Author Spotlight: Lynn Lorenz on Diversity in Characters & ‘Silent Lodge’ (The Company of Men Series) (guest, post,series excerpts and giveaway)

 

In the Company of Men #5 book cover

Author Name: Lynn Lorenz
Book Names: The Mercenary’s Tale, Jackson’s Pride,
Baymore’s Heir, His Duke’s Gift
Series: In The Company of Men,Books: One through Five
Release Date: September 2015 – December 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Hartwood Publishing
Cover Artist: Georgia Woods

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lynn Lorenz here this morning to talk about her series The Company of Men, her latest novel in that series, Silent Lodge, and give us some insight into her stories with a post on ‘Diversity in Characters’.  Welcome, Lynn. we are delighted to have you here.

~

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Diversity in Characters by Lynn Lorenz

Diversity doesn’t just mean having character with different races. It means having characters who have mental illness and struggle with it everyday, like Will in Jackson’s Pride and Baymore’s Heir.

And in Silent Lodge, Arvel, the young man who tends the lodge, is both mute and deaf. He doesn’t have the use of our modern sign language, and because of losing his hearing at as a child, any sounds he can make are not by any means words.

~*~

The fork to the left disappeared around a copse of trees, the one on the right headed straight, through flat fields.

From a distance, a shout echoed. He snapped his head up, turning so he could hear the direction. For a long moment, silence. Then another shout, this time louder.

The road ahead was empty for miles. It had to come from the left, toward the lodge.

He kicked his heels into the mare and urged her down the narrow lane. She broke into a trot, and they rounded the curve.

Ahead, a group of young men had another man surrounded.

Thieves? Villains?

They looked clean enough, but the hatred and disgust on their faces couldn’t hide their intent. All of them were large young men, but the man they’d turned their anger on was only half their size in height and weight. Truly an unfair fight if he’d ever seen one.

One of the men stepped out of the circle and kicked the legs out from under the man. He fell onto his back, his hands going up to protect his face. His attacker moved in, fists clenched, as the others goaded him on with shouts and curses.

Peter shouted, “Ho! What’s this?” and jerked his steed to a stop. He leaped off and strode forward as he pulled his sword.

“None of your business, now, is it?” one of the men called over his shoulder. The others shifted to one side, opening the circle and exposing the man on the ground.

“Get away from him!” Peter advanced. “Is this fair? Six men against one?”

Their faces flashed shame, except for the one still standing over the downed man. His look of hatred and anger hadn’t changed.

“You! Step away from him.” Peter stepped into the middle of the group.

The man blocked his way, red faced and frowning. “Who are you?” he barked. “This is none of your affair.”

“Who I am is none of your affair, but I won’t allow such villainy.”

At the flourish of Peter’s sword, the man backed down.

“Now, get along with you. Go on. I don’t know what this man has done, nor do I care. If it’s a matter for your village elders, let’s bring him before them. If not, then be on your way.”

The crowd moved farther away, leaving a gap between the attacker and themselves. Clearly, they were only following their leader. The man looked from them to Peter as if deciding his next course of action.

He pointed at the man on the ground. “Next time I catch you, no one will be around to save you.” He spat at the man, then strode to his companions.

They circled around him, absorbing him in their midst, and then without another look at Peter they fled.

~*~

So how does this affect Arvel? As you might think, he’s bullied by the other young men in the nearby village, to the point of fearing for his life. From being pushed, spit on, and cursed at, to being beaten, almost to death, Arvel has spent most of his life being punished for something he has no control over.

So he hides at the lodge, which Duke Logan’s father owns. Logan knows of the young man, and has allowed him to live there, caring for it, more for Arvel’s protection, than Logan’s need.

When I wrote this character it was easy to fall into thinking about Arvel’s thoughts and actions in respect to our world. But Arvel doesn’t know sign language other than a few rudimentary signs, like putting food in his mouth, or mimicking motions to describe things.

Also, his internal thoughts can’t be written like anyone else’s because his frame of reference isn’t built around language, but around the natural world around him. How he describes colors, for instance.

~*~

“I won’t hurt you.”

A pink tongue licked pinker lips. He blew a great breath, and strands of red hair flew up and away from his face.

He nodded.

“I’m going to get off now. Are you well?”

Another nod.

Peter shifted, got to his feet, and offered his hand.

The man took it, and Peter pulled him to his feet. He came up to Peter’s shoulder. Peter fought the urge to push the man’s hair from his face and pick the leaves from it.

Strange.

“What’s your name?” He softened his tone.

Arvel tilted his head, inspecting the man’s face with the intensity of a hawk. It warmed him all over to look at this man, just like his Heart did.

But was he a friend? Would he be safe?

Something about the man made Arvel trust him.

He pushed the hair out of his face, then squatted and wrote his name in the dirt with his finger, as he’d been taught long ago.

“Arvel? Is that your name?” Something about that name sounded familiar.

The man nodded and gave him a shy smile.

“I’m Peter.” He pointed to his chest and squatted down to write his name just as the younger man had, in the dirt of the road.

Arvel watched him, then nodded.

“Are you hurt?”

Arvel got to his feet and brushed off his breeches and tunic. He extended his hand toward Peter, those lavender eyes glancing up and down Peter’s body.

Peter took the offered hand in his. Small, delicate. If he didn’t know this was a man, he’d have sworn the hand belonged to a woman. Everything about Arvel spoke of gentleness, delicacy, and grace.

But he still hadn’t said a word, just stared hard at Peter as if absorbing every word he’d spoken.

“Well. Can I escort you to your home in case the others come back?” Peter moved away and gathered his horse’s reins as she grazed along the side of the lane.

Arvel cocked his head and twisted his lips to the side.

Too many words at once and his lips moved too fast.

Arvel waited for the man to speak again.

Peter shrugged. It seemed the young man didn’t want his help. He climbed into the saddle as his mare grunted and tossed her head at the tightening of her bit. He gave Arvel a wave and turned the horse back to the lane. He needed to find the lodge before dark fell.

The young man ran forward and caught his boot. Peter looked down into Arvel’s upturned face, and his memory snapped into place. The caretaker of Marden Lodge?

Arvel mouthed his thanks as his hand clenched tightly on to Peter’s leg, pulling at him, willing him not to go. To stay.

He glanced down the road. The others might come back again to hurt him. They rarely gave up. He should never have left the safety of the lodge, his home, not even for the supplies he’d needed.

Not without someone to protect him.

Like this man.

“What is it? Can’t you speak?”

He shook his head and touched his fingers to his mouth, then to his ear and shook his head.

“You can’t speak or hear?” Peter’s eyes widened; then anger flooded him. Those bastards had not only attacked a man alone, unarmed, and outnumbered, they’d attacked someone deaf and mute. Had they no honor?

~*~

I couldn’t have him sounding like an idiot, because he’s not. In fact, Arvel is very clever and knows his own mind. He knows what he wants and how to get it. So his internal thoughts had to be simple in language, relating to his world, and show his humor.

Also, some might say I did too much head-hopping, but for this story, I wanted Arvel’s reactions to the action around him integrated into the story, like dialogue. Because he can’t speak, only motion with his face, body and hands, we don’t know what he’s thinking most of the time, and neither do the characters.

I hope it doesn’t bother you too much, but it’s how I thought the books should be written, and my editors agreed.

~*~

I hope you’ll give my medieval men a chance. You can find my books on my website. And of course, on Amazon, ARe, and all the other retailers.

And I’d like to thank you for hosting me on your blog!

Blurb(s)

The_Mercenarys_Tale-Lynn_Lorenz-500x800The Mercenary’s Tale – Drake is a mercenary for hire. He values little other than his sword and his skill. Fighting his attraction to the young men he trains, he refuses to take any on. When Ansel walks into his life, Drake breaks all his rules.
But life for mercenaries is hard, brutal and deadly.
Can Drake take a chance on finding the love he’s denied himself for so long?
Can he have a second chance?

Jackson’s Pride – Jackson has been called to attend his father, Lord Baymore. The man has never claimed Jackson Jacksons_Pride-Lynn_Lorenz-500x800as his son and Jackson believes this might be his father’s intent. He’s left the Duke of Marden’s employ to discover his destiny—to remain a nameless bastard or to claim his father’s name.
When Jackson stumbles across a man, stripped, beaten, and left in a field to die a slow death, Jackson rescues the man. After all, he’s guilty of the same thing—wanting a man.
Will Holcombe gambled and lost. His meeting with a young, willing man went horribly wrong, and now he must pay for it with his life.
Until a man walks up to him in a frozen field and cuts him down.
Jackson is like no one Will has ever met before—a man strong enough to stand with him, perhaps forever.
But Jackson’s on a mission. Will his pride blind him to what his life could be if he chose Will and not his father?
Or will his pride lead him to a fate worse than death?

Baymores_Heir-Lynn_Lorenz-500x800Baymore’s Heir – Duke Jackson of Baymore finally has all he’s ever wanted—his name, a title, and the man he loves by his side. Lord Will Holcombe couldn’t be happier. He’s Jackson’s lover, best friend, and manages all of Jackson’s affairs. For two years, their life together, although deadly if anyone knew of their forbidden love, has been perfect.
Until Jackson the day when decides the one thing he needs is an heir.
And the one person to find him a wife is Will.

Silent Lodge – Drake and Logan are worried about their friend and captain of the guard, Peter. After the death in In the Company of Men #5 book coverchildbirth of Peter’s wife, he’s a changed man. Unfocused, lonely, and devastated, Peter needs a new challenge, instead of going through the motions of living.

Logan sends Peter on a mission – to discover Duke Weathersby’s plans for invasion. Logan’s father has a small hunting lodge near the border of their lands, and it has a caretaker. Peter sets off alone, to make camp at the lodge and do some scouting.

But what he finds at the lodge just may be his future. Arvel is a fascinating young man. Red haired, deaf and mute from a fever as a child, he’s been living in the lodge and caring for it for years. It’s a safe haven for him. But he’s not alone. He has a protector, Gareth.

When Gareth, Arvel and Peter are together, sparks fly. Arvel belongs to Gareth, but he wants Peter too. Can Peter join their small family? And if he does, will he always be the third to their couple?

His_Dukes_Gift-Lynn_Lorenz-500x800His Duke’s Gift – In this Yuletide story, Duke Logan is preparing the keep for the holiday. Twelve nights of feasting and gift giving to those in his favor. Gifts must be made or bought. Once mercenary Drake struggles to think of just the right gift for his love and liege, and for their sons.

Something isn’t right. A stranger has arrived at the keep and Logan refuses to let Drake into his bedroom at night. Angry and frustrated, Drake fears Logan has lost his love for the mercenary.

When the Twelfth night arrives, and Drake has received no gift, he begins to think he might need to take his son and leave what has become his home.

 

Pages or Words: Varies by book
Categories: Historical, M/M Romance

 

Excerpt (NSFW)

Ansel lowered himself with effort to the ground and leaned back on his saddle. From across the fire I could tell he still ached. I rummaged in my saddlebag and found the vial of oil I used to keep my leathers supple. It would work for Ansel’s back.

“That’s enough moaning from you. Take off your shirt and stretch out; I’m giving you a rubdown before you become so stiff you can’t move.” It came out more like an order, and Ansel obeyed.

He unlaced his leather vest, removed it, and then with careful motions, pulled his shirt over his head. Smooth chest met my gaze, lean muscles and wide shoulders. Dark hair trailed down his stomach to disappear beneath the strings of his breeches.

“Lay on your belly.” It was not the wisest thing I’d ever done, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. In truth, I wanted to touch him.

He stretched out on his cloak, his smooth broad back to me, arms over his head. There were no scars on his back or on his chest. Hidden scars, indeed.

By clicking here you agree that you are 18 or over to finish reading the NSFW excerpt.

 

Buy the book:

 

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Meet the Author

Lynn Lorenz is an award-winning and best-selling author of over 30 gay romances. She lives in Texas, where she’s a fan of all things Texan, like Longhorns, big hair, and cowboys in tight jeans. She’s never met a comma she didn’t like, and enjoys editing and brainstorming with other writers. Lynn spends most of her time writing about hot sex with even hotter heroes, plot twists, werewolves, and medieval swashbucklers. She’s currently at work on her latest book, making herself giggle and blush, and avoiding all the housework.

 

Where to find the author:

RC


Tour Dates & Stops:

10-Nov: Elin Gregory, BFD Book Blog

12-Nov: Up All Night, Read All Day, Tara Lain

17-Nov: Divine Magazine, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

19-Nov: Molly Lolly

24-Nov: Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows, Inked Rainbow Reads

26-Nov: Lee Brazil, Jessie G. Books

1-Dec: Love Bytes, The Novel Approach

3-Dec: Bayou Book Junkie, MM Good Book Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any book from any of Lynn’s series.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Links and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Early Bird’s Book Look at ‘Secret of the Manor’ by Taylin Clavelli (exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

 

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Title: Secret of the Manor
Author: Taylin Clavelli
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Warren Blake is an accountant at the pinnacle of his career. After accepting a new position he decides to settle in the scenic Cotswold village of Walmsley Hackett.  A village with a colourful history of myth, old wives tales and mystery.

One morning during his train ride into work, Warren notices a small quaint church which he becomes enchanted with. Curiousity compels him to find the church and when he finally does, he discovers an unmarked grave in the corner. Feeling sorry for its occupant, Warren becomes a frequent visitor.

Little does he know that the young man inside the coffin needs a champion and Warren is chosen.

What follows involves a ghostly medieval joust, witchcraft, love, and Warren risking his life.

Exclusive Excerpt

Secret Of The Manor – Excerpt – The Garden Party

Miles, CEO of A-Genet, was a good man and a fine leader. Warren got on well with him. But, while Miles played host, Warren looked upon the party with a more cynical eye. It was an occasion where the title CEO took on a whole new meaning. At such times, CEO meant Cock-Enlarging Officer. The epithet worked for Warren on so many levels. Warren was sure Miles knew what happened every time he spoke to an ambitious employee, especially the males. The man’s winning words had an immediate effect, and the person he was talking to always changed his stance, and seemed to have more down his trousers than when he walked in.

The annual garden party was also a time many took advantage of to network, in various guises. One or two carried virtual knives. Warren knew the game rules. It was a necessary evil in a place where, if you didn’t watch your back, others took advantage. It wasn’t pretty, but it was better than the game some played. He’d been bitten by the latter before; it was one reason for his degrees of separation.

Warren had settled into his comfortable cane chair and relaxed with a glass of wine. He completed the “Hello, darling; wonderful dress, are those new shoes?” social niceties expected of him with the wives, and the “This quarter is going well, any news on that contract?” dialogue with his colleagues in high management. He chinked glasses, ate well, smiled, and conversed with the willing. He stayed with his crowd, and was wary of others who approached him—climbers who decided he was one of those worth sucking up to. Maybe he was unfair to some, but he’d seen too many cases of backbiting to embrace an idealistic approach to office shenanigans.

Secret of the Manor Cover

Buy Links

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/secret-of-the-manor-by-taylin-clavelli/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Manor-Taylin-Clavelli-ebook/dp/B0174MHXS8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Manor-Taylin-Clavelli-ebook/dp/B0174MHXS8/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Secret-Manor-Taylin-Clavelli-ebook/dp/B0174MHXS8/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Secret-Manor-Taylin-Clavelli-ebook/dp/B0174MHXS8/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-secretofthemanor-1914001-149.html

Genre: Gay romance, mystery, paranormal, adventure
Length: Novel

Book Trailer

 

Giveaway

Enter to win the following Rafflecopter giveaway.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

  • 3 x Mega Swag Packs (Europe only) – Bullet USB, Keyring hip flask, Memo set, Mints, 3-in-1 Stylus pen keyring
  • 2 x $10 WIP Gift Cards
  • 3 x Swag Packs – Memo set, Mints, 3-in-1 Stylus pen keyring

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About the Author

Taylin Clavelli lives in the United Kingdom, about 15 miles south of Birmingham, and a short journey from the world famous Cadbury’s Chocolate factory. She’s married with children and loves her family with all her heart.

Her love of books has been a long standing affair, with Taylin liking nothing better than to lose herself in an imaginary world.

Until she met Lily Velden, she never considered trying her hand at writing. However, after talking ideas, Lily encouraged her to put pen to paper—or rather, fingers to keyboard. Since, with a few virtual kicks in the right place, she hasn’t stopped. Her confidence eventually led to her writing an original work for submission.

Her first published work was Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters, developed for the Dreamspinner Press Anthology – Don’t Try This At Home.

Now she absolutely adores immersing herself into the characters she creates, and transferring the pictures in her brain to paper, finding it liberating, therapeutic, and wonderful.

Outside of writing, her interests include; martial arts (she’s a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-do), horse-riding, all of which facilitates her love of a wide variety of movies. Her action heroes include Jet Li and Tony Jaa—finding the dedication these men have for their art combined with their skill both amazing and a privilege to watch. If pressed, she’ll admit to thinking that the screen entrance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl, and Shadowfax in LOTR, to be the greatest screen entrances ever. Her all-time favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

The simple things in life that make her day, putting a smile on her face are:

Laughter – especially that of her children.

The smell of lasagna cooking – it makes her mouth salivate.

The dawn chorus – no symphony ever written can beat the waking greetings of the birds.

Social links:

Website: http://www.taylinclavelli.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005234535413
Twitter: https://twitter.com/taylinclavelli

Cover Reveal for Karen Stivali’s ‘Moment of Silence’ (a Moments in Time story) (cover reveal and giveaway)

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Moment of Silence (Series: Moments In Time) by Karen Stivali
Release Date: December 18, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

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Blurb

Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn’s most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world’s best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything—except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He’s got friends who treat him like family, and he’s proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he’s still falling for the wrong men.

When charming, sexy Quinn Fitzpatrick begins work at the shelter, Jason falls hard and fast. Quinn is tall, blond, funny—damn near perfect. Only if Quinn’s gay, even he doesn’t seem to know it. If he does, he’s not telling anyone. And he’s about one ceremony away from becoming a Catholic priest.

Long hours of work turn to long nights of talking and laughter, and Jason dares to hope this time he’s falling for the right guy. But Quinn’s got a past to deal with and major decisions to make about his future. When Quinn leaves for a silent retreat, Jason knows the silence may change everything.
Pages or Words: 76,000 words
This book is a ‘Moments in Time Novel’.
It takes place in the same world, but can be read separately.
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt

Pierogi were just what the evening required. We got two orders, potato with fried onions, and cheese doused in butter. To round things out, we added a gigantic link of kielbasa and finished it all off with blueberry blintzes. By the time we were done eating, I was so full I could barely move.
“This was awesome.” Quinn licked a purple streak of blueberry off his fork before setting it down and pushing his plate away.
I was too mesmerized by the sight of his tongue to speak right away.
The waitress stopped at our booth. “All set?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
She placed the paper check between us, and Quinn reached for it, but I grabbed it first. “I’ve got this one. Make up for the popcorn you gave away.”
“You don’t have to do that.” He pulled out his wallet and put a twenty on the table.
“You can’t let anyone do anything for you, can you?”
Quinn’s eyes bugged, then softened. “Yeah, I guess I do have a problem with that sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“Okay, most of the time.”
“You know what they say. The first step is admitting you have a problem. And the second is letting me pay for dinner.” I stuck the check and enough money for the meal and tip under the glass sugar shaker, then grabbed Quinn’s twenty, folded it in half, leaned over, and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
My fingers were in the pocket before I fully realized what I was doing. Then the whole universe condensed into the drag of my fingers on that two-inch-square area of his chest. His rock-solid chest that tightened the instant I made contact. My own chest froze, devoid of air. I’d forgotten how to breathe. All I could do was think about the fact that I had my hand on this man who’d consumed my waking and sleeping hours for weeks. And I had to let go. Literally.
I pulled my hand away, trying to turn the rush of breath that returned to my lungs into something resembling a laugh. “Ready to get out of here?”
Quinn nodded.
Shit. He’s silent again. Did he notice that moment of fantasy lust I just played out? What the fuck is wrong with me? Way to make him uncomfortable. Fuck—My monologue of self-criticism was interrupted by his hand on my shoulder.
His hand was probably a normal temperature, but given the heat it generated in my body, he might as well have been the Human Torch . Great. I’m not only in love with a straight priest, he’s also a superhero.
Quinn chuckled, and for a second I worried I’d said my crazy thoughts out loud. My face flushed to match the heat that coursed through the rest of me. “What?”
He handed me my keys. “You left these on the table.”
“Oh.” I took them, heat flaring through me in another rush when his fingers brushed mine as he placed the keyring in my hand. “Thanks. Geez. That would have sucked if I’d left those here.”
“Yeah.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I nearly tripped over the step as we left the restaurant. It was a text from Campbell. I laughed. “Apparently my roommate’s having an orange juice crisis, as in we’re out of orange juice. I need to stop at the bodega on the way home. I feel like we’re married sometimes. In a weird, sexless way.” Stop talking. Now.
“It’s good you get along so well.”
I gestured to the store on the next corner. “You need anything?”
“Nah. I’m too full to even think about eating or drinking anything.”
“The power of the pierogi.”
He grinned. “See you tomorrow?”
“Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll work on those shelves. Unless you think we need to run the math one more time.”
“Just triple-checking your skills.” The teasing sound in his voice made me want to stay on that corner and talk to him all night. Anything to keep hold of the pleasant hum that was vibrating through my body. But then he turned away, heading toward his place, hand in the air in a backward wave of sorts. “Good night.”
It was indeed. “Night.”

Buy the book:  Dreamspinner Press  eBook | Dreamspinner Press Paperback

Books, reading clipart 090

About the Author

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.
Karen’s lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.
When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at:

Where to find the author:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenstivali
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5170527.Karen_Stivali
Blog: http://karenstivali.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenStivaliAuthor?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Gay Book Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Inked Rainbow Reads, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, V’s Reads, Open Skye Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Andrew Q. Gordon, The Hat Party, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Divine Magazine, Velvet Panic, Love Bytes

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of ‘Moment of Impact’ (Book one in the Moments in Time series).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
Rafflecopter Code:
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WillPride

Coffee Sip and Book Break with J. Johanis ‘ Dream Gods (mini interview, excerpt, contest)

Dream God by J Johanis 4x6

Dream God (S-Gods #2) by J. Johanis
Release Date: November 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: J. Johanis
Cover Artist: Indigo Forest Design

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Today I’m happy to be interviewing J. Johanis,  author of Dream God (S-Gods #2). Hi J, thank you for stopping by today and chatting with us. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At first I wanted to be an Anthropologist. I chose that profession since I was interested in traveling the world and learning other languages. In fact, I had a map of the world on my wall and had all the countries separated by languages so I knew which languages I would have to learn. Though I studied anthropology in college, I ended up taking another career, one which also involved traveling the world and learning foreign languages. In addition wanting to be an anthropologist, I also had dreams of being an actress, fashion designer, or writer. I never pursued a career in acting, but I design and sew clothes for a hobby. Two years ago I decided to revisit my aspirations of being a writer. So I took another stab at writing and published my first novel. Dream God will be my fourth book.

Blurb

For the first time in three years, Aya is finally free, but with his freedom comes the pain of all he’s lost. Seeing Akad and Marduk together makes him realize how badly he has messed up. By betraying Marduk, he ruined his chance with the one god he desires more than anything.

Aya needs time to heal and put his world back together, but the trial against the Order looms over him. As the trial begins, Akad, Marduk, and Aya are ensnared in a web of jealousy, backstabbing, and cut-throat politics. Were

they crazy to think they could stand up to the Order? If the gods of the Order can still rip their lives apart, their chances of receiving justice may be next to impossible. But if they fail to bring the Order down, Aya may never be free from their grasp.

 

Content Advisory: M/M sex, polyamory, & dub-con.
Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, Ménage/Poly, Paranormal

Dream God by J Johanis 4x6

Excerpt

A moment later, the fierce god Anshar appeared from an adjoining room. Feeling small in his presence, Aya lowered his eyes and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. When the black-bearded god stopped before him, color flushed into Aya’s face. Anshar inspected him from head to toe, and Aya became acutely aware of how he was dressed. With his long white skirt, kohl lined eyes, and straight black hair flowing down his back, he probably looked more feminine than most goddesses. He’d never appeared before the gods dressed in this manner, but this was who he was.

Anshar ran a hand over his full beard, his lips curling into a sneer. Aya folded his arms over his bare chest and took a deep breath.  He wished he could escape Anshar’s scrutiny.

“You’re going to your hearing dressed like this?” Anshar gestured to Aya’s skirt.

“This is how I dressed before the Order took me. I only wore a tunic because Seth forced me to do so. He forbade me from lining my eyes with kohl and never let me dress how I liked.”

Anshar stared at Aya for a moment longer, his expression skeptical, then shrugged. “Very well. Do as you like, but before we go, I must warn you that the hearing will be held in Siren’s temple. Her powers are intense and can be felt well before you stand before her. For older gods, her powers act like a strong aphrodisiac. We are able to take being in her presence. However, for younger, weaker gods, her powers inflict overwhelming arousal. It will be so severe that you won’t be able to function in her presence. You’ll be paralyzed with desire that will cut into you like a knife until it’s alleviated.”

Aya furrowed his brow. “But… I’ve never desired a goddess. I’ve only been with gods.”

Anshar smirked. “It doesn’t matter whether you desire gods or goddesses. She emanates lust, and it will be too much for you to handle. The only way to counter it is with sex. So, before you are presented to her, I’m going to have to fuck you.”

“What?” The color drained from Aya’s face. The idea of this fierce bearded god driving his cock into him made Aya’s hole contract and his knees go weak. The thought of Anshar coming inside him made him feel like he was going to piss.

“No, I…” Aya couldn’t breathe. He shook his head, taking a step backward. He couldn’t allow Anshar to touch him in that way. Aya’s arousal unsettled him, and he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. Akad’s father couldn’t fuck him. He couldn’t.

As Anshar watched Aya’s retreat, anger flickered into his dark eyes. “Aya, I have no desire to fuck you, but we have no choice about the matter. If I don’t do it, you won’t be able to stand before Siren, let alone speak to her.”

“But I … My servant can do it.”

“Your servant is a mortal!” Anshar snapped, his jaw tense. “His semen will do nothing for you. You’ll need to be fucked by a god! Furthermore, I wasn’t asking for permission. I’m telling you what’s going to happen. Now, follow me and I don’t want to hear another word of protest.”

Anshar stormed out of the room, but Aya felt too weak to follow. How could he let this god fuck him? Tears came to his eyes. Too many gods had bent him to their will. He wanted it all to be over. He wanted to give his body to whom he chose and no one else. Aya took a deep breath. He was faint. All the blood had drained from his head, and he wavered, grabbing a chair to steady himself.

Aya shook his head, doing his best to gather his courage. He had to be strong to get through this. Once the trial was over, he could start over. His body would be his own once again. Testifying against the Order was the only way he could gain his freedom once and for all. Aya finally made his feet move, and he followed Anshar out.

Sales Links: Amazon

 

RC

About the author:

J. Johanis writes dark m/m erotic fantasy, and enjoys plots that are historical or myth-based.

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Novel Approach, Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter, Divine Magazine, Multitasking Mommas, Emotion in Motion, Love Bytes, TTC Books and More, My Fiction Nook, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, BFD Book Blog, The Jena Wade, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Amanda C. Stone, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Books A to Z, Nephy Hart, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 gift card and E-copy of book one in the series.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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November’s M/M First Line Quiz and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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November’s M/M First Line Quiz

Today is our second First Line in Novels Quiz, the first was October.  As I said back in my October 11th blog (you know the one with the answers to the month’s quiz), we need that all important first line to do its job. We need that line to pull us in, to set a tone and even impart a little about the story to follow.  That’s a huge load for one sentence to carry and yet some first lines  do it so well that we can’t get them out of our heads, quoting them in conversations, even if partially. “It was the best of  times, it was the worst of times…”. There is more to that first line from Charles Dickens’  ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, but rarely is it heard.  And how many times do you hear people saying “Call me Ishmael”.  Do you think they know it came as the first line from Herman Melville’s ‘Moby Dick’? I wonder if we will hear it said in the new movie coming out? If I read you the line

Anyhow, I combed through my books (as did some of my reviewers) and we found more first lines from some of our favorite M/M stories and here they are below.  I wonder if even their authors would recognize their own first lines? Hmmm.  How well did these lines do their job?  Do you want to read these books?  Did you read these books?

Contest Details:

Answers in 2 weeks.  The winner who correctly gives us all or the most correct answers will get a $10 Amazon gift card.  Thinking hats on.  Start thumbing through the Kindles and novels, get your friends to help.  Who recognizes these first sentences and books? Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends at midnight on Saturday, November 28th.  Send your answers to melaniem54@msn.com. There will be a time and date on them so I will know who will be first.

November’s M/M First Line Quiz

  1. “AND NOW, I will tell you of my plans to take over the Kingdom,” the evil wizard and total douchebag Lartin the Dark Leaf said with a cackle.”
  2. “A PERSISTENT, annoying sound kept infiltrating my mind.”
  3. “I WONDERED if praying that she wouldn’t pull out of this episode made me a terrible son.”
  4. “It was like those old Choose Your Own Adventure novels.“
  5. “My father always told me, If I’m gone for three days, call the police.”
  6. “I didn’t like lying to my friends, but it was necessary.”
  7. “Running naked through the woods was exactly what Dylan Green needed.”
  8. “ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, IN ANY CITY IN THE WORLD, SOMEBODY WILL DIE BEFORE SUNRISE and most of them will die alone.”
  9. “IT WAS cold outside. It was really cold. Freezing cold.”
  10. “MUSIC was his companion.”
  11. “I was treated as a curiosity by this group of Irishmen.”
  12. “BEFORE MY LIFE WENT SUDDENLY pear-shaped, and I slunk, tail tucked between my legs, into a shitty, crowded pub, I had been sober for three… almost four years.”
  13. “Four o’clock in the morning wasn’t a good time to be thinking about torture.”
  14. “By nightfall, he was begging to die.”

 

falls leaves 2And now onto our schedule this week and the countdown to Thanksgiving.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, November 15:

  • November’s M/M First Line Quiz and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, November 16:

  • Karen Stivuli’s  ‘Moment of Silence’ cover reveal and giveaway
  • Release Day for Perie Wolford’s Jimmy’s Erotic Adventure In Time And Space Continuum (Episode 1)
  • Cover Reveal for Uniform: A Man in Uniform M/M Bundle (contest)
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with J. Johanis ‘ Dream Gods (guest post, excerpt, contest)
  • A Mika Review: Exchange of Heart by N.R. Walker
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Minotaur by J.A. Rock
  • A PaulB Review: Curling Up With His Critter (A Loving Nip #7) by Charlie Richards

Tuesday, November 17:

  • Early Bird’s Book Look: Secret of the Manor by Taylin Clavelli (excerpt and giveaway)
  •  An Inside Look at Y-Negative by Kelly Haworth (guest post and contest)
  • A  Special Look at Havan Fellows & Lee Brazil ‘Heart on the Run (guest post, excerpt and giveaway)
  • Lynn Lorenz Keep Me In Mind tour and contest
  • A Stella Review:Betting on Forever by Felice Stevens
  • A Paul B Review: Stranger in the Wizard’s Tower by Deric McNish

Wednesday, November 18:

  • A New Press Comes On Line ~ The Launch of NineStar Press (an inside peak)
  • A Closeup Look at ‘A Home for the Holidays’ by Joe Cosentino (giveaway)
  • Book Spotlight: Grein Murray’s ‘I Have You’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • M.D. Grimm’s ‘Emerald: Good and Evil’ book blast and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: With This Bling by LB Gregg
  • A Sammy Review: Better the Devil You Know by Bey Deckard

Thursday, November 19:

  • Getting Into the Season with Jay Northcote’s ‘What Happens At Christmas’ book blast and contest
  •  Coffee Sip and Book Break with Jessie G. ‘Strength in Numbers’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Discovery: Sera Trevor
  • An Ali Review:  Owner of a Lonely Heart by Mel Bossa
  • A MelanieM Review: A Gentle Kind of Strength by Kendall McKenna

Friday, November 20:

  • Thianna Durston ‘959 Brenton Street’ book blast and contest
  • RJ Scott Sanctuary 8 Book Release Tour and contest
  • Heidi Cullinan Book tour Winter Wonderland book tour
  • Review Redux:  MelanieM Review:  Winter Wonderland by Heidi Cullinan
  • A Mika Review-The Winter Spirit by Indra Vaughn
  • A MelanieM Review:  A Home for the Holidays by Joe Cosentino

Saturday, November 21:

  • A MelanieM NA Review: Jefferson Blythe, Esquire by Josh Lanyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its Back to the Foothills with Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw (excerpt and giveaway)

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Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw
Release Date: October 28, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

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Blurb

Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is dismayed to discover someone—possibly a family member—is stealing from Behr Construction, which primarily employs Behr relatives. Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring an outsider, likeable CPA Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. They are drawn to each other as they talk to workers, including Abe’s two younger brothers and their shifty cousin.

Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they are confronted by bigotry in the Sierra Nevada foothills community, which is being inundated by gays moving from the San Francisco area. As he and Jeff get closer, Abe must come to grips with coming out to a family and community that aren’t very tolerant. Fortunately, being the head Behr helps him find his footing and grab onto love when it bites him.

 

 

Excerpt

“You ever come up the bank to sit under my tree? Looks like a much more comfortable place to fish. Not as rocky at any rate.” Jeff took a drink of his beer as I again scrambled to keep up. “My dad called it the Fishing Tree. He seemed to think fish congregated off the shore there.”

We sat in silence. It was my turn to talk. I’m pretty good in business situations. Not so much in social ones. At social events, mostly I hold up walls. Shake hands. Grunt a lot. Let others carry the conversational load.

Lorraine set our meals in front of us. The full burger with everything for him. The grilled mountain trout and steamed vegetables for me.

“You do a lot of fishing?” I managed after a long silence.

“Not really.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “My dad said fishing couldn’t be taught. He said it was something intuitive. I never had any idea what I was doing. So I never saw any use in fishing. I never saw any fish either.”

Again, silence as I processed and caught up. “It’s not rocket science. You figure out what kind of fish you want. Where it lives. Lure it to you. Then catch it.”

He looked skeptical and almost self-conscious. “It can’t be so easy,” he said with a little laugh.

“Why not?”

“What about the different rods, lures, tackle, stuff?” He looked so serious, as if I were missing the point. As if I didn’t understand. He was right. I didn’t.

“Look. You can catch fish with your bare hands. If you want to. The extra stuff is just extra stuff.”

“If you say so.” He shook his head, a smile still on his lips. “Have you ever caught a fish with your bare hands?”

I lifted my hands and looked down at the mess that were my paws. Calluses, nicks, cuts, punctures, blunt fingers, the bandage now off the one with the splinter. These were the hands of a man who’d framed houses as a tall, rangy preteen and had lived in construction ever since. Could I catch a fish with my bare hands?

“Yeah. All it takes is absolute stillness and patience.” I sighed. “Not a whole lot of people have both together. Somebody once told me it’s all about Zen.” Somebody else said the only reason I could do it was because I was too stupid to know it was impossible.

“Zen.” His tone said he was surprised I knew such a word.

“You know, like the Eastern religion,” I answered. “Though why we still call it Eastern is beyond me. It’s really Far West, not Far East to us.” I was grumbling and rambling. Avoiding for some reason.

He rattled me. Nobody ever rattled me. I’m Abe Behr, the big Behr.

He was studying me as intently as I was him. He appeared too beautiful, too perfect, too unscarred. I just hoped his accountant skills were as perfect as he looked.

“What kind of fish you want to catch?” I asked. Staring at him wasted our time.

He pointed his fork to my plate. “How about that? It’s good, right?”

“Trout,” I agreed. “Lots of different kinds of trout.”

He looked like he’d never eaten any in his life.

“This is trout from our lake. Have a bite.”

He’d finished his burger but didn’t make a move on my fish. His expression was split between wanting to dig in and reluctance to do so.

“Just taste it,” I growled. “It won’t bite.”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. His puzzled stare asked if the stupid bear had deliberately made a joke or not. Then he gave a happy, hearty laugh, and his fork raided my fish.

“So? What do you think?” I asked after he swallowed.

“I think you made a great joke,” he said with twinkling eyes. “And the trout is delicious. Is this why you threw your catch back? Did you know you’d get it cooked perfectly here at the cafe?”

“Naw. I was stalking the pie. Fish was a bonus.”

“They have good pie here?”

“Wait and see.”

Pages or Words: 90 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

 

Buy the book:

Dreamspinner |Amazon |Amazon UK |Kobo |All Romance Ebooks (English titles only)

RC

Meet the Author

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska and promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

 

Where to find the author:

 

 

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A $10 Starbucks Gift Card to 3 winners.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. 
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Holiday Spotlight with Christine d’Abo on Rebound Remedy and Riptide Publishing’s 2015 Holiday charity anthology (guest post and contest)

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Rebound Remedy by Christine d’Abo
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist:  L.C. Chase

Buy it here at  Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to welcome Christine d’Abo here today to talk about her latest release, Rebound Remedy, a part of the Riptide Holiday charity anthology.  Welcome, Christine!

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Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo! Thank you so much for having me here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words today. I’m very honored to have been asked to participate in the 2015 Riptide Holiday charity anthology. The holidays are the perfect time to not only give back to our community, but to raise awareness of the struggles that some of our youth endure.

When these teens should be enjoying candy, presents, movies and fun, they’re struggling with their families, friends and their self-images. No one should feel anything but love and support this time of year.

This is my small way of helping out, of paying it forward. I want to challenge each of you to do something this holiday season to pay it forward. Volunteer at a local food bank, soup kitchen or other community support organization. Buy a stranger a coffee. Pay for the meal of a young family. Give someone a hug.

Every small act of kindness makes the world a better place.

I wish you all the best this holiday season.

If you would like to learn more about me, please pay a visit to my website  http://www.christinedabo.com. I’m also very active on Twitter as @Christine_dAbo and have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to sign up, simply click here to fill out the form.

About Rebound Remedy

ReboundRemedy_500x750The last thing Cole expects to get for the holidays is dumped.  But there he is, in the airport on his way to Banff for a romantic getaway, helplessly watching as his boyfriend’s ex declares undying love, proposes—and is accepted. With a few weeks to go until Christmas, Cole’s mood dives from jolly to jaded. But instead of sitting at home alone and feeling sorry for himself, he goes to his favorite bar, McGregor’s, for a pint and some company.

The moment Owen McGregor sets eyes on Cole, he knows there’s something wrong. So he takes it upon himself to ensure that Cole has a happy holiday: twelve outings for the twelve days before Christmas. Even if he can’t quite think up twelve activities that don’t involve getting the forlorn hunk into his bed.

With each outing they take together, Cole realizes that the love he thought he’d shared with his ex was less than perfect. And that Owen might prove to be more than just his rebound remedy.

Rebound Remedy by  “http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/rebound-remedy“

Rebound Remedy 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/“

About The Author

About Christine

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Connect with Christine:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rebound Remedy, Christine is giving away a tin of tea from David’s Teas! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 14, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  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!

Special Author Spotlight: J.J. Lore, Author of ‘Raider Captured’ blogs on The Same, Yet Different (guest blog, excerpt, contest)

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The Same, Yet Different By J. J. Lore

One of the running themes in my work is the idea of somehow being altered and no longer fitting in with the regular world. It might be an injury or illness, changed financial circumstances, or past emotional trauma, but a lot of my characters are a little out of step.

I took it to the extreme with Sagiv, one of my protagonists in Raider Captured. Not only is he a prisoner of his enemies, the very definition of isolation, but he’s also been genetically modified to be a perfect warrior. His people, the Atavaq, place young boys without families into military training. As part of the process of grooming them to be exemplary warriors, they also enhance their cellular structure to make them stronger, faster, and able to heal more quickly. These altered men are segregated from society, forbidden to marry, cannot own property, or vote, as the Atavaq consider them ‘impure’.

Sagiv has always lived within a set of expectations; fight beside his fellows, serve his Masters, and endure until the end. Once he’s removed from Atavaq society and knows he can never return, he has to decide if he will redefine himself once more and embrace the real Sagiv, a man free of expectations. To me, that’s the definition of character growth. Everyone faces those moments of decision where we might step aside from convention and risk security and acceptance. Accept the possibility we might be called names, shunned, or even lose most of what we value? Do we keep doing what we’ve always done or will some trigger catapult us into a situation where we learn our true place in the galaxy?

AboutTheBook

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TITLE: Raider Captured

AUTHOR: J. J. Lore

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

COVER ARTIST: Brooke Albrecht

LENGTH: 90 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2015

 

BLURB: Is love possible between sworn enemies when the universe seems determined to tear them apart?

Sagiv, a genetically modified Atavaq fighter, is captured when his master’s raid on a Domidian ship goes wrong. Daran, a young Domidian science officer, claims the warrior for ransom and as a subject for study. As they spend time together in the close confines of the shipboard cabin, both learn more about the other’s culture, and against all odds, a fragile trust begins to form. But the ship is approaching a frontier outpost, where Daran will be expected to ransom Sagiv—even though it means condemning Sagiv to die for the dishonor of his defeat or suffer in the fighting pits. That’s if bounty hunters don’t find them first. Daran’s risen up the ranks through hard work and always following protocol, but he sees something in Sagiv that might be worth breaking the rules for the first time in his life—maybe even something worth sacrificing everything to keep.

Excerpt

His cheek was pressed to the soft rug on the floor. The material smelled faintly of perfumed wood, and he wrinkled his nose, unhappy something pleasant was intruding on his misery. To be the leader of the finest Creig raiding party one day and reduced to a worthless prisoner the next was a fate he’d never envisioned for himself. Sadness at his lost fellows settled over him in a cold wave, and he closed his eyes tightly until the sensation passed.

A sudden awareness of warm moisture on his body roused him, and he jerked upright as far as his immobilized arms would allow. Was the Domidian urinating on him? With a growl he sought the source of the sensation and was shocked to silence when he saw the young officer trying to apply a wet cloth to the phase wound on his hip.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning this up. It might become infected if I don’t.” The pretty boy gave him a measured glance, then concentrated on the rent in his skin. Sagiv took a breath and tried to hitch away but was brought up short by the manacles yet again. The Domidian’s vigorous application of the cleaning cloth hurt, but Sagiv was determined not to react. He might have fallen from his hard-fought stature as a skilled warrior, but at least he wouldn’t flinch like a weakling when someone washed his body.

“It looks as though you endured blade cuts, blunt instrument strikes, and some sort of percussion volley,” the Domidian said in a conversational tone. Sagiv gave him a glare that would have sent one of his minions cowering to the floor. At least it would have worked yesterday, when he still had underlings. Now his brother Creig were dead, wasted in this futile raid made at the whim of an impulsive master or three. His current condition didn’t matter; he was bred and trained to serve and fight, not to think of his fate or wish for any different life. The Domidian, for his part, merely absorbed the scowl with a slight smile. Superior bastard. “I’m going to work on the most severe injuries first. Basic triage. I have several accreditations in first aid and battlefield medical treatment, so don’t worry for your health.”

The young man moved on to the welts that covered his back, and Sagiv endured the ministrations with teeth clenched, both to stop himself from making a pained sound and to prevent the conversation this bare-chinned youth seemed to desire. As the Domidian’s words sank in, he couldn’t help the question that sprang to mind.

“Heal me for the execution?” Sagiv shook his head once. These damned Domidians had such perverse notions. If only he’d been lucky and taken a phase bolt to the forehead yesterday. The young officer stopped touching him, and his skin twitched.

“Execution?”

“Death to pirates, that’s the code in the cold reaches of space.”

The Domidian laughed. Sagiv craned his head to observe him. Even though he was brought low by his defeat and loss of his collar, there was no way he was going to be mocked by a spoiled boy.

“I follow a different code. The Domidian code.” The young man moved closer and pressed his fingers around the edge of the throbbing injury on Sagiv’s head.

Sagiv refused to flinch and instead decided to scoff. “Oh, yes, the code whereby you decide everything you do is correct and expect every other race you encounter to bow down before your magnificence.”

The Domidian’s full lips tightened and a spark lit up his eyes. “We cannot be other than what we are.”

“Arrogant whelp.” Sagiv’s stomach dropped when the young man smiled broadly. What was he doing engaging in conversation with the enemy? He was behaving as if they were at a rim world tavern sharing a flagon, far from the concerns of Domid and Atavaq politics. “Why are you treating me?”

He wanted to bite back the words, especially when he saw the intent expression of the other man.

“It is my duty to care for you. I have taken you as hostage proxy, and any ransom paid for your return will be mine.”

“Then you will be sorely disappointed.” Knowing that this boy would be deprived of even a small sum was the only achievement he could muster at this point. A Creig was worth nothing without the recommendation of a pleased master, without victories to bolster his reputation. The Domidian shrugged and pulled out a small case. He flicked it open, and Sagiv couldn’t help but look inside, sure he was going to see implements of torture. Instead, there were bandages and creams. The Domidian was going to help him. Pulling together the last shards of his dignity and rage, Sagiv decided to remain silent. No need to treat the youngster as if they were equals.

“You have a lot of bruising and contusions. Did all of these wounds occur in the altercation yesterday?”

Sagiv stared at the red carpet. Altercation. What a fine word for a muddled mess that had cost him so much. No, the majority of his injuries had been administered by his former masters as they’d assaulted him in the brig after their humiliating capture. No need to reveal that, or anything, to the Domidian. The young man waited a polite interval, then continued to speak as if there was a normal conversation to be had, all while he administered first aid.

“My name is Daran, of the Eridia clan. If you tell me your name, I’ll be able to initiate contact with your people and set up an exchange.” Daran waited for a response, but Sagiv pressed his lips together. He didn’t have a people, only assignments. Creig fighters existed on a different plane than civilian Atavaq, housed in exclusive barracks and given the finest in weapons, nutrition, and training. He jumped at the sensation of a warm ointment being carefully applied to the edges of one of the throbbing welts on his back. The wounds felt ugly, but he hadn’t been able to inspect them. Exactly what he deserved.

“I’m in service as a science specialist. I’m hoping you can teach me more about your kind. I’m very curious about you.”

Teach his enemy about Creig ways? Betray Atavaq? He’d die first. As the Domidian continued his treatment, Sagiv’s stomach boiled with regret and frustration. He slanted his eye toward the officer to detect what he was about and saw the other man frowning. Daran of the Eridia glanced up and hurriedly put a smile on his face.

“Your wounds, though painful I’m sure, are going to heal well now that you are under care. I was merely thinking about something else.”

The urge to ask what was strong. Sagiv wasn’t sure if he was interested in gaining more information about the enemy or genuinely intrigued by his unusual captor. The other man was treating his wounds and speaking to him as if they were partners. Equals. As if Sagiv wasn’t merely a tool to be repaired and sent back into service.

BuyLinks

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Kobo Store

All Romance eBooks

Barnes & Noble

Google Play

AuthorBioJ. J. Lore has been interested in the dashing men who roam outer space since she was transfixed by Han Solo piloting the Millennium Falcon a long time ago in a theatre far, far away. Sadly, there is no way for her to join in the fun of intergalactic adventures unless she writes them, so that’s what she does whenever she isn’t taking care of the business of life. If you can’t find her typing madly on her sluggish keyboard, she’s probably poking around in a thrift store searching for the perfect pair of worn jeans or a vintage kachina bolo tie. These days she puts her anthropology degree to work when she whips up dishes from many different cultures, most of which benefit from a liberal dose of sriracha or a smear of green curry paste. Her favorite reading topics are costume history, epidemiology, and permaculture, all of which she’d like to work into a story if she’s suddenly overcome with a brilliant idea someday.

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Winner’s Prize: A Laser Gun

Runner’s Up Prize: Swag filled with goodies!

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TourSchedule

November 11: Frosty’s Book Corner || Sue Brown

November 12: Cia’s Stories || Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

November 13: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

November 16: Drops of Ink

November 17: Queer Sci-Fi

November 18: Garrett Leigh

November 19: The Land of Make Believe

November 20: Loving Without Limits

November 21: Love Bytes Reviews

November 23: Diverse Reader || World of Diversity Fiction || Nautical Star Books

November 24: Eyes on Books || Bayou Book Junkie

November 25: Divine Magazine

Making a Difference in the Lives of Children by Shira Anthony & Aisling Mancy, Authors of A Solitary Man (guest blog, giveaway)

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A Solitary Man by Aisling Mancy and Shira Anthony

Making a Difference in the Lives of Children

Thank you Melanie and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting the A Solitary Man book tour! Aisling and I are so excited to finally see our labor of love in print. Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the post for a chance to enter the tour giveaway!

For this, the final stop on the A Solitary Man book tour, I want to discuss the important subject matter of the book. A Solitary Man was born of many conversations that Aisling and I shared about something very near and dear to our hearts: keeping children safe. Both of us have professional connections to the struggle to prevent child abuse and neglect, and continue to be vocal advocates for children, each in our own way.

For me, that advocacy comes from a very personal place: I’m an abuse survivor. I share that fact only because it’s important to understand that chances are you know more than one survivor of child abuse. It could be a relative, a friend, a colleague, or a child in your son or daughter’s class at school. The statistics are truly frightening. The National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA) estimates that:

· There are over 42 million survivors of sexual abuse in America.

· Somewhere between 2/3 and ninety percent of sexual abuse victims never come forward

· 293,000 children and youth are estimated to be at risk of exploitation

· 100,000 children are prostituted annually.

· 90% of those abused children are abused by someone they know, love or trust

· 20% of child sexual abuse victims are under the age of 8. Most never tell, and some don’t recall the abuse.

· One in 7 children who are regular Internet users receive sexual solicitations online.

· 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the U.S. or 2,000 every day

· An estimated 200,000 are abducted by family members; 58,000 by non family members, the primary motive for which is sexual.

Now that I have your attention, you may be asking, “What can I do about it?” The simple answer is, “More than you know.” First, get involved. Report suspected abuse or neglect to the authorities. Most states have mandatory reporting requirements and shield the reporter’s name from discovery. Don’t hesitate and don’t wait. A child’s life may depend on your speaking up.

What else can you do? Talk to your own children about abuse. As I child, I remember feeling that something was wrong with how my neighbor was treating me, but I didn’t understand and wasn’t sure what to do about it. It took me nearly a year to tell my parents about the abuse. When I did, they believed me, and that was a huge relief. As an adult and a parent, I spoke to my children about abuse. I told them to come to me if they ever felt uncomfortable about something an adult, teen, or anyone did or said to them. You, as a parent, know how much your children can understand. The point is to make it clear to them that you are not only there to listen to them at any time, but want to hear immediately if they are uncomfortable with anything. Even very young children understand that concept.

Don’t have kids? Or want to do more? Be an advocate for an abused or neglected child through your state’s CASA or GAL program. My state, North Carolina (where A Solitary Man is set), has a fabulous Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program where lay people (non-lawyers) advocate for the rights of abused and neglected children in court. It’s a great way to help kids who need someone to speak for them or help them to speak about what they need. You can find more information about programs like North Carolina’s on the CASA website.

There’s an amazing video that brings this all home. It’s not long, but it has a powerful message:

A Solitary Man is fiction, but it’s based on real life events which occur regularly all around us. In wealthy neighborhoods, in poor neighborhoods. In cities, in the more rural parts of states. The fictional children of Dare’s Landing have their champions, Xav Constantine and Chance Fairchild. It’s up to all of us to make sure that real children have theirs. Step up and make a difference in the life of a child! You’ll be so glad you did. –Shira (and Aisling)

Add A Solitary Man to Your Goodreads and Booklikes Shelves
Like A Solitary Man on Facebook
Thursday, October 29th Aisling is at The Novel Approach Reviews
A Brief and Frank Discussion of A Solitary Man
Friday, October 30th Aisling is at Jo & Isa Love Books
A Few Notes Behind the Music Playlist
Wednesday, November 4th Aisling is at Bike Book Reviews
Writing Supporting Characters
Thursday , November 5th
Aisling is at Joyfully Jay Reviews
One of the Biggest Benefits of Co-Writing
Shira is at Prism Book Alliance
Entertainment With a Message
Friday, November 6th RELEASE DAY CELEBRATION!
Yarning to Write Kermit Flail with lovely Amy Lane!
Aisling is at Divine Magazine
More Notes Behind the Music Playlist
Shira is at The Novel Approach Reviews
Southernisms!
Aisling is on Dreampsinner’s Blog
As Authors and Readers, We Bring Awareness to the World
Saturday, November 7th Aisling is at Love Bytes Reviews
Sunday, November 8th
Shira is at My Fiction Nook
LIVE FACEBOOK CHAT with Shira & Aisling 2-5pm EST
Monday, November 9th Aisling is at My Fiction Nook
Tuesday, November 10th Shira is at Bike Book Reviews
Wednesday, November 11th Shira is at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
TWEET, COMMENT, AND VISIT A SOLITARY MAN’S FACEBOOK PAGE
TO BE ENTERED TO WIN A TOTE BAG,
SIGNED BOOKS FROM SHIRA & AISLING,
AND SWAG!

Coffee Sip and Book Break for ‘Duce’ by Kai Tyler (excerpt and giveaway)

Attractive blond young man in city environment, standing against marble column

Duce ( World’s End #2) by Kai Tyler
Release Date: October 19, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Kai Tyler
Cover Artist: Love Bites and Silk

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Blurb

Parties and orgies… those are the things Carlos Carmichael wants to do. It’s the only way he knows to deal with his life as the son of a notorious cartel boss. He’ll get whatever he wants by any means necessary.

Until he tangles with a man who plays by totally different rules.

Dante Orsino has been raised in the old ways of honor, loyalty and respect of the business. His role as mafia underboss is more than just a job. It also makes him an heir to one of the biggest families in the Southern Territories.

When Carlos meets Dante and plays a silly game, their weekend tryst sparks a deadly cartel war.

For Dante there’s no other life except—the life. And he wants Carlos in his. But in the New World, a gay man is a dead man. Can he find a way to keep everything he loves and stay alive?

In a new world gone mad, even the good guys are bad. Welcome to the World’s End series.

Content warning: This book contains scenes of violence and sex between men.

Excerpt

Carlos’s POV

“Your first time folding clothes.”

I’d been admiring him so much I’d forgotten everything else. His words made me look at my handiwork and my cheeks heated. How did he know it was my first time?

“I-I’m sorry if it’s not up to your standard.” I felt inadequate and silly that I couldn’t fold my own clothes well.

“You did a good job.”

“I did?” Warmth spread across my chest at his approving words.

“Yes, you did. Come here.”

I didn’t need a second invitation. I hurried to him.

Placing both hands on either side of my face, he stared at me for a minute, the expression in his eyes completely unreadable. Then he jammed his hands into my hair, tugged my head back, and lowered his lips to mine.

I melted against him. In contrast to the hardness of his body, his lips were soft. Full and soft. His tongue explored my mouth. Hungry. Seeking. Savouring. I groaned, grabbing onto his bare back and rubbing my cock against him.

He broke the kiss. Nuzzled my chin, my neck. Bristles scoured my skin. Callused hand wrapped around my dick. I gasped for air, leaked pre-cum like a tap. A thumb swiped and he spread the moisture, using it as lubricant as he jacked me.

Pages or Words: 51204 words; Paperback: 234 pages
Categories: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance (ARe) | Smashwords 

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Meet the Author

Although I’m new to writing MM Romance, I’ve been a reader and lover of the genre for many years. I love writing about gangsters with heart, good men who do bad things to survive in a crazy world. Men who love as fiercely as they fight.

When I’m not helping other authors promote their works, you might find me in a coffee shop, day dreaming about how the cute couple in the corner fell in love. You can also find me online ogling images of hot men, which I do share btw. J

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Jessie G. Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Happily Ever Chapter, KathyMac Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Louise Lyons, MM Good Book Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Velvet Panic, Mikky’s World of Books, Charley Descoteaux

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Paypal Cash 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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