Starling
by Racheline Maltese and Erin McRae
Publisher: Torquere Press
Publication date: Sept. 10, 2014
Formats: ebook & trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61040-773-1
71,428 words
Book 1 in the Love in Los Angeles series
Contact: erin.and.racheline@gmail.com
Blurb:
When J. Alex Cook, a production assistant on The Fourth Estate (one of network TV’s hottest shows), is accidentally catapulted to stardom, he finds himself struggling to navigate both fame and a relationship with Paul, one of Fourth’s key writers. Despite their incendiary chemistry, Alex’s inexperience and the baggage they’re both carrying quickly lead to an ugly break-up.
Reeling from their broken hearts, Alex has an affair with a polyamorous co-star and Paul has an ill-advised reunion with an old flame. Meanwhile, the meddling of their colleagues, friends -- and even the paparazzi! -- quickly make Alex and Paul’s real life romance troubles the soap opera of the television season.
But while the entertainment value may be high, no one knows better than Alex and Paul that there are no guarantees when it comes to love in Los Angeles.
Bio:
Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese’s gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry, is published by Torquere Press. The first novel, Starling, was released September 2014; its sequel, Doves, is scheduled for January 2015. Racheline is a NYC-based performer and storyteller focused on themes of sex, gender, desire and mourning. Erin McRae is a writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. You can find them on the web at http://www.Avian30.com.
Our various social media links:
Erin’s Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8323893.Erin_McRae
Racheline’s Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1015335.Racheline_Maltese
Erin’s Twitter:https://twitter.com/erincmcrae
Racheline’s Twitter:https://twitter.com/racheline_m
Joint Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/Erin.and.Racheline
Joint Blog:http://Avian30.com
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starling-Racheline-Maltese-ebook/dp/B00NH0MFOO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410387761&sr=1-1
Torquere bookstore: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4269
Excerpt:
Alex finds him alone, eventually, in the kitchen.
“I‘m glad you came,” Paul tells him and offers him another beer.
Alex shrugs. “Thanks,” he says, both for the drink and for Paul actually meaning it.
Paul regards him in silence for a moment. “How are you?”
“Here,” Alex says, because it’s the simplest summation of his current state of being in all its forms.
Paul laughs, loud and surprised like he sometimes does. Alex grins back at him. When Paul’s smile stays and his eyes meet Alex’s and then linger, Alex knows he’s doing the stupid squinchy-eyed thing again. He turns his head away a little, because Margaret has told him what that look can do. He’s not sure what he should be expecting or wanting out of tonight yet.
“Hey, no.” Paul raises his hand and presses two fingertips, damp and cool, against Alex’s temple. He turns Alex’s head back until their eyes meet again, and then he drops his hand slowly. Alex knows it’s to give him a chance to stop him if he wants.
He doesn’t, and Paul’s hand settles on his waist. “Party’s out there,” he says, and tips his head back towards the living room. “Wanna go join?”
It’s not an invitation Alex has any interest in saying no to.
***
Paul keeps a hand at Alex's waist until they’re at the side of the room, and then grins and tugs him a little closer and starts moving his hips to the beat.
“Really?” Alex raises an eyebrow, though he doesn’t step away.
“C’mon, I know you can,” Paul tells him, and puts his other hand on Alex’s hips too. No one who can control their face and body like Alex can’t dance.
Alex smiles that small, dangerous smile of his and puts his hands on Paul’s shoulders. “Okay.”
Paul knows it’s game on. Alex moves beautifully, easy and strong to the beat, and Paul can feel the power of him under his hands, the physicality of his magnetism. It’s extraordinary. This is why Alex doesn’t like to speak, Paul realizes; he simply doesn’t need to, his body is a more faithful storyteller.
When Paul had invited Alex to this party, he’d entertained vague fantasies of getting to talk with him meaningfully and maybe making out with him in a corner. But Paul has been thinking about Alex as desirable and intriguing for so long that with him in his arms now Paul wants nothing more than to go big with that desire. He can't imagine a few kisses being enough.
Songs pass and they keep moving closer to each other until they’re way too close. Paul hopes Alex knows he can do what he wants here; sure they’re still being watched but it doesn’t matter. This feels way too good, and Paul pulls them together until their thighs are brushing and his arms are snug around Alex’s waist.
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