To celebrate my birthday on the 10th, my anthology of 12 m/m romance stories, A Flirty Dozen, will be FREE ON AMAZON until Sunday 12th June, so this week’s snippet is taken from one of the stories in it, Good Breeding:
In this snippet, our hero-in-need-of-some-personal-growth Giles has just met his birth mother for the first time, and is pouring out his woes to his best mate, Oz:
“I always wondered, you know?” Giles said, gesticulating with the Edinburgh crystal in the vague direction of the water feature. “What sort of people my parents were. Were they romantic, idealistic? Or hard-working, salt-of-the-earth types? And now I know.” He paused dramatically. “I’m the son of a chav. A stiletto-wearing, chardonnay-swilling, chain-smoking, perma-tanned chav. And a Greek waiter whose name she can’t quite recall.” He hung his head in despair.
Oz nodded, patting him on the shoulder sympathetically, if a bit unsteadily. “Cheer up. It could have been worse.”
Giles looked up, incredulous. “How? Just how, precisely?”
Oz glared at him. “Well, she could have been a raging snob like her son, for starters!”
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors here.
A Flirty Dozen by JL Merrow
This anthology comprises 12 stories, all by JL Merrow, which are also available from JMS Books as standalone e-books.
Ranging from gritty to giddy, all feature two men finding their happy ever after—or at least for now—with a dash of the author’s trademark humour.
Read about boys from the wrong side of town, boys from the right side of town, and boys from a town you really wouldn’t want to live in. Meet a rent boy with a secret, a very earthly version of Cupid, and men with a definite tinge of the supernatural. Opposites attract, wishes come true, and old enemies find forgiveness in this variety pack of eight contemporary stories and four paranormal tales that’s a perfect introduction to the writing of a very British author.
Available FREE in ebook from Amazon until Sunday 12th June
and in paperback from JMS Books
![locknut_200x300[4]](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/40247243490_3a97895e2a.jpg)
JL Merrow 
You tell him, Oz! 🙂
❤
Hahaha! Go, Oz!
😀
You tell him, Oz.
❤
I adore this speech, but I’ll admit I’m curious what a chav is. The one other time I’ve heard the term was when Cassandra took over Rose Tyler’s body during the ‘Doctor Who’ episode ‘New Earth’ and said, “I’m a chav!” (rueful grin)
“Chav” is a derogatory term for a working-class person of the brash and uncouth variety, usually seen in head-to-toe designer clothes from TK Maxx (or market knock-offs). Nobody seems quite sure where it came from. 😉
Have you seen the movie Kingsman (and if not, why not)? Eggsy, in his raw, uncut form, is presented very much as a stereotypical chav. 😉
Love it! And thanks so much for the birthday freebie anthology, which is now in my Kindle!
Thanks – and you’re welcome! 😀
Oooh! Burn! Good thing they’re friends!
Indeed! Giles has some growing up to do in this story. 😉
I read this story, loved it!
Aw, thank you! 😀
Fabulous response made me smile.
Thanks! 😀
That was hilarious. Well done Oz
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I’ve just finished this collection and I loved it! I already owned a few of the stories but some were new to me. I have to ask if St. Saviours is any kind of tribute to Rev or if it’s just a random name for the check in the final story?
Thank you – so glad you enjoyed the collection. 😀
And no, although a lot of church/pub/school names in my stories have a hidden meaning*, there’s no special significance to the name of St Saviour’s.
*I’m deeply disappointed, for example, that nobody appears to have noticed that in Slam! I named a school after local “hero” Eddie the Eagle, giving him a knighthood in the process! 😉
I’ve read Slam and I never noticed, but I also had no idea what Eddie the Eagle’s real name was, I didn’t even realize it was based on his last name. Maybe the new movie will prompt some recognition!