You can download House Rules for free in all formats at: http://www.sizzlin-books.com/house_rules/
The Brave New World
By Liz Crowe
The publishing industry, like many others, has been rocked by innovations and over night self pub (and small pub) sensations in the last few years especially.
It’s a funny time to consider actually publishing a book. Considering how, well, easy it is anymore. I don’t mean it’s easy to actually write book, mind you. But if you can read a manual about formatting and uploading you can pretty much put your mom’s shopping list up on Amazon as a “new release” anymore. As a small published author (not self-pubbed but “indie” as we call ourselves—those of us “independent of Big 6 publishing house backing”) I watch the trends closely and am both thrilled and horrified by what is getting promoted as purchase-able by the reading public.
I’ll use the example of “Wool” by Hugh Howey, a series that he published in serialized format on his blog or someplace for a while until it got noticed by someone and he got a Big 6 print publishing deal worth millions. I love a well-crafted dystopian world and the book(s) was recommended to me by several reader whose opinions I respect. My time is sort of limited though so I downloaded them on audible.com, to listen to as I workout, walk dogs or drive around taking my kid to soccer practices. I am enjoying it, although find it somewhat draggy in ways that a professionally edited book would not be. But overall, the story is really creative and well executed. And he did not submit it to a single publisher or agent. The guy just came up with his concept and wrote it, publishing it in e-book format himself. And his big time New York contract is only for print. He is retaining his electronic rights. Go Hugh.
It’s a real argument for the “write what you love and don’t worry about the consequences” sort of philosophy. I started out that way myself. I just wanted to try, to see if I could, but once I got a taste of the adrenaline rush of creation I just kept on going. And although I get the “toiling in the fields” sensation at times, I still enjoy the process.
I hope new fans will enjoy my latest release, House Rules, the Jack Gordon prequel to the top selling Stewart Realty series. This book is “all Jack all the time,” and I know current fans and members of “team Jack” will appreciate it, I’m offering it for free (or just .99 permanently) to draw a few more readers into the fold.
Happy reading!
Jack Gordon, real estate broker, licensed builder, Juris Doctorate, has had his fair share of strife. His ability to cope, to fall down and pick himself back up has lead him to a place where he believes he has it all. Friends, money, cars, more women than he can count, and a club in Detroit where he can exorcise his inner demons, fill his days and his nights.
When he walks up to a penthouse door on a hot Ann Arbor summer afternoon, frustrated, exasperated and ready to call it quits after hours of condo shopping with a wealthy couple, the last thing on his mind is meeting his destiny.
House Rules: The Jack Gordon Story. A prequel novella of the Stewart Realty Series.
A
soft hand on his arm startled him. He turned, smiled, and accepted the cup the
blonde girl held out.
“Thanks,
gorgeous.” He leaned into her. “What a scene, huh?” He sipped, not looking at
her but sensing her gaze on him. He knew he looked great. Between the pure
physical labor he put in daily on the job sites, lugging drywall, holding up
trusses, hammering, and carrying every manner of tools around, he also ran
every morning without fail, and did three hundred sit-ups and push-ups no
matter how tired he was. The routine of it soothed him, helped him forget, for
a moment, his fucked-up family life and that he had but a few more weeks before
he could escape to college.
Worry
about leaving his sister behind tickled at his conscience but Mo seemed at ease
with her relationship with their father for now. She was a tough cookie and had a solid set of
friends around.
The
discipline Jack imposed on himself felt great. The punishing exercise coupled
with the long hours of work and determined study so he could achieve beyond
what his asshole father expected of him centered him, gave him purpose. Well,
that and what he was about to do with the lovely female now under his arm, giggling
and running her hand up his thigh.
He
tugged her inside, down to the basement, needing a connection so badly his
teeth ached. She sighed as he eased her down on the couch, kissing her gently
but with purpose, increasing his pressure slowly as his cock sprang to
attention under his swim trunks.
“Mmm…this
feels promising,” she declared, reaching into his shorts.
He
smiled into her mouth. He’d found one with a little experience—a pleasant
change of pace. She brushed her thumb across his head, making him shiver. “Hope
you’re prepared, big boy,” the girl said with a touch of awe in her voice when
she looked down at what she had in her hand.
Jack
sighed and leaned over to snag a condom from the supply he kept in the drawer
of a rarely-used table in the corner. “Like a Boy Scout, sweetheart,” he said,
handing it to her.
She
grinned and stood, slipping out of her barely-there bikini and standing in
front of him in all her curvy glory. He licked his lips, sat up, and yanked her
hips close so he could bury his face between her legs. She gripped his hair
then pushed back, forcing him to flop over onto the couch so she could straddle
his face.
He
groaned and flicked at the tender button of flesh. He loved pussy, loved
looking at it, licking it, watching it come to life under his careful
attention. The girl was moist, her folds were soft, and she tasted like the
sweetest honey.
He
sucked her clit, slid a finger inside, and moaned as she gripped him hard. The
knee-jerk girls were the best, he had discovered. They came fast and typically
had no clue that they were among the rarest of women—the multi-orgasmic—and his
favorite.
He
looked up, watched her cup her own breasts and tug her nipples. Perfect, just perfect. He reached in at
an angle, seeking that bundle of nerves most women possessed, right behind her
pubic bone.
“Jesus,”
he yelped, nearly coming out of his skin when a soft set of lips encircled his
dick and a finger traced down his balls and lower. “Baby, I didn’t know this
was gonna be a party,” he whispered.
The
girl looked down at him and smiled, angling her hips so he kept going as the
other girl sucked his cock like a pro, until he couldn’t hold back another
minute. The girl on his face came again too, completing the moment. The other
girl still palming his balls moaned and jerked forward again, and again. Girl
number one climbed off him, and Jack put his arms under his head and watched
girl number two get fucked by his friend from behind. “Nice,” he said, admiring
the way her tits bounced.
“Her idea,” Brandis ground out then closed his
eyes and pounded harder. Jack reached down to fondle girl number two’s clit,
making her eyes fly open at the last minute. Her lips were so full. He had to
kiss them. So he did, and all was well for everyone in the room.
Microbrewery
owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three
teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college
town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint
as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the
beer industry), has prepped her for life as a successful author.
When she isn’t sweating
inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing
or implementing promotions for her latest publications. Her groundbreaking literary fiction subgenre,
“reality fiction,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are
interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider
views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds
of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t
ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
For more information on Liz
Crowe, please visit her website www.lizcrowe.com or www.brewingpassion.com (her
author blog). She enjoys interacting with her fans on her Facebook author
page www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor. Information for all of her books, including eBook
and print formats (where available), can be found on her Amazon author page.
I love Liz's books! Can't wait to read about Jack's humble *snark* beginning!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to some more of Jack =) Thanks for the free read!
ReplyDeletethanks for letting me share my release day on your blog!
ReplyDeleteThese books have been on my tbr list and I would love a chance to win them. Thank you very much!
ReplyDelete