Stephanie Lawton

Welcome to the third Matt Bomer Monday!

There’s nothing worse than a Monday morning, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Here are the reasons:

• Alliteration–I’m kinda simple-minded like that.
• Mondays SUCK. Plain and simple. If a pretty face can alleviate just an ounce of suckitude, I’m for it.
• While searching for the face of Isaac, a main character in Want, I discovered Matt (who plays Neal Caffrey on “White Collar.”) Since then, he’s become the poster child for Isaac. IRL he’s nothing like my character, but writing (and acting) is all about playing pretend, right?

The following is slightly spoilery, so just look at the pretty picture if you won’t want any plot hints.

He spends the rest of the ride nuzzling my neck. When the train stops, he takes my hand and leads me back to the hotel.

WHOA. Today starts the month-long blog tour for my upper YA novel, Want, which drops June 7! Below are the stops:

May 7th: Tour Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

May 8th: Guest Post @ Words Like Silver

May 9th: Review and Giveaway @ The Awesome Magic Attic

May 10th: Review @ Catch The Lune

May 11th: Guest Post @ Library Mosaic

May 12th: Review @ Semi-Educational Reviews

May 13th: Review @ All Sorts of Books

May 14th: Guest Post @ Brenda McCreight’s Blog

May 15th: Review and Book Excerpt @ Divine Secrets of a Little Bookworm

May 16th: Review @ Author Vanessa Leigh

May 17th: Character Interview @ Suzanne Van Rooyen

May 18th: Review @ Sutton Fox

May 19th: Guest Post @ All Sorts of Books

May 20th: Review @ Nick’s Book Blog

May 21st: Review @ Reading it All

May 22nd: Book excerpt and review @ Readergirls Blog

May 23rd: Review @ I Heart Reading

May 24th: Guest Post @ Full Moon Bites

May 25th: Author Interview and Review @ Jean The Book Nerd

May 26th: Author Interview @ Emily’s Crammed Bookshelf

May 27th: Review and Giveaway @ Artsy Musings of a Bibliophile

May 28th: Guest Post @ Pretty Opinionated

May 29th: Book Excerpt Post @ Author Aubrie’s Blog

May 30th: Book Excerpt @ Once Upon a Book

May 31st: Review @ Books, books and more books

June 1st: Review, Interview and Excerpt @ Personal Literary Book Frenzy

June 2nd: Guest Post @ Soul Unsung

June 3rd: Book Feature and Review @ Unputdownable Books

June 5th: Book Excerpt and Review @ For The Love of Film and Novels

June 6th: Review and Interview @ Books and Sparkles

June 7th: Book Excerpt and Review @ Kindred Dreamheart

Okay, okay, enough teasing these past few Six Sundays. In today’s six, you find out what’s up with the dude calling Dylanie’s name outside her window … sort of:

In a blink, he’s moved from the base of the gnarled tree to the stone patio beneath me. Despite the landscape lights, he looks solid, not like a spirit at all—no haze, no shapeless black shadow figure. Slowly, so slowly, he raises his head. My legs go weak, and I grip the railing for support. Below me is the hot dark-haired man I saw on the steps when I arrived.

“Dylanie, I ask you again: may I come in?”

(Say yes! Say yes!) Next week we’ll find out what he wants from her. Well, one of the things he wants from her.

And FYI, the blog tour for my upper YA novel, Want, starts tomorrow! The schedule is online here.

Please check out the other Six Sentence Sunday participants, and I’m so excited because some of my critique group members are posting their very first six today! Please show them some love and welcome them to the group: Lee Ann Ward and Joyce Scarbrough.

Have a great week!

Welcome to the second Matt Bomer Monday!

As I said last week, there’s nothing worse than a Monday morning, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Here are the reasons:

• Alliteration–I’m kinda simple-minded like that.
• Mondays SUCK. Plain and simple. If a pretty face can alleviate just an ounce of suckitude, I’m for it.
• While searching for the face of Isaac, a main character in Want, I discovered Matt (who plays Neal Caffrey on “White Collar.”) Since then, he’s become the poster child for Isaac. IRL he’s nothing like my character, but writing (and acting) is all about playing pretend, right?

So, yeah … ENJOY.

I listen for a while, but the mosquitoes make a feast out of me, and I can’t stay on his porch forever. I move from the door to the window and tap on it with my knuckle. His head jerks up, and the pencil falls from his teeth.

He knocks over the bench when he stands, and that’s when I notice he doesn’t have on a shirt. He must realize it, too, because somewhere between the piano and the front door, he’s pulled one on. The door jerks open.

I shouldn’t have come here.

“What happened? What’s wrong? You hurt?” He quickly looks me over then out at the street beyond.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Then what are you doing here? This neighborhood isn’t safe at night.”

“Technically, it’s morning.”

“Semantics. Tell me what’s going on.”

I’ve been teasing y’all the past couple Sundays with lines from the manuscript I’m querying–it’s a weird YA mutt of soft horror, paranormal romance, Southern ghost story, historical fiction, and a small thread of LGBT. (Can I just call it YA Southern Gothic/Grotesque?)

Anyway, Dylanie’s broken the rules at Oakleigh House by going out on her room’s balcony at night. She’s heard a man calling her name, and last week someone or something brushed her cheek, lulling her into a dreamy state (not something our punky tomboy is used to at all).

“No–ouch!” For the second time today, I smack my head on part of a window. “Who the hell are you and what do you want? God, you almost had me there.”

He chuckles. “Oh, I intend to.”

Mmmm, confidence is sexy. Next week, I promise you’ll find out who ”he” is.

Please be sure to check out the other Six Sentence Sunday participants–all genres and all styles are represented. Have a great week!

Oakleigh House in Mobile, Alabama--Dylanie's balcony is on the right.

Welcome to the very first Matt Bomer Monday!

I know, weird that I’m posting man-candy, on a mostly YA site, right? Here are my reasons:

• Alliteration–I’m kinda simple-minded like that.
• Mondays SUCK. Plain and simple. If a pretty face can alleviate just an ounce of suckitude, I’m for it.
• While searching for the face of Isaac, a main character in Want, I discovered Matt (who plays Neal Caffrey on “White Collar.”) Since then, he’s become the poster child for Isaac. IRL he’s nothing like my character, but writing (and acting) is all about playing pretend, right?

Without further ado, Matt Bomer in costume de rigueur, looking all Southern and Isaac-y, as if he were, I dunno … performing with an orchestra? Enjoy:

His eyes search past the footlights to the front row. Our eyes lock, and his widen for a second before he nods and sits at the bench. I blush from my bare toes to the tops of my ears. Mr. Cline even glances at me, a small look of amusement lighting his features. Isaac’s mother doesn’t look quite so amused.

Goooood morning/afternoon/evening Sixers! (Did I cover all the bases?) The following six pick up right where last week’s left off, with Dylanie on the balcony of her room at Oakleigh, an antebellum mansion in modern Mobile. She’s been told not to go outside at night, but she’s a hopeless rule-breaker.

So far, she’s heard a voice calling her name and seen a strange man under an oak tree in the yard. Now, they make first contact … sort of.

Invisible fingers caress my cheek and smooth my hair away from my face. My mind races, but my body’s reaction doesn’t match. It’s like they separate from each other. I close my eyes as a feeling of well-being invades.

“Dylanie, please.” His voice comes from far away, soft and warm, like Jake’s would feel if …

Oh, a strange man begging?

Please visit some of the other Six Sunday participants–all genres are represented and it’s so fun to see what everyone else is up to!

On a totally different note, three copies of my upcoming release, Want, are up for grabs on Goodreads. When there are 1,000 people requesting it, I’ll host a giveaway. Not quite sure what it’ll be yet, but I have a good idea …