Today I am so pleased to welcome Kris T. Bethke to Joyfully Jay. Kris has come to talk to us about one of her latest releases, Once and Floral. She has also brought along a copy to give away. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

 

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be here, hijacking the blog, to bring you a giveaway and to tell you a bit about one of my latest releases.

Writing is never actually an easy thing, but lately, it’s been really hard for me. I know I’m not the only one to experience this, and knowing it’s a shared pain helps a little. But when you’re a creative person, having that creativity stall out and seemingly abandon you is especially crushing.

I always want to be writing and bringing new stories into the world. But when the muse has gone on vacation, and every word on the page is a struggle, it’s hard to remember why I love writing so much. And I really do. But over the past year or so, I’ve gone long stretches without managing to get hardly a word down.

But at the very end of last year, I got a nudge, and managed to pour out a small novella in a matter of weeks. First came the punny title. I’m a sucker for puns, and when I knew I was going to be writing about a florist, this one came to mind. Which really sparked my creativity, because titling is the always the hardest part for me.

Once and Floral had a title, and MCs, but I needed a story to go along with it. The next strike of inspiration was easy. Because puns mean I set it in Landry’s Fall, the fictional tourist town nestled in the Adirondack region of New York that  I created. Several of my stories are set there, and more will be in the future. It’s a picturesque, Hallmark-movie sort of town.

So I had the title, the MCs, and the setting. And once those were in place, West Walker and Monroe Peters came to life. I wrote as they told me all about how they met and fell in love. And I fell in love with them while I was doing it. This story is full of happy fluff, a touch of kink, and two men finding each other at the right time to get their happily ever after. When all is said and done, love wins, and that’s the best part, isn’t it?

Once and Floral is available now at all the usual places. Happy reading!


Excerpt

I could still faintly hear the music from the reception—the pond was only maybe fifty yards from the house—but the trees gave it a private, closed-off feeling, as if we were the only two people in the world. Dusk had given way to night, and a bright moon and stars shone in the sky.

I couldn’t have created a more romantic moment if I’d tried.

But Monroe took it up a notch. With a sweeping bow and a wicked grin, he asked, “Dance with me?”

I nodded and he pulled me into his arms. We swayed to the barely audible music, our bodies pressed together from chest to knees. Monroe was only a couple of inches taller than my fivefoot- eight, and we fit together perfectly. I pressed my forehead to the side of his neck, tried to ignore my dick as it got hard in my pants, and just enjoyed slow-dancing with Monroe.

“Damn, West.” Monroe’s voice sounded like tires on gravel, and it sent a shiver through my body. “You’re gorgeous out here, in my arms, in the moonlight.”

“You’re very charming,” I whispered.

Monroe chuckled. “I can be. But I’m also serious. The day we met, I was ready to kiss you senseless. Now I want to do so much more.”

The promise in his tone was enough to be my undoing. I lifted my head and looked  straight into his eyes. “Oh, yeah? Then why don’t you?”

He growled out a groan that went straight to my cock, then he shifted his grip, tugging me even tighter against him, and lowered his lips to mine. The instant our mouths touched, fire exploded in my veins. The simmering attraction between us overflowed, and it took everything in me to keep from climbing him.

He commanded the kiss without being overbearing, made me want to give him everything instead of just taking it, and before I realized it, I was grinding on his leg that had somehow pushed its way between my thighs while he devoured my mouth. Lips, teeth, tongue, heat and power, and I was lost to it all.

“Monroe!”

The voice made Monroe jerk, but even when he pulled his mouth from mine, he stayed right there, panting wetly against my lips as I tried to remember how to breathe.

“Roe? You out here?”

“Damn cockblocking Hayes,” Monroe muttered, easing me back without completely letting go. He angled our bodies deeper into the shade of one of the wisterias, then shouted, “Over here.”


Blurb

Florist West Walker loves weddings. When two gorgeous men walk into his shop for a consultation, he thinks they’re the best looking grooms. Finding out Monroe Peters is just there to support his brother makes West’s instant attraction to the man acceptable.

When Monroe shows up at the shop with a special request, West agrees. And when Monroe asks West to stay at the wedding as his guest, West is thrilled.

Can a magical wedding, the perfect arrangement, and kisses in the moonlight be all these two men need to start their own journey to a happily ever after?


Bio

Kris is a bisexual hardcore fan of romance, and has been from a very young age. She believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated. With that in mind, she writes romance across several subgenres but with the ultimate goal of a satisfying happily ever after at the end. That is, after all, the important part.

Kris lives in a converted attic with a pack of rodents who amuse her daily, and long naps on the weekend are her greatest pleasure. A creative soul and an avid daydreamer, her pursuits range past just the written word into fiber arts, candle and soap making, and expressing herself with makeup. Kris finds inspiration in all of life’s twist and turns. From the mundane to the fantastical, just about anything will make it into her books. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to get in touch with her on her site https://kristbethke.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Kris-T-Bethke/100014524539852, or Twitter https://twitter.com/kristbethke.


Giveaway

Kris has brought a copy of Once and Floral to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Tuesday, March 17t at 11:59 pm ET.


  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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