Category: Book Giveaways

Its Country Love Time with Posy Robert’s Farm Fresh (character interview,excerpt and giveaway)

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Farm Fresh by Posy Roberts
 Release Date: January 28, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Posy Roberts  sent Jude Garrity from her novel, Farm Fresh, in her place today to sit down for some questions. Welcome, Jude.  Help us get to know you a little better.

Jude Garrity

Q. What is your biggest fear?
I’m afraid of going too far and not knowing I’ve crossed some invisible boundary until it’s too late. See, I grew up in a very strict household where my parents essentially controlled everything about my day. Seriously, everything. They even tried to control how I thought and felt about stuff. It wasn’t until I left home that I realized I had to draw my own lines in the sand and figure out my own morals rather than trying to filter my world through their messed up way of thinking. I’m still working on that.

Q. What is your most prized possession?
I don’t have many possessions. They all fit in my car when I moved to Kaleidoscope Gardens, and I drive a tiny hybrid. Maybe my guitar. But really, the most important thing to me isn’t tangible. It’s my freedom to be who I want to be.


Q. What do you enjoy doing on your day off?
There aren’t many days off now that I live on the commune, and I really like it that way. I’m trying to finish my degree in environmental engineering, so I’m currently swamped. But if I could do anything for an entire day, I’d want to spend my time with Hudson, maybe walking around the commune, working on little projects here and there, and taking some time out to get down and dirty. I just want to spend time with him on the farm, to be honest.


Q. Your best childhood memory?
I grew up on a diary farm, and one year I got to bottle raise and calf, whose mom rejected her. I was homeschooled, so I did as much of my schoolwork outside with Clover as I could. It got me away from my parents, even if it did add a whole lot of chores onto my day for months. It was worth it.


Q Where do you hope to be in five years?
That’s a hard question. I got away from under the thumb of my parents only four years ago, and a lot has happened since. I’m truly just starting my life and figuring out who I am now that the commune has helped me loosen up. I’d like to be on the commune living with Hudson, Charlie, and Leo, but I’m not sure if I’ll feel the pull of graduate school or not. The commune fulfills most of my needs, but who knows about in five years. No matter what, I want to make a difference in the world. If I could keep working on environmental issues from the commune, I don’t see any reason to leave. Especially if Hudson’s still here. If he leaves, I’ll follow him.

Thanks, Jude.  That was terrific.  Now more about Farm Fresh…

Blurb

Jude Garrity visits the farmers market every Saturday. As an environmental engineering student, he’s curious about living off the grid and sustainable agriculture.

And one particular farmer.

Hudson Oliva has worked hard to support his commune, where queer people live without fear of harm or retribution. When Jude asks pointed questions about living there, Hudson realizes he needs to be honest about his home. Few people know what the farm is actually about, but Jude is insistent.

Jude moves to Kaleidoscope Gardens, however, his sexual hang-ups make it hard to adjust. He’s an uptight virgin living among people who have sex freely and with multiple partners. When Jude finally loosens up, Hudson is flooded with emotions. Falling for Jude wasn’t part of Hudson’s life plan. But when vindictive rumors about the commune begin to spread, love might be all he has left.

 

Pages or Words: 202 pages, 63,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance

Excerpt

“You wanted to know where I’m from,” Hudson said. Jude nodded but remained tight-lipped. “I grew up north of Miami in a small city. I couldn’t wait to get out, so I tried to hitch a ride to Seattle. Didn’t get that far.”

“How far did you get?” Jude looked surprised as he asked, so Hudson reached out and pressed his palm to the center of Jude’s chest.

“About five miles away. I’ve been here ever since.”

“What made you run? I mean… maybe that’s too personal.”

Hudson coasted his hand over the slight swell of Jude’s pec and thumbed over his nipple, which stood at attention, pert and flushed, like his lips and cheeks. It was a good color on him.

“My parents sent me away to one of those ‘pray away the gay’ places, which obviously didn’t work, but it probably saved my life since my mom had to haul Papi off me when she told him why I needed to go there. He had so much pride, and having a gay son wasn’t something he could live with. It was as if me being gay made him gay. I was accosted by religion and hatred for who I was from that day until I left, so I became an expert at being secretive and learned to lie through my teeth while living with them. My eighteenth birthday Papi and I fought, and I ended up with another black eye. I packed a bag and snuck out of the house while they were sleeping.”

“Did they call the cops or anything?”

Hudson shook his head and knew his smile was pathetic. He still held hope he and his father could reconcile. He knew Papi would be proud of him and what he’d accomplished on the commune. “I left a note and eventually let them know my address, but in all the years, I’ve gotten one letter.”

“I’ve talked to my parents twice since I left, and both times left me feeling shredded inside.”

“I’m sorry.” Hudson scooted closer and pulled Jude into a tight embrace. The feel of Jude’s warm skin against his own had Hudson’s body responding in no time flat. He kissed Jude’s neck and the sharp line of his jaw. He thrust his fingers into Jude’s spun-gold hair and drew their mouths together.

Jude moved his lips, pressing chaste kisses to Hudson’s, and then he snaked his arm between their bodies. Jude splayed his fingers across Hudson’s chest and pushed him away. He hung his head, looking down at the mattress in what appeared to be shame.

Hudson took the sting out of the rejection by thumbing over Jude’s bottom lip, shiny with saliva. “You have a delectable mouth, like it’s made for kissing.”

Jude laughed. “So do you.” Then he bit his lip and made brief eye contact before scooting back a few inches.

Buy the book:

Amazon Universal link: myBook.to/FarmFresh

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Fresh-Naked-Organics-Book-ebook/dp/B01A2PHDPW/

Book Trailer:

 

Meet the author:

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is married to a man who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep. Her daughter, a budding author and dedicated Whovian, helps her come up with character names. When Posy’s not writing, she enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make normal seem more interesting.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

January 28, 2016

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, KathyMac Reviews, A.M. Leibowitz, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Gay Book Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Kirsty Loves Books, Nautical Star Books, Book Lovers 4Ever, Caraway Carter, Charley Descoteaux, V’s Reads, Mikky’s World of Books, Alpha Book Club

 

January 29, 2016

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, My Fiction Nook, Just Love Romance, Unquietly Me, Open Skye Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Kiki’s Kinky Picks, Happily Ever Chapter, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Louise Lyons, Molly Lolly, Divine Magazine, 3 Chicks After Dark, Inked Rainbow Reads

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Silver Scars’ or book of choice from Posy’s backlist.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Its Release Day for Second to None (The Breakfast Club #3) by Felice Stevens (excerpt and contest

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Second to None

The Breakfast Club, Book 3

Felice Stevens

M/M Romance

Second to None

Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Cover Photo: Stock Photo

Release Date: January 28, 2016

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1K7uhSq

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Vp6UK4 |Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1NyzbI5 | Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1OWTwcf

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1PBF13e | ARe: http://bit.ly/1nPOp6U | KOBO: http://bit.ly/1nNIQGd

BLURB:

Nightclub owner Marcus Feldman never met a man he didn’t love, at least for the night. Although his best friends have all found love, Marcus shuns their advice to commit to one man and settle down. His past has taught him monogamy and marriage is for fools, and Marcus is anything but a fool.

Tyler Reiss’s dream of dancing professionally is unexpectedly cut short and replaced by a different kind of love. He trades in his ballet slippers for go go boots, and spends his nights dancing at the hottest gay club in the city. Flirting with the customers for tips is easy, but resisting the dark and sexy Marcus is becoming harder to do with each passing day.

Unforeseen circumstances bring Marcus and Tyler closer and though they give in to their mutual passion, both still struggle to guard their hearts. When crises threaten, Tyler and Marcus find their strength in each other rather than falling apart. Tyler must choose to either run, or stay and fight for the life he wants, while Marcus realizes that love doesn’t mean losing himself and opens his heart, making him a better man in the end.

 

TEASERS

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EXCERPT

“Marcus?”

His eyelids fluttered open to the sight of a hospital room instead of his bedroom. His neck hurt and his legs were contorted in a pretzel-like position. He untangled himself from the chair he’d fallen asleep in after they moved Tyler to a room last night around three a.m., and walked over to the hospital bed where Tyler lay wide-awake.

Tyler stared up at him, confusion apparent in his furrowed brow, but Marcus noticed his bright, pain-free eyes.

“Hey, how’re you feeling?”

“Like someone punched my guts in.” He licked his lips. “Is there any water? I’m really thirsty.”

Marcus took the plastic cup from the swing table next to the bed and poured Tyler a small glass. “Let me raise the bed for you so you don’t spill it.” Tyler nodded and Marcus pressed the button and watched the head of the bed raise up a few inches before stopping. “Here. Drink it slow.”

Tyler gave him a searching look but said nothing and drank his water. His head fell back on the pillow, and he closed his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“That’s not very nice. How about: ‘Thanks Marcus for staying the night. I appreciate it.’”

He grinned at Tyler who rolled his eyes. “Thanks Marcus for staying the night. I appreciate it.” He sighed. “But why are you here? And what time is it anyway?”

Marcus consulted his watch. “It’s seven a.m. The doctor said last night when they brought you into the room here that if you didn’t show any signs of a concussion, they’d spring you out sometime this morning.”

“Okay. But that doesn’t answer my question about what you’re doing here.”

“I stayed to make sure you were okay, plus I’m taking you home when you’re discharged.”

“I can call a cab.” Tyler winced as he sat up. “I’m fine, and it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as it did yesterday.” His fingers touched his side. “They have me taped up pretty well.”

“Let me see.” Before Tyler responded, Marcus placed his hand over Tyler’s rib cage and felt the bulky bandage through the thin fabric of the hospital gown. He slid his hand around Tyler’s waist.

“Marcus, stop,” Tyler warned.

“Stop what?” He might be far from innocent, but he could play the part.

“Oh, am I interrupting?” A nurse walked in with a tray and a thermometer. “I’m sorry, but I have to give him his meds and take his BP and temperature.”

“I hope you’re taking it rectally. I was always told it gave the most accurate reading. Is that true?” He stepped away from the bed and winked at the nurse, who broke out in laughter.

“Marcus, shut up,” said Tyler, not even trying to hide the exasperation in his voice.

“Oh Marcus, you’re silly.” She bit her lips to stop her amusement. “Don’t worry, Mr. Reiss. Your boyfriend is right, but we take it by the eardrum method. It’s very accurate as well.” She busied herself, unaware of Tyler’s glare. “Just relax now.”

After finishing, she pulled away the blood pressure machine and smiled. “Very good. All your vitals are excellent. How’s your head?”

“Hard as a rock,” Marcus spoke before Tyler could answer.

“Oh, you’re a kidder.” She patted him on his arm. “I think it’s sweet the way you stayed here all night to make sure everything was okay. And now you get to take him home and baby him.”

Watching Tyler grow angrier by the minute was a better show than anything he’d ever watched on television. “I’m looking forward to it. I may have to borrow a nurse outfit.”

The nurse’s laughter followed her out the door, but Tyler was having none of it. Seeing the hostility in his blue-gray eyes, Marcus girded himself.

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not going home with you.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. While life is tough, she believes there is a happy ending for everyone. She started reading traditional historical romances as a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until she picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that her interest in romance novels was renewed.

But somewhere along the way, her reading shifted to stories of men falling in love. Once she picked up her first gay romance, she became so enamored of the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion there was no turning back.

Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. Although she practices law, she daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be some angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter:https://twitter.com/FeliceStevens1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/felicestevens/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432880.Felice_Stevens

Instagram: https://instagram.com/FeliceStevens

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/felicestevensauthor?ref=hl

Newsletter: http://felicestevens.us8.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=d43061d90bf2256eb322ed69f&id=586ac8fa57

GIVEAWAY

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Take a Walk on the Sinful Side with Jambrea Jo Jones’ ‘Vegas Sin City’ (character interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Vegas Sin Blog Tour

Jambrea Jo Jones

Hi everyone, Jambrea Jo Jones here! Today I’ll be introducing you all to another character from my new release, Vegas Sin. This time we’re interviewing Owen.

“Owen, it’s only fair that I interview you as well. I talked to Harrison about a birthday memory. I think, for you, I’d just like your happiest memory.” I put my hands in my lap and waited for him to respond.

Owen fidgeted in his seat, but seemed game for the question.

“I can do that. I mean, I’m generally a happy guy. Or I try to be. It could be said I’m happiest when I’m messing with my partner, but that isn’t the best moment I had.”

“No?”

“It’s fun, but it’s only a brief moment of happy. No. There are other things.”

“Like what?”

“Didn’t you write the story?” Owen gave me one of those ‘duh’ looks.

“Well—I know of a couple, but figured since, you know, this is an interview of sorts I’d let you talk about it.”

“See? Fun times messing with people.” Owen winked.

“Get on with your memory.” I couldn’t hold back a grin.

“Yes, ma’am.”

There was a pause.

“Now, would be nice.”

“Hold on.” Owen held up a hand. “Okay. I think most would expect me to say Harrison is my happiest, but he is in the now and future. For a memory, I’d have to go with the night my niece was born.”

“Were you there?”

“Well, yeah, but not in the room. My sister needed a ride to the hospital. I did the brother thing and made sure she got there. We were lucky she didn’t have it the car!”

“I stayed outside in the waiting room until they called me back. I mean—babies aren’t the best to look at when they’re that fresh, but that little munchkin stole my heart that day. That little life was one I would protect with everything I am. She’s grown into a cute kid. I think she kind of looks like her uncle.” Owen winked. “The thing is, I haven’t been there for her as much as I’ve wanted to. I have work and she’s been off with my sister. That kid has grown up before she needed to, so now I’m trying to make up for that. Show her it’s okay to be a kid and she doesn’t have to protect her mom. I’ll be there for both of them.”

“And Harrison?”

“Oh, she stole his heart from the first meeting. She’ll do that to you. My niece is one special kid.”

“So when it’s time for her to date…”

“You’re kidding, right? Not. Happening.”

“I hate to tell you this, Owen, but it is so going to happen, but I’m sure you’ll be there for any heartbreak. Just remember the ice cream.”

“You just stop. Right now. First you have her dating, now she’s getting a broken heart? Where’s my gun?”

I laughed.

“Keep laughing it up there, Ms. Jones. Come talk to me when your son is dating.”

That stopped me and I glared at Owen.

“I think we’re done here. Harrison, come get your man.”

Now it was Owen laughing as he met Harrison at the door.”

“Got ya!”

I watched them walk away, thinking of what other fun things I could put them through.

About Jambrea Jo Jones:

Jambrea wanted to be the youngest romance author published, but life impeded the dreams. She put her writing aside and went to college briefly, then enlisted in the Air Force. After serving in the military, she returned home to Indiana to start her family. A few years later, she discovered yahoo groups and book reviews. There was no turning back. She was bit by the writing bug.

She enjoys spending time with her son when not writing and loves to receive reader feedback. She’s addicted to the internet so feel free to email her anytime.

Vegas Sin

Vegas Sin (Totally Five Star)
by Jambrea Jo Jones
(Sales link above)

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Vegas Sin blurb

Sex, weddings and gambling hold a back seat to kidnapping and murder in the city of sin…

Owen Carpenter sets aside one night each month to relax at the Totally Five Star, but a case has just landed on his desk that has those nights disappearing for the foreseeable future. Someone is kidnapping women in Las Vegas and Owen needs to stop them before the women end up dead.

Harrison Boone is head of security at the Totally Five Star. He notices a man who comes in once a month and he wants to know more about him. When Owen introduces himself, there’s an instant attraction between Harrison and Owen, but they are interrupted by a kidnapping—at his hotel. After Harrison leaves the military, the hotel becomes his life, so Harrison will do anything to keep the hotel out of the news and protect its reputation.

Can Owen and Harrison find love in Sin City, or will the case of the disappearing women crush what might be the best bet the men have ever placed?

Pairing: MM
Book Length: Novel
Genre: Erotic Romance, Gay, Contemporary, Crime and Mystery, Thrillers and Suspense

Vegas Sin Excerpt

Now he needed coffee—stat. He hated the slop they had in the office, but it was better than nothing. He’d forgotten to set his coffeemaker up to brew last night. Of course, he’d been dealing with a sobbing sister and a too-serious niece. He hoped that nothing big had been tossed on his desk, but he wasn’t sure he’d get that lucky. It had been a busy week—not that he should be surprised—since it was Vegas, after all. The lights and gambling attracted all kinds. It kept him busy most days. Owen had just wrapped up a case late yesterday. A domestic violence situation where the boyfriend had killed the girlfriend. It was pretty open and shut, but he’d still had to cross his T’s and dot his I’s so the guy didn’t get off on a technicality.

At least he wasn’t set to testify anytime soon. He hated going to court. He’d rather be solving cases. Some of the other guys looked at it like a day off, but not him. All those people staring at him while he did his best not to fidget in the seat.

His partner was out on leave so that left him picking up the slack. They had a few cases open that he’d have to take a look at and see what else he could do, as long as something new didn’t take priority.

The coffeepot was almost empty. There probably wasn’t even enough for a cup. It seemed the guys did that shit all the time. Owen poured the little bit into his cup. At least it would give him a jolt while he waited for a fresh batch to brew. He didn’t even think about how long the pot had been setting there. The others would pass it up in a heartbeat and wait until someone else made it, then they would all jump on it like vultures. Shit. He really should have brewed some at home.

Maybe he would swing by a Starbucks later. He hated to spend the extra money, but he couldn’t live without the nectar of the gods. The sludge in his cup wasn’t going to cut it. After one sip, he dumped it out. Nothing was going to save that coffee. Leaving the pot brewing, he made his way to his desk. It was pretty quiet. The shift change meeting wouldn’t happen for about an hour, so he had time to go through the files from yesterday.

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Pride Publishing January Blog Tour Competition:

Enter Pride Publishing’s monthly competition for your chance to win a free eBook of your choice! (Not including boxsets or anthologies.)  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Enter here: http://www.pride-publishing.com/blog-tour-competition-january

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Need A New Romance to Love? Check out Chase Potter’s The Music of the Spheres (guest post and giveaway)

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The Music of the Spheres by Chase Potter
Publisher and Cover Artist: Chase Potter
Release Date January 21, 2016

Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have Chase Potter here to day to talk about his latest novel, The Music of the Spheres.  Welcome, Chase, please tell us a little about the inspiration behind the story and that gorgeous cover.

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The Music of the Spheres by Chase Potter

Never before have I written a book quite like The Music of Spheres. Even the writing process itself was unique for me. At the beginning of November, I had just released my third book, and I wasn’t remotely interested in starting another project.

Then the inspiration came. A post about two guys graduating college who had shared a close friendship for years. A friendship defined by an innocent physical intimacy and a captivating sense of shared affection. A friendship that ran deep, touching each of their lives in a hundred different ways and eventually bringing the original poster to ask, “Are we… boyfriends?”

I was hooked. I built an outline over the next two days, and then I began to write. With my husband out of state, I had nothing but time. And just three weeks later, I was done. It took forty cups of coffee, five bubble baths, and a dozen beers spread across several tough scenes, but barely after I’d started, the manuscript was done and it felt like something amazing.

It’s no big secret that I like metaphors, and I put a lot in this story too. The title has its own special place in the book, and the covers features me and my husband as the silhouetted figures, courtesy of our engagement pictures (which incidentally were taken years ago by the young woman to whom the book is dedicated and who was the basis for one of the main characters.)

From the beginning, creating The Music of the Spheres was really a wonderful experience. The story had a certain symmetry and cohesion that not only made it painless to create but also let me fall in love with it. I laughed and I cried, and the emotions stuck with me longer after I’d finished writing. That’s the kind of story I love to write, and I’m excited to share it with readers.

About The Music of the Spheres

Cover - The Music of the SpheresAn athlete and introvert from a family touched by loss, Ryan Mattson splits his life between reading and spending time with his dad and precocious younger sister. With the wounds of Ryan’s past almost healed, high school is simple, and so is everything else.

But that changes when he’s paired with Adam for a class project. Adam, the guy with birthmarks like flecks of mud and compost-brown eyes that hide behind dorky glasses. Grudgingly, the two young men work together, and as they do, an unlikely friendship is formed.

With the passing college years, their bond deepens and grows. Even Ryan’s sister and dad take a liking to Adam, and the family – always missing a voice – seems to gain another. But just as Ryan is forced to confront what Adam really means to him, his family is dragged toward crisis. And beneath the silent snows and starlit sky of a Minnesota winter, their friendship will be tested more than ever before.

Contemporary, friends to lovers, gay fiction, romance, coming out.

Kindle Edition, paperback (coming Jan 25), 239 pages
Published January 21st 2016 by Chase Potter Books
 authorphoto Chase Potter

 About the Author

 Chase Potter lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his husband Mitchell and their dog Alex. The Music of the Spheres is his fourth novel. Raised in rural Minnesota, Chase has also lived in Germany and Austria. The experiences growing up in a small town and his struggles to adapt to foreign culture and language have served as inspiration in his writing.

Giveaway

For the Rafflecopter giveaway, five copies of The Music of the Spheres. Copies will be in the form of a gifted Amazon Kindle copy.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Its Greek Gods and Rock n Roll with ‘The Backup’ by Erica Kudisch (guest post and giveaway)

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The Backup by Erica Kudisch
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist Jay Aheer

Read An Excerpt/Buy It Here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Erica Kudisch here today to talk about her latest novel, The Backup, along with the music and a touch of mythology.  Welcome, Erica.

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Hi all! Erica Kudisch here, promoting my debut novel THE BACKUP, queer urban fantasy with a side of myth and music. Thanks so much for keeping up with the blog tour! Be sure to swing by the other stops for awesome multimedia content and a $50 prize package giveaway!

Nik’s Latest Album: LAST AGAINST THE PRECIPICE

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Nicole Peterson of Inappropriately Adorable has graciously supplied the cover art for Nik’s new release!

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About The Backup

I’m supposed to be better than this. I’m supposed to have a tenure-track job teaching music history to undergrads, writing papers about Bach, and proving to kids like me that you can work your way out of Harlem. I’m not supposed to be following a rock star around the country, fetching his mail, making sure his groupies are of age.

I’m definitely not supposed to be sleeping with said rock star, who claims to be the Greek God Dionysus. At first I thought it was a load of crap. Nik’s fans might think his music captures their hearts—and souls—but I knew better. Until one of Nik’s orgiastic concerts gets out of hand and I don’t know which is worse: that he might be a god after all, or that he has a body count.

Nik doesn’t care what I want or what I should be. He wants to tear down the world I’ve built, warping all I am, until his music is all that’s left of me. I can’t let him do that. I shouldn’t believe in him. I’ve seen what happens to the people who believe in him.

But I can’t get his song out of my head.

About Erica Kudisch

Erica Kudisch lives, writes, sings, and often trips over things in New York City. When not in pursuit of about five different creative vocations, none of which pay her nearly enough, you can usually find her pontificating about dead gay video games, shopping for thigh-high socks, and making her beleaguered characters wait forty thousand words before they get in the sack.

In addition to publishing novellas and short stories as fantastika-focused alter-ego Kaye Chazan (What Aelister Found Here and The Ashkenazi Candidate, both available at Candlemark & Gleam) Erica is responsible for the BDSM musical Dogboy & Justine, and serves as creative director and co-founder of Treble Entendre Productions.

She also has issues with authority. And curses too fucking much.

Connect with Erica:

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The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of The Backup, Erica is giving away iTunes and Riptide credit totaling $50! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 30, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!

The Sage of Will & Patrick Continues with ‘Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings’ by Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths

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Title:  Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings (Wake Up Married, Episode 4)
Author: Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths
Publisher:  Leta Blake Books
Release Date: 1/25/16

Book/Buy Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Book Blurb

Follow Will & Patrick in this fourth installment of the romantic-comedy serial, Wake Up Married, by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths!

Will and Patrick have embraced adding hot sexy-times to their fake marriage, but as their emotions deepen, they confront whether or not they want to be more than friends-with-benefits. Freshly free of a restrictive relationship, Will’s not ready for more than exploratory fun. And no matter how Patrick feels about Will, his own difficult past has left him wary of love.

The heat is high (and occasionally kinky) in this episode of the Wake Up Married serial, but Will and Patrick struggle to accept their mutual affection, much less confess it. How long will they fight their feelings?

Episode 4 of 6 in the Wake Up Married serial.

Genre:  Romantic Comedy M/M Romance
Tags:  gay, woke up married, tropes, rom-com, mafia, forced marriage, disabled heroes
Heat Level: 5
Pairing: M/M
Length: 38,000 words

Excerpt

Wrung out after the long night, Patrick shovels in the eggs and toast he ordered from room service. His mind drifts lazily as he eats, but when he hears the shower turn off, his stomach churns. He hates that his brain can ruin a perfectly good moment with memories that make him twitchy.

“About last night…” Will’s voice cracks slightly.

Patrick’s heart stops.

“Maybe it shouldn’t happen again?”

A sharp, deep pain lances into Patrick and he can’t breathe. It’s so unexpected, this horrible feeling, and he can’t think of anything to say. But hope and lust surge together as Will shoves away from the door. He grabs Patrick so hard it hurts and kisses him until the world shifts under their feet. 

Yep, it had happened again. Had it ever. God, their second night in a row of sex had been—

Patrick jerks back to the present as the bathroom door swings open and Will strides out fully dressed in a pair of trousers and a button-up shirt. The eggs churn faster in Patrick’s stomach.

Will sits at the breakfast table. He tests, calculates, and injects his insulin before starting on his cottage cheese on toast. He looks up, fixing Patrick with a resolute gaze.

Patrick dodges the look and pokes his eggs with his fork. “Do we have to talk about it?”

Will takes another bite and chews deliberately.

“Because I don’t want to talk about it.” Patrick’s much more interested in a “don’t think, just do” policy when it comes to sex with Will. He’ll take that over revisiting the surprising pain of Will’s near-rejection the night before.

Will’s brows draw low and he chews for a long, tense moment. Patrick’s heart lurches like a skipping record until Will speaks. “Really? So you think there’s nothing to talk about?”

“Nope.” Patrick’s fork scrapes against his plate. “I don’t see why there would be.”

Will, of course, has other ideas. Like that’s anything new. “Patrick, we had sex again last night. Three times.”

“I know what we did, Will.”

“And?”

“And I liked it. And I don’t regret it.”

Will pulls his lower lip between his teeth. “You really liked it?”

“Puddin’-pop, you were there. Do you doubt you’re the best lay I’ve ever had?”

“The best?”

“Unequivocally.”

Will grins and eats some more of his cottage cheese on toast, joy rising up like the sun on his face. “You too. I mean, you’re the best I’ve had.”

Shocking. Patrick wants an award for not saying that out loud. He reaches out and takes hold of Will’s fingers. “I like being with you. I like what we’re doing and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Will pulls his hand away and scratches his ear uncertainly. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want us to stop.” He clenches his fist on the table and summons the strength to say, “Unless you want to stop?”

Will shakes his head and studies the food. After putting some eggs on his plate and compiling another cottage cheese and whole-wheat toast sandwich, he clears his throat and tentatively meets Patrick’s eye again. “So you think it’s okay if we—”

“Screw without professing our undying love first?”

Will flushes but nods.

“We’re having sex, not committing a crime. Of course it’s okay. Why make it into something it’s not?”

Will butters his toast and carefully doesn’t meet Patrick’s gaze again. This. This is why Patrick doesn’t want to talk about things. “What did I say wrong now?”

Will shrugs and takes a bite of toast. He finishes chewing and swallows. “What would we make it into that it’s not?”

“That’s what I don’t want to talk about.”

“Because you think I’ll say we can’t have sex anymore if there’s no hope of us really falling in love and making a little family together?”

Patrick breaks into a fine sweat. “Won’t you?”

He has no idea what thoughts the tiny hamsters on the wheels in Will’s mind are cranking out, but he can imagine they’re racing overtime as Will gazes at him silently. He feels like he might puke.

Will’s mouth tilts up at the corner. “No.”

“What?” Patrick chokes on his toast and has to grab a swallow of water.

“No, I won’t say we have to stop. We’ll keep on…you know.”

“Having sex.”

Will’s eyes go hot with lust. “Yeah. We’ll keep having sex.”

“I knew you liked it.” He leans forward, smirking. “Now, tell me what you liked best. In detail.”

Will adjusts his napkin in his lap. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I didn’t want to talk about ‘Oh, woe, it was wrong, and I’m still hurting over Ryan, and we’re getting divorced as soon as possible,’ because I know all that.”

Will finishes off his cottage cheese sandwich. “I get it.”

“Tell me all the dirty stuff. I want to hear how much you loved it.”

Will’s smile is soft. “Oh, I loved it.”

Author Bios

Leta Blake

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

You can find out more about her by following her online:

Alice Griffiths

A long-time reader of romance novels, Alice Griffiths finally took the plunge into writing, teaming up with best-selling author Leta Blake for the ‘Woke up Married’ serialized comedy. A lover of tropes, Alice enjoys mining old ideas and putting a fresh, funny spin on them. Formerly working in the newspaper industry, Alice is now an art curator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

You can find out more about her by following her online:

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Giveaway

Enter to win 1 copy of any Will & Patrick episode. 2 winners will be selected. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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In Our YA Spotlight: Poz ( The Lives of Remy and Michael #2) by Christopher Koehler ( exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

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 Poz ( The Lives of Remy and Michael #2) by Christopher Koehler
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Publication Date: 8 Jan 2015
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond

Blurb

The Lives of Remy and Michael: Book Two

A CalPac Crew Story

I thought life after high school would be easier. I’d go to California Pacific for a year while I got a handle on my HIV, then after Michael graduated from high school, we’d blast out of here for colleges—and life—on the East Coast. Then I visited Boston and everything changed. I realized I like CalPac. Turns out, Boston didn’t have anything for me beyond one of the biggest regattas in North America.

Life grew more complicated when I got home. I couldn’t find a way to tell Michael that I’d just blown our plan for our lives out of the water. Then my CalPac coaches dropped a bomb on me. Those rowing officials who’d been watching me? They were recruiters for the national team, and my coaches wanted me to try out. They’d even let Lodestone coach me. Now I have to choose, school or crew, CalPac or Michael, and I still haven’t told Michael I can’t transfer. Is there even a place for Michael in my life? Somehow we have to withstand training at the highest levels and having different goals. Will love hold us together… or tear us apart?

Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Young Adult

Exclusive Excerpt

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air blog tour exclusive excerpt (edited for clarity)

Christopher Koehler

The junior varsity boats appeared to be in front, and I’m sure Michael would have something to say about that. That the JV were in front doubtlessly meant they had won a scrimmage, and if there was one thing varsity hated, it was losing to junior varsity. I’d have to gauge Michael’s mood before I said anything snarky.

In the meantime Coach Lodestone drove his launch toward its berth at the dock. A huge grin split his face as he called out, “Remy!”

“Coach Lodestone!”

I waved as I loped over to his boat. This man had been responsible for some of the greatest triumphs of my young life, as well as helping me through some of my most challenging times. He was a mentor, a father figure, a friend. So it wasn’t like he was important to me or anything. I rowed varsity under him for three years—okay, maybe not under him in the way some of my more overheated fantasies might have had it—so in many ways he helped to shape the man I was becoming.

I helped pull Lodestone’s launch the rest of the way in. Cap City forbade coaches driving their launches all the way into their berths. Apparently the club’s board frowned on ripping the bottom out of the boat by forcing it up onto the dock with the engines.

As important as Lodestone had been to me, and as much as I was doing a member of his gentlemen’s crew—being done by?—I’d been somewhat shy about showing my face around here, at least since I stopped helping with the learn-to-row camps at the end of summer. I lived inside my head, but sometimes I didn’t like to examine my motives too closely. I didn’t want to think about making a break from the most important four years of my life to date. My father’s a therapist. I learned a snoutful growing up about the stages of childhood development, and when Geoff and I were in high school, we couldn’t turn around without hearing about how it was another step in the separation process. If therapists’ kids were nuts, it’s because their parents made them that way. I didn’t want to think about separating from a place in which I had learned so many lessons about life. I didn’t want to think about making a break from a place where I had grown up.

Then something else occurred to me. What if I had avoided the Cap City boathouse up until now because I was pulling away from Michael? It had occurred to me before, and I had discussed the matter with my own therapist, but I sure as hell wasn’t going there right then.

I faked a smile as Lodestone jumped out of his launch. He grabbed my hand to pull me into a bear hug. Guess I wasn’t the only one with familial feelings. “Remy, it’s great to see you! Where’ve you been?”

“Oof. You might consider leaving a rib or two intact, Coach Lodestone.” Seriously, dude, ease up.

Lodestone shook his head. “You could call me by my name. You know, since you don’t row for me.”

“I thought I did.” I pretended to be puzzled. “Your name’s Coach, right?”

I blinked at him in innocence, an innocence no one on that dock believed for a shred of a second.

Lodestone stared at me. “Angels and ministers of grace, was that a joke?”

“No.” I held my face expressionless, even though it about killed me.

“How I’ve missed you.” Lodestone laughed hard. “Do you know none of these boys have the stones to bust my chops?”

“Shocking. I see Michael’s rowing varsity.”

We both lost it at that point. Lodestone, seeing some potential in me, had encouraged me to ride along in his launch so he could show me rowing from another perspective. I learned an incredible amount from those ride alongs, including that a certain now-varsity rower wouldn’t be stuck in JV for long. When I pointed this out to Lodestone at the San Diego Crew Classic one year, he grew rather testy. I stood my ground, and I think he respected that. It helped that I’d been right, because Michael now rowed at seven seat in the gentlemen’s varsity A boat, a boat that was most definitely not going to be first back to the dock.

I could’ve watched Michael row all day, although he was obviously tired. We might’ve met when we were both in high school, but we had both grown. My own maturation barely registered when I looked in the mirror. I mean, who observed himself on a daily basis, right? But Michael—Mikey—I paid attention to. Two years of puberty had been very good to him. He was now taller than I was and far heavier of build, and I fucking loved it. Let’s be honest, I’m subby, and our physical differences worked very well together.

By the time Michael’s boat landed, I stared openly. He looked up and smiled, so yeah, I’d been caught. Neither of us cared. I guess a few of the other guys noticed. I had only graduated the year before, and some of them recognized me, acknowledging my existence with a nod or a wave, but they had other things to do, like carry the oars to the oar racks and otherwise prepare to get the boat back into the boathouse and wipe the water off it. I didn’t recognize one or two faces. They ignored me, and I returned the favor.

“I said,” Lodestone repeated, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes, “are you rowing at Head of the Charles in Boston?”

I blinked. “I’m sorry, I heard some annoying, buzzing sound. Did you ask a serious question?”

“And the ego has landed.” Lodestone shook his head.

I blushed. “It’s not ego if it’s true.” I looked at my former coach. “You didn’t train me to row a novice boat. Junior varsity, freshman walk-in.”

“Damn straight,” Lodestone said.

“As it were.”

Lodestone gave me a shove toward the boathouse. “Go help your boyfriend wipe his boat down, and you’ll be out of here faster. And out of my hair sooner.”

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Author Bio:

Christopher Koehler learned to read late (or so his teachers thought) but never looked back. It was not, however, until he was nearly done with grad school in the history of science that he realized that he needed to spend his life writing and not on the publish-or-perish treadmill. At risk of being thought frivolous, he found that academic writing sucked all the fun out of putting pen to paper.

Christopher is also something of a hothouse flower. Inside of almost unreal conditions he thrives to set the results of his imagination free, and for most of his life he has been lucky enough to be surrounded by people who encouraged both that tendency and the writing. Chief among them is his long-suffering husband of twenty-two years and counting.

When it comes to writing, Christopher follows Anne Lamott’s advice: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” So while he writes fiction, at times he ruthlessly mines his past for character traits and situations. Reality is far stranger than fiction.

Christopher loves many genres of fiction and nonfiction, but he’s especially fond of romances, because it is in them that human emotions and relations, at least most of the ones fit to be discussed publicly, are laid bare.

Writing is his passion and his life, but when Christopher is not doing that, he’s an at-home dad and oarsman with a slightly disturbing interest in manners and other ways people behave badly.

Visit him at  http://christopherkoehler.net/blog or follow him on Twitter   @christopherink.

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Tour links:

21 Jan –  Hearts on Fire Reviews

22 Jan –  Dreamspinner Press Blog

23 Jan –  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

26 Jan –  BFD Book Blog

28 Jan –  The Land of Make Believe

30 Jan –   Prism Book Alliance

1 Feb –   MM Good Book Reviews

3 Feb –  JP Barnaby

6 Feb –   The Novel Approach

9 Feb –   The Purple Rose Teahouse

10 Feb –  Diverse Reader

Buy links:

Dreamspinner eBook |Dreamspinner Print | Amazon US  | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks

Giveaway

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A Must Read Series Spotlight: Of Gods and Monsters: Hades (Of Gods and Monsters #2) by Wulf Francu Godgluck (excerpt and giveaway)

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Of Gods and Monsters: Hades (Of Gods and Monsters #2) by Wulf Francu Godgluck
 Release Date: January 22, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Wulf Francu Godgluck
Cover Artist: Wulf Francu Godgluck

 

Blurb

******WARNING*******
This is not a story about a hero, or some bad boy-badass-antihero.
This is a love story between two monstrous villains and one valiant kid, held together by their entwined heartstrings.
It won’t be pretty.
It won’t be pleasant.
There’s no fluffy good feelings about it.
It will rip out your heart and never give it back.

Breno Hades el Oscuro took no bullshit from anyone. He ruled the crime world of the United States. When the King fell, what was left in the ashes was not the small boy that grew up without his father, not the same kid that chose a life of crime at seventeen, nor was it the King who had killed and clawed through a river of blood to stand at the top.

The King was dragged from his throne of bones into a deep dark pit, leaving only the raw flesh of a savage monster to crawl out of Hell.
One that knew love, but didn’t want it again.

Kemono Orochi was destined to inherit the legacy of his father, known as The Dragon’s Tongue. It was an inheritance he never wanted it, never desiring the power that came with the title of Dragon. Kemono ended it all by tearing off the Dragon’s head, watching the serpent’s remains be consumed in hellfire. Now tormented by the scars of his past inflicted by his father, he is struggling to come to terms with the Akuma he has become.

One that wants to devour everyone in his path to protect the only one that matters to him.

The only person that had ever made his icy heart beat.

His heart. His love. His beautiful pride.

Rex Hunter dreams of becoming a principal ballerino…all fierce, like a Phoenix. But this Phoenix has lost his wings and fallen prey, straight into the clutched claws and callus hands of two vicious beasts. Each bore the blackest of hearts, each desiring to keep him safe, cherished and loved unconditionally. Or was Rex just destined to be the goo that would stick two shattered souls together and prevent them from forever falling to pieces?

There will be blood, gore and nasty shit.

There will be watersports, crude, angry, sometimes sensual and other times just downright dirty and dysfunctional sex.

BUT…

There will always be LOVE…

Because even villains understand the tortured scars love leaves in her wake.

 

Pages or Words: 118,000 words
Book may be read as as standalone, but it is suggested you read both for the full story
 Categories: Contemporary, Crimed Fiction, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Romance, Thriller

Excerpt

He knew Wendigo wouldn’t follow him into this place. Any club, lounge, brothel that even hinted at the use of whips and chains freaked the pup out. Wendigo wasn’t weak. What irked Hades was that this shit still had a grip over Wendigo’s life. That he’d never had a childhood, he never once knew what it was to be a kid, to be happy. It tore at Hades to still see that shit haunt Wendigo’s eyes. And the brother did deserve some happiness. But he would never get it as long as he held on to the past.

He looked up at the sight in front of him. The upgrade had sure been worth it. Max had long talked about giving the VIPs their own private lobby. Before, they’d had a separate entrance via a short hall leading straight into the White Room. Now it held one as large as the main entrance. Hades moved past the black marble counter and stepped into the White Room.

He peered around, the fireplaces were unlit, but the antique ceramic stoves were already going. The light was set too brightly, bouncing off all the white in the room. And Dios, his dick went hard behind his leathers ’cause that thought sent images jumping into his head of a little fire kitten sprawled out naked on the plush carpet in front of one of those fires. Light dappling over the pale flesh of Rex’s body while Hades explored—each and every cut, mold and curve the boy’s muscles made—with his fingers.

Dios, he needed to get a fireplace installed. Hades closed his eyes and clenched his fists, vibrating as the growl trembled his chest.

Don’t motherfuckin’ make plans for a future you know for fuck will never fuckin’ be. He shouldn’t be touching Rex, tasting him, not again. He knew he should walk away ’cause he would make that kid break and that Hades didn’t want to do. But hell, fuck, couldn’t he at least allow himself some happiness before he went?

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Meet the author:

They come to me in the night, creeping into my head. Their voices are all different, their stories all dissimilar, but they keep saying the same thing…

“Show us, tell us, bring us into your world, and make us known.”

Then I sit and they take over. They tell their tales of love, loss and sinister misfortune. Not all of them get a happy ending, but they are pleased when their part is written.

I sometimes find myself lost in my own mind; a world very similar to our own yet so different. Things don’t go bump in the night— they squeal and crawl under your skin, making you grind your teeth, and making your stomach turn over and putting your nerves on edge. Then there’s the drama. Oh, the drama!

Wulf Francú Godgluck hails from South Africa. His work is not for the faint-hearted! In his books you’ll find… all the beasties with their nasty claws and teeth, and some you didn’t even know existed.

But the monsters aren’t all real. Some live inside us. Who knows what he will make you discover about yourself, lurking in your heart, behind the closed walls in the deep, black recesses where no light penetrates? Wulf will steal your heart and never give it back. More than likely, he’ll pin it to the wall with a bobbypin and sit there sipping his tea while you writhe and squeal on the floor…

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWulfChronicles/?ref=hl

Twitter: @turboverse


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, KathyMac Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Inked Rainbow Reads, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Unquietly Me, Book Lovers 4Ever, The Jena Wade, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Alpha Book Club, the Twins: Talon ps & Princess so, 3 Chicks After Dark, Lee Brazil, Divine Magazine, My Fiction Nook

 

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 5 Star Recommended Story and Author

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Giveaway

 

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Hades’ by Wulf Francu Godgluck.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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