Mark Cooper and Brandon Mills are back!

For anyone wondering where Mark Cooper and Brandon Mills have got to, J.A. Rock and I were in the process of re-releasing them. And now they're back, and reminding us really, really loudly that it's about time we got to work on the third book in the series, right? 

Shut up, you guys, and go back to studying. That means you especially, Mark. We're sure you're failing every damn class. 

(Brandon, sweetie, you're doing just fine!) 

Mark Cooper is angry, homesick, and about to take his stepdad’s dubious advice and rush Prescott College’s biggest party fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. Greek life is as foreign to Aussie transplant Mark as Pennsylvania’s snowstorms and bear sightings. So, when the fraternity extends Mark a bid, Mark vows to get himself kicked out by the end of pledge period. But then he’s drawn into Alpha Delt’s feud with a neighboring fraternity.

Studious Deacon Holt is disappointed to learn Mark’s pledging Alpha Delt, his fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa’s sworn enemy. Mark is too beautiful for Deacon to pass up an invitation for sex, but beyond sex, Deacon’s not sure. He wants a relationship, but a difficult family situation prevents him from pursuing anything beyond his studies.

Mark and Deacon’s affair heats up as the war between their fraternities escalates. They explore kinks they didn’t know they had while keeping their liaison a secret from their brothers. But what Romeo and Juliet didn’t teach these star-crossed lovers is how to move beyond sex and into a place where they share more than a bed. That’s something they’ll have to figure out on their own—if the friction between their houses, and between Mark and America, doesn’t tear them apart.

You can buy Mark Cooper versus America here at Amazon, or here at B&N. Links will be updated on my website as we get them! 

Smart, shy Prescott sophomore Brandon Mills is working hard to overcome his troubled past and be normal. Life at Prescott, and in his fraternity, Phi Sigma Kappa, is good. With the help of his friends Mark and Deacon, Brandon is slowly coming out of his shell. When he accidentally drenches a freshman in orange soda, though, he faces something he’s not ready for: a boy crushing on him.

Alex Kekoa pledges Phi Sig because it has everything he wants--a house full of nerds who won’t tease him for being smart, a dog, and Brandon Mills. Brandon is just the type of guy Alex needs to help fulfill his college ambition: losing his virginity. Except Alex doesn’t know that Brandon can’t stand to touch or be touched.

When Alex and Brandon are drafted onto the Phi Sig Academic Challenge team, they start spending time together. If there’s anyone who can help Brandon discover it feels good to touch and kiss, maybe it’s klutzy Alex with his cute glasses and his dinosaur obsession. But as the competition--and their relationship--heats up, Alex’s determination not to die a virgin clashes with Brandon’s vow of lifelong celibacy, forcing them to examine what’s truly important to each of them about love.

You can buy Brandon Mills versus the V-Card here at Amazon, or here at B&N. 

Coming Soon - Brandon Mills versus the V-Card

In exciting news, JA Rock and I have a release date for Brandon Mills versus the V-Card, the second in our Prescott College series. For those of you playing at home, the date is October 28!

Dinosaurs. Brandon and Alex love them.

I don’t know what it is with the Prescott books, but the timing is always terrible for me when it comes to promo. When Mark Cooper versus America came out, I was in hospital and, despite all my best intentions to get some work done while in there, I spent a lot more time being unconscious than I’d intended. Also being on drugs that made me very happy and floaty.

Brandon Mills is out the week after GRL, and I’ll be in San Francisco that week with my friend Kate, who I met a gazillion years on my first day of school at Goondiwindi State High. So, once again, the lion’s share of the blogging and stuff will be down to JA. But I will totally pay her back in chocolate. She knows I’m good for it.

But you can’t have a sequel without a three-quel, right? That’s a word now. So, from the kinkfest of Mark Cooper versus America, to the awkward sweetness of Brandon Mills versus the V-Card, to:

Ta da!

Liam McDermott versus Authority.

This is the working title for our third Prescott book. And yes, there will be kink. There will be a D/s relationship. And, for Liam McDermott, college will mean a very steep learning curve.

  

Brandon Mills versus the V-Card

In exciting news, JA Rock and I have signed a contract with Loose Id for our Mark Cooper versus America sequel – Brandon Mills versus the V-Card. Not our original title, as you guys know, but we like it!

Brandon is Mark Cooper’s best friend, but they couldn’t be more different. Mark is reckless, loud, and would rather stab himself in the eye with a pen than actually do any work, while Brandon is quiet, sensible, and studious. He also feels sick at the idea of intimacy. Even a simple hug takes him to a place he doesn’t want to go.   

Because of this, Brandon Mills has a different feel to Mark Cooper. Mark Cooper was about two guys—both out and proud—negotiating a burgeoning relationship while also figuring out their kinks, Brandon Mills is about two guys who are both completely inexperienced. One of them, Alex, is desperate to lose his virginity now he’s at college, while Brandon, who has almost convinced himself he has no interest in sex, is terrified of his attraction to Alex.

For Alex, it’s love at first sight. Brandon is cute, and smart, and he has a plastic dinosaur on his desk. It’s clearly meant to be.

Alex may just be the cutest character JA and I have ever written, by the way. He’s incredibly smart, a little nerdy, clumsy, and what he lacks in experience he makes up for in enthusiasm. Awkward bus BJ, anyone?

And don’t worry. Mark and Deacon are still in this book. Deacon’s being as supportive and caring as always, and Mark’s being Mark. Our favourite football player Blake is back as well, and this time he’s on a mission. A completely misconstrued mission.

We don’t have a release date yet for Brandon Mills versus the V-Card, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know!

I don't have Attention Deficit Dis...oh! Look! A bunny!

So, it turns out I'm quite easily distracted. If I'm not juggling at least 6 projects at once, I get bored. I like to jump from WIP to WIP to WIP until I get...wait for it...WIPLASH!

That joke was terrible. I apologise unreservedly.

*bows head and performs ritual of abject contrition*

Anyway, at the moment I'm working away on the sequel to Dark Space, as well as my Samoan-Australian policeman story and, with J.A. Rock, a sequel to Mark Cooper versus America, and a bunch of other things from The List. And this was quite enough to keep me busy.

Which is why I will never know why I decided to look through my filing cabinet.

My filing cabinet is a mess. The rail things that the files hang off have been busted for years, so stuff is just shoved in there. Most of it is so old it's typewritten. Or, worse, written in the back of school exercise books. My filing cabinet is basically a cross between a repository for every piece of fiction I've ever written (apart from the stuff that was justifiably destroyed), a nursery for young spiders, a gecko hatchery, and a dust bunny sanctuary.

Anyway, I opened it.

And I found the uncompleted fantasy epic that I began writing in high school. It was surprisingly obsessed with crows. 

source

Also, it's everything you'd expect: cliche piled upon cliche, terrible world building, a meandering plot, and full of so many Mary Sue characters that I want to build a time machine, go back to when I was fifteen, and punch myself in the head.

Also, on the first page, instead of could have had, I wrote  could of had.

As in, of all the things I could have had, I wish it had been basic grammatical knowledge.

So, it's terrible.

But it's not too terrible. Underneath all that terribleness, there's the germ of an interesting idea. And I'm quite excited, because I think I can do something with it. I need to make some extensive changes, but I can do that.

I'll start with the prince's love interest. 

He's totally a boy now. :) 

Blog Tour - When All the World Sleeps

When All the World Sleeps is finally here! AND THERE ARE PRIZES! 

Join J.A. Rock and I on our blog tour, and you could win stuff: a copy of our last release Mark Cooper versus America, and a $20 gift voucher from Riptide. Psst: you should use that gift voucher to buy When All the World Sleeps. I've heard good things... 

So join J.A. and I at the following places, and leave a comment for your chance to win. 

March 24, 2014 - The Jeep Diva
March 24, 2014 - Elisa - My Reviews & Ramblings - Spotlight Stop
March 25, 2014 - The Blog of Sid Love - Spotlight Stop
March 25, 2014 - Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess - Spotlight Stop
March 26, 2014 - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
March 26, 2014 - All I Want and More Books
March 27, 2014 - Tracy's Place
March 27, 2014 - Cup O' Porn - Spotlight Stop
March 28, 2014 - Book Reviews & More by Kathy
March 28, 2014 - Joyfully Jay
March 28, 2014 - The Blogger Girls - Spotlight Stop
March 29, 2014 - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
March 30, 2014 - Prism Book Alliance
March 31, 2014 - Slitsread - Spotlight Stop

Please note that all dates are American. Don't get excited like me and think it's sooner than it is! 

You can buy When All the World Sleeps here from Riptide. 

Meanwhile, When All the World Sleeps is the book of the month over at On Top Downunder Reviews. Check it out! 

Pledging at Prescott - win a copy of Mark Cooper versus America!

Want another chance to win a copy of Mark Cooper versus America? All you need to do is take the quiz below, and let me know in the comments which Prescott student you're most like. 

JA Rock and I will draw a winner in a week! Good luck! 

Happy Belated Australia Day!

It's Australia Day! Well, not any more here, but maybe still in some parts of America. Or it would be, if they took any notice of it. 

But yay! 

First up, let's get down to business and announce the winner of the J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry Joint Mark Cooper Versus America Happy Birthday Giveaway Multi Hemisphere Blogapalooza. Or, as it is more sensibly known, The Thing. 

Congratulations to Will who successfully answered that Deacon's middle name is Andrew. Will wins a copy of Mark Cooper versus America! 

And for everyone else, here is a recipe for lamingtons. If you've never tried one, trust me, do it. Please note the oven temperatures are in Celsius and I think we also use different measurements than you guys. Good luck! 

Cake: 

• 125g butter, softened

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 eggs

• 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 cups desiccated coconut

Icing: 

• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

• 1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) lamington pan. Line with baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang on all sides. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition

Sift half the flour over butter mixture. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Cover with a clean tea towel. Set aside overnight.

Make icing: Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and boiling water. Stir until smooth.

Cut cake into 15 pieces. Place coconut in a dish. Using a fork, dip 1 piece of cake in icing. Shake off excess. Toss in coconut. Place on a wire rack over a baking tray. Repeat with remaining cake, icing and coconut. Stand for 2 hours or until set. Serve.

Party tonight at Alpha Delta!

If you guys have been following my blog, or J.A. Rock's, for a while, you might remember the awesome Taco Hub posters for The Good Boy and The Boy Who Belonged. They were done by the incredibly talented MC Blackman, who is awesome. And look what she made for Mark Cooper versus America! 

And you'd better believe that there's a Kissin' Shack, and that stuff happens in it. Oh, and the mechanical bull? I doubt the Alpha Delts are going to get their security deposit back. Not after the stains our boys left on it. :) 

Please go to J.A. Rock's website and check out more of MC Blackman's designs. It is fantastic stuff! 

Mark Cooper versus America is out from Loose Id on January 28.

The End of The Thing is Nigh - Question Time!

Thanks to everyone who’s been following our blogs for the past week, here it is -- the question we’ve all been waiting for! The easiest way to find the answer is to backtrack through our blogs. The answer might be on either J.A.’s blog or Lisa’s blog.

What is Deacon’s middle name?

Answer correctly. and you can win a copy of MARK COOPER VERSUS AMERICA.

To answer, send either of us a PM on Facebook, or via Twitter, or email either of us!

At some point we’ll synchronise our watches, throw all the names in a hat, and draw a winner!

Watch this space and we’ll announce the winner on Australia Day.

(For those of you playing from the northern hemisphere -- that’s on January 26.)

The Thing: Texts between Mark and his Mum

Welcome back to The Thing, where J.A. Rock and I give away a copy of Mark Cooper versus America (available January 28) to one astute reader who keeps abreast of all the Prescott College related stuff we post on our blogs and answers a tricky question on January 24. You can find details here. We'll be posting texts between the characters, excerpts from Prescott's student newspaper, characters' homework assignments and more!

Today it's all about Mark and Clare, his mum. And it's no surprise where Mark gets his attitude from. 

When a boy's bored and lonely and far from home, who does he text? 

And what's the one thing worse than a drunk text? A text sent to the wrong recipient. 

You guys, check out J.A. Rock's blog for more texts and fun stuff, and remember to check back here between now and the 24th, since we'll be introducing more characters from Mark Cooper versus America.

The Thing: Mark's Mum

Welcome back to The Thing, where J.A. Rock and I give away a copy of Mark Cooper versus America (available January 28) to one astute reader who keeps abreast of all the character related stuff we post on our blogs and answers a tricky question on January 24. You can find details here. We'll be posting texts between the characters, excerpts from Prescott's student newspaper, characters' homework assignments and more!

Today it's time to introduce Mark's mum Clare. Clare is the reason Mark is in America in the first place. She married Jim Phillips, an American, and forced Mark to find out what the words "wind chill factor" mean. 

Click on the image to enlarge! 

You guys, check out J.A. Rock's blog for more texts and fun stuff, and remember to check back here between now and the 24th, since we'll be introducing more characters from Mark Cooper versus America.

The Thing: Texts from Jackson

Welcome back to The Thing, where J.A. Rock and I give away a copy of Mark Cooper versus America (available January 28) to one astute reader who keeps abreast of all the Prescott College related stuff we post on our blogs and answers a tricky question on January 24. You can find details here. We'll be posting texts between the characters, excerpts from Prescott's student newspaper, characters' homework assignments and more!

Today it's more from Jackson, Mark's step-cousin and member of Alpha Delta. First up is a text he sends Bengal, the Alpha Delta pledge trainer and, I think we've already established, a dick: 

And here is a group text. It's a hazard of living in the Alpha Delta fraternity house. 

You guys, check out J.A. Rock's blog for more texts and fun stuff, and remember to check back here between now and the 24th, since we'll be introducing more characters from Mark Cooper versus America.

The Thing - Meet Bengal

Welcome back to The Thing, where J.A. Rock and I give away a copy of Mark Cooper versus America (available January 28) to one astute reader who keeps abreast of all the Prescott College related stuff we post on our blogs and answers a tricky question on January 24. You can find details here. We'll be posting texts between the characters, excerpts from Prescott's student newspaper, characters' homework assignments and more!

Today it's time to meet Bengal, proud member of Alpha Delta and the guy in charge of this year's pledges. Take it away, Simon. 

Student Snapshot - by Simon d’Angelo, Sophomore Staff Reporter.

This week’s featured student is Rob Stowe. If you’re a fan of Greek Life, you probably know him as Bengal, member of Alpha Delta Phi and this year’s pledge trainer. I asked him to describe to me what he thinks is the best thing about fraternity life, and why he thinks such an archaic institution is still relevant at today’s Prescott.

RS: It’s all about the word. “Fraternity”. It means brotherhood. A lot of people don’t get that. For most people, moving away to college is the first time they’re living away from their family. So that’s what a fraternity is. Your new family.

Sd’A: As the pledge trainer of Alpha Delta Phi, where do you stand on hazing?

RS: We don’t haze. We have group bonding exercises instead.

Sd’A: Like what?

RS: Like nature walks, and um, trust falls and stuff.

Sd’A: You don’t sound too sure.

RS: Well it’s supposed to be a secret, dude. I mean, I don’t want any potential pledges finding out what happens by reading the school paper. I mean, if anyone still reads the school paper, you know. You guys should have a Facebook group or something instead. Or Twitter.

Sd’A: Alpha Delta Phi has a reputation as a party house. Is that something that you’re proud of?

RS: We’ve been known to party hard, sure, but so does every house on Fraternity Row. If the worst thing you can say of us is that we party—

Sd’A: Well, that’s not the worst thing anyone’s said of you, is it?

RS: Hold on. Are you the same kid who wrote those stories about us last year? “Frat’s enough!” or something?

Sd’A: “Frat’s Enough! The dark world of college hazing” and “Banned of Brothers: why abolishing Greek life would be the best thing for Prescott”.

RS: Dude, good luck winning the Pulitzer with those titles.

***

And here Bengal strikes out with the ladies.

You guys, check out J.A. Rock's blog for more texts and fun stuff, and remember to check back here between now and the 24th, since we'll be introducing more characters from Mark Cooper versus America.