Sharon Maria Bidwell

I’m very pleased to say that Got Erotic Romance Reviews has give ‘An Act of Generosity’ it’s first review, and it’s a good one! 5 out of 5. Well, you can’t ask for more than that.

Yayyy. It’s finally here! The wait is over!

Available to buy from August 20th, check out the publisher’s site and the page here for excerpts.

Happy Reading!

Sharon x

Not only does ‘An Act of Generosity’ release this week on the 20th at Changeling Press, but I’ve an an acceptance from AMP for a short-ish work. Entitled ‘Toasted Almond’ this will be another story in the Del Fantasma line.

Whereas ‘An Act of Generosity’ is a decidedly m/m contemporary, ‘Toasted Almond’ is the definitely paranormal, but I’ve been told by the publisher it’s a very good story, so fingers crossed that a good omen.

I’m well aware I’ve mostly been working on shorter works this year, this is partly because of the pesky ‘life in general’ but also owing to publishing demands. Well, aside from edits, for a few weeks I’m going to be taking a break from writing Erotic Romance. I’m going to turn to the dark side for a while. LOL. Which isn’t to say more ideas aren’t percolating or in the wings waiting. My brain just needs a break if it’s to have any chance of writing any more longer more-in-depth works, and a change truly is as good as a rest.

On the home front, I truly do hope to have that new bathroom soon and finally get my home sorted so that I don’t have those distractions hovering at the back of my mind. Happy reading!

Hi everyone. Sorry to say I’ve not been at all well but I seem 99.99% fine now and I’m trying to catch up with a few things. I’ve published my page here for my upcoming release: An Act of Generosity via the Arachne’s Labours page (or you can just click here). There you can see the cover and read the blurb (although the blurb is also set out in my previous post). Release date for this is August 20th. Sorry, I haven’t selected an excerpt yet but I will do so this week — it’s also difficult when I don’t know which excerpt the publisher will use and I often try not to duplicate it (you’ll be surprised how many times I’ve had that happen!).

I’m still pleased every time I think of my short story, which first inspired me to use the phrase Arachne’s Labours and indirectly led me to call my website ‘Aonia’, up at Full of Crow. It was one of those stories the first editor I showed it to didn’t like, and rather hinted would never be published, and yet it consistently gave readers who saw it a ’shiver’, and I’ve had some wonderful comments since. Not the first time that’s happened to me, I can tell you!

On the home front we’re refurbishing the bathroom — fitting should take place around the beginning of next month and then I’ll be tiling like a mad woman. Yes, I am the tiler and also the wallpaper-er in this house. Hubby does the painting unless I can have a paint pad instead of a brush. I’m quite the DIYer at times. Well, we both are, having mostly learned through necessity, not being the rich famous author all writers dream about…yet. Ha! LOL.

On the writing…hoping to have an announcement or two very soon.

When Rob was young he didn’t mind having a much older boy around — even if Michael wasn’t truly his brother he acted like one. Sadly, Michael died at just twenty, but not before someone led Michael to believe that he had a son. Even though the truth came out, the woman involved turns up in Robert’s life when least expected. Robert Dee just can’t help his generous nature even when someone tries to use that against him. He doesn’t respond to blackmail kindly, but he does the next best thing in memory of a good friend. Robert is generous in the circumstances and makes her a deal that he doesn’t expect her to keep. Even so, he tries his best and then moves on with his life.

Years later, Rob is shocked to have a young man apply for the job as his P.A. He’s not sure he should…hire a man, for Rob is gay and he believes it will send out the wrong message…or maybe the right one, for Lee Chambers isn’t at all what Rob expected. Rob’s instantly attracted and maybe a little bit blinded to the fact that Lee hasn’t been entirely honest on his resume. He also doesn’t know that Lee has tracked him down for other reasons than wanting a job. If only each knew the other was gay they’d get to the bedroom to enjoy each other’s company, but is sex enough and can it evolve into love when one of the two isn’t being entirely honest?

Rob doesn’t want to let Lee go and Lee would love to stay…but his duplicity is killing any chance they have of a relationship. Having a generous and kindly nature can be a curse…or a blessing — especially when it accidentally leads to possibly finding true love, but has an act of generosity returned to kick Rob where it hurts most?

Cover coming soon. An Act of Generosity releases at Changeling Press on August 20th!

The date, subject to change, will be the 8th of August. I’m on second-round edits, which means just a few tweaks before it goes to proofers.

Which also reminds me to toddle back here later this week and put up the blurb. Watch this space.

I am VERY pleased to announce that this week I signed a contract with Changeling Press for a m/m contemporary book “An Act of Generosity”. It’s a short-ish work coming in at around 22,000 words (Changeling only publish shorts) so won’t have quite the depth and intensity as works such as ‘Snow Angel’ but I hope it’ll be an entertaining read and people will love my characters of Robert Dee and Lee Chambers.

Release date may be around the end of August!

Interestingly, I put a snippet in of my bestselling m/m book and it came up that I write like J.K.Rowling (that would surprise her LOL). And then I pasted in a bit of my short story ‘Effigy in Garnet’ and it said I write like Stephen King. I wouldn’t mind either salary.

I then put in a bit of my short story ‘Arachne’s Labours’ and it said I write like Ray Bradbury. I’m a jack of all trades.

http://iwl.me/

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

It’s an exciting week for Swithin fans. The third spin releases this week and it’s an all new standalone m/m read!

There’s a tease of an excerpt for you and you can read more right here on the site and at GLBT Bookshelf or Manic Readers.

“Kilan!”

In response to his name, Kilan jumped, and spun, almost dropping the water container as he did. Fortunately, he’d just finished recapping the water skin. He’d run until the wind whistling down his throat had reminded him of his relentless thirst. He’d stopped to catch his breath and then taken a moment to savour the cool water, not thinking that Antal could possibly catch up with him in so short a time. He’d looked so unsteady. Antal wasn’t unsteady now as he eased from a run into what looked too much like stalking.

He was still naked.

Kilan couldn’t help himself. He took the time to cast his gaze down and then back up. If Antal noticed his open interest, he decided not to respond.

“I’m sorry!” Kilan managed to say, although somehow the words emerged sounding more like a complaint than an apology. “I’m sorry,” Kilan repeated more softly, trying not to compound the error.

“You will be.”

Kilan had heard that tone before. He’d heard it at the academy, from his father, and to a lesser extent Ryanac and Markis managed to convey the same warning. They’d never hurt him though, not physically. This time he wasn’t at all sure whether, despite their being of similar size and Antal being a few years older, he faced a good hiding.

Grabbing his pack, Kilan back-pedalled, straining to maintain distance between them. Fallen trees, deep puddles of mud, and precarious slopes all served to hinder him. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“What kind of fucking excuse is that?”

Uh-oh. Antal seemed truly mad. He seldom swore. Kilan opened his mouth to say he knew not what, just hoping some sort of sensible-sounding apology would emerge, when to his surprise, Antal veered to one side. He reappeared a moment later, closer than before. He’d somehow managed to avoid an obstacle rather than go over it. It didn’t matter. A medium-sized fallen tree lay between them, and by the time Antal had scrambled over it, Kilan would be on the run again.

Kilan blinked as Antal leapt. Damn but he was fit. So much for his imagining Antal scrambling over the obstruction. Poised on top of the tree, Antal paused. His braid had partly unravelled, and his hair fanned his face and body, lifted by the wind, the natural auburn catching the late rays of the sun. Fire flashed deep in his eyes and his hair.

“You look amazing,” Kilan whispered without intending to say so aloud. Whether Antal heard him was irrelevant. Kilan’s eyes widened, and he turned on his heel as Antal bounded after him. He dodged Antal’s grasp and might have got away, for he was a good runner, had not the ground fallen out from under his feet.

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© Sharon Maria Bidwell, all rights reserved.

You can read more here on the SWITHIN CHRONICLES.

Had a nice reader comment on my short story ‘Arachne’s Labours’ out at Full of Crow.

“The story’s brilliant. Very poetic, very disturbing, leaves you wanting more.”

So I guess I can ‘crow’ just a little.