Enter the Holiday Spirit with Share the Love and Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft (book tour and charity contest)

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Its Share the Love…the third time’s the charm with Sydney Croft and her story, Three the Hard Way!  The holidays are a time of joy and giving. Riptide Publishing and authors Jane Davitt, Kelly Jamieson, and Sydney Croft have combined their efforts in the Share The Love 2014 Collection for Charity.

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Check out Sydney Croft’s story, Three the Hard Way and then read the details how YOU can help choose the LGBTQ Charity to receive the 2015 collection proceeds! This year’s Share the Love collection Charity is It Gets Better organization. Pick up a copy of Share the Love 2014 and get a head start on the holiday giving,, and then help out your favorite local LGBTQ charity as well!

Three the Hard Way Blurb:

This title is part of the ACRO universe.

Three the Hard Way coverLovers Taggart Brody and Justice McKinney possess special abilities that make them valuable to agencies who employ—or enslave—people with extraordinary talents. When tragedy tears them apart, Justice finds purpose working for the good guys: ACRO, the super-secret Agency for Covert Rare Operatives. But he never forgets Taggart or the past they once shared.

Heartbroken, Taggart runs from who he is . . . right into the arms of Ian Bridges. But Ian, battling his own demons, betrays Tag to the terrorist organization Itor. After months of torture, Tag manages to escape, but kills an ACRO agent in the process.

With nowhere left to turn, Tag disappears into the Alaskan wilderness, but it’s only a matter of time before his enemies track him down. He reaches out to Justice, and somehow Ian finds him too, hoping to right his wrongs. With ACRO and Itor both bearing down, the three men must figure out how to forgive, how to work together, and how to love each other—or the coming battle will destroy them all.

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Each year, Riptide Publishing releases a holiday collection in support of an LGBTQ charity. Twenty percent of all proceeds from the Share the Love collection will be donated to the It Gets Better Project.Share the Love Bundle

This collection would not be possible without the talent and generosity of its authors, who have brought us the following holiday stories:

• Three of Hearts by Kelly Jamieson (releasing November 17)
• Lucky Strike by Jane Davitt (releasing November 24)
• Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft (releasing December 1)

About Sydney Croft:

Sydney Croft is the alter-ego of two published authors who came together to blend their very different writing interests into adventurous tales of erotic paranormal fiction. Together, they developed a world where people with extraordinary abilities, like the power to control storms, could live and work with others like them. The series has been described as “Erotica meets the X-Men,” and is unique in its own “erotic super hero romance” niche.

The authors behind Sydney Croft live in different states and communicate almost entirely through email, though they often get together for conferences and book signings.
Stephanie Tyler
Larissa Ione

ShareTheLove_TourBanner

Contest and Giveaway:
Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

Every year, Riptide Publishing releases a Holiday charity bundle with themed stories by bestselling authors. Twenty percent of the net proceeds of each bundle goes to a charity that serves the LGBTQ population.

Royalties from Riptide’s 2013 Home for the Holidays charity collection have raised over $14,000 in nine months for the Ali Forney Center, and continue to yield several hundred dollars per month in royalties donations. Our 2014 Share the Love charity collection will be raising money for the It Gets Better Project, and we hope to report even better results than in 2013.

For 2015, the theme will be Holiday Surprises, and we’ll have stories by HelenKay Dimon, Christine d’Abo, and Marie Sexton. But we don’t have a charity yet.

We need YOUR help to choose the 2015 charity.

Nominate your favorite LGBTQ charity below and Riptide might choose it as the 2015 Holiday bundle charity!

The chosen charity for 2015 will immediately receive a $5,000 advance against royalties (paid in 2015 on announcement of the award recipient). The charity will continue to receive 20% of all lifetime net sales income from the 2015 holiday charity collection, in the form of a monthly royalty check.

Three honorable mention charities will each receive a $250 donation.

Click here to nominate a charity. Both supporters and representatives of a charity can submit a nomination.

And now for December and the Week Ahead At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

It’s December!

Snowflakes, Snow Angels, and Icicles…Oh My!

The end of the year is coming and December is full of holidays, family, love, and ok…tons of stuff to do!  Riptide’s Share the Love Charity Contest continues.  Look for the link on the Share the Love cover and click to vote for your LGBTQ charity of choice!

There is so much going on that I had to slide our November Summary of Reviews and Best of Lists into the middle of the week!  Its been that crazy!

Here is a sneak peak at some of those covers sure to be on our November and, well probably, Best of 2014 lists.  In no particular order:

Then the Stars Fall coverThe Eskimo Slugger coverSand and Gold and RuinSemper Fi cover

 

 

 

 

 

TheCircusoftheDamned_500x750Cutting Out coverSpaghetti Western coverWholehearted cover

What were some of your favorite covers last month?

Winner Announcements:

Winner of Haley Walsh’s contest is Peaches

Winner of Keira Andrews “Semper Fi” contest is Jeffrey Owens

 

Congratulations!  Happy Reading

 

Now for the Week Ahead:

Monday, December 1:

  • Excerpt Tour: A Spartan Love by Kayla Jameth (contest)
  • Tina Klemke’s Shifting Weight Book tour and Contest
  • Groom of Convenience by Vicktor Alexander Book Tour and Contest
  • Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft – Share the Love Tour and Contest

Tuesday, December 2:

  • Book Blast: Murder in Torbaydos by Ian James Krender‏ (tour and contest)
  • Kayla Jameth ‘A Spartan Love‘ Book Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Work in Progress by John Inman
  • A MelanieM Review: Craberry Pi by Lee Brazil

Wednesday, December 3:

  • The Chase and The Catch Blog Tour‏ by AF Henley
  • A Sammy Review: Nothing Ventured by Jay Northcote
  • A MelanieM Review: Fever Pitch (Love Lessons #2) by Heidi Cullinan
  • November Summary of Reviews and Best of Lists

Thursday, December 4:

  • Derrick Knight – Miracle on Mistletoe Lane Virtual Book Tour and contest
  • Out of CTRL by SA Welsh – Exclusive excerpt tour and contest
  • A Mika Review:  Teaching Professor Grayson by Kade Boehme & Allison Cassatta
  • A PaulB Review: Desert Foxe by Haley Walsh

Friday, December 5:

  • Finding Matt by JD Ruskin Book Blast and contest
  • Love Lane Book Tours: Jack Frost by  Meredith Russell(contest)
  • ZA Maxfield’s Hell On Wheels Book Tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  Darach’s Cariad by RJ Scott

Saturday, December 6:

A MelanieM Review: The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate by Kay Berresford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Back! The Texans Are Back in RJ Scott’s Texas Fall! (book tour and contest)

Texas Seris LLB

RJ Scott’s heartwarming Texas family is back in Texas Fall! There’s a wonderful excerpt to read and a contest to enter.   Check it out! 

Texas Fall by RJ Scott

Book six in the Texas series

For all buy links when they become available click here:

http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/texas-fall.html

Texas Fall 400x600Jack is focusing on building an equine therapy school for children with special needs and works hard along side his normal horse training and breeding program. He and Riley have settled into a softer, quieter, kind of family life, but that doesn’t stop them using the barn with the door to the fullest!

But the lull comes before the storm.

Riley and his new assistant travel to Laredo, and across the border into Nuevo León as part of an exploratory team and things very quickly go to hell. Riley is caught in some serious Cartel problems and suddenly everything Jack holds dear is threatened.

Add in Vaughn and Darren’s story, revisiting Robbie, Eli, Liam and Marcus, alongside Sean and Eden and the wedding that never was, and this story promises you everything you want from a Texas series book.



Author Bio:

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over sixty titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Contact RJ Scott via:

Contest:  Win a $15 gift card and free e-books, must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided for all additional contest details and for the entry form.Texas Fall 400x600

a Rafflecopter giveaway    oR    http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f922301b41/

Texas Fall Excerpt 1

“You can’t hide the whole night,” Riley said from behind him. Jack turned to face his husband, leaning back against the stable door and waiting for the lecture. Riley was happy as a pig in shit right in the middle of it all: juggling babies, catering, socializing, and hell, everything that Jack was avoiding right about now. “People asked where you were,” Riley added.

Riley sure looked good tonight, his blond hair just this side of bed-head spiky, his long legs in black pants, the dark green shirt so perfect against his warm skin tones, and his hazel eyes sparkling with enthusiasm for life. Sexy. Very sexy, all toned and slim and hard and hot. Jack cleared the thoughts of kissing the life out of Riley from his head. He’d need all his faculties to deal with Riley when Riley wanted him to go back inside and host the party.

Anyway, he was suspicious that anyone really worried where he’d gone. “Who asked?”

Riley stepped right up into his space, close enough so that Jack could inhale the scent of his man. The combination of familiar citrus was underscored by deeper notes of mulled spices from the kitchen and some punch concoction Eden had made.

“Actually, no one asked,” Riley admitted. “Josh mentioned that he was impressed you’d lasted an hour.”

Jack huffed a laugh. He was surprised his brother hadn’t come out and hidden right next to him. Seemed that enjoying socializing skipped the male Campbell line entirely.

“So,” Jack began slowly. “What are you doing out here?”

Riley placed his hands on Jack’s hips, then slid his fingers through belt loops to tug Jack away from the door and flush up to him.

“I was asking myself,” he explained, “just where would my husband be when it’s only ten at night and he was looking for peace. I tried everywhere.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Jack’s lips, then smiled down at him, that few inches in height he had just enough to force Jack to lean his head back a little. “Actually that’s a lie. I looked in the twins’ room, checked in on Max, then came here.”

Share in the Love Collection Tour with Jane Davitt’s Lucky Strike (charity tour and contest)

ShareTheLove_TourBanner

It’s Share the Love Collection Tour – Part Deux!  The holidays are a time of joy and giving.  Riptide Publishing and authors Jane Davitt, Kelly Jamieson, and Sydney Croft have combined their efforts in the Share The Love 2014 Collection for Charity.

Check out Jane Davitt’s story, Lucky Strike and then read the details how YOU can help choose the LGBTQ Charity to receive the 2015 collection proceeds! This year’s Share the Love collection Charity is It Gets Better organization.  Pick up a copy of Share the Love 2014 and get a head start on the holiday giving,, and then help out your favorite local LGBTQ charity as well!

Lucky Strike by Jane DavittLuckyStrike_200x300

Death’s a heartbeat away, but love is even closer.

Flying a traveler to Leap celebrations on the luxury planet Crestal is no problem for intrepid partners Jake and Rill, even if they have to navigate a deadly meteor shower to get there. But their fresh-faced, privileged passenger is carrying more than Leap gifts: Lian has a message to deliver, treachery and murder to avenge, and a killer close on his heels.

Lian thought he was ready for independence from his overbearing extended family, but his first solo trip off-planet has landed him in a nightmare of deadly intrigue. Though he’s devastated by betrayal, and no longer able to tell friend from foe, he’s fascinated by the gruff pilot and scorchingly handsome first mate who’ve become his reluctant rescuers.

With a dazzling fortune at stake and the fate of the United Protectorate of Planets in their hands, there’s no time for the three men to fall in love. But with their future measured in hours, crew and passenger may have just enough time to discover that three can become one, and that together they are strong enough to beat any odds.

Each year, Riptide Publishing releases a holiday collection in support of an LGBTQ charity. Twenty percent of all proceeds from the  Share the Love collection  will be donated to the  It Gets Better Project.

This collection would not be possible without the talent and generosity of its authors, who have brought us the following holiday stories:

• Three of Hearts  by Kelly Jamieson (releasing November 17)
• Lucky Strike  by Jane Davitt (releasing November 24)
• Three the Hard Way  by Sydney Croft (releasing December 1)

About Jane Davitt:

Jane Davitt is English, and has been living in Canada with her husband, two children, and two cats, since 1997. Writing and reading are her main occupations but if she ever had any spare time she might spend it gardening, walking, or doing cross stitch. She’s recently taken up yoga and loves discovering her ability to bend.

Jane has been writing since 2002 and wishes she’d started earlier. She is a huge fan of SF, fantasy, erotica, and mystery novels and has a tendency to get addicted to TV shows that get cancelled all too soon.

She owns over 4,000 books, rarely gives any away, but is happy to loan them, and is of the firm opinion that there is no such thing as ‘too many books’.

Share the Love Bundle

Contest and Giveaway:

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

(If you can’t or would rather not include this whole text, here is the link to our website. Feel free to include as much or as little as you would like: http://riptidepublishing.com/help-us-choose-charity)

Help us choose a charity!

Every year, Riptide Publishing releases a Holiday charity bundle with themed stories by bestselling authors. Twenty percent of the net proceeds of each bundle goes to a charity that serves the LGBTQ population.

Royalties from Riptide’s 2013 Home for the Holidays charity collection have raised over $14,000 in nine months for the Ali Forney Center, and continue to yield several hundred dollars per month in royalties donations. Our 2014 Share the Love charity collection will be raising money for the It Gets Better Project, and we hope to report even better results than in 2013.

 

For 2015, the theme will be Holiday Surprises, and we’ll have stories by HelenKay Dimon, Christine d’Abo, and Marie Sexton. But we don’t have a charity yet.

We need YOUR help to choose the 2015 charity.

Nominate your favorite LGBTQ charity below and Riptide might choose it as the 2015 Holiday bundle charity!

The chosen charity for 2015 will immediately receive a $5,000 advance against royalties (paid in 2015 on announcement of the award recipient). The charity will continue to receive 20% of all lifetime net sales income from the 2015 holiday charity collection, in the form of a monthly royalty check.

Three honorable mention charities will each receive a $250 donation.

Click here to nominate a charity. Both supporters and representatives of a charity can submit a nomination.

ShareTheLove_TourBanner

In the Book Spotlight: Slippery Slope by Iyana Jenna (blog tour and contest)

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Book Name: Slippery Slope
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Iyana Jenna

Author Bio:

Iyana writes M/M short stories and novellas. Her works have been published by Evernight Publishing, JMS Books, Books to Go Now, Torquere Press, Bitten Press, Leap of Faith Publishing, Breathless Press, and Alfie Dog Fiction.

Iyana lives in Jakarta, a city famous for its traffic jams, a lot of cars and motorcycles, and people selling stuff on the roads. You can spend two hours on the road going to a place you can reach in half an hour in a normal situation. Thanks to the traffic jams, though, Iyana can come up with a lot of stories, mostly shorties, as she prefers to spend the time during her trips writing into her cell phone rather than sleeping.

Another thing Iyana loves is kitties. Right now she has three of them. Their names are Cil, Horus, and Betsy, and one kitten. When she doesn’t write, she plays with them, or they would play with her when she writes.

Publisher: JMS Books
Author:  Iyana Jenna
 Cover Artist: Written Ink Designs

Sales Links:  JMS Books     Amazon US    Amazon UK   Smashwords     All Romance (ARe)  Bookstrand

Slippery Slope Blurb:

Actors Ethan Grey and Alex Haynes are gay, but in Hollywood, they can’t be open unless they’re willing to be typecast in future movies or they’re dating prominent gay producers. Since neither are willing to become stereotypes, and neither have studio boyfriends, they take another path — hiding their relationship under the cover of a pretend girlfriend.

What works for Ethan, though, doesn’t work for Alex, who screws up to the point of losing his job and the chance to get another. His manager finally finds him another job across the pond, where he meets Nathan Wells.

Nathan can be the prominent producer Alex needs to further his career, but there’s something Alex doesn’t know about the man.

Soon Wells grows obsessed with Alex, and he’ll do anything to keep Alex from getting away.

Though Nathan wants Alex for himself, there’s still Ethan to think about. Is the love story between Alex and Ethan really over? Or will Ethan find a way to get his boyfriend back?

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Words: 20,000

Excerpt:

“Come on, Ethan. You don’t have to pretend. I’m in love with you, but I’m not blind. There’s clearly someone else you’d rather be with right now instead of me.” Lea wrapped herself up in the silky coverlet, leaving Ethan staring at her, shocked, as he sat back on his heels.

Feeling ashamed yet not totally guilty, Ethan backed away from the bed and put on his jeans.

“Who is it that you want, Ethan? It’s Alex, isn’t it?”

Ethan just looked out of the window. The setting sun was golden on the horizon.

“I—I need to do something,” he mumbled then, and left the room. He felt Lea’s eyes boring into his back but Ethan just couldn’t make himself turn around. He’d been unfair to her from the very beginning.

Ethan sank into the chair and turned on his notebook. He hadn’t checked his email for too long. This might be the best time to do so. Time to find out what was hot in the world right now.

His eyes fell to the first mail, and Ethan’s heart started to pound. It was a Google alert he had for Alex. It had been months since he’d heard anything about Alex. Ethan felt like crying.

 

SSBadgeTour Dates/Tour Stops:

24-Nov

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

The Hat Party

25-Nov

BFD Book Blog

25-Nov

Bayou Book Junkie

26-Nov

Up All Night, Read All Day

MM Good Book Reviews

27-Nov

Parker Williams

3 Chicks After Dark

28-Nov

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Love Bytes 

 

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of Slippery Slope. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided below for all contest details and for the entry form.

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Love’s in the Air with Renee George and Kiss My Ash! (book tour and contest)

KMABanner300x250

Book Name: Kiss My Ash
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George

Author Bio:

Multi-published, best-selling author Renee George has been a factory worker, an army medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing stories about sexy alpha men is the BEST job she’s ever had. When she turned thirty, she went back to college and earned her BA in creative writing. She has been married to the love of her life, a wonderful man who supports in every way, for over half her life (and that is a VERY long time!). She happily lives in a small, Midwest town with her husband, two needy dogs and a very independent cat. Anything else you want to know, just ask. She’ll give you all the nitty gritty dirt.

Author Contact:

Publisher: Ellora’s CaveKiss my Ash_FINAL_HiRes

Sales Links: http://www.ellorascave.com/kiss-my-ash.html

Kiss My Ash Blurb:

A werewolf who’s hairless in full shift.

A water sprite who can’t hold his shape at the slightest touch of water.

An ash-tree nymph with a black thumb who kills every bit of flora in her vicinity.

That’s Fortunate, Missouri, in a nutshell—the town for abnormal paranormals. Nymph Romy, however, can one-up them all—her particular flaw is killing her. But thanks to a possible love spell, the wolf and the water sprite could be Romy’s key to cheating death. And the three misfits may find that even imperfect creatures can still create a sexy, loving, perfect union.

Inside Scoop: Sol, Romy and Lucien love each other—emotionally, spiritually and physically. Which means both ménage and male/male action. You lucky reader, you.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Categories: Bisexual, Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Romance

Ellora’s Cave Publishing note:  “Kiss My Ass” Excerpt is only for those who are 18 years of age and older: By reading further, you state that you are 18 years of age or above:

An Excerpt From: KISS MY ASH
Copyright © RENEE GEORGE, 2014
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Mathias was a korrigan, a fairy dwarf, and to his detriment, he’d been born male. An abomination amongst the korrigans, who were always female. Even his own mother had wanted him dead, but you can’t kill an immortal.

When he finally strolled out from behind the counter, his height no more than four feet, he held a red clay pot filled to the brim with a dark, loamy soil. Carefully, he handed it to Romy. “Here.”

She stepped away. “And what the hell am I supposed to do with dirt?” Maybe Mathias was tired of her bringing back dead plant after dead plant. It didn’t matter how much she watered the damn things, fed them, or even talked to them—none survived. She’d stopped giving them names after a while, awash with guilt and shame over each death.

His red eyes sparkled with excitement. “In this soil, there is a very special seed, my girl. Very rare and unique. I’m entrusting you with its care.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. There is no way in hell I’m taking on a ‘rare and unique’ plant. No. No. No. Give me a hardy shrub or weed. Better yet, maybe a cabbage. I won’t feel so bad about a cabbage when it croaks.”

Romy was a dryad; specifically, an ash tree nymph. Which meant, in theory, plants should flourish around her, but she couldn’t even keep her own tree alive. Her mother had postulated it had something to do with the sperm donor, aka Romy’s biological father, but the elder dryad had refused to say more on the subject. Tree nymphs were traditionally a love-’em-and-leave-’em race of females. They didn’t get involved with beings they considered no more than means to an end. Males born to tree nymphs always developed into the same race as the male halves of the couplings, while the females were always dryads.

Unfortunately, something had gone very wrong in the making of Romy. It hadn’t taken long after the dryad equivalent of puberty set in before her people had decided she was toxic.

She pushed the pot back to Mathias. “Uh-uh. You’ve seen my track record.”

When her “birth defect” had eventually started to affect the trees of her forest six months ago, Romy had been summarily kicked out by the other dryads. Of course, her people had called it a “long, extended respite” and sent her to the town of Fortunate, Missouri.

The moniker, over the years, had become a joke. The town had been named after the Fortunate Isles, also called the Isles of the Blessed, and had been used for more than two hundred years as a dumping ground for the “paranormally challenged”. Those who didn’t fit in with their own kind were sent to Fortunate to finish out their days. For immortals like Mathias, the end of days was a long-ass time.

For Romy, well…without a tree to tend, she wouldn’t live another year, the chlorophyll drying in her veins. The plants were test subjects for her, to see if she could sustain life. So far, they’d served only to help ease the ache of dying. But as far as tending plants and making them flourish, she failed constantly.

For Mathias to trust her with a “special” plant…no way was she taking on that kind of responsibility.

It was one thing to kill a common houseplant, but a whole ’nother thing to be responsible for something “rare and unique”. Was Mathias crazy? Romy shook her head again. “I can’t. Don’t you have an air plant or something? Hell, those suckers don’t even require watering.”

He patted her hands, his fingers soothing and gentle. “Ah, but my dear, I hope this may be the answer to—”

Mathias’ explanation was cut off by a barking baritone. “Ah, shit!”

Romy put the pot on the counter as she scooted around Mathias to see who the unfamiliar voice belonged to.

In the greenhouse area beyond the main shop, two long, well-muscled legs and a firm ass, all packaged in perfectly tight jeans, stood nestled between two rows of plants.

“Hello,” Romy said.

The owner of the legs and ass straightened, making him a foot taller than Romy. And oh goddess, did he have an upper body and face to go with the lower half—thickly muscled chest and broad shoulders crowned by a face with bow lips, a Roman nose and the brightest green eyes. All framed by messy, shiny black hair that fell about his shoulders. It was as if the gods had decided to create perfection.

Ridiculous though—they would never do that. But hot damn, they’d come pretty close.

“Uh, hello yourself,” he said back, dusting his palms against his jeans.

His really low voice, which would have better suited a grizzly bear, sent a humming through Romy that made her body sing.
“What have you done now, Lucien?” Mathias asked when he walked into the back. His presence was enough to break the harmony, and Romy snapped out of her new-guy-induced daze.

“What a great name.” She smiled. It made her feel foolish, but she couldn’t punch down the giddiness.

“It’s a name.” He shrugged then leaned over again, which gave Romy another clear shot of his fabulous ass. When he stood once more, he held a small plant, cradling the roots carefully. He looked at Mathias. “I broke the pot, but the fern is fine.”

Lucien had a slight accent, but Romy couldn’t put her finger on the origin. If possible, it made the young man even more exotic and mysterious.

Mathias shook his head, making his red beard sweep his chest. “Where’s Sol?”

“I’m here!” Sol Winter, who’d been working for Mathias long before Romy had moved to Fortunate, stepped out from behind the last row of plants. He wore a baby-blue polo shirt that matched his light-blue eyes. It also complemented his tan, a deep golden bronze. Natural, according to him. Strange for an elf, but who was Romy to judge? His long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail. He often wore it down and spilling over his shoulders, but generally had it tied back for work.

Sol was taller than Lucien by several inches and a little broader. His smile brightened when he saw Romy. “Hey, you.” His mouth turned down in sympathy. “Kill another one?”

They’d had a strange relationship ever since Romy had arrived in Fortunate, which generally involved spirited banter and sarcasm. Even when the conversation turned a little mean, Romy was still thankful for Sol. He was the closest thing she had to a friend.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Nice.” He raised a brow. “Bitchy much?”

Even though she was certain Sol was gay, it didn’t stop her from having some wicked fantasies about him. After all, the man was hot-hot and knew how to dress. “Takes one to know one.”

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the oak this morning.” Sol scooped a handful of topsoil and pitched it at her.

“Oh no you didn’t.” In retaliation, Romy grabbed a nearby hose and squeezed the nozzle trigger, dowsing Sol where he stood.

“Stop!” Lucien yelled.

Too late. At Lucien’s shout, Romy turned, the spray of water slapping across the man’s face—and Lucien instantly melted into a clear puddle on the greenhouse floor.

Mortified, she dropped the hose. “Oh no!” She shook her head and stumbled forward. “What have I done?” Not only was she a plant killer, apparently she was a man killer as well.

Two lips formed in the clear pool. “I’m fine. Really.”

KMABadgeWords: 27,000
Tour Dates: November 26

Tour Stops:  Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Molly Lolly, The Hat Party, BFD Book Blog, For the Love of Bookends, Love Bytes, Tara Lain, Regular Guys, Hot Romance, It’s Raining Men, My Fiction Nook, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Decadent Delights, Havan Fellows, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Kimber Vale, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Queer Town Abbey

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Virtual Book Tour: Laura Stone and her release, The Bones of You (book tour and contest)

VBT_TheBonesOfYou_Banner

The Bones of You

by Laura Stone

Laura Stone is here today with her latest release, The Bones of You.  I got a chance to ask her some questions about her inspiration for this story, and much more.  Check out the blurb and excerpt and don’t forget to click on the Rafflecopter link to enter the contest.

 

Laura Stone is giving away a $25 Interlude Press GC to one randomly drawn winner and multi-format copies of THE BONES OF YOU to ten randomly winners via Rafflecopter. One randomly chosen host will win a $25 Interlude Press GC.  Use this Rafflecopter link to enter.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Interview with Laura Stone…

What was your inspiration for the story? The Bones Of You is actually the title of a song by an English alternative rock band, Elbow. It’s just a beautiful, romantic piece of music about a man suddenly stopped in his tracks by the memory of a former love, one he’d believed he’d gotten over. I just could not get that idea out of my mind, and that’s something I think we all do at some point with old lovers: what are they up to now? Would we work as a couple now? I wanted to explore what that could be like for two people who stopped being together not because they stopped loving each other, but because life wasn’t working for them. And now, living on different sides of an ocean, how could it work again?

Do you have a muse? Without question, it’s music. I love big, sweeping epic rock songs, classical music, you name it, I love it. Music has always been a part of my life growing up, and every song always tells a story to me, even if it’s just orchestral. When one of those stories won’t leave me, I have to sit and write it out.

Do you work on one project at a time or many? In the past I’ve only worked on one project at a time, but now, if I get stuck, I’ll pick up something else and work on it, usually something like a short story, just to keep the creative juices flowing.

Hero or Antihero?  Who would you chose and why? You know, this is going to be corny and uncool, but the Hero. I think I’ve had my fill of the tortured past as an excuse for bad behavior and trying to help change them. How about we stick with the person who’s already become the good guy from the start? So uncool, I know. Now, who am I fascinated by… That’s a different story! But choose? Gimmie the hero!VBT_TheBonesOfYou_CoverBanner

People say write what you know.  Do you think that is right or even important? This is one of those phrases people bandy about, and I think it does a massive disservice to new writers. I mean, if authors had to stick to “writing what they know,” then Thomas Harris has a lot to answer for with his Hannibal Lecter! I think a better idea is to write what you want to know about. Research, educate yourself, and go! But I will say that you should write the emotions that you know. But setting? Place? Time? Nah, have fun!

What is the first book you read that really meant something to you? Hand’s down, it’s Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery was formative for my humor, my sense of fantasy, gosh, the types of friendships I wanted! Everyone deserves a Diana Berry. Anne was someone who dreamed and hoped like I did. It was such a relief to “meet” a character in a book that felt the way I did about life.

What do you find sexy in a man? How much time do we have? Ha! I love a confident man, one who isn’t posturing or peacocking for attention. A man that is confident in himself doesn’t feel the need to put other people down, doesn’t put himself above his partner, and knows that when he reaches out, they’ll reach back. A great set of (long, strong) legs and a broad set of shoulders doesn’t hurt, either!

What’s next up for you? I’m working on two different books, in fact. One is contemporary, our protagonist Becca has been dealing with the grief of losing her ex and struggling with when it’s okay to move on. (The beautiful and fun Dani Torres isn’t making it easy to resist.) The other is set in the mid-1800s, and is based off an actual gravesite in Tombstone, Arizona where two cowboys insisted on being buried together. Turns out that being homosexual and a cowboy was pretty common back then. Who knew?

Cover_The Bones of YouTHE BONES OF YOU
by Laura Stone

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The Bones of You BLURB:

Oliver Andrews was wholly focused on the final stages of his education at Cambridge University when a well-meaning friend up-ended his world with a simple email attachment: a clip from a U.S. morning show.

The moment he watches the video of his one-time love Seth Larsen, now a Broadway star, Oliver must begin making a series of choices that could lead him back to love—or break his heart.

The Bones of You is full of laughter and tears, with a collection of irritated Hungarians, flirtatious Irishwomen, and actors abusing Shakespeare that color Oliver and Seth’s attempts at reconciliation.

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The Bones of You Excerpt 

And that’s when he heard it, a beautiful voice that was painfully familiar. God, that sounds just like… He dropped the satchel–the papers thankfully stowed away–and turned to his computer screen. It felt like time had stopped, that it took him forever to see proof on the screen that he’d heard what he thought he had heard. That’s when he saw him.

Oliver immediately forgot that he needed to get to campus, that he had a mountain of work ahead of him, that he’d not even eaten yet. Seth. Seth, his first love, his first, well, everything, was on his computer screen, singing. And if he’d thought Seth had a beautiful voice as a teenager, that was nothing to how he sounded now. Clearly his time at Juilliard and whatever he’d done after had developed his voice into something truly special, almost otherworldly.

Oliver gripped the computer with both hands, his face close to the screen, breath trapped in his aching chest. Seth, tall and lean, his pretty, still-boyish face aglow from the joy of performing, was in the middle of the studio, hands clasped in front of him, eyes closed and head tilted slightly as he sang a song Oliver wasn’t familiar with. He didn’t care; he was transfixed by the line of Seth’s long throat, how the fitted shirt he was wearing accentuated the breadth of his shoulders, the small smile on his face as he sang. It was Seth, but now so much more than the captivating boy he had loved all those years ago.

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Laura StoneAUTHOR Bio and Links:

A life-long fan girl, Laura Stone takes a leave of absence from the glamorous life of motherhood while the kids were in school, devoting her days to writing full-time. In the past she’s worn the hat of actress, Master Gardener, and computer geek, but now sticks mostly to a Texas Ranger’s ball cap as she raises her children. They’re not fully raised, but then again, she would say that she isn’t either.

She began telling stories to her parents at the age of four. She was so successful in catching her parent’s attention that her father actually dislocated his back, trying not to sit on her imaginary cat, Doka.

She lives in Texas as proof that it’s not totally populated by hard-line right-wingers—and because that’s where the good tamales are from.

Connect with Laura:

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Join in the Mystery Hunt with Charlie Cochrane’s The Best Corpse for the Job (tour and contest)

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Do you love mysteries?  Are  British “Cozies” mysteries must reads?  Then Charlie Cochrane has just written a mystery for you! Today Charlie Cochrane has stopped by to talk about writing, story locations, and of course, The Best Corpse for the Job!  Check it all out below and don’t forget to leave a comment with an email address to be entered in the contest.

Saving my bacon – tales of the eleventh hour by Charlie Cochrane

All of us make mistakes in our writing. Sometimes it’s just about making assumptions, like the provenance of the word blizzard. It sounds nice and old and sort of Shakespearean, so it never occurred to me to check whether my nice gay Regency vicar could use “blizzard” in my short story “The Shade on a Fine Day”. Turns out he couldn’t, as it’s late Victorian, of US origin. Rats. I’m not alone, though – PD James has allegedly featured a motorbike reversing down a road, when they don’t have reverse gear.

I’ve been saved from making a major blooper on several occasions. The little voice in your head which tells you to double check something should never be ignored. For example, I set Lessons in Seduction in and around Pegwell Bay, Kent. As a child, I used to go on day trips there from Ramsgate when we were on holiday and in my memory, the access to the beach was flat. My memory lied to me, as I discovered when I looked at pictures of the place – there were cliffs. Luckily I had time to go back and change some of the relevant bits of the story before sending it off, but it was a close shave.

I had just such an experience relating to “The Best Corpse for the Job”. In the original draft, the people who turn up to process the crime scene were called SOCOs (Scenes of Crimes Officers), but recently those title changed to CSIs (Crime Scene Investigators). In another bout of good fortune, I was out at a barbecue with someone whose daughter was a SOCO turned CSI, so I could pick her brain about what things should be called now. Thank goodness for word processing, “find and replace”, and all the other blessings of modern writing!

The other peculiar thing which happened when writing the story is related to the name of the school where the first murder takes place. To put it in context, the governors of a school in a typically leafy, middle England type of village are recruiting a new headteacher and one of the candidates gets done in. I called the school…well, I won’t tell you what I called it originally, because it was awfully like the name of a real village school. I do some freelance training and blow me down with a feather if I didn’t get asked, just at the time I was drafting Best Corpse, to go and do some training at (you’ve guessed it!) that place I will refer to simply as “a real village school”. It gets funnier. The training I was asked to take was “Selecting and Interviewing Headteachers”.

Find and replace, find and replace, find and replace…

About The Best Corpse for the JobBest Corpse for the Job cover

Tea and sympathy have never been so deadly.

Schoolteacher Adam Matthews just wants to help select a new headteacher and go home. The governors at Lindenshaw St Crispin’s have already failed miserably at finding the right candidate, so it’s make or break this second time round. But when one of the applicants is found strangled in the school, what should have been a straightforward decision turns tempestuous as a flash flood in their small English village.

Inspector Robin Bright isn’t thrilled to be back at St. Crispin’s. Memories of his days there are foul enough without tossing in a complicated murder case. And that handsome young teacher has him reminding himself not to fraternize with a witness. But it’s not long before Robin is relying on Adam for more than just his testimony.

As secrets amongst the governors emerge and a second person turns up dead, Robin needs to focus less on Adam and more on his investigation. But there are too many suspects, too many lies, and too many loose ends. Before they know it, Robin and Adam are fighting for their lives  and  their hearts.

About Charlie Cochrane

As Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes, with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes, MLR and Cheyenne.
Charlie’s Cambridge Fellows Series of Edwardian romantic mysteries was instrumental in her being named Author of the Year 2009 by the review site Speak Its Name. She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, International Thriller Writers Inc and is on the organising team for UK Meet for readers/writers of GLBT fiction. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

Connect with Charlie:

Giveaway Contest:

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for an e-book from Charlie Cochrane’s backlist (excepting The Best Corpse for the Job). Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 29. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.   However, you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Don’t forget to leave an email address where you can be contacted if selected in the body of your comment.

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You can follow Charlie Cochrane on her The Best Corpse for the Job tour here!

On Tour with Aria Grace’s “Choosing Happy” Book tour and contest

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Check out the latest M/M Romance from Aria Grace.  We have an exclusive excerpt for our readers and a contest with several prizes for you to enter.

Book Name: Choosing Happy
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Aria Grace

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Aria enjoys the year round sunshine and laid back environment of the west coast. She lives with her husband and two children on a quiet hill that gives her lots of time to read and write. Her first series was a semi-traditional look at sexy gigs found online. She has now ventured into the exciting M/M world of gay erotica. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to drop her a note or visit her at http://www.ariagracebooks.com.

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/aria.grace.37
http://facebook.com/ariagracebooks
@ariagracebooks

CHPublisher: Surrendered Press
Cover Artist: Sexy Men Pix

Sales Links:  Amazon  iTunes    Nook   Smashwords

  Choosing Happy Blurb:

Book 3 of the More Than Friends Series. Can be read in sequence or as a standalone.  (Book #1 is free)

Steve is living in Portland with many regrets. He has alienated the people he cares most about by making bad choices that continue to haunt him. When he meets a kid that’s in a bad relationship and needs some help, Steve reluctantly offers it, knowing it’s his chance to redeem himself. What he doesn’t expect is to find happiness. It’s there, all he has to do it choose to accept it. 

For mature readers.

Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance\

Choosing Happy Exclusive Excerpt:

I hit the snooze button for the first time since high school. Always an early riser, I never sleep past six so when I crack an eyelid and see it’s seven fifteen, I groan. After a quick shower to wake up, I step into a pair of old jeans and grab the first t-shirt my fingers touch then run down the steps. The bike needs gas so I get in my truck instead and drive the six miles to work.

Having become more of a slave to technology than I’d like to admit, I’m walking and texting Allen when I hear a tiny voice.

“Hi.”

Startled, I look up and see my little duck huddled in the shadows behind my cart.

He’s curled in a tiny ball against the generator and looks like hell.

“Hey, kid.” I kneel down in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

Tears flood his eyes as he looks away. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

In the dim light, I couldn’t see his battered face but when I brush his hair aside and see a line of caked blood that crosses from the middle of his scalp to his cheek bone, I want to kill someone. “Did that prick do this to you?”

He won’t look at me. By the way he flinches, I know he’s scared. I take a deep breath and lean back on my haunches. “We should go to the police. I’ll take you.”

“No.” He jumps up and backs away, ready to bolt. “I’m sorry I came here. I’m fine.”

The way he’s limping pisses me off even more but I force a steady voice. “Okay, okay. No cops.” I slowly reach forward and hold my hand out to him, praying he’ll take it.

With a tentative step, he walks to me and lets me guide him into the trailer that serves as my shop.

 

 Pages: 36,000 words

2Choosing HappyBadgeTour Dates/Stops:

17-Nov

Parker Williams

17-Nov

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

18-Nov

The Hat Party

18-Nov

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

19-Nov

Regular Guys, Hot Romance

19-Nov

Amanda C. Stone

20-Nov

MM Good Book Reviews

20-Nov

Molly Lolly

21-Nov

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

24-Nov

Wake Up Your Wild Side

24-Nov

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

25-Nov

Love Bytes

26-Nov

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

27-Nov

  • Contest: Rafflecopter Prize:
    $25 amazon or itunes gift card (sent electronically) and signed paperback of any Aria Grace Book (shipped within US)
  • International winners can receive 2 free Aria Grace ebooks of their choice via amazon.com instead of a paperback.

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Winner Announcements and its almost Thanksgiving

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The Rush is On!

Thanksgiving almost here and the rush is on for getting all things ready whether it is shopping for ingredients, finalizing the menus and guest lists, traveling to family and loved ones.  Whatever is on your agenda, this is the week we are all scurrying to get it done.

And then its December.  Oh my.

So Happy Thanksgiving for those of us in the US and Ex pats Abroad!

And Happy Reading to all and to all a Good night!

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STRW Winner Announcements:

Meredith Shayne’s winners were:
Ist Prize – Paperback – Denise D.
2nd Prize – $10 BDP Voucher – H.B.
3 x 3rd Prize – ebook – Trinitee M., Lisa G., Shelly H.

Susan MacNicol’s “Love You Senseless” Winner is Serena S

Sarah Madison’s ” Walk A Mile” Winner is Bronwyn H.

Our Schedule this Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, November 24, 2014:

  • MelanieM Review: Who Knows The Storm by Tere Michaels
  • Choosing Happy by Aria Grace Excerpt Tour and Contest
  • A PaulB Review: Galactic Treasure (Earth Con #2) by Theodora Marie Adams

Tuesday, November 25, 2014:

  • TB: Bailey Bradford Off Course Book tour
  •  Charlie Cochrane’s No Better Corpse for the Job Book Tour
  • Sloan Johnson Teach Me Cover Reveal and Release Date Announcement‏
  • A MelanieM Review: Radiant Burn by Laura Harner (PF2014)

Wednesday, November 26, 2014:

  • VBT: The Bones of You by Laura Stone.‏  Tour and contest
  • Renee George ‘Kiss My Ash’, Book tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall
  • A PaulB Review: Ciro by Remmy Duchene

Thursday, November 27,2014 – Happy Thanksgiving!:

  • A MelanieM Review: Manipulation by Eden Winters
  • A Sammy Review: Thunder Snow by Owen Keehnen
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Third Eye by Rick R. Reed

Friday, November 28, 2014:

  • Share the Love – Lucky Strike by Jane Davitt -book tour and contest
  • A PaulB Review: “Unjustified Claims (Hidden Wolves #3)” by Kaje Harper
  • Iyana Jenna ‘Slippery Slope’ Excerpt Tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Chestnuts Roating Anthology (Angel Martinez, Freddy Mackay, Toni Griffin

Saturday, November 29, 2014:

  • Texas Fall (Texas #6) – RJ Scott Book Tour and Contest