Category: Book Reviews

Release Day Blitz for Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen (excerpt and giveaway)

Pirates! The name alone conjures up swashbuckling adventure and a thrilling life on the high seas. No wonder they are a well loved romantic hero. Being swept away by a pirate captain, rescuing you from the monotony of daily life is a lovely way to escape reality for a while.

This image has endured through the centuries, and later enhanced on film and screen. Pirates might have been blood thirsty scoundrels, but in a romance novel or film we’re hoping for a hero who is a bad boy with a heart of gold, or a dark past, that has driven a good man to his dastardly trade.

Pirates have long had a fascination for me, and smugglers too (but you can blame that on me being the daughter of a Cornishman). So when I first started to try to get my writing published, an anthology for pirate themed stories caught my eye and I wrote the original short story version of Captain Merric. Since then I’ve enjoyed writing many other things, but when I got my rights back it felt a shame to leave Captain Merric on my hard drive.

My initial thoughts were a quick edit and self-publish as a cheap short, but my love of writing historicals has also grown over the years and so Captain Merric got a complete rewrite, including more details of the period (early Georgian 1718). An extra 43K words later and the larger than life Captain Merric, and his stubborn Royal Navy officer will-he-won’t-he-be-lover, Daniel Horton, re-emerged.

I hope you enjoy this tale of a brooding hero, second chances with a pirate and naval officer, and their fight to get their happy ending. Drop a comment below to tell me why you love pirates and be entered into the giveaway to win a copy of an ebook from my backlist (excluding the Crofton Chronicles bundle).


Excerpt


Daniel struggled to his knees, looking up to get a view of the pirate. The sun must have affected him more than he had thought, and the figure that stood before him had to be an illusion. The face was older, and now had a beard, but belonged to that of a man who had died over fifteen years ago.He shook his head to clear his sight, but it didn’t change the vision towering over him. “I am seeing ghosts.”One of the pirates snorted. “The captain’s many things, but a ghost ain’t one of them.”Daniel blinked rapidly, but still the man he’d grieved for, a man he had once loved, stood in front of him. He could barely breathe, his heart pounding so loudly he couldn’t hear himself think or believe his own eyes. He tried to chase away the image, but he was not mistaken. The confusion bled away and was replaced by a disturbing reality. Edward Merriston was alive and well, playing pirates in the Caribbean, when Daniel had thought him lost to shipwreck all those years ago.Edward had always been tall and broad, but his time at sea had made him stronger, and the sun had bleached his long hair so it was blonder than Daniel remembered, making his blue eyes even more striking.“You’re meant to be dead,” were all the words he could manage.

Edward’s eyes widened, and a look of disbelief flashed across his face. “You’re not the first one to have said that and won’t be the last to wish it.”

 
Universal Buy Link
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 55,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

A tale of pirates, lost love, and the fight for a happy ending.


After he’s set adrift and left to die by his mutinous crew, the last person Royal Navy officer Daniel Horton expects to come to his rescue is Captain Merric. An infamous pirate, Merric is known as much for stealing his victims’ hearts as their jewels. Daniel’s world is about to be turned upside down when he recognises Captain Merric as none other than Edward Merriston, someone he thought he’d never see again.
Edward can’t believe Daniel Horton is aboard his ship. While Edward is willing to do anything he can to get a second chance at their happy ending, Daniel isn’t interested in digging up the past. But Daniel is one priceless treasure Captain Merric isn’t about to let go of without a fight.


Captain Merric first appeared as short story in a pirate-themed anthology. Now completely rewritten and extended he is ready to set sail again.



April 6 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
April 9 – Open Mind For A Different View
April 10 – The Novel Approach
April 11 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Making It Happen
April 12 – Diverse Reader
April 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed
April 14 – MM Good Book Reviews
April 16 – My Booked Filled Life, Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Velvetpanic, BooksLaidBareBoys, Bayou Book Junkie
April 17 – Love Bytes

 

Author Bio


Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.


Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710
Twitter: http://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

Giveaway

Giveaway: Drop a comment below to tell me why you love pirates and be entered into the giveaway to win a copy of an ebook from my backlist (excluding the Crofton Chronicles bundle). (Revised)

 

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S.A. Stovall on Writing,Influences, and her new release Vice Enforcer (Vice City #2) (guest interview)

Vice Enforcer (Vice City #2) by S.A. Stovall
DSP Publication

Cover art: Aaron Anderson

Buy Links:   DSP Publications |  Amazon  

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to  have S.A. Stovall here today answering questions about Vice Enforcer, the sequel to Vice City, both highly recommended novels here at our blog.  Welcome, S.A.

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with  S.A. Stovall

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

Definitely. When I was younger, I read all sorts of sci-fi and fantasy. I couldn’t get enough of them. I love anti-hero characters (moral ambiguity fascinates me) and all of that has somehow filtered into my writing.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer?  Now and growing up?

When I was younger, I loved Robert A. Heinlein. I hope I can write great works of science fiction like him one day. I loved his worlds, and his characters. Today I love Stephen King—not because I treasure all his books (I actually dislike quite a few) but because he has so many books that people typically like at least one. I want to be a writer who writers so prolifically that most people say, “Yeah, I’ve heard of her and like this one book…”

Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why? 

Well, VICE CITY was my first published novel, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. However, I think my favorite stories are always my science fiction ones. I don’t know what it is, but I love futuristic space settings. They’re amazing.

What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters?

 I find hard work, the desire for truth, and logic all interesting traits in an individual. Most of my characters have at least one of these (maybe all three). Typically side characters meant to cause the main character grief have none of them—those are the characters I love to hate.

Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work?  Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it?

 Oh, yes. I’m working on an epic fantasy novel right now. I love the book, but the middle got me stalled for a bit—sometimes with large casts of characters it’s hard to weave them all seamlessly together. I can’t wait to share it with the world now that I’ve crossed the hurdle, but it was in limbo for a long time.

Have you ever had an issue in RL and worked it through by writing it out in a story?  Maybe how you thought you’d feel in a situation?

Yeah, I did use a book to help me with a break up. Basically, the entire story has hints and tidbits to all the best parts of the relationship. The novel was a romanticized version of what a perfect relationship could be if it all worked out. It really helped me understand what went wrong, and now I’ll always have this book to remind me.

What’s the wildest scene you’ve imagined and did it make it into a story?

  The wildest scene I’ve ever imaged was a girl cutting her own heart out to replace it with the still-beating heart of an ancient god.

And yes, it did make it into the story!

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To widen our knowledge?  Why do you write?

I write to tell good stories. I love to entertain. The second reason I write, is to highlight the awesomeness of humanity. I love heroes who overcome—or villains who realize life is so much better when celebrated. Sometimes, in science fiction, I write about interesting scientific concepts, but that comes after the good story and awesome heroes.

What’s next for you as a writer?

Tons. I have a WWI fantasy coming out, an MMA romance, and a science fiction story set on a corrupt space station. So many stories—I can’t wait until they’re all released! Trust me. I’ll have plenty for everyone in the future, and hopefully everyone enjoys!

Release of VICE ENFORCER (Vice City #2)

Blurb

Holding on to a life worth living can be hard when the nightmares of the past come knocking.

Eight months ago, Nicholas Pierce, ex-mob enforcer, faked his death and assumed a new identity to escape sadistic mob boss Jeremy Vice. With no contacts outside the underworld, Pierce finds work with a washed-up PI. It’s an easy enough gig—until investigating a human trafficking ring drags him back to his old stomping grounds.

Miles Devonport, Pierce’s partner, is top of his class at the police academy while single-handedly holding his family together. But when one lieutenant questions Pierce’s past and his involvement in the investigation, Miles must put his future on the line to keep Pierce’s secrets.

The situation becomes dire when it’s discovered the traffickers have connections to the Vice family. The lives of everyone Pierce cares about are in danger—not least of all his own, if Jeremy Vice learns he’s back from the dead. Pierce and Miles face a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels—one that will gladly destroy them to keep operating. As Pierce uses every dirty trick he learned from organized crime to protect the new life he’s building, he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, he might never escape his past.

But he’s not going down without a fight.

About the Author

S.A. Stovall grew up in California’s central valley with a single mother and little brother. Despite no one in her family having a degree higher than a GED, she put herself through college (earning a BA in History), and then continued on to law school where she obtained her Juris Doctorate.

As a child, Stovall’s favorite novel was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. The adventure on a deserted island opened her mind to ideas and realities she had never given thought before—and it was the moment Stovall realized that story telling (specifically fiction) became her passion. Anything that told a story, be it a movie, book, video game or comic, she had to experience. Now, as a professor and author, Stovall wants to add her voice to the myriad of stories in the world, and she hopes you enjoy.

You can contact her at the following addresses.

Social Media

Twitter: @GameOverStation

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/

Awards

Vice City Rainbow Award Winner

Reviews

“To say the characterization was good would be like saying I love reading. It’s a gross understatement… Overall, I loved every inch of it.”

– Divine Magazine

“The noir setting absolutely gripped me with stark details. As a lover of crime fiction, I highly recommend this book in what will hopefully be a very long and satisfying series.”

– The Novel Approach Reviews

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 55,000 words approx.
 
Blurb



A tale of pirates, lost love, and the fight for a happy ending.


After he’s set adrift and left to die by his mutinous crew, the last person Royal Navy officer Daniel Horton expects to come to his rescue is Captain Merric. An infamous pirate, Merric is known as much for stealing his victims’ hearts as their jewels. Daniel’s world is about to be turned upside down when he recognises Captain Merric as none other than Edward Merriston, someone he thought he’d never see again.
Edward can’t believe Daniel Horton is aboard his ship. While Edward is willing to do anything he can to get a second chance at their happy ending, Daniel isn’t interested in digging up the past. But Daniel is one priceless treasure Captain Merric isn’t about to let go of without a fight.


Captain Merric first appeared as short story in a pirate-themed anthology. Now completely rewritten and extended he is ready to set sail again.

 

Author Bio


Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.


Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710
Twitter: http://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

Giveaway: Drop a comment below to tell me why you love pirates and be entered into the giveaway to win a copy of an ebook from my backlist (excluding the Crofton Chronicles bundle).

 

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An Alisa Review: Kept in the Dark by H.L Day

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Struggling actor Dean, only escorts occasionally to pay the bills. So, his first instinct on being offered a job with a strange set of conditions is to turn it down. No date. Don’t switch the lights on. Don’t touch him. I mean, what’s that all about? What’s the man trying to hide? Dean certainly doesn’t expect sex with a faceless stranger to spark so much passion inside him. It’s just business though, right? He can put a stop to it whenever he wants.

When Dean meets Justin—a scarred, ex-army soldier unlucky in love. Dean’s given a chance at a proper relationship. He can see past the scars to the man underneath. He’s everything Dean could possibly wish for in a boyfriend: kind, caring and sweet. All Dean needs to do is be honest. Easy, right? But, Justin’s holding back and Dean can’t work out why. But whatever it is, it’s enough to give him second thoughts.

They both have secrets which could shatter their fledgling relationship. After all, secrets have a nasty habit of coming out eventually. The question is when they do, will they be able to piece their relationship back together? Or will they be left with nothing but memories of bad decisions and the promise of the love they could have had, if only they’d both been honest and fought harder.

I put off reading this book and I’m not sure why because I really enjoyed it.  Dean is struggling to get by and when the opportunity to make the extra cash he needs he cautiously takes it but it turns out to be more than he bargained for.  Justin has been hurt by a lot of people since he got out of the army but Dean is one of the first to not treat him differently.

Dean and Justin get along well from the first time they meet but Dean can feel that Justin his holding something back and knowing he is hiding something too doesn’t help.  Both men try to give the other a chance to come clean but neither of them know how and when it happens it blow up in both of their faces.

This story was told from Dean’s point of view so we didn’t see Justin’s thoughts but with his reactions to many of the things Dean said or did I was able to see what he was thinking and figure out what was going on prior to the big reveal.  I could see how torn Dean was about his regular Tuesday client and his feelings for Justin, both make him feel alive in different ways but he just needs something to give but when it does he isn’t ready for it.  I felt bad for Justin with how hard Dean pushed him away and knew he was hurting both of them with his actions.  I was glad when Dean finally gave in for them to talk and loved when they cleared the air to be able to move forward and truly Justin has to be one of the most patient men out there.

I like the cover art by HL Day love the picture it gives of Dean.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 254 pages

Published: February 11, 2018 by HL Day

Edition Language: English

RELEASE BLITZ for Omega Shadow (Pine Creek Lake #3) by Quinn Michaels (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Omega Shadow (Pine Creek Lake #3)

Author: Quinn Michaels

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Quinn Michaels

Genre/s:  M/M Mpreg Romance, Mystery & Adventure

Length: 43,600 words

It is the third story in the series but stands alone.

Buy Links:

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BWMZXT9/

Blurb

One is accused. One is betrayed. One is a killer.

Midwife-apprentice, Kyle’s sheltered world is shattered when a patient’s alpha mate flies into a murderous rage and attacks him. Kyle is rescued by a handsome alpha visitor, but as attraction blazes between the two men, and they fall into each other’s dreams, what starts as lust becomes something impossible. Kyle is a beta. He can’t be an alpha’s true mate. And yet, what else explains their connection?

Visiting Pine Creek Lake alpha, Shadow isn’t looking for his true mate when he stumbles across a beta being attacked in the middle of the night. But when a simple rescue reveals a chain of possible murders, Shadow must learn the truth about the man in his dreams before it’s too late. Something is driving alphas in the Blackcreek pack to rage and die young. Is Kyle as ignorant as he pretends, or is he hiding a dangerous secret?

As Kyle and Shadow work together to discover the truth, both men are forced to question their deepest assumptions about themselves and each other. Are they fated mates? Is Kyle living a lie? And when the killer is revealed, will Kyle have the courage to face the truth before Shadow suffers the same death as the others?

Find out in Omega Shadow, Book 3 of the Pine Creek Lake Den series, an action-packed Mpreg romance mystery with a happily ever after to melt your heart.

Fast paced. Sexy. No Cliffhanger.

If you love Mpreg Omega werewolf romance with life-or-death action, knotting, babies, and hawtness, start reading Omega Shadow, Book 3 of the Pine Creek Lake Den series, today!

Buy Link 

Goodreads  

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Kyle and Ron hugged, and awkward sideways embrace taking into account Ron’s pregnant belly. Though Kyle was a beta, he was only a couple of inches taller than Ron, and no matter how hard Kyle worked out he never really managed to bulk up. It was frustrating, just one more way that Kyle didn’t quite fit in.

As always when Kyle made house calls, with or without Artie, he carried a leather satchel with the basic emergency supplies: clean bandages, sterilizing wipes, blood sugar equipment, clamps, suture, and medicines.

Kyle slung the bag back over his shoulder and with a final goodbye to his pregnant patient, headed down the hallway and outside. It was a cold night, and clear, the sky above a velvet tapestry with pinprick stars broken only by the sliver of the crescent moon. At almost midnight, the chill spring air put a layer of frost on the ground. It crunched beneath Kyle’s boots as he walked towards the main path that ran through the center of the Blackcreek settlement.

“You!”

Kyle whirled towards the voice, clutching the handle of his bag. Chaz stepped off of the main path and stalked towards Kyle, weaving a little like he was drunk. But as he got closer, Kyle didn’t smell booze on him.

“Are you okay, Chaz?” Kyle asked. Chaz a little over thirty-years-old with thinning hair and a paunch. He was big, even for an alpha, and though he tended towards fat, it was draped over a thick slab of muscle.

Chaz shouted, “What were you doing with my mate? Fucking him?”

“I was checking on the twins. Your babies.”

“Likely story.”

Kyle took a step back. Chaz was between him and the main path, but Kyle could run for the space between the two houses at his right. Still, it would be better to talk his way out. The last thing he wanted was to send this furious alpha to Ron like this. “Ron’s having those pains again. He spoke with Artie. It’s Kyle, remember, Artie’s grandson?” Even if Chaz didn’t smell like booze, he had taken something. His hands were shaking, and in the faint moonlight, a faint sheen of sweat glimmered on his forehead.

“Artie’s a bitch. She keeps giving Ron ideas.”

Ron needed ideas, and a shotgun to enforce them if Kyle had anything to say about it, but an argument wouldn’t do either of them any good right now. Kyle was grateful to be a beta. Omegas had it a lot harder. Artie reminded him of this almost every day. Kyle held his hands open in front of him. Luckily he was small. Nonthreatening. “The twins are looking very good. And Ron is doing well. He was worried they might be coming early, but when I palpated – –.”

“You had your hands on him.” Chaz bared his teeth.

Something was wrong. Chaz was usually a dick, but his irrational anger at Kyle for performing a basic examination was over-the-top. He closed the distance between them while Kyle was trying to explain, and like a striking snake, Chaz grabbed at Kyle’s throat.

Kyle jumped back.

Chaz’s beefy hand was shifting, the tips of his fingers tapering into claws. He swayed on his feet.” The twins. My twins.” His forearms sprouted fur in odd patches. “The twins are mine. Ron is mine. Mine!”

“Of course, they’re yours. Maybe we should sit down on the steps for a while. Did one of the other alphas… Give you something?”

“If you’re not fucking him, then you need to fuck off.”

Kyle wanted to run, but with how Chaz was acting, he didn’t trust the alpha alone with his mate. “How about I come in with you?” Kyle suggested. “I can make up a tea. It’ll cool you off.” With the amount of sweating that Chaz was doing, he had to be hot. Maybe he had gotten in to some of the human opioids in town. Usually they didn’t affect shifters like this though. Leave it to Chaz to be the exception.

Chaz scratched his cheek, and the tip of his claw dug in, drawing blood. “Ow!” He let out a string of curses.

“It’s your hand. I think there might be something going on with your shifting,” Kyle said as calmly as he could. Like he was talking to a child. He got along well with children and babies. Unfortunately, the tone of voice didn’t work as well on tripping werewolves. Chaz, with another burst of inhuman speed, grabbed Kyle by the shoulders and squeezed. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Kyle’s voice shook with something between fear and rage. How did Ron stand this? Chaz and Ron had been arranged to mate eight months ago, well before Jeff had died and Devon, his son, had left to avenge him and returned not with the eyeteeth of his enemy but with a mate from the other pack.

Now Devon wanted to change how things were done in Blackcreek, and seeing Chaz now, Kyle’s support for this new way of doing things only grew.

Chaz towered over Kyle. His jaw elongated, and when he growled, it was a wolf growl.

Kyle planted his feet and with bent knees shoved the midwife bag into Chaz stomach with all of his strength. It wasn’t enough. Chaz growled again, and his clawed hands pierced the thick leather of Kyle’s jacket to push through his shirt and into his skin.

“Hey!” Someone shouted from behind him.

Kyle didn’t recognize the voice, but the distraction was enough to loosen Chaz’s grip.

“Get help,” Kyle shouted. Chaz’s face and body was shifting back and forth between human and wolf. Kyle had never seen anything like this. “Get Dr. Havisham!”

Chaz lifted Kyle like he weighed nothing.

“Put him down,” the stranger said. His voice was closer, though Kyle hadn’t heard him move.

“Pine Creek Lake,” Chaz said, and spat. The glob of spittle barely missed Kyle’s cheek as it passed over his shoulder.

Pine Creek Lake? It must have been one of the visitors. Kyle had only seen them from afar, having been pushed to the back of the crowd when Devon had returned with his mate. The visitors were focused on alpha and omega relations. Kyle, as a beta, hadn’t had much reason to concern himself with them, and though he’d been curious, he’d been too busy with his own duties to go out of his way to talk to them.

What was this werewolf Pine Creek Lake werewolf doing here in the middle of the night?

“Please, put me down,” Kyle said to Chaz.

“Fine,” Chaz said, and threw him, hard, at the wall of the neighboring cabin. The only saving grace was that whatever Chaz taken, it affected his balance. He stumbled, and Kyle landed short, skidding across the hard dirt.

Kyle lay on the ground trying to catch his breath. His arm hurt, but he could wiggle his fingers so it wasn’t broken. The stranger, a tall, wide shouldered man with hair like ink tied at the base of his neck, dark clothes, and dusky skin, moved quickly and silently to place himself between Chaz and Kyle.

The stranger was unmistakably an alpha, though he was leaner than Chaz. Kyle knew he should get up and run to get help, but even as he regained his breath, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the stranger. The alpha. His scent, a mix of damp pine needles and sweat, filled Kyle’s nose.

Bizarrely, Kyle felt aroused. Maybe Chaz hadn’t taken something. Maybe there was some kind of pollen or poison in the air?  Kyle’s skin flushed. It was like one of the hot flashes that Artie had suffered with when Kyle was a child. Beta women and omegas got them to when they reached the end of their fertile years. Maybe Kyle was having an allergic reaction? Whatever was going on, it was getting worse. Sweat trickled slick between Kyle’s ass cheeks, his cock hardened, and he had the strangest urge to rub himself against the new alpha and mark ownership.

Chaz lashed out again, his arm a blur as he swung, claws bared, at the stranger. Chaz shouted an incoherent mix of curses and growls. The stranger ducked, his movement so efficient it didn’t seem so much like speed and more a casual lowering of his head, and then with another precise and powerful burst, he slammed his fist into Chaz’s chest.

Chaz dropped like a stone.

Kyle expected Chaz to try and get back up on his feet, but he was still. Kyle couldn’t even see him breathing. The stranger knelt beside Chaz’s body and after a few seconds, pressed his fingers to the pulse point on Chaz’s neck.

Kyle got himself to his feet, and straightening out the strap on his bag, walked hesitantly towards his rescuer.

“Are you okay?” Kyle asked. His mouth felt dry, and a sudden urge to touch the alpha washed over him.

The stranger looked up. His eyes were a perfect shade of amber. As they met Kyle’s gaze, the alphas pupils expanded and Kyle smelled desire. Then he blinked, and quickly turned his head back towards Chaz.

“Do you know CPR?”

“Why?” Kyle squinted down at Chaz. He wasn’t moving.

“I don’t think he’s breathing.”

He wasn’t.

“What’s going on?” Ron waddled out onto the porch. “Is that – – Chaz!”

About the Author 

Pennsylvania native, Quinn Michaels is a fan of fantasy, werewolves and M/M mpreg romance! She strives to write  action-packed adventures of romance, self-discovery and second chances, all served up with a hefty helping of sweet, sexy Omegas and hot, determined Alphas who will do anything to cherish, love, and protect their mates. She also enjoys the sexy times!

Sign up for Quinn’s mailing list and get updates at quinnmichaelsauthor.com

Social Media Links

Facebook

Twitter

Blog/Website

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

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New Release Blog Tour: Syncopation (Twisted Wishes #1) by Anna Zabo (excerpt and giveaway)

Syncopation

Series: Twisted Wishes #1

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date (Ebook): April 9, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 104,000 words or ~295 pages

Subgenre: contemporary romance; m/m romance

Includes: Rockstars, BDSM, Angst, Pansexual/bisexual, Aromantic

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0789GZX16/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/syncopation-anna-zabo/1127659237

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/syncopation/id1326105335

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anna_Zabo_Syncopation?id=t0RDDwAAQBAJ

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/syncopation-8

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Syncopation/Anna-Zabo/Q264976640?id=7194974976389

Synopsis:

There’s no resisting the thrum of temptation in this male/male rock-star romance from genre-favorite author Anna Zabo!

Twisted Wishes front man Ray Van Zeller is in one hell of a tight spot. After a heated confrontation with his bandmate goes viral, Ray is hit with a PR nightmare the fledgling band so doesn’t need. But his problems only multiply when they snag a talented new drummer—insufferably sexy Zavier Demos, the high school crush Ray barely survived.

Zavier’s kept a casual eye on Twisted Wishes for years, and lately, he likes what he sees. What he doesn’t like is how out of control Ray seems—something Zavier’s aching to correct after their first pulse-pounding encounter. If Ray’s up for the challenge.

Despite the prospect of a glorious sexual encore, Ray is reluctant to trust Zavier with his band—or his heart. And Zavier has always had big dreams; this gig was supposed to be temporary. But touring together has opened their eyes to new passions and new possibilities, making them rethink their commitments, both to the band and to each other.

Excerpt :

They cleaned up for the signing lines—Ray back in a T-shirt—and managed to get through everyone before midnight. Then it was back onto the bus and off to Utah. Long trip, but one with a hotel room at the end and a day off from playing. Even with Ray giving him those long, hooded looks, Zavier didn’t have much energy left, either to dominate or fuck. Still, when Ray headed toward the back of the bus, he followed.

Mish and Dom both had smirks. Zavier rolled his eyes at them, but smiled anyway. He pulled the privacy curtain closed.

Ray stood in the space, swaying with the bus, and staring at the couch on which they’d taken so much pleasure. “I had to ditch the bracelet. It was pretty disgusting by the time the concert was over.”

“That’s fine.” Zavier swept a hand over Ray’s back. He felt the shudder when he cupped Ray’s neck. “Figured that might happen.”

“Hence string and not leather?” Ray met his gaze. There was a hunger there, a deep, deep hunger. But none of the other signs that meant Ray was a live wire of lust.

“Exactly.” He let his hand fall away. “Is there something you want?”

Ray nodded slowly. “It’s—not sex, though. I’m beat.”

“Ditto.”

“But my mind won’t stop. I—god. Do you ever get music and words and everything just—tangled up in there?”

“No, but other things, yes.” He pulled Ray toward the couch. “Tell me about it.”

Ray sat and dropped his hands into his head. “The words are easy to get out. I write them down, even if they’re shitty. But the music—the colors and the shapes and the lines—I can’t stop seeing them. Feeling them in my blood.” He lifted his head. “I bet that makes no sense. I’ve tried to tell Mish and Dom, but they don’t get it.”

“Don’t worry about it making sense to me.” Zavier focused on Ray, whose gaze shifted from object to object in the room. “Tell me anyway. I want to know.”

“I…see music, Zav. Like see it. Shapes and colors and…” He shrugged. “Been that way forever. I put hues and forms together on the guitar until they look right.”

Fuck, Ray really had been a musical prodigy. Hell. Someone should have noticed. “Synesthesia,” he said.

Ray nodded. “Yeah. I found out there was a name for it on the internet.” He laughed. “Was kind of a relief.”

One Zavier knew well, for different reasons.

“I do note things down with colored pens and stuff. But sometimes my brain gets so fucking full.” Ray sighed and collapsed against the back of the couch. “Would it be weird if I—knelt at your feet? Like the first time? Not for sex. Not even to submit or whatever it is I do when I get all out of my head to obey you—but just to be here? With you?”

The worry there. Warmth spread through Zavier, and his chest ached. “Ray, you can always kneel like that if you need to. Or we can sit. Whatever you need from me.” He dropped his hand on Ray’s knee. Kept it there.

Ray relaxed under his touch. “Told you I was a burden. Just ask Dom.”

“Shush. I bet Dom would disagree.”

“Oh, he would, just to spite me.” Ray rolled his head and met Zavier’s gaze. “He’s put up with my antics for years, but we’re not like this.” He gestured between the two of them. “He’s not touchy-feely. You like touching me.”

“Like I said, not entirely altruistic on my part.”

Ray laughed. “But it’s not always sexual.”

That was true, too. He pulled Ray’s head down into his lap. “This okay, or do you really want to kneel on the floor with your forehead on my shoes?”

“Wanna do both. But this is fine.” Ray’s words were soft, and his body relaxed.

Zavier stroked his hair. “Tell me what you see.”

“I’m calling it ‘Dare to Be.’” Then Ray whispered words and colors. Shapes. Sometimes he spoke so low, Zavier couldn’t hear. He also tapped out a beat on Zavier’s thigh, one Zavier echoed and improvised with on his back, until Ray was humming and singing and then slipping into sleep. A continuation of the song Ray’d been working on before. And now Zavier had the name—one even Mish and Dom didn’t know. He held on to that like a talisman.

How many years had it been since he’d had a friend like Ray? One he could sit and be with? He couldn’t remember. Once sex came into the picture, everyone had always expected more from him. Some great romantic connection. Dinners and presents and declarations. But Ray didn’t seem to need that and it was a fucking miracle.

About Anna Zabo:

Anna Zabo writes contemporary and paranormal romance for all colors of the rainbow. They live and work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which isn’t nearly as boring as most people think.

Anna grew up in the wilds of suburban Philadelphia before returning to their ancestral homelands in Western Pennsylvania. As a child they were heartily disappointed to discover that they couldn’t grow up to be what they wanted (a boy, a cat, a dragon), so they settled on being themself whenever possible, which may be a combination of a boy, a cat, and a dragon. Or perhaps a girl, a knight, and a writer. Depends on whom you ask. They do have a penchant for colorful ties and may be hording a small collection of cufflinks.They can be easily plied with coffee.

Anna has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, where they fell in with a roving band of romance writers and never looked back. They also have a BA in Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: Vice Enforcer (Vice City #2) by S.A. Stovall

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Holding on to a life worth living can be hard when the nightmares of the past come knocking.
Eight months ago, Nicholas Pierce, ex-mob enforcer, faked his death and assumed a new identity to escape sadistic mob boss Jeremy Vice. With no contacts outside the underworld, Pierce finds work with a washed-up PI. It’s an easy enough gig—until investigating a human trafficking ring drags him back to his old stomping grounds.Miles Devonport, Pierce’s partner, is top of his class at the police academy while single-handedly holding his family together. But when one lieutenant questions Pierce’s past and his involvement in the investigation, Miles must put his future on the line to keep Pierce’s secrets.The situation becomes dire when it’s discovered the traffickers have connections to the Vice family. The lives of everyone Pierce cares about are in danger—not least of all his own, if Jeremy Vice learns he’s back from the dead. Pierce and Miles face a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels—one that will gladly destroy them to keep operating. As Pierce uses every dirty trick he learned from organized crime to protect the new life he’s building, he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, he might never escape his past.But he’s not going down without a fight.If you love noir, if you’re in love with hard men with even harder outlooks with little hope for a future, let alone love.  You know the ones I mean,  they’ve survived somehow the worst that life has thrown out them, they expect to see more.  They’ve been made so incredibly tough by their pasts, that the walls they have erected, inside and out might as well be titanium.  Except for the cracks they allow for certain people and in certain circumstances.  Take that man, put him in stories that fit him beautifully because they are dark and gritty.  The criminals are rank,  the corruption is deep and often elusive .  But hope can come from the most surprising places.  So can love.I fell in love with Pierce back in Vice City (Vice City, #1), a stunning introduction to the man and his lover,Miles Devonport.  Now in the equally intense, incredible sequel, Vice Enforcer (Vice City #2) ,  S.A. Stovall picks up shortly after the first one leaves off.  Supposedly mob enforcer Nicholas Pierce has  “died” and PI in training Percy Adams (much to Pierce’s dismay at the name) is alive and well and living with Miles in a rundown house in suburbia, along with visits from Miles’  brother and sister.  And it’s going exactly as well as you might expect.

Especially Pierce’s attempts to garden and talk to seedlings while dealing with Mile’s sullen siblings who clearly think that “Percy” is pulling their brother under.

Then everything goes further to hell while on a dubious PI training run with the older investigator who is running the program.  Stovall thrusts the reader and her characters immediately into a powerful action packed, fast paced scene because Shelby, the lead PI hasn’t been exactly straight with his trainees. And because Pierce isn’t who he seems to be (a naive PI in training),  knows the setup for what it is and figures out what’s coming, well…Pierce is both ready to flee and shoot depending upon the situation.

By now the reader’s skin is tingling, the hair’s slightly raised because the writing is so damn good that our apprehension levels are off the charts along with Pierce’s.  It stays that way through revelations about human trafficking, the reemergence of the Vice family and the mob, the threats to the new identity Pierce and Miles have established for him as well as keeping him safely dead in the eyes of the Vice family.  This is an intense, gritty story.  If it has its humorous moments, and it does, they too, border on the dry, wry, and the dark.  Consider the perspective and it makes sense.

Even the romance falls under the same lines.  No hearts and flowers here.  No, its more like that radish that refuses to die in Pierce’s garden.  It lives no matter what.  They have each other’s back…no matter what.  The sex is rough, the need for each other is there although Pierce might not always acknowledge it.  And while Miles would like a change in the sexual dynamics, something that Pierce’s past won’t allow, its a topic that  comes up.

There is so much here.  Wyatt, Mile’s supervisor  who is definitely in the closet. Shelby, the PI with the past.  The Vice family. Mile’s and his family.  Oh, yes and the Timo family that lives next door.  Everything gets pulled together in one magnificent tapestry that twists and turns, stuns and pulls at your heart.  And when it ends, you want not only another story but to reread the books one and two all over again.

This is a wowzer of a series. Vice Enforcer (Vice City #2) by S.A. Stovall is everything I could want in a sequel or even a standalone.  I highly recommend it and Vice City.  Both are must reads!

Cover art: Aaron Anderson.  What a great cover.  Perfect for this story and series.

Sales Links:  DSP Publications | Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 259 pages
Published April 3rd 2018 by DSP Publications
Original TitleVice Enforcer
ASINB078JQJNF8
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesVice City #2

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Ballerino and the Biker (The Hedonist #1) by Rebecca James

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Morgan Wentworth has a dream of becoming a principal dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company. He’s worked for it all his life, sacrificing friends, living away from family as he studied in Milan and now that he’s serving an apprenticeship with the famed company, his goal is near. His parents were killed two years before and though he’s the principal stockholder and sole beneficiary of the Wentworth Corporation, he delegates the day to day operations to a friend of his father’s. He’s not ready to give up the company but he’s also definitely not ready to give up his chance at ballet.

In the meantime, his only brother is killed. Rafe was in a motorcycle club and was killed in a bike accident while riding with the girlfriend of the rival club leader, a nasty guy who now is out for revenge. Since Rafe is dead, he’ll happily take out Rafe’s little brother, Morgan, instead. Rafe’s club sends Zeke to protect Morgan and get him to their stronghold where they can all watch over him. And for some reason, Zeke is attracted to the gorgeous ballet dancer—to his body, his personality, his intellect, his ambition, and his general sweetness. It takes some time, but eventually, Zeke realizes that the homophobic names his father called him when he was young weren’t so far from the mark. He’s bisexual and he’s happy to learn that it’s a real thing. He also realizes what a despicable fool his father was. 

In the interim, while their attraction is blooming, and sometimes taking a few steps backward, the rival motorcycle club has finally been blackmailed into forgetting about Morgan but now there’s someone else leaving scary notes and hang-up calls and following Morgan late at night in a dark-windowed SUV. And that’s not all—Zeke’s father comes back into his life and another older man, who seems to have a crush on Morgan, steps into his life as a friend and father figure. To be honest, there were a lot of subplots all floating around waiting to be wrapped up that were still unresolved at the 90% mark of the story. For me, the resolution of all these issues was a bit too pat, too rushed, and too unrealistic to warrant a high rating.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the characters themselves. The author did a great job with character development and laid a good foundation for this story and any future stories that involve this motorcycle club. Ultimately, I’m happy that Zeke and Morgan ended up together and I’m happy with the decision Morgan made about his ballet career and his role in the Wentworth Corp. There were a few too many issues left unaddressed in Zeke’s father’s subplot to suit me and the Morgan’s mentor storyline turned quite bizarre so that was not satisfying to me either. Overall, I liked the book, mostly due to the MCs, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a sexy biker boy who has finally accepted his attraction to men, and to those like me who love stories about male dancers. Their form and grace and pure physicality are a definite plus and always something I enjoy reading.

~~~

Cover art by Reese Dante depicts a handsome man in an open leather jacket, showing a chest tattoo, and a background figure of a ballerina leaping into the air. It’s attractive and beautifully depicts the MCs of the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 186 pages
Published March 10th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services
Original TitleThe Ballerino and the Biker
ASINB07B6QDPG4
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Hedonist #1

A Caryn Review: Tested in Fire (Art Medium #2) by EJ Russell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is book two in the Art Medium series.  In book one, The Artist’s Touch, Stefan Cobbe was possessed by the ghost Giacomo “Jeremiah” Arcoletti, but Luke Morganstern was able to rescue him, though Luke was seriously injured in the process.  In this installment, they’ve moved to Sarasota, Florida, where Luke’s art investigation company is based, and Stefan found a studio and is back to painting.  Life seems good.

Although the two men are committed to each other, Stefan is still struggling with the debt he incurred years ago by allowing himself to be completely dependent upon a boyfriend, and this time around, he wants to be able to stand on his own.  Luke just wants Stefan to be by his side, and doesn’t understand why Stefan won’t move in with him.  They can’t seem to get past this impasse, and and things only get worse when Luke is unexpectedly detained in Italy following up on a commission.  When he comes home, they have a fight, and then…

At first I wondered how these two men could be so unlucky as to run across the supernatural – and the evil side of it at that – twice in such quick succession, especially when they are now on the opposite side of the country.  Well, turns out it is more than just bad luck, and I will leave that comment as a teaser for you to learn about when you read the book!  Once again, spirits from the past are interfering in Stefan’s and Luke’s lives, and once again they have to rely on their connection with each other, and their love, in order to make it through alive.

I thought this was a wonderful continuation of the series, because the depth of Luke and Stefan’s love for each other was seriously challenged, and they truly rose to face it.  There was no hesitation in their defense of each other, and this time Stefan was the one to come to the rescue.  A good thing for both of them to realize how strong Stefan truly is, and how able to stand on his own, but unfortunately quite a blow to Luke who is left confused and ashamed by what has happened to him.

I am assuming that there will be at least a third book in the series at some point in the future (and hopefully more, I really love this couple!), but I think there will be a bit of a hiatus while things in the publishing world shake out.  However it happens, I will be eagerly looking forward to it!

Cover art by L.C. Chase is even better than the first book.  I like Luke’s (Giacomo’s?) expression as he holds the mask…

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing

Book Details:

ebook, 192 pages
Published April 2nd 2018 by Riptide Publishing (first published March 31st 2018)
Original TitleTested in Fire
ISBN 1626497575 (ISBN13: 9781626497573)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesArt Medium #2