Category: Book Reviews

Scary Spotlight: Haunted Hotties 2 Anthology from Torquere Press (excerpts and contest)

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Authors Name: McKay, Rob Rosen, Dakota Caudill, Elizabeth Coldwell,
Jessica Payseur, Jessica Chase, Louisa Bacio, Charles Payseur,
Helena Maeve, Avery Dawes

Anthology: Haunted Hotties Volume II
 Release Date: October 28, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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Blurb

This Halloween collection has a little something for everybody. With demons, ghosts, psychics, reapers, shifters, and witches… a rainbow of paranormal/supernatural is included.

In Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want by McKay, Whimsy has to decide if he’s in love with his straight, next-door neighbor by Halloween or risk losing him forever. In Casper the Horny Ghost by Rob Rosen, Chris not only inherited a long-abandoned house, he also inherited the ghost that came with it. In Necromantic by Dakota Caudill, Kaitlyn’s always felt like she was waiting for something, but she never expected her new girlfriend to be able to raise the dead. In The Man in Green by Elizabeth Coldwell, Richard intends to cut down all the trees surrounding his new property, but the man in the woods has other ideas. In Haunts Old and New by Jessica Payseur, Rosalie doesn’t like the new ghost that’s in her house and yet, she can’t seem to stay away from her. In The Fisher Lot by Jessica Chase, it turns out being dared to spend the night in the local “haunted house” might be the best thing that’s ever happened to Barney.

In Open by Louisa Bacio, Martina keeps trying to pretend that everything is fine, but the ghosts in her new B&B are just as determined to get her attention. In A Friendly Ghostbusting by Charles Payseur, an old rival who once humiliated him is not what Cas needs as he sets out to explore an old psychiatric prison. In Darkling by Helena Maeve, Eugene tried to warn Caleb and his friends away from Ledwich University and soon enough they’ll learn… they really should have listened. In The Devil’s in the Details by Avery Dawes, since they died during the Civil War, Oliver and Francis get one night a year together; but they have to be careful or they’ll never get another one.

 

Pages or Words: 63,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Historical, Horror, Humor, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Anthology – Please remember not all stories in an anthology encompass all catetgories.

Excerpt

Excerpt from Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want by McKay

He rolled his head to look at Harlan, wanting to make sure he was all right, only to find Harlan lying on his side, looking at him. They gazed at each other in silence for a long moment, then Harlan reached out and stroked Whimsy’s cheek.

“My wolf likes you,” he said, his voice raspy with a strange undercurrent like a growl beneath the surface.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Whimsy mustered a smile, trying to resist the urge to nuzzle against Harlan’s fingers. That wasn’t his right.

Suddenly, Harlan moved, and Whimsy found himself pinned beneath Harlan’s large, heavy, naked body. “It likes you more’n it likes Barbara.”

This close, Whimsy could see something feral in Harlan’s eyes, as if the wolf hadn’t loosened its grip completely yet, and he wanted to call it forth. He wanted to belong to it, and he was overwhelmed by a desire to show his throat and surrender that he’d never felt with anyone before.

“Maybe that should tell you something,” he said boldly. If he were a noble, self-sacrificing man, he would have extricated himself and encouraged Harlan to think only of his girlfriend, but he wasn’t that noble or self-sacrificing, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel terribly guilty about it at the moment.

“I like women. But there’s something about you, Whims…” Harlan bent his head and ran his nose along the length of Whimsy’s throat as if scenting him, and Whimsy shivered as he tilted his head back.

Whimsy shifted beneath Harlan just enough to seat Harlan’s lean hips in the cradle of his thighs, and Harlan settled there like they were made to fit together. Feeling bolder, Whimsy slid one hand along Harlan’s arm to rest on his shoulder, testing to see what Harlan would allow.

“Liking women doesn’t mean you can’t like men too,” he pointed out. “It’s not an either-or thing for some people. Maybe you like both.”

“Maybe I do. I’ve thought about other men before, including you. I don’t know.” Harlan released a long, slow sigh. “There’s a lotta things I don’t know these days.”

“I know I like you a lot,” Whimsy whispered, sliding his hand to the back of Harlan’s neck and stroking it gently. “I think we could be good together.”

 

Buy the book: Torquere Books

 

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Where to find the authors:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Jessie G. Books, KathyMac Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Inked Rainbow Reads, Unquietly Me, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, Divine Magazine, Posy Roberts, Velvet Panic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Haunted Hotties II’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Coffee Sip and Book Break with Keep Me Wanting by Avril Ashton (excerpt)

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Keep Me Wanting by Avril Ashton
Publisher: Self Published
Word count: 30,951
Genre: GLBT Romance

  Buy it at Amazon | All Romance | iBooks | Kobo

Blurb

The last thing on Damian Archer’s mind is a relationship. He’s focused on running the family business and keeping up appearances. He’s fine with the way things are, until the tattooed help at a friend’s party takes one look at him and calls him on his bull.

Fired from a brand new job, Fin Thornton is homeless and penniless. He knows men like Damian. He abhors men like Damian. Despite the wealthy man coming to his aid when he desperately needs it, Fin is hesitant to lower his guard. Yet Damian insists on being in Fin’s face, demanding things and offering help.

In spite of their differences, something keeps them wanting each other. The same connection that has Damian desperate to stake a claim on the skittish Fin. But it will take a ghost from Fin’s tragic past to show both men that what they have is worth more than money.

EXCERPT

“We need to talk, Fin.” Damian opened the limo door. “Get in.”

“Fuck off.” Fin didn’t want to be near him like he’d been last night. Didn’t want to smell him. Didn’t want to want him. He walked away, speeding up, but the vehicle was right there beside him, Damian peering out the window.

“This isn’t a request, Fin. Now.”

Why did those rich fuckers always use that tone of voice? The one that hits you like whiplash and have you wanting to scurry along, to do anything to please them? Fin yanked open the car door and jumped inside. Before he got his ass on the plush leather seat, the driver was already peeling away.

He turned to a smug-looking Damian, barely managing to keep a lid on his fury. “Let me tell you something, Archer. I’m not one of your fucking lemmings, I don’t come when called. You get me?” He slid away from close proximity to Damian, all the way to the seat facing him. “Tell me what the hell you want from me so I can be on my way.”

Damian just stared at him, eyes haunting, face blank.

“Christ, I don’t…” Fin dragged his fingers through his hair. Frustration and hunger set his teeth on edge. “Just tell me what you want.”

“Why did you allow yourself to get arrested for something you didn’t do?”

Fin barked a harsh laugh. “Are you fucking serious? Allow? You think I wanted to get arrested, I wanted to spend the night in a cold cell with two other strangers?’

Damian leaned forward, hands folded on his knees. “Why didn’t you tell the truth?’

“Are you for real?” Fin flung the question at him. “Who listens to the truth when evidence to the contrary is right there for all to see? Would you have believed me if the same thing happened, if you didn’t know the story?”

A muscle ticked in Damian’s otherwise impassive face, and Fin scoffed.

“Of course not. The help ripped off the jewelry, it’s a familiar story, and no one there last night wanted to hear the truth. My truth.” He shook his head. “‘But you know what? I’d like to know what gives you the right to stick your upturned nose in my business.”

“You’re innocent.” Damian spoke the words like that should explain it all. “I had to do something.”

“No.” Fin couldn’t understand him. “No, you didn’t have to do anything except mind your own damn business. How in the fuck is that hard?” he asked.

Damian’s eyes narrowed, the first sight of any emotion in a long while. “You’d rather sit in jail for who knows how long instead of me helping you out?”

“Yes!” Now the frustrating man was getting the picture. Damian opened his mouth, but Fin cut him off. “Because then I wouldn’t be beholden to you, Mr. Archer. I wouldn’t owe you.” He sat back in his seat and folded his arms. “Because you want something, I can see it your eyes.”

Damian didn’t deny it, he simply held Fin’s gaze, unflinching. They eyed each other in silence, and Fin swore he could hear his heart beating out of his throat. As much as he hated men like Damian Archer, men with money to burn and unending power to wield, he was attracted to the older man. Attracted to the bald head, the eyes that pinned him in place, the trim goatee.

He was attracted to the very power and money that had taken everything from him and driven him out into the streets.

“Go on,” he said softly. “Tell me what you want already, you know you want to.”

Damian shifted slightly and Fin dropped his gaze, groin tightening in response to the bulge in Damian’s black slacks.

“Or do I already know?” Fin purred. He slid to the floor of the car, between Damian’s legs. He expected the other man to move, do something, but Damian held himself still, barely breathing and stared down at him.

“You want me, don’t you?” Fin placed his palm over the bulge. Fucking impressive. Hard as steel. Fin’s own cock throbbed, ached, but the anger overrode the arousal. “I bet you thought you could buy my ass by getting those charges dropped?”

He squeezed Damian and even though a pulse leapt in his throat and his eyes darkened, Damian showed no other reaction. “I bet you thought I’d be so grateful I’d spread ’em for you, fuck you until you couldn’t remember your name.” His voice turned raspy as those images played out in his mind’s eyes. Still, that bastard had to know he wouldn’t win.

Fin pushed Damian’s knees apart roughly and cupped his erection, stroking, squeezing as his balls drew up.

“Guess what?” He rose up slowly, bringing his face as close to Damian’s as he could bear without inhaling the other man’s heat and spice. “I don’t whore myself out, and no amount of your money will change that. I don’t fuck for money, never have. Never will. So keep your shit and don’t do me any favors.”

He moved to turn away, but Damian’s hand shot out, closing around his wrist, holding Fin’s hand hostage where he cupped Damian.

“Are you finished?” Damian rasped. “Because you talk a lot of shit for a man with his hand on my cock.”

About the Author

A West Indian transplant, Avril now lives in Stone Mountain, GA., with a tolerant spousal equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore she’s back to loving it). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing the plot points of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother.   

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Addicted to cake, the ID Channel and the UFC, Avril writes Gay and Erotic Romance.

A MelanieM Review: Children of Noah (Mahu #9) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Children of Noah coverA few months after the birth of his twins, openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka and begins a temporary assignment to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Kimo and his HPD partner Ray Donne are quickly thrown into an investigation into threatening letters sent to a U.S. Senator. Are these screeds about racial purity related to an escalating series of attacks against mixed-race couples and families on Oahu?

When arson at a day care center on the Windward Coast brings Kimo’s partner, fire investigator Mike Riccardi, into the case, Kimo worries about the future of his and Mike’s newborn twins on an island falling prey to hate and a cult leader bent on death and destruction.

I fell under the spell of Neil S. Plakcy and his Hawaiian detective Kimo Kanapa’aka in the very first book, Mahu, hawaiian for gay.  There a very complicated and closeted young Kimo, trying to deal with his sexuality, was outed during a horrific murder case.  Its ramifications on his career, family relationships and private life would reverberate through the following stories.  Plakcy’s ability to bring not only Kimo to life but his multicultural family history and the vibrant racial mixing pot that is Hawaii to life is amazing.  From the variety of languages spoken, the nuances of levels of Hawaiian race in your background, even the language designations for north, south, east and west are different.  Yet, here they flow off the tongues of the characters with the ease of native speakers,   Very few authors have the ability to use local colloquialisms and dialects to hone their characters personas and locations the way Plakcy does and by the ninth book, its usage is so subtle and well woven into the narrative, I hardly notice any more.

Kimo and Mike have come a long with in their partnership.  Now the coparents of twins along with a lesbian couple, Kimo takes on a case that hits at the heart of his family’s safety.  Both Mike and Kimo have families from mixed racial background, and their sons parentage is equally so when their mothers backgrounds are included as well.  When each man handles a case with similar clues, all leads start to point towards a cult bent on the worship of racial  purity.

I loved this book for so many reasons, none  of which really had anything to do with the mystery.  Kimo’s parents which have figured largely in all the stories are now frail, older figures here, especially Kimo’s dad.  Their relationship, always so strong, sees a change in position here that is so realistic and painful.  Mike’s parents, once so against the relationship, now move forward into new positive roles.  So much is changing within the family  structures for them both, including that of their foster son.  Here all the relationships strain against their bonds and come back for support once more.  Its all so remarkable in its human dynamics and believable interchanges.  Sometimes angst-filled, often humorous, it will be so easy for all the readers to relate to the relationships in flux here, whether it be brother and brother, father and son, or new fathers and new babies.  This is what made this book for me.  Its all about the changes in life that we all go through.

And its even starts at the beginning with Kimo leaving the Honolulu P.D. to join FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force along with his partner.  New beginnings even at the job level.  But that brings us to the murders and the mystery.

That was my least favorite part of the story.  I figured out early on who the murderer was and where the problem was occurring.  The author all but had a giant arrow pointing the way.  That doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of scenes where the suspense was high, because that happened.  There was danger, and angst enough to go around, just not the usual amount of guessing I expect from this author.

However, Plakcy’s style of writing moves the story along so quickly towards the end that your mind is consumed with the safety of the main characters and the capture of the culprits.  And so much more.  I want more books.  I want to know how Dakota is doing with his new boyfriend, how Kimo’s dad’s doing, and the family in general.  They got into my heart, every single one of them.  If you give them a chance, they will get into yours too.  But why start here?   This is a fantastic series.  Go to the beginning Mahu and read your way through until you arrive here.  With each book it just gets better and better.  I highly recommend them all.

Cover art is nice but I sort of miss that primitive art work of the original covers.

Sales Links:  MLR Press |  All Romance (ARe)  | Amazon  | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 231 pages
Published August 9th 2015 by MLR Press

A Jeri Review: Deliver Me by Faith Gibson

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Deliver Me coverTaggart Lee has it all.
Fame.
Fortune.
Everything except love.

Tag is the jaded lead singer for 7’s Mistress, the biggest rock band in the world. After fifteen years in the business, he’s drowning in it all. When tragedy strikes, he takes a break from the road and the monotony his life has become. When he meets a gorgeous man on a park bench, he sees his lifeline.

Dr. Erik Henrikson thought he’d met the one.
He had.
The wrong one.

A year after his breakup, he still has a lock on his heart. Then he meets Lee, someone whose life has just been turned upside down. When he finds out Lee’s true identity, Erik throws away the key.

Tag has two weeks to make the doctor want him. He has three months to prove he won’t hurt him.

Tragedy brings them together.

Lies and betrayal push them apart.

Is love enough to deliver them?

I loved this book! Faith Gibson is an author I had never read before. Wow am I glad I read this one.

Taggart Lee is a rock star suddenly back in his home town with a newborn girl after a tragedy. Dr Erik Henrikson is the pediatrician who comes to the rescue with a colicky baby. Erik doesn’t know Tag is famous, he knows him as Lee, a single dad doing his best. Sparks? Check. Cute baby? Check. Dog? Check. Hot rock star and hot alpha doctor? Check.

When Tag has to finish the final leg of the tour, the doctor offers to watch the baby while he is gone. Erik knows he is going to fall in love with the little girl, he doesn’t expect to fall for the man. Tag and Erik spend two weeks together without expectations knowing Tag will be leaving for a 3 month tour. In that two weeks they become a family, something Erik desperately wants and Tag never thought he wanted.

Yes, this is a pretty classic romance story. There are misunderstandings, romance and hot sex. But the characters really kept me turning the pages. I immediately liked both Tag and Erik. Tag’s bandmates (for the most part) and manager are super cute in the way they want to be in the baby’s life. Erik’s best friend breaks my heart (holy shocker batman!) Even though Tag is a rock star, he does not come off like one of those “I am so much better than you guys”. And Erik, the super sweet doctor, is quite a bit different behind closed doors. I really enjoyed watching them grow together.

Honestly, I think one of my favorite parts of the book was the epilogue! I love a good epilogue and this one absolutely wrapped everything up with a pretty bow. I closed the book with a smile on my face.

The cover art perfectly depicts Tag the rock star, but honestly in the book we get WAY more of Lee, the unexpected dad. Still a pretty hot cover.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published October 2nd 2015 by Smashwords Edition
original title Deliver Me
ISBN13 9781311939678

In our Supernatural Spotlight: Packmaster ( Full Moon Rising #1) by Jess Buffett (excerpt and giveaway)

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Packmaster ( Full Moon Rising #1) by Jess Buffett
 Release Date: October 16, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Jess Buffett
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

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Blurb

Kyan had never known true kindness, or what it felt like to be completely entranced by one person…until he met Blaise. When his life spins out of control, and a whole new world is opened up to him, he finds that the only human being he can turn to, may not even be human at all.

Blaise has spent months trying to figure out the best way to approach his shy and nervous mate. As the Packmaster in the small town of Rowan Oak, he isn’t used to having to show restraint or patience. When he finally makes his move a turn of events involving a forgotten note, a disappearing mate, and trouble with a group of hunters leads to disastrous results.

When Blaise finally catches up to Kyan, what he finds and the answers he gets are nothing like what he had been expecting. Will the pair be able to straighten out their misunderstandings and find the happiness they both long for, or will the Packmaster lose the only thing he has ever had to fight for?

 

Pages or Words: 20,710 words
Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Excerpt

Kyan ran. His legs burned, his chest was tight and the fear that clogged his throat was so completely overwhelming that he just knew at any minute his entire body would give out on him. The heavy rain pelted down hard, and his small stature, with hardly any muscle or bulk of any form, quivered from the strain. He pushed himself through the pain, refusing to give up. The abhorrent idea of allowing the monsters that chased him, to catch up, was the only thing that kept him moving. That, and the small flutter he felt in his stomach. The reminder that he was not only running for his own life, but that of his unborn child’s. Even now, with the small protrusion in his lower abdomen, the thought almost sent him careening off course.

Pregnant! How could a man be pregnant? It just shouldn’t be possible.
Kyan swiped his auburn hair out of his face, so that he could see better. The normally spiky locks hung plastered to his forehead by sweat and rain.

“There he is. Get him!” One of the many voices that had taunted him for the last hour, shouted.
Alarm shot through him when he realized just how close they had gotten to him. A whimper broke free as he darted his way through the thick foliage and branches that stuck out and cut through his skin. He almost lost his footing over a protruding tree root, but luckily he was able to leap at the last moment, landing firmly on his two feet.
Just as he regained his stride, a heavy mass ploughed into his side, sending him careening to the ground. He barely had enough time to twist so as not to fall onto his stomach. His entire frame ached, and all he could do was curl up into a ball, protecting himself and his child as much as possible.

“Please,” he begged. “God, please.”

“Shhh,” came a vicious hiss from above him. Firm hands clamped down hard on him as he attempted to shrug them off. “Do you want them to find us? Keep still and be quiet.”

He froze at the menacing yet familiar voice, and only then became aware that at some stage he must have closed his eyes. Prying them open, Kyan stared at the hulking man above him in shock, confusion and not a little bit of fear.

“Blaise?”

A hand quickly covered his mouth as Blaise growled. “For the love of god, Kyan. Shut. Up.”

 

Buy the book:  Amazon  |  All Romance (ARe)

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Meet the Author

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart.

Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door.

A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, 3 Chicks After Dark, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Full Moon Dreaming, QUEERcentric Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, KathyMac Reviews, Havan Fellows, Mikky’s World of Books, Bike Book Reviews, EE Montgomery, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, SiK Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Happily Ever Chapter, Carly’s Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire, Divine Magazine, Iyana Jenna, Louise Lyons, MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Nautical Star Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Redz World, Moonbeams Over Atlanta, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

 

Final

Giveaway

 

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Packmaster’ by Jess Buffett.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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Love Fantasy Fiction? Author Tom Early Talks About His Inspiration and New Release Aspect of Winter (interview, excerpt and contest)

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Tom Early here to answer a few  questions about himself, writing and his latest release, Aspect of Winter.  Welcome, Tom.  We have a few questions for you this morning.

Q.  Why write for YA readers?

YA is where representation matters most. There aren’t enough YA books out there that feature protagonists that aren’t straight, and there are even fewer books that manage to be the proper adventure fantasy story and just also happen to have gay characters. I want to help change that.

Q.  I have always loved the idea of a college for magical studies, what draws you to this element?

It’s kind of impossible to ignore the influence Harry Potter has on any author who attempts to write a magical school type of story, and I won’t deny that it definitely helped give me the idea. But Harry Potter is about early schooling, and not more of a college element. Janus University seems kind of like the next logical step for what to portray. You’ve got powers, and that’s great. But what do you do with them? What is the world like when magic is readily available and there’s no real control of powers after a certain point? Aspect of Winter, especially the later books in the series, aims to answer that.

Q.  Friends to lovers is a favorite trope for so many readers, is it one of yours too?

It depends. I’ve never been a fan of childhood friends to lovers because it just seems unrealistic to have two people who have been as friends for years and years to suddenly want to be more. But newer friendships that eventually expand their boundaries is far more realistic for me. I find the idea of a friendship that progresses over a few months to a relationship to be a lot better, and a lot less abrupt than love at first sight, either. Love takes time to grow, but it isn’t something that is inherently likely to happen from years of friendship, either.

Q.  Do you have a favorite story that you read as a younger reader?

I read The Name of the Wind many, many times when I was younger, and still do occasionally even now. I wouldn’t quite call it YA, but it’s definitely read just as much by teens as it is adults. The story just manages to set up a slow pace and make it work, which, especially for fantasy, is incredibly difficult to do well.

Q.  What feeling do you want your readers to take away at the end of this and any of your stories?

Aspect of Winter is meant to be a story that you enjoy reading. I wrote it to entertain myself, and hopefully it entertains anyone who reads it as well. But making Fay gay, and Sam pansexual, and Tyler bisexual isn’t a coincidence. I want people to realize that it’s just as easy to enjoy a good YA book with non-straight main characters as any other.

Q. Did you bring any of your school history and make it part of the Janus College learning experience?

The high school Fay and Sam go to at the beginning of Aspect of Winter is loosely based off my own high school experience. Their efforts to get into Janus University is like a fictionalized, combat fantasy version of the college application process. And their time at Janus University in book two is meant to be similar to my own college experience in the feeling of freedom and courses and choices offered, but Janus University is a bit more ruthless than my own school is.

Q.  What’s next for Tom Early?

Well, there’s definitely book two, which is tentatively titled The Doorway God at the moment. I’m about in the middle of it at the moment and working pretty much every day on it. But I have other novels I’m working towards publication with as well. One of them is high fantasy and features a bisexual assassin and an asexual princess and an epic plot against the safety of the entire world, and another tells the story of a possibly delusional young man trying to find a boy who was taken from his mother in 1930’s England. But finishing the Aspect series is first on my list.

AboutTheBook

22930117Title: Aspect of Winter

Author: Tom Early

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press

Cover Artist: Sadie Thompson

Length: 260 pages

Release Date: October 15, 2015

Blurb: It’s hard enough being gay in high school, but Fay must also deal with hiding his magical ability—powers he barely understands and cannot possibly reveal. His best friend Sam is his only confidante, and even with her help, Fay’s life is barely tolerable.

Everything changes when Janus University, a college for individuals with magical capabilities, discovers the pair. When the university sends a student to test them, Fay and Sam, along with their classmate Tyler, are catapulted headfirst into a world of unimaginable danger and magic. Fay and Tyler begin to see each other as more than friends while they prepare for the Trials, the university’s deadly acceptance process. For the first time, the three friends experience firsthand how wonderful and terrible a world with magic can be, especially when the source of Fay’s power turns out to be far deadlier than anyone imagined.

Excerpt

 

AS IT turned out, being wedged into the small space below the math wing staircase was exactly as uncomfortable as I’d imagined. Now, I was in there of my own choice, sort of. I held still and listened, letting out a sigh of relief when I heard the boys’ voices fading. I decided it was safe and did my best to wriggle out.

Groaning, I brushed myself off and realized that I’d somehow managed to cover the majority of my backpack in a thick layer of dust. Rumor had it that years ago the staircase used to be green. Now it was gray. I looked at my backpack in disgust and let out a breath, concentrating. The dust glittered as a layer of frost covered it. When I hoisted my bag onto my back once more, the dust slid right off, the frost preventing it from clinging.

Clean backpack in hand, I trudged up the stairs, across the hall, and walked into the classroom. I took my customary seat in the back next to the poster detailing the derivative rules of calculus, feeling a flash of pity for Ms. King as I watched her try to get anyone to listen, and grabbed my book of the day as the front row began its usual antics. Today they asked Ms. King about her love life, which, while incredibly rude, was extremely successful in throwing her off-balance.

I would never understand high school, even after nearly four years of it. It seemed barely tolerable for everyone involved, including the people who fit in. I didn’t fit in, and so every day was a new chapter in the purgatory of hiding what I could do.

I sent a grateful prayer to the high school gods as class was interrupted by an announcement saying we needed to go to the nurse’s office for a new immunization or something. Ms. King pulled us out of the truly thrilling world of integrals and sent us down one at a time. I was one of the last to go.

Stepping back into the hallway, I prayed that I wasn’t going to run into any of Logan’s crowd again on my way down. The number of times I’d heard “fag” muttered under someone’s breath was already too high.

The school had two hallways running between the faculty area and the math wing, and most people took the lower one. I chose the glass hallway because it was usually empty (this surprised me as well, but apparently using stairs was just too much for many of my classmates), and it was pretty cool to be able to see the entire campus from what was effectively its highest point. I trailed a finger across the glass as I walked, leaving behind a fractal line of frost in the warm September air.

I smirked. For as long as I’d been at Owl’s Head High School, there had been, in the eloquent phrasing of high schoolers, “spooky shit” in the fall and spring where kids would come across ice or cold areas in warm weather. I knew I needed to keep my head down, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun.

BuyLinks

Harmony Ink Press

Amazon US

Amazon UK

All Romance eBooks

AboutTheAuthor

Tom Early is currently a student at Tufts University who probably spends more time than is wise reading and writing instead of studying. More often than not, he can be found wrapped in a blanket on the couch forgetting most of the things he was supposed to do that day.

When not writing, Tom can be found either reading, gaming, drawing, scratching his dog, or bothering his friends. He also frequently forgets that it’s healthy to get more than six hours of sleep a night, and firmly believes that treating coffee as the most important food group makes up for this. If you show him a picture of your dog, he will probably make embarrassingly happy noises and then brag about his own dog. He’s always happy to talk about any of his previous or current writing projects, because people asking him about them reminds him that he should really be writing right now.

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Winner’s Prize: Free signed copy of Aspect of Winter

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TourSchedule

October 19:

Love Bytes Reviews

World of Diversity Fiction

Sue Brown

October 20:

BFD Book Blog

RJ Scott

The Land of Make Believe

October 21:

Boys on the Brink

The Purple Rose Tea House

Queer Sci-Fi

Drops of Ink

October 22:

Carly’s Book Reviews

Wicked Faeries Tales & Reviews

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Divine Magazine

October 23:

Reviews and Interviews Blog

TTC Books and More

Nephy’s World

Diverse Reader

A BJ Review: Just a Bit Wrong (Straight Boys #4) by Alessandra Hazard

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Just A Bit Wrong CoverZach Hardaway is one of the best physiotherapists in Europe. Tristan DuVal is a young soccer star with a groin injury and adopted brother to Gabriel from book three of the series.

Zach and Tristan despise each other from the moment they meet. As far as Zach is concerned, Tristan is a rich, spoiled brat who is too used to getting his own way. As far as Tristan is concerned, Zach is a bossy, presumptuous jerk.

Tristan hates Zach. He does. The problem is, he also wants to shove Zach against the nearest wall and climb him like a tree.

Zach is in an open relationship with a woman, but they are engaged to be married and plan to become monogamous once they tie the knot. He’s straight. Except that he can’t seem to keep his mind or hands off his infuriating new patient.

This well-written series hasn’t disappointed me yet! This is actually book five, if you count Straight Boy (book 0.5) and I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them. The series deals with straight guys who discover and come to terms with their sexuality a bit later, usually with some bits of trauma along the way.

Like Gabriel in the past book, Tristan Duval’s one messed up guy. I must admit that I abhorred him in book three. While Gabriel was a bit co-dependent and obsessive/possessive of Jared, Tristan is the opposite. He never has relationships, just sex. And it’s all tied up with defense mechanisms he created to deal with rejection and loss in his early childhood. He is a brat, but despite that it didn’t take too long for the author to dispel my former dislike once she let’s us inside the façade he’s created, and I was soon rooting for Tristan to find happiness.

Due to their combined hectic, traveling lifestyles, Zach and his longtime friend/lover Donna have been in an open relationship, but having decided it’s time to start a family they’ve made plans to tie the know and the wedding invitations have been sent. He gives in his desire for Tristan just to get it out of his system before the wedding… except that once he starts, he cannot stop coming back for more.

This installment of the series adds in a bit of BDSM twist with some spanking action. Tristan and Gabe together are hot! Yes, folks… like the rest of the series, this book is sexy (hate me/take me) and angsty. Tristan and Zach both fought their feelings and budding relationship tooth and nail, which resulted in some funny and sweet moments.

Enjoyable ending in which Tristan began to open up but has not truly yet changed. I would love to have seen a bit more development between him and Gabe’s relationship, but perhaps in the next book. The seeds that were planted for book five have me chomping at the bit and hoping to see Tristan and Gabe both continue in their growth and maturing. There certainly seems to be the set up for it, and I hope we will get to find out very soon.

Cover was changed from the time I purchased it. Originally a white background showing a guy with bright aqua eyes, now a darker cover in which the eyes color doesn’t show. I preferred the first actually.

Sales Links:   Amazon | Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, 203 pages
Published September 15th 2015 (first published September 14th 2015)

Can’t Get Enough of the Bluewater Bay stories? Rain Shadow by L.A. Witt is Here! (Tour and contest)

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Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10)
by L.A. Witt
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by L. C. Chase

Buy Link at Riptide Publishing

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/L. A. Witt blog tour for Rain Shadow, the latest installment in the multi-author Bluewater Bay series! BWBlogo_Web

Blurb

Jeremy Rose came to Bluewater Bay to work as Anna Maxwell’s bodyguard, not to escape his increasingly bitter relationship with his estranged kids. He just wants to focus on his job and be alone for a while. He’s done with love, especially now that three years after his long overdue divorce, he’s got a front-row seat to the rapid deterioration between Anna and her girlfriend. Cynical doesn’t even begin to describe him.

Then Anna and Leigh’s attempts to reconcile put him in the crosshairs of marriage counselor Scott Fletcher. Scott’s exactly what Jeremy needs right now: gorgeous, hot, horny, single, and 100% uninterested in a relationship. The problem is, too much no-strings-attached sex — and too much time in each other’s company — inevitably builds emotional connection.

Except Jeremy refuses to seek counseling for his broken family, and Scott refuses to get seriously involved with men who work dangerous jobs. They both need to realize they can only hide for so long from the pain they came here to escape. They must face their pasts before they lose their shot at a happy future.

Rain Shadow is available from Riptide Publishing.

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Giveaway


Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (excluding Rain Shadow) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 24th, and winners will be announced on October 26th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.  Leave your email address in the comment.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

About the Author

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on  her blog or on Twitter @GallagherWitt.

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Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, and Jaime Samms. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

Starstruck (Bluewater Bay, #1) by L.A. Witt
There’s Something About Ari (Bluewater Bay, #2) by L.B. Gregg
Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov
The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau and Rachel Haimowitz
Lights, Camera, Cupid (A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology; Bluewater Bay #6)
Wedding Favors (Bluewater Bay, #7)by Anne Tenino
The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay, #8) by Amy Lane
When to Hold Them (Bluewater Bay, #9) by G.B. Gordon
Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay, #10) by L.A. Witt

Author Special: April Kelly on Writing & Real LIfe and her Book ‘Coming Back Home’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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We are happy to welcome April Kelley here today. April Kelley is the author of the popular Pickelville series and is here to talk writing and her latest release, Coming Back Home.

Writing When Real Life Creeps In by April Kelley

The past couple weeks have been the hardest I’ve had to go through in a long time. My Grandfather got seriously ill and was in the hospital. He passed away just a few days ago. My whole family was at the hospital the entire week being with him through it all. There was no doubt in my mind that the man who helped raise me was loved. I think it goes without saying that I will miss him more with each passing day.

Sadly, my family started arguing and feelings were hurt. Maybe it was the stress of the situation or the fact that we all were in such close quarters for an entire week. Whatever the reason, the arguing just made the whole thing that much worse and caused some irreversible damage to our relationships with each other.

All this made it impossible to work on my usual stories. As someone who writes full time, this is a huge problem. A problem that needs to be solved quickly.

So what did I do?

I wrote something else. Not the paranormal story I was working on before Grandpa went into the hospital. My emotions were to all over the place for that story. All my fabulous readers can tell you I very rarely write angsty stuff. If it’s in a story it’s brief. I’m all about the romance. But my normal was disturbed and I just couldn’t seem to get in the right frame of mind. So I started writing something else. I’m a few pages into a story called 27 Lies My Mother Told Me. It’s complete fiction but it’s helping me work through all those emotions of the past week. It’s also completely different than anything I’ve written so far. I had an idea for the story months ago, but it seems the characters want to take it in a different direction.

So I added a fourth story to my list of things to write, but this one I’m writing during those particular times when the stress seems unbearable. After all, writing is therapeutic all by itself. I might as well use it to de-stress and work through whatever emotions I’m feeling to get to a better place.

AboutTheBook

ComingBackHomeFS

 

 

Title: Coming Back Home
Series: Pickelville

Author: April Kelley
Publisher: Extasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters

Length: 31,435 words
Release Date: October 15, 2015

Blurb

One huge fight changed Seth’s life forever.

Seth Murray just might be the most stubborn man on the face of this plant. He refused to move back to Pickleville because of one fight with his father. That is until he gets a call saying that his dad has passed away suddenly. The first person Seth thinks about is the one man he gave up because of his stubborn pride. Five years ago, all Seth wanted was to be with Carter. Now he doesn’t know what he wants. And Carter has his own life. One that Seth certainly didn’t see coming when he finally reconnects with the man again. One that revolves around a certain blonde haired, blue-eyed little girl that completely melts Seth’s heart the minute he meets her.

Excerpt

Seth knew Carter saw him. How could he not. Carter walked right passed him into the horse barn like Seth had been invisible, though. Seth followed him in and stood there for a second watching Carter go into the tack room. Seth followed him in and then closed the door after him, plunging them both into darkness.

“Open the door, Seth.”

“No.”

“Then at least turn on the light.”

“No, I like it this way.” It made the conversation they needed to have that much easier. Still scared the crap out of him though, not that he would be admitting that anytime soon to anyone.

“Seth.”

“I’ll turn on the light when you tell me what your problem is.”

“I don’t have a problem. Now, turn on the light before you trip over something.”

“Right, like you’re really worried about my wellbeing at the moment.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, it’s a little too late for that, now isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the way you’ve been treating me. Like I have the damn plague or something.”

He heard Carter sigh. “Seth, please. Just open the door so I can do my job.”

“The sooner you tell me what your problem is, the sooner I let you out.”

“I can physically remove you from in front of that door.”

Seth narrowed his eyes. Logically, he knew Carter couldn’t see him, but he didn’t care at the moment. Seth didn’t say anything. The more he talked the more Carter wanted to argue about everything, but the real problem. Instead, he decided to wait Carter out.

BuyLinks

eXtasy Books

AboutTheAuthor

 

Living in Southwest Michigan, April resides with her husband and two kids.  She has been an avid reader for several years.  Writing her first story at the age of ten, the characters in her head still won’t stop telling their stories.  If April isn’t reading or writing she can be found outside playing with the animals or taking a long walk in the woods.

||  Blog  || Website  ||  Twitter  ||  Email  ||

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Winner’s Prize: E-copy of Coming Back Home.

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TourSchedule

October 15:

World of Diversity Fiction

MM Good Book Reviews

Drops of Ink

October 16:

Divine Magazine

Bayou Book Junkie

Love Bytes Reviews

October 19:

Prism Book Alliance

Bike Book Reviews

Wicked Faeries Tales & Reviews

October 20:

The Purple Rose Tea House

Diverse Reader

October 21:

Hearts on Fire

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words