De-blog

Part of Play On... A FREE Valentine’s Day collection of short stories, poetry and prose, inspired by the songs of ABBA. Nina, Pretty Ballerina © 2019 Debbie McGowan I didn’t like her. Not at first. She was too pretty. Too perfect. The box belonged to my sister, a pink, fluffy, glittery little thing—the description suited both—from a boy in her class. I remember her ripping off the paper, squealing in delight and then casting it aside, concerned only with the accumulation of Valentines, not sentiment. She wouldn’t let me see what was inside, but that had never stopped me before. Back then, though, all I knew was the box had two keys. One was for a tiny, pointless padlock that hung from the front like a little robot Scotsman’s sporran— Kick me in the goolies, I dare ye. Oh, dare accepted, my good wee McMan. The other key stuck out the back and would, inevitably, bring about the end of the world. I waited, biding my time for just one opportunity to get at that box....

For many in war-torn 1944, love blossoms in the dance hall, and airman Arty Clarke is no exception. He's a thinker and a dreamer; however, it's not the beautiful, talented dancer in his arms - his best friend Jean - who inspires his dreams. For when his gaze meets that of Technical Sergeant Jim Johnson, Arty dares to imagine a different dance. Their love is forbidden, by both the armed forces and the law, but with Jean's cunning and support, Arty and Jim try to bridge the distance between them and find true love despite the danger and a life-threatening disaster that could destroy Arty's dreams for good. Can the pair stand strong together, no matter how many skies have fallen? * * * * * When Skies Have Fallen is a novel, written as part of the Love is an Open Road Anthology (Don't Read in the Closet, 2015). In This Blog Post: About Love is an Open Road Research and Video Clips Excerpt from When Skies Have Fallen * * * * * About Love is ...

I've just submitted two stories to my publisher. That sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it? And you know what? It is! But this isn't any old publisher. It's not a traditional publisher, nor an indie publisher. It's an online community endeavour to publish a massive anthology of around 200 stories. Do not think for one minute that this makes it anything less than professional. The support from the moderators, the editors, proofreaders - they are truly incredible, and the community itself really is one on its own. About The M/M Romance Group The community I'm talking about is the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads , and I'm a member. That feels a bit like coming out, because if you're unfamiliar with the terminology, "M/M" is male/male, and it's a genre I'm still learning about, even though I've discovered that my first novel, Champagne (2004, 2014), is, in fact, a M/M romance. However, much of what I write falls under the umbrell...