Debbie R. Sims reviewed Caress and had this to say: “Cole has written a great story where the mystery, drama and suspense cause the passionate moments to be more intense…”

Yeah, she said that. I’m thrilled. I am officially proud of my first jaunt into the world of romantic suspense!

Cheers!

Grayson Cole

Caress will be available in eBook format from all sellers November 1, 2011.

Caress releasing November 2011

-Grayson

Yes, this is an homage of the Crown of Baekje.

So I’m writing a new fantasy series called The Lover’s Opalus. Right now, it’s in three parts, but I can already tell that I’ll want to write beyond the borders of those three parts. The first in the series is The Empire. Though it starts in the middle of the story (everything I write does in some way), it does a good job of setting up the atmosphere, and setting you off on a complicated trajectory. You don’t know where it’s going but the pretty hot romance makes you want to follow the path anyway. Here’s the blurb, don’t hold me to it, it may change by the time the series is published:

The Lover’s Opalus: When is an Empire not an Empire? When it rules the West, the North, and the East, but the Death White Border to the South must never be breached… 
 
The Empress, all darkness and allure, has betrayed the Emperor. Raeche doesn’t know what the cruel and calculating warrior will do when the baby growing in her belly is born and Lanus will know it is not his. Only… when her child is born, blonde and green-eyed with milky skin, the girl is the spitting image of the Emperor. Raeche is shocked… and intrigued. The game is afoot. The Emperor’s trickery becomes unique seduction as the keys to the true Empire are unlocked in this first book in the series.

So here’s the interesting part. The Empress is a small, dark-skinned beauty from a land where everyone is short and dark-skinned, with dark eyes and hair. The Emperor is from the North (unoriginal, but really there are only four directions) and he is tall and blonde and pale with green eyes. Now there’s no over or undertone regarding race, no conflict in this Empire based on coloring, soooo do I consider it I/R? It’s not in my constructed world, but in the world of the reader… you… it is.

So what do I call it? Interested in your opinion.

On another note, I think I will publish under my full name Grayson Reyes-Cole. Executive decision that going forward, that name will be for my fantasy and Grayson Cole will be for my contemporary romance. Yes, yes?

–Grayson

1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
dash of salt

Mix eggs, salt, and flour. Mix in butter. Slowly add in the water and milk. Beat until smooth. To make your crêpe heat an oiled or buttered griddle or skillet to medium. pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan. If you’ve done it right, when the edges start to crisp, the crêpe will be sliding all over the place. you can flip it then and cook for another 3-5 minutes until it’s crisp.

I like to heat in a small sauce pan some smoked ham and chopped garlic spiced with chili powder and topped with melted provolone. Yum. I spoon the hot mixture into the crêpe and roll it up. I salivate at the thought of topping it with a fried egg and a tiny bit of grated parmesan.

I love Boston lettuce, spinach, and strawberries dressed with olive oil, rice wine vinegar, and grenadine. Sometimes I throw in roasted pecans, but not when I’ve already got a protein packed entrée.

Did I mention yum? I am so pleased right now. I reckon I’m happy enough to make some progress on my fantasy epic tonight, too!

Woohoo!
Grayson

Caress releasing November 2011

Hi Friends!

Here’s an excerpt from my up coming contemporary suspense piece, Caress, in stores November 2011.

“Lysette, must I remind you that this guy has everybody in the Greater Birmingham area and beyond thinking we steal candy from babies? I know you’ve become Miss Happy Bride USA, but I, personally, don’t have time to think of anything else besides work right now, now more than ever with Daddy leaving and all. And you know that. I barely noticed him,” Nya said it though at that moment, it just wasn’t true. Yes, she certainly had noticed Michael Harrison. In fact, presently, the only thing she could think about was how his sheer masculinity seemed fill her office. Not to mention the warmth suffusing her body when she momentarily gazed into his eyes. She conceded only to herself that that may have had a little to do with just big the chip on her shoulder grew while in his presence. The last thing she needed as chaos ruled her life was a wild and random attraction.

“What about the plane?”

Nya’s gaze whipped around to Lysette. “What?”

“Okay, so you barely noticed Harrison. What about the guy on the plane that you were telling me about? The good-looking guy? Didn’t he get your mind off work for even a little while?”

Nya stared at her friend. She didn’t even know how to tell her. The question had caught her completely off guard.

“What’s that look for, Nya?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“No, I don’t think I will. It would serve you right if I never told you anything again. This whole office knew Harrison was here before I did.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad,” Lysette whined.

“You certainly are.

“You know it occurs to me just now. Michael said he’d just gotten back from the islands this weekend. It’s weird you never came across each other.”

Though it had been just an innocent observation, for once, it only took a glance at Nya for Lysette to smell blood in the water. Nya could almost see her ears perk up.  “You didn’t ever meet him did you?”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“That means you did see him down there. Why didn’t you tell me?” Then, as if a light had been turned on in her mind, she guessed, “Or, did you tell me? Hmm, Nya? Are you not telling me that he was the guy on the plane?”

That woman was too smart for her own good. When Nya finally broke down and confirmed her suspicions, Lysette was shocked as if she hadn’t already jumped to that conclusion. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. For a moment, she started to speak but was stunned all over again. But then, much too suspiciously, Lysette closed her mouth and began to stroke her chin. She crossed her legs and a slow smile curled her lips.

“Oh no,” Nya moaned covering her eyes with her hands. She knew exactly what was running around in that finely coiffed head. “Lysette. I will never forgive you if you do this to me. Listen, I’ll never forgive you.”

Lysette gave a broad smile and a blank stare. “What? Oh, I’m not going to do anything.”

Pre-order it here

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Read the first chapter here.

–Grayson

Will their love survive the light of day?

Hi Friends!

I’m running this contest through six pm EDT Friday, June 24, 2011. Why through then? So that I can hop on fulfilment Saturday morning! So, if you are interested in what I am fashionably terming a novel embroiled in controversy… or you just want a copy of this novel signed by me, all you have to do is comment here with your favorite color (which incidentally will become the new dominant color of the bathroom in my home that I’m loosely referring to as the Miami Vice bathroom). I will take your submissions, put them into bowl, and draw a winner.  Then the winner will be announced here and the celebrating will begin… then shipping… USPS style!

Come on, comment. You know you want a copy!

–Grayson

What I can say about all my heroines is that they mean well. Like a mother forcing a jacket on you when you’re not that cold so that you end up grumbling and uttering silent and forbidden cursewords later in the day when you have to drag it around and try to keep up with it when you aren’t wearing it. She means well, she’s taking care of you whether you want it or not, and you understand that.

I think every woman I’ve written has muscled her way toward “what’s right” even when it’s completely wrong. And I love that dynamic. I’m fascinated by it! I am also humbled when one of my heroines becomes someone you know because of this behavior. 

But maybe that’s because it’s not so unusual for women, right? Many of us are hardwired to put others before ourselves and to listen to body language and tone of voice and even history before we listen to the words of others. We frequently know, or at least think we know, what the people we love want even before they do.

Reading the reviews, I know I’ll keep writing heroines that are a bit different and a bit real, even when she might frustrate the reader. These characters, even the uber-fantasy characters, must be people you know. Sometimes you will like them despite not wanting to like them, but you, hopefully, you will always know them. That would be cool.

If you are interested in contemporary romance and want to see what I mean, read Inside Out and let me know what you think. I always read the first few reviews of my novels, and I have enjoyed all those posted so far. They really illustrate the response to what I’ve been writing about. You can read them for yourself, of course, but I have to warn you, there are some spoilers so you may want to wait until after you’ve read the book.

If you’re interested in something darker, something in the realm of fantasy, my other favorite genre you can take on Bright Star, probably the most twisted heroine I’ve ever conceived and the epitome of the adage, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Thanks for reading,

Grayson

You can’t imagine the celebrating going in the Cole house… So, without further ado, I’m off to celebrate!

To get your copy, click here! Or you can get it from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, for your Nook or you Kindle… You can get any way you like it!

Grayson

http://www.grayson-cole.com

Will their love survive the light of day?

In fact, my favorite times of the year are the windy, storm-riddled months of spring and fall where tornados are born in terrible litters that race up and down county roads. Electrified, the air before a storm smells like fresh and pure. Wet soil adds a heady and intoxicating aroma to the mix. Intense energy fuels nervous voices and anxiety-laced laughter assures anyone around that we are excited and maybe a little scared, though we expect to come out of it alive. Sometimes I feel compelled to go out and watch the storm approach, to listen to the eerie wail of the tornado sirens lamenting all over the city. A slow, contralto keen.

You know those people on YouTube that are endlessly ridiculed for eschewing safety in favor of watching the impending release of nature’s fury? I agree. They are silly. But, I am one of them. It’s hard to explain for a person who has not experience this sort of event or a person who is not a naturalist, but an event like this one is compelling, a marvel, an event. It’s God at work in a way that makes you wonder who the hell asked for a sign. It’s seductive and quite misleading when you’ve come through unscathed so many times.

That Wednesday’s tornados were the third such string in only about ten days. There was damage from the others, but again, nothing like April 27th. The day before and the day of the tornado, we knew it was coming, we prepared for it. Schools closed, weather radios came out of cabinets, and we designed plans to hunker down in hallways and basements of strong structures to wait it out. In truth, that’s all one can do, because tornados are fickle and mean. They twist and turn and go where they like and destroy in flashes. Me?  I stood on the patio marveling at how dark the sky had become in middle of the day, letting the wind whip through my hair, glorying in the misty prelude to rain on my skin. Until security came and got me and demanded I get to safety.

The storm went south of us. Nothing happened across the river. Then, I drove home or tried to.

Nearly there, I wondered why traffic was backed up. Then I turned on my radio and found heard nothing but white noise. On another station, the reports of devastation started coming in. Then I came to an intersection where I was not allowed to cross. This is what I saw:

April 27, 2011

I’m going to post some of my pictures from my relief work over the past couple of weeks, but I swear I don’t know why. You’ve seen the sort already, and no matter how devastating it looks in a picture, it is nothing like seeing it in person standing beside someone who has lost property and even lost a life that was dear to them. I am one of the luckiest and most blessed women in the world. Lucky or blessed. Lucky and blessed. My home was fine, though without power for several days, my family was fine with minimal damage. And since everything was OK, it was my duty to volunteer, to give, to listen, and to be present for those who needed it and continue to need it.

The traffic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where I was at the time was tied up from the moment the tornado passed through on into at least yesterday when I was there, not with aid workers, though they were there, but with onlookers, gawkers, people who has to see it for themselves. At first, this made me angry. They were in the way, impeding progress, and selfish if they were merely looking, not helping. That feeling passed as I realized this compulsion, like my desire to see the storm, went beyond classless nosiness, people needed to see how close they had come to death and devastation, they needed to experience this grief first hand in order to come through it.

There are so many volunteers immediately following the storm, that many were being turned away from various organizations and told to come back another day to offer assistance. I, for one, am one of those people who will come back. I think of Haiti’s devastation so many months ago. There was help in the beginning, but it petered out quickly. They still need help, and in the months to come so will the people of Alabama. I am going to post a call to action for aid a few months from now because it’s also my duty not to let anyone forget.

On April 27th, a ravenous tornado went directly through the city of Tuscaloosa eating everything in its path, homes, business, people, leaving rubble and broken lives behind. I learned on April 27th that a tornado is not a character, it is a force and a beast and–what probably annihilates my sense of comfort the most–completely out of any person’s span of control.

On the following Wednesday, Emergency Broadcasting System tests were scheduled to occur as they do every first Wednesday of the month. TV, radio, and, yes, tornado sirens. Instead, flags flew at half-mast and the sirens did not sound.

Will their love survive the light of day?

Romantic Times Magazine just gave Inside Out a four star review! How awesome is that? Robin R Pendleton said that the “story becomes more electrifying with every chapter.”