Category: Book Giveaways

In the Spotlight: Blood Lines by A.L. Bates (special excerpt and giveaway)

Blood Lines Tour Banner

Title: Blood Lines
Author: A.L. Bates
Genre: Gay Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller
Length: Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Mark Thomas owns his own “New York”-themed bar on an off-world colony.

Nate Fox is an ex-con gone straight.

He’s also Mark’s best friend and brother-in-law.

Mark has feelings for Nate. Nate has feelings for Mark.

But neither man is prepared to compromise their friendship or Mark’s relationship with Danny.

Blood Lines is a story about fidelity, trust, and respect. It’s a story about honesty and learning from mistakes.

And it’s a story about second chances.

Blood Lines AL Bates Cover

Excerpt

He spat at Nate’s feet as he left. Nate ignored him. The bar curled around to a discreet desert garden. Mark was sitting in a concealed alcove by the fire exit. He’d found a small bench, set in a garden of cigarette butts and empty bottles. His eyes were closed, his face tight and in pain. From where he was seated, it was impossible not to have heard the altercation, and yet he still seemed surprised when he opened his eyes and saw Nate there.

Nate sat beside him, wishing he’d brought a beer to keep his hands occupied. He struggled to think of something to say, but like before, nothing could make it right. I’m sorry my brother has given you a death sentence. I’m sorry he got you attacked. I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.

“Why did you send him away?” Mark said.

“He wasn’t the type of guy you want to be meeting in this sort of place.”

“Why? Because he was going to fuck me?”

“Because he wouldn’t have treated you nicely.”

“Danny doesn’t treat me nicely. You didn’t step in then.”

Nate paused. “Maybe I should have.”

“What are you doing here, Nate? This isn’t your mess, it’s Danny’s.”

“Don’t you want my help?”

“I want a lot of things,” Mark said with a disgusted little chuckle. “You should go. It’s only gonna end badly.”

“I’m not going to leave you.”

“Even though I’m going to die?”

“You’re not going to die. I won’t let you.”

Mark rolled his head back to look at Nate. It was the same look he’d given Nate when his dad had died. But there was more there: a longing, a desperation. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Nate’s, hesitant at first and then gaining in confidence. He pulled back, keeping his face close to Nate’s. “Always wanted to do that.”

Buy Links

Don’t miss the release discounts at all retailers and get your copy up to 48 hours after release.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/?p=2080
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lines-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01GKKKPDU/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Lines-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01GKKKPDU/
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/Blood-Lines-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01GKKKPDU/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Blood-Lines-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01GKKKPDU/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bloodlines-2055134-145.html

Book Trailer

Giveaway

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About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates

In the Fantasy Spotlight: Unbidden Dragon by Louisa Kelly (excerpt and Giveaway)

lk_unbiddendragon

Title: Unbidden Dragon
Author: Louisa Kelley
Publisher: Loose-Id LLC
Cover Artist: Syneca Featherstone
Release Date: May 24 2016
Heat Level: 3- 4
Pairing: F/F
Length: approximately 50,000 words
Genre/Tags: Paranormal Romance, Lesbian Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads Links

Book/Buy Links

Publisher Site: http://www.loose-id.com/unbidden-dragon.html?___SID=U

Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B01G48P2AY

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-unbiddendragon-2048832-149.html

Book Blurb

Two Dragons:
Maeven is on a mission. One big and bold enough for her coming-of-age quest called the Fieri, and important enough to gain her a trip off Dracan, the secret, hidden sanctuary of the dragon shape-shifters.
Success in her once-in-a-lifetime challenge means everything – respect, honor, and the bestowal of her full magical powers. Not to mention doing something vital for the survival of her species.
She’s given strict rules of behavior while living in earth society. Rule number one: keep her true nature hidden. Rule number two: no emotional involvement with humans, despite the age-old, near irresistible attraction between the two races.
Then Maeven meets plucky, devious, adorable Frankie living in Portland, Oregon. Who, as it turns out, accidentally, shockingly, shape-shifted – the night before. Ah. So much for the rules.
Frankie is frustrated with her oddly larcenous life not going anywhere in particular. One fateful weekend, she camps alone in the mountains to gain fresh perspective – with a little help from a baggie of something special. That afternoon, in a crazed, furious confrontation with hunters, Frankie shape-shifts into a dragon. And discovers a race of magical beings who insist she’s one of them, too. Especially the shining, gorgeous, red-head – who promises to teach her so much.

Excerpt

Maeven shut the door, turned, and regarded her. A clench of something tightened Frankie’s stomach. Maeven exuded a dangerous sensuality that both promised and threatened, fueling Frankie’s sense that Maeven carried the greater danger.
She eyed the door. How fast would she have to move, to keep Maeven from catching her? And where were these thoughts coming from?
“Would you like more tea?”
Frankie glanced down at her empty mug. “No, thanks.” The silence lengthened, and she concentrated on the sounds of the wood hissing and burning and tried to avoid Maeven’s questioning face. And not stare at her lush lower lip and slashes of dark eyebrows arching over green eyes.
Oh hell.
Maeven sat next to her and gave her hand an unexpected squeeze where Frankie clenched it on the table. “What do you remember? Anything?”
Her fingers twitched, enclosed in the surprising heat of Maeven’s skin. Warmth sank into her cold hand, yet after a few seconds, she slid her hand away. Too soon to trust. Even if the woman looked like the goddess Athena. With red hair.
The sense that she needed to get out, to run, flee danger, continued to prickle. She eyed the door again. Ingrained habits of distrust, learned from painful lessons of betrayal, rose to nearly choke her. She shook her head in an effort to dispel her foggy, post-high state.

“I’m not sure,” Frankie said. “Only flashes here and there.” She swallowed against the sudden taste of bile in her throat, and a wave of nausea hit her, potent reminders of the drug use from yesterday. The baggie of mushrooms she’d been warned not to consume all at once. Which she did, of course. Why, why did she continue to make such stupid choices?
The lingering effects of her trip probably contributed to how weird she felt. Or not. Arghh. Why was she such an idiot? Her decision-making abilities were coming undone.
She really did need to get out of here, get home, and recover her senses. How to manage that seemed impossible. She dropped her head into the flat of her arms crossed on the table. “I am so fucked.”
“I’m sorry.” Maeven’s voice floated somewhere above her, faint, like an angel’s. “I know this must be confusing.”
Frankie jerked at the touch of Maeven’s hand on her shoulder and shot to her feet. Her head wouldn’t clear. Maeven seemed both angel and devil in the space of seconds. The sense of wanting to go sharpened. She couldn’t shake the feeling they didn’t want her to leave, for reasons they weren’t admitting. Maeven watched her so closely she seemed to see everything, know what Frankie wasn’t saying.
Paranoia filled her. She didn’t care if she slept in the woods overnight. She wanted out. Space. These people scared her, and she pushed away the fact that they also aroused her as unimportant to the plan of action.
“Yeah,” Frankie said, hating the tremble in her voice. “I feel pretty weird. I’m just not quite…sure what happened, but thanks so much for the clothes and tea and stuff.”
“Of course, it’s the least we can do,” Maeven said. She leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair in a nervous gesture. Frankie watched, fascinated despite herself. The light caught and shimmered on the various shades in Maeven’s hair. A strand along her cheek shone like a rose in the soft cabin light.
Stop that, Frankie chastised herself. No distractions. Her decision solidified. Go, at the first opportunity. Run, hide… She fought her anxiety. Where would she go? And in the dark?
No matter. Her jaw clenched. She’d been a champion long-distance runner in high school, and she’d stayed in shape. But could she outrun the totally buff goddess?

SHADOWS CLIMBED THE rough wood walls of the cabin. The flickering candles cast a soft glow as day faded into evening, bathing the room in golden tones. Maeven looked down and realized her blue aura was mingling with the candlelight. She quickly doused the shine. Pesky shape-shifter light. Hardest thing to hide from humans. And impossible to explain. She flashed a look at Frankie, hoping to see more blue light, but Frankie’s pale face seemed even more taut and white.
Frankie avoided her eyes and radiated a palpable sense of unease. Made it hard to breathe, hard to keep a clear head, on multiple levels. Her predator’s instincts salivated; the hunting instinct activated with the enticement of Frankie’s anxiety. Maeven struggled not to react.
Frankie cleared her throat. “Okay if I use the bathroom?”
“Sure, of course. Through that door by the bed.” Maeven pointed in the direction of the bath, then tapped her fingers on the table while she waited. Fieri. Yes. The path coursed in her blood; a sense of rightness sent adrenaline racing through her body. Finally. Her doubts fell away. The course was set, even if she was full of unanswered questions. Taranis and Alwen had not forgotten her. How could she forget them? Listen, listen, listen…
Good. Yes! her sister-self cried, tuned as always to the nuances of Maeven’s thoughts. Want her. Go. Now!
Her sister meant fly with Frankie. The thought caused her heart to pound. “Fly?” she asked inwardly. “So I’m right?”
No coincidences. The Draca believed life unfolded according to the plans of Taranis and Alwen, gods of Draca, the divine beings who loved their shape-shifting children above all else. Her Fieri continued as planned, shaped by the ones who ruled her magical world. Trust. Did she?
Her sister-self beat an excited rhythm in her head. “Kisskiss,” she said. The sly other half of her never missed a twinge of lust. She gave her sister a mental kick.
“Stop it.” No lusting after the potential main objective. Frankie had found her way here despite layers of magical protections. Therefore, Frankie must possess Draca blood. It was the logical conclusion.

Maeven glanced at the closed bathroom door. It had been at least ten minutes. No sounds of water running or toilet flushing. Uneasy, Maeven stood up. “Frankie? You doing okay in there?”
No answer.
“Frankie?” she said louder and knocked on the door. When silence continued, she turned the knob. Locked. She rattled it. “Frankie?” Maeven thrust her hip against the wood a few times with no result. “Oh, blast it to the ninth hell,” she muttered and, with a fierce grip, tore the handle off and, with easy Draca strength, crashed through the pine door.
The window swung wide open, curtains blowing in the cold breeze. “No!” She rushed over and stared into the surrounding yard. Even with the moon, it was so dark Frankie could easily be hiding close by. Why, why was she running?
Maeven raced through the house, her sister-self agitated with excitement. “Chase!” she cried. An irresistible challenge to a Draca.
“Find her,” she said. “Find Frankie.” Predator instincts kicked in; her eyesight changed and cleared; the ability to see in the dark took over. She sniffed the air and caught the scent.
“Fly?” Maeven’s shoulder blades ached where her sister-self strained at the constriction of flesh.
“No, not yet. Run. Fast!” Maeven’s command to her sister-self ignited her into action.
She took off, inhaling the earthy, delicious traces of Frankie’s scent as she raced to catch her. Through the darkened, dense forest of spruce and pine, she dodged fallen logs and trampled through bushes of thorny blackberries, ignoring a hundred spiky digs. In the distance the sounds of Frankie’s panicked breathing carried on an obliging breeze. Maeven ran like a deer, the moonlight guiding the way, with light feet that bounded over any obstacles, nothing slowing her pace. Frankie’s gasps grew closer.
“Frankie! Stop…please! I just want to talk to you.”
“I’m fine,” Frankie yelled. “Leave me alone. I’ll find my own way out!”
Maeven picked up her speed. There—less than ten feet in front of her. Frankie threw a frightened glance over her shoulder, and then her foot hit a stump and she went flying, arms splayed just as Maeven dived to tackle her.
They went down in an explosion of grunts and shrieks. With a nimble twist, Maeven landed on top, spread-eagled over Frankie. She pinned her wrists to the ground and held firm while Frankie bucked and kicked.
“Get the hell off me! What the— Umpff…” Her last words were muffled as Maeven cupped her hand over Frankie’s mouth.
“Frankie,” Maeven said, yanking back on her emotions like taming a tightrope snapping in the wind, “I only want to talk. Please. For God’s sakes, I’m trying to help you.” She lifted her weight up a little but stayed put, knees on either side of Frankie’s hips, and tried not to notice the riot of sensation caused by the soft, shapely body under hers. Her sister-self’s excited cries increased in volume until Maeven could hardly think.
Frankie glared at her and went still.
“Okay?” Maeven asked and raised her hand from Frankie’s mouth while keeping a grip on her wrists. Ignoring her sister-self keening “mineminemine” was impossible. They had chased, they had caught, and her sister demanded reward.
“Fine,” Frankie spit out. “Now get the fuck off.”
Yet Maeven didn’t move, and Frankie remained still and unresisting. Puffs of white breath circled in the growing cold, and she knew they had to get going. Frankie’s eyes gleamed in a shaft of moonlight with anger…and something else. As if caught in a dream spell, she hesitated, unable to take her eyes off Frankie’s lips.
Her Dracan instincts threatened lusty takeover, and Maeven whimpered with conflicted need. The moon had risen to full height in a black sky, and the forest was flooded with brilliant lunar light. Magic. The sanctuary overflowed with aroused shape-shifter sensuality.
Words didn’t have to be necessary for Maeven to find the answers she sought. There were other ways. No. Get up now. Really. She tried to make her muscles move, and nothing happened. Blast it!
She heard Frankie’s indrawn breath like an invitation. Coherent thought fled. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the outline of Frankie’s mouth. For a few seconds, Frankie’s lips softened, opened, and then a small, hard fist shot out and punched Maeven’s cheek. Shocked, she slid off, reeling, into the cold mud and leaves.

Author Bio

Romance and science fiction took firm hold of Louisa Kelley’s imagination at age nine, when she read the books Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, and the Narnia series, by C.S. Lewis. She is convinced that the genre paranormal romance, which developed years later, came into existence purely for her benefit. After all, it’s what’s been in her heart all these years.
She resides in Portland, Oregon where, in a strangely perfect combination of rainy winters and urban skyline, her writing inspiration abounds. Meet the sexy world that’s been evolving in her fevered brain…She’d love you to join her in some over-the-top erotic adventures with the Draca; dragon shape-shifters of a very different kind.
Member of Romance Writers of America
Member of Rose City Romance Writers

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisaKelley.Author
Website: http://www.louisakelley.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3860948.Louisa_Kelley

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card
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In the Spotlight: Elysium (Reunion #3) by JJ Harper (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Elysium
Series: Reunion Series #3
Author: JJ Harper
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2016
With Nico by his side, Ryan says goodbye to his old life and moves away, leaving his job and his hometown behind him.

Ready for a fresh new start together, Ryan and Nico settle down into a slower and easier lifestyle and life becomes as perfect as they could wish for.

When Ryan is unexpectedly reminded of the life he happily walked away from, his world is turned upside down when he gets notice of news that he never expected to hear. Ryan is tormented by what is being asked of him; the very thing he was promised would never be asked of him again.

A man Nico once knew returns, and Nico wishes he’d never caught up with Lyle. His ploy to keep Lyle away from Ryan fails and Lyle tells all about his previous connection to Nico. Ryan takes off, leaving no clues as to where he’s gone and Nico is devastated believing that Ryan has left him.

When Ryan finally returns home; so does his past and he is forced to visit an old friend. But things are not what they seem and Ryan must fight as hard as he can to keep himself safe.

Maybe the perfect life with a happy ever after just isn’t in the cards for Ryan and Nico after all.

Reading this may seriously raise you blood pressure, contains lots of hot scenes of sex between two men and has strong language throughout

This book is intended for 18+ readers.

I’m a slightly crazy one-click addict that writes the thoughts that run through my head.
I love a good love story and always want a happy ending. 
I live quietly in the Lincolnshire countryside, with my own heart-throb and my crazy dog.

HOSTED BY:

Its Release Day for Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC (Sex & Mayhem #9) by K.A. Merikan (Guest post and excerpt)

Heart Ripper 1

Heart Ripper: Coffin Nails MC (Sex & Mayhem #9)

by K.A. Merikan

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have K. A Merikan here today to talk about their latest release, Heart Ripper, 9th in the  Sex & Mayhem series.  Welcome!

 

We knew we’d write Heart Ripper as soon as David appeared on the pages of Split as the MCs younger brother. There was just something about this tertiary character that spoke to us, and in no time, we were hard at work. David comes from a very devout Catholic background, and the overbearing nature of his mother doesn’t do him any favors in discovering his sexual interests. But then comes Raja, a friend of David’s brother, and he sweeps David off his feet without knowing who he’s dealing with.

This story is much sweeter than many of the other Sex & Mayhem books in the sense that one of the characters is not in any way connected to the criminal world, and  that is one of the reasons Raja, the newly appointed club president of one of  the Coffin Nails MC chapters, likes him so much. David is a sweet ray of sunshine and normalcy, the kind of boyfriend Raja never had, and he can’t deny himself the attraction, even if he knows he should not pursue this particular guy.

I guess most of us like a story of a forbidden love, one that needs to face many obstacles. It isn’t easy for Raja to openly date a guy, and it is even harder for David to put everything on the line, but their connection is explosive, and neither of them can make himself give up on it.

If you want to see our inspiration photos for this book, check out the ‘Heart Ripper’ Pinterest board: https://uk.pinterest.com/KAMerikan/heart-ripper-by-ka-merikan-sexmayhem-9/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29330795-heart-ripper—coffin-nails-mc

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GBO228Q/

Heart Ripper 1

EXCERPT:

The bearded guy from downstairs slid inside, locking the door of the bathroom with a loud, final-sounding clang, and then his dark gaze was on David, rendering him mute and unable to defend himself from that strong presence.

The man was taller than David, and the white T-shirt he was wearing clung to his athletic body as he glided through the bathroom. For a moment, the world slowed down, and David could swear he saw the pitch-black hair float in the air, the curved-up moustache twitch as the man smiled beneath the thick, well-kept beard. Bold black tattoos covered the man’s arms, all the way to his wrists, and some even peeked out from under the round collar of the shirt, beckoning David to have a closer look at the dark, warm-hued skin, which had immediately set the man apart from everyone else present at the party.

“I… I mean, okay, I guess you need it more,” David uttered and attempted to pass the guy, fleeing for the door. He was hot, cold, sweaty all over, and nervous as hell. Life had been so much easier years ago, before puberty hit him in the face like a red hot poker drenched in sin.

The man stood in his way, and before David could utter a word of protest, a palm as hot as molten lava burned the skin of his throat, squeezing gently as the man pushed David back. David stepped back in a daze, letting the stranger direct him toward the wall, until his knees hit something hard and cool. The man pushed him down, and David obeyed yet again, taking a seat on the closed toilet.

He could barely breathe from the stress of being alone with this guy in a locked room. “I’m sorry if I stared,” he wanted to say, but only managed a hoarse whisper. His body was still processing being touched by this man. Older, bigger, with eyes that could scorch David alive.

“I enjoyed you staring,” said the stranger with a small smirk to his lips as he traced his thumb over David’s lips. It was the sulphur to the match of David’s arousal, and he quickly clenched his thighs in panic. Even his accent immediately set him apart from most people David met. Rich and thick as sugar syrup, it was definitely Southern.

Even fumbly kisses with a girl at church camp weren’t as igniting as one touch from this man. David would burn in hell for the images crawling out of the back of his mind. His heart was beating so hard it made him light-headed.

The man liked him looking.

So he wasn’t about to scold David for it. But what could a man like this possibly want with him then? A man with all that dark hair on his thick arms, a face as handsome as if it were a gift from the devil himself, and touch that made every hair on David’s body bristle.

“This… this is a misunderstanding,” David mumbled.

The man smirked and pulled down the zipper of his jeans, slowly letting go of David’s neck. “Nice to meet you, pretty boy.”

About the author

K. A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite pushing thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.

e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com

More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:

Cover Reveal for Collars N Cuffs, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology (cover reveal and giveaway)

Collars N Cuffs Banner

Synopsis

How about a little bondage?

Does D/s get your motor running?

Do you enjoy a serving of pain to go with your pleasure?

Does your mouth water at the thought of clamps and cuffs and other naughty stuffs?

Then look no further!

The authors of Collars ‘N’ Cuffs have dripped wax on their keyboards, flogged their erotic bones, and whipped up their creative juices to bring you a collection of stories certain to enflame your imagination.

Release Date: June 23, 2016

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the discounted pre-order and buy prices until 48 hours after release!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/collars-n-cuffs-a-wayward-ink-publishing-anthology/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-collars039n039cuffsawaywardinkpublishinganthology-2057986-166.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/Collars-Cuffs-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01G984JB2/

Stories included

FORGED IN STEEL

Layla Dorine

The last thing Flint expected upon discovering a homeless young man rummaging through the dumpster behind his shop was a kindred spirit.

The last thing Trace expected to find in that dumpster was a home.

 

PLAYING IT SAFE

Aimee Brissay

To safe or not to safe?

That is the question.

 

ROOM TO PLAY

Lily Velden

Jack wanted to dabble in some light BDSM, looking for a little role play. A little role-reversal.

Rhys took to their games like a duck to water.

 

A TOUCH OF KINK

Alina Popescu

A moody and angry Tudor follows his friend, Radu, to the airport to pick up a client.

Despite Radu’s efforts, he’s still sulking over his boyfriend, Kahoni, not being able to fly over for his birthday.

But the airport only opens up the door to a stream of steamy surprises for Tudor. Will his mood improve?

 

LET’S DANCE IN SIN

Kassandra Lea

Samuel wants to play with his favorite toy and Flynn is only too willing to oblige.

But first, he has a little treat for his delectable angel.

 

NEW LOVE, NEW SIGHT

Carol Pedroso

Exiled and lonely, Sorl longs for home.

Kidnapped, blind, and scared, Unjarf seeks help of any kind.

When they meet can love bring rescue, hope, and most importantly new sight?

 

SWITCH

Eddy LeFey

Robert is floundering, trying to get his life back together.

Daniel offers to help, to teach Robert what it means to truly let go of control, in order to be able to seize it again.

Life truly is a…. switch.

HELL BOUND

Asta Idonea

When Taharial, angel of purity, descends to Hell to reprimand him, lust demon Asmodeus cannot resist having a little fun with his unwanted guest.

However, when he chains Taharial to his bed, events take a turn he didn’t expect.

Book Trailer

Giveaway

Prize – 1 x $10 WIP Gift Card

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Release Blitz – Truly, Madly, Boys by JL Merrow & Josephine Myles (excerpt and Giveaway)

Truly, Madly, Boys – A Mad About The Brit Boys Anthology by JL Merrow & Josephine Myles

 
Authors: JL Merrow & Josephine Myles
 
Release Date: June 14 2016
 
 
Length: 15,000 words
 
Price: $0.99/£0.99/€0.99
 
Cover Art: Lou Harper
 
Other Titles In The Series: 
Anthology Blurb:
 
Love – the most intense connection.
 
The challenge of finding love in the world today can take many forms, but at its heart love is the same: it’s all about forging a connection with another person. Experience romance at its most relatable in these four contemporary stories of male-male love with a British flavour from award-winning authors Josephine Myles and JL Merrow.


 


In these stories you’ll find out how to communicate without words, be teased by a memory that’s just out of reach, flash back to young love and emerging sexuality, and discover how opposites can attract when you meet a stranger in a strange land.

 

These stories have all been previously published, but are now available exclusively in this anthology.
Anthology introduction by JL Merrow (taken from the ebook):
Contemporary gay romance. While both Jo and I love to experiment with different genres, this is the one we both come back to most often. Why? For me, I think it’s because even though with sci fi, paranormals or threesomes we’re playing in a different sandbox, at the end of the day the game’s always the same: getting two (or more) people together and forging a connection between them that we hope will last. Contemporary romance is, as often as not, romance stripped to the bare essentials.
And it’s probably true to say that a contemporary romance between two people is in many ways the most accessible form of romance to the average reader. It can be hard to really identify with a protagonist from a different world, or a different era. Weaving a story is all about making a fictional world seem real to the reader who comes for a visit, and not everyone enjoys suspending disbelief about ghosts, shifters or space ships. If you’re not poly yourself, it can be hard to relate to a relationship between more than two people. Things that happened decades or even centuries ago can, to those more interested in the here and now, seem far off and irrelevant. (As writers, we’re often told not to distance the reader from the story, which is while I always smile when I see the familiar words, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”)
Contemporary romance is immediate, dealing with the world the reader knows well—or could come to know, simply by stepping onto an aeroplane. Yes, in these stories we may still explore different realities to our own: for example one of Jo’s stories features a deaf main character, and one of mine, a blind man. Another is set in a city I’ve never visited—but they’re all firmly rooted in the world we live in today. You can imagine yourself walking down the street and seeing any of the characters in these stories. Perhaps even being a fly on a handy wall as they fall in love.
And that’s what the stories really have in common, of course: love. In the end, aren’t we all here because we believe in love?
Thanks for reading—and if you enjoy the stories, please consider leaving a review where you purchased them. Feed the authors! 😉
All the best
Jamie x
JL Merrow, May 2016
 
Individual story blurbs:
Epiphany by JL Merrow
When security guard Vinnie spots a young British guy, Gray, looking lost on a New York street, he thinks he’s never seen anyone so beautiful. The feeling’s mutual: concert pianist Gray loves everything about the huge muscle man who’s offering to walk him back to his hotel. When they stop off at Vinnie’s apartment, sparks fly—but when they finally get back to Gray’s hotel, things seem to fall apart. Is one afternoon all they’ll ever have?
Halfway up the Stairs by Josephine Myles
When Charlie wakes up alone after arguing with his boyfriend the night before, it seems like nothing will resolve the situation. Josh wants them to move, but Charlie is too attached to the house. It’s not just all the work he’s put into it, though, it’s all the memories. One memory in particular, of standing hidden halfway up the stairs, watching and wanting…
Sense Memory by JL Merrow
Blinded by a drunk driver, Colin is haunted by a sense memory—the smell of wood chippings. When he meets up with Alban, who he’s been chatting with online, he finally finds out why.
Without Words by Josephine Myles
Is that gorgeous redheaded hunk on the building site really checking him out? Nick thinks it’s worth the risk of getting his head kicked in to find out. Only trouble is, Nick tends to end up spoiling things with his nervous babbling. This time he’s going to have to keep his mouth shut. It’s either that or he’ll have to find some other way to occupy it…
Author bios
JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again. Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and mysteries, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy, and her novella Muscling Through and novel Relief Valve were both EPIC Awards finalists.
JL Merrow is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, International Thriller Writers, Verulam Writers’ Circle and the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow

 

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.
Jo publishes regularly with Samhain, and now has over ten novels and novellas under her belt. Her novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She has also been known to edit anthologies and self-publish on occasion, although she prefers to leave the “boring bits” of the ebook creation process to someone else. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and a soon-to- be toddler.
Website and blog: http://josephinemyles.com/

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

 

 
Excerpt from “Without Words” by Josephine Myles
I walked along the perimeter fence, sweat prickling my palms, trying to maintain a casual amble to give the impression that I was the kind of guy who did this sort of thing all the time. The site looked deserted until I passed the foreman’s cabin, where the workers sat outside on piles of breeze blocks, chatting idly under the punishing sun as they swigged down cold drinks and munched on sandwiches. He wasn’t with them. That was good. I picked up my pace, determined to find him before he decided to join the lunch crowd.
He wasn’t a sociable guy and I’d never seen him chatting – he just got on with his job – taciturn and focused. It gave me hope that here would be someone who could understand me; who could forgive my lack of social graces and ignore my nervous babbling to see the man underneath; the man with intelligent things to say if only he could pluck up the courage. The man who’d never done anything like this before, but was now carefully dressed in tight jeans and close fitted red t-shirt, intent on risking humiliation just to have a chance. It was now or never, as I was due back in London tomorrow and I knew that my work wouldn’t bring me back to Sheffield for at least another couple of months.
As I rounded the corner of the large, half-finished building, a solitary figure came into view. There was no mistaking the supple grace of his movements as he hopped up onto the scaffolding, measuring tape in hand. My breath hitched when I saw that he was bare-chested under the reflective tabard, the previously covered skin glowing pink where the sun caught it, and spattered with ginger freckles. His body was stocky, heavily muscled; the type you knew would run quickly to fat if deprived of regular manual labour. Yet despite being built like so many of these sturdy Northern men, he moved with a fluidity that belied his size. The strands of hair that escaped his hat glowed in the harsh light like burnished bronze. He was a work of art. I wanted to study him, learn him. Explore him thoroughly.
I cleared my throat, but he didn’t hear me. I waited, paralysed by indecision, clinging on to the wires of the fence panel with white knuckles. Willing him to look down and see me there; to give me that look again that I was sure I’d seen yesterday. That deliberate once over, followed by a slow smile that made my heart lurch and my cock stir.
And then he turned. The moisture leached out of my mouth and I was incapable of forming any words. He must have thought I was a prize idiot, standing there open-mouthed with lust burning in my eyes. I wondered if he even recognised me without the suit. But then that gaze that swept up and down my body, lingering a little longer than necessary, followed by that lazy curve of his lips that seemed to promise so much. He raised an eyebrow, grinned, and pointed to the gate, swinging down from the platform and strolling over with a loose-limbed grace. I followed, stumbling in my haste to get there. We stared at each other through the gate, and I had to look away from the intensity in those green eyes. I watched his grimy hands as they deftly turned the wheels on the padlock, the dust trapped in the creases of his knuckles. His hands were strong and broad, freckled, the hairs glowing like copper filaments in the sunlight, but surprisingly nimble for a builder. I swallowed audibly as I imagined what those hands could do to me. Those thick yet skilful fingers…
The gate swung open and I slipped through, brushing against his arm as he pushed it closed again. The touch raised goosebumps on my arm despite the heat. This close I could smell him; the tang of fresh sweat mingled with something spicy. My mouth started to water as I wondered how he would taste, picturing myself licking at his stubbly neck, then tasting other parts of him. My jeans began to feel uncomfortable as my cock swelled and I fought to get a grip on myself. It wasn’t like we could do anything about it here at the gate, in full view of passing traffic.
“I’m Nick,” I blurted out, but clamped my mouth shut before I ruined things by telling him my middle names, date of birth or any other nonsense.
He walked off, turning to beckon after a few yards, so I trailed behind him; absurd fears fighting with my rampant lust as we moved further into the hush of the deserted site. I didn’t even know his name, and the lack of any dialogue was starting to freak me out, but it was also pretty kinky. Besides, the less we talked the less chance I had to show myself up. I concentrated on the way his muscular buttocks moved under their denim cladding. Anything to distract myself from the possibility of humiliation, or worse. He disappeared behind a sheet of plastic hanging in a doorway. I followed. What else could I do?

 

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Cover Reveal for – Blood Lines by A.L Bates (excerpt and giveaway)

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Synopsis

Mark Thomas owns his own “New York”-themed bar on an off-world colony.

Nate Fox is an ex-con gone straight.

He’s also Mark’s best friend and brother-in-law.

Mark has feelings for Nate. Nate has feelings for Mark.

But neither man is prepared to compromise their friendship or Mark’s relationship with Danny.

Blood Lines is a story about fidelity, trust, and respect. It’s a story about honesty and learning from mistakes.

And it’s a story about second chances.

Blood Lines AL Bates Cover

Release date: June 21, 2016

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the pre-order and release discounts on all retail sites by getting your copy up to 48 hours after release.

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Excerpt

Men like Bailey were everywhere. Men who held themselves back because they feared how far they would actually go in life. Bailey, like his boss, was a ball of repressed anger and shame. He wanted things he didn’t want, he did things he didn’t want to do, and the darkness he buried within himself was so terrifying he avoided it whenever he could. Danny had discovered how to deal with these men; that offering their darkest fantasies without consequence was enough to push them over the edge. He’d done it with Phillip two nights ago, and he could do it again.

Danny dangled the bag, the suggestion rich in his eyes.

Bailey shook his head, but his attention never left the powder. “I’m on duty.”

Danny dared a step closer, his face getting dangerously close to Bailey’s. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.

“Then cuff me. Lock me up. Punish me.” Danny arched his eyebrow, seeing the interest flare in Bailey’s eyes. He pressed himself against Bailey’s larger, squarer frame. “I’ve been very bad. I need to be punished.”

Bailey licked at his thin lips, his eyes flickering between Danny’s and the drugs. Danny slipped the bag into Bailey’s hand—giving him the semblance of control. Carefully, he moved Bailey backwards, walking him towards the empty stall. One step. Two steps. And Bailey was moving on his own now; entranced, captivated. Danny moved his hands around Bailey’s solid body.

A siren rang out in the distance. Danny pulled Bailey close, slipped his hand into Bailey’s holster, grabbed his gun, and leapt free of the cubicle. Bailey’s lustful face transformed.

“Don’t move,” Danny said with a wink. He backed towards the exit, a mental countdown beginning in his head. He’d studied the quickest route out of the building. He could still make it. He blew a kiss at Bailey and fled for his life.

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About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates