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3 Brand New Audiobooks Just Released!

I’m so thrilled to announce that some of my favorite and most popular titles are now available for your listening–uh–pleasure!

All audiobooks can be found on Audible.com, iTunes and Amazon!

Get in the Holiday Mood!

A week before Christmas, Alex Bancroft’s bakery goes up in flames. When he runs back inside after a dog, firefighter Kevin Flint has to rescue Alex �� and Quincy �� from the smoldering building, endangering them and inflaming Kevin’s resentment.

Now Alex can’t create the elaborate gingerbread house he donates to a foster-kids charity each year. Fire Station 7 again comes to his rescue, offering their kitchen and their manpower.

Everyone but Kevin Flint, that is. A third-generation firefighter, he’s fearful of stepping too far out of the closet. So when his powerful physical attraction for Alex ends in a sizzling secret encounter in the firehouse, Kevin can’t push Alex far enough away, and Alex returns the cold shoulder.

After a change of heart, Kevin risks his life to prove he’s worthy of Alex’s affection, but without a Christmas miracle, their chances at sweet romance might go up in smoke.

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What happens when business turns to pleasure?

Alec Compton’s dream job at a Wall Street investment firm is on the line if he can’t close a make-or-break takeover deal by the end of the year.

The buyer is none other than world-renowned billionaire and corporate raider Brant Linton, recently named one of the hottest and most eligible gay businessmen. Electricity crackles at their first meeting, and Alec’s thoughts drift far from business, despite his distaste for Brant’s business practices.

When Brant takes off early to spend Christmas with his sister’s family on the exclusive French Polynesian island of Taha’a, Alec has no choice but to follow if he wants to get Brant to sign on the dotted line. But Brant’s sister has forbidden him from conducting business during the holidays and Alec must masquerade as Brant’s boyfriend lest she find out what they’re really up to.

Then business turns into pleasure, but neither Brant nor Alec know whether the other is there for the deal, or for something more personal in EM Lynley’s sizzling holiday novella A Christmas Bonus.

Get Dirty Again!
This one has been a runaway best seller, and the audio version is even more fun!
I fell in love with the narrator’s audition tape, and you’ll adore him too!

Jeremy Linden’s a PhD student researching an HIV vaccine. He’s always short of money, and when biotech startup PharmaTek reduces funding for his fellowship, he’s tempted to take a job at a men’s dining club as a serving boy. The uniforms are skimpy, and he’s expected to remove an item of clothing after each course. He can handle that, but he soon discovers there’s more on the menu here than fine cuisine. How far will he go to pay his tuition, and will money get in the way when he realizes he’s interested in more from one of his gentlemen?

Brice Martin is an attorney for a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. When he’s asked to take a client to the infamous Dinner Club, he finds himself unexpectedly turned on by the atmosphere and especially by his server, Remy. He senses there’s more to the sexy young man than meets the eye. The paradox fascinates him, and he can’t get enough of Remy.

Their relationship quickly extends beyond the club and sex. But the trust and affection they’ve worked to achieve may crumble when Jeremy discovers Brice’s VC firm is the one that pulled the plug on PharmaTek �� and Jeremy’s research grant.

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Are You a Reviewer?

Please leave a review request in the form below and I will get back to shortly with a review copy of the book of your choice.

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NaNoWriMo is almost upon us, so there’s no time to waste in doing everything you can to make sure you can not only get to 50K words but to end up with an actual story.

As I mentioned in my last post, ,�� I believe planning the key elements is a fool-proof way to develop a novel that is big enough to last 50,000 words, and offers you the best inspiration to make it to the end before November is�� over.

Today I’ll give you an overview of my process and let you I use in my book How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner (available in and )

Here are my 11 steps. Other writing instructors use from 4 to 22, but these are the ones I use for every single story I write: novel, novella, even a short story, though I don’t write many of those any more. I find my characters and themes are too complex for a short piece. And that’s fine. I love exploring the characters in more depth.

Step 1: Premise

Step 2: Evaluate the Premise

Step 3: Needs and Wants

Step 4: Character Arc

Step 5: The Villain/Opponent

Step 6: Character Web

Step 7: Reaching for the Desire

Step 8: Battle/Climax

Step 9: Self-Revelation

Step 10: The Ending

Step 11: Revisiting the Premise

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Step 1: Premise������������������

Premise is a concept that comes from screenwriting. In Hollywood, studios and producers want the whole story summed up in a single sentence. Everyone is Hollywood busy, and apparently they don’t have time for a whole paragraph, much less a page about the story.

The advantage of developing a premise sentence is that it forces the writer to get to the point, to boil the story down to its pure essence. That’s the premise. It’s the theme, conflict, character and outcome all in one heavy-hitting sentence. My screenwriting instructor expected us to keep this all to 40 words. Even if you can’t get it all in that space,�� you’ll find that distilling your story idea as early as possible forces you to keep to the plan.

It probably sounds like a tall order, since you haven’t worked on your characters, plot, or anything at this point. How can you possibly come up with a winning premise first? And that’s a great question. You don’t have to. You can skip to the storyline development brainstorming, then come back and write your draft premise.

I have a set of brainstorming exercises to choose a set of characters, conflicts, and circumstances first, then help you develop the draft premise.

The premise will be revised and refined as we work through the planning exercises to develop the larger themes.

Step 2: Evaluate the Premise

We’ll take a look at the main storyline and see whether it’s enough to develop into a novel-length story. If not, there are ways to add interest and secondary plotlines. If you find the premise is lacking after working through the next set of exercises, it’s probably more suited to a novella-length or possibly even a short story.

Don’t let the emphasis on premise scare you away. It’s not set in stone, but it helps you make sure you have a compelling story idea before you start writing. Avoid the dangers of discovering that after you’ve already written 10,000 words (or more). It’s much easier to tweak your idea during the planning stage than to try and rework the basics on the fly, especially if this is your first NaNo or you don’t have a lot of experience in rewriting.

Keep working and we’ll get your NaNo premise whipped into shape.

Step 3: Character Needs and Wants

These are the key factors in developing layered characters who your readers will care about. You can see from the popularity of series—some with over 20 books—that readers enjoy spending time with certain characters, and no matter how crappy some of the plots are, people keep pushing their favorite series back onto the bestseller lists.

You don’t need to think in terms of series, but you want to think what drives this character and is it interesting enough that you want to spend 50,000+ words on him (or her) and will a reader care enough to keep turning pages?

We’ll look at the two kinds of hidden needs, in addition to the external want or desire. What your characters think they want is different from what they really want or need, and that is going to set the stage for some amazing conflict.

SECRET: Once you develop a set of character traits, needs, wants and goals, your characters really will come alive and start writing much of the plot for you. It takes the pressure off you, and it keeps you from trying to make them jump through hoops that don’t work for the character.

Step 4: Character Arc

Define the path your hero takes by how he deals with his internal weaknesses, and how you envision him at the end of the story. Once you settle on a character arc, overlay the needs and wants, and you’ll have a robust premise that makes the plotting easy. It’s as simple as knowing how the weakness keeps the character from his goal, and how he will be challenged along the way until he over comes the weakness.

Step 5: The Villain/Opponent

Remember: the opponent or antagonist is not always a bad guy or villain. Sometimes is just another nice guy who wants the same thing your hero or heroine wants. He’s still in the way, and the more work you put into the opponent the harder you make it for your protagonist, and that will make your story stand out.

Does your opponent should have his own set of needs, wants, strengths and weaknesses?

Selecting an interesting and appropriately matched opponent for your hero and his goals is the key to keeping tension and conflict high. We’ll discover the villains own strengths and weaknesses, where he overlaps with the hero, how he pushes the hero’s buttons, and how the opponent actually drives the hero’s resolution.

Without a well-developed opponent, or set of opponents, you won’t have enough action and conflict to support a novel through the middle. With the right bad guy, it won’t feel like you’re wandering in the desert in search of a plot. Your villain will hand it right to you.

In a romance, the second main character is both the main opponent and the love interest. Defining those interactions sets up the two conflicts (romantic and external), and keeps both stories on track.

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Step 6: Character Web

This is one of my favorite parts of planning. The character web sets up a cast of supporting characters based on how they interact with the hero and the opponent. Some characters are allies, others opponents, some are both. With a romance, if you have a character who is an ally to one main character and an opponent to the other, it really adds another level of complexity to the story, and a lot of fun to the planning and writing process.

I’ll help you select a set of characters who create and exacerbate conflict and tension where the story needs it. And these are the same characters who will be pushing the hero through his arc to the resolution of the novel.

Buy the Book

Available from / only.

Step 7: Reaching for the Desire

In other words: what the hell happens in the middle? Beginnings are usually easy, when your energy and creativity are high. Endings, well, if you get that far, you think you’ll figure it out. But how to get through the soggy middle?

We’ll plan how the hero tries to get his goals, who tries to stop him and how, and how the rest of the web helps or hinders the process. All along, it’s key to escalate the tension by raising the stakes for each subsequent disaster that takes the hero further from his desire.

Step 8: Battle/Climax

This is the point then it looks like all is lost. He’ll never get what he wants, and certainly not what he needs (if he’s even figured that out). Throw the worst at the hero and he’ll tell you how he’ll deal with it—if you’ve set up his strengths, weaknesses, and traits, you know what that worst will be and how he’ll turn everything around.

We’ll make sure to put the conflicts in the correct order so this really is the darkest day.

Step 9: Self-Revelation

Like Step 8, this all depends on how you’ve developed the character, not the plot points. If you know how the hero is going to change—how he absolutely must change—to win his battle with the opponent, then you have a beacon to write towards from the first word. Planning this step is critical in making sure it is fully supported by the rest of the book.

Even more critical is setting up the character’s transformation properly so you don’t have readers throwing your book across the room in frustration at a ridiculous solution to everything they’ve been stressing over for nearly 50,000 words.

SECRET: When you’re stuck for what happens next somewhere around Day 8, knowing what has to happen in Step 9 is going to offer a lot of motivation and inspiration. You can see that light at the end of the tunnel, the lighthouse beam, however it looks to you. You don’t have to stare at an empty page when you know exactly what needs to happen (plus a well-developed set of characters will always tell you!)

Step 10: The Ending

What follows on Step 9? How does the hero’s world look after he’s overcome his weakness, his opponents and figured out who or what he should be? You still have options here, and will work through some of the possibilities, and how to resolve the story after the self-revelation.

Step 11: Revisiting the Premise

After we have planned out the major elements of the story, we’ll refine the premise. You’ll get a lot of mileage out of your premise. It masquerades as an elevator pitch if you happen to run into a publisher or agent. It also works as a logline or tagline you can even put on your book cover.

The cool thing about a premise is that while it tells you what happens, it doesn’t give away any plot spoilers. In fact, a good premise isn’t about the plot at all. That’s why planning your story doesn’t stifle your creativity. It’s not about what happens at the micro level. It’s about the larger themes and character transitions, which is what will attract your readers in the first place.

I hope you’ll find my planning process useful. I’ve employed it for every book I’ve written for the past couple of years, and it has allowed me to write more quickly and waste less time wondering what should happen next. I also create more interesting and layered characters than ever before.

I’ll be offering some tips during November about planning and using my , but if you want all the information and techniques, pick up a copy of How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner .��

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Plan Your Novel in as Little as One Day

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is an annual event for writers around the world. It offers participants an opportunity to write a 50,000-word novel with the support of others. It may be just the motivation you need to get writing.

The key to NaNoWriMo is planning–not outlining–your book before you even write a single word.

Have you been dreaming of writing a novel for years and didn’t know how to tackle the daunting task? This book is for you.
Have you attempted NaNo and found your story and inspiration flagging long before you hit 50,000 words? This book is for you.
Are you an experienced writer or published author who wants a comprehensive planning tool to enable you to plot, write and revise more quickly? This book is for you.

This step-by-step method will enable you to build the foundation for a complex novel, with engaging characters and an emotional journey that will keep your readers turning pages. Accompanying worksheets and full instructions make the process almost foolproof.

Author EM Lynley has used this technique for the last five novels or novellas–all sold to publishers–and shares her proven method with you.

…feels like I have my own personal writing coach �� Amazon reviewer








This book described tips and tricks to make the characters deeper, the plot more intricate and pull things together quickly�� Amazon reviewer








I highly recommend this for anyone, pantsers or plotters, who want to make their writing better�� Amazon reviewer

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FREE Planning Worksheets

When you sign up for my (1 per week during November, 1-2 times per month the rest of the year)

Both the Story Planning Worksheet and the Story Skeleton Worksheet are in a single PDF. The Worksheets are FREE, and detailed tips and instructions for using the sheets are in the book, How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner.

[
See , final published edition]

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Read the Full Planning Guide �� How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner
Available from , FREE with , and in .

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Word Counts - Today: 0 | September: 0 | 2015: 0

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I just came home after three days in Los Angeles at Story Expo, a screenwriters�� conference. While it was my first time attending, I discovered that not everyone there is writing for film or TV, and that many of the speakers already try to incorporate advice for novelists in their sessions. While I only write novels at this point, I’m leaning toward writing a TV spec show or pilot in the not-too-distant future.

Before I get onto the advice, enjoy this YouTube clip from the 2007 Academy Awards show, .

Here are just a few of the tips that I heard and want to pass on to other writers and aspiring writers.

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Become the world’s biggest sponge

Arnold Shapiro shared this piece of advice. Listen, read, watch and keep listening, reading and watching. Pay attention to what’s popular and what’s not. What do you like about the stories you come across, and what don’t you like?

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Soak up information, techniques and become outwardly centered, not inner/self-centered. This helps you see what interests other people (your audience) and to build better stories and characters.

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Don’t worry about this influencing your own writing. Instead, you will build upon what you see and hear with your own style, voice and experiences.

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A friend of mine is a jazz musician. During a recent visit to his house I spotted an article he printed on how to play solos. The part that resonated with me was not about playing an instrument, but rather about how music works and how it affects the listener. The writer said that when you hear a jazz musician play a solo you can tell which musicians he has listened to. Not because he copies their music, but because it influences how they play, what kind of solos they play.

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I think that works for writing too. Everything you write is affected by your interpretation of the events, characters, themes, but you can learn a lot from reading and watching the masters at work. And don’t just read as a reader, try taking notes, tear scenes and plots apart to see how they tick. What can you learn from that?

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Make your mark on your writing with style and voice.

This means that someone reading your work should know it’s your story even if they don’t�� see your name on the cover.

Linda Seger made this point, though it’s not necessarily going to be easy to achieve. She reminded the audience that when you see a Woody Allen film, you know it’s Woody Allen, no matter the story or the characters.

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Why? Because Woody Allen has a distinctive style, voice and theme that carries across his body of work. Due to his nature and interests, you can bet there will always be a very literary character, either one who knows a lot about literature, or might even act like a great literary character. He has spent a lot of time in therapy, so he uses a lot of psychology/psychiatry jokes. He loves New York and hates LA so he often puts in a dig about LA.

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What trademarks do you put into your writing, consciously or unconsciously? What would you like for readers to associate with you?

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Get physical!

Christopher Vogler made a point that really stuck with me. He used to work for Disney, reading screenplays and weeding out the crap from the ones the studio wanted to consider producing.

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The most important thing for him was how many organs did the story affect? If you’re writing romance/erotic romance, there’s one you pretty much need to connect with. But beyond that, does the story choke you up, make you cry, twist your stomach into knots, make you shiver or cringe?

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If the writing doesn’t elicit a physical response you are not connecting to the reader strongly enough. Vogler said if the script didn’t hit him in at least three organs it went into the trash.

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When I mentioned this to another writer, she told me that a great screenplay gives you a physical reaction in every scene. Well, over the hundreds of scenes in a book, it might be difficult to keep that level of physical connection going, but if we can, then how could a reader put our stories down?

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I don’t think they can!

Understand the market if you want to be a professional and get paid for your work.

Melody Beattie, one of the world’s top selling authors, had this great piece of advice.

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Professionals get paid, which means that readers and/or publisher buys your story.�� To be successful and build a career, you need to be true to your writing, but you need to write stories that are salable. Depending on your personal goals, you choose which task comes first. For Melody, she makes up a list of ideas she wants to write, then chooses the ones that are most likely to be commercial. There’s nothing wrong with that!

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Or you may want to see what’s selling, then see if you want to write something similar. ��If not, try something else. But be careful to make sure you love your project, because your audience will know when your heart’s not in it. If you love it, then you are much more likely to convey that passion to a reader. If you don’t love it, why should someone else love it enough to pay?

Raise the stakes and terrify your hero

I heard variations of this from several speakers, but Christopher Riley said it in a way that stuck with me.

Your MC (hero) has an obstacle in the way of his goal. We’ve heard that a thousand times before, right?

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Why should we care about that character, his goal or the obstacles? Only you can make it real for the character and the audience.

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What kind of goal is your character willing to do CRAZY, INSANE, OUTRAGEOUS things to accomplish? If the goal isn’t worth getting extreme, and the pursuit of that goal isn’t extreme, you’re not going to grab anyone’s organs (see #3 above).

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The less heroic your character, the crazier even normal action may appear.

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I’m not a big fan of LOTR, but a lot of you are. When Chris explained why Frodo makes a great hero, suddenly everything got crystal clear.

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The hero is the character who goes into danger for what he wants/needs. For Superman, there’s not much out there that he’s afraid of. Frodo is afraid of just going out the door, so going after the ring becomes orders of magnitude more significant for him and for the reader who knows how difficult it is for him to do it.

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Let’s take a look at Superman again. He’s big and strong, but all that goes out the window when someone opens up a box of Kryptonite. Without that vulnerability, Superman is pretty boring as a hero. He’s physically so powerful that it’s difficult to worry whether he’ll come out ahead.

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Make your hero vulnerable, and then still make him do things that should terrify him because the goal is that important. That’s what makes a hero, overcoming that terror to ACT instead of stay home and binge watching ��Breaking Bad.

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Have you got a great piece of advice that has influenced you and your writing? Please share it below.

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I’m really pleased to host Lynn Townsend, beta-reader extraordinaire today. She’s bringing Beau and Vin back for another wonderful story.

Hi everyone! Thanks so much to EM for hosting me here on her blog. I’ve been a fan of EmMs work for quite some time, and when I have spare time and she needs the help, I’ve been known to do some last minute beta reading for her�� so it’s good to be here, and nice to meet all of her readers.

One of my favorite writers is quoted as saying, “When a man writes a romance, the woman dies. When a woman writes one, it ends all tidy and sweet.��

The Rainbow Connection, a series of novels I have been writing for the last four years, is a romance. Admittedly, it is a gay romance, and until very recently, the likelihood of it ending in legal wedding was up for debate. But it was always meant to end happily.

The truth is, I was inspired to write what started as a short story and grew into a series of novels (three have been, or will be soon, published. One that’s being written, and one �� maybe two? �� that are in preliminary planning��) from an event that took place shortly before another wedding, many years ago. I had a tumultuous affair planned, for characters who took on a life of their own, ripped my control right out of my hands, and took me on a ride that I’ll never forget.

So, when I offer forth this little short story, I say to you, this is not a true spoiler. You always knew we were going this way. The road has been long, it has been winding, and it has had a great many bumps in it. But you knew the destination when you got in the car with me��

These books were always meant to be a romance, and a romance often needs a good wedding��

Press

Catch up with Rainbow Connction 1 and 2: Roll and Blues

Bio

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include geek comedy music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @tisfan

Facebook:

Website & Blog:

Pinterest:

Tumblr:

Smashwords:

ŷ������: /author/show/5262501.Lynn_Townsend

Amazon:

Part One, Wedding March is hosted at .

* * * *

The basic questions, Vin knew, were going to be the things that he and Beau were most likely to fight about. It was always that way; Beau had this Southern Manly-man hangup about Vin spending money. Like, what the hell else was money good for? Investing, spending, and lighting cigarettes, amiright? He’d already done all the investing �� in his future, in Beau’s future. Both businesses were running well; truth be told, Beau’s mixed martial arts gym often cleared a better profit than the art gallery.

On the other hand, Vin thought, eyeing the painting he’d sold Aglaia Sachdeva, when he did make sales, they were fairly robust. Maybe he should contact that artist again, host an event just to showcase her work, which was sensual without edging into indecent��

“I’m sorry, what?�� Vin came back to the conversation with an abrupt jerk.

“He gets that way,�� Beau said, by way of apology. “He was probably mentally redecorating. Artists, you know.��

Aglaia beamed at them, “Not to worry, gentlemen. This is all about your special day, and I am right here to make sure you get every little thing your hearts desire.��

Beau snorted. “You’re an optimist,�� he said.

“Honey,�� Aglaia said, taking Beau’s hand and patting it like he was some sort of half-tamed beast, “I am surrounded by happy couples all day long. I do believe in the Happily Ever After. This is what I do. Of course I’m an optimist.��

“You’ll have your work cut out for you,�� Vin said. “He’s all for elopement. I’d like something big and festive.��

“Don’t worry,�� she said. “I’ll find something that will make both of you happy.��

“Or both of us equally miserable,�� Beau said.

“That’s a form of compromise, yes, but not preferred.��

As expected, Vin’s proposed budget nearly sent Beau into a lower Earth orbit. One might even think, listening to him carry on, that he wanted two attendants, a judge, minimal flowers, and a cake, and that was all. For forty guests. This was not going to fly; not even a little bit. No wings under that idea.

“You are not spending half a million dollars on our wedding,�� Beau protested.

“Yes, actually, I am,�� Vin said. He crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. “Look, we have well over two hundred friends who will want to come. And that’s not including all our various clients and vendors with whom we have enough of a relationship to invite. We’re successful business men. It would look tacky if we didn’t pull out at least some of the stops.��

Beau muttered something that probably had to do with the differences between what Vin considered successful and what normal people considered successful.

“Besides, if you say half a million, that sounds like a huge amount, but it’s really not. Five hundred thousand dollars. You paid off the loan for your gym in less than three years and that was, what, just under?��

“The original loan was not quite seventy thousand,�� Beau continued to mutter. “The improvements, however, after the roof sagged…��

“W�󲹳�ever. I’m just saying.��

“Vin, I ain’t got even half of half a million.��

“But I do,�� Vin said. He cast an apologetic look at the wedding planner, who was very good naturedly not quite watching them argue.”Look, if it makes you feel better, we can have Gerald put together a nice, legally-binding pre-nup that will limit how much of my personal fortune you’re allowed to steal when we get divorced.��

Beau gasped, shocked and hurt. “We ain’t gettin�� a divorce,�� he stated, absolute and firm.

“Of course not, darling,�� Vin said. “So here’s a thing you’re going to need to come to grips with, and that right soon. Once we get married, my money and your money becomes this strange, hybrid creature called our money. And you know, that means we get to spend it however we like. I’m not going to give you an allowance like you’re a child, and I’m not going to do some weird economy thing where we live in a crappy house so that you can pay half the rent. We’re going to invest in your business and grow it, like any other company, and we’re going to both benefit from everything that both of us bring to this relationship. That’s the whole idea of marriage, right? Two people, sharing a life?��

“So,�� Aglaia said, chosing that moment to look up from her tablet. “Five hundred thousand, for a budget, with a conservative estimate of five hundred guests? We can work with that. Let’s talk about how you want the ceremony to look, and then we can see what venues I have that will work with your vision.��

[Part Three to continue on .]

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Finally, One Marine, Hero is here. ��It’s not just the story of a (sizzling) romance between a Marine helicopter pilot and a Washington DC reporter; there’s much more going on here! This has been one of my favorite books to write, and I love both Jake and Beau and I won’t soon forget either of them. I hope you’ll love them just as much.

THE SEEDS of this story are scattered far in the past.

I’ve never followed politics much, but like nearly everyone around the world who watches international news, I had a strong image of the President of the United States getting into a green-and-white helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House and being whisked away to attend to some vital presidential business. I had a vague notion of the helicopter being called Marine One, but beyond that, I never thought much about it.

That changed when I was lucky enough to get a job at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Though the offices are located in the Old Executive Office next to the White House, we were part of the White House complex. It was a thrill to be so close to the inner workings of Washington.

Even more exciting were the perks that came with the job, including attending any ceremony on the White House lawn, including welcoming receptions for visiting heads of state where the president and the foreign leader would inspect US troops and color guards and military bands.

But I will always remember the first time I received a phone call from my boss’s secretary telling me to head out to the South Lawn to wait for Marine One to land. Everyone in our department who wasn’t in a meeting or facing a deadline would head downstairs and across the yard to the White House and wait on the South Lawn waving little American flags the staffers handed out. To one side was a row of press with cameras, ready to catch the helicopter landing and the president as he stepped down, waved to everyone, and then walked inside.

Despite repeating the same process every time, it was always a thrill. There is a lot of ceremony around nearly everything the president does, and even in the age of the Internet, the press corps need to be on hand to photograph and film it.

Flash forward to the fall of 2014.

October brings Fleet Week to San Francisco. A dozen ships, even more aircraft, and tens of thousands of sailors and Marines. I love visiting the ships during Fleet Week. This year I visited the newly commissioned USS America, an amphibious assault ship. I didn’t know quite what that meant until I arrived. Basically, this ship serves as a support base for Marine units to stage an attack.

After making my way past displays of armored vehicles and light assault vehicles (tanks, to the rest of us), I arrived on the lower deck, where a number of helicopters were displayed. Pilots and members of the air crew answered questions from visitors. I was listening to other people (mostly men) asking questions, when it hit me that helicopters were a hell of a lot more interesting than I’d realized.

In fact, a helicopter pilot would make a fantastic main character for a book.

Up on the flight deck, about a dozen smaller helicopters were on display. Now I started taking notes and asking my own questions. To my surprise, the pilots were really thrilled to answer questions, talk about the capabilities of their aircraft, and even let visitors climb inside a few different ones. I happily spent about three hours moving between Cobras, Hueys, Super Stallions, and more. I took a lot of photos and, of course, asked how I could get to fly on a Marine helo. (The answer is, you can’t. Even the pilots�� families can’t get on board, partly for security reasons and partly because the demand would be incredible.)

By the time I got home, I was dying to include a Marine pilot in a story.

And that’s when I got the idea of writing about a former combat pilot who comes home to fly Marine One, ferrying US government officials around and dealing with the drastic transition between those two jobs.

Which is when my real research began, up to and including taking a few beginner’s helicopter flying lessons to know exactly what it feels like to pilot one of these fascinating rotary wing aircraft. I was immediately hooked and definitely would love to take more, maybe even get a helicopter pilot’s license.

What that means is that you just might see another story starring a helicopter pilot.

I hope you enjoy the taste of the inner workings of Washington and the

White House in One Marine, Hero. I’ve been lucky enough to attend White��House holiday parties and other staff events, and it’s such a pleasure to share these incredible experiences with readers.

About the Book
One Marine, Hero

He’s a hero to everyone but himself.

Marine helicopter pilot Captain Jake Woodley struggles after receiving the Medal of Honor for a mission where he didn’t bring every man back alive. Being called a hero and having his photo plastered across the news makes him hate himself more. He despises his cushy job flying with the Marine One squadron, carrying the president and other officials, when he’d rather risk something, even death. He gets his wish when he’s ordered to fly a series of classified trips.

Matt “Beau�� Beaumont has been relegated to covering the fashion beat after getting downsized from a hard-news position. But an unexpected invitation to a White House dinner might be the boost his career needs. Offering a hot marine an after-dinner blowjob wasn’t on Beau’s agenda, but when Jake takes him up on the proposition, some phenomenal casual sex soon blossoms into a relationship both of them crave.

When Beau’s extracurricular research uncovers defense department funding anomalies, he soon discovers the trouble goes higher than he imagined. Just as events start to make sense, the investigation puts Beau and Jake in deadly danger. It takes a daring play by Jake—risking everything he loves—to uncover the truth.

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He’s a hero to everyone

but himself
��“A well planned, well executed romance with an awesome mystery.��
�� Tessa, Inked Rainbow Reads

Hot Marines, plenty of romance,

& a touch of mystery

Coming August 17 to Dreamspinner Press
��—����—����—��

��

One Marine, Hero
by EM Lynley
If you enjoy military men, danger, sizzling romance and a peek behind the scenes at the White House, don’t miss this one!
This is a story I really enjoyed writing! As some of you know, I used to work as a White House economic adviser. Some of my behind-the-scenes experiences with Marine One on the White House lawn are included here.
If you recall a few months ago I mentioned taking helicopter flying lessons. They were research for this book! You’re really in for a treat this time around.

��—����—����—��

��

He’s a hero to everyone but himself.
Marine helicopter pilot Captain Jake Woodley struggles after receiving the Medal of Honor for a mission where he didn’t bring every man back alive. Being called a hero and having his photo plastered across the news makes him hate himself more. He despises his cushy job flying with the Marine One squadron, carrying the president and other officials, when he’d rather risk something, even death. He gets his wish when he’s ordered to fly a series of classified trips.
Matt “Beau�� Beaumont has been relegated to covering the fashion beat after getting downsized from a hard-news position. But an unexpected invitation to a White House dinner might be the boost his career needs. Offering a hot marine an after-dinner blowjob wasn’t on Beau’s agenda, but when Jake takes him up on the proposition, some phenomenal casual sex soon blossoms into a relationship both of them crave.
When Beau’s extracurricular research uncovers defense department funding anomalies, he soon discovers the trouble goes higher than he imagined. Just as events start to make sense, the investigation puts Beau and Jake in deadly danger. It takes a daring play by Jake—risking everything he loves—to uncover the truth.

��—����—����—��

Word Counts - Today: 0 | July: 0 | 2015: 0

He’s a hero to everyone

but himself
��“A well planned, well executed romance with an awesome mystery.��
�� Tessa, Inked Rainbow Reads

Hot Marines, plenty of romance,

& a touch of mystery

Coming August 17 to Dreamspinner Press

��

One Marine, Hero
by EM Lynley
If you enjoy military men, danger, sizzling romance and a peek behind the scenes at the White House, don’t miss this one!
This is a story I really enjoyed writing! As some of you know, I used to work as a White House economic adviser. Some of my behind-the-scenes experiences with Marine One on the White House lawn are included here.
If you recall a few months ago I mentioned taking helicopter flying lessons. They were research for this book! You’re really in for a treat this time around.




(Reviewers only)

��

He’s a hero to everyone but himself.
Marine helicopter pilot Captain Jake Woodley struggles after receiving the Medal of Honor for a mission where he didn’t bring every man back alive. Being called a hero and having his photo plastered across the news makes him hate himself more. He despises his cushy job flying with the Marine One squadron, carrying the president and other officials, when he’d rather risk something, even death. He gets his wish when he’s ordered to fly a series of classified trips.
Matt “Beau�� Beaumont has been relegated to covering the fashion beat after getting downsized from a hard-news position. But an unexpected invitation to a White House dinner might be the boost his career needs. Offering a hot marine an after-dinner blowjob wasn’t on Beau’s agenda, but when Jake takes him up on the proposition, some phenomenal casual sex soon blossoms into a relationship both of them crave.
When Beau’s extracurricular research uncovers defense department funding anomalies, he soon discovers the trouble goes higher than he imagined. Just as events start to make sense, the investigation puts Beau and Jake in deadly danger. It takes a daring play by Jake—risking everything he loves—to uncover the truth.

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As part of Dreamspinners DreamReaders program, three of my best-selling��novels��are just 99 cents all weekend long at !

Until midnight EDT Sunday, June 21, 2015




















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British actor Wesley Tremayne thinks he’s close to hitting the big time—a film career—with his role as a hunky explorer on a popular American TV show. Success should be just around the corner, as long as he keeps his sexual orientation a secret. Wes’s best friend and beard, Julia Compton, forms the other half of a glamorous Hollywood couple that’s merely a façade.

Evan Taylor left his acting career behind five years ago without looking back. He’s always been more comfortable around horses than people—especially Hollywood types. His new life training racehorses is a dream come true, but increasing financial problems and an abusive boyfriend have him doubting himself and his choices.

Then Wes and his friends buy a third-rate racehorse—partially for publicity—and send him to Evan’s stable. Wes’s friendship with Evan soon develops into an overpowering attraction he can’t act on. He’s never met a man like Evan, but if there’s any chance for a future together, Wes must choose between a career he loves and the man he adores.

Daniel “Deke�� Kane is a broken man, facing the end of his career in the FBI. He’s on desk duty after a botched drug raid left the suspects and two children dead. He’s got one chance to prove himself, or the only thing he’ll be investigating is the Help Wanted ads.

Ryan Griffiths has been on the run for ten years. Forced onto the streets when his father kicked him out, Ryan earns his living in other men’s beds. Finding his john dead in a hotel room drives him under the radar until a favorite client gives him a chance at a safe, clean life. But Ryan’s relatively stable new world shatters when Deke Kane catches up with him.

When Deke’s tasked to take down a drug dealer with terrorist ties and a taste for the dark side of BDSM, his only chance to get close is the suspect’s interest in Ryan, and he convinces Ryan to become a confidential informant. In return, Deke offers Ryan immunity from his past. As Ryan falls under the drug lord’s domination, Deke finds himself falling for Ryan.

Now Deke has to choose between Ryan’s safety and his own future.

��

Of all the tiny towns, in all the world, he walks into mine.

Texas native Kieran Quinn has hit the big time, working in Manhattan as a columnist for Gloss, a national literary magazine. He’s well-known for his snarky, sardonic columns, but deep down he’s more interested in exploring what makes people tick than his editor would like. He keeps his desire to find his own Mr. Right hidden under a sexy, carefree persona that favors champagne and underwear models of the male variety.

Jaxon Lang loves being the high school principal in tiny Buckwheat Springs, Texas after relocating from Austin to pursue his relationship with Danetta Archer, despite her reputation for leaving grooms at the altar. So far, he’s avoided examining the questions he has about himself, certain that marriage will put them to rest. Then Kieran arrives in town. Kieran’s charm and unique attitudes about sex and attraction soon challenge Jaxon’s concept of what—and who—he wants.

While covering the latest wedding of a real-life “runaway bride,�� Kieran falls hard for the gorgeous—and supposedly straight—groom, Jaxon Lang, despite that ridiculous X. Then Kieran discovers the bride’s hiding a shocking secret.

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24-Karat Conspiracy is here!

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��“Lynley captures her men’s excitement, vulnerability and fear …[her] character and relationship building is brilliant.�� ��Inked Rainbow Reviews

24-Karat Conspiracy is Book 4 in the , but I’ve been planning this book since I wrote Italian Ice in 2011. This installment in the series is truly Reed’s story. You’ll learn things about him I’ve had to keep under my hat for ages, and I’m thrilled and relieved to be able to share them with you now.

If��you pre-ordered, you’ll also get a bonus freebie story! (LIMITED TO 50��people)
To claim your bonus, e-mail your pre-order receipt, dated on or before 6/12, to me (emlynley�� a.t gmail.com)
Excerpt

��

“You remember that plane crash in Turkey at the end of last month? With Shelton Matthews on board?��

Reed gave Tom his full attention now. “Sure.��

“W�󲹳� �󲹲���’t been in the papers is that the cargo consisted of a few things that used to be on display in the Iraq National Museum.��

“You’re fucking kidding me. After this many years?��

“We didn’t get that juicy tidbit from Interpol until last week. We’ve got surveillance on Matthews�� home in upstate New York, and I’ve got two guys from the New York field office scheduled to go in as insurance appraisers, but they don’t have your expertise.��

This could be the case of a lifetime. Tens of thousands of objects were still unaccounted for after the looting of the museum during the US invasion back in 2003. Then again, Matthews might only have amassed a pile of junk from Saddam’s vulgar palace. They wouldn’t know until they did a thorough search.

Reed waited too long to reply.

“The items in the plane crash included two solid gold Babylonian goblets. Part of a set of six. I’d like you on the team to find the other four.��

“You think Matthews has them?�� Reed’s belly tingled with excitement. The expanding frown on Trent’s face meant he’d noticed. Reed moved out of Trent’s range of vision.

“If not, he’s been looking for them. He’s not the sort to leave a set incomplete.��

Reed shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Hell yeah. I’m on my way in.�� He turned and spotted Trent holding his mother’s evening wrap. His gut twisted again as Trent glanced over. “Hang on a couple of minutes, okay?��

Reed stepped back into the living room. “It’s White, my boss. There’s a case he needs me for��.��

“A holiday-related crime?�� Trent asked, with just enough acid that Reed felt it like he’d been burned.

Laura wrung her hands and turned a worried gaze to Reed. “Oh, Reed, please be careful. I’m going to worry about you the whole time. I don’t think I can go to dinner if you’re about to do something dangerous.�� She turned to Trent. “Let’s change the plans for another night.�� She grasped at Reed’s arm, the tight grip telegraphing concern.

Reed hadn’t expected that reaction from her. The fear in her eyes cut through him like a rusty blade, far more painfully than Trent’s anger. He’d expected to disappoint her, but even that felt wrong right now. He was touched by her concern.

“Tom, can you manage without me? We’ve got plans, and unless it’s absolutely necessary��.��

“Do I have the right number?�� White asked, though his chuckle had lost its earlier mirth.

“Yeah. But, is there any way this can wait a few days?�� Reed couldn’t believe the words had come out of his mouth.

��ٱ�����dzܲ�����?��

Reed guessed they had. “Yeah. Till after Christmas? Don’t insurance companies get Christmas off?��

It was White’s turn for a long pause. Reed was tempted to recant, but White spoke before he had the chance. “Yes. That’ll be fine. Come in on the twenty-sixth, and you should be back the following day. Will that suit?��

“Yeah. The twenty-sixth works better.��

“I’ll e-mail you the travel arrangements, and we can do the briefing on the plane.��

“Thanks. And Merry Christmas.��

He smiled down at Laura, who looked relieved; then he took the wrap from Trent and helped Laura into it.

Trent came up behind Reed, whispered “I love you�� into his ear, and slipped a hand around his waist in a quick embrace.

######

But wait, there’s more
Win this gorgeous (semi) precious stone: a lapis lazuli pendant!
When you read the book, you’ll see why I chose lapis.

��

Here’s more about 24-Karat Conspiracy by EM Lynley
Love is the only gold

Former Ranger turned FBI agent Reed Acton faces his biggest challenge yet: a Christmas visit from partner Trent Copeland’s parents. He’s less equipped to handle hugs and holidays than the Taliban or international art thieves. When he’s assigned to track down a set of gold Babylonian artifacts looted from the Iraqi National Museum after the fall of Baghdad, things start to look up.

��

This time, Trent’s part of the mission, which takes them to exotic Istanbul. The crowded streets and labyrinthine markets fascinate Trent, but soon murder is on their trail. The investigation continues as Reed goes undercover at a US Army base, with Trent masquerading as his spouse. Surprisingly, fastidious and ever-fashionable Trent fits into base life right away and soon takes one of the suspects�� wives under his wing when domestic abuse rears its head.

��

Their faux marriage leads Reed to appreciate Trent in ways he never expected, strengthening their bond—until Reed has to confront the worst demons from his past: his relationship with his estranged family.

You can (pre)order this book at , and
Read an at my website.

Please check out the rest of the Precious Gems Series at , , , or your favorite bookseller.

About EM Lynley

EM Lynley writes gay romance with a touch of mystery and suspense. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. A Rainbow Award winner and EPIC finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she’d rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.

She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others.

Visit her online �� �� �� �� �� ��

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