Open Net by V.L. Locey

I’d like to thank Tricia for having me here today! She and I have been Tuesday Tales buddies for a couple years now, and being able to visit on a Friday is a real treat. So, thanks for letting me come by today, Tricia. *hugs*

For those who aren’t familiar with my work, I write contemporary romance, mostly MM and generally about hockey, although I do pen an MF hockey series and have several MM books that don’t have skates or pucks in them. My books deal with social issues, personal growth, team dynamics, and LOTS of lusty love.

When I started working on Open Net, I had a few decisions to make about my leading men. August Miles had already been introduced in the previous Cayuga Cougars book, Snap Shot, so I knew him well. It was his love interest, Sal Castenada, that gave me a bit of trouble with a few points – his age being the primary niggling issue. I’d originally had him being the same age as Augie, but Salvatore nixed that quickly. So, he’s now fifteen years older than my bumbling, backward netminder. Seems my characters always know best!

One thing that was never up for debate about Sal was the he was HIV positive. As I mentioned in my little intro up there, I write about social issues. Being an ally, proud mother of an out and proud bi daughter, as well as an LGBTQ author, I read articles about the gay community to keep up to date as best I can. One I came across from the CDC discussed how new cases of HIV are rising among youth (ages 13- 24) and among those new cases, Black and Latino males seem to be rising the fastest. I wanted to address this upsetting trend, and so I had Sal – a Latino male – contract HIV when he was a younger man.

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/age/youth/index.html

Tons of research went into this story as well as having an emergency room nurse read over certain scenes to ensure medical accuracy. I hope that those who read Open Net will come away with a warm heart and perhaps a new understanding of the battle and stigma people who are HIV positive still face.

**~**

 
Buy Links:
Amazon – http://tinyurl.com/y6vdbqmz

Amazon UK – http://tinyurl.com/y82awkl2

Amazon CA – http://tinyurl.com/y9dtmnn8

Amazon AU – http://tinyurl.com/y8u4s25z

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/open-net-5

iBooks – http://tinyurl.com/yakea3nf

B&N – http://tinyurl.com/yd8rmcmn

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35618722-open-net

Blurb:

August Miles has the world on a string professionally. 
Augie, as his friends and teammates call the unassuming young goaltender, is on the fast track to the pros. The starting goalie for the Cayuga Cougars, he has a year or two in Cayuga to hone his skills and all his career dreams will have come true. Pity his personal life isn’t riding the same high. He’s the only one among his group of friends without that special someone to call his own. 
Until he meets Salvatore Castenada at a lakeside party. The attraction is white-hot and more than a little wonderfully overwhelming for the romantically inexperienced goalie. August quickly discovers that Sal is everything he’s dreamed of in a man: mature, settled, sinfully handsome, and filled with gentle humor. Sal is also HIV positive. 
Will Sal’s revelation about his status end this budding relationship before it can even begin? Or will the two men be able to handle the challenges life—and a championship run for the Cougars—throws at them?

R-Rated Excerpt: 

Several days later, trying to be nonchalant about things, I stood outside his door, empty container in my hand, features schooled not to reflect how scared I was.

He looked shocked to see me on his doorstep. “Hey,” he said.

I held up the empty dish.

His gaze darted to the container, then back to me, a smile tugging at the corner of his sensual mouth. “Looking for a refill or something more?”

“Both.”

He stepped aside to let me enter. I paused just inside the front door, turning to look at him after he shut it.

“I’d like to have more,” I said, and held out the container like some sort of orphan in a musical.

“More what?” he asked, and I heard the uncertainty in his voice.

“More food and more you.”

“Are you sure, August?”

I nodded.

He gently took the container, his eyes locked with mine. “Are you one hundred percent sure? Maybe you should take more time. I’m not a prime dating candidate for you. I’m seropositive and I’m fifteen years older than you are. I can almost guarantee you that some of your friends are going to be against us seeing each other.”

“I don’t need more time and I don’t need friends who would be so judgmental. Yes, I’m one hundred percent sure. I’ve spent days reading, watching videos, and then reading more. I even talked with a medical professional. I know what I’m going to be facing—what we’re going to be facing.”

He tossed the container onto a small table at the end of the sofa. “We can never have unprotected sex. Ever. Not even once.”

“I know,” I said as want began pumping through my veins.

“If a condom breaks you could get infected.” He stared deep into my eyes.

“I know,” I replied. “I know all the bad things that can happen. I still want to date you.”

“No, you just think you know all the bad things, Aug. There’s so much you don’t know.” He sounded sad and weary.

“Then I’ll learn. Sal, I want to be with you, okay? I mean, if you don’t want to be with me, then that’s fine. I’ll just leave and you’ll never have to look at my dumb face ever—”

Sal stepped up to me without a word and pushed my back against the wall. A shocked grunt escaped me right before his mouth dropped over mine. He ran his tongue over the seam of my mouth. I let him in. He was powerful, possessive and hungry. His tongue slipped around mine as his hands found the edge of my shirt.

Breaking the kiss, he jerked my shirt upward, not caring that it caught under my chin. He just tugged harder to get the neckband free. Once the material popped free, he grabbed the shirt with both hands and held my arms over my head, the soft cotton keeping my hands off him.

“I should tell you to leave now, but I want you too bad to be noble,” he growled.

He captured my mouth again, this time letting his body lean in to me from chest to knees. My fingers slipped out of the T-shirt and I pushed them between his. Sal gyrated against me. His hard cock slid over mine. I sucked in a heated breath. He moaned, then began feasting on my neck, collarbone, and finally a nipple. He slipped his hands out of my grip and his palms, flat to my arms, slowly slithered downward.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Dr. Who, Torchwood, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.
 
Author Links:
Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/
Newsletter – http://tinyurl.com/ksul5rs
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Reader’s Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1439154279700674/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
 
 

Other Books by V.L. Locey
Gone Writing Publishing M/F Backlist Books and Upcoming Releases
Pink Pucks & Power Plays (Book One of the To Love a Wildcat series)
A Most Unlikely Countess (Book Two of the To Love a Wildcat series)
O Captain! My Captain! (Book Three of the To Love a Wildcat series)
Reality Check (Book Four of the To Love a Wildcat series)
Language of Love (Book Five of the To Love a Wildcat series)
Final Shifts (Book Six of the To Love a Wildcat series)
Clean Sweep (Book One of the Venom series)
Twirly Girl (Book Two of the Venom series)
Tape to Tape (Book Three of the Venom series)
Roster Addition (A To Love a Wildcat novella)
Angle Play (Book Four of the Venom series)
Coming 11/1/17… Flow (Book Five of the Venom series)
Coming 3/14/18…Blueline (Book Six of the Venom Series) Improper Fraction 

Gone Writing Publishing LGBTQ Releases
 
Playmaker (An F/F Venom series novella)
Coming 10/18/17… Improper Fraction
 
 

Independent LGBTQ Releases
 
Holly & Hockey Boots (An M/M holiday hockey romance novella)
Point Shot Trilogy
Snap Shot – Cayuga Cougars #1
Changing Lines – Harrisburg Railers #1 – Coauthored with Rj Scott
Open Net – Cayuga Cougars #2

Coming 9/27/17…First Season – Harrisburg Railers #2 – Coauthored with Rj Scott

Coming 10/4/17… Rookie Moves (Part of the 2107/2018 Changing on the Fly M/M charity hockey anthology)

Coming 12/1/17 … Deep Edge – Harrisburg Railers #3 – Coauthored with Rj Scott 

2018

Coming 1/10/18…Coach’s Challenge – Cayuga Cougars #3

Coming 2/14/18…Ryker – Owatanna Eagles #1 – Coauthored with Rj Scott

Coming 3/14/18…Blueline – Venom #6

Coming 5/15/18…Harrisburg Railers #4 – Coauthored with Rj Scott

Coming 6/27/18…Overtime – Cayuga Cougars #4

Coming 8/8/18… Owatanna Eagles #2 – Coauthored with Rj Scott

Coming 10/13/18…Harrisburg Railers #5 – Coauthored with Rj Scott

Coming 12/5/18… Holiday Novella – Railers &Eagles Crossover – Coauthored with Rj Scott