Surprise! My next book is coming early!

This is a super short post, but I want to let all the wonderful bloggy people know that I finished A Holland and a Fighter much sooner than I expected and decided to release it nearly a month early on Sunday, June 16.

As I’ve said in other social posts, this one is a love letter to the most devoted of readers. This isn’t a stand-alone by any means. To get the most out of it, read all the other books. The get quite a lot out of it, you at least need to read the Emi Lost and Found and Choisie series.

Now… the thing I must ask of all the readers is to NOT spoil this book for the ones who come behind you. Not in social posts, conversations on my page or ESPECIALLY in reviews. I’m begging you. And don’t read ahead, either. You’ll want to work your way into this organically and experience all the love and warmth and comfort that these characters will deliver.

So, if you haven’t preordered yet, make sure you do to be one of the first to read it when it goes live late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

If you want to talk about it, buddy read or send me a private message on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or shoot me an email. I’ll be away from work next week doing family things but will likely have time to chat.

Lastly, brace yourself… and remember I love you all! This is one hell of a ride. ❤️

Make Waves is ON SALE NOW!

Today is the day! My 17th book is now on sale on Amazon.com in both ebook and paperback formats! If you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can also read it free with your subscription, just like you can most of my other books!

If this is the first you’ve heard of Make Waves, this full-length novel is a continuation of Max Scott’s story–so yes, that means there are books you should read before this one. Me, being the author of all my books, I’d tell you to read them all first, but the only true required ones are Love Like We Do (side a), Love Like We Do (side b), (It Happened) One Friday and In the Wake of Wanting.

Who is Max Scott? I have grown to love him as… yes… probably my favorite character. My most devout readers first met him in Contessa as a six-year-old, but they’ve seen him grow up, too. He came out in the Love Like We Do series, got his heart broken later and stood by his best friend, Trey Holland, on one of the worst nights of his life. He’s sarcastic and witty and the life of any party.

In this book, we see one of my most grounded characters rise to meet the impossible challenge–and then we’re with him as he loses his footing.

Make Waves is the first book in a duet.

Here’s another little teaser graphic for ya.

Get your copy today!

Make Waves is coming!

Yes, we have a release date! On May 1, you will FINALLY get a new full-length novel after two and a half years. I know, I’m a horrible person for making you wait so long.

Make Waves will be available exclusively on Kindle and paperback, so if you’d like to preorder the ebook, go right ahead!

Here are the details about my first release of this year:

On a humid, spring morning in New York City, the love affair between a young man and his hometown began to fade with the notification of favorable surf conditions on the other side of the country and a breakfast of leftover guac on stale bread.

Max Scott has been waiting for a sign to leave ever since.

He’s not worried about his family and friends. They won’t be roadblocks to his relocation; they barely missed him while he put in four years at Long Beach State. And his job? Crash test dummies are treated better. They probably get paid more, too.

But things are happening that make it difficult to leave anytime soon.

There’s his mother. After finally getting clean, cancer took up residence in her body, and she doesn’t have much time left. Max won’t leave her behind.

There’s Callen, his boyfriend of seven years. Next summer, he’s set to take over his dad’s company, which is based in Manhattan. That could create a 3,000-mile complication.

There’s the state of the country. After four repressive years, a standout candidate for president is a senator based in NYC. He’s younger, single and gay. Max is inspired to help elect the nation’s first queen.

Hiding the restlessness bubbling just beneath the surface, Max finds himself caught between a placid routine of the life he’s accustomed to and the wild, raging curiosity of what’s waiting on the other side.

He just needs that push off the deep end.

Make Waves is the first in a two-book duet.

Author’s Note: Before reading this book, it is recommended that you at least read the following books: Love Like We Do (side a), Love Like We Do (side b), (It Happened) One Friday and In the Wake of Wanting.

If you’re excited, let me know in the comments!

Cover Reveal: (It Happened) One Friday

Daniela at DCP Designs is amazing. What can I say? I told her I wanted a text-y cover because I had looked for the perfect image for over a year, and what did she go and do? She found the perfect image AND produced the perfect text to go with it–and only by knowing the bare minimum about the book. Needless to say, I feel blessed to know this incredibly talented woman. So I won’t make y’all wait any longer… here is the cover for (It Happened) One Friday. Below it, you’ll find the description, too!

He did it. After everything they’d been through, Callen McNare crossed the line into a territory from which there was no coming back. Max Scott was always patient and loyal, but he’s not quick to forgive or forget.

And for Zaina Mishra, she finally got her wish. Trey Holland did it. They did it–after two and a half years of waiting. It was all that she wanted, but maybe not all she’d really hoped for in the end.

They were four friends from high school on a trip to paradise after graduation. They were two couples in love.

There was always a possibility that everything would change some day.

It happened one Friday.

—–

Add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads today!

FAQs:

• Is it a standalone? No.
• Where does it fall in the lineup of your books? Ideally, between Love Will and In the Wake of Wanting.
• When’s it coming out? Soon. I’m editing it now.
• Is it up for preorder? No. Will it be? I don’t think so, but if I change my mind, I’ll post about it here!
• How much will it cost? 99¢.
• Where can I buy it when it’s out? It will be Kindle-exclusive for at least the first 90 days.
• How long is it? About 25,000 words.
• Will there be ARCs? I don’t think so. Why not? Because it’s been so long since I’ve released anything and I’m just excited to get something out there.

In the Wake of Wanting is here!

The wait is finally over for In the Wake of Wanting! My 15th book has arrived! 😀
—————

A good man treads away.

Another man runs–can he even be called a man?

—————

Even before the second semester of his sophomore year at Columbia began, Trey Holland knew his life would be completely different by the end of it. He had yet to meet the pretty–yet flustered–freshman who he’d be mentoring on the school paper. He had yet to discover the despicable secrets his new best friend was hiding.

All Trey knew at the time was that the relationship with his high school sweetheart was nearing its end.

In those days before the spring semester began, life for Trey was simple. School was a place to learn. His fraternity was a community of like-minded brothers. Life was full of well-intentioned people. Complications were tiny bumps in the road, easily smoothed over, leaving no trace behind.

In a matter of weeks, Trey is thrust into a jaded reality brought on by choices he makes and by the vile actions of those around him. It won’t take long for him to look back and see the wreckage left in the wake of wanting.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Portions of this book deal with the sensitive subject of rape and sexual abuse. While the incidents are not ‘experienced’ first hand, they are retold in hindsight by characters. The descriptions of the events are brief, and while they are not graphic, they may be considered disturbing to some.

—————

Today is release day!

Kindle US

Kindle UK

iBooks

Nook: [available next week]

Paperback

Signed Paperback

Goodreads

—————

Half of release day proceeds will go to It’s On Us to stop sexual assault!

Excerpt: In the Wake of Wanting – “Hashtag”

I’ve got another (brief) surprise for you! It’s excerpt time! Make sure you preorder In the Wake of Wanting on Kindle US, Kindle UK, or iBooks today!

It takes four hours for everyone to clear out of my apartment, including five investigators who swept the place and removed the camera after they checked for prints. My parents offered to take Coley’s out to lunch while Danny went to spend the afternoon combing through a week’s worth of security footage to find evidence of Evan Midland, the paparazzo who threatened me last week, somehow getting into my apartment. The building management, staff and doormen were of no help. The fact is, people slip by all the time, riding up the elevator with other residents. It’s not the most secure building. It’s not like Liv’s building, where you have to have a special key to get to her floor–granted, Dad owns the floor, and he took that safety measure himself.

It was my choice to rent while I’m in college, and while my father was able to make some modifications to the building by adding security cameras in the hallway, there wasn’t much more he could do. My own alarm system should have done the trick. The failure in that is what needs to be investigated.

Not ready to go out in public, Coley and I stay in. Teri and Pryana bring a few of Coley’s things from her dorm, as well as lunch that I’d ordered from Dig Inn. I’m addicted, and I’m making an addict out of my girlfriend, too. It’s all locally-sourced and relatively healthy, so I don’t figure it’s a problem.

“Has anyone at Carman Hall seen the video?” Coley asks her roommate. Teri’s expression says it all. That everyone has seen it. “I can’t go back there.”

“Everyone thinks… y’all released it,” she admits.

“What?” I ask, halting my task of setting the table. “Shit, are you kidding?” Teri shakes her head. “I don’t want anyone thinking that.”

“Trey, you have over 800,000 Twitter followers. Why don’t you say something about it?”

“Because I use that for my blog. I use it to share useful information and to raise awareness about issues in our community.”

“But you have a captive audience,” Pryana says. “Have you checked Twitter today?”

“Hell, no,” I say with a laugh.

“Well. You’re the top trending topic. You even have a hashtag.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“Hashtag TreyGoesDown,” she announces anyway. Coley covers her face.

“Well if that isn’t a dickish hashtag… makes you wonder who came up with that? Evan Midland himself?”

 

In the Wake of Wanting ©2016 Lori L. Otto

Love Will is LIVE!

I’ll keep this short and sweet… I decided to publish Love Will early. Of course, I don’t think I ever even mentioned a date at all here on my blog, I’ve neglected it so much lately. Anyway, I released it today!

Here’s the original post about it that gives you the description of this New Adult standalone. My thoughts on it? Best male I’ve written. Best female I’ve written. Favorite relationship. I really do love this book, and I hope you all do, too.

Buy it on Kindle | Buy it on iBooks* • Nook link is coming!
Introductory price is $3.99. 
(The print book is 541 pages long. This is no short story.)

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Love Like We Do teaser graphics

I just love these too much not to share them…

  

LOVE LIKE WE DO is available on Kindle an paperback!

(Side A) Kindle | Paperback – now an Amazon Gay Fiction Best Seller!

(Side B) Kindle | Paperback

Love Like We Do is OUT!

The wait is finally over! If you preordered Love Like We Do (Side A), it should be waiting for you on your Kindle or iPad right now! If not, it’s available for sale on Amazon, iBooks or Nook. (If you read on the latter two platforms, you only have two days to buy the books! After that, they’ll be going into the Kindle Select program for 90 days.)

Haven’t heard of the Love Like We Do series yet? It’s a coming-of-age, coming-out story of two 16-year-old boys. Don’t go labeling it right off the bat, though. This series isn’t simply for teens, and it isn’t only for LGBT readers. These books are for everyone. They’re about confidence, self-awareness, acceptance, truth, misconceptions, bigotry, friendship, family, and–most importantly–love.

Trey Holland has been friends with Max Rosser and Callen McNare for years. While Trey and Callen both date girls from their private school, Max always has known he was different; and last year at his public school, his teammates began suspecting he was, too. Even though Trey has always been the common link between Max and Callen, he’s unaware that something more has been happening between his two best friends. When the news finally comes out, all of their relationships are tested.

After their secret is exposed one night, Callen disappears. Max confides in his oldest brother that he suspects Callen ran away, unwilling or unable to accept the fact that he’s gay. Jon Scott, Max’s brother, helps to guide him through the most crucial time of his young life: coming out to their mother, to his father, and to his best friend of eight years. It has also become Jon’s responsibility to ensure Max’s safety in an environment that’s still unwilling to fully accept Max for who he is.

With the help of his brothers and friends, Max learns that he is much stronger than he once thought he was. Love Like We Do (Side A) is the first of two books in this series. This novel tells the story from Trey and Jon’s points of view–the outsider’s perspective.

Tomorrow, Love Like We Do (Side B) will be released. It will give you Max and Callen’s side of the story. The frustration of their hidden relationship burns steadily at the beginning. Once separated, the boys understand how their past way of doing things won’t work in the future. Callen watches from a distance, admiring the courage that Max displays in dealing with the fallout back home. He wonders if he has the backbone to stand up to his parents and the confidence needed to move forward with a relationship with Max.

To get your copies of Love Like We Do, click the links below!

• US Kindle: Side A | Side B
• UK Kindle: Side A | Side B
• iBooks: no longer available
• Nook: no longer available
• Paperback: Side A | Side B
• Signed Paperback: Side A | Side B

Oh! One last thing! If you’re a Choisie series fan, the ebook of Love Like We Do (Side A) has a 7500-word short story of the day that Isaiah learns the news that he has a daughter!! You won’t want to miss that!

Love Like We Do (news on BOTH sides!)

I’m well into the second book in my Love Like We Do series–about 82,000 words into it–so I figured it was about time to let you in on the description of Side B. And while we’re at it, I’m going to show you the cover of that one, too!

In LOVE LIKE WE DO – SIDE B, Max experiences the excitement of first love and the crushing disappointment of rejection when he realizes that the person he cares for is too ashamed to be with him. For Callen to be honest with himself and to live the life he wants to live, he knows he risks becoming ostracized by his own parents and society. For someone who’s always been strong and confident, he’s never felt so weak or afraid to stand up for what he believes is right for him.

This is Max and Callen’s side of the story.

As you can see with this beautiful cover, also designed by DCP designs, a little life and color has been infused into the impactful picture chosen for this series. I decided to use the same photograph because this series is essentially the story of one summer told from four different perspectives. Side A is from two outsiders’ perspectives. We get an insider look in Side B.

I also want to use this opportunity to talk a little more about the series and the genre. I’m calling it Contemporary Adult fiction, even though three out of four narrators are teenagers. The subject matter skews more adult, so that’s the way I’m going with it. This is different from my other series. This isn’t a romance story. I hesitate to call it a social issue story. It’s really just about life.

As you can tell from the description, the characters in this book are both guys. In Side B, they are in pursuit of a relationship with one another. I had a reader ask me if I would be labeling this m/m, which is a valid question. I guess it technically is, but I’ve always associated that label with more erotic stories and this one isn’t. I think that may just be my interpretation of it, though, so label it as you will. Is this book about a gay relationship? Yes, it is.

Some of you may be wondering why I decided to write this series. It’s not like Emi Lost & Found and the Choisie series, I know. What I’ve always done, from day one, is write what the characters tell me to write. When characters speak to me, I listen. I’ve had a lot of them speaking to me this year, but Max and Callen were the most vocal. Sometime last year, when I realized Max would be gay, this story began to unfold because Max and Trey had been friends for years. I couldn’t wait to explore how the relationship would change once one friend came out to another. And then there were more layers, because Max is the youngest of three brothers, and there was another story there that needed to be told. There were parents to consider, other friends, and of course, the boyfriend. Once I met Callen, I realized what an interesting and complex character he would be. And the story just took off from there.

I’m very proud of the way that Side A turned out, and I’m happy with how Side B is progressing. I think it’s an important story that a lot of people will enjoy. I really feel like anyone could read Side A, and it can be read as a stand alone… but I’m hoping that once readers experience it, they’ll be curious enough about Max and Callen to read Side B, as well.

Add the books to your Goodreads lists today (linked below), and stay tuned for news on release dates!

Love Like We Do (Side A) | Love Like We Do (Side B)