Guest Author C. Zampa

Please welcome Guest Author C. Zampa today. She is here today to give us a taste of her new novella, Honor C, as well as talk about love with us. In addition, she has a $50 GC giveaway (info at the bottom).

First off, I asked C. Zampa to talk to us about the different kinds of love. Friendship, kinship and lovers.

Je t'aime. Ich liebe dich. Aloha wau ia 'oe. Taim i' ngra leat. Te amo. I love you.

Boy, oh, boy. The word, the concept—love. How easy it seems to describe it! A simple four letter word, right?

Wrong.

More language variations for the little word than I can even count. Why, browsing for quotes on the subject, I found over 32,000 of them! And that, my friend, was only the tip of the gigantic, overwhelming, universal iceberg.

Love.

Finding a way to describe love has become as impossible to me as trying to catch Niagara Falls in a teacup. It’s that big, that complex, that powerful. That beautiful, that majestic.

Love.

Who can have it? Anybody. Where does it come from? That’s the glorious mystery of it. It doesn’t come from anywhere. It just happens and it happens in our souls, our hearts. And, folks, we have absolutely no control over it. Sometimes it’s so beautiful, sometimes it hurts so bad, that we wish we could manipulate it. But we can’t. Sometimes it’s so huge, so bright, we think we’ll die from how good it feels.

Love.

It knows no boundaries. Yeah, yeah, I know they say that. But it’s true. It has no gender, It sees no distinctions. Love has this uncanny, exquisitely wonderful way of just latching itself onto the hearts of anybody it wants. Guys fall in love with guys. Gals with gals. Guys with gals. Parents love their kids. Kids love their pets. Grownups love their pets. Kids love their parents. Buddies love their buddies. Best girlfriends love their best girlfriends. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Anybody, anything that breathes life and has a heart is susceptible to it. The love thing, that is.

I read this quote by musician/singer Bob Marley. I figure he was talking about traditional romance but…well…if you really, really see the words, you know the sentiment really could be applied to anyone, any kind of relationship. But it’s a wonderful portrait of that thing called love.

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.

Isn’t that beautiful? What an incredible, priceless gift for one to find this kind of bond.

All that power. Enough combined energy to split atoms, expand universes, turn dark to sunlight, destroy hate.

And only four little tiny letters. LOVE.

Next up, the blurb and an excerpt from Honor C.

Honor C

Contemporary M/M Novella

Dreamspinner Press

Blurb

When Honor Castillo convinces himself he isn’t gay, he begins a new life. He ends his affair with his lover, Jorge Villagomez, and marries Rebecca to establish a life with her as a respected San Antonio businessman. They have a son and he tells himself he is happy.

Eleven years later, Jorge returns to San Antonio, and his path crosses with Honor’s once more. The flame of their passion never died, and neither did Jorge’s love for Honor.

When Jorge approaches Honor to design his studio, Honor believes he can walk the line between friendship and lovers. But when a sudden crisis threatens to take Jorge from him forever, Honor must choose between his duty and his heart. Most of all, he’s forced to decide what he’s willing to lose in order to be true to who he really is.

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3823

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Honor-C-C-Zampa-ebook/dp/B00D2KE11E/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401713106&sr=1-3&keywords=.+Zampa

All Romance (Are):

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-honorc-1216159-149.html

Excerpt

JORGE stirred beside me, dragging me from my reverie of schoolyards, lunches, and bullies and back to the present.

Tonight was our last chance to make love. I had no words, I just wanted to look at him, memorize him. I reached to paint the line of his full bottom lip with my thumb and shivered at the sigh it evoked from him, the tiny whimper as he wriggled to face me.

He twirled a finger in the curls at my nape. “Remember Shirley Setzer?”

I turned on my side to take in the sight of Jorge’s nude body—skinny, girly, driving-me-out-of-my-mind sexy—stretched out beside me.

The limited light transformed his thin form into smooth, elegant planes with a tantalizing thatch of shadow between his legs.

“How weird. I was just thinking about her.” I lifted onto my elbow.

His hand dropped to his chest. “The day we met.”

I snorted. “We didn’t meet that day. You never even spoke to me.”

“Didn’t I?”

“Hell, no.”

“But—”

“Ah, no. You pranced your stuck-up little ass back to the building, never said two words to me.”

Lifting his hand, he pretended to slap me. “I was not stuck up.”

I said nothing, just lifted an eyebrow that I was sure he couldn’t really see in the dark.

“I didn’t mean to be, Honor. I guess I was afraid to talk to you. None of the other kids had anything to do with me. Figured you wouldn’t either.”

“But you charged into Shirley. You sure weren’t shy then.”

“I just reacted.”

“I’ll never forget. You knocked the shit out of ol’Shirley and never even said anything to me. You just strutted away, all prissy-assed. Do you know what I thought?”

“What?”

“I thought you were irritated at me, that you thought I should have defended myself. That you thought I was weak.”

“Oh, querido,” he murmured and cupped his warm palm to my cheek. “I was the weak one, to give in to her taunts. You were the strong one. And I think I loved you that day. Even that young, I think I loved you.”

“Me? Gordo? Cerdo Castillo?”

With a grunt, Jorge flopped onto his back. “Stop it, damn you.”

“Sorry,” I chuckled. It riled him so for me to put myself down about my size.

He shifted toward me once more, wormed nearer. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’d see you smile at somebody in the halls and I’d nearly cry like a baby, wanting so bad to get one of your killer smiles aimed at me. Holy shit, I had the biggest girly crush on you.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Your smile, Honor.” He pressed a trembling finger to my lips. “Your smile.”

“Once you did speak to me, I don’t think my smile showed itself for anybody but you again.”

“Bullshit.” This time he did slap me. Lightly, but still a slap to my cheek. “She sure as hell sees it.”

“Ay-ay.” I coaxed the head of my cock against his crotch. “We agreed not to bring that up tonight.”

“Please don’t do this.” He whispered the words onto my shoulder. His voice, so husky, a sultry purr—all Lauren Bacall, just put your lips together and blow—hadn’t lost its power to make me grovel at his feet in lust.

“Want me to stop?” I teased and turned him in my arms.

“Make jokes.” Burrowing deeper into my embrace, he growled and circled his palm over the hair on my chest. “Becky,” he spat. “I can’t even say her name without choking on it.”

I held him tighter but said nothing. What more was there to say? We’d been arguing all night, ever since I’d broken the news to him that I’d gotten serious with Rebecca Sanchez, the dazzling woman I’d met a few months back.

We can still fuck, can’t we? Jorge had contended.Why does she have to change anything?

Because once my relationship with Becky seemed to be heading on a serious route, I couldn’t cheat on her. I just couldn’t. The decision hadn’t come easily, but I’d made it, and I knew it was good.

Author links:


Blog: http://authorczampa.blogspot.com


Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/C.-Zampa/e/B004QSDSG0


Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorczampa


Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/carol.zampa.3?fref=ts

Giveaway Information:

C. Zampa is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card at the end of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Honor C. Tour Stops

May:

29th: Dawn’s Reading Nook

http://dawnsreadingnook.blogspot.com/2014/05/one-year-anniversary-for-honor-c.html

30th: New Release Announcement Blog

http://newreleaseannouncement.blogspot.com/2014/05/honor-c-by-c-zampa.html

31st: Author Raine Delight

http://authorrainedelight.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/discover-honor-c-by-c-zampa/

June:

4th: Will Parkinson (blog post/promo post)

http://parkerwilliamsauthor.com/wordpress/honor-c-book-tour1/

6th: RJ Scott (Promo post)

http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.com/2014/06/honor-c-anniversary-blog-tour-carol.html

11th: Silvia Violet (Promo post)

http://silviaviolet.com/blog/2014/06/11/anniversary-blog-tour-for-honor-c-by-carol-zampa/

12th: Freddy MacKay

http://freddysstereograph.weebly.com/

17th: Three Flynns (Seduce Day/wip teaser)

http://threeflynns.com/

18th: MM Good Books Review (review and promo excerpt/blurb)

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com

18th: Sloane Taylor (Recipe and promo post)

http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com

18th: Sue Brown (Guest blog post)

http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=711a0a0202d37ef6

20th: Three Flynns Website/blog (Blog Post)

http://threeflynns.com/

22nd: Cynthia Sax (interview-no giveaway on this stop)

http://tasteofcyn.com/author-interviews/

24th: Romance Lives Forever Blog

http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/