Changing The Rules When You Don’t Like ‘Em

Remember when you were in cub scouts or girl scouts or a favorite school organization? You would put your head down on the desk and do a thumbs up/thumbs down to vote on something and the adult in charge would tally up the votes. If something got enough thumbs up – it would win/pass/be made a new rule for the club.

Do you remember when new people would come along a few years later and want to change everything your group had already voted on? No? That didn’t happen, did it? New members would come on and be told “here are the rules to the club” and people abided by those rules.

Funny that the flippin’ tea party feels simply because they were not around to vote on the Affordable Care Act (or you can really insert anything else in there) – that it doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter that Congress passed it, the president signed off on it and the Supreme Court said it was law. The three branches of our government worked as they are supposed to – but the new kids on the block are not happy because they were not part of that vote. So now, they want to change the rules to the club.

Guess what Boehner, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Raul R. Labrador and all the others that continue to spit out the same rhetoric over and over…it doesn’t work that way! Go back to school. Learn what the rest of us know. The rules/laws are set. You don’t get to linger in your pity party just because you’re mad it’s not going your way. Get over it and move on! You are not only embarrassing yourself, your constituents, and the institution , but also the country as a whole.

 

Starting a New Series

I love to get caught up in a story that by the end of it, I close the book and wonder what happens next for the characters. That is why I love reading a series (a favorite are the Adrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon). My latest work started as a short piece to submit to an anthology and then it grew into a novella that I knew needed to become a series.

On September 20th, everyone will be able to meet Donovan C. Plummer. A journalist in Washington, D.C. that strives to be the best in his business while sometimes putting less emphasis on his relationship with his boyfriend, Chet. To prove he can concentrate on the two of them, they embark on a seven day cruise the moment he meets an important deadline at work. Only that cruise isn’t all he expected it to be. The journalist can’t seem to stay away from big stories and this particular vacation turns into the Vacation from Hell.

This is the first in a series of the D.C. Chronicles which will take Donovan (Van to his friends) on several adventures into the political world of D.C., stories that cover the LGBT community, and follow his attempt to balance career and love all before he turns thirty-five.

**Edit: The book arrived early! Download today!

Amazon

Barnes&Noble 

Google Play

All Romance

Seventh Window

Check out the book trailer!

The early reviews are already coming out!

“Highly recommended for those who love a little suspense, hot sex and an all around good story.” – On Top Down Under Book Review

“Vacation from Hell is a fast paced and fun read. Get ready to read it from beginning to end. When you get it, you won’t want to put it down.” – GGR – Review

I can’t wait to hear from readers about D.C. Plummer as they pull for him to struggle through life!

Cover Reveal for D.C. Chronicles

The excitement of seeing your book cover for the first time carries with it several meanings. The book is one step closer to coming out. The ‘calling card’ is complete. And this is the vision readers will have for your story.

I’m thrilled with what Seventh Window Publications have come up with for my latest work. This is the first in a series for D.C. Plummer and it definitely sets the tone for what’s in store.

A little about Vacation From Hell.

Donovan C. Plummer has a problem, he’s too obsessed with his job as a journalist for the D.C. Herald to keep a man in his life. Eight months into his present relationship with Chet Michaels and Donovan’s job is already putting a strain on their relationship, so Donovan decides to take Chet away from everything and go on a seven day cruise. The only problem is that Donovan has a big story about to hit involving a conservative senator caught in a homosexual liaison, a story that brings death threats to Donovan via e-mail. It isn’t until the death threats follow Donovan and Chet on vacation that the perfect romantic getaway becomes the Vacation from Hell.

Get ready for the D.C. Plummer Chronicles!

Can It Really Be a Year?

I took some time to go through my blog and can’t believe it was a year ago that I started to blog prior to the release of my first novel. In some ways it doesn’t feel an entire year has gone by and in others – wow; a lifetime. There have been some incredible things happen to me this year from awards, awesome reviews, and meeting some really great people via social media. I’ve learned much this first year out of the gate. And here are some lessons (in no particular order).

• I don’t have as much to say in a blog as I thought I would…hence the seldom postings
• Building followers as a new author is not easy
• I’m amazed at how well my first novel continues to do a year later: amazed and grateful
• Sophomore books are difficult to get into the hands of readers. Either they had enough of you from your first. They feel the 2nd comes too soon. Or it’s SO different from the first, readers don’t have the time.
• I really love those readers that took the time to read my 2nd work too! {wink}
• I’m a complete nut for starting up a series of novellas that will follow the same character – fingers crossed people will want to know about D.C. Plummer

For those that have found and followed my work, I’d like to take you all in a room, provide you with chocolates and body massages, and pamper you for a day.

But instead, my heartfelt thanks.

Braxton Is Not Afraid to Take Chances

What more could an author want than to hear praise like that? When I wrote Missing, I knew I was going out on a limb with how I chose to tell that story. And with Destiny on the Tracks, I’ve changed paths again, yet attempt to continue to tell stories in an unconventional way. The review just posted by the Indie Reviewer lifts me in a way I can’t describe.

“I easily fell into this lovely story and was quickly swept up in the time-travel fantasy.”

“There is a sweetness and distinct old world romantic charm to their love story that lends itself well to the time and place of this tale.”

“Destiny on the Tracks is a story that lingers. It is at once a poignant, haunting and lovely tale. I recommend this story without hesitation, in particular for those romantics who believe that love can not only reach back in time but can also transcend the hereafter.”

 

Read the full review here. Thank you, Indie Reviewer for making this author’s day.

 

 

Book Launch Day

There is something very exciting about this day no matter if it is your first time or you have gone through it before. Knowing your work is now out there for others to finally read and hopefully enjoy: can’t describe the feeling.

If you love romance, fate, and a quick read – head to you favorite eReader store and download Destiny on the Tracks.

Here is what a few early reviews have said:

“Wheeler’s and Nicola’s destinies are intertwined even though there was over ninety years separating them and you really won’t see the ending coming, it was a twist that surprised me and had a beautiful but poignant feel to it.” – MM Good Book Reviews

“Nicola is lovingly drawn by the author. He is a lovely combination of sweet, down-to-earth and unsure of what it means to be someone who has affections for men – it is 1918. Destiny on the Tracks encompasses a few themes – time travel, contemporary and historical themes, a bit of an urban legend/fairy tale feel,  romance, a first time sexual encounter,  and a journey that I thoroughly enjoyed.” – On Top Down Under Book Reviews

“Braxton’s writing is nice, simple and flows. It engaged me for a good couple of hours and I refused to put my Kindle away until I was finished with it. Romance – handled brilliantly. There are moments in this book that melted my heart and the dialogue is spot on. Romance lovers should definitely give this a go! If I hadn’t read this one, I would have missed out on a beautiful story!” – Sid Love MM Romance & More

Places to download the book:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

More added soon!

What Took Me to Destiny

I always loved the circus as a child. I found it a magical place. Back then I never thought of how the animals were being treated or what the back stories of these people must be.  I was simply enjoying the atmosphere and being swept away under the big tent.

In some respects, I’m sure that is what drew me to that setting for my latest Destiny on The Tracks. That kind of setting offers many possibilities by way of romance. But as a young boy, my mind wasn’t on romance – especially of the same-sex variety. But that is what is on the minds of Wheeler Reynolds and Nicola Tenaglia in my story. The man watching the circus act and the man performing the stunts as he flies through the air. I also read the story of a train wreck that occurred early int he 1900s carrying a circus and was fascinated about how I could incorporate that into a story.

But it is also my way of paying homage to so many time travel movies and books that I have loved. Time & Again, Somewhere in Time, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Time After Time. Those that mix an element of a misplaced person that finds love when they least expect it; the romantic in me oozes out.

So this book may seem different from my debut novel that came out last fall, but isn’t that what a sophomore excursion should do? Take a reader to a slightly different place to show them you are capable of more than one style? But still: I can’t help but add a twist here and there. Hope this one proves acceptable to those that loved Missing.

Be sure and let me know after you read it! I love to hear from people.

Pre-Order Destiny on the Tracks!

I can’t believe we’re just three weeks away from the release date for Destiny on the Tracks! Time has flown by since I submitted the book to Dreamspinner Press. It was been great working with everyone there. What a wonderful team of people that assisted in polishing this book and getting it ready for readers.

So now what?

Now I need people to read it!

Click on their site and pre-order the book so you can download it on June 5th.

While on business in a small town near Chicago, Wheeler Reynolds hears a tale about a traveling circus killed nearby in a horrific train wreck over ninety years ago. Haunted by the story, Wheeler falls asleep thinking someone is calling his name… and wakes up in 1918. 

Wheeler believes it’s his mission to stop the accident from occurring until he meets Nicola Tenaglia, an aerialist for the circus. Time becomes his enemy as he quickly falls into a whirlwind affair. When they are discovered, events spin out of Wheeler’s control, and he and Nicola are separated. Then the train begins to pull away. Nicola’s time is running out….

 Check out the video trailer on Youtube.

Starting Another Project As One Wraps Up

The end of this month finds me busier than I’ve been in a long time. The final proof copy of DESTINY ON THE TRACKS arrived from Dreamspinner Press for me to read. Knowing the book will be out in early June means the nerves start of what people will think of it. Do they expect a certain thing from me based on MISSING? Will they accept my inner romantic coming out with this time-travel novel that pays homage to certain books and movies that I’ve loved? Only time will tell.

I’ve also been busy at work on my next project (VACATION FROM HELL) and started the scary process of sharing it with my editor at Seventh Window. Knowing I want this new work to be a series, I’m aware the first needs to be ‘just right’ and we have a long way to go. I tweeted that sending early drafts of a manuscript to an editor is like standing naked in front of a lover with the lights on where they can see all your flaws.  That’s definitely how I feel. And yet, like a lover – you trust this person in what they are telling you about those flaws: because they want your work to be as good as possible.

So it seems I’ll be dividing my time between promoting DESTINY and rewriting and rewriting VACATION. The tone is very different in both and as a writer; we need to be able to shift gears to capture it correctly in what we are working on. I noticed that the sweet romance of DESTINY was creeping into VACATION and thank God my editor smacked my hands on that one. Not the story I wish to tell.

So – here we go! Onward to the next chapter in my writing life.

Typing The Last Sentence

There is something incredible exhilarating when you type the final sentence to a new manuscript. Yes, I know – it’s only round one and there is still so much work to do on it: but that’s why it’s called a work-in-progress. Books can have a life of their own. I have three different ‘half versions’ of this book that I started. I changed the main character and his background over and over until it finally hit me what I wanted to do.

Vacation From Hell (working title) turned into what will be the first in a series about D.C. Plummer. A journalist working in Washington, D.C. who loves what he does, fights to tell the truth, and fights to find relationships that he can hold on to. And in this first book – he believes he has found that special guy. His job allows him to cover some pretty amazing stories and I look forward to creating those as I move forward with Donovan Charles Plummer (Van to his friends).