Treadmill Goals/Tracking

• Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
• Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
• Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
• Distance 1-2 miles per day
• Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (exception…at the end of the week where a book is highlighted, I will finish it off-treadmill so I can feature something new the next week)

Week 110: December 30, 2018 – January 5, 2019

DAY	PACE	TIME	DISTANCE
Sunday	30 min/mile	35:06 min:sec	1 mile
Monday	30 min/mile	33:35 min:sec	1 mile
Tuesday	30 min/mile	31:06 min:sec	1 mile
Wednesday	30 min/mile	30:08 min:sec	1 mile
Thursday	30 min/mile	30:24 min:sec	1 mile
Friday	30 min/mile	30:13 min:sec	1 mile
Saturday	30 min/mile	30:21 min:sec	1 mile

What I’m Reading

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my weekly reading snippets may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

What I #amreading: 2018 Top Ten Gay Romance, edited by J.M. Snyder

2018 Top Ten Gay Romance brings together the best-selling short stories published by JMS Books that year.

From first love to true love, from submission to sensual, from heat to sweet and everything in between, the couples in these stories are sure to keep you turning the pages as you fall in love with them.

With stories by Addison Albright, Laura Bailo, Kris T. Bethke, Sarah Hadley Brook, Nell Iris, Shawn Lane, K.L. Noone, Deirdre O’Dare, J.M. Snyder, and J.D. Walker, this head-over-heels collection goes beyond bedtime reading. Whether happily ever after or happy for now, there’s an ending for everyone in here!

Contains the stories:

The Contingency Plan by Addison Albright
No Rulebook for Flirting by Laura Bailo
Hero Worship by Kris T. Bethke
Motorcycle Man by Sarah Hadley Brook
Unexpected Christmas by Nell Iris
Hitting It Big by Shawn Lane
Leather and Tea by K.L. Noone
Doggone Love by Deirdre O’Dare
Commanding Officer Thomas by J.M. Snyder
No Snarkasm in Love by J.D. Walker

Publisher eBook | Publisher Print | Amazon Universal | Books2Read Universal

My favorite lines this week…

NOTE: I’m cheating on my regular treadmill rules this week because the anthology is over 100k words and I want to be able to post a snippet from each of the ten stories. So, I’ll be reading off treadmill as well as on (but only as needed to finish the story/stories of the day), and I’ll post two snippets on the first three days (because those were “free” days where I had extra reading time, plus I’d previously read (and in one case written!) four of those six).

✿✿ SUNDAY ✿✿

The Contingency Plan by Addison Albright

“Collapse? How…how…?” Marcelo trailed off, unsure what he wanted to ask. How could such a marriage be possible? Instead he sat and reached for the metal cup on the small bedside table.

“How did you come to awaken in your bed?” Father queried. “Prince Efren carried you. He said it was the least he could do after shocking you into a dead faint.”

The cup slipped from Marcelo’s hand and clattered to the stone floor, spilling water as it rolled, clinking across the room. And now Prince Efren had shocked him a second time. Naturally, Marcelo had assumed servants had carried him.

An unfamiliar tingle raced through his body at the thought of being held by the prince in such an intimate manner. Or was it caused by remembering the curious half-smile when the prince had let Marcelo “win” the stare-down, or the way he’d looked confidently into Marcelo’s eyes when he’d announced his choice?

No Rulebook for Flirting by Laura Bailo

“You’re adorable when you pout.” he ignored Gabriel gaping at him. Did you know they’re making a Settlers of Catan movie?”

“Please tell me you’re joking.” He dropped his head to the table. “Judith will want to see that, and her parents will make me take her to the cinema.” He glared at Aitor when he started laughing again. “Well, at least it’ll be better than all the Disney princesses she makes me watch.”

“I’m sure you love the Disney movies. You know all the songs, don’t you?”

“I don not!” he said, as indignantly as he could manage. But when Aitor kept looking at him, he caved. “They’re catchy, okay? Fucking ‘Let It Go’ was stuck in my head for weeks after watching the movie!”

“Oh, my God, you’re adorable!”

✿✿ MONDAY ✿✿

Hero Worship by Kris T. Bethke

Of course, it would have been a hell of a lot easier on me if he wasn’t wearing a pair of shorts made out of some stretchy material that clung to his thighs. His legs were muscular and long, the blond hair so light it was hard to see sometimes, but I had no doubt I’d be able to feel it if I ran my hands along them. He had great legs, I was pretty sure he knew I thought so, and that was why he was wearing the tiny shorts in the first place. I realized we had the heat on, but didn’t he know it was thirty degrees outside? It was the middle of October, for Christ’s sake.

Motorcycle Man by Sarah Hadley Brook

Angus felt something akin to relief flood through him and he blinked back tears. Maybe sharing would help. Hell, the counselor he’d seen for an entire year following the accident had tried telling him that, but even she hadn’t been able to break through his barriers. Yet here was Ben, ready and willing to listen. It was up to Angus to take the leap.

He took a deep breath and jumped.

✿✿ TUESDAY ✿✿

Unexpected Christmas by Nell Iris

“I bet your niece liked that.”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a wide, happy smile, transforming him from frightening into a cuddly teddy bear. A teddy bear with tattoos, but still. “She did. She was disappointed at first that Santa couldn’t find her house, but I explained he’d left her presents at my place.

“Huh. How come Santa could find your house and not hers?”

“I guess Rudolph isn’t equipped with GPS.”

Laughter bubbled up inside me and poured out. He was nothing like I’d expected when I’d first laid eyes on him. The way his voice softened when he talked about his niece was adorable, and I hadn’t thought it possible for a hulk like him. “You’re funny,” I said.

“I guess even serial killers have a sense of humor.” He glanced in my direction and shot me a toothy grin that made him look scarier than ever.

Hitting It Big by Shawn Lane

Mitch grinned, his lips not too far from Billy’s ear. “What’s that saying? If you have to ask, I’m doing it wrong?”

“Ha ha.” You know what I mean. What are you doing, Mitch? Why all of a sudden are you coming on to me?”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“When someone puts their hands on my ass, that’s what I’m thinking,” Billy said. He’d noticed Mitch’s hands hadn’t moved from their grasp of Billy’s cheeks.

Mitch’s grin was impish. “Okay, so yeah, I am.”

✿✿ WEDNESDAY ✿✿

Leather and Tea by K.L. Noone

Simon had never previously done anything along those lines in bed, in non-literary life. Ben, somewhat horrified by this revelation, coming as it did after they’d bought the cane and first set of handcuffs, had said, “Oh, God, I’ve corrupted an altar boy, I’m so sorry.” Simon had rolled affectionately exasperated eyes at him and said, “I did a lot of reading, you know, before you came along. I do know what I enjoy and also I’m sorry I ever told you about that year, and anyway I was an altar server, we call them servers in the Church of England., honestly, learn your cultural differences.” Then he’d managed to knock a stack of paperbacks off the bedside table with an uncontained elbow. Ben had to kiss him everywhere after that.

✿✿ THURSDAY ✿✿

Doggone Love by Deirdre O’Dare

“Why don’t we pull off up at the overlook and talk for a while? I think we need to get some things straight between us. Something tells me you’re surprised how last night turned out. I’m not. It went even better than I could’ve hoped, but I want to make sure you’re okay with everything.”

Eric’s disembodied voice through the radio jolted through Damon. Then he realized he needed to het things out in the open, too. “Sure, works for me. Some things you can’t talk about under these Darth Vader covers. I need to see your face and look you in the eye.”

✿✿ FRIDAY ✿✿

Commanding Officer Thomas by J.M. Snyder

After a long moment Joe stirs, turning his head towards Lee. “Hmm?”

Lee props himself up a little. He brushes a hand over Joe’s ear, nails scraping softly through Joe’s stubbled hair. “You know, I just think it’s funny—”

“Uh-oh.”

With a laugh, Lee asks, “What?”

Joe rolls onto his back and frowns up at Lee. “Nothing good ever follows that phrase. I just thing it’s funny. Can’t we just enjoy this for a little while?”

✿✿ SATURDAY ✿✿

No Snarkasm in Love by J.D. Walker

“Okay, whatever bug crawled up your butt these past few days, shit it out. You’ve had enough coffee to turn into a Keurig machine and you’re still a bear. What gives?” Ingrid stared me down in my office, hands on her hips.