Blurb:
Is a gift of love enough to open Aiden’s heart and let Tris back in?
After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.
But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness—and Aiden—seem to slip even further out of reach…
After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.
But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness—and Aiden—seem to slip even further out of reach…
Excerpt:
Pulling a scrap of paper from a pocket, he studied the address he’d scribbled down, then swung a leg over his bike and pedaled away from Aiden’s home. The crisp spring air cooled his face and threaded fingers through his short hair, creating pleasant tingles down his neck. He pumped harder and raced along the side streets, ignoring the blare of a car horn as he made a quick left turn. He slowed in a quiet neighborhood and coasted to a halt at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Settling on the cushioned seat, he enjoyed the view while he caught his breath. A man he guessed to be in his early forties, shirtless now that the sun was warming, lifted cinder blocks from the back of an old flatbed truck. Most of the blocks were in a neat stack on the ground, and the man’s muscular back glistened with sweat as he picked up another one.
His arms bulged and Tris coughed to get his attention, then almost fell off his bike as the man swiveled toward him. Dark curls adorned his chiseled chest and abdomen and disappeared into the faded jeans snug on his hips. Tris smiled inwardly. The delicious body screamed ‘lady’s man’ from head to toe. What did Aiden say? Oh yeah, the gorgeous ones were always straight.
Still amused, Tris walked his bike up the cracked driveway and parked it by the detached garage. He approached the man in the yard and held out his hand, admiring the stranger’s attractive face and brown curls. “Good morning, Mr. Thompson. I’m Tris Price. We spoke on the phone earlier?”
The man’s keen hazel eyes swept over him, and Tris raised a brow. Tris’s father had designed and built furniture, and Tris was fit from years of lifting slabs of oak and cherry wood onto the bench to be cut into desired lengths. Though he couldn’t boast muscles like this six-foot hunk in front of him, he could handle anything the man might need. He stayed cool under the close inspection and tried not to let his amusement show in his eyes.
The man finally shook his hand. “Call me Andrew. Done any renovating before?”
“No, sir, but I’ve built furniture with my father and know my way around a piece of wood.”
“A ‘Price’ roll top desk came with the house. Solid oak. Superb workmanship.”
Heat rose in Tris’s face. “Thank you, sir. Dad would have appreciated that.”
Compassion stirred in the hazel eyes watching him. “I heard about the accident. I’m sorry. It can’t be easy.”
“No, sir.” Tris chewed a lip, not sure how they’d strayed onto the topic. “About the job…”
Andrew’s assessing gaze swept him again and Tris was conscious of his best jeans and sweater. “You’ll need to change… I have to pick up another load of bricks. Can you be back at three this afternoon?”
Tris let out a breath he’d been holding for three months. No one had wanted to buy Price Furniture from the son who’d caused the master craftsman’s death, no matter his skill level. No one would hire him for work. “You won’t be disappointed,” he said, unable to control the tremor in his voice.
One of the sexiest smiles he’d ever seen lifted the corner of Andrew’s mouth. “We’ll see,” he murmured and pulled another brick from the back of the truck, dismissing Tris. Tris watched him a minute, wondering if he’d just fallen in love. Then he shook his head, laughing at his folly as he collected his bike.
Buy Links:
Dianne, thanks so much for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
Thanks so much for having me as your guest today! I'm the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If I can’t be writing, at least I can create with the beauty of flowers and foliage and bring a smile to someone’s face. Currently I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with my husband, and both my children have chosen to attend colleges close to home, for which I am forever thankful.
How did you get started writing?
I've always been a storyteller, coming up with bedtime tales for my younger brothers and sister. Then in first grade I wrote a story about a giraffe. When my teacher pinned it to the board for everyone to see, I was hooked. I loved that something I had written was being read and liked by my friends. I still love that feeling of accomplishment. The deal was cinched in seventh grade when my wonderful creative writing teacher encouraged me to enter a story in the local newspaper's writing contest. I won! And I've been writing ever since.
What was the inspiration for Without Aiden?
I love books that can make me cry with both sorrow and joy. So when I sat down to write one of my own, I wanted a hero who suffers from a situation beyond his control, but because of his love and loyalty and true nature, he wins through to his HEA. Lots of angst in this one! But an ending that makes all the tears worthwhile, or so I've been told.
What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?
I'd have to say it's sci/fi. I love to read stories that take place in the future or on some distant world. The only thing stopping me is the science. I can tell a good romance story, but can I pull off the science part of science fiction? Make the story plausible to readers? That's a good question I'll one day find the answer to.
Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?
It's not that I won't because I'm against it, I simply don't enjoy non-fiction books. I live in reality. I read and write to escape it. I suppose erotica would be another genre I don't especially like. I need the happily ever after/for now in my stories or I'm not satisfied.
So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?
I have stories in two anthologies from Breathless Press coming out this summer. Ad-Dick-tion Vol. 3 and Down on the Farm.
Currently I'm writing a story for an anthology, Love Has no Boundaries, for the M/M Romance GoodReads Group. I've started a Free Read for Breathless Press' Birthday Bash coming this summer, and I'm also working on several contemporary romances to submit as soon as they're done.
Dianne will be awarding a $10 All Romance Ebooks Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
4/22 Full Moon Bites
4/29 Rachel Leigh
5/6 We Love Kink
5/13 All I Want and More
6/3 Sarah Ballance
Author Info:
After growing up in California and spending the first ten years of marriage in Colorado, Dianne now live in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.
She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside, a fire crackles on the hearth inside, and a cup of hot coffee warms her hands which kindles her imagination.
Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
