After a miserable date, Eric plants Alex on another guy’s lap and goes after Mr. Wrong…who looks so right.
When Eric realizes his mistake, it might be too late.
Excerpt:
We stroll through the park by the mall. The weather is surprisingly good for this time of year, and I even zip down my coat when the heat is too much. My body sways a little with the good beat of dance music playing somewhere close by, which has Alex smiling whenever he looks at me. Especially when I start humming along with it.
“So, that ex of yours. He’s totally different from Terry. I mean, he’s even shorter than I am, and that’s saying a lot at only five-six.”
Alex shrugs. “What can I say? Small guys usually catch my eye.”
I kick a loose rock ahead of me as we walk. “But why? Do you have a Tom Cruise fetish or something?”
“No,” Alex chuckles. “I guess I just find them more attractive, and they’re the perfect cuddle size.”
I smile. “But Terry isn’t short or a cuddler. I know that for a fact.”
Alex ducks a low tree branch while I sail right under.
“He makes up for that by being nice, thoughtful, and considerate. And very, very understanding,” says Alex.
I guess that means Terry forgave Alex for the make out incident at Clash last Friday.
“Plus he’s got a hot body,” I say with a tight smile.
Alex nods. “Yes, he does.”
I skip up on one of the many benches along the path and jump back down at the end of it.
“But I really prefer short and sweet over tall and buff,” he continues. “It’s always been like that.”
I get ready to jump onto the next bench.
“Plus, when I’m with someone as tall as Terry I can’t do this.” He yanks the fluffy hat off my head and holds it high in the air.
“Hey!” I protest, trying to look indignant while suppressing the giggles. “I may be small, but I make up for it in other ways.”
“Yeah? Like how?”
He dangles the hat just above my head, trying to bait me into making a grab for it.
“Like this!” I jump onto the bench and fling myself at Alex spider-monkey style. He instinctively drops the hat and catches me. As I sit in his arms with my legs on either side of his waist, I manage to grab the hat as it falls through the air. My shades hang askew so I remove them and stuff ’em into my pocket.
“See? I have a sixth sense for people’s weaknesses, and I don’t hesitate to use it against them.”
“You think you’re my weakness?” he asks, his face so close to mine. I can see that he’s freshly shaven and his usual smell of cologne and soap has my nostrils flaring as I inhale.
“Mmn,” I mumble, wracking my brain for something clever to say. “My sixth sense tells me that you would drop anything to help a person in need.”
Alex just looks at me for a moment without speaking and then smiles. “Looks like you’ve got me all figured out.”
I climb from his arms onto his back and wrap my arms around his neck. His arms automatically loop around my knees to support me.
“Yup, and because I got my hat back so easily you have to carry me over to that ice cream shop over there and buy me a triple-flavor.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and feel the vibration in his body as he speaks.
“Are you kidding? It’s too cold for ice cream.”
“Let’s see…” I say, ignoring his comment. “I’m in the mood for a mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, and pistachio almond with hot fudge.”
My hair sways back and forth when Alex starts walking towards the shop with me leeched on his back.
“That has to be the weirdest combo ever,” he says with a chuckle.
“Jeez, don’t trash it before you taste it. I bet you’re a lame-ass vanilla guy.”
“Mm, nope. I like strawberries.”
I smile against his shoulder while I inhale his scent again mixed with my strawberry-scented hair. Was that a double meaning there?
“FYI,” I say while he walks, “that’s a monstrous banana in my pocket that’s sticking into your back.”
“Didn’t think it was anything else.”
I grin and tighten my hold on him with both arms and knees.
The music gets louder the closer we get to the ice cream shop. I spot four black and two white girls showing each other dance moves by an old-fashioned boom box.
“Hey, that’s Brianna and Taylor from school.” I point at two of the black girls with long brown braids wearing identical clothes.
“Want to go and say, ‘Hi’?” Alex asks, already heading in their direction.
They jog over to us when they see me.
“So why aren’t you two studying for the surprise test tomorrow?” I ask when they’re close enough.
Brianna’s eyes grow large. “There’s a surprise test tomorrow?”
“Well, yeah,” I say, as if everyone should know by now. “History class.”
“How can it be a surprise test if you already know about it?” Alex asks, tightening his hold on my knees when I try to get down.
“A good student never reveals his sources,” I say.
Taylor pulls her long braid over her mouth when she giggles.
“And you’re not studying because…?” Alex asks.
Brianna puts a hand on her hip. “Because he’s a smart ass who always gets A+ in everything. He’s probably already memorized the book.”
“So not true,” I protest. “I still have a chapter to go.”
“Is this your boyfriend?” Taylor asks, glancing up at Alex while her sister bluntly checks him out.
“Yeah,” I say in my girl-chat voice, “isn’t he cute?” I reach forward and smooch Alex’s cheek.
Alex twitches and loosens his grip on my knees. I use the opportunity to slide down.
“Then you must be Rafael,” says Taylor and reaches out a hand for Alex to shake.
“I’m Alexander,” he says as he shakes it.
He only ever uses that name when he’s introducing himself to business colleagues, and hearing him say it now sends hot goose bumps crawling all over my skin.
Taylor’s eyes widen. “Eric, are you two-timing Rafael?”
“Now, why would you automatically jump to that conclusion? Maybe Rafael and I broke up?”
“Did you?” she asks.
I roll my eyes with a dramatic sigh. “No, we didn’t, and no, I’m not two-timing him. I’m not a sorority skank like you, Taylor.”
Taylor covers her mouth again and giggles.
“Well, maybe you would be if you’d followed through with that gayrority idea of yours,” says Brianna.
We stroll over to the other girls who are watching us.
“They wouldn’t give me a house big enough to found one.”
“Why the hell would you need a big house? Aren’t there, like, five gay guys in our school?”
I purposefully snort. “That you know of. I, for one, know of loads and loads of closet cases who are just waiting for the right opportunity to come out. A gayrority would be a perfect place for them to learn and grow until they’re comfortable enough to go man hunting on their own.”
“Uh huh,” says Brianna. “And I bet you’d be the one to give them that personal guidance yourself?”
“Of course, I’d have to get some kinda repayment, but seriously, Henry from law took over the whole thing; he’s working on it.”
I grab Taylor and place my arm around her shoulders. “So, Taylor. Are you still seeing that gorgeous what’s-his-name with the big biceps?”
Brianna snorts. “She dumped his sorry ass. He asked if he could do Taylor and me at the same time, which is just gross.”
“But you’re identical twins. Wouldn’t it be like having sex with yourself?”
Brianna rolls her eyes. “Guys…”
“Oh, I know,” I say sympathetically as we stop by the quiet boom box. “We’re such bastards. One lover is never enough.”
“Girls, this is Eric; Eric this is the girls,” Brianna introduces. “Oh, and that’s probably one of Eric’s fuck buddies, Alexander.”
I glance up at Alex and snicker when I see his perplexed face. He meets my eyes, and I try to play it cool with a shrug.
“That’s Eric? Will you show us some of your dance moves?” one of the girl asks, walking along with the rest to surround us.
“I see my reputation precedes me, but I don’t wanna put you girls to shame.”
Brianna puts both her hands on her hips. “You’re so full of yourself, Gayman. Come on.”
Alex nudges my shoulder with his fist. “Yeah, come on, Gayman.”
I turn to him and stick my finger in his face. “I’ll have you know that if I were the superhero Gayman, I’d go home with Spiderman every night just to get to have sex on the ceiling. I’d be the awesome-est, sexiest hero and stun the villains with my wicked moves.”
“More like with what comes out of your mouth,” says Alex, shoulders shrugging with chuckles.
I give Alex my best Hugh Laurie glare before I turn to Brianna. “Fine, you evil twin from hell.” I shrug off my coat and dispose of my mittens, scarf, and hat. “But you girls have to dance too.”
“Fine,” Brianna says with a triumphant gleam in her ever scheming eyes. “What’ll it be?” Her baggy pants rumple as she squats down by the boom box.
I take my position on the square area of tiles that currently acts as a dance floor. “Anything with a good beat in it.”
“This one’s perfect for you,” Brianna mumbles and volumes up a remix version of Black Eyed Peas’ “Pump It.”
Locks of hair fly out of my hair tie as I shake my hips and do my thing. The girls try to copy me, and there’s a lot of laughing, a bit of falling, and a whole lot of body bumping.
“How about you, old man?” I ask Alex, who’s watching with a sexy smile on his face. “Know any moves?”
“Of course I do,” he calls back over the music. “I’m gay, aren’t I?”
I roll my eyes while he slides off his coat, revealing one of the pink shirts I made him buy.
—
So, want to win a copy of Absolutely Eric on Guilty Pleasure Book Reviews? Just leave a comment and fill out the form. Winner will be selected using random.org on 5/15.
Erica Pike
Hop Against Homophobia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HAHMay17
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Erica, thanks for stopping by the blog today. You are a new to me author but one I will check out for sure. I really enjoy the M/M genre and looking forward to reading your books.
I’ve read a couple of Erica Pike’s books recently. I really like her writing style and her characters. If she is calling Eric sassy then I really want to read it 🙂
I love reading M/M stories. I just finished Erica’s Hot Hands. It was great. Can’t wait to read her new release about Eric.
Erica, we appreciate you participating in the Love In Bloom series here at Guilty Pleasures. I really enjoy “man love” stories. I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something so hot about two guys who can’t contain their passion. Looking forward to checking out your works!
Slick–GP Reviewer
Thanks for stopping by today Erica! I loved the excerpt. I’m looking forward to the hop next week!
Thanks for stopping by Erica!! I love the M/M genre also. The passion always seem so raw with two men. Can’t wait to check out some of your books.
Thank you for stopping by and posting the excerpt, Erica!
Thanks guys 🙂 I had fun writing this post, so thanks to Guilty Pleasures for having me ^.^ Happy to see that you guys like m/m – and yeah, I know, there’s just something about two men being in love 😉
Erica
Erica is a new to me author…will definitely be checking her books out they sound really good!
Thanks for the chance to win this book Erica! I have read A Life Without You and loved it! I really want to read this one too.
M/M genre is all I read anymore since some months back.
Thanks for the giveaway! I haven’t read any of Erica’s books but I’ve added them to my TBR list. I enjoy reading m/m stories so I’m looking forward to the m/m blog hop.
I am so excited for your blog hop. It is sure to be a great time.
Thanks so much for joining us today and sharing your excerpt. It sounds amazing.
Guilty Pleasures, Rhayne
I was just cleaning off my Kindle and found an Erika Pike story. How fortuitous! I enjoy M/M stories. I like them to have a little angst and a lot of personal growth. Thanks for the giveaway!
Erica is new to me. I will enjoy checking this out for my summer reading! Thanks
Mel
Congrats on the book! Very nice post and excerpt.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for the post Erica! I’m getting ready to read the first Boston Boys book and I can’t wait!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Life Without You was a really great book and I would love to win Eric’s story!
lyra.lucky7 at gmail(dot) com
I haven’t read any books by Erica Pike but they sound very interesting. Thanks for the giveaway!
Erica, you know I love your work and had to come by and show ya some love. If you guys have not read her work I recommend you check it out. She is super talented and an amazing author.
I Havent Read Any Of Erica’s Books I Have Put Some On My Wish List.
Enjoyed the post. Have not read your any of your stories but will be checking these out.
Thank you for the giveaway Erika, I’d love to win this one!
anzuazura (at) yahoo (dot) de
Hi Erika,
I’m looking forward to the Hop against Homophobia and to reading Eric’s book, I loved him in A Life Without You!
emiliana25 (at) web (dot)de
I just finished Hot Hands. It was brilliant. Can’t wait to read her new release.
Best regards from Poland
ivoost@wp.pl
Thank you for teh contest as I loved your first book in this series and so cried through out the story. Your boys touched my heart so much. I loved them! I can’t wait to read this new one and have it on my gotta have list.
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
Thanks for the contest, I love how you write your dialog!
kaisquared
emmasmom AT wi DOT rr DOT com
I love reading MM stories. I used to read a lot of other stuff but lately it seems I can’t enjoy anything unless It’s MM. lol… and I don’t mind one bit. I love MM too much to care at all that I probably only read 2-3 MF books a year.
Thanks for the blog hop and contest!!
Judi
arella3173_loveless(at)yahoo(dot)com
I LOVE M/M books, I haven’t read anything else in months! I haven’t read the Boston Boys series yet but I did enjoy the College Fun & Gays series.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Jen
mattandjen[at]gmail.com
Rulers of Darkness
I have not read any M/M except in MMF menages. I have Hot Head by Damon Suede in my TBR.
Thank you for the contest.
Roxie
Thank you all for stopping by! Thank you Erica for such a great post!
Looking forward to the Hop Against Homophobia!
Congrats to BOS you are the winner of Erica’s post!
I haven’t read any books by Erika before but I love a good M/M book and would love a chance to read her work.