Thursday, February 16, 2012

Leigh Ellwood - Guest Post - ODD



Blurb - 
Greg Hargrove has a ticket to the hottest party in town: Drew Bradley's annual Odd Ball. Dressed for the theme as one half of a popular sitcom duo, Greg doesn't expect to meet his match and engage in a secret night of passion while the festivities rage on. When handsome Rick Wade falls on his radar, however, Greg decides to partake of more explicit party favors. Is Rick more than a one-night stand, though, or can Greg look forward to many passion-filled reruns?

Oh, this sounds fabulous! Help me welcome, Leigh Ellwood today.


Hello, and thank you for reading. I am Leigh Ellwood, author of romance and erotica, and I am happy to be the guest blog today. My latest release, ODD, is an M/M contemporary short and part of the All Romance Perfect Strangers series. It is available exclusively through All Romance in digital format. The story came about as a happy accident. I’ll explain how.

Many years ago, a friend told me the story of a rent party he attended. Two roommates were short on cash and needed to raise some quick funds, so they threw a party based on the TV show, The Odd Couple. I won’t detail how the party was set up, since it’s part of my story, so you’ll just have to pick up ODD and see for yourself! Anyway, the story my friend told stuck with me over the years, and I swore one day I would write it into something. Recently, I decided to get it down while the memory remained fresh. Halfway into writing, I received an e-mail from Lori James of All Romance eBooks.

ARe was looking for stories for their Perfect Strangers imprint – stories about strangers (naturally) who experience instant love/lust. As it happened, ODD seemed to be headed in that direction, so I finished the work and submitted it. To my great pleasure, ARe contracted it alongside several others that released in February.

I suppose if this story has a message, it is that if you want to be a writer it helps to be a good listener. You never know where your next story idea will come from. Thanks for “listening.”

Thanks for telling us how ODD came about. You are so right, Leigh. You never know where inspiration will come from!



 Leigh Ellwood is an award-winning author of erotica and erotic romance fiction. Following the release of her first novel, Truth or Dare, in 2004, Leigh has since written several novels, novella, and short stories. She is an EPIC Award winner and has been nominated for many reviewers awards for her works.
Leigh welcomes reader mail at kspatwriter (at) yahoo (dot) com.

And now, what you've been waiting for... an excerpt! 

In the ten years Drew Bradley hosted his annual Odd Ball, people knew to expect two events: sometime toward the end of the evening Drew would lose his pants, and the two winners of the Best Oscar and Best Felix costume awards would immediately hook up afterward and live happily ever after. That many of the happy couples continued to come to the big party as their chosen television personas stood testament to their host’s impeccable matchmaking—and entertaining—skills.

Greg Hargrove personally didn’t care if either happened on his watch. After years of watching siblings primp and prepare for the biggest bash in town, he’d finally reached the requisite legal drinking age and could now attend. Though he’d never seen the television show that inspired the theme of the party, he’d gleaned enough by living vicariously through older friends—and researching YouTube clips—to know the score.

On November fourteenth, Felix Unger was asked to his leave his apartment. This request came from his wife…

There was more to the prologue, he knew, but in his excitement Greg thought himself fortunate to recall his own name, much less those of characters from a TV show that ceased airing first run episodes long before he was a “glint in the mailman’s eye,” as his brothers liked to tease.

Greg adjusted his Yankees ball cap and smoothed a hand over his three-day-old stubble. It itched like hell, but he wanted to shoot for realism even if he didn’t win the grand costume prize. Would be nice, though, since neither of his older brothers had won before, and Greg had heard Drew didn’t skimp on the goods. Last year’s couple, he’d been told, won matching gold watches.

At the front door of Drew’s McMansion of a home, a wiry, unsmiling man with a long nose looked down at Greg over his John Lennon glasses. “Your invitation?” He held out a pale, almost wrinkleless palm.

“Sure.” Greg surrendered the requisite card given him by his brother Joe, who couldn’t make it this time. Joe hadn’t kidded him when he warned about the exclusivity of the event. What the hell went on here that required protection against crashers?

The butler-bouncer, for lack of a better description, peered down at the invitation for a long moment, as though determining its authenticity. Then, curling it in his bony hand, he addressed Greg. “You may access all designated party rooms with the exception of the VIP area, and you must stay in character. How everyone behaves throughout the evening will determine the final judging for the contest.”

“Got it.” Damn, people sure took this party seriously. At least, going as slovenly Oscar rather than uptight Felix, Greg believed he could blend in easily. Acting like a slob came naturally to him anyway.

“Good.” The man startled Greg with a warm smile that completely softened the landscape of his face. “Enjoy yourself.”

This is where you can find Leigh.

Purchase ODD here - 



If you comment on this post, Leigh will give a random visitor two free downloads from her back list. "I have a number of M/M and het erotic romances, which I hope you’ll enjoy." J

Thanks, Leigh for stopping by to share ODD with us, and the fabulous giveaway. Can I enter? LOL Guess not, huh?
Remember dear readers, ODD is only available at All Romance eBooks! 

Click on the banner to follow the tour!





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