The Unicorns are proud to be a part of the One Pulse tour to contribute in a small way to the victims whose lives will forever be changed by this devastating attack. #OrlandoStrong
I want to start off by thanking Boy Meets Boy for hosting me today and helping to get the word out about the Dreamspinner Press’ One Pulse Anthology.
The shooting at Pulse was a devastating attack on the LGBT community and in the days following I not only noticed how deeply it affected everyone around me, but in addition to that, there was an outpouring of support for the victims.
Dreamspinner Press quickly announced an anthology to benefit the victims and family of the Orlando shooting. All proceeds will be donated to LGBTQ organizations in central Florida. Authors donated their stories, artists donated the cover art, and Dreamspinner staff donated the time and effort to put together and edit the anthology. They wanted stories of love winning over any obstacle and just based on what I’ve read so far, the authors of Dreamspinner Press delivered. I’m only about halfway through reading and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the stories are like.
I instantly knew I wanted to help and worked to put together More Than a Pact for inclusion in the anthology. More Than a Pact revolves around Paul and Mac. They’ve been friends since college, and despite one drunken night together, they never became anything more, but not because it wasn’t what they wanted. Now they’re both thirty-five, still alone, and Mac isn’t afraid to speak up for what he wants.
While they’ve both had relationships over the years, something always causes them to fizzle. It’s not until Mac shows up for Paul’s birthday, determined to remind him of the pact they made after that one night, that Paul accepts the part that Mac has played in each of his break-ups. The question remains, what are they going to do?
In More Than a Pact, Mac and Paul have to overcome time, distance, and their pre-conceived notions as to the true nature of their friendship.
Excerpt:
Paul kicked off his shoes and sank onto the couch. Thirty-frickin’-five and still alone. He’d had his share of lovers through the years, but it was rare that one lasted more than a couple of months. No matter how hard he tried, there was always something missing. His longest relationship had lasted a year, and then he’d thrown in the towel and admitted it wasn’t working out. Again.
If spending his birthday alone wasn’t bad enough, the advertising agency he worked at had lost one of their biggest clients. The second one in two months. When their contracts were up, they weren’t renewing. There were rumors of layoffs, and some of his coworkers were going into panic mode. Damn, he needed a drink. Should have fixed one before he sat down.
He grabbed his laptop, started it, and set it aside. Good thing he kept a bottle of whiskey on hand. He levered himself up off the couch and headed for the kitchen. Paul grabbed a glass, filled it half full of ice, poured some whiskey in, and topped it off with a can of Coke. He carried the much-needed drink back to the living room and sat down on the couch.
The computer had booted up, and for once it wasn’t being slow and had even finished connecting to the Internet. He took a swallow of his drink and set it on the end table, then pulled the computer onto his lap and signed in to his e-mail. Among the junk usually filling his inbox, there was a name he recognized. He grinned and clicked on the e-mail from Mac.
Happy Birthday, Pauly!! It’s the big 35, ain’t it? I’m going to be in town soon, want to grab a beer? Give me a call. You got my number. At least you’d better still have it!
Mac
Only Mac could get away with calling him Pauly. Paul sighed and sipped at his drink. Trust Mac to remember when his damn birthday was, despite the fact Paul had been very careful to avoid any mention of his birthday to anyone. Mac had turned thirty-five only a few months earlier, and Paul had made sure to call him. Rather than respond to the e-mail or call, Paul grabbed his cell phone and sent a text to his best friend since college.
When and where?
Paul rested his head against the back of the couch. It would be good to see Mac. He missed him. They’d gotten together a handful of times over the years since they graduated. He’d always secretly hoped for something to develop between the two of them, but outside of one drunken night, nothing ever happened. That one night hadn’t been enough to get Mac out of his system, but he’d forced himself to move on.
He was still thinking of their college days when his phone rang.
Blurb:
Stories drive life. Sometimes life is good; sometimes life is bad. But it’s the nature of our community that in the aftermath of an act of hatred, we respond with love. Because darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Cruelty cannot stand against compassion. Negativity will never overcome hope.
To show our support for those affected by the Orlando shooting, our authors, editors, artists, and staff have volunteered their talents to create this anthology. All proceeds will be donated to LGBT organizations in central Florida. Join us as we celebrate the triumph of love over every obstacle.
Buy Links:
About Renee:
The heart wants what it wants and sometimes nothing will derail its journey.
Renee Stevens first started writing in her teens but didn’t get serious about being an author until her mid-twenties. Since then she’s written a number of contemporary stories, as well as delved into the paranormal. When not writing, or spending time in the outdoors, Renee can usually be found working on GayAuthors.org in her capacity of Admin, Blog Coordinator, and Anthology Coordinator.
Renee resides in Wyoming with her wonderfully supportive husband and a menagerie of four-legged critters. Making the most of the nearly constant negative temperatures and mounds of snow, Renee spends much of the winter months in hibernation with her laptop, the voices in her head keeping her company while her husband works.
When she needs a break from writing, Renee takes to the sewing machine to design, and make, beautiful quilts. When the snow finally disappears, usually around May or June, Renee can be found in the great-outdoors. She spends her time on the mountain, at the lake, and just anywhere that she can do some camping, take some photos, and ride the four-wheelers with her hubby. Once back at home, it’s back to writing.
Thank you for hosting me today and being a part of this wonderful anthology.
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