Padme's Library: Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Family Time Anthology

Monday, July 27, 2015

Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Family Time Anthology

Summary:
These twelve stories range from first-time parents, to a couple still trying to conceive, to a ready-made family hoping to make it official, to parents just trying to get from one day to the next.

But it can't all be about the kids. Especially when the kid to parent ratio favors the kids. You might have sneak out of your own house. Or remind your spouse what grown-ups can do when the kids are away.

From veteran and new authors, these families contain several M/M couples, an F/F couple, and an asexual mom who has some explaining to do to her genderfluid teen.

First Day of School, a And Manny Makes Seven short by Sean Michael
Lizzie stared at Hutch with huge, tear-filled eyes. "Please. Please, Hut. Don't make me go away. I'll be the best cooker ever. I promise."

God, she was breaking his heart. Hutch managed to find a warm smile for her, though, as he crouched to give her a hug. "You'll be home by three thirty. And I bet you find you like school. There's so many fun things to do." He’d known it would be hard to send the twins off to school every day, leaving the house empty until afternoon, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hard.

She shook her head, the tears beginning to fall. Felicia was desperate to be big, to go to school like Darla, but this one had been opposed to the whole idea and finding out she wasn't in the same Kindergarten class as her twin hadn't helped. The school claimed they split twins up to let them develop their own individuality.

Well, Hutch knew damn well his girls were plenty individual, each with their own unique personality despite being together since birth.

"When you get home you can help me make supper," he promised. "That won't change just because you're going to school."

"Please? You can tell Addie-Lou it's okay. I know you can," she insisted.

"No, little. He can't." Adam shook his head. "School is important."

"Is not!" She stamped her little foot, glaring at Adam. "I want to stay with Hut!"

"Okay, Lizzie, that's enough." Hutch gave her his most firm voice. "School is important and you're going to make friends and find really fun things to do. Addie-Lou and I will be here when you get home."

He wanted so badly to tell her she could stay home, but he knew she needed to do this. It was his job to make sure she didn't need him and Adam anymore and this was how it started. Even if it was the hardest thing ever.

Author Bios:

Sean Michael
Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Katherine Halle
The nickname “Queen of Happy Endings” is an apt one for Katherine Halle. She firmly believes that no matter what the obstacles, what the struggles, or how much angst is involved in the journey that the ending should always be a happy one.

Katherine’s love of the written word started at a very early age with repeated demands of “read to me” to any who would listen. It was only natural that writing would follow. As a child, she could often be found daydreaming, thinking up fanciful stories and writing them down. Now she does it on a laptop. Much faster.

Katherine’s favorite animal is her dog. She likes books, movies, and quirky tv shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a closet foodie. She has lived in both Europe and the United States and loved both. When she's not writing or plotting, Katherine enjoys spending her time listening to music, reading books by OTHER people, and being with her family.

Nicole McCormick
Nicole lives in Austin with her husband and two rascally kitties. She typically writes m/m romance, but occasionally other stuff manages to sneak in. When she’s not writing, she’s either reading or knitting. If it’s March, you can find her at the rodeo. She’ll be the one wearing the large unicorn necklace.

K. Lynn
K. Lynn has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. In her youth, she could most likely be found in the local library, devouring books that covered everything from WWII History to Dr. McCoy's latest adventures aboard the Enterprise, with some X-Men thrown in for good measure. Once she had read everything that was on the shelves, she turned around and read them again. K. Lynn was also known to create elaborate adventures that more than once made it to the page. Ink-filled papers gave way to overflowing computer memory as the years went on, but the stories never ceased.

While in college, K. Lynn increased her involvement in LGBT issues and writing within the LGBT fiction genre. She has become a long-time fan of the authors that seek to explore the commonality that exists within all sexualities and genders. Most of K. Lynn's work features LGBT characters, many of whom are in established relationships and show how love perseveres through every trial and tribulation that life holds. She also has a particular interest in seeing transgender characters gain a larger foothold within the LGBT fiction genre, hoping that the market for these works expand in the future.

K. Lynn has degrees and certificates from UNC-Chapel Hill in the areas of American History, Religion, Creative Writing, Public Health, and Journalism. She is a member of Mensa and has an extensive writing and editing background. To her, life is an ongoing adventure where she seeks to learn something new every day. When K. Lynn is not writing short stories, she is working on her novels. Her interests range from erotica to education, with stops along the way in paranormal fiction, historical novels, and established relationship romance. Give her a good story and she's willing to read.

Rob Rosen
Rob Rosen is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, Sparkle: The Queerest Book You'll Ever Love, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated Divas Las Vegas, which was the winner of the 2010 TLA Gaybies for Best Gay Fiction, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, and Creature Comfort. His short stories have appeared in more than 200 anthologies. You can find 20 of them in his erotic romance anthology, Good & Hot. He is also the editor of Lust in Time: Erotic Romance Through the Ages, Men of the Manor and Best Gay Erotica 2015.

Mychael Black
aka Kay Derwydd

What do online gaming, Spongebob, cooking, writing, and an unnatural addiction to Mountain Dew all have in common?

Not a damn thing, which is what makes Mychael Black an interesting bird indeed.

Born in north Alabama, Mychael now resides in north Mississippi. Having run the gamut of labels in regard to gender and sexuality, Mychael now shuns society’s views on normality and embraces a poly-everything attitude. Call Mychael her or him—it doesn’t matter. Just keep reading the books.

Andrea Dalling
Andrea Dalling lives in the sexy Southeast, where the summers are hot and the romance hotter. During the day, she’s an award-winning technical writer, but at night, she writes steamy stories. She loves to torture her characters but eventually rewards them with a happily-ever-after. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s a progressive Christian and an advocate for LGBT rights.

Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, including the Passionate Ink, Rainbow Romance, and Heart of Carolina chapters. Her work includes gay, BDSM, and multicultural erotic romance novels, novellas, and short stories.

Yolande Kleinn
Yolande Kleinn is a shameless dreamer, a stubborn optimist, and a purveyor of erotic romance. Excitable, fastidious and just a little eclectic, she spends every spare moment writing the stories she wants to read. If she can drag other people into the pool along with her, then so much the better.

Lynn Townsend
Lynn Townsend is a displaced Yankee, a mother, a writer, a dreamer, and the proud owner of a small black hole residing under her desk that tends to eat kittens, odd socks, staplers, and her car keys.