Hollis Shiloh's Blog, page 4

A Wizard's Shelterby Hollis Shiloh
Elliot's magic is broken—and so is he. The trip to the lighthouse isn't a vacation. It's a place where he can't do much harm, while he waits to find out what his punishment will be. Oh, it's not his fault his magic is broken—nobody knows what happened or why. But he's dangerous now, too dangerous, perhaps, to be allowed to live. In his state of shock, the sea and his sister are good company.
And so is Rue, the handsome young man he meets there. Rue is sweet and strong and kind, and isn't afraid of him. Being around Rue calms Elliot's magic in unexpected ways. He's not sure why he's so drawn to Rue, or what it might mean about his sexuality, but the friendship between them is a lifeline in a turbulent sea.
Rue has some mysteries, too—specifically, his heritage. He's a selkie, and selkies mate for life, if at all. Loving Elliot would be a huge risk for him, but he can't let Elliot go, either.
Whatever the truth of Elliot's magic, and the risk for Rue, the two of them are better together. If they'll be allowed to stay together.


Heat level: sweet~32,000 words2nd edition
Amazon Amazon UKAppleScribdKoboB&N / NookPayhip

Brian's Mate by Hollis Shiloh
(2nd edition - no significant changes)
Brian is the alpha of the least impressive pack of wolves at the whole Moon Ceremony. When a non-shifter is discovered uninvited in their midst, Brian bonds with the man to save his life.

Luke has some misgivings, but Brian's tenderness is just what he needs—and not what he expected from a "werewolf." He's starting to develop feelings for the gentle wolf shifter who rescued him.

Both Brian and Luke expect to quietly dissolve the bond later. But some bonds are not so easy to cast aside. If they want to actually build a life together, it will take love, dedication, and hard work. Especially with all the new wolves who keep inviting themselves into their family.

low heat
~42,000 words

Currently in Kindle UnlimitedAmazonAmazon UK

I have my older stories back from Dreamspinner Press.  I'm planning to republish them one at a time, into KU, as well as send them to Patrons.  I don't know if this will work well or not -- if they don't do well, I'll take them out and put them wide.  I might change plans. 

25% off sale for all my titles available at Payhip
use code UB4HI5RGOC
(good till the end of the month)

I hope you are all well!  xo Hollis

Of Bread and Boyfriendsby Hollis Shiloh
Jacob is a wolf shifter and a country boy, the alpha of a hardscrabble pack barely making ends meet.  He loves his home and family dearly, but times are tough.  It's a lot of responsibility to carry.  
The newcomer to town, a handsome, shy bear shifter, has caught his attention in a big way.  Jacob has no problem with being gay.  He just wishes he could get Henry to talk to him for more than a couple of seconds at a time.  And maybe marry him tomorrow.  Henry's annoyingly hot friend keeps getting in the way, though...
Henry is a sweet, gentle baker who has problems of his own.  He isn't sure he'll ever be ready to commit to a mate, but he's definitely drawn to Jacob.  He daydreams about him, bakes for him, looks forward to his every visit...but wolves don't do casual, and Henry can barely make plans past next week, much less for his whole future.
Fox shifter Atticus, Henry's dearest friend, has complicated feelings of his own.  He loves Henry devotedly, even if his feelings will never be returned.  This new, prickling tension between him and the wolf shifter is no fun.  Does he have to keep feeling things for guys who will never be interested?  Besides, he plans to stay single for life.
Can Jacob, Henry, and Atticus each figure out what they want out of life—and what, if anything, they'll be to each other?

low heat~55,000 words
a baking bears story

Amazon (coming soon)Amazon UK(coming soon)AppleKoboB&N / NookGoogle Play PayhipBooks2Read

Writing Year in Review
This year, I published four novels, 5 short stories, 1 novella, and 2 box sets.  Obviously the lengths of story definitions can vary, but I'm not feeling too technical right now. :)  I should add that some of the short stories were written before 2019 as Patreon rewards.

For me, this year held some hard times and some burnout, and I ended up getting less done than I'd hoped.  Some things I was very proud of, and sometimes I just felt discouraged and like none of it was really worth bothering with.  The most meaningful story for me to write (and the hardest) was "You're Worth It."  But I'm not sure it was the best.  I'm not sure there was a best this year! 

I wrote about 281,000 words this year, which I do not consider highly productive.  It's less than 800 words a day--not my best average!  (Average obviously doesn't mean the pace at which I actually write, because I had one month with under 1k, and one month with over 80k.)

And I don't know how much of the year was devoted to editing--whether you can tell or not, haha--but I can tell you it was a lot, and I found it challenging.  For me, writing is easier than editing by a long shot.  Not always easy, but much less awful than questioning everything I wrote and trying to fix it all up.

I've had years where I wrote over a million words of fiction in a year and published most of it.  (But that could be one of the reasons I've been struggling with burnout.  That may have been an unsustainable pace for me.)

I won't deny I'd like to step up my game as an author in 2020, but I can't promise anything.  I'm not planning any new ventures like audio, and I can't promise that I'll be a better or faster writer, or how much I'll manage to write and actually publish.  I can only tell you that I'm still trying, and I think I still have some stories to tell.  I'm currently plugging away, as well as trying to regain the joy of writing and replenish my idea well.

Thank you for sticking with me this year.  I hope you have a great 2020.

love,
Hollis


                          

 

Shifters and PartnersBox Set 11-15by Hollis Shiloh
This box set contains the following stories from the "Shifters and Partners" series:

Foxed Up
Not My Mate
Second Time Charm
Harry Ever After
All My Broken Pieces



AmazonAmazon UKAppleKoboB&N / NookGoogle Play PayhipBooks2ReadQRI

I was nominated in the following categories:

2019 Members' Choice Awards > Best Military / Intelligence Officer /SpiesTwo Soldiers by Hollis Shiloh
2019 Members' Choice Awards > Best Law EnforcementMy Fox Mate by Hollis Shiloh
2019 Members' Choice Awards > All-Time Favorite M/M AuthorHollis Shiloh

Thank you for the nominations!  :-)

This collection contains seven Christmas stories from Hollis Shiloh:


Winton's Strays

Two young men meet on a train in 1917.

Miles is out of the hospital in time for Christmas, traveling to relatives he doesn't want to see. He was lucky to survive the Great War. But he doesn't feel very lucky right now. Until blue-eyed Winton trips on a scarf and into his life. Winton, with his quirky smile, gentle nature, and rescued pets.

Miles could love this man, he really could. But how the hell can he burden this kind, bright young man with his wounded, limping self?



Falling for Archie

Harris writes instruction manuals for a living and is self-conscious at the best of times. He's not pleased when he manages to break a leg—but he's even less pleased when a pushy friend sends someone to help him around the house while it heals.

When the young man in question rides up on a motorcycle, Harris expects the worst.

He certainly never plans to fall in love. But Archie—short, clumsy, and utterly gorgeous—doesn't make it easy.



Mark & Spence

Mark is a cynical, too pretty, slight man working as an elf for the Christmas season at a department store. He also hasn't been in a relationship since his manipulative and abusive ex left him.

Spence is a tall, handsome, strong man who works as a reindeer helping 'Santa' at the same department store. The two share a special chemistry, but it's hard for Mark to trust anyone, even this gentle man.

They both have secrets that could -- perhaps should -- keep them apart. Gentle, caring Spence keeps getting past Mark's barriers...but will Mark be able to handle it when he finds out  why Spence is really here?

Contains a Christmas theme, reindeer shifters, elves, abusive relationship aftermath, angst, and a happy ending.



Elves and Deer

Greer is a reindeer shifter working at a magical shipping hub up North. He has little use for or understanding of elves—such delicate, short-lived creatures—but he tries to do his best by the ones in his life. And it seems like more and more are coming into his life, confusing and frustrating him, needing help, needing rescued.

Since Greer is always busy, it's easy to overlook the things he doesn't want to acknowledge—until a terrible danger gives him unwanted time to think…and to realize there's just one elf who means more to him than he's ever wanted to admit.



Most Wonderful

Tyler has never been in love in his life. So why now? Why his best friend?



The Christmas Divorce

Sean and Jem are getting a divorce. It's a sad way to spend Christmas, apart for the first time in years, but times change and love dies. Jem has been trying hard to move on with his life...but now Sean's back asking for his help. Sean's parents are coming over for Christmas, and he doesn't want to tell them about the divorce and ruin their holiday. If Jem will just come back for a few days, to decorate and keep up the pretense till after Christmas, he'd be ever so grateful...



Felix Navidad

Justin isn't a fan of Christmas (or holidays in general) at the best of times. But now his long-term boyfriend has broken up with him, and he's even more gloomy than usual. The hot and unfortunately straight Felix, his partner on the force, keeps trying to help. It's really not working until Christmas Day arrives, and brings with it an unexpected gift...




AmazonAmazon UKAppleKoboB&N / NookGoogle Play Payhip QRI

Men Like Usby Hollis Shiloh
Ollie Boyd enjoys Jack Finley's company, likes to make him laugh, and wants to work with him...and maybe something more than that. It sure is confusing to have these feelings for another guy, and in the homophobic 1950s, it's not really safe.

Jack Finley finds time for Ollie, sure, but he's just humoring a friend. He's a tough private eye. He's certainly not indulging secretly in a crush, no matter how attractive or charming Ollie might be. Jack's smart and careful, and he's been around the block. It's hard enough to be who he is without taking on extra trouble.

But now Jack needs some help, after a botched Good Samaritan act leaves him broken in body and spirit. Ollie wants to be the one who's there for him. He also wants to figure out these feelings—even if they mean he's in pretty deep trouble.

A whole lot of bumps in the road—including blackmail and murder—might take these two down more dangerous streets than they'd guess...together.



65,600 words

AmazonAppleKoboAmazon UKB&N / NookGoogle Play Payhip (save 25% at Payhip w/ code:  WQADIYLV6O )ScribdQRI

Two Soldiers
Two soldiers marry in haste the night before a battle, each for reasons of his own.
On the eve of battle, Henry has a premonition of death. He decides to marry his impoverished friend so if he dies, at least his awful cousin won't profit off it, and instead Isaac will be able to pay off his debts. But Isaac has been concealing his feelings for some time now, and it's a bit awkward, being married to the man he really does have feelings for...

~8,000 words
A "Marrying Men" story. These pseudo-historical tales feature men marrying one another in various worlds and ways. Happy ending are to be expected.

AmazonAppleKoboAmazon UKB&N / NookGoogle Play Payhip Scribd





Rowan Clare At Home
Rowan and Hugh were married years ago. Time has passed, but Hugh still has feelings for Rowan and wants to try again. Rowan has other ideas...or does he?
second chances, sweet gay romance, 4800 words
AmazonGoogle PlayAppleKoboAmazon UKB&N / NookPayhip24 SymbolsPlayster
[previously a Patreon reward]