Category: Book Giveaways

A Holiday Book Spotlight for ‘A Christmas Kindness’ by Anna Lee (excerpt and giveaway)

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A Christmas Kindness by Anna Lee
 Release Date: December 4, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Lex Valentine

Blurb

David Winters fell for a man at a Christmas masquerade party last year. The only problem? His sister and his niece needed him so instead of pursuing anything, David ran away and didn’t find out who he was. Now, his niece, Jenna wants to organize a toy charity drive at a children’s hospital which leads David to reunite with Officer Stephen Lauer. The sparks fly again and with a little Christmas kindness maybe the two of them can make a few wishes come true… including their own.

 

Pages or Words: 9,800 words/33 pages
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Holiday

 

Excerpt

Chapter One

Debating whether or not he would go to the Christmas masquerade party again this year, David stared at the message on his phone from his friend, Chad. Last year’s party had been amazing, for one reason. A gorgeous man who’d gone by the name of Steve. They’d hooked up, spent the night together, and then parted ways. A regret that surfaced once again. There’d been something about the other man, though it’d only been sex and a brief conversation, it was a lingering feeling that he should’ve taken a chance and found out who the other man really was. If only he hadn’t been a coward, if his life hadn’t been so complicated, maybe he’d actually have someone to share Christmas with this year. He texted Chad back that he’d go, maybe he’d find Steve again. He wouldn’t make the same mistake and run away this time.

“Uncle David,” Jenna said, sitting next to him on the sofa squeezed into the tiny living room of his sister’s apartment, “can you help me?”

David turned toward his eleven-year-old niece. Her hazel eyes were expectant and she gave him that look which pretty much guaranteed he’d do whatever she planned on asking. He saw that she had a journal in her hands with the Harry Potter Gryffindor crest on it. Ah, he remembered getting that for her. Money was tight for his sister—she was barely making ends meet—so David had been indulging Jenna as of late so she wouldn’t know. “Of course, with what?”

“It’s almost Christmas. And I want to do something to help. I heard about Toys for Tots on TV and I wanted to do something like that. You remember how my friend, Meredith, got sick, right?”

“Of course I do.” Meredith had spent the last few Christmases in the hospital fighting leukemia. After two years, she was finally in remission, thank God. She and Jenna were good friends and inseparable. Jenna had even cut all her long locks and donated them so Meredith could have a wig made. She hadn’t wanted her friend to feel bad about herself and she’d said that way they could be like twins. His niece truly had a heart of gold and David loved her more than anything.

“Well, at school today she said it’s really hard for parents to get gifts because they’re so busy taking care of their sick kids in the hospital. And sometimes they can’t afford new toys. I thought we could organize a toy drive this year. Meredith wants to help too. We could take all the toys to the hospital and give them out on Christmas Eve next week. I know Mom can arrange stuff. I want to tell her as soon as she gets home.” She showed him the plans she had written. Then gave him a bright smile. “What do you think?”

David hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head, smoothing down her curly brown hair. “I think we’d better get started.”

She let out a cry of excitement and hugged him back. “Thank you, Uncle David!”

  • § §

David took Jenna to Target and they bought all the supplies they’d need to make flyers for the toy drive. Jenna picked out Christmas stickers, green and red markers, and a few other odds and ends. They went back home and while David started dinner, Jenna set up their workstation at the old oak kitchen table. While the chicken was cooking, he helped Jenna design the flyers.

Awhile later a key clicked in the lock and Jenna jumped up as soon as Caitlyn walked through the door. She hugged her mom. “Hi, Mom!”

“How was work, Caty?” David asked her as she seemed tired.

Caitlyn ran a hand through her messy ponytail. “Long. I swear I ran back and forth at least twenty times for a new patient.”

David’s sister, Caitlyn, was a nurse at the hospital. She worked the day shift and David watched Jenna after school until she got home. He walked over and gave his sister a kiss on the forehead. For a second, the happy mask she always wore in front of Jenna slipped. Right then, David really hated her ex-husband, Bruce. Even after a year, his sister was still suffering, still lost. Her bastard of an ex had cheated and then left Caitlyn and Jenna just before Christmas last year. No matter how much he helped Jenna with her homework, made her dinner, took her to dance class, and softball, Caitlyn still seemed depressed and was struggling. He knew she appreciated everything he did. He just wished he could do more. He was so worried about her. They only lived about ten minutes from his apartment but he didn’t see much of it, between work and spending time here, keeping an eye on his family and making sure they got through this.

Before he could say anything, Jenna told Caitlyn, “Mom, I’ve got a great idea.”

“What’s that, honey?” Caitlyn asked as Jenna went with her to the kitchen. She toed off her shoes with a heavy sigh and smiled at David as he popped her dinner in the microwave. “Thanks, Davy.” David shook his head. He disliked his nickname as much as Caitlyn did hers, yet they both fondly used them. No one else was allowed to though.

Jenna excitedly told her mom about the toy drive. “And look!” She dashed to the table and grabbed a flyer that they had made to hand out. David figured he could leave some at work, maybe drop by the police and fire stations, and a little social media wouldn’t hurt either. He could probably even run something in the paper if he got the okay from his executive editor. He was certain she would be willing. It would be a feel-good piece; those always did well. Plus, it was nice to have stories that showed the goodness still in the world, despite how depressing it sometimes seemed.

“Me and Uncle David made these.”

Caitlyn took the flyer. “Wow, this is incredible, Jen.” She seemed as proud of her daughter for thinking of it as David was. “I’ll talk with some of the doctors and the head of pediatrics tomorrow, see what we need to do to make this happen, okay?”

“You’re the best, Mom!” Jenna hugged her again.

Caitlyn gave David a fond look, her hazel eyes so much like his own, except faded, making her appear older than she was. Only three years older than him at thirty-five, she really was too young to be so worn out. “I think that goes to Uncle David for helping you with this.”

“Nah.” David shook his head. “Jenna did all the planning. I’m just the assistant.”

Caitlyn laughed. “Well now you have two of us, Jen. What’s the next step?”

“Gathering up the toys. We’re gonna pass out flyers tomorrow.”

“Right after school,” David added.

“Mom, do you want to watch a movie?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah, let’s continue our Harry Potter marathon,” Caitlyn told her, grabbing a fork and her plate.

“Uncle David?”

“I’ve got work to do, sweetie.” He hugged her. “I’m going to head home and let you and Mom have some fun together, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Uncle David.”

“Love you too.” David smiled as Jenna ran off to start the movie then he embraced his sister. “And you. Have a good night. Call if you need anything, Caty.”

“I will, Davy.” Caitlyn gently pushed him away then said quietly, “Go on, we’ll be fine. I know you worry but it’s okay. Jenna just reminded me of something.”

“What’s that?”

Caitlyn’s face lit up. “That I may still be hurting, but I’ve got a good life. I’ve got a beautiful little girl and you. And it’s almost Christmas. I’m done being sad. You want to help me decorate and have some fun this weekend? We could go out, maybe drinks.”

“Count me in.” David found his keys and left the apartment after more good-byes. It was chilly outside, a light snow falling. He was glad he’d brought his car. Sometimes he stayed late and while the neighborhood was decent, David had seen one too many crime shows to walk alone in the dark. No, he’d much rather crank up the heat in his car and listen to loud classic rock as he made the short trip home.

He realized that the party Chad had invited him to was this weekend and cursed. Caitlyn hadn’t asked him to do anything in a long time—he couldn’t cancel on her now. Then he had an idea. Maybe she’d go with him. She wanted to do something fun and it would be a good time. A way to forget everything for a while. And Jenna could sleepover at Meredith’s. It could all be worked out if he just got his sister to agree to it. He went into his apartment, showered, slipped on sleep pants, and then tumbled into bed with a hopeful smile. Maybe he’d get a second chance with Steve, that’s all he really wanted this Christmas.

Buy the book:

Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

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Meet the Author

Anna Lee graduated from the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Living with a disability, she has overcome many challenges and puts her passion for life and love into her writing. She lives with her family and dogs and enjoys writing late into the night. When she isn’t writing, Anna enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew or chatting with her friends about her favorite books and TV shows.

You can contact Anna at her website: http://www.storiesbyannalee.com. Or you can tweet her.@Annalee59

 

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, BFD Book Blog, Jessie G. Books, TTC Books and More, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, 3 Chicks After Dark, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Elin Gregory, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Alpha Book Club, Book Lovers 4Ever

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘A Christmas Kindness’ by Anna Lee.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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Coffee Sip and Book Break with Bitter Springs by Laura Stone (author and character interview, excerpt and contest)

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Bitter Springs by Laura Stone
 Release Date: December 3, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Collen M. Good

Today we’re happy to be interviewing Laura Stone,  author of BITTER SPRINGS, here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. Hi Laura, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book. I see you also brought along a character to interview. Welcome, Hank!

Oh my goodness, thanks for having me! I’m a single mother of three, and with the older two off to college, I have a bit more breathing room to write. BITTER SPRINGS is both my attempt to tackle a challenge—I’d never been invested in Western literature, honestly—and to write a love-letter to my home state, Texas. I’m a desert gal at heart, and nothing makes me happier than being out in the dry lonesome prairie or desert for days on end. It’s so fantastic.

And here is Hank to answer some questions as well:

Hank, what do you find attractive in a man?
How much print space can I have? Lord, but I love men. First and foremost, give me a kind man. I’m pretty tired of giving rude, hateful, arrogant men a pass by claiming they’re “complicated”. Nope, they’re self-absorbed. Take it from me, any younguns reading along: You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats an animal or someone who works for him. Family should mean something. Creatures in your care should be treated with respect. If a man can’t do that, then I don’t think he’s much of anything, especially a man. You didn’t hear this from me, but hair you can tug on is pretty nice, too.

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Renaldo?
“Well, that doesn’t look like the runt of the litter.”

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?
I don’t believe too much on insisting, but I’ll just say she’s barely scratched the surface.

Before you met Renaldo, what was your ideal man?
A family man. One who wasn’t afraid of working hard and who could appreciate the value in it. A man who could understand when it was time to be quiet, and maybe when they needed to draw me out of my head a little. I like a man with a passion for living, one who understands how you can’t take anything for granted. Life’s too precious for that.

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?
Not too many opportunities for eating beyond Vista Verde, so I better just say anything Señora Valle Santos is cooking. That woman can work magic. Pretty fortunate that she likes cooking for me, I suppose, because Lord know I like eating it.

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In 1870s Texas, Renaldo Valle Santos, the youngest son of a large and traditional family, has been sent to train with Henry “Hank” Burnett, a freed slave and talented mesteñero—or horse- catcher—so he may continue the family horse trade. Bitter Springs is a sweeping epic that takes themes from traditional Mexican literature and Old Westerns to tell the story of a man coming into his own and realizing his destiny lies in the wild open spaces with the man who loves him, far from expectations of society.

 

Pages or Words: 302 pages
 Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt

The day before the wedding, a visitor arrived at Vista Verde an entire week early. Renaldo, ready to wash up and eat dinner after a long, hard day—his side ached from roping cattle as a part of Paloma’s training, his hands were full of bits of raw hemp from the stock lassos, and one of the calves had kicked him high on the thigh—walked back from the barn using his hat to slap at the dust on his chest and thighs. He noticed a tall, striking young black man standing at the door to their home speaking with their father. They didn’t see many black men this far from civilization—with the Civil War ending so recently, many were staying close to where they’d been forced to live, were heading far out west where there were more opportunities to make a new life or were going north seeking less hostile society. Who he could be?

He was about as tall as Renaldo, maybe an inch or two more, broad-shouldered and whip-thin, dressed in well-worn, simple clothes. He had a close-cropped beard, but instead of hiding the shape of his jaw, it accented its sharpness. His light eyes, almost luminescent even at this distance and glowing like amber, were ringed with thick lashes, nearly to the point of being girlish, but there was nothing feminine about the man. With his lean but strong-looking chest, muscular arms and curved backside, he managed to carry himself with a confident air while standing idly; his body was still, but in a way that made Renaldo think of a raptor sitting on an abutment, watching and waiting.

“Oh, here he is,” Estebán said, motioning for Renaldo to join them, saying, “Señor Burnett, allow me to introduce to you my son, Renaldo.”

This? This was the legendary mesteñero, Henry Burnett? He couldn’t be much older than Renaldo, who realized his jaw had dropped. He closed his mouth quickly and moved toward them as if drawn like metal shavings to a magnet.

Burnett, however, looked amused, as the edge of his mouth quirked up. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, his voice deep and husky.

Renaldo couldn’t look away, shocked that his expectations couldn’t have been more wrong. This was a vibrant young man. But… this was the man he would be alone with on the prairie for months? His stomach twisted at that thought, and at how unexpected it all was, causing his heart to race and face flush. Yes, it was unexpected. That Burnett had come so much sooner than they’d expected had to be why Renaldo couldn’t find his voice and felt so upended.

“Mijo,” his father said sharply.

Renaldo shook himself slightly, and then nodded, saying, “Señor Burnett, it’s very good to meet you, finally. Please forgive my shock, as I don’t believe we expected you so soon.”

Burnett laughed, a rolling, melodious sound, and replied, “Well, then just imagine my shock when I come here all the way from Nacogdoches expecting one Valle man, only to find him gone and you in his place.” He smiled. “Your padre seems to think you’re a better match, so that works for me.”

That smile, bright teeth framed by full lips, eyes crinkled at the corners, helped lessen some of Renaldo’s shock and, if he was being honest, some of the worry that he carried about spending a lot of time with a hard, taciturn man Renaldo knew he would be unable to please. At the realization that this was who he would be with on the plains, just the two of them with no one else for weeks on end, Renaldo became excited, finally looking forward to this task. A young man with an infectious grin wouldn’t be such a chore to be stuck with after all.

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

Laura Stone is a born and bred Texan, but don’t hold that against her. She’s a former comedian, actress and Master Gardener, and currently keeps busy as a media blogger, ghostwriter and novelist when not busy raising her three children. They’re not fully raised, but then, neither is she.

She lives in Texas as proof that it’s not completely populated by hard-line right-wingers. And because that’s where the good tamales are. Her first novel, The Bones of You, was published by Interlude Press in 2014 and was named a finalist for two Foreword Reviews IndieFab Book of the Year Award. Laura Stone at Laura-Stone.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/9LauraStone

Where to find the author:

Facebook: facebook.com/9LauraStone

Twitter: @stoneyboboney

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Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Dec: MM Good Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Hearts on Fire

4-Dec: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Gay Book Reviews, Divine Magazine

7-Dec: Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Unquietly Me, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Bayou Book Junkie

8-Dec: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, My Fiction Nook

9-Dec: Elin Gregory, TTC Books and More

10-Dec: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Michael Mandrake, Love Bytes

11-Dec: Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books

14-Dec: Dawn’s Reading Nook, QUEERcentric Books, Happily Ever Chapter

15-Dec: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Emotion in Motion

16-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Prism Book Alliance

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card, First Prize: One of five e-copies of ‘Bitter Springs’.  Must be 18 years of age or older.   Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A Very Special Charity Spotlight: A Intimate Look at Winter Oranges by Marie Sexton (guest post and giveaway)

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Winter Oranges by Marie Sexton
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist:  L.C. Chase

This title is part of the Love for the Holidays: A Charity Bundle Benefiting
the GLBT National Help Center collection. 
You can purchase it and learn more about the charity bundle here.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have  Marie Sexton here today to talk about the inspiration behind her Christmas novel, Winter Oranges.  Marie is sharing some of her photos from her Pinterest board and thoughts behind her characters.  Winter Oranges is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Highly Recommended Novels.

Hello, everybody! This is Marie Sexton, and I’m thrilled to be here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words today talking about my Christmas novel, Winter Oranges. I thought I’d share some photos that helped inspire the novel.

First things first: I started with the house. I originally planned to set the book in rural West Virginia, so I started out researching older homes. Later, I decided to move the story to Idaho, and I ended up making the house a “revival” built in the 1980s, which meant there was no “servant’s room” on the ground floor. I rearranged the entire dining room/kitchen setup, and added a Winter Oranges House Planspantry/mudroom. The other problem was, I kept picturing the garage on the left side of the property (the left when facing the house, that is). I tried over and over to flip that image in my mind, but it didn’t work. And why would the garage be on the family room side of the property rather than the mudroom side? It didn’t make sense. So I flipped the entire bottom floor. But for the most part, this is Jason’s house. (I’m sure he paid more than $1548 for it, though!)

The next step was the snow globe. Yes, I could have just made it up, but I wanted a photo. It needed to look old-fashioned and have a cottage. So I settled on this one:Winter Oranges_Snow Globe

Now, for the characters.

Winter Oranges_Tom HughesIn my brain, Ben looks like Tom Hughes, minus the bad boy attitude.

Ben’s clothes were based largely on this picture:Winter Oranges_civil war men

And Jason… well, I wasn’t entirely sure what Jason looked like. I was pretty sure he was blond, and I knew he was in his late 20s. That was good enough, until I got to a line where somebody says to him, “You look familiar.” Jason hates his semi-celebrity status, so rather than telling her who he really is, he says, “Some people say I look like [some other celebrity].” The problem was, who did he look like? I spent a stupid amount of time googling actors, but I finally decided on William Moseley.Winter Oranges_William Mosely

That’s it for my primary sources of inspiration, but for more pictures, check out my  Winter Oranges Pinterest Board. Have an image you’d like to add? Leave your Pinterest user name in the comments, and I’ll send you an invitation to add to the board.

And be sure to check out Winter Oranges! 20% of the proceeds go to the GLBT National Help Center.

About the Book

Jason Walker is a child star turned teen heartthrob turned reluctant B-movie regular who’s sick of his failing career. So he gives up Hollywood for northern Idaho, far away from the press, the drama of LA, and the best friend he’s secretly been in love with for years.

There’s only one problem with his new life: a strange young man only he can see is haunting his guesthouse. Except Benjamin Ward isn’t a ghost. He’s a man caught out of time, trapped since the Civil War in a magical prison where he can only watch the lives of those around him. He’s also sweet, funny, and cute as hell, with an affinity for cheesy ’80s TV shows. And he’s thrilled to finally have someone to talk to.

But Jason quickly discovers that spending all his time with a man nobody else can see or hear isn’t without its problems—especially when the tabloids find him again and make him front-page news. The local sheriff thinks he’s on drugs, and his best friend thinks he’s crazy. But Jason knows he hasn’t lost his mind. Too bad he can’t say the same thing about his heart.

Winter Oranges is one of Riptide’s 2015 charity titles.

Twenty percent of the proceeds from this title will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) National Help Center.

Founded in 1996, the GLBT National Help Center is a non-profit organization that provides vital peer-support, community connections and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Utilizing a diverse group of GLBT volunteers, they operate two national hotlines, the GLBT National Hotline and the GLBT National Youth Talkline, as well as private, volunteer one-to-one online chat, that help both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more.

To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit their website:  “http://www.glbthotline.org/“

HYPERLINK “http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/winter-oranges“http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/winter-oranges

About the Author

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along.

Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

Connect with Marie:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Winter Oranges, Marie Sexton is giving away two titles from her backlist and a $50 Amazon gift card! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 5, 2015. 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!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Happy Reading and Good luck!

Paranormal Shifter Dentists are Back in Jackie Nacht: ‘Hot on a Chipmunk’s Tail’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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 Hot On A Chipmunk’s Tail
(Paranormal Dentistry For The Fanged and Friendly #5) by Jackie Nacht
 Release Date: November 20, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Winterheart Designs

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Blurb

This mountain lion is out to chase his skittish chipmunk down.

Jason has always lived under the protection of his twenty brothers and sisters. Even though he cares for his neighbor, Will, when a chance to leave the home he’s lived in forever, Jason takes the chance and runs to White Pine. Unfortunately, some of his brothers are coming along for the ride.

Will can’t believe his shy chipmunk just up and moved. Through the meddling of Jason’s sisters and a best friend who lives in White Pine, Will chases Jason to White Pine. Will they be able find the connection in White Pine where they couldn’t at home?

Pages or Words: 13,000
 Categories: Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Excerpt

Chapter One

This absolutely, positively sucks, Jason thought as he stood in front of Livingston’s tiny rental with his three brothers. The snow was coming down heavy and he tucked his chin into his jacket to keep his face from freezing. If he didn’t have to meet this Livingston person for the first time, he would have shifted and saved himself the pain. Someone had to be civil for this introduction; it sure as hell wasn’t going to be his brothers.

A few minutes later, Jason saw a man running the last few yards before he got to the snow-covered sidewalk near them on the porch. The guy wasn’t paying attention in the least because he almost ran face-first into Nikko. Damn, this guy was going to have to grow a better set of eyes if he was willing to open his home to his brothers.

“Shit, Nikko, sorry about that.” Livingston stared down at his friend, then over at the chipmunks sitting on each of Nikko’s shoulders. Jason cringed, anticipating some antic from his brothers. They were… well, they were… hell, he just hoped White Pine didn’t have a prison or Winslow and Sparks would have a frequent flyer card there.

“Where are you running to so fast?” Nikko chuckled…and why was he acting so damn nervous? Did Nikko not tell his friend who he was saddling him with? Jason’s eyes widened. The hell he didn’t. This was an epic party foul in the making.

“Just… cold. Who are these guys?” Livingston leaned toward one of the chipmunks, reaching for one with his index finger when the little sucker hissed and spread out his tiny arms at him. Jason smacked his forehead. Oh hell… here it comes.

“What the…?” Livingston shouted, jumping back, nearly falling on his ass. “He almost bit my damn finger off!”

The chipmunk started making little squeaking noises before it fell off and shifted in midair. Sparks lay naked on the ground before Livingston, laughing his ass off, holding his stomach.

“Oh shit! It’s cold. Did you see him? Scared the fuck out of him.” Sparks cackled like a deranged man. Jason shook his head. There was no way this was going to work.

Nikko pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re naked in the snow. Nice first impression, Sparks.”

Sparks didn’t give a damn. Everyone knew that as he continued to chuckle, then stood up before sauntering up the steps. “Damn, I love me some nuts, but mine are moving up into my body. It’s freezing here.”

The other chipmunk, Winslow, squeaked on Nikko’s shoulder, and Jason could tell his damn brother was laughing.

Nikko snorted.

Not you too, Nikko. It’s all fun and games, Nikko, until we live with you in that tiny fucking den of yours. Dallas will kill the lot of us!

“I’m… Jason,” Jason said quietly. There was no need to add to the bizarreness of the situation. Best to be like always, go unnoticed.

However, someone had noticed him once. And he’d run. Fucking ran, terrified, and now his chance at being with that special person was lost. Jason glanced down at his boots as he toed the cold snow. He wasn’t used to seeing so much of the stuff and wondered if he made the right decision. After Christmas, he’d had a chance to move up there with his brothers. Jason had been confused about Will and confessed it all to Nikko. Nikko’s suggestion rang clear in his head, Take a break and see other places. If you miss him, you can move back home. You need to figure it out and make a decision. We all know that Will has feelings for you, but do you have feelings for him?

God, he did, but saying that to Will, the mountain lion shifter, was a whole other story.

How could Jason tell his brother he missed Will before they even got on the plane to Michigan? It was just that Will… was so much. Every time the guy tried to talk to him, Jason clammed up, locked down, and then fucking ran, hauling ass for the family barn.

Fuck, he was confused, and he needed to figure everything out. He could go back. He could see Will again. Hell, he should be paying attention to see if his brothers were going to cause more shit.

Livingston jumped to and ran to open the door, only to stumble as the other chipmunk zipped past him. Jason ran up the steps and held out his arms as if he was going to catch the deer but was five feet behind Livingston. He ended up following Livingston in, trailed by Nikko. Livingston began removing his gloves, then dropped a backpack. Winslow shifted and, Jesus, stood face to face in front of everyone with his naked twin brother. Jason blinked, then blinked again before shuddering. This was disastrous.

Now, it was pretty typical to shift and be naked, but his brothers just stood there, no hiding, no shielding, and letting it all hang out so to speak. Right in front of Livingston! Someone they didn’t know!

Livingston murmured to Nikko, “I know I’m damn shy, but even now I’m trying everything I can not to look south and make sure they aren’t absolutely identical in all things.”

Jason’s jaw dropped. Oh hell… the deer was just as nuts!

“Winslow and Sparks, here are your clothes,” Nikko said as he pulled out two pairs of jeans from the backpack.

The twins dressed before walking, shirtless, into the living room.

No fucking way. His twin brothers walked right into Livingston’s living room and put their feet on his coffee table, grabbed a remote, and then turned on the television. Just like that, they made themselves quite comfortable.

“Nikko, can I talk to you in the kitchen?” Livingston’s eyes widened as he stared at Nikko and Jason.

Livingston grabbed Nikko by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen area, and Jason followed behind, leaning in the entryway door. Nikko had the audacity to look guilty. Nikko never felt guilt. He was an evil chipmunk that shared his plots with Livingston here and with Theresa when he was back home. Sure, Nikko, just let your buddy the deer here know he’s about to be a victim of one of your devilish plans.

Nikko leaned his ass against the island. “I need a favor from you. Well, Philip and I need a favor from you.”

“Does it…” Livingston paused as Winslow walked in and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out the milk carton, drank from it, and put it back in the refrigerator where he’d gotten it. Winslow left with a milk mustache on his face and a shit-eating grin. Winslow even winked at him as he left.

“What the hell was that?” Livingston pointed his finger past Jason. “I just bought that milk, dammit!”

“That’s Winslow, my brother. Ugh… he always does that. Look…” Nikko began. Jesus, Nikko was really struggling here. “Wow, this is harder than I thought.”

“What?” Livingston asked. Was Nikko finally going to come clean? Ha!

“I have this problem…” Nikko covered his mouth with his hand as he mumbled something.

“Buddy, look, I know you’re a hoarder and I still love you.” Livingston went over to hug his friend.

Nikko pushed him away. “I am not a hoarder. I store, dammit.”

Says every damn chipmunk in our hoarding family.

“Oh,” Livingston murmured. “Are you sure, because when we lived together, you had the left side of the cupboard stuffed top to bottom full of every kind of nut and peanut butter you could imagine. Hell, some even seemed to tip on my side, which continually got smaller and smaller the longer we lived together.” Livingston held up his hands in defense as Nikko growled. “Not that I minded.”

Jason mumbled, “He minded. Give the man his space. Walk away, Nikko. Walk away.”

“Jason,” Nikko chided. “He’s a true friend and well… you know I’m moving in with Dallas.” Nikko rubbed the back of his head.

“Yeah,” Livingston frowned.

“I think I found someone to cover my side of the rent. Well… if they can find jobs.” Nikko chuckled nervously.

Anyone would be out of their fucking minds to hire them.

“Wait.” Livingston’s eyes bulged as he pointed to the living room, “Them? As in all of them? No way.”

“No… uh… just the twins.” Nikko shoved his finger through his unruly hair. Unfortunately, Nikko had nothing on him when it came to crazy looking hair; he lived with hair that looked like he stuck his finger in a light socket.

Sparks walked in at that very moment and opened a cupboard. He spotted a jar of peanut butter, unscrewed it, then dipped his finger in. He brought the scoop to his mouth and sucked on it slowly while eyeing Livingston. Was he hitting on the guy? Was that supposed to be sexy? It wasn’t. Not. At. All.

Livingston opened a drawer near him and pulled out a spoon, then handed it to Sparks.

“What? You don’t like peanut butter?” Sparks winked.

“Sparks,” Jason groaned.

“I… eww.” Livingston eyed Sparks like he had lost his mind.

Jason was in some damn nightmare.

“What do you mean eww?” Sparks acted insulted. It would go a long way if he didn’t have a smudge of peanut butter on the corner of his mouth.

“I mean, your hands were just on the ground. Did you run here in shifter form? Did you wash your hands? You contaminated that whole jar.” Livingston waved his hand at the peanut butter.

“Oh that’s the chefy prep guy in you.” Sparks chuckled as he walked by and patted Livingston on the ass like he was some damn teammate instead of a stranger. Jason cringed as he noticed a smudge of peanut butter on Livingston’s jeans.

“Chefy guy? Is he for real?” Livingston asked Nikko.

“They take some getting used to, but you’ll never be bored,” Nikko chuckled.

“I can’t live with those guys,” Livingston hissed. “Why can’t I have him?” Livingston pointed to Jason.

Jason jumped and pointed to his chest. “Me?”

“Yeah, you… you seem… well, quiet.” Livingston waved at him.

Jason glanced over at Nikko as he began to tremble a little. Livingston seemed like a nice enough guy but being removed from all his family would be all kinds of hell for him.

“You can’t have Jason. He’s… well, he needs to be close to his family. Jason’s going to live with Gunner and Phillip.”

I believe the word you are looking for, dear brother, is introverted.

Nikko actually appeared a bit sheepish before continuing. “It won’t be that long, I promise. We just need a bit of time until something in town opens up.”

Livingston’s mouth dropped open. “That could be months. Why don’t they live with you and Dallas?”

“They can’t. You know why. It’s only one bedroom, we have no room. Look, I know you’re looking for a roommate and need the help with the other half of rent. They’re a bit crazy, but I promise you they are nice guys. You’ll fall in love with Winslow and Sparks.” Nikko approached him and hugged him. “Plus I don’t like you living here all alone.”

Livingston sighed. “I do hate living here alone. I’m talking to the walls, and it hasn’t even been that long. You know me. You think this will be good for me?”

“Just try it. If they become too much trouble for you, I’ll talk to Phillip and Gunner. I think in time they’ll settle and you three will get along. They’ve never been outside of Atlanta and well… well, never mind. They’ll be hellish,” Nikko murmured.

“You were trouble, and I liked living with you.” Livingston sighed as he hugged Nikko.

Jason watched. It was clear that Livingston and Nikko were best friends, that his brother had developed a lasting friendship in this town. He hadn’t seen any of his family interact with other shifters, outside their mates at Christmas. Is this what it was going to be like living in White Pine? Jason’s body trembled. God, he wanted a friend, but the idea of approaching new people about made his heart jump out of his chest.

Nikko chuckled, breaking Jason’s thoughts. “Yep, and they’re me times two. You’ll be good for them too. Hey, look what came out of us living together.” Nikko winked at him.

“Okay, I’ll give them a try,” Livingston breathed out.

Livingston pulled back and smiled at Nikko just as the twins came scurrying by in chipmunk form. They ran around all their legs a couple of times. One took off while the other stopped, patted Livingston on the leg with his tiny paw, and zipped back out.

Jason laughed. “Nikko, you better make sure to start looking fast.”

It certainly was going to be interesting. Now Jason just had to figure out where he was going to fit in this town.

Buy the book: MLR | Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

WhitePineChipmunkInvasion_432

Meet the Author

Short, sexy and sweet—where a little love goes a long way.

That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s stories. She was introduced to M/M Romance through her sister, Stephani, and read it for years. Then, she thought it was time to put her own stories on paper. Jackie began writing short and sweet stories that ended with a happily ever after.

Thinking back to her own book addiction, where there were many nights Jackie stayed up way too late so she could read just one more chapter—yeah, right—Jackie decided to write short romances for young adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give high school and college students, or working men and women something they can read during their lunch hour, in between classes or just when they want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of everyday life.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

BFD Book Blog, Jessie G. Books, Divine Magazine, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter,

SiK Reviews, Havan Fellows, MM Good Book Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Velvet Panic, Open Skye Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

2-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Parker Williams

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Cover Reveal for M. Leanne Phoenix’s The Covenant ( Covenant Series #1) (excerpt and giveaway)

CoverThe Covenant E-Book Cover with logo

The Covenant ( Covenant Series #1) by M. LeAnne Phoenix
 Release Date: January 15, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis

Blurb

When love is forbidden, who can you trust?

Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor’s daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan’s cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory.

When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan’s covenant to each other in unimaginable ways. Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.

 

Pages or Words: 280 pages, 71,000 words
 Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Poetry, Romance

Excerpt

David opened his locker to get out his Biology, History, and Music History books and shoved them into his backpack, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. Jonathan’s comforting hand lit on David’s side as he came to lean on the locker to the right of David’s own, holding up in one paint-besmeared hand, a small piece of black cardboard. On it, David saw symbols, ones he thought might be Greek. Remembering the foreign exchange student from Thessaloniki shared Jonathan’s sixth period art class, he smiled and turned to his boyfriend as he took the proffered gift.

“What does it say?” David couldn’t help but smile at the joy lighting Jonathan’s eyes. “This has to be something that Kallias helped you make—”

“You aren’t wrong,” Jonathan interjected. “That is Greek writing and Kallias even taught me how to say it.”

“Enlighten me, please!” David rasped, focusing wholly on Jonathan’s gift. “Say it and then tell me what it means.”

“If I say it right, it’s agape menomou—”

David furrowed his brow, repeating, “A guppy man oh moo?”

Jonathan slid down the locker in a giggle. “Noooo! I must have said it wrong because your face… oh my gosh, your face!”

Blushing and biting his lower lip, David sank down to his haunches in front of Jonathan. “Then say it again, slower, and tell me what it means!”

Jonathan looked around, and seeing no-one in their locker bank, leaned up to whisper the Greek in his ear, the sounds slower… thicker. “Agape menomou means O love of my heart.”

Buy the book:  links to come

 

RC

 

Meet the author:

M. LeAnne Phoenix would tell you that the worst time of her life was the two years that she attempted to take off from writing. If you asked her to explain exactly why she did such a thing, you would most likely get the mad attempt to arch an eyebrow like her dad and then a shake of the head as she told you it was unlucky to speak of such things. Suffice it to say, it will never happen again!
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970’s, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980’s and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990’s. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.
An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn’t she earned it?

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Gay Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Happily Ever Chapter, Divine Magazine, Love Bytes, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Nephy Hart, MM Good Book Reviews, KathyMac Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, A.M. Leibowitz, Velvet Panic, Alpha Book Club, Moonbeams Over Atlanta, Mikky’s World of Books, Book Lovers 4Ever, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A signed print copy of ‘The Covenant’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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A Book Spotlight: Sawyer ( Torey Hope – The Later Years) by A. D. Ellis (excerpt and giveaway)

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AboutTheBookSawyereBook1TITLE: Sawyer

SERIES: Torey Hope – The Later Years

AUTHOR: A.D. Ellis

PUBLISHER: A.D. Ellis Publishing

COVER ARTIST: Andrea Michelle with Artistry in Design

LENGTH: 372 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 06, 2015

BLURB: Sawyer Morgan has a secret. Revealing his true feelings to his family could bring devastation and destruction, so he keeps the burden firmly on his own shoulders. When he moves back to Torey Hope to help with the family business, Sawyer’s hidden truth becomes too much to bear.

Luke Hamilton has a past overflowing with emotional and physical scars. A promise to his dying mother prevents him from seeking the love and acceptance he longs for. Taking a job in Torey Hope brings Luke face-to-face with taboo desires he thought long extinguished.

Secrets, lies, hatred, and fear threaten to destroy their lives. But, love has the power to overcome and lay claim to victory.

Will Sawyer succeed in proving to Luke some connections are worth fighting for?

A poignant tale of two hearts valiantly fighting to stay true and find love.

**This is a male/male romance. It has adult themes, language, and situations. Readers sensitive to homosexual relationships, abuse, hate crimes, and derogatory terms should take note. This story is meant only for readers aged 18+**

Excerpt

 

I’m gay.

His brother, Decker, had taken the news fairly well. He’d needed a solo walk through the woods to gather his thoughts; Sawyer suspected his always-in-control, serious, black and white brother also needed to come to grips with the fact that he’d never suspected his brother’s sexual preference was different than his own. How ironic that the one person Sawyer was the closest to in the whole world was the one person who was the most clueless.

Sawyer had held his breath practically the whole time Decker had been walking through the woods. A deluge of rain poured down as the dark sky broke open, yet Sawyer still sat alone at the campfire. His head had started playing tricks on him. You disgust him…he can’t stand the thought of having a gay brother…you’ve lost him…he’s not coming back. But Sawyer held out hope that Decker was just doing his usual thinking things through.

He had breathed a sigh of relief when Decker emerged, soaking wet, from the woods. Walking towards him with purpose, his twin had stopped in front of him and spoke the most heartwarming, sincere words Sawyer had ever heard from him.

“You’re my brother, always have been, always will be. I wish you could have told me sooner, but nothing has changed between us. I’ll be there in any and every way that I can.” Decker grabbed Sawyer and pulled him into a deep embrace, communicating his love and acceptance through his touch.

Telling his cousins, Zach and Kendrick, had been less emotional, and a lot more entertaining. Sawyer had to laugh at the questions his admission had stirred up.

“I’m gay.”

Two words that held such power. Would they laugh? Would they walk away in disgust? Would they be angry?

Zach smiled and nodded. “I think I’ve known that for a long time, man, but thanks for telling me.”

“Wait, you knew? Why didn’t you ever say something? Why did you joke with me about girls?”

“I don’t know, I guess I figured you’d tell me when you were ready. I didn’t want to bring it up if I was wrong and it offended you. I think I joked about girls thinking it would give you the opportunity to bring it up if you wanted to.” Zach stood and walked to his cousin, reaching a hand down, he pulled the other man up into a hug. “Nothing changes, I’ve got your back, man.”

Kendrick sat with his hand rubbing his chin. Would he be the one who couldn’t accept it?

Eyes twinkling and a shit-eatin’ grin on his face, he finally spoke. “What’s it like to suck cock?”

The other three burst out laughing.

BuyLinks

Amazon US

Apple iBooks

AuthorBio

 

AuthorPicA.D. Ellis is the award-winning author of two related collections of stories, A Torey Hope Novel Series and Torey Hope: The Later Years. Her debut novel, For Nicky, was voted #3 of the Top 50 Indie Books of 2014 by ReadFree.ly readers/voters. A.D.’s fourth novel, Loving Josie, was awarded the bronze medal in the contemporary romance category in the prestigious Readers’ Favorite 2015 International Book Awards.

Born and raised in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. was an avid reader from the time she learned to read.  She could often be found curled up somewhere with her nose in a book. Most of her friends and family were not such book enthusiasts, so A.D. got used to dealing with snickers and joking comments about her constant reading habits. Truth be told, Ms. Ellis has always been the definition of a book nerd.

A.D. always dreamed of being a teacher. Graduating from Indiana State University in 1999 and earning a Master’s Degree from Indiana Wesleyan in 2003, she met her goal of entering the world of education. A.D. has been teaching in the inner city of Indianapolis, Indiana for 17 years. She spent the majority of her 17 years in fourth grade, but has now taken on the challenges of teaching 3rd and 4th grade alternative education students. A.D. loves teaching fractions, variables, probability, and graphing in Math. She loves almost all aspects of English Language Arts. Figurative language, theme, making predictions, drawing conclusions, inference, context clues, making writing come to life, A.D. loves it all! Her students don’t always share in that enthusiasm.

She met her husband in college in 1996 and they married in June of 2000. She lives in a south side suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband and two school-aged children. When she’s not reading or writing with music blaring, she can be found shopping at thrift stores, reading to her children, and sweating at the gym in the very early mornings.

A.D. began her writing journey in October 2013, and she is grateful for the friends and support she’s found along the way.

:: Website :: Facebook Page :: Twitter :: Amazon :: Newsletter Signup ::

RafflecopterGiveaway

Winner’s Prize: Signed copy of Sawyer (US only) or Winner’s choice of any of my eBooks (box set titles included)

Second Winner’s Prize: Winner’s choice of any of my single titles

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TourSchedule

November 23  – Hearts on Fire Reviews
November 24  – Man2Mantastic
November 25  – The Purple Rose Tea House
November 26  – Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
November 27  – Daydream Believer Book Blog
November 28  – Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
November 29  – Loving Without Limits
November 30  – Drops of Ink
December 1  – Bike Book Reviews
December 2  – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
December 3  – Cia’s Stories
– Bayou Book Junkie
December 4  – Frosty’s Book Corner

Jump Into the Season of Holiday Romance with Annabelle Jacobs’ ‘Magic & Mistletoe’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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Magic & Mistletoe by Annabelle Jacobs
 Release Date: November 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Annabelle Jacobs
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

 

Blurb

Christmas is Harry’s favourite time of the year, but it looks like he’ll be spending it alone. When it comes to the men he fancies, his luck is non-existent. Harry’s nerves always get the better of him—especially when he tries to talk to Andrew, the hot guy downstairs.

Everything changes when Harry meets a mysterious girl in the woods who professes to be a witch. He dismisses her claims, but when odd things start happening to him, he has to reconsider.

Andrew was attracted to Harry from the start, but their awkward encounters put him off. All goes well until Harry opens his mouth—and ruins it with his stupidity and silly comments. When Harry suddenly becomes more relaxed and they have a proper conversation, Andrew realises his first impression was wrong. As the days count down to December 25, they get swept up in the Christmas spirit and their relationship moves faster than either expected.

A little winter magic might have been the push they needed, but Harry worries that when it wears off, he’ll no longer be the man Andrew wants.

 

Pages or Words: 40,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Humor, M/M Romance

Excerpt

Harry didn’t need to look behind him to have his suspicions confirmed. The smug expression on Jason’s face said it all. “I hate you,” he whispered.

Jason kicked his shin. “Sit up, smile, and look happy to see him.”

Two minutes later, Andrew was pulling up a chair and setting his drink on the table.

Harry looked at the red takeaway cup topped with a mountain of whipped cream, and grinned. Instead of blurting out the first thing that came to mind—“Are you really gonna drink that?”—because God only knew what would happen this time to make him stop, Harry paused and took a sip of his coffee.

Andrew darted a glance between Harry and Jason, beginning to look uncomfortable, as though he thought he’d interrupted them.

Harry took a deep breath, then gestured at Andrew’s cup. “Is that one of the Christmas specials?” That wasn’t so hard, was it?

He relaxed a little as Andrew smiled at him and settled back in his chair.

“Yeah, it’s the gingerbread latte. I don’t normally indulge, but it’s bloody freezing out there today, and I fancied something delicious and bad for me.” His gaze caught Harry’s and lingered.

A flare of warmth filled Harry’s chest. This was flirting, right? It wasn’t his imagination.

Then Jason opened his big mouth and ruined the moment, saying, “Yeah, I think Kyle has that effect on a lot of people.”

Harry choked on his mouthful of coffee, just managing to swallow it instead of spraying it over the table. He glared daggers at Jason, who feigned innocence.

Andrew glanced over at the counter, then back at Jason, and laughed, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Harry bit his lip in frustration. Why couldn’t he get Andrew to laugh like that?

“Yeah,” Andrew said, “He’s not bad to look at.” Then his gaze slid back to Harry and his smile softened. “Not my type, though.”

Buy the book    Amazon UK |  Amazon US

 

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Meet the Author

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Mikky’s World of Books, Louise Lyons, Book Lovers 4Ever, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Multitasking Mommas, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Ogitchida Book Blog, Charley Descoteaux, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, V’s Reads, Bike Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bonkers About Books, Open Skye Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Havan Fellows, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, EE Montgomery

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Backlist book from Annabelle Jacobs + $10 Amazon gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Get a Little Heat with Your Holiday Cheer with Home for the Holidays Anthology! (Excerpts and giveaway)

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Home for the Holidays

M/M Romance Anthology

SJ Himes

Jenna Kendrick

Heather C. Leigh

Liv Rancourt

Felice Stevens

51uXUV78-hL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

Cover Design: LateNite Designs

Cover Photo: StockPhoto

Release Date: 11.29.15

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1lOHE4h

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1OvvQ0e

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1lOHPN5

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1OkPsWI

 

BLURB

Home can be a person as well as a place. Everyone deserves a home for the holidays, as the stories in this collection affirm.

Proceeds from Home for the Holidays are being donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York City to help homeless LGBTQ youth.

*The Eighth Night by Jenna Kendrick

BLURB

Going home for the holiday only to find his parents have made other plans, Kai Meyers is thrilled to reunite with an old friend. Disowned by his religious family, Ari Fisher is use to being treated like a boy toy rather than a boyfriend, and now he only has eight days to reveal his secrets to Kai.

TEASER

 Jenna2Final

EXCERPT

Kai pulled up to the valet and peeled his stiff fingers from the wheel. White-knuckling it through downtown Boston traffic did not foster the inner peace necessary to handle spending the holidays with his family. He’d spent the majority of the drive kicking himself for not taking the train from Albany, but then he wouldn’t have been able to put in a couple hours at the office before heading out.

He popped the trunk of his blue Fusion and pulled his duffel bag and laptop backpack from the passenger seat. By the time he walked to the back of the car, a bellhop had already pulled his small suitcase out of the trunk and was on his way into the building with it, leaving Kai no choice but to follow. Entering the private resident lobby, he was cleared by security and escorted to the elevators. He remembered how uncomfortable he’d been with all this pomp and ceremony when he was fifteen and his family had moved into the building. The fanciful idea of living in a hotel belonged in children’s books, not real life. He still felt awkward as an adult, as if he were acting out a scene in a movie.

He exited the elevator on the 30th floor and immediately spotted the bags in the hall outside his parents’ apartment. No. They wouldn’t…

“Malachai, you’re finally here.” His mother stepped into the hall, pulling on her gloves. “I just left you a note on the kitchen counter.” She looked down at the bags as if checking to see they were all accounted for, but Kai saw the lack of eye contact for the avoidance tactic it was.

“Going somewhere? I thought we were having a family Chanukah this year.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenna Kendrick writes male/male new adult and contemporary romance, her favorite genre to read. She lives in Upstate New York, where she spends the better part of the year trying to stay warm and dry. When she’s not writing, she reads, watches The Princess Bride and The Avengers far too often, spends time with her husband and friends, and drinks more coffee and tea than she’d care to admit. She shares her home office with her dog, Tally, and her cats, Loki and Tamiris.

Jenna spent most of her class time in high school writing bad poetry and short stories in which her teachers were the villains. She began writing in earnest in college, putting it aside for a few years to work as a teacher and product manager for several online services. In addition to writing fiction, Jenna also writes nonfiction technical books under another name.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jennakendrickauthor

Twitter — https://twitter.com/jennakendauth

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jennakendrickauthor/

Tumblr — http://jennakendrickauthor.tumblr.com

*24-Hour Hold by Heather C. Leigh

BLURB

Detectives Damon Porter and Anderson Malloy are now partners at Denver’s Major Case Unit. The problem is, they used to be boyfriends, and now they’re feeling anything but friendly towards each other.

TEASER

HeatherCLEigh 2

EXCERPT

“Shut the fuck up!” Captain Terrell roars. The room falls silent. “The holidays are around the corner and I want our citizens feeling safe enough to go out and enjoy themselves and safe in their own homes and businesses. That means closing these cases.

“Now,” Terrell walks over to the side of the room, motioning for someone to join him. From the back row, I can only see the top of a dark head of tousled hair as it weaves through the crowded room toward the front. “This detective has seven years of police experience, five of them with the Major Crimes Division in Miami. He’s originally from Denver and is going to be with us here at Robbery and Larceny temporarily to help us out as he’s being transferred to Homicide after these cases are solved, so you assholes better play nice.” Captain glares at us before nodding to the man and stepping aside.

I squint at the podium, tilting to peek around Gorski’s big fat head. Before I can get a good look at the new detective, he speaks. Seven years later, I still recognize that voice. The voice of the first man I ever loved.

“Good morning. I’m Detective Anderson Malloy, but everyone calls me Ace. I’d like to thank Captain Terrell and the rest of you for your hospitality while I’m here in Larceny. I’m a pretty easy going guy and I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

My mind races, scrambling for a way to sneak out of the room without being noticed. Fuck! Seven fucking years and it feels as if it was just yesterday that Anderson Malloy pressed me down on his bunk at the academy, his hot mouth traveling across my chest.

“I also want to say—”

Malloy’s gaze lands on me, causing him to stumble over his words. My mouth goes dry and blazing heat floods my face.

Anderson blinks, dazed, and rushes through the rest of his little speech. “I want to say… ummmm, I hope we can work together and clear up some of your case load. Thanks.”

“Alright assholes,” Captain says. “I’ll be reassigning cases so stay close to get your new files.”

Anderson tries to get to me, waving his fingers in my direction, but every detective in the room wants to introduce themselves, standing in his way with outstretched hands. Taking advantage of the distraction, I grab my mug of faux-coffee and dart out of the room before anyone can stop me.

Hurriedly, I weave my way through the desks in the bullpen, ducking back into the kitchenette like a coward. My heart is racing in my chest. I can feel sweat gathering under the collar of my very expensive designer shirt. Shit, I’m acting like a nervous virgin on prom night. Big fucking deal if Anderson is here. I dumped him, not the other way around. If anyone should feel uncomfortable, it should be Malloy.

Then why am I the one hiding?

“Porter, if you’re not going to have coffee, think you can move your not-so-sexy ass out of the way?”

My back bristles at the sound of Dave Richardson’s snarky jab at my sexuality. Hiding my anger, as usual, I step aside so he can fill his well-worn Denver Broncos mug with coffee-substitute.

Hope you choke on it, asshole.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather C. Leigh is the author of the Amazon bestselling Famous series. She likes to write about the ‘dark’ side of fame. The part that the public doesn’t get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.

Heather was born and raised in New England and currently lives outside Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 kids, and French Bulldog, Shelby.

She loves the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything chocolate (but not white chocolate, everyone knows it’s not real chocolate so it doesn’t count) and has left explicit instructions in her will to have her ashes snuck into Fenway Park and sneakily sprinkled all over while her family enjoys beer, hot dogs, and a wicked good time.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website: https://www.heatherleighauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherCLeighAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomHeather_Leigh

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherLeigh_8

Instagram: http://instagram.com/heatherleighauthor/

 

 

*Learning to Love by Felice Stevens

BLURB

Returning home for the holiday, caterer Gideon Marks tried hard to push away his high school crush. But Rabbi Jonah Fine wouldn’t let him run again, or keep the secret Gideon’s tried so desperately to hide.

TEASER

Learning to Love_FS

EXCERPT

“What do you want?” I blurted out. Yes I was rude, but he deserved it for waking me up.

He stood and met my glare with a troubled expression in those deep blue eyes. “To talk to you and find out why you’re so mad at me.”

“Didn’t you ever hear of the invention known as the telephone?” I couldn’t help it. After all these years, having Jonah in such close proximity to my body was affecting me in ways I didn’t want and couldn’t let happen. “I’m making coffee.” I turned my back on him and went into the kitchen.

“I’m not stupid. You’d either ignore my calls or hang up on me.”

He was there right behind me, his breath touching the back of my neck. I finished pouring the water into the well, congratulating myself that though my hands shook, I didn’t spill any. I set it to brew and sidestepped to the counter that doubled as my table, away from the heat of Jonah’s large body. He had a good four inches on me and although I never felt small, standing in front of Jonah I could easily imagine sinking into his broad chest, his arms wrapped around me.

Fuck.

“So you’re here now. Talk to me, but make it quick.”

Jonah seemed surprised. “Why, what’s the hurry?” He followed me and sat at one of the bar stools. “Besides.” He grinned and pointed to the bag on the edge of the counter I’d somehow missed seeing. “I brought cinnamon raisin bagels and that chocolate chip cream cheese you always liked so much.”

Stunned by Jonah’s recall, I stared at him. “How…what?” I couldn’t wrap my head around Jonah remembering such a minute detail about me.

His warm smile beamed. “I have an excellent memory for things. Like how you like hazelnut flavored coffee and your fries extra crispy. That you hate Sicilian pizza. How you like 80’s music and Britney Spears.”

“Well, yeah, duh. What gay man doesn’t?” I shrugged.

Smile lines radiated from the corner of his eyes. “I made a point of not losing track of you, Gideon. And I’ve been proud of your successes.”

The warm glow from Jonah’s response faded. “Why? Because you thought I couldn’t do it and you expected to see me fail?” Even though his actions belied my words, I couldn’t stop ranting. “Surprised you didn’t I? Dumb Gideon made something out of himself.” I fled to the opposite side of the apartment and stood by the windows, which overlooked the street below.

“Wrong.”

Once again Jonah stood behind me, but this time he took me by the shoulder and spun me around so we were face to face. I gazed up at him, shocked by the desire I saw in his eyes. I licked my lips and watched his stare drop to my mouth.

“Jonah?” I couldn’t get another word out.

He took my face between his hands and brushed his lips against mine, gentle as a feather, yet my body burned. His lips rested on the corner of my mouth, our cheeks touching. The entire world could have disappeared; nothing else mattered but the feel of Jonah’s hands on me.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.” The curve of his smile imprinted itself on my skin.

 

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

 

*Saving Silas by SJ Himes

Paramedic Gael Dominic wasn’t expecting much from the holidays. Blood, death, and loneliness were constants. So when tragedy puts a wounded Silas in his path, Gael takes a chance on his alleyway angel and love.

TEASER

SJHime

EXCERPT

Beep….beep….beep….

Someone needs to turn off that notification alert…Silas thought, annoyed. He tried to turn his head and bury it under his pillow, but he couldn’t seem to muster the strength. He moaned, irritated, and tried to lift a hand to wipe at his face. There was something making his nose itch. A tug on his arm made him stop, and he gasped as pain radiated out from his shoulder and down his chest.

“Don’t move,” came a voice from nearby. Deep and rumbly. Smooth. Like coffee. Silas smiled, and settled back into his bed, wanting to hear more of that voice. The pain went away, and he floated in a gray place, light coming and going as he listened to the world around him. “That’s it, angel. Don’t try to move, just relax.”

The annoying beeping faded, and Silas focused on the sounds of someone moving next to him, and the warmth of a hand taking hold of his. Larger, callused, strong. Silas smiled, despite the itching around his upper lip and nose. He closed his fingers around the hand that held his, and rubbed his thumb over hot, smooth skin. He hated to be touched by strangers, but this man, this hand, was something else.

“Nurse, I think he’s waking up.” That voice again. “Hey, angel. Can you open your eyes? The doctor is coming, and some people need to talk to you. Can you wake up for me?”

“Keep…” Silas whispered, throat dry. He swallowed, and tried again with better success. “Keep talking to me.”

A chuckle, flowing like warm water over his body. Silas shivered, and held the hand tighter. It had been so long since he felt the affectionate touch of another. That kiss which started his nightmare didn’t count, it was nothing compared to how it felt to hold this man’s hand. “I can do that. Let me see those eyes, kiddo. Wake up for me.”

“Not a kid.” Silas pried one eye open a fraction, wanting to see the owner of the sexiest voice in the world. His eyes watered at the brightness, and he blinked, managing to open them both. Everything was blurry, and it was hard to think past the gray haze swirling around in his brain. He squinted, and his gaze narrowed to the figure standing next to him.

“Wow….” Silas breathed out, in awe. “You are so pretty.”

The man above him froze, bronzed skin going dusky rose from a blush that swept his high cheekbones. Dark eyes, dark hair shorn short, and tattoos peeking out over the top of a dark blue uniform shirt collar, the man above him could’ve been a one of those half-naked veteran models that was flooding Facebook. Just wearing too many clothes. He was gorgeous. And he looked very tired.

He should be scared. This man, this hot, sexy man, was exactly the type of guy he should be afraid of, he should be wary of…though his father was older, and not as broad across the chest and shoulders. This man oozed strength, without the malice his father wore like a mantle. This man gave him a soft, awed smile, a smile that made Silas’ skin shiver in reaction, his belly quiver.

“Umm, thanks. You’re not bad looking yourself, kid. Can you tell me your name?”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’m a thirty something bisexual cisgendered woman with way too big an imagination, but that comes in handy when I’m writing. I have been writing since I was a child, when I took a four page assignment on what I was going to do on summer vacation and turned it into a 100 page fantasy epic all written by hand…in crayons. No joke.

I work a day job, but I can’t share for who, since the Old Man isn’t as liberated as the people who read my books. I’m married, I have furbabies, and I live with loved ones. I adore a certain show about a British consulting detective and his grumpy army doctor, and that spawned an addiction to Johnlock fanfiction, which then evolved into me writing it. Gawd, that’s embarrassing. Put this down in the TMI section of my Bio, okay? I enjoy martial arts, movies where things blow up, and I wish I lived in a Marvel movie.

I live in the beautiful and lonely Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and I see way more wildlife than I care to on a daily basis (bears!). My perfect day is reading surrounded by friends and family who don’t think it’s odd I want to hang out but not talk, and my favorite scent of all time is a cool fall evening with leaves burning….less a scent, and more of an experience.
My writing is focused on gay and lesbian people, who are more than interesting side characters that hang out with the heterosexual MCs. My wish for the future is that when people ask me what I do for a living, I can say, “I write gay romance,” and NOT get weird looks. Also write under pen name Revella Hawthorne.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Amazon/SJ Himes: http://amzn.to/210nIeU

Amazon/Revella Hawthorne: http://amzn.to/210nW5P

Blog as SJ Himes: http://www.wherethewolvesrun.blogspot.com/

Twitter : @WriterSJHimes

Facebook/SJ Himes: https://www.facebook.com/SJHimes/

Facebook/Revella Hawthorne: https://www.facebook.com/Revella-Hawthorne-742177039236198/

 

*Christmas in LaLa Land by Liv Rancourt

For a Danaan sidhe like Aron, touching a human has consequences, while Damian’s hiding some serious scars behind his smile. A holiday trip to LA forces them to choose between acting on their attraction or giving up on love because of the past.

TEASER

Liv Rav

EXCERPT

An evening spent siphoning off another soul’s fear of mortality is a fabulous way to mess up a good night’s sleep. Around nine in the morning, I sank into my favorite kitchen chair, nursing a fresh-brewed cup of coffee and wondering if a fan would work to blow away the stink of burned java from last night’s pot. Wednesday was delivery day, my regularly scheduled opportunity to flirt.

The small Formica table was older than me, and though the tube-metal chair wasn’t comfortable, the spot by the window gave me a view of the alley that ran behind our house. Our San Francisco neighborhood was made up of Victorian painted ladies, now occupied by the kind of people who drove Saabs, Volvos, and the occasional Prius. Late commuters slowly navigated the steep incline, while fog smudged the alley’s edges, narrowing their route.

My mug was half-empty when the boxy, green, AmazonFresh delivery truck pulled up behind the house. I held my breath. What if he’d taken the day off?

The truck’s engine stopped with a heavy cough.

My heartbeat hitched, skittered, and I washed down a tangle of nerves with some coffee. The Man of the Hour swung out of the driver’s seat, all dark, dark skin, glossy white smile, and a sweet fade with mini-dreads on top. Damian Jones.

The whole package made me shiver.

A moment later he knocked, and I popped up to open the back door.

“Gurl, you look like something the cat upchucked and left for dead,” Damian said.

The gleam in his dark eyes lit a match somewhere down south of my border. Awkward, because I’d dressed in little bootie shorts and had to sit down fast to avoid giving him an anatomy lesson. “Thanks, darling.”

Sitting didn’t disappoint me. I mean, it’s not like I was hoping he’d notice my ass. At all.

Lying.

He carried in two large, green plastic tubs loaded with enough stuff to make his biceps bulge. Setting them down by our antique refrigerator, he gave the kitchen a quick scan. “You know where she put the empties?”

“Maybe down in the basement?” A nice person would get up and look. A nice person who didn’t have a hard-on busting through his bootie shorts.

“All right, honey. I got another armload out in the truck, and then I’ll go get ’em.”

He called me honey!

Damian left, and the burned coffee stink overwhelmed me. He handled everything with such cool while I sat like fruit on a log.

I huffed, straightened, and planted my hands on my hips. Not this time. This time I’d take the initiative. Jumping out of the chair, I figured the steep cellar stairs would bring my dick crashing back to reality.

The empty Amazon containers were there, and on the way back to the kitchen, my initiative rolled over into inspiration. Or insanity.

In my excitement, I almost ran right into Damian. He came through the back door, carrying a couple soft-sided carriers by the straps.

“Hey,” I said, spitting out the word before common sense could crush my enthusiasm.

His tongue flirted with me, bright pink against his dark lips. “Wassup?”

“Ahh … do you have time for coffee?” Because why live forever if you hate being alive?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.

For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for my mailing list.

Come find me. We’ll have fun!

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Blog: www.liv-rancourt.blogspot.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt

Twitter www.twitter.com/LivRancourt

MM anthology

GIVEAWAY

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Or click here to enter.

Coffee Sip and Book Break with Professional Distance by Silvia Violet (excerpt and Giveaway)

PD Banner RDB

Professional Distance

Thorne & Dash Book 1

Silvia Violet

Professional Distance Cover

Cover Design: LC Chase

Cover Photo: StockPhoto

Release Date: 11.28.15

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1T7HM9A

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1XiMCHu

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1Id1TTh

BLURB

Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for.

Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He’s a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school.

They’re clearly made for each other.

When Thorne hires Dash, it’s lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what’s between them is more than physical, but their age gap and resistance to romance make them afraid to change their professional relationship to a personal one. Dash pushes Thorne to admit he wants things he’s denied himself for years. Kinky things. Soft, caring things. Things that force him to open his heart, not just his body. To move forward, one or the other must take a risk and ask for what he really wants.

TEASER

ProfDisFinal

EXCERPT

Thorne’s intercom buzzed. “A Mr. Dash is here to see you. He says he’s expected. Shall I send him up?”

“Yes, Je-Michaels, thank you.” Michaels had only been working as a doorman in Thorne’s building for a few weeks, yet Thorne had lost count of the number of times he’d almost called the man Jeeves. Michaels’ British accent and starched appearance simply begged for it. Years ago he’d loved to watch and re-watch the Masterpiece Theatre version of Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster, with Clint, his—boyfriend was certainly not right, even lover didn’t fit—boss. His boss whom he’d occasionally fucked. Now, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d watched anything but videos of junior consultants’ meetings.

Two crisp knocks at the door signaled that Dash had made the long elevator ride to his penthouse apartment.

Thorne’s pulse sped up. He resented how very much he needed this respite from work, these moments where he actually let go of all his clients’ woes and indulged himself. Yet he kept paying for it, every week that he was in town. He imagined being fucked roughly, hands held down, as Dash whispered dirty words in his ear. By the time Thorne reached the door, he was already hard. Dash damn well better work out; but whether or not Thorne requested him to come back, he was going to get fucked tonight.

He checked the peephole out of habit, although Michaels and the other doormen were quite strict about checking credentials before allowing anyone in the building. The young man standing at Thorne’s door appeared to be in his early twenties, as were most of the service’s employees. He had dirty-blond hair that curled loosely and was longer than he could have worn it if he’d worked in Thorne’s office. His hazel eyes had a mischievous look to them that held promise. His smile, however, wasn’t at all what Thorne was expecting. It was fresh and sunny and it reached his eyes, a true smile, like he was meeting a friend, not conducting illicit business.

Quit trying to read so much into him. This isn’t a business meeting where you have to size up the clients. It’s a fucking hook-up that you paid for.

Thorne opened the door.

“Mr. Shipton?” the boy asked.

Thorne nodded and stepped back so Dash could enter.

“I’m Dash; Sheila told me you were a client of Marc’s.” Dash lifted the strap of the messenger bag he carried over his head and sat the bag against the wall in the entryway.

“That’s right,” Thorne answered. “He suited my needs perfectly.”

“And you think I won’t?”

Fuck. Was he that transparent or was this kid that good? “What I think is that the rapport I had with Marc was hard to find.”

“He’s a switch and a damn good one.” Dash’s look said he knew that from personal experience.

“Correct.”

“So am I.” Dash smiled, and Thorne reacted as if he’d wrapped his hand around Thorne’s dick.

Thorne’s gaze moved down Dash’s body. He was shorter than Marc, who’d matched Thorne’s six feet, maybe five feet nine or five feet ten. His body was lean but not without muscle. If Thorne had to guess, he’d say Dash was a runner. His tight black pants clung to his body, giving the impression he had a rather nice package.

“Shall I make you a drink while we discuss exactly what you’d like tonight?” Dash asked, wandering toward the kitchen.

It took a few seconds for the words to register in Thorne’s brain. Dash was…hot, fucking hot. But there was something else about him, something Thorne couldn’t define, that had Thorne salivating to get him naked and in bed. If Thorne believed in anything as hokey as “auras,” he would’ve said Dash had a powerful one. Thorne pushed the thought away, disgusted. Too much work and too little sex must have fried his brain. He’d been so busy that week he hadn’t even found time to jerk off.

“I don’t need a drink, and I don’t want to talk.”

Dash grinned and propped himself against the bar in the kitchen area, cocking his hip out. The pose was obviously calculated to make Thorne appreciate his slim waist. “That eager, huh?”

“I realize some people hire escorts for companionship. They want to know someone is listening to them. I’m sick of talking: to clients, to employees, to fucking airport desk agents. I don’t need you to pretend to be my friend. I need to be fucked.”

“Sure of that, are you?” Dash asked, walking around the bar and entering the kitchen.

“Yes.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including sci fi, paranormal, alternate history, and historical.

She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children’s books to her wickedly smart offspring.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Newsletter: http://silviaviolet.com/newsletter

Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet

Tumblr: http://silviaviolet.tumblr.com

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

 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Or just click here to enter.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author.

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In our Spotlight: John Wiley’s Rooftops! (author guest post and giveaway)

rooftops-640

Title: Rooftops
Author: John Wiley
Publisher: Wayward ink Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have John Wiley here today to talk about his latest release Rooftops and his sequel, Wake Me Up. Welcome, John. Can you tell us what inspired the story?

When I set out to write Rooftops, I never intended on making it into a series. However, after self-publishing it, I had several questions about when a sequel would be available, that people wanted to know what happened next. Revisiting these characters was hard for me to do. I don’t have a definite reason why this was, and I hope that when I revisit them in the third book I’ll find it easier to find their voices again than I did in the sequel, which will be called Wake Me Up.

The intent of this blog post is to tell you as much about the sequel as I can, without giving away anything that happens in Rooftops. Where Rooftops takes place between Ohio (I know the exact city, but for some reason have never come out and said exactly where in Ohio it takes place) and Los Angeles, Wake Me Up takes place between Los Angeles and New York City. The characters in Los Angeles deal with picking up the pieces of his/her/their lives after the events of Rooftops have occurred. There are issues of depression that are touched on, and I hope that I made those feelings of hopelessness come through in the story.

One of my favorite parts of the LA storyline in Wake Me Up is that it works to redeem a character from Rooftops that came off as a sort of villain. Personally, I like to believe that there is good to everyone, and that there are two sides to every story. I really hope that I have accomplished making this character feel human and that even though s/he made a mistake in Rooftops, s/he isn’t a bad person.

The NYC portion of the story follows two couples, and how the two relationships go in two different directions. Just because you think something is happily ever after doesn’t mean there won’t be a few hiccups along the way. Or maybe some happily ever after’s don’t last as long as others.

I know this is vague, I’m just trying my best to explain the story without giving anything away

Rooftops is more about finding out what your goals in life really are. Erick wanted money, Rhys wanted fame, and Joey wanted love. Wake Me Up is about what these characters do to achieve their dreams. And just because they think those are their goals in life, life could have other plans for them.

One of the things that I like in Wake Me Up, is that there is a twist that you (hopefully) don’t see coming, and that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, setting up the third book.

Synopsis

Its summer and three friends from Ohio graduate college, ready to start making their way in the real world.

Rhys; the eternal optimist who wants to be an actor and moves to Los Angeles.

Erick; the career man, seeking money and position who moves with him.

And Joey; the aspiring artist, who for the love of his girlfriend, Cheryl, stays behind in Ohio.

While attempting to follow their dreams each must face their share of personal and professional obstacles. Each is tested. Will they lose sight of themselves?

Will old friendships fall apart and new friendships form?

Genre: Contemporary, Gay Romance, New Adult
Length: Novel

rooftops cover

 

Buy Now

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/rooftops-by-john-wiley-2/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017WTSERW/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017WTSERW/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B017WTSERW/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B017WTSERW/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-rooftops-1925759-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rooftops-john-wiley/1116239529?ean=9781925222715

Video Trailer

Giveaway

Prize: $6.99 WIP Gift Card, must be 18 years of age or older to enter. link and prize provided by the author and Eyes on Books Promotions.

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About the author

JOHN WILEY is currently a barista that hates coffee, but is really good at making it. When not writing, he likes to expose his cat to as many Christmas movies as possible. Just like his life, his biography is a work in progress.

Website: https://heckyesitsjohn.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeckYesItsJohn
Tumblr: http://heckyesitsjohn.tumblr.com/