Beloved Unmasked by Brita Addams

Thank you, Dean, for having me today. I brought along an excerpt from my newest release, Beloved Unmasked. It is an adult excerpt, so your readers are warned. :-)

To give a little background – Beloved Unmasked takes place in New Orleans in the early 20^th century. The scene below is set in Storyville, New Orleans’s infamous red light district. Spence and Pic are friends, buddies, and Spence feels it his responsibility to guide Pic to manhood, in his own unique way.

If you are interested in learning more about Storyville and the people who inhabited it, I invite everyone to visit my blog for daily posts that started on October 16^th and run through October 23^rd. Just click the blog link below.

Full details for a New Orleans-themed gift pack giveaway on my blog.

And now let’s peek into the world of Spence and Pic. 

Blurb: 

Born to a spiteful prostitute in Storyville, the red-light district in New Orleans, David comes into the world as Picayune, meaning “of little value,” or, as his mother reminds him, “nothing.” In the early 20th century brothels and clubs, his love of music sustains young Pic until a life-changing meeting places him on the road to respectability, and Pic reinvents himself as David Reid.

As David realizes happiness for the first time, conscription forces his friend and first love, Spencer Webb, into the Great War. While he pursues a law degree, letters from Spence connect David to his hopes for the future. After staggering news at war’s end, David must find a way to move forward. Under the tutelage of his benefactor, David’s career prospers, but specters from Storyville threaten all he’s worked so hard to achieve.

The past holds both pain and love. Will facing it head-on destroy David or give him everything he’s ever dared dream?

 

Excerpt:

With each stair, Pic’s curiosity built. Spence often boasted a surprise and gave him a piece of filched cake from the kitchen. But there was the time he had Pic hide behind a curtain while the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen wore Spence out. Pic lost count of how many times Spence howled, “Yeah, Daddy.” Not to mention the nights Pic had spent peeking through the crack in the mahogany armoire.

On those nights Pic’s cock stayed hard until Spence relieved him. Spence often promised that when the time was right, he, in all his magnanimity, would personally oversee the popping of Pic’s cherry, and the promise was all Pic had to show for his patience.

After each of those nights, in the darkened attic, Pic pulled out every drawing he’d ever done of men and beat off three times in an hour. Only then did the fear drain from him at the realization that a wife and kids were not in the cards for him.

Halfway up the stairs, Pic’s instinct to go home nearly turned him around. His gritty eyes demanded sleep. He’d gotten up early and would have to again because he had work to do around the house. Sapphire needed her room cleaned and insisted he do it.

Pic took a step back, but Spence opened the door, his prick in hand. “What in hell takes you so long to climb a flight of stairs? Aren’t you interested in your surprise?”

“Sure I am, but you gotta give a workin’ man a break.”

“You’ll get a big, long break when you’re dead. Get up here.”

Pic trudged up the steps, summoned by the call of cock.

The lingering smell of sex and stale cologne drew him into the massive room Spence called home. Lots of space, and he paid one of the younger girls to polish his furniture every day, which left the room with an underlying aroma of lemon oil.

“Tonight you are in for a treat. I’ve arranged your first time, just like I promised.” Spence bounced with excitement.

Pic gave the room the once-over. “Really?” He shook his head. “I don’t know. Here?”

Spence put a hand on his hip, though the other never left his cock. “Perhaps you’d prefer the parlor downstairs, with witnesses. Yes, here, with only me and the man I personally selected for you.”

“I don’t know, Spence. Maybe it’s too soon.”

“You can’t decide if you wanna get laid or not? What kind of red-blooded American man are you?”

Pic shrugged. “Don’t you remember your first time?”

“Sure I do, and I was a damn sight more eager than you are. Listen, take a drink, and you can ease your mind into the idea that I’m not letting you out of here until you become a full-fledged pansy like me.” Spence ran his long slender fingers down Pic’s face. “I want to set you on the right path. Your partner is a perfect candidate, and he’s eager to help the cause.”

“I’ll take the drink.”

Spence clapped and giggled. “Excellent.”

With an exaggerated sway of the hips, he sashayed to a bootleg liquor–laden table he’d set up near the window.

“I always love coming to your room. So much more comfortable than my cot in the attic.”

“I rather like it myself. I do have a flair for décor, don’t I?”

Spence turned his back, so Pic ambled about. The walls held an overabundance of framed pictures, not just pages from magazines taped to the wallpaper. One was of an older Queen Victoria, adorned in black, her face a mask of sadness. Spence had a thing for England and dreamed of one day visiting Kensington Palace, birthplace and once home of his favorite queen.

The heavy green draperies that hid the bed cost someone a pretty penny, as did the fine lace canopy over Spence’s four-poster.

“There you are, a good vintage, from yesterday. It’ll water your eyes when it hits the bloodstream, but guaranteed, it’ll loosen you up.”

Pic took a sip of the clear drink and wrinkled his nose. “Whoo! That shit is potent.”

“Told ya.” Spence cupped Pic’s crotch. “Speaking of potent. Have I got a treat for you.”

After another sip, Pic put his glass on a nearby table. “What kind of treat? Something better than that shit I hope.”

Spence ran his fingers beneath Pic’s lapel. “You, dear boy, will have your cherry popped by an esteemed attorney.”

Pic raised his hand to ward yet another of Spence’s wild notions. “No.” He leaned in closer. “I’m not baring my ass for some grizzled old fart on his last leg.”

“Au contraire, ma petite pomme de terre.” Spence chuckled and pulled back the heavy drapery. “Does this look like a grizzled old fart to you?”

(insert and center mask and resize to 16%)

Lots of pre-release buzz about Beloved Unmasked

A Tarnished Novel

Cherished One: Book One:

Beloved Unmasked is a beautifully written historical romance. You can feel the streets of New Orleans, see the sights, and hear the sounds. (Cathy Brockman – MM Good Book Reviews)

When you want a historical you can really sink into and feel like you are there, this is the book to pick up. Really amazingly well done. A Recommended Read (Tina Brunelle – Redz World)

Beloved Unmasked has a whole lot packed into the pages. Brita Addams has certainly done her research about New Orleans. (Kazza – On the Top Down Under Reviews)

Buy Beloved Unmasked at Dreamspinner Press. Amazon, All Romance Ebooks

DSP: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6961

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Unmasked-Cherished-One-Book-ebook/dp/B015VNYQE6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444057675&sr=8-1&keywords=beloved+unmasked

All Romance ebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-belovedunmasked-1897343-367.html

The other books in the Tarnished series are Tarnished Gold and Tarnished Souls Frankie and Gent. These take place in the Golden Age of Hollywood and can be read as standalones. Beloved Unmasked is a Tarnished novel, but the first in my Cherished One series. Check my website for the details of those books and my other writings.

Born in a small town in upstate New York, Brita Addams has made her home in the sultry south for many years. In the Frog Capital of the World, Brita shares her home with her real-life hero—her husband, and a fat cat named Stormee. All their children are grown.

Given her love of history, Brita writes both het and gay historical romance. Many of her historicals have appeared on category bestseller lists at various online retailers.

Tarnished Gold, the first in her gay romance Tarnished series for Dreamspinner Press, was a winner in the 2013 Rainbow Awards, Historical Romance category. The book also received nominations for Best Historical and Best Book of 2013 from the readers of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group.

 A bit of trivia—Brita pronounces her name, Bree-ta, and not Brit-a, like the famous water filter.

Find Brita at any of the following places:

Website – http://britaaddams.net

Blog - http://www.britaaddams.net/#!britaaddamsblog/c1zoe

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/britaaddams

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/britaaddams

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/britaaddams

History Week Part II: Brita Addams

History Week Part II kicks off this week with my mentor, Brita Addams!

Tarnished Gold, my novel set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, is a book close to my heart, given my lifelong love of old movies and the time when stars were truly stars and not merely famous for being famous.

Hollywood provides a rich history for those of us who love the glitz of yesteryear. I grew up watching what were then old movies. Instead of playing outside with my friends, I wanted to watch Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. I love the characters created by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. My bookshelves groan under the weight of the biographies of all of the well-known stars of the twenties, thirties, and forties I’ve read. 

One extraordinary biography is Wisecracker, the story of William Haines, the first openly gay star in Hollywood. Billy bucked the system that studios implemented in the late 1920s. This was a period when studios insisted their gay stars marry, to help cover their homosexuality. The lavender marriages not only fell under the established morals codes, but they placed the stars in the untenable positions of living lives contrary to who they were. Possibly the most famous of these marriages was that of Rock Hudson, who married his agent’s secretary in 1955. 

There were, however, many. Those who complied, kept their careers. Those who didn’t, such as William Haines and Ramon Novarro, they refused and lost their careers. Ramon, reportedly a lover of Rudolph Valentino, became a recluse and was eventually murdered in 1968, at the age of sixty-nine, by two hustlers he’d apparently solicited for sex.

Tarnished Gold and the character of Jack Abadie, are loosely based on William Haines. He, unlike Novarro, created a life after acting, in the form of an interior design empire that exists to this day. William Haines Designs served the Hollywood community and beyond. Billy and his business partner, Ted Garber, decorated Winfield House, the U.S. Embassy in London, at the behest of Ambassador Walter Annenberg and his wife, Lee. He made more money after his movie career ended than before, and thumbed his nose at those intolerant souls who sought to erase the lives of the gay denizens of Hollywood. 

By the way, in the early days of Hollywood, gay actors, producers, directors, and set workers were revered and lauded for their talent and loyalty. They were significant in the building of the movie business, and some say the job wouldn’t have been done had it not been for them. Only after movies took a risqué turn in the late twenties did the sentiment change. The public demanded “cleaner” films, and the morals clauses, relative to lives on and off screen, came into being. Moral turpitude was the word of the day, and studios took the right to police employee’s actions in every part of their lives. Some may remember scenes in movies and later in television shows where even married couples slept separately, in single beds. When awake, one foot had to be on the floor. That stemmed from the morals clauses instituted by the Hays Office and existed until 1968, when the “studio system” crashed down around the ears of studio bigwigs.

When Louis B. Meyer told Billy Haines he had to ditch Jimmie Shields, a man he met and fell in love with in 1926, and marry a woman, Billy puffed his chest out and told Meyer, “I’m already married.” Billy and Jimmie were together for 47 years, until Billy died of cancer in 1973. You’ll have to read my author’s note in Tarnished Gold for the rest of that story.

Tarnished Gold, a 2013 Rainbow Award winner for Best Historical, delves into one man’s desire for fame and fortune, and most of all, love. The road to these things isn’t always a smooth one, as Jack discovers, but oh, the journey! 

Please enjoy the following excerpt, which I do hope will encourage you to visit the Dreamspinner website and get your copy of Tarnished Gold.

Hugs,

Brita

Jack turned away and tore open the flap and pulled the heavy vellum from the envelope.

Just walk out. Now.

Don’t think about it.

I’m waiting.

Eric

The restaurant was packed, and by the looks, it’d be a late night. Jack tucked the note into his pocket and served one of his tables. Then he took the note out again and reread it. Something clicked in his head, and he had to get out of the place. He told Tommy he was ill, and he walked right out the front door.

He stood on the sidewalk and stared at the gleaming smile that greeted him, conceding that he’d missed it.

“Don’t just stand there, my friend. Get in.”

Jack looked back at the bustling restaurant, ablaze in electric light. “I really shouldn’t. I could lose my job.”

“That doesn’t matter. Come on.”

Jack stood firm. “But it does matter. It’s how I make my living.”

“Not anymore.”

“What does that mean? You know it’s all I have. How many times have I served you and your friends?” He planted his hands on his hips.

“Get in. I have something to tell you.”

Jack didn’t want to go back into the restaurant, so he shook his head, shrugged, and got into the car.

“Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.” Eric pulled away from the curb and remained silent for several minutes, which piqued Jack’s interest even further.

“So tell me. I don’t understand.”

“It’s time you got out of the restaurant business. You need to move up in the world.”

“Something I’ve been telling myself for years, but it’s rather difficult to look for other work when I only get one day a week off and it is Sunday.”

Eric reached over and squeezed Jack’s thigh. “That’s what you have me for.”

“Have you?”

“Well, I’d like that to be so. You like me, don’t you?”

“Well, sure, but…”

“Then it’s settled. I have a surprise for you, and I hope you’ll take it in the spirit in which it’s given.”

“A surprise? What is it?”

Eric stared out over the road for several moments as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Well, you talked about loving the flickers, and I got to thinking. You’re so handsome and that’s what brings people into the movie houses. I think you might be perfectly suited to work at the studio.

Would you like that?”

“Me? I won’t lie. When I came out here, all I wanted to do was get into the movies. But in reality, it seems so impractical.”

“Again, that’s where I come in. You love the movies, and that’s all it takes to do what I have in mind. That’s the beauty of it.”

“The beauty of what?”

“How would you like to work as an extra?”

The words hit him like a thunderbolt. “Me? How? Where?”

“At Starlight. It’s all arranged. I know some people, and I talked to them about you.”

“Is that what you do? Are you an extra?”

“I have been. To start, you’ll be a dress extra.” Eric fingered Jack’s utilitarian coat. “We’ll have to get you some different clothes, you know, ones for all occasions. That way, you’re ready to work no matter where they need you.”

Jack sat back, disappointed. “I can’t afford new clothes.”

“I told you, leave it to me. I’ll help you out, so we can get you started.” Eric pulled into a driveway that led to a huge two-story mansion.

“Help me out? How?” Jack held his head in his hands. “This is all going so fast.”

Eric got out of the car, while Jack sat stunned.

“Come on in and I’ll explain everything,” Eric called from the door.

Jack shook his head and got out of the car. “Where are we?” he asked as he followed Eric into the house.

“This is where I live.”

Several lamps burned dimly, but they allowed Jack his first glimpse of a true Hollywood home. The large parlor boasted old furniture that didn’t appear to be the same kind of old as his parents’.

Paintings graced the wall, not just pages from magazines tacked up with chewing gum. Heavily fringed velvet draperies. Plush rugs. Glossy wood. “Very nice place you have here.” An understatement.

“I like it. It’s home, you know. Care for a drink?”

“Sure.”

Jack walked around while Eric poured the refreshments. “I never thought I could appreciate old furniture, but it’s really beautiful,” he said as he ran his hand over the back of a wooden chair covered in some plush fabric.

“They’re called antiques, Jack. I’m a collector and have been for several years. They’re my weakness, that and property. This place is crammed with them.” Eric laughed. “I can’t control myself. Auctions are disastrous for my bank account.”

“My folks have some mighty old pieces, but nothing as beautiful as yours.” He skimmed his hand admiringly over a highly lacquered table.

“That’s a Louis XVI. Quite old.”

“How much do you make as an extra, Eric?”

“I’m afraid you misunderstood,” Eric said with a chuckle. “While it’s true I did work as an extra some years ago, I don’t make my living as one now.”

Jack turned to face Eric. “Please tell me, instead of hinting. I don’t pick up on hints well.”

Eric sat down and motioned to Jack to follow suit. “I came to Hollywood almost ten years ago. I started out as an errand boy, doing anything I could to stay close to the picture makers. The directors sometimes pulled me in when they needed an extra, though there was no money to be made doing that in those days.”

“But there is now?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to quit your job if there wasn’t. It pays a dollar fifty a day and a dollar more if you do stunts.”

“Really? That is more than I’m making now.”

“I thought it might be. As a dress extra, you’ll make more because there’s more calls for them.”

Jack grew more excited as he pictured himself up on the big screen. “Okay, so go on. Tell me what you do now.”

“I’ve always loved the entertainment business. Back in New York, I knew some show people, got to know how things worked. When I wasn’t working as an extra, I was at the director’s shoulder, learning his every move. Wasn’t long before I was made assistant director. That wasn’t much more than a glorified runner, but I learned everything.”

“So, you’re an assistant director?”

“No, not now.”

“Then what?”

“I’m a director. I’ve done five pictures, including In the Mirror—” 

Buy at Dreamspinner  Buy at Amazon

About Brita Addams:

Born in a small town in upstate New York, Brita Addams has made her home in the sultry south for many years. In the Frog Capital of the World, Brita shares her home with her real-life hero—her husband, Clint, and a fat cat named Stormee. All their children are grown.

Given her love of history, Brita writes both het and gay historical romance. Many of her historicals have appeared on category bestseller lists at various online retailers. 

Tarnished Gold, the first in her gay romance Tarnished series for Dreamspinner Press, was a winner in the 2013 Rainbow Awards, Historical Romance category. The book also received nominations for Best Historical and Best Book of 2013 from the readers of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group.

A bit of trivia—Brita pronounces her name, Bree-ta, and not Brit-a, like the famous water filter. Brita Addams is a mash-up of her real middle name and her husband's middle name, with an additional d and s. 

Readers can find more information about Brita Addams at any of the following places:

Website/Blog  http://britaaddams.net
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/britaaddams
Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/britaaddams

Fan page  https://www.facebook.com/BritaAddamsEroticRomance
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/britaaddams/

Booklikes http://britaaddams.booklikes.com

iAuthor http://www.iauthor.uk.com/profile/brita-addams:8225

Monthly column at The Novel Approach http://thenovelapproachreviews.com

Please stay in touch by subscribing to my monthly newsletter https://www.facebook.com/BritaAddamsEroticRomance/app_100265896690345

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Brita is giving a way a back list title! Enter to win by making a comment below!

That comment will also count as an entry into my giveaway. In celebration of History Week Part II, I will be giving away an Ecopy of my first novel, A Place to Call Their Own, which is available from JMS Books.  Comment and follow me and the other folks on Twitter to enter to win!


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