Our First Christmas

To provide a little counter-balance to the angst of that last one, how about a snippet from Padrig talking about his first Christmas with Nick?

(Click to read more!)

The Holiday After

This is a short outtake from Sins of Another.  Padrig was generally a very private character, it took rather a lot to drag most of his story out of him.  And even then he preferred to gloss over some of the details.  Nick is rather less reticent (probably owing to his years of living in NYC).  This is Nick's story about "the holiday after."  

(Click to read more!)

Holiday visit with Brita Addams

I stopped to talk with Brita Addams today for her holiday-themed blog tour.  There I raise a (warm!) glass to those who like their holiday on the quieter side.  If you're more a fan of tea by the fireside (or TV fireplace screensaver-side like me) stop on over.  If you're more the hustle-bustle and jingle sort... you go ahead, we're cozy right here :)

http://britaaddams.wix.com/britaaddams#!jessica-davies/c11jn

AIDS Week wrap-up

I didn't have a lot of time last Sunday (AIDS Day) for a big "speech," so you're going to get it now :)

It was also being rather apathetic last week.  Seasonal?  Semester end?  I'm not sure, but I was having a tough time mustering energy for just about anything.  I'd been asked to go an "Interfaith Celebration of Hope" here on behalf of my organization.  That was lovely (I'm not a big church person).

The next day, I ended up going to another similar service that's help on my campus, and has been for the last 26 years.  Now, I'm not claiming it made the difference, but i also sat for a bit with a latte prior to that.  It might have also been the Tony Kushner reading.  But I left that program feeling a whole let less apathetic.  I've been feeling more focused all week, that's definitely good.

One thing I didn't have a chance to do in the midst of all this (and wrapping up the semester!) was to stop for a test.  Ok, here's a big admission - I've never had the oral swab before.  So yesterday, during testing hours, I stopped down at the center between classes and meetings.  I figured that for all I talk about (and strongly believe in) testing as a major tool of prevention, it was about time I walked the walk too.

It is absolutely as quick and painless as they say.  There is no blood or needles (I so don't do needles!)  It didn't cost me a penny (or anything else).  I felt entirely respected and empowered.  And it sure made me feel good to get a good result, even though I've had less than no reason to think otherwise.

So this is going to be my pledge: I pledge to get tested every year during World AIDS Week, whether I think there's any reason for me to or not.  I hope you will do the same.  It doesn't have to be AIDS Week or HIV Testing Week (which occurs in June) or Pride month or any other specific time.  Just pick a time of year that works for you, and stick to it (as best you can, of course).  Maybe encourage others to go too, a friend or partner for support or a whole group.  You'll be glad you did!

World AIDS Day 2013

Remember, folks, awareness needs to be perennial, not just annual.  Play safe, test regularly.

Half the World Away Tour Final Stop - JP Barnaby

And here we are, at the final stop on the Half the World Away blog tour.  I'm wrapping it up with a stop at JP Barnaby's.  Come on by!

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5212155-guest-post-jessica-skye-davies

Thanks to everyone who's followed the tour and, hopefully, enjoyed Half the World Away.  I'm sure I'll be talking more about Dade and Elliot at some time or another.  You can find them here:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4282&cPath=399

Half the World Away Tour Stop 10 - Kim Fielding

Here we are at the penultimate stop on the Half the World Away Tour.  Come visit Kim Fielding's blog where today I'm discussing the meaning of "distance" in relationships.

http://kfieldingwrites.blogspot.com/2013/10/please-welcome-jessica-skye-davies.html

Half the World Away Tour Stop 9 - Tempeste O'Riley

I went to Tempe's blog and I broke ALL the rules!  Visit me over at her blog to find out more ;-)

http://tempesteoriley.com/guest-author-wednesdays-jessica-skye-davies/

Half the World Away review

Here's a quite nice review of Half the World Away from Eli at MM Good Book Reviews:

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/half-the-world-away-by-jessica-skye-davies/

Half the World Away Tour Stop 8 - Layla Wier

And today's tour stop is over in Layla's territory!  This time it's Dade Faber I've brought along for a cozy chat.  He's really a sweetie once he opens up and starts revealing his passions.

http://laylawier.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/guest-post-jessica-skye-davies/

Half the World Away Tour Stop 7 - Garrett Leigh

I woke up today and found myself over at Garrett Leigh's.  It's brilliant here, come join us as we talk writing!

http://garrettleigh.com/2013/11/02/meet-jessica-skye-davies/

Half the World Away Tour Stop 6 - Lex Chase

Post release tour stop 1: it's Lex Chase and she's got the Half the World Away soundtrack.  No trick, all treat!

http://nomadchronicle.com/blog/2013/10/31/guest-post-jessica-skye-davies-takes-readers-half-world-away/

Half the World Away Release Day!

Happy Release Day!  (And Devil's Night... oh, that makes perfect sense!)  Here's an early Halloween treat to celebrate the release of my third publication: if you just follow this link, you can read Chapter 1 of Half the World Away.  No trick, I promise, just a treat :)

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4282&cPath=399

On behalf of Kevin and Tyler:

And Padrig and Nick:

Welcome to the Jessica-Skye-Davies family, Dade and Elliot!

Half the World Away Tour Stop 5 - Helen Pattskyn

Off again, off again!  This time it's to visit Helen Pattskyn.  See you there!

http://www.helenpattskyn.com/2013/10/welcome-jessica-skye-davies.html

Half the World Away Tour Stop 4 - Jana Denardo

Look where I was today - at Jana Denardo's place!  And I've brought Elliot Harris from Half the World Away for a chinwag.  He's adorable with his ocker-talk :)

http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/120201.html

Be gentle!

Half the World Away Tour Stop 3 - Brynn Stein

Next stop: Brynn Stein.  Come on over and say hi, and don't miss the snippet from my latest WIP.  Thanks to Brynn for being a lovely host!

http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/monday-meet-jessica-skye-davies/

"Sins of Another" latest review

While I'm here, have you seen the latest review for "Sins"? It's right here:
http://sean-norris.com/?p=2221

Half the World Away Tour Stop 2 - Anne Barwell

Come visit me over at Anne Barwell's place (she was also gracious enough to host a spot on the Sins of Another tour a few months ago). Last stop for HtWA we had the Aussie bush tour, this time Dade is showing Elliot around London.

http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/54189.html

Half the World Away Tour - Charley Descoteaux

The Half the World Away Blog Tour begins today at Charley Descoteaux's blog.  There you'll find a photo tour of some of the lovely things Dade encountered in Australia (with Elliot's help, perhaps!)  And there might even be some more to see... later :)

http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/2013/10/16/

Guest Spot: Garrett Leigh

Well, looky who I've got here!  If it isn't Garrett Leigh, a fellow member of the 29-for-life club!  Garrett was good enough to answer a few of my questions and to tell us about a few of her books.  Check it out!

J: Do you have a specific writing style?

G: Angsty. Dark. Gritty. It can be a little rough round the edges too, just like me. I have a potty mouth and a dirty mind. Make of that what you will.

How did you come up with the title?

My editor asked me that very question just the other day, and my answer was this…

The word 'Slide' holds different connotations for both characters. For Pete, it symbolises the frustration he often feels with himself for letting Ash's situation become so desperate. From his slightly skewed perspective, the warning signs of Ash's breakdown were there for months, if not years, before he hit rock bottom. In his mind, letting things slide…slip by, without acting on them, without doing anything to help Ash…man, right or wrong, I don't think Pete will ever get over that.

Ash's take on it is simple. Without Pete, and the deep bond they share, he honestly believes he'd slide away into nothing. For him, the word represents the sometimes tenuous hold he has on the world.

How much of the book is realistic?

Too much and not enough. Every story I write is based on something…someone, be it myself, someone I know, or someone I've read about. When writing contemporary, you can't just make shit up, and adjust reality to suit your perspective. As a reader, I know I need to feel a realistic connection to a character to give a rat's ass about their fate, and I guess that's the same for everyone.

But in the same vein, because I'm drawn to such dark stories, it breaks my heart that we live in a world where such terrible things happen to a young man as special as Ash.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Junk, by Melvin Burgess. Addiction is an issue close to my heart, and one I know I will visit again. Junk has it all–romance, misery, love, life and death. I read it when I was just fourteen, and I've never forgotten it. As I write this, I can see it, dusty and dog eared, on the overladen shelf above my printer.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Twitter. I was an avid user before I signed with Dreamspinner, but the community of authors, readers and fans on there is incredible. The perfect way to keep my old pals close, while making lots of new ones. Though, to be honest, I tend to spend most of my time talking about cake.

Who designed the covers?

Me. I work as a cover artist for various publishers and authors, and I try really hard to do all my own covers, the only exception being Only Love, the war vet novel I have out with DSP next year. With that particular book, I'd been writing it, in one form or another, for about three years and when I came to drafting a cover, I just couldn't do it. Perhaps I was too close to the story, who knows? But, I'm very lucky in that I have a hugely talented friend, P.B. Blake, who's been my sounding board for as long as I've been writing, and I know the cover she designs will be above and beyond anything I could've done myself.

With the Roads series, I produced four covers–Slide, Marked, Rare and Freed. Two came easily, the other two were a nightmare. Not gonna divulge the specifics!

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Aside from that pesky point about three quarters in where I always hit a wall, with Slide, I think it was allowing Pete and Ash to drift so far apart. In my heart, I knew it was necessary in order for them to heal, but it hurt. Those two are so deeply ingrained in one another, tearing them apart just felt wrong.

What are your current projects?

Currently, I'm working on the second instalment of my Blue Boy series at Loose Id, and putting the final pre-submission touches to Gypsy Heart, the full length novel born of my self-published short, Gypsy Rain.

I'm also hard at work promoting Slide and Marked, and Bullet, the novella I have releasing in November. No one told me marketing was so full on! Not that I'm complaining. Seeing Slide in print was one of the proudest moments of my life, and I'll never forget it.

Slide (Roads #1)

Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back… 

Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand.

Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down.

Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.

Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4259&cPath=55_944

Marked (Roads #1.5)

Missing Moment from Slide

It's been six months since Ash shuffled into Pete's life and turned his world upside down, and six months since they sat in an all-night diner plotting Ash's theoretical solution for Pete's faded, botched tattoo. Pete has just about given up hope of Ash ever fulfilling his promise when one day the end of a long shift finds Ash waiting for him.

Tonight is the night.

Ash is ready, and it seems the time has come for him to leave his mark on Pete in more ways than he ever imagined.

Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4305&cPath=55_944

Follow Garrett

Social media:
Website: http://garrettleigh.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighbooks
Cover art enquiries: blackjazzdesign@gmail.com

Coming Soon! Pre-order Today!

Half the World Away is now available for pre-order (releases October 30, 2013).  Watch for some fun stuff coming up on the Half the World Away blog tour, including photo tours of Australian wildlife and London tourist spots, meet the characters, soundtracks, and more!  Click the cover to pre-order today.

Photographer Dade Faber keeps hoping for assignments on a big city beat, but time and again he’s sent into the wild. This time, he’s half the world away from London shooting the Australian bush. When Dade is nearly attacked by a crocodile, it leads to a shouting match with Elliot Harris, who owns Dade’s hotel. Elliot is both hot and persuasive, and when he offers to play tour guide, Dade accepts. After a week spent mostly together in the bush, Dade begins to fall for Elliott. The attraction is mutual, and when circumstances lead both men to London, they find they have much in common. But can their romance bridge the 10,000 miles between London and the Australian bush?

Guest Spot: Layla Weir

Layla Weir is here today with part one of her two-part series on spinning (the yarn kind, not the aerobic kind!)  She's here as part of her Homespun blog tour (which includes a homespun giveaway!).  Homespun comes out in just a few days and sounds like something I'd want to curl up with on a chilly fall day with a cup of hot spiced cider.

Say, that reminds me of a joke - one German says to the other, "Du spinnst!"  The other says, "Nein, ich weben."  

Okay, Layla, i've warmed them up for you!

Click here to read more:

To Russia with Love

I have noticed lately how many of pageviews are coming from Russia.  Given the climate for Russia's GLBT community of late (which probably isn't much better than it's been in a long time, but we're hearing about it more now), I have no way of knowing if these visits are from Russian queerdom looking for a supportive word... or from leaders/supporters of these virtual pogroms.  Either way, this is just a note to say, Olympics or no, this blog and it's owner is for full and protected rights for GLBT Russians.  And regarding the Olympics, the IOC and the IAAF are cowards for not strongly addressing this issue and standing firm for unity and equality.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/08/obama-fry-russia-olympics-gay-laws

Guest Spot: Jaime Samms

I've got Jaime Samm's here today talking about a popular topic these days: Dominant/submissive relationships (yeah... ya know... like 50 Shades of Something-something.  But actually not at all, cause Jaime's book is a lot more interesting!)

Click here to read more: