Lou Sylvre's Blog - Posts Tagged "saving-sonny-james"
Saving Sonny James, Vasquez and James book 4, coming October 2013!
Yes! I've had word from Dreamspinner!
The fouth Vasquez and James suspense/romance story, Saving Sonny James , has a projected release in October. That's just about four months away!
Two places that figure quite prominently in this story are their own beautiful home on the straits of Juan de Fuca,
and the 13th Arrodissement in Paris, France.
I'll be back in a couple days with perhaps another picture or two (maybe of some interesting men!), and an unedited excerpt. See you then? If you have questions or comments please feel free to leave them. You know I always enjoy hearing from you.
The fouth Vasquez and James suspense/romance story, Saving Sonny James , has a projected release in October. That's just about four months away!
Two places that figure quite prominently in this story are their own beautiful home on the straits of Juan de Fuca,
and the 13th Arrodissement in Paris, France.
I'll be back in a couple days with perhaps another picture or two (maybe of some interesting men!), and an unedited excerpt. See you then? If you have questions or comments please feel free to leave them. You know I always enjoy hearing from you.
Excerpt from Saving Sonny James (VJ book 4): Who is this sexy ginger man?
Hey, everyone! I actually posted just exactly this excerpt on a Yahoo chat the other day (LRC), but not everyone can see that, and I thought perhaps the goodreads crowd (friends!) would enjoy.
This is from the upcoming 4th book in the series, due out in October. (Yes,
I'm excited!) It is as yet unedited, but will not change much. I chose this
excerpt because it intros a new character that I'm just a little bit in lust with: ginger, tall, strong, angular, green eyes, kind of a badass, and believe it or not the closest thing Luki has to an ex! They're on a flight to France.
Luki glanced up in time to see a man turned in his seat three rows up and across
the aisle, looking at him—a man with brilliant green eyes,
For real. Maybe the eyes distracted him, forcing his attention for no reason
except their color. For too long an instant, he didn't recognize their owner,
who walked toward him, smiling. But Luki knew him, and the real memory finally
overcame imagination.
"Jesse," Luki said when the tall, slender redhead was close.
"Hey, Luki! Been a long time, eh? Too long."
Luki couldn't decide if it was too long or not long enough. Jesse had been part
of his life—an anomaly—before Sonny, even before Luki had decided to keep
solitary and safe with one-night stands done his way.
In his youth he'd only twice tried to have a more significant relationship. One
was with a guy in college, Graham Lincoln, whom Luki had dated—for real,
dated—for a couple of months until Graham had decided to aim for the Catholic priesthood. Jesse, this mellow and still attractive green-eyed agent, had been the other. They had trained together at FLETC—the federal law enforcement training center at Glynco, in Georgia. Jesse had been a new hire with the State Department, and of course Luki had been new to ATF. They were in the minority among FBI newbies and cops from various parts of the country, and they gravitated together in downtime. Sharing meals and movies and jokes started them talking. Serious study and practice started them touching.
Jesse was a likeable guy, adventurous and sexy. But he'd wanted things Luki
couldn't give. He'd wanted to be equals. He'd wanted to be in love. He'd wanted
commitment. Luki couldn't give any of that, then. And after that he didn't let
anyone get close enough to think about such things.
Until Sonny. Sonny was one of a kind.
Still, Luki held no ill will for this man—he even had good memories, and maybe
what he felt could be called fondness. So, when Jesse came up to him smiling his
soft smile, Luki patted his extra, empty seat. "Join me for a bit?"
Jesse accepted the offer, and once he was seated said, "Damn Luki, you look
good!"
Luki started to deny that, then gave himself a mental shake. He did look good—or
at least he looked like himself. He was groomed and well-dressed and his body
was in shape. His eyes, he knew, had lost the glazed absent look they'd worn
since Umatilla, and he'd gotten enough exercise for his skin to look it's best,
scar and all. And this man sitting next to him used to like that scar. So
instead of arguing, he just said, "Thanks. You, too, Jesse. How are you? Still
working for State?"
"Yeah, I am—moved out of the field agent ranks, though. Now I'm a pencil
pusher." His smile was wide and sincere, as it always had been, but he'd
collected some deep lines around his eyes. His hair had some whitish streaks
among the ginger, too. It wasn't a bad look on him. "Your still with ATF, or no?
I've heard different things…"
"Yes. I haven't been working since last summer. I… well, it's a long story. But
I'm active now."
"Are you official, then? I mean, is your trip to Europe connected with a case,
or something? Seems kind of unusual for ATF."
Luki recognized the slight shift in Jesse's voice, minute narrowing of his eyes.
Those little changes told him Jesse had switched from personal interest to
professional. He was trying to find out if Luki's visit was going to spell
trouble for the State department. He answered to set the man's mind at ease.
"No, Jesse. It's personal. I'm on vacation leave." For a change of subject, he
asked a question even though he already knew the answer. "Your duty station is
in Europe?"
"Yeah, Gay Par-ee." He laughed, but it wasn't entirely in mirth. "Hey, listen. I
could see the sparkle off those rings clear over across the cabin. They're on
your left hand. Do they have the usual meaning?" Jesse dropped his gaze and
pushed his hair back off his forehead. It changed nothing—the heavy forelock
flopping right back down over his brow—but it told Luki the question was
emotional.
After all this time, Luki thought. Out loud he just said, "Yes."
"I thought you… Has it been long?"
"No, not really. We met last year, married this past summer."
Jesse stared at Luki for a few minutes, as if he was trying to tunnel through
his eyes to reach his brain, and read what he found there. He tilted his head
sideways, shaking it and laughing in disbelief. "You're in love Luki Vasquez! I
can't believe it!"
It wasn't unkind, though faintly colored with old frustrations, Luki thought.
He watched his friend, marveling that he could still read his old flame so well.
Jesse had leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped, his long, straight
spine stretched but his shoulders slightly hunched, fighting with himself over
something. Finally, he spoke in a breathy voice that told Luki how hard he had
struggled not to ask, not to tread this path. "Have there been a lot of men
since me, Luki?"
Luki's long habit of privacy, of playing everything close to the vest, made him
hesitate. But he thought it was a fair question, and Jesse was a good man, and
though Luki would never have expected it, apparently for Jesse the end of their
brief foray into couple-dom remained unresolved. "No," he said softly, then
corrected himself. "Well, yes, but out of them all you were the only one that
mattered in anyway, until Sonny—my husband."
Clearly Jesse had been hanging on the words. Immediately he responded, "I
mattered."
Biting back a bit of his own frustration now, Luki spoke as kindly and honestly
as he could. "Yes, of course you mattered, Jesse. The time we spent together was
fun and sweet for what it was, and you helped me know myself. I remember only
good things about you, and when we split I missed you."
"Why didn't you ever call?"
"Jesse."
"Or even email?"
"Jesse." Luki heard his voice take on a note of warning. As much as he held no
ill will for his long-ago ex-lover, he just wasn't inclined to have this
discussion. He'd already gone above and beyond, as far as he was concerned.
"Stop," he said.
Jesse visibly shook off his tension, sat up and sat back in the seat. "Okay," he
said. "Sorry. Sometimes I get unreasonable."
Luki said, "Yes, yes you do. I remember."
At first it looked as though Jesse was going to take offense at that, but then
perhaps memory struck, because he laughed. "I'll bet you'll never forget," he
said. "But okay, change of subject. Why are you going to Europe? Are you
stopping in Paris?"
"Yeah. Paris. I think that's as far as I'm going." He allowed himself a sigh as
today's reality sank over him. What to say, though. He wasn't prone to giving
out a lot of information, but it crossed his mind that he had no allies lined up
on the far shore, and Jesse might be in a position to help. So, "Um… Well, it's
where Sonny is, my husband."
"Do I detect a note of… I don't know, trouble?"
"Probably. So what do you do, these days—for State, I mean. If it's not
classified."
"Some classified, but generally I work on various problems around US citizens
abroad—they get arrested or stranded or whatever. Why did you ask? Is there
something you need help with?"
"Maybe. I don't really want to lay everything out right here, right now, but
Sonny's sort of… missing."
Jesse's whole demeanor changed, taking on his professional persona, which Luki
appreciated. "I take it you're sure he's not evading?"
A swift wind of self-doubt swept over Luki—would he want to leave me—but it
passed, leaving him only slightly shaken. Truth was, it didn't matter. That
Harold man was anything but trustworthy, and as long as Sonny was in the same
country with him, he wasn't safe. But deep in his heart he knew Sonny would
never walk away from him, from their love, their marriage, their home. Never
would he disappear on purpose. "Not evading," he said.
"In danger?"
"I'm afraid maybe so."
"We probably don't have the resources to help you find him, but when something
comes up that we can do I'll see your case has the proper attention,
cooperation."
"Thanks. I may need to take you up on that."
"Get the story to me back at the office. Our system is secure, so if you can
send a safe email, do that, if not, messenger. Or come in, if you have the time.
Okay?" He reached into his vest pocket and brought out a business card.
"Great, Jesse. I appreciate it. Here—this is me, and the other numbers will
reach Jude directly. She's my admin for my business—I'm in security when I'm not
a fed. Jude knows everything about me damn near every minute." After handing
Jesse the card, he let the vestige of a smile color his eyes. "Thanks. Truly."
Jesse nodded, reached across to shake Luki's hand. "My pleasure, sir." He bobbed
his eyebrows, because the phrase was an echo of early experiments, and they both
smiled. "I see food coming, I'm heading back up front to grab a bite and then I
plan to sleep my way all the way to Charles de Gaulle. Be in touch, and of
course I wish the best for your mission."
"Yeah, food and sleep sounds good to me, too. And thanks." He hesitated while
Jesse turned away, then said, "It really is good to see you. I'd like to think
we parted as friends, and remain so."
Jesse stopped in the aisle and turned back, smiled and nodded. "Yes. Absolutely.
And Luki, congratulations. I couldn't mean that more sincerely."
This is from the upcoming 4th book in the series, due out in October. (Yes,
I'm excited!) It is as yet unedited, but will not change much. I chose this
excerpt because it intros a new character that I'm just a little bit in lust with: ginger, tall, strong, angular, green eyes, kind of a badass, and believe it or not the closest thing Luki has to an ex! They're on a flight to France.
Luki glanced up in time to see a man turned in his seat three rows up and across
the aisle, looking at him—a man with brilliant green eyes,
For real. Maybe the eyes distracted him, forcing his attention for no reason
except their color. For too long an instant, he didn't recognize their owner,
who walked toward him, smiling. But Luki knew him, and the real memory finally
overcame imagination.
"Jesse," Luki said when the tall, slender redhead was close.
"Hey, Luki! Been a long time, eh? Too long."
Luki couldn't decide if it was too long or not long enough. Jesse had been part
of his life—an anomaly—before Sonny, even before Luki had decided to keep
solitary and safe with one-night stands done his way.
In his youth he'd only twice tried to have a more significant relationship. One
was with a guy in college, Graham Lincoln, whom Luki had dated—for real,
dated—for a couple of months until Graham had decided to aim for the Catholic priesthood. Jesse, this mellow and still attractive green-eyed agent, had been the other. They had trained together at FLETC—the federal law enforcement training center at Glynco, in Georgia. Jesse had been a new hire with the State Department, and of course Luki had been new to ATF. They were in the minority among FBI newbies and cops from various parts of the country, and they gravitated together in downtime. Sharing meals and movies and jokes started them talking. Serious study and practice started them touching.
Jesse was a likeable guy, adventurous and sexy. But he'd wanted things Luki
couldn't give. He'd wanted to be equals. He'd wanted to be in love. He'd wanted
commitment. Luki couldn't give any of that, then. And after that he didn't let
anyone get close enough to think about such things.
Until Sonny. Sonny was one of a kind.
Still, Luki held no ill will for this man—he even had good memories, and maybe
what he felt could be called fondness. So, when Jesse came up to him smiling his
soft smile, Luki patted his extra, empty seat. "Join me for a bit?"
Jesse accepted the offer, and once he was seated said, "Damn Luki, you look
good!"
Luki started to deny that, then gave himself a mental shake. He did look good—or
at least he looked like himself. He was groomed and well-dressed and his body
was in shape. His eyes, he knew, had lost the glazed absent look they'd worn
since Umatilla, and he'd gotten enough exercise for his skin to look it's best,
scar and all. And this man sitting next to him used to like that scar. So
instead of arguing, he just said, "Thanks. You, too, Jesse. How are you? Still
working for State?"
"Yeah, I am—moved out of the field agent ranks, though. Now I'm a pencil
pusher." His smile was wide and sincere, as it always had been, but he'd
collected some deep lines around his eyes. His hair had some whitish streaks
among the ginger, too. It wasn't a bad look on him. "Your still with ATF, or no?
I've heard different things…"
"Yes. I haven't been working since last summer. I… well, it's a long story. But
I'm active now."
"Are you official, then? I mean, is your trip to Europe connected with a case,
or something? Seems kind of unusual for ATF."
Luki recognized the slight shift in Jesse's voice, minute narrowing of his eyes.
Those little changes told him Jesse had switched from personal interest to
professional. He was trying to find out if Luki's visit was going to spell
trouble for the State department. He answered to set the man's mind at ease.
"No, Jesse. It's personal. I'm on vacation leave." For a change of subject, he
asked a question even though he already knew the answer. "Your duty station is
in Europe?"
"Yeah, Gay Par-ee." He laughed, but it wasn't entirely in mirth. "Hey, listen. I
could see the sparkle off those rings clear over across the cabin. They're on
your left hand. Do they have the usual meaning?" Jesse dropped his gaze and
pushed his hair back off his forehead. It changed nothing—the heavy forelock
flopping right back down over his brow—but it told Luki the question was
emotional.
After all this time, Luki thought. Out loud he just said, "Yes."
"I thought you… Has it been long?"
"No, not really. We met last year, married this past summer."
Jesse stared at Luki for a few minutes, as if he was trying to tunnel through
his eyes to reach his brain, and read what he found there. He tilted his head
sideways, shaking it and laughing in disbelief. "You're in love Luki Vasquez! I
can't believe it!"
It wasn't unkind, though faintly colored with old frustrations, Luki thought.
He watched his friend, marveling that he could still read his old flame so well.
Jesse had leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped, his long, straight
spine stretched but his shoulders slightly hunched, fighting with himself over
something. Finally, he spoke in a breathy voice that told Luki how hard he had
struggled not to ask, not to tread this path. "Have there been a lot of men
since me, Luki?"
Luki's long habit of privacy, of playing everything close to the vest, made him
hesitate. But he thought it was a fair question, and Jesse was a good man, and
though Luki would never have expected it, apparently for Jesse the end of their
brief foray into couple-dom remained unresolved. "No," he said softly, then
corrected himself. "Well, yes, but out of them all you were the only one that
mattered in anyway, until Sonny—my husband."
Clearly Jesse had been hanging on the words. Immediately he responded, "I
mattered."
Biting back a bit of his own frustration now, Luki spoke as kindly and honestly
as he could. "Yes, of course you mattered, Jesse. The time we spent together was
fun and sweet for what it was, and you helped me know myself. I remember only
good things about you, and when we split I missed you."
"Why didn't you ever call?"
"Jesse."
"Or even email?"
"Jesse." Luki heard his voice take on a note of warning. As much as he held no
ill will for his long-ago ex-lover, he just wasn't inclined to have this
discussion. He'd already gone above and beyond, as far as he was concerned.
"Stop," he said.
Jesse visibly shook off his tension, sat up and sat back in the seat. "Okay," he
said. "Sorry. Sometimes I get unreasonable."
Luki said, "Yes, yes you do. I remember."
At first it looked as though Jesse was going to take offense at that, but then
perhaps memory struck, because he laughed. "I'll bet you'll never forget," he
said. "But okay, change of subject. Why are you going to Europe? Are you
stopping in Paris?"
"Yeah. Paris. I think that's as far as I'm going." He allowed himself a sigh as
today's reality sank over him. What to say, though. He wasn't prone to giving
out a lot of information, but it crossed his mind that he had no allies lined up
on the far shore, and Jesse might be in a position to help. So, "Um… Well, it's
where Sonny is, my husband."
"Do I detect a note of… I don't know, trouble?"
"Probably. So what do you do, these days—for State, I mean. If it's not
classified."
"Some classified, but generally I work on various problems around US citizens
abroad—they get arrested or stranded or whatever. Why did you ask? Is there
something you need help with?"
"Maybe. I don't really want to lay everything out right here, right now, but
Sonny's sort of… missing."
Jesse's whole demeanor changed, taking on his professional persona, which Luki
appreciated. "I take it you're sure he's not evading?"
A swift wind of self-doubt swept over Luki—would he want to leave me—but it
passed, leaving him only slightly shaken. Truth was, it didn't matter. That
Harold man was anything but trustworthy, and as long as Sonny was in the same
country with him, he wasn't safe. But deep in his heart he knew Sonny would
never walk away from him, from their love, their marriage, their home. Never
would he disappear on purpose. "Not evading," he said.
"In danger?"
"I'm afraid maybe so."
"We probably don't have the resources to help you find him, but when something
comes up that we can do I'll see your case has the proper attention,
cooperation."
"Thanks. I may need to take you up on that."
"Get the story to me back at the office. Our system is secure, so if you can
send a safe email, do that, if not, messenger. Or come in, if you have the time.
Okay?" He reached into his vest pocket and brought out a business card.
"Great, Jesse. I appreciate it. Here—this is me, and the other numbers will
reach Jude directly. She's my admin for my business—I'm in security when I'm not
a fed. Jude knows everything about me damn near every minute." After handing
Jesse the card, he let the vestige of a smile color his eyes. "Thanks. Truly."
Jesse nodded, reached across to shake Luki's hand. "My pleasure, sir." He bobbed
his eyebrows, because the phrase was an echo of early experiments, and they both
smiled. "I see food coming, I'm heading back up front to grab a bite and then I
plan to sleep my way all the way to Charles de Gaulle. Be in touch, and of
course I wish the best for your mission."
"Yeah, food and sleep sounds good to me, too. And thanks." He hesitated while
Jesse turned away, then said, "It really is good to see you. I'd like to think
we parted as friends, and remain so."
Jesse stopped in the aisle and turned back, smiled and nodded. "Yes. Absolutely.
And Luki, congratulations. I couldn't mean that more sincerely."
Saving Sonny James released 10/18, and Luki and Sonny are dropping prizes everywhere!
Vasquez and James suspense series book 4, Saving Sonny James, is out of the starting gate at Dreamspinner Press. Luki and Sonny are celebrating their latest happy ending with a Road Trip, which I've turned into a blog tour. It's a worldwide road trip--yes, really! They go to New Zealand in a mustang! And almost everywhere they go there are free books and certificates and whatnots (well, maybe not whatnots) almost everywhere they go. So, many chances to win. Here's a schedule, subject to change perhaps, but not total obliteration. ;)
◾10/18: Sonny James and Luki Vasquez start their trip home from France, taking the Chunnel train, at The Novel Approach. 1st prize Saving Sonny James signed paperback (or ebook if preferred) and $15 to spend at Dreamspinner Press; 2nd prize Saving Sonny James ebook
◾10/19: Off the train at Ashford, Kent, England, heading for London, at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews. 1st Prize $15 to spend at Dreamspinner; 2nd Prize Saving Sonny James ebook.
Also Meet the Author (that’s me) Goodreads chat, on Dreamspinner Group discussions! 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Pacific Time, 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern. Excerpts, discussion, prize! (Dreamspinner discussion board)
◾10/20: London! My own homeport-- sylvre.com blog. For prize info see the Rafflecopter post.
◾10/21: New Hampshire (yes they will have made it back to the USA!), fittingly at the blog of New Hampshire writer, Jamie Fessenden.
◾10/22: We take a hiatus from travel for a release party at The Dreamspinner Blog–here be contests, excerpts, history, pictures, and a chance for enjoyable discussion. Please come!
◾10/25: Uh-oh. On their way to Ohio, to visit at Elizabeth Noble’s blog, Emotion in Motion, when something crazy happens… Todd… Todd Ruger, is that you? Yes, prizes will be had.
◾10/26: A spot of simple promo at Cafe Risque, hosted by Cardeno C!
◾10/27: New Zealand? How the hell do you get to New Zealand in a Mustang? Find out at Anne Barwell’s Drops of Ink.
◾Back to the States once again–in Texas! San Antonio, the lovely, romantic Riverwalk, made (even more) famous by the sexy characters of our host, Carol Zampa!
◾10/30: Visiting at Charlie Cotchet’s blog–agenda, etc to be announced!
◾11/2: Chris T. Kat will be our host! Hmmm… what to do, what to do?
◾11/5: Luki and Sonny will take Rhys Ford’s blog and San Diego, CA by storm. (They will… just wait and see. And I’m pretty sure a prize will be up for grabs, too.)
◾11/8 through 11/11: Well, I’m going to Bent Con in Burbank (yeah, like Los Angeles and Hollywood, only not…) and since the Vasquez-James boys are my transpo, they’re going, too. I’ll post their odd adventures here, at sylvre.com.
◾11/13, Recap, and a prize. Sylvre.com, again.
A Post-Apocalyptic stop on the Saving Sonny James Road Trip Blog Tour (or, Luki, I don't think we're on I-90 anymore...)
Saving Sonny James Road Trip Blog Tour, Luki and Sonny have been in France, through the Chunnel, to Kent, to London, to New Hampshire via Providence. But now--inexplicably--they've landed in Yellow Knife in the strange new world of Elizabeth Noble's Sentries series, and Todd and Nick Ruger are there to save the day... if they all don't drown. Check it out on Elizabeth's blog, Emotion in Motion. 
Dual author giveaway, too!
