New Beginnings

Welcome to the new Moonbeams over Atlanta #newyear #newhosting #writing #blogging

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Greetings and Salutations! Welcome to 2024 readers!

“Person standing front ‘Welcome Board’“/ CC0 1.0

After a few hiccups, I’ve migrated my site from WordPress to self hosting. I intended to post this mid-January, but work was plenty busy and the #DreamHost pro services migration team had to help me figure out a few things. This transfer has been a long time coming. I’ve had the domain for awhile but never got the time to get it moved over from my first blog site at eloreenmoon.wordpress.com. Now that everything is in order (mostly), I’m going to delete that site in the coming weeks.

Plans? I have no plans… Well, actually, I do. I plan to restart blogging, get back into writing and publishing stories, and perhaps self publish here on the site. There are several of my older stories I would like to revamp and republish. A few that I started, but didn’t finish. A few that I got 80% there and then life got in the way. You should see my folders for the various stories I started. I have at least 15-20. *smile*

Since my original newsletter account was killed because of inactivity, I’m going to take a look at options and then set things up again. Perhaps I will have an edited and republished earlier story ready to provide for signing up. So many things to consider.

I know I’ve been saying this for years but there really is a light at the end of the work tunnel. The company I worked for was bought early in 2023 and we’re on the home stretch for the final integrations. We are bigger, better, and offer more support. I hope to see my nights–and a few mornings (I’m NOT a morning person)– plus weekends free up soon. Maybe in a couple months, possibly three months. We’ll see.

landscape photography of snowy mountain
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

It has definitely been a mountain to climb in this work-life balance. I realized recently that it’s been over 10 years since I started this blogging/writing journey. What better way than to have that website I’ve been wanting for the last 5 years. Now, if only I can get a good price on a MacBook Pro as I liked being able to write on that OS. And I want to get into Vellum, which is only available on a Mac.

If you would like to follow along, fell free to follow my blog, or any of my social media. I will likely post here first then it gets shared to social media second. If you don’t want to follow along anymore, on the blog or social media, feel free to remove yourself. You can also message or email me directly. My contact information is on the page designated for that purpose.

Eventually, there will be a restart to the Newsletter for those that rather have things in their emails, and with it, a free book for joining. Depending on timing, it might be a revised version of an older work, or a new one. It will depend on what stories I manage to get to and finish them for publishing before I restart the newsletter. This self publishing gig is hard.

I think I’ve rambled enough on this post. *wink* Hopefully, the social sharing will work correctly. That was the main hiccup I had and wanted to resolve before I started posting. Please let me know if you succeeded in seeing the link to this post on social media (by interacting/commenting or contacting me on the various platforms). I’m curious to see who sees these posts. 🙂

Leaning Into Forever (Leaning Into Stories 07) by Lane Hayes #LGBT #romance #Spotlight #Giveaway #Contemporary

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Title:  Leaning Into Forever
Series: Leaning Into Stories, #7
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: June 29
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 75K
Genre: Romance, Comfort, Healing , Heartbreak, New Beginnings, Contemporary Romance

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Synopsis

Geordie de la Rosa is a legend among wine lovers in Napa Valley. His ultra-fabulous style paired with a penchant for leading impromptu sing-a-longs has made him a star attraction at Conrad Winery. Co-owning a well-respected winery was never Geordie’s aspiration but he likes the niche he’s made for himself. He won’t deny that his job and his friends have helped ease his heartache and grief after the death of his longtime partner.

Levi Yeager excels at the art of reinventing himself. He’s been a minor league baseball player, a college coach and now a restaurant owner. The problem is he doesn’t know a thing about the food business. And when his chef quits unexpectedly, he’s afraid his new venture is doomed. But Levi isn’t a quitter. It may be the only thing he has in common with the beautiful, sassy man from the neighboring winery who agrees to help get his new business up and running. Neither man counts on their fast friendship or the wild attraction they feel for each other. However, they know they won’t stand a chance until they let go of the past and lean into forever.

Excerpt

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“My game is coming back. If I keep
talking and you keep listening, you’ll eventually warm up to me. Where was I?”
“The psychology of alliterations,” I
deadpanned.
“Right. Your tone is imperial, you use
alliterations like a poet and you dress like a diva. You’re pleasant to
strangers but you hold them at bay. You’re kind but controlled. Most likely you
were an elite member of a royal family in a former life.”
“You’re probably right,” I said, amused
in spite of myself. “Since you have me figured me, let me see if I can do the
same.”
“Be my guest.” Levi made a sweeping
motion with his left arm before resting it on his steering wheel. The casual
gesture was ripe with potent masculinity. And I hated that I noticed.
I tore my gaze from his stubble jaw and
cleared my throat. “You’re a newly out sports enthusiast at a crossroad.”
“Sports enthusiast at a crossroads,” he
repeated with a laugh. “I guess that’s better than has-been athlete looking for
a new gig.”
“As you said, I do have a way with words
and I’m a firm believer it’s crucial to accentuate the positives.” I set my
hand over his without thinking then pulled back when a familiar spark of
awareness skittered along my spine.
Levi smirked. “You’re weird. I like
you.”
“Thanks. I like you too. Platonically of
course,” I added.
“Of course. What exactly is my
crossroad?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps you quit your job
to try a new venture with this lover who dumped you and now you’re heading to
LA to woo him back—”
“Not a chance,” he snapped.
I raised a brow at his vehemence.
“Or…you’re going on a fact-finding mission to salvage what you can of your
original idea and determine what comes next.”
Levi nodded. “Closer.”
“Have you thought about selling the
diner?”
“Yes. But I’m not going to.”
“Why not?”
“I have nothing to lose. And you know
what? It’s kinda liberating. No net required ’cause I’m already free falling.
Have you ever felt that way before, Geord?”
Every fucking day.
Silence fell like a blanket between us.
Soft and warm and safe.  I didn’t want to
break the quiet but I couldn’t allow myself to be pulled under either.
I licked my lips and whispered, “Yes.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t move and I couldn’t
look away. Maybe I was a sucker for ruggedly handsome men who weren’t ashamed
to reveal their vulnerable sides. I admired that he made free-falling sound
like an adventure. I’d been doing it for nearly four years and my outlook was
nothing like Levi’s. I worked my ass off to make sure no one knew how tired and
raw and afraid I felt every damn day. I clung to the best parts of my past like
a lifeline, hoping my ghosts would ease the inevitable ‘splat on the concrete’
nosedive I had coming my way.
Levi’s story was certainly different,
but I recognized something in him I knew too well. A desperate spirit that
wasn’t quite ready to give up. I’d like to think that sense of acknowledgment
was why I leaned across the console, closed my eyes and pressed my lips against
his.

 

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Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and won first prize in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

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