I don’t watch a lot of TV these days. I got out of the habit when I was working full-time evenings and nights in the ED. But I do admit to having been seduced to the dark screen (as opposed to the dark side which I already live in ) by some of the series on networks like TNT, AME and USA.

By far my favorite show has become WHITE COLLAR with Tim DeKay and Matt Bomer. It’s a con artist Neal Caffery (Bomer) serving out his jail time (with an ankle bracelet tracker on) as a confidential informer to the FBI agent Peter Burke(DeKay) who caught him, helping to solve White Collar crimes. It’s fast paced, witty, classy, charming and the scenery is gorgeous. By that I mean the photography of NYC, yes, but more impressively, the attractiveness of the main characters. Physically and personality-wise.

DeKay’s character is an attractive, clever, smart, funny and kind man as well as a ‘suit’ (as Neal’s long-time accomplice/friend/fence Mozzie calls him) the black and white, justice-seeking FBI agent. Bomer’s character is undeniably gorgeous in 99% of the world’s eye. Slim, lithe, dark haired, blue-eyed, with a killer smile, a hi IQ and blurry sense of right and wrong. He has the impulse control of a three year old. The last leads the two of them to a more or less constant clash in the ethics/morals/legal areas of their evolving friendship. It’s fun to watch the banter, the character growth, the emotion, and the building trust and the blunders they both make trying to make their FBI partnership and their personal relationship/friendship work. And this is where the fun is for me. The bromance.

Oh, yeah. Neal has confided in Peter (while drugged) he is the only one in his life he trusts. He ocassionally stops while doing something shadey and considers what Peter will say when he catches him. He has the sense to look contrite when Peter confronts him with his latest lapse of judgment and grudgingly accepting of whatever punishment Peter decides fits the ‘crime’. I’m sorry but ‘house arrest’ translates to ‘grounded’ for me here. Peter is father/brother/partner a various times as Neal needs it. Protector, disciplinarian, counselor, confidante, teacher, friend. The voice or reason that is often missing from Neal’s world. Peter has fudged rules for Neal, harbored him while Neal was on the run from FBI (while Peter cleared his name), rushed to his defense, physically protected him from harm, and looked after him emotionally after a huge traumatic event happened to Neal.

The little scenes in the show where the two of them interacting on a personal/intimate level are what keep me coming back for more and loving every moment of it. Banter over the breakfast table in one episode, teasing one liners, heartfelt reassurances, protective moments, all natural parts of the characters development. The acts of two men who like each, who are closer than mere friends. This is the way I like to write my romances.

Last night there was a scene where Peter is going undercover as an accountant. Neal is talking with Peter as the FBI agent adjusts his shirt and tie. Peter asks Neal’s opinion on what style to knot the tie. Neal answers, Peter does it. Peter adjust his shirt sleeves, Neal gets off the living room couch where he is sitting to put Peter’s cuff links in for him, all the while the two of them are chatting about the case, going about their business, a natural act of two people who know each other very, very well and respect each other. Men comfortable in their own skins and with each other. I loved that scene.

I want to write for them. Bromance, the next best thing to M/M romance.

Book 2 of my Mother Earth series, Shenandoah, is now available from Samhain Publishing. Yay! I’m excited. This book was a tough one to write, but I have to say, I really love how it turned out. I love Bear and Dragon, I love this world, and I love this book. I hope everyone else will too :)

Read on for the blurb and a HOT excerpt!

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The weakness he fears could be his lover’s only hope.

(Mother Earth, book 2)

Bear has never regretted leaving his old life behind for his exotically beautiful lover, Dragon. Following his heart, though, has left them in need of a home. There’s only one place he can think of where they can be together and be happy. Shenandoah. A place of myth—until he encounters signs that it’s a real place that lies somewhere to the north.

Danger lurks in the wilderness, the ruined cities of the lost Old World, and especially within themselves. As Bear’s quest for a new home becomes a spirit journey of mystical power, Dragon doubts his own strength—an unbearable shame he tries to hide deep within. But when a chance encounter turns into a fight for survival, Bear’s life depends on Dragon’s ability to put his doubts aside…and dare to hope.

(Warning: This book contains knife fights, cannibals, mysterious ruins, and dirty sex between warrior men)

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© Copyright 2010 Ally Blue
Read chapter one on my website.
Buy the book here.
Continue Reading »

I was out conducting an audit a few days ago and when I staggered home, mentally exhausted, I ran into a pair of dove grey high heels lying on my entry floor that I’d worn to a wedding last weekend.

Surprisingly, I realized that I actually felt just as feminine in the dusty, steel toed boots I was wearing at the moment. Exhibit A, for your consideration:

My crit partners will probably all nod and smile when I say this but I’m actually very girly. I love to wear skirts and I own more jewelry than most of my friends combined. I don’t wear heels very often, but I very much appreciate the sight of a pretty lady in a pair of gorgeous heels LOL!

But, I couldn’t figure out why I felt feminine in my steel toes. Until I realized that whenever I wear my work boots, it signals that I’m heading to a job site… and most of the people I meet at the companies I audit are men. It’s hard not to feel like a lady when you’re the only one around!

So, question time… is there something you wear, or somewhere you go, that makes you feel especially feminine? Or masculine?

It’s almost here! Squire comes out beginning of September. And check out this awesome cover by PL Nunn!

This isn’t a long excerpt, just a quick look at when Rabin meets Izzy. And, yes, Brent would be Heaven Sent’s Brent Rose. Izzy’s Brent’s cousin.

Keep up to date with IK1: Squire here

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©2010 Jet Mykles, all rights reserved

When Rabin finally found the gate with the number Brent had given him, he was fairly bouncing with excitement. This place was fucking unreal. He leaned out his window to press a button on a pad mounted in front of the gate.

“Hey, Rabin.” Brent’s voice was crystal clear.

“How’d you know it’s me?”

“Cameras everywhere.” Brent laughed as the gate in front of Rabin began to slide open. “Come on up. Front door’s open.” Continue Reading »

I’ve spent the past week trying to get back in a groove. I think I have it, finally. The kids went back to school and I’ve rewritten 2 chapters on a Jeigh Lynn book. I’ve given myself until November 1st to have the revision done. I’m hoping it doesn’t take that long though. I know I have edits coming from With Abandon though and I’ve given myself plenty of time. I’m really biting at the bit to get to the next Sci-Regency. I’m having Regelence withdrawals! Everyone cross your fingers for me that the revision, and edits, go smoothly and quickly. I’d really like to get two books out a year instead of just one. I think it’s possible, but I refuse to sacrifice the quality to make that happen. ;-) So we’ll see what November 1st brings.

So I was listening to NPR last week on my way to work, as I tend to do. And I heard this way-cool story about what happens in that moment when your mind thinks your body’s in danger and time seems to slow to a crawl for a while. The story’s up on the NPR website. It’s an absolutely fascinating look at the nature of memory and perception, and how our brains work in a moment of crisis. The science geek in me LOVES it.

Naturally, an itty bitty baby plot bunny was birthed when I heard this. (Come on, you knew I was gonna say that. Don’t pretend you didn’t.) Not even a whole bunny, really. More of an embryo. And I’m not sure it would make a very good book. Maybe a spec-fic short story. But listen. What if a person had the power to actually live an entire life within that moment of life-and-death crisis? I’m not sure what the actual story would be, the idea of being able to do that just popped into my head and stuck there.

Has anyone done a story with that plot before? I like sci-fi, but there’s no way even the biggest fan can read EVERY book out there. Just because I haven’t read this particular tale before doesn’t mean no one’s ever done it. I’m curious, though. If someone’s written it, I’d like to read it. If no one has yet, well… I always say sci-fi needs more romance and gay sex in it O_O

I’m a little late posting this, as I went to a wedding, but I wanted to show you all a few pictures from my recent trip up to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories of Canada. I missed the 24 hours of daylight by about a month but the sun was still out pretty late. These were taken from my hotel window.

This first one is at 7:30 am:

And this is taken at midnight on the dot:

The only way I could make sure I had the pictures the right way was because the midnight picture shows the RCMP building with their outside lights on :)

And just so I could at least give you something beautiful to look at, here is a picture I took of the Igloo Church. It was gorgeous, inside and out!

How the hell do I get myself into these things? Argh.

Okay, so here’s the problem I have set for myself this time. Whenever I finish writing These Haunted Heights (which should be soon; I’m on the home stretch, I think…) I’m gonna start working on the next book in the Mother Earth series. Lynx’s story. I think I blogged about that already. Anyhow, part of that story is going to involve some sort of power source. So, I need to think of something that can produce power enough for a small-to-medium sized city. It needs to use relatively primitive means or be something that’s leftover from the old world and so self-sustaining that it’s still running after 250-300 years of no upkeep. Which seems unlikely to me, to be honest, so I’ll probably go with the first option and make it a power source the people of the city can keep up. I’m thinking possibly coal-fired or steam-powered, maybe. It can’t be wind or water for reasons that I can’t really go into here. But trust me. I can’t use wind or water.

Naturally, I know NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL, about these things. Sigh. Why do I torture myself like this? Why can’t I ever just write about stuff I already know?
Answer: because then I’d never write anything but medical romances. Which, by the way, I have a desire of late to write one of. Yes, that sentence does TOO make sense! Read it again.

Oh well. I will ponder the power question and do some research while I’m finishing up THH. If anyone has any brainwaves, or knows where I might go to learn about power sources that might work, please feel free to share. Y’all were so incredibly helpful with the plants and stuff when I was writing Shenandoah, I even dedicated the book to you :)

I don’t know how many of you have ever watched Degrassi (either the older show or the new version) but I just had to comment on something that makes my heart happy!

I grew up watching the older show, and while I wasn’t as obsessed with it as my older sis was, it still had an affect on me growing up. For those of you who have never watched it, Degrassi is a Canadian show that follows the lives of teenagers in Toronto, Ontario. It had three series that aired from 1979 to 1991 and at the time it was pretty groundbreaking for its portrayal of things like suicide, racism, homosexuality and teen pregnancy. It’s won GLAAD awards for its portrayal of gay and lesbian characters.

The new Degrassi has been on air for 10 seasons now and I’ve watched it occasionally but this season is turning out to be the best yet because of two specific storylines that I’m in love with. The first is a homosexual relationship between Riley (a closeted athlete) and Zane (out and proud) and the second is about an FTM transgender named Adam. The coolest thing about this is that Adam is the very FIRST scripted transgender teen to appear as a series regular in television history. I can’t even begin to express how amazing Adam is as a character, and watching the interaction between Adam and everyone around him has been both wonderful and painful at times. I really hope they continue to focus on Adam and my not-so-secret inner romantic is hoping for a relationship in his future :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSSdUv_R0xI&feature=player_embedded#!

I am in paradise. Well, almost. I’m in Hawaii. I know, poor, poor me. You feel sorry for me, yes. I’ll make it even worse. My family lives here. So those boring family trips? I get to make them to Hawaii. Yes, poor, poor me.

Today I go to a wedding. My cousin is getting married. I’m very happy for him. Met the bride for the first time last night. She seems great. I’ll admit that I don’t like weddings. Never really have. Having been in 8 of them in my life — none my own — I lost the appreciation of them. Especially since of the 8 weddings I was in, I think only one of those couples is still married today. But the bride and groom seemed happy and I always wish the best for the couple. It can and does work. I’m a romance writer after all so I can’t be too jaded, right?

Want to know what a pervy old woman I am? Is sad but I was enjoying myself by watching all the handsome young men in and around the bridal party. Oh my, were they something to look at. And they weren’t too terribly young — between 25-30 — so I didn’t even have to feel all that guilty. Bonus!

I’m here until Thursday. Hoping the sun and paradise atmosphere will provide some inspiration. Perhaps I should pray to Pele? Now there’s a classy goddess!