A MelanieM Review: Why I Trust You by Colette Davison

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Martin is the larger than life funny guy, the one who’s quick to soothe other’s pain, whilst hiding his own. He wants nothing more than to find ‘the one’, but his love life consists of a string of break-ups. He’s close to giving up on love, until he meets Ryan online, the artist whose work speaks to his soul. There are just two problems: Ryan already has a boyfriend and he lives in California, which is one hell of a long way from England.

Working with Martin to develop a game is supposed to be purely business; a way for Ryan to earn the money to leave his abusive boyfriend. Except, he finds himself falling for the enigmatic Englishman. Wondering what kind of spark there might be if they were in the same country is one thing, escaping his boyfriend is another.

Wounded by their past relationships, Martin and Ryan have to learn to trust each other in order to have a chance at building a future together.

I am a real fan of this series by Colette Davison so I’m always excited to see a new one released. Why I Trust You is centered around Martin, friend of Noah and Fin from Why I Need You (a favorite story of mine).   Martin is well off, having managed his money carefully and invested wisely in new projects that pay off handsomely.  However, all his romantic interests can see him as is their money ticket to an easy life.  And this inability to find someone to see himself for himself  has made him lonely and wary.

I liked Martin but I did wonder about his love life. Here, there are agencies and people who vet/screen out some of the potential gold diggers he seems to have dated.  Hell, even Match.com might have done a better job.  So a sort a narrative red flag was raised for me there.  Don’t they have that in the UK?

Anyhow, over in the US ,  Ryan is being severely abused by his boyfriend of 8 years.  Little by little, through mental and emotional manipulations by Zane, Ryan has removed himself from his friends and all his support system, turned over his bank accounts and credit cards,  and is now completely isolated and feeling ashamed.  He’s also being beaten.  Please note if this is one of your triggers.  From Ryan’s perspective, he has that victim’s mentality that comes from being controlled for such a long period of time and the feeling that he let it happen. He knows he needs to escape but where to and how. It’s  gut wrenching to read, especially when you think of all the people out there in the same situation.

All this feels so realistic due to Davison’s fine writing and ability to make us emphasize with her characters.  We believe in them and care greatly what happens to them.

An ad to create and illustrate characters for a new mobile action game is the ticket to meeting Martin and Ryan’s path out of his relationship.  I will leave the details of the  journey to the story.

I really enjoyed this novel and the relationship that built up between the characters.  I think the author “did” all the right things here with Ryan and Martin.  Martin realizing that Ryan needed someone other than him to talk to about the effects of years of domestic violence will leave on a person and suggestion he see a psychologist.  I wish it hadn’t dropped there but at least that suggestion was made.  Martin giving Ryan his space.  All the time spent in London…just lovely.  Some of the best parts of the book actually.

I think my reason for not connecting more with this story or giving it higher ratings is the manner in which the whole domestic violence issue was dealt with.  I’m surprised that there was fully applied BWS or battered woman syndrome which pertains equally to men or women and includes PTSD.  If you  are going to make this a major element in your stories, then I feel you should include a  realistic followup.  That often includes long term PTSD which makes sense for those used to being beaten on a daily basis which Ryan was for years.  The effects of that upon body and mind does not dissipate within months.

That doesn’t happen here  other than a mention or two.  It sort of goes away.  Like his abuser.  Especially one in control of a bank account, credit card, and access to your essential data. Again, that does not add up either.  Look up the statistics.  And I hate loose ends.  So unless the author is planning a sequel to Martin and Ryan’s story, this felt like a huge narrative hole that bumped along all the way to the end.

So while I liked Martin and Ryan and enjoyed their romance, some of the elements included needed a little more expansion and resolution for me to place it up with the other two stories which I totally adored.

Cover art is nice but again not a fan.  Both Martin and Ryan wanted to see each other on equal standing together finally. .  It would have been nice to see that reflected on the cover.Instead you have Martin over top Ryan.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads  

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 363 pages
Published April 23rd 2018 by Smudged Ink Press
ASINB07C1SL22R
Edition Language English

Series:

Why I Left You 

Why I Need You

Why I Trust You

A Stella Review: Alaska (Sawyer’s Ferry #1) by Cate Ashwood

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

Nobody says no to a Prescott.

Not even one of their own.

Holden:
Living up to expectations had never been easy, but when I went after something, I got it. Success. Money. Victory. I was standing on the doorstep to having it all. There was only one thing standing in my way.

Gage:
Power and prosperity are overrated. Especially when they come at a price. When enough became enough, I walked away. Nothing had ever tempted me to look back, until one day the past showed up in my backyard.

I’m not so sure I can walk away a second time.

Finally a book that truly satisfied me and left my heart full. I’m so happy Cate Ashwood wrote Alaska, she did an amazing work and missed nothing. A perfectly written book, with well defined characters, a good plot, clear and real chemistry and love between the MCs, hot sex scenes, a dreamy ending. And so much more. What else could I request?

Gage and Holden conquered my heart from the beginning, I was caught into their minds and was so curious to know how they were going to get their HEA, I couldn’t put my Kindle down. Maybe for the first time I’m glad the blurb told me pretty much nothing, that’s why I’m not going to reveal nothing in this review. Just know it will be almost impossible to be disappointed by the story, it’s funny, sweet and sexy, an easy read, with just a tiny bit of drama. I loved Alaska, every words and every characters. I can’t wait for the next book and the next couple to love.

With this first installment in the new Sawyer’s Ferry series, the author gave me everything I want to find in a story. It was a huge success and I can’t stop myself from recommending it to all of you. I think I’m going to reread it right this second.

The cover art by the same author is lovely, I can see Gage in the model even if his face is eyes are cut off.

SALE LINKS:  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 183 pages

Published April 22nd 2018 by Cate Ashwood

ASIN B07CKMRZ1J

Edition Language English

Ari McKay on Mates and the new release Forged in Fire (Asheville Arcana #2) by Ari McKay (author guest blog)

Forged in Fire (Asheville Arcana #2) by Ari McKay
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Aaron Anderson

Sales Links:     Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Ari of Ari McKay here today, back talking about the second story in the Asheville Arcana series, Forged in Fire.  Welcome, Ari.

♦︎

Hello everyone! I’m Ari, of Ari McKay, and I’m really excited that Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is hosting us for the very first blog post for the upcoming release of Forged in Fire, book two of the Asheville Arcana series from Dreamspinner Press!

If you read Out of the Ashes, book one in the series, you’re already familiar with one of our boys, Whimsy Hickes. Whimsy is a mage specializing in transformation magic, and he has been “friends with benefits” for a few years with Arden Gilmarin and Julian Schaden. But Arden found his mate, Eli Hammond, in Out of the Ashes, and Julian… well, Julian isn’t exactly the romantic sort. For the first time in a while Whimsy finds himself without the comfort and support of a lover, but he’s not really interested in hook ups. Seeing what Arden and Eli found together, he wants to find someone to love.

Enter Harlan Edgewood. Harlan is a “true” werewolf, rather than being a shapeshifter like Eli and the others. Eli was born a human, and he has bitten by a possessed wolf shifter, which turn him into a cursed creature who painfully transforms every full moon, rather than at will like the others. He’s a man who survives on the border of two worlds, the human and the shifter, without really belonging fully to either.

Harlan meets Whimsy, and Harlan feels himself drawn to the mage, his lupine half taking notice of Whimsy in a way that is both overwhelming and frightening. But it’s not until Julian angers Harlan enough to goad him into an unexpected transformation that Harlan learns the truth — his wolf wants Whimsy as its mate.

Being human, Whimsy doesn’t feel the same pull Harlan does, but he is sympathetic to what Harlan is going through. Plus, he does find Harlan attractive, and he wants to use his magic to make Harlan’s transformations easier. But while the two of them are trying to get to know one another, the danger surrounding Asheville grows stronger. The possessed shifters who attacked the Eli’s pack are back, and this time they’ve managed to possess several bear shifters. At the same time, Whimsy and the others begin to suspect that something is Not Quite Right about the Asheville Paranormal Council, most of whom seem pretty unconcerned that demons are popping up with increasing frequency.

Things quickly and frighteningly spiral out of control when Harlan is hit with a compulsion spell that puts him in mortal peril. Now Whimsy must go up against the most powerful mage in the area, in a life or death battle where not only the fate of the city hangs in the balance, but the soul of the man he’s come to love.

Whew! Lots of action and plenty of UST in this one! We hope you’ll give Forged in Fire a chance — you don’t have to have read Out of the Ashes first, though there are a few in-jokes that are funnier if you have. But if you were hoping and waiting for Whimsy to find his man, this is the story for you! ❤

BLURB:

 

The magic touch.

 

Ever since Harlan Edgewood was bitten by a possessed werewolf, his monthly shifts have been agonizing. When he meets Whimsy Hickes—a mage who specializes in transformation—the attraction is mutual. But Harlan believes his curse is too great a burden to inflict on any romantic partner.

 

Fortunately, Whimsy thinks he can help.

 

When Harlan is provoked into an unexpected change, Whimsy uses his magic to help ease Harlan’s pain, but with an unexpected consequence. While he’s shifted, Harlan’s wolf claims Whimsy as his mate.

 

As they draw closer, suspicious events in the Asheville magical community escalate. Shifters are disappearing, others are murdered, and Harlan’s curse makes him an obvious target. It will take all of Whimsy’s magic to force back the rising evil—and if he fails, Harlan will lose not only his life, but his very soul.

About the Authors

Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.

Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.

McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.

AUTHOR CONTACTS:

Website: http://arimckay.wordpress.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ari-Mckay/266185570179748

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ari.mckay.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriMcKay1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6153630.Ari_McKay

K.C. Burn on her Favorite Firefighter stories and her new release ‘Set Ablaze’ (author guest blog and giveaway)

Set Ablaze by K.C. Burn
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Jennifer Vance

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have KC Burn here today sharing her top 5 firefighter romances and talking about her new release Set Ablaze.  Welcome, KC.

♦︎

 

Hello! I’m KC Burn and I’m thrilled to be at Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words today to celebrate the release of my newest book, Set Ablaze.

There aren’t many hero types I won’t read about. And I’m pretty equal opportunity about the ones I do love (although blind heroes and nerd/geek heroes are probably my absolute favourites). But firefighters are pretty damned… well… hot! I’m not sure how I’d feel about having a firefighter significant other in real life, what with all the danger and shift work, but to read about ‘em? Yes, please!

Set Ablaze features a firefighter hero – Hayden Hurst, and because of that, I thought I’d share a list of my top 5 firefighter romances. I bet one of the books on my list is on EVERYONE’S list! And I know there are a lot more good ones out there than what I’ve listed.

In no particular order…

  • Hot Head by Damon Suede
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate by R. Cooper
  • Love Happens Anyway by RJ Scott
  • By The Numbers by Chris Owen & Tory Temple
  • Fire Balls by Tara Lain

Let’s hear about your favourite firefighters! I could use some reading recommendations!

Blurb:

California firefighter Hayden Hurst is starting to realize there’s more to life than fighting fires and drinking with his buddies. He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends.”

Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at seventeen. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.

The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hayden knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.

Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.

Set Ablaze is available at Dreamspinner Press and Amazon.

About the Author

KC Burn has been writing for as long as she can remember and is a sucker for happy endings (of all kinds).  After moving from Toronto to Florida for her husband to take a dream job, she discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled a dream of her own — getting published.  After a few years of editing web content by day, and neglecting her supportive, understanding hubby and needy cat at night to write stories about men loving men, she was uprooted yet again and now resides in California. Writing is always fun and rewarding, but writing about her guys is the most fun she’s had in a long time, and she hopes you’ll enjoy them as much as she does. 

Visit KC at her website, on Twitter, on Facebook, or find out about new releases by signing up for her newsletter.

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Release Blitz for Why I Trust You by Colette Davison (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Why I Trust You

Author: Colette Davison

Publisher:  Smudged Ink Press

Genre/s: Gay contemporary romance

Length: 76,000 words/363 pages

Release Date: April 23, 2018

It’s a standalone story but part of a loosely linked series (Why I Left You and Why I Need You)

Blurb

Martin is the larger than life funny guy, the one who’s quick to soothe other’s pain, whilst hiding his own. He wants nothing more than to find ‘the one’, but his love life consists of a string of break-ups. He’s close to giving up on love, until he meets Ryan online, the artist whose work speaks to his soul. There are just two problems: Ryan already has a boyfriend and he lives in California, which is one hell of a long way from England.

Working with Martin to develop a game is supposed to be purely business; a way for Ryan to earn the money to leave his abusive boyfriend. Except, he finds himself falling for the enigmatic Englishman. Wondering what kind of spark there might be if they were in the same country is one thing, escaping his boyfriend is another.

Wounded by their past relationships, Martin and Ryan have to learn to trust each other in order to have a chance at building a future together.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads  

Excerpt 1

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask, do you surf?”

Ryan blinked at Martin’s question, which had seemingly come out of the blue just as they were wrapping up their latest call.

He adjusted his position; the laundry room floor wasn’t exactly comfortable. “Uh, no, I can’t surf.”

Martin chuckled softly down the phone. “Isn’t that what all you guys do in California? You surf, have bleached-blond hair and golden skin, and say, ‘Totally rad, dude’ a lot.”

Ryan couldn’t stop himself laughing, which actually felt really good, though he did smother the sound with his hand. Not that anyone in the apartment block was likely to be awake at three in the morning, let alone wanting to do laundry.

“You don’t?” Martin’s voice was full of fake shock.

Ryan laughed even harder. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a hand against his ribs, taking deep breaths to try to calm himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like that.

“No,” he gasped.

“Really? Because I keep expecting you to say, ‘Cowabunga, dude.’ So, I guess pizza isn’t your favourite food, either?”

“Umm… I think you’re confusing the ‘surfer dude’ stereotype with the Ninja Turtles.” Ryan wiped his eyes. He leaned back against the washing machine he was sat in front of, careful to keep his bruised lower back from making contact with the unforgiving metal. “If that’s what you think I’m like, does that mean you wear a three-piece suit, carry an umbrella and drink tea constantly?”

“Oh, yeah,” Martin said. “That’s an absolutely spot-on description of everyone in Britain. Even the women wear tweed suits all the time.”

Ryan tried to hold the fresh burst of laughter inside him, but his ribs hurt too much to manage it. “And you’re all soccer mad.”

“Football,” Martin corrected. “And we all dunk biscuits in our tea.”

“What? Yuck. Seriously?”

“Yes,” Martin said in a very serious tone. “Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve dunked a chocolate digestive in your tea.”

Ryan grimaced. He wasn’t sure what a chocolate digestive was, but the thought of dunking a biscuit in a hot drink turned his stomach. Surely, it would just make a horrible mess? When he was a kid, his mom had given him milk and cookies, which he’d happily dunked, but cookies were way more solid than biscuits.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, not eager to ever try it out.

“You don’t have to. I’ll make you tea and biscuits if you come visit.”

About the Author  

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook 

Twitter

Bookbub

Mailing List

Giveaway

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Release Blitz and Giveaway for Ice On Fire (Treble and the Lost Boys #1) by GR Lyons

 

 
Cover Design: Designs By Dana
 
Blurb
 

Zac Cinder is on the verge of making his dream come true. His punk rock band, Inferno, might have a shot at an audition for a record deal. Fame and fortune would mean he could finally help his parents. They’d raised eight kids in a loving household while barely scraping by, so Zac is determined to give back in any way he can.


Keeping Inferno together, though, means keeping his biggest secret. His bigoted bandmates would drop him in an instant if they found out Zac was gay.


Then he meets Adrian Frost, and Zac can’t resist the shy man. Adrian gives up everything to be with Zac, but Zac can’t bring himself to do the same. He doesn’t want to lose Adrian, but he can’t give up Inferno, either. Not when he’s so close to realizing his dream.


When one cruel decision rips Adrian from his life, Zac will have to decide if ambition is worth the price of the greatest happiness he’s ever known.


(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)


WARNING: Contains scenes of self-harm that may be disturbing for some readers.

 

Author Bio


While daylighting as office manager for the family auto repair business, G.R. Lyons can often be found working on one of multiple manuscripts or desperately trying to keep up with the TBR pile.


Anarcho-capitalist, quietly ‘out’ trans guy, former belly dancer, coffee guzzler, highly-sensitive introvert, CrossFit enthusiast, and lover of m/m romantic fiction.


Email: grlyons@grlyonsauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/grlyonsauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/grlyonsauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/grlyonsauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/doumteksonata/
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/author/grlyons

A MelanieM Review: Velvet by Xavier Axelson

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When an irresistible discovery unravels the forbidden secrets of a man’s heart, the very fabric of his existence is threatened.

Virago is the royal tailor of a corrupt prince. Left to care for his blind brother, Virago devotes himself to his trade until an unexpected delivery changes his life, and a wandering minstrel knocks on his door. What he discovers will test the bonds of brotherhood and unravel the forbidden secrets of his heart.

Loosely based on the 14th Century Laws of Sumptuary, Velvet takes readers to a land where cruelty is disguised as allegiance, loyalty is masked by obligation, and the laws of sumptuary govern the people. But nothing is more dangerous than Velvet.

Velvet by Xavier Axelson has all the elements I’ve come to expect from an Xavier Axelson story.  The language is lyrical, hints of the mystical float through the narrative, and the overhaul effect is just plain haunting as a whole.

From the start, the tone is set as Virago is on board a ship.   Virago stands next to a heavily pregnant woman who’s unborn child is a seer interested in Virago.  From there, Virago recounts the journey that has led to this voyage and his strange circumstances.

From happy child with a famous, loving tailor father in a kingdom ruled by a benevolent king to a man living under the rule of a unhinged cruel despot, Virago and his brother undergo so many changes here.  Primarily Virago because he is the character who has had blinders on about so much for most of his life.  About his sexuality, about the prince and his true characters, and about those the prince has “considered his true friends and brothers”.  Things his blind brother has been aware of for far too long.

All changes  when a new fabric comes into Virago’s hands…something called velvet.  Soon an obsession and more is born just as a musician, Seton, arrives for the King’s coronation.  A sexuality awakens, forbidden by law and punishable by death.  So too does a sickness arrive in the city.

Axelson weaves a tale of revenge, cruelty, discovery, passion, and love in Velvet.  You’re never sure if this is an historical novel or if dragons will soon appear because there is an air of heavy mysticism about it that bespeaks of darkness and otherness.

As with most of Axelson’s romances, Virago and Seton find love rather quickly but here it feels natural or rather that fact is subdued under all the  other  elements here.  Perhaps it’s that all the threads are equal, the velvet vest, Virago’s feelings, the whore’s revenge, the peacocks, the court, and more.  It all builds to an uneasy crescendo.

Never was I so happy for that beginning.

Velvet will haunt you.  It leaves you with questions that will never be answered, and scenes that linger on in your mind.  That’s why I read this author.  And you should too.  I absolutely recommend Velvet as a lovely starting place.

Cover art: Winterheart Ink Designs.  Haunting, beautiful cover that is perfect for the story.

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 161 pages
Published March 24th 2018 by JMS Books LLC (first published October 25th 2012)
Original TitleVelvet
ASINB079ZXG57T

An Alisa Review: The Officer and the Vampire Chef (A Loving Nip #16) by Charlie Richards

Rating:  3.25 stars out of 5

Just a little Love Bite: When a vampire chef meets his soul mate, he must discover if the way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach.

Patrick Brown knows he’s a little odd for a vampire, enjoying cooking and dancing. It works for him, though, since he’s his vampire coven’s chef, and he loves spending hours doing both as he shimmies around his kitchen. On a routine food run he stops a robbery at his local grocer’s. To Patrick’s surprise, the blood of one of the officers calls to him like nothing ever has. He realizes the human policeman is his beloved, his soul mate. While Patrick easily scents the human’s arousal, betraying his interest, Officer Allen Robinson barely gives him the time of day. Undeterred, Patrick begins a quest to learn everything about the human, and with the help of friends, he sees him again…and again. Can Patrick figure out a way to woo his closeted cop, or will fears and prejudice destroy their chance at a future?

This was a sweet short story.  Patrick enjoys his life but desires to have to have a soul mate like many around him have found.  Allen has kept his sexuality a secret forever and his strong attraction to Patrick sends him running even farther in the closet.

Patrick tries to woo Allen but it didn’t seem to do much.  Allen knows he’s running but can’t help himself and when he sees Patrick out with some friends.  I could feel Patrick’s desire for Allen and what seemed acceptance of his fate when Allen didn’t come back after his first visit.  I was able to see Allen’s fear of coming out but didn’t really connect with him.  As expected in a short story it seemed to be tied up in a bow much faster than I would have liked but I still enjoyed this story.

The cover art by Angela Waters is nice and I love the visual of Patrick in his kitchen.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 94 pages

Published: March 2, 2018 by eXtasy Books

ISBN13: 9781487418878

Edition Language: English

Series: A Loving Nip #16

Release Blitz and Giveaway: Robbie Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton

 

 
Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Design
 
Length: 65,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

Being a fugitive in the old west shouldn’t be this much fun.


The year is 1860. Robby Riverton is a rising star on the New York stage. But he witnesses a murder by a famous crime boss and is forced to go on the run–all the way to Santa Fe. When he still hasn’t ditched his pursuers, he disguises himself as a mail order bride he meets on the wagon train. Caught between gangsters that want to kill him, and the crazy, uncouth family of his “intended”, Robby’s only ally is a lazy sheriff who sees exactly who Robby is — and can’t resist him.


Trace Crabtree took the job as sheriff of Flat Bottom because there was never a thing going on. And then Robby Riverton showed up. Disguised as a woman. And betrothed to Trace’s brother. If that wasn’t complication enough, Trace had to find the man as appealing as blueberry pie. He urges Robby to stay undercover until the danger has passed. But a few weeks of having Robby-Rowena at the ranch, and the Crabtree family will never be the same again.

 

About Eli


Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.


Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.


In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.


In 2018 Eli hopes to do more of the same, assuming they reschedule the apocalypse.


Her website is www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

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Release Blitz for The Perfect Whore by Josephine Myles (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 
Cover Design: Lou Harper
 
Length: 58,000 words approx
 
Blurb
 

Being the object of everyone’s sexual fantasies ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…

On a mining colony planet a long way from Earth, bandit Jedd Lightning dreams of making enough money to get his ship spaceworthy again. During a robbery at a high-class brothel, he meets gorgeous alien rentboy Storm and is instantly smitten—but the heist goes south and Jedd has to high-tail it out of there with only half the loot.

Enslaved by a fierce Madam, Storm’s shapeshifting talents make him the most sought after whore on Talmak. He literally can’t stop himself becoming his client’s fantasy lover. Sick of enforced transformations, he wants to escape, but he’s closely guarded and has no experience of the unfamiliar city outside the brothel.

Storm is willing—and eager—to do anything to persuade Jedd to break him out of his gilded prison. Lucky for him the arrogant outlaw needs Storm’s help to free his crewmate, held as hostage by a vicious mob boss who wants Jedd to complete the theft he was hired for. Storm keeps blowing away Jedd’s expectations—but with both the law and the mob against them, they could end up with nowhere left to run.

Excerpt

“Stick ’em up, people. This is a raid. I want all your valuables, right now…” The last words trailed away as Jedd took a really good look at the naked, sweaty couple on the bed. His target, the Right Honorable Senator Artaxico Thrublet, was on his knees behind one of the most gorgeous bodies Jedd had ever clapped eyes on. A body on hands and knees. A most decidedly human and male body…

Shit, had he gotten the wrong room? Jedd squinted at the client, trying to work out if it really was the senator. ’He was definitely Talmaki, with his lizard-like body, orange, hairless skin and bulging eyes . But no, he’d studied footage of Artaxico and recognized his large nose and the ridiculous looking rows of diamond studs up both his pointed ears.

“Hold on, just let me finish. Uh!” Artaxico shuddered to a stop, his belly wobbling as he panted obscenely. Jedd winced at the sight. He knew interspecies mating went on—everyone had heard the tales—but intellectual knowledge wasn’t the same thing as having it thrust in your face. Talmaki just weren’t his idea of sexy. Okay, there had been that one time he’d got drunk enough for a fumble in an alleyway, but the alien’s cock had been kind of scary, and things hadn’t got very far. But maybe the gorgeous young whore was used to those luminous, scaly shafts of meat. Maybe he even enjoyed them. Was he enjoying Talmaki cock right now? He was certainly hard enough.

Right now Jedd couldn’t see the expression on the whore’s face as it was buried in the mattress, but maybe that was for the best. There was no way he could be handsome enough to do that incredible body justice. No wonder the senator had decided to try him as a change from the celebrated Divine. The rentboy moaned through his own orgasm, just moments after the senator, and drenched the sheets below him in spunk.

Artaxico withdrew, revealing an intimidating length of glowing scarlet cock, then collapsed back onto the bed. He reached out to pat a perfectly formed buttock. “Run along now, sthweetie. I wouldn’t want you to get caught up in any of this nasty business.” The lad scooted down to the end of the bed facing Jedd, exposing an equally impressive prick which was filling up again in what must be a record-breaking time.

And as for his face… Suns above! Those were lips Jedd would give anything to see stretched around his dick. But no, he had a job to do, and he wasn’t about to get sidetracked by some hyper-sexed rentboy, no matter how astoundingly gorgeous he was.

“The boy stays,” Jedd ordered. Artaxico gave him a puzzled look, but Jedd pressed on. “I want your datapod and passcode, now!”

“Not a chance in hell. That passcode is top level sthecurity,” Artaxico lisped. “I really don’t imagine there’s anything an ignorant monkey like you could do that could force me to sthpeak.”

Okay, just as he’d feared, but Jedd had his back-up plan. “Oh yeah?” Jedd strode over to the bed and grabbed the lithe young man under the arm. There was a brief moment where he was distracted by the sensation of naked skin against his own, but he couldn’t afford to lose any time so he pulled the whore upright, holding the charge gun to his temple. “Your strumpet gets it if you don’t talk. And don’t think this is a bluff. I never bluff.” He pulled the lad tighter to him for emphasis, but this had the unfortunate effect of bringing more of his own body in contact with those taut muscles, and his face even closer to the thatch of chestnut curls. His nose was on a level with the top of the whore’s head, and he pulled in a lungful of the most divine, arousing musk. Feeling a familiar tightening in his pants where he brushed up against those pert buttocks, Jedd cursed his over-active libido. “I’m warning you! The code, now!”

Artaxico just laughed, a mocking bray that wound Jedd up worse than finding a firebug had crawled into his beer. “Utter nonsense! I’ve stheen killers before – by the sthuns, I employ enough of them, and you really don’t have that look in your eyes. You’re just an overgrown wassat, aren’t you?” The senator twitched his nose in a near perfect imitation of one of the pesky rodents.

Jedd fumed. First a monkey, now a wassat. He turned the gun on the senator. “Okay then, if you don’t give me that passcode this instant, you get it. I mean it!”

“Like you’ll ever be able to get it off me if I’m dead. Does that antique piece of crap even have the power to kill? Looks more like something my wife would carry to stun any overconfident admirers.”

Goddammit, how could the man tell? Jedd waved the gun as threateningly as he could. “You willing to take that risk?”

Artaxico laughed again, getting up to his feet. “What risk? There’s security everywhere in this place, you know? I’m just going to stroll out of here and call the guards, and you’re not going to do a thing to stop me.”

Oh, wasn’t he? Jedd aimed at Artaxico’s head and pulled the trigger. “Ha! Not so clever now, are you?”

“Is he going to be all right? That was just a stun, wasn’t it? “ The godlike young man had a voice to match his physique—a rich and sultry baritone that rumbled against Jedd’s breastbone.

The senator snored before Jedd had a chance to answer, and the lad melted back against him, sighing with what sounded like relief. Their close contact made a certain part of Jedd’s body grow stiffer while the rest seemed to want to melt into a puddle.

Would the rentboy mind sneaking in a quickie? Jedd would even pay if he had to, the lad was that gorgeous. Or would the stun charge have set off the internal alarm system? Probably best not to risk dawdling too long.

Still, seemed a shame to waste a moment like this now that Artaxico was unable to interfere. Jedd loosened his hold and let the young man turn in his arms. Holy fuck, Jedd could feel the whore’s massive erection prodding his thigh.

He took a deep breath, forced it out. Focus. Not here. Not now. Just gather information. “Captain Jedd Lightning, at your service. And who might you be, gorgeous creature?”

The man chuckled, stepping away from him and turning to fix him with a pair of intensely soulful deep green eyes. “My working name’s Divine, but you can call me Storm.”

“Divine? But… You’re meant to be a girl!” Jedd spluttered.

The young man gave a maddening, secretive smile. “Divine can be whoever you want, Captain. Divine is simply the title of your ideal lover.”

“So they swap you around depending on what the johns want? There are other Divines?”

“Something like that. But please, call me Storm.” A plaintive note sounded in his voice and his lower lip jutted in an almost-pout. “No one ever does these days.”

Storm. It suited him, as there was a wildness in those eyes that Jedd thought he recognized, something he glimpsed in his own reflection every morning. Focusing on Storm’s eyes proved a challenge, though, when there was all that naked flesh to feast his gaze on. Smooth, bronzed skin, with just enough hair between those dark nipples to make him want to run his fingers through it. Jedd’s gaze followed the trail down all the way to the most majestic cock he’d ever seen. It reached up invitingly, as if seeking Jedd’s hand.

“You have quite an imagination, don’t you?” Storm said, staring down at himself as if in fascination.

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. Sheís beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Joís novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs, an incessantly curious pre-schooler, and a bun in the oven!

Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author
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