Category: Book Reviews

A MelanieM Review: Stud Player (King of Hearts, #2) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

STud Player coverIn a world where supernatural creatures openly exist, who can blame them for coalescing in one of the most fascinating and erotic places on earth? Welcome to New Orleans.

A conflicted incubus…

Laurant knows sex. As an incubus, he needs it to live. What he doesn’t need or understand are all those sticky and obnoxious ooey gooey emotions that humans intertwine with the physical act of enjoyment. So he’s less than pleased with his firsthand introduction to those feelings in reference to his last meal…they’re actually driving him insane. Crazy enough that he’ll face off against the baddest of his kind to keep his delectable morsel safe and sound and hopefully on his menu.

Not just your average blue-plate special…

Sure, in a moment of duress, Gun fed Laurant. The demon lay on the floor, bleeding from a wound meant for him—what else could he do but enjoy the ride the sex demon needed to heal. Unfortunately, the dangerous conclusion and surprising aftermath of their coupling only cements Gun’s need to know who he is and where he comes from…and to keep his distance from the enticing and deadly incubus.

So it really sucks when the incubus may be the only one that can keep him alive.

Who will turn out to be the King of Hearts in Havan Fellows’ King of Hearts series for Pulp Friction 2015?  I love that it’s getting harder and harder to figure out who that title will belong to with each new installment. Stud Player supplies us with more questions than answers and that’s a wonderful thing.

Laurant, our over-the-top incubus with a taste for men seemed more destined for the title of King of Casual Sex than the King of Hearts.  He loves them, as many as possible, and then leaves them behind, alive but definitely alone at the end of each encounter. It’s a necessary flibbertigibbet lifestyle brought on by the fact that his kind are forbidden to kill  their “food” and feeding on humans more than once brings with it less than favorable complications. Then a mysterious stranger appeared and everything changed, no matter how much Laurant refuses to see it.  That mystery person, Gun (a name given to him by Laurant) is becoming even more of an enigma to all, including himself, as each new interaction with Laurant and gang reveals new sides to Gun in practically every way.

Gun is a wonderful character, strong, more than a match for Laurant at his sexy best.  Yet the man knows nothing about himself, how he got to New Orleans and most importantly, why he can’t remember anything about well anything that concerns himself.  And Laurant finds himself impossibly attracted and protective of Gun.  Especially after he “kills” Gun, or thinks he does in a moment of absolute need.  That event proves Laurant  wrong about so many assumptions he’s made about Gun and just highlights the need for more information about the mysteries that surround the sexy stranger.

Take all that, throw in a disapproving father demon, an Incubus Council on the warpath and Havan Fellows delivers a sparkling, sexy mystery that pulls you in and refuses to let you go.  With each new story, my liking for these characters deepen.  Fellows reveals new supporting characters with each story that add an emotional heft to each person’s present situation and gives us a bit more of their  past.  Or at least Laurant’s past.

In true serialized fiction style, we are left with another enormous mystery concerning Gun after a major dynamic scene that exciting, full of suspense, and one element that’s satisfyingly shocking.  Someone so deserved what happened to him.  *claps* And still with all that action, we are left with complications, questions, and absolutely no answers.  Will that frustrate you?  I’m almost positive it will but it will keep you thinking until the next story is ready to be picked up and devoured.  Boy, I hope that’s soon.  Answers!!!!  I want answers!  And lots more sexy encounters between Laurant and Gun.  Love this pair.   You will too.

Not familiar with the King of Hearts series, author Havan Fellows or the Pulp Friction Gang’s series of interconnected fiction?  This is a great place to start.  No, not this story, but the series.  Head to the beginning round of stories.  I have listed them all below.  Read them in sequence and together to round out the communal plot and connected characters.  It’s fun, its a sexy romp and its not to be missed.  Consider this and all of them highly recommended!

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Love the model on this  cover.  I’m thinking this is Gun as Laurant would never be this scruffy.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 54 pages
Published April 14th 2015 by Lime Time Press
ASINB00W5HNFYE
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2015 #5, Jack of Spades #2

About Pulp Friction 2015
Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.
Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.
Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.
Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:

Stud Player (King of Hearts #2) by Havan Fellows
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades #2) by Lee Brazil
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs #2) by Parker Williams

A BJ Review: A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

A Perfect Game coverChristopher “Kit” Pennington is a twenty-six year old rich guy with dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He has loads of talent and drive when it comes to baseball, but not so much for formal education. He’s been barely getting by in his studies at the private school he attends. But when handsome Liam Dalton replaces one of Kit’s regular professors, higher learning suddenly becomes more interesting.

I’m not a big sports fan, but I very much enjoyed this book about a younger Dom and an older sub. Kit is a naughty, potty-mouth, brat at the beginning. He’s floundering in his studies even while he excels at his sport, until he meets the right teacher who can change that.

The relationship is a bit on the insta-love side, but it worked for me due to Kit’s personality. Once Kit saw what he wanted, he was very much the aggressor, pursuing Liam for all he was worth. Kit didn’t have the smooth control and power of an experienced Dom, which I rather liked in someone so young.

Up until the book hit about 70%, I was finding it to be an enjoyable but middle-of-the-road read. I questioned exactly what drew Liam to Kit enough for him to risk his career and would have liked to see more of Liam’s background revealed as I think it could have helped with that. Plus, there are a few editing errors to be found.

Then all of a sudden, the book turned a major corner for me and soared straight into the better-than-average zone.

Kit seemed to come into himself once he was out from under his father’s thumb and secure in his relationship with Liam. Liam also blossomed. The way Kit cherished Liam, the way he was so observant and attentive and earned his trust. And the vows Kit said when he put Liam’s collar on! How I’d love for someone to say that sort of thing to me… especially the last sentence. *sigh*


I promise to love you and protect you with my life and never let any harm befall you. I promise I’ll never put you in a position where you are humiliated or feel embarrassed and I will never, ever cause you any reason for distrust.

Even Kit’s grumpy father was changed by seeing how much these two two cared for and brought out the best in each other. And the end hit it out of the park. If only there’d been more of a buildup of sexual tension, this could have been a five star for me despite its imperfections.

The cover didn’t particularly appeal to me since its very much baseball focused, and I’m not into sports. If I’d gone by the cover rather than the blurb, I wouldn’t have picked this up.

Sales Links:      Amazon   Buy It Here


Book Details:  

ebook, 150 pages
Published November 30th 2009 by Noble Romance Publishing (first published 2009)
ISBN1605920673 (ISBN13: 9781605920672)
edition language English

A Paul B Review: Bound to Brody (Shifters and Lovers #1) by Ali Atwood

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bound To Brody coverWhen Zac McQuade comes home for his niece’s baptism, his college crush Brody Maitland pays him a visit. Hoping for a social call, he is disappointed when he wants his help tracking a missing patient. As the two investigate, things heat up both for them and in the mystery. Will secrets past and present separate them permanently?

Zac McQuade spent several years in the military after school. Upon his release from the military, he is contacted by a government agency to become an elite assassin. As a cover, he informs people that he is in the foreign investigations division of the FBI. After having completed his last assignment, he heads home to attend the christening of his niece and take a much needed breather from work.

Brody Maitland is a psychiatrist at the local university. He is worried when one of his patients disappears with no explanation. Having heard that his former crush is home to visit his family, he contacts Zac in hopes that he will help to unofficially investigate the disappearance of his patient. Zac, knowing that he isn’t trained for this despite his professed credentials, agrees to help Brody out if only to spend some time with him.

As the investigation progresses, they find that the missing student might be victim of a serial killer. While tracking down information, they come to realize that they had feelings for each other while in school. As this bond grows, it serves not only to bring them together but also will be used against them. The killer uses this growing bond to put the protagonists in jeopardy. Will the secret that Brody is keeping which could save them from the killer also destroy the building romance between the two heroes?

This is the first book in the new Shifters and Lovers series by Ali Atwood. There is much that I liked about the book. First, other than the fact the series name, the fact that one of the protagonists is a shifter is not revealed until near the end of the book. To extend this point, our shifter did not grow up knowing about paranormals as he was adopted at an early age. Another difference is that this is not a story of destined mate. It starts out as a story of unrequited love that soon evolves. The author sets up further books in the series as our heroes decide to find out if there are others like him.

I also am interested to see if Zac’s occupation will play in the hunt for more shifters. This is a good start to a new series in my opinion.

The cover art by Scott Carpenter is simply gorgeous. Two well built shirtless men dominate the top two thirds of the cover. The bottom third has a cougar ready to pounce. Nicely done.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books –   All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon   Buy It Here

Book details:
Ebook, 78 pages
Edtion: English
Published: May 1, 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0329-4
Series: Shifters and Lovers
Bound to Brody (Shifters and Lovers #1)

Enter the World of Sex & Cybercrime with “Would I Lie To You?” by Brad Vance (author interview and giveaway)

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 Would I Lie To You? (The Game Players #1) by Brad Vance
Release Date: April 24, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Brad Vance
Cover Artist: Brad Vance

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Sales Links: (Amazon exclusive)

Our Interview with Brad Vance….

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Brad Vance, author of “Would I Lie to You?” Hi Brad, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Thank you! Glad to be here.

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

Well, it’s the first time I’ve come up with a pair of characters I felt could sustain a series. They’re complex and brilliant and easily bored, so they’ll be challenging each other to keep it fresh for some time to come. I’ve had other pairs about whom readers have said, “I want more!” But I’d given those guys their HEAs and I couldn’t figure out how to write more about them without undoing that HEA. And after all the angst and pain I put them through, I just couldn’t do that to them, or myself!

How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

I got the book title looking at the cover model, Daniel Sobieray. That pick just popped out at me on a stock photo site, and I could hear him asking that – “Would I lie to you?” The answer, when you look at him, is yeah, you would. The series title is “The Game Players” because these are guys who aren’t interested in a relationship that’s, you know, Friday nights at the Olive Garden and the latest blockbuster movie. Marc and Jesse have that “fighting their attraction” trope, but I messed with that, and turned it into something more complex. Each knows very well that the other is just as attracted to him, but not only do circumstances stand in the way, but they’re both willing to play a game of teasing and expectations that lasts a long time. Just “giving in” would be boring, to both of them. Most of the sexual heat between them in the book is really the “foreplay” that builds them up to the big release!

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

I think they’re both special! But if I was to talk about Marc, I’d say that he’s an interesting type. He’s totally in control in life, running a multibillion dollar corporation, but he needs that release of a dom/sub relationship, somewhere he can lose that control, if only for a night. But – he’s not the kind of sub you’d see on his knees in a bar, crawling around licking any boot in sight. Marc’s not a weak person, he’s strong, and he’s looking for someone even stronger.

What do you think makes a good story?

Research, realism, believability. Dialogue that sounds like something actual men would say to each other. If you make the guy a cop, pick up a textbook on policing or a cop memoir and see what the job is really like. If you make the guy a soldier, make sure you know the job he has, the lingo, etc. We all have these fantasy men (fireman, cop, etc.) but to me, what fulfills the fantasy is that sense that this guy really is what you say he is.

What does your family think of your writing?

Well, my mom knows about it, but the only book she’s read is “Apollo’s Curse,” the one with no sex in it! She’s glad I’m making a living, but when I was just writing erotica and revealed to her that I was actually making money at it, all she said was, “Well…sure are a lot of weirdos out there.”

Young male fashion model posing outdoors against rustic background

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Software billionaire Marc Julian’s orderly life is shattered one night by a cyber-intrusion into his company’s servers. He’s always surrounded himself with the best people, but finding the culprit behind this might require a real expert…and sometimes it takes a thief to catch a thief.

Jesse Winchester and his team of “grey hat” hackers are suddenly available to Marc. Marc doesn’t know if he should trust Jesse with the keys to his company’s kingdom. After all, Jesse’s a convicted felon, sent to prison for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. A felon sentenced to thirty-five years in prison, who mysteriously served only three years before being released…

Marc’s first company, his whole life, was shattered because he trusted the wrong person. This time there’s even more at stake, but few other options. Especially when his evil enemies, the billionaire industrialist Krom brothers, are revealed to be the source of the intrusion.

Is Jesse there to help Marc, or does he have his own history with the Kroms, his own score to settle? As Jesse and Marc spend more time together, their growing intimacy is at war with their need to win their respective battles. Soon the game they start to play with each other, against each other, becomes more exciting, more exquisitely frustrating…and more dangerous.

Pages or Words: 289 pages

Categories: BDSM, Crime Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller, Cybercrime

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

He’d made a mistake with Marc. He’d thought they could play a game together, to pass the time, let off steam, release stress.

Marc was smart enough to know that that’s all it was.

Right?

But the look on his face, when Jesse said goodbye… The shock. The disappointment. The…

Say it. The hurt. That was when Jesse knew that for Marc, it had been more.

That was when Jesse knew that it had been more for him, too.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the author:
Brad Vance writes gay romance, erotica and paranormal stories and novels, including the breakout hits “A Little Too Broken” and “Have a Little Faith in Me.”

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brad.vance.10
Facebook Author Page: https://www.bradvanceerotica.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BradVanceAuthor
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/1/+BradVance/about

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STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One of three E-book copies of ‘Would I Lie To You?’ by Brad Vance
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Tour Dates & Stops: May 11 – May 29, 2015
11-May
Parker Williams

12-May
Prism Book Alliance

13-May
Decadent Delights

14-May
Kimi-Chan

15-May
Bayou Book Junkie

18-May
Velvet Panic
3 Chicks After Dark
Inked Rainbow Reads

19-May
Divine Magazine
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

20-May
Love Bytes

21-May
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

22-May
Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

25-May
BFD Book Blog

26-May
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

27-May
Iyana Jenna

28-May
Molly Lolly
MM Good Book Reviews

29-May
My Fiction Nook
Butterfly-O-Meter
Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Love Paranormal Romance? Check Out “Hush” by Jude Sierra (excerpt and giveaway)

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Hush by Jude Sierra
Release Date: May 19, 2015

Goodreads Link 
Publisher: Consent, an imprint of Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Artist: Victoria A. with Cover Design by BuckeyeGrrl Designs

Sales Link:  Amazon

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More About “Hush”:

Wren is one of “the gifted”—a college sophomore with the power to compel others’ feelings and desires. He uses his power as a game of sexual consent until Cameron, a naïve freshman, enters his life. As Cameron begins to understand his sexuality and gain confidence under Wren’s tutelage, Wren grows to recognize new and unexpected things about himself. Can their game become a relationship as the power shifts from teacher to student?

Pages or Words: 278 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

 Hush Excerpt:

Wren looks… different. His eyes are wide in what seems almost like surprise. His lips, darker than Cam’s ever seen them, tremble. Cam doesn’t need any of Wren’s abilities to catch that Wren is overwhelmed. The only thing Cam knows how to offer is what he himself would want.

“Kiss me?” he asks.

Beautifully, Wren doesn’t resist. His clothes are rough against Cam’s skin all those zippers are so cold where Cam radiates heat. When Wren drapes himself on top of Cam, his body is heavier than Cam had imagined. Wren kisses Cam softly, seeking something, and Cam wants to believe it’s from a feeling of closeness, something sweet like the gratitude he feels right now. He cannot believe he just did that—that he let Wren do that. Hulled and shaking, Cam lets his hands wander because even after that perfect storm of pleasure, there is an itch under his skin for more.

About the author:

Jude Sierra first began writing poetry as a child in her home country of Brazil. Still a student of the form, she has expanded her repertoire with her first novel, Hush.

She began writing long-form fiction by tackling her first National Novel Writing Month project in 2007, and in 2011 began writing in online fan communities, where her stories have thousands of readers.

Where to find the author:

Website: http://www.Judesierra.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JudeMSierra
Twitter: @judesierra

Contest

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Dates & Stops:

19-May

Wake Up Your Wild Side

Hearts on Fire

Multitasking Mommas

3 Chicks After Dark

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

20-May

The Novel Approach

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

MM Good Book Reviews

21-May

Velvet Panic

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Bayou Book Junkie

22-May

Emotion In Motion

My Fiction Nook

Divine Magazine

25-May

Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

Love Bytes

26-May

Prism Book Alliance

BFD Book Blog

27-May

Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

Amanda C. Stone

Cate Ashwood

28-May

Molly Lolly

29-May

The Blogger Girls

1-Jun

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Inked Rainbow Reads

 

Cover Reveal Time for Mia Kerick’s Love Spell (cover reveal and giveaway)

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Its Cover Reveal Time for Love Spell by Mia Kerick
Release Date: June 1, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris

Sales Link:  Amazon

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Blurb:

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.)  However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.

An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

Pages or Words: 44,300 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Excerpt:

“Do you really wanna go there?”

Unlike the fake lunch block that I spend every day with Jazz, my real lunch block with Emily has been a total bitch lately. I can’t say who the major target of the bullshit is—Emmy or me—as neither of us has a sizeable fan club at Fiske High School. But I will say that the front table by the salad bar can be a cold place, and that’s not just because of the draft that comes in from the hallway.

“Nice makeup, girl-boy.” It seems Edwin Darling hasn’t forgotten my nickname from grade school, which sucks for me.

But this diva never backs down. “Thanks. Haven’t you heard—I was the head makeup artist on Evita?”

“Eh-what-uh?” Eddie the Appalling wrinkles his greasy forehead and runs his hand over his buzz-cut hair. Clearly, he is unfamiliar with Tony Award winning Broadway musicals. Not that I’m shocked. He quickly shifts his attention to Emily. “How do you put up with him, fat-ass?”

My BFF isn’t as good as I am at deflecting evil taunts. She looks up at him with wide eyes and seems to lose her appetite, pushing her salad toward the middle of the table.

“Oh, that’s cold, my darling Eddie.” (See what I did with his name, there? Clever, I know.) I stand up. “I wouldn’t go there if I were you.” I then “rawr” at him like a ticked-off tigress, throwing in a clawing gesture to get my point across. “Do you really wanna go there?”

I can tell by the look on his face that he’s remembering how long it took for the scratches on his face to heal after our last entanglement.

“I personally could live without going there, but you know me—I’m impulsive as hell.” I fold my arms across my chest and thrust out my right hip. “Piss me off and I’m likely to do abso-fucking-lutely anything.”

The bulk of my attention is focused on my adversary, but it’s impossible to miss that we’ve gathered an audience. An audience of indifferent “watchers”—the multitudes of apathetic teens who will later text each other, “did you see the homo and the bully go head-to-head at lunch today?” They don’t matter one smidgeon in the scheme of things, but my Emily does.

At this point, Eddie and I are eye-to-eye and chest-to-chest. Lucky for him, one of his thugs bails him out. “Get too close to that fag and you’ll get AIDS—am I wrong?” The big oaf grabs Eddie by the arm and pulls him away.

But he doesn’t remove his gaze from mine. “You better watch out when we’re off school grounds, pansy.”

If I said I didn’t shudder, I’d be lying.

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About the author:

Photo_2Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Stop by Mia’s Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind. Find Mia on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick?fref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiaKerick
Pinterest: http://www,pinterest.com/miakerick/

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Inked Rainbow Reads, Love Bytes, Bike Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Carly’s Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Chris McHart, EE Montgomery, Divine Magazine, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Boys on the Brink Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Velvet Panic, Up All Night, Read All Day, Cate Ashwood, Nephylim, Mikky’s World of Books, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Prism Book Alliance, Bayou Book Junkie, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, The Novel Approach, Jessie G. Books, Hearts on Fire, Cathy Brockman Romances

Contest

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25Amazon Gift Certificate.

Rafflecopter Code:
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A BJ Review: Sarge (F.I.S.T.S #1) by Bey Deckard

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Sarge coverSergeant Wilkes has had a long and prestigious military career. When he’s injured on the front, Murphy brings him in. Murphy is the opposite of Sarge… big, tattooed, and delightfully submissive. Can a couple space marines stationed on an alien planet where an endless war rages on find something special in each other?

Gritty, violent, somewhat gory short novella. Its kinky, smoking hot and romantic almost in spite of itself. This story made me bawl like a baby, and I loved it!

Sarge is an older, hardened officer Dom; Murphy a younger 6ft 8in quiet, muscular, tattooed, sweet enlisted sub. Murphy also has the ability to see psychic/emotional colors (auras?). The two come together when Sarge is injured fighting on the front line, and Murphy uses his special talent to help him. Right there on the battlefield, wounded and in pain, Sarge propositions Murphy:

“You’re a good boy, Murph,” he says softly to me. “You get me home, get me patched up, and you’ll see what good boys get.”

At first it’s just an interesting diversion for Sarge, but that changes as he comes to realize what he’s found in Murphy.

Murphy is intelligent, but he doesn’t talk much. And damn it, he doesn’t need to because the nuance of communication between him and Sarge is exquisite. When it comes to D/s, one thing that fascinates me is when the physically larger guy is the submissive/bottom. And my goodness isn’t Murphy an enticing one. But its more the two together that really gets me about this story. They’re perfect together. Such devotion. I was seriously holding my breath and biting my nails at the end.

Speaking of the ending, it felt a bit abrupt at first. But the more I thought on it, the more I realized that wasn’t the case–the ending is perfect. I would love to explain that specifically, but don’t want to spoil it. Just read this little gem. I highly recommend it and cannot wait for the next in this series to come out.

The cover conveys the savage heat of the planet, and the overlaid images give a hint of the size difference of the characters. A good representation of what the book has to offer.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 56 pages
Published October 2014 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139780993701764
edition languageEnglish
seriesF.I.S.T.S #1

In the Book Spotlight: Book Name: Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff by Alex Carreras

Sangre

Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff by Alex Carreras
Release Date: May 20, 2015

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Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Adrian Nichols

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Sales Links: Wilde City Press

STRW Author BookSynopsis

In the city of Sangre, Florida, vampires and humans coexist happily until one ancient and powerful vampire decides to mess up the entire thing. The hairdressers at Everlasting Salon who service vampires and humans alike decide to face the threat that lands on their doorstep enlisting the barbers across the street for a fight to the finish. Chaos ensues when fists fly, but it’s not all bad when old flames reunite and new relationships take root and grow. Between the clandestine meetings and vigilante justice, the vampires find love in unexpected companions, hoping to get some TLC along the way.

Pages or Words: 63,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Asher Riots unlocked the door to Everlasting, the salon he had worked at since arriving in the Sunshine State.

Normally the blazing sun wasn’t a vampire’s best friend, but after spending a hundred plus years in the northern United States, it was time for balmy breezes to warm his chilled skin, and soft, sandy beaches to tread on when the moon was full and high in the night sky, no matter what the season.

Stepping through the threshold, he inhaled the distinctive scents of the salon that made his senses tingle with excitement. The familiar smells of the hairsprays, gels, and lotions made him thankful that he had chosen this profession before he became what he was today, a member of the undead. His parents had coiffed the elite of Paris society, and their talents and attention to detail had been passed on to their son who possessed the same talents it took to excel in the beauty industry.

But times and styles had changed, leaving Asher longing for the days of platinum powdered wigs worn by courtesans, instead of bold, garish colors embraced by America’s youth. Releasing a sigh, he flipped on the neon Open sign that hung in the window. Looking out onto the street, he noticed that the barbershop across the way was still closed. Although attractive, the barbers were bad news, and they attracted similar clientele that made Asher’s skin crawl, but excited his lust for rough trade. He never admitted this to his boss, Jerrod, but Tory, his co-worker, suspected as much, judging by the smirk on his glossed lips whenever he caught Asher gazing at the comings and goings of the barbershop during the slow periods at the salon. Tory liked to play dumb, but he was anything but. Asher suspected that Tory preferred it that way because less would be expected of him. He was only fooling himself. Jerrod would never have hired the twink with a penchant for all things shiny, if he believed that was true. Jerrod only took on vampires who showed potential. And if that potential wasn’t realized, they’d be asked to leave. Many had passed through the doors of Everlasting, but only Asher had withstood the test of time.

“They’re in there.” Jerrod strutted through the door on a gust of wind, his deep baritone reverberating in Asher’s chest. “Can’t you smell them?”

“I can smell something, all right,” Asher mumbled under his breath before turning to see the man who had saved him from his own self-loathing when he arrived in Sangre, Florida, years ago. “And it smells like someone is wearing too much cologne.” Asher eyed his friend’s black-from-head-to-toe outfit. It was very hairdresser. And very vampire.

“Funny,” Jerrod grumbled, shooting a look at Asher. “I can sense something’s up but I can’t figure out what, exactly. Have you heard any tongues wagging in the street?”

“Nope,” Asher returned. “But I don’t usually listen to gossip. Ask Tory. He’d know if there is anything to know.”

Jerrod chuckled. “He’s late,” he said without looking at the clock on the wall. “What are we going to do about that guy?”

Just then, the man in question swished through the door, his strut better than any super model’s. “Are you two talking about me again?” Tory made it to the middle of the salon and twirled. “What do you think? It was a gift from an admirer.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Writer of M/M erotic romance, Alex Carreras believes there is nothing sexier than a hot, naked man with a cocky attitude and a sultry smile. Always on the hunt for inspiration, you will find Alex wherever there are attractive men hopefully in a state of undress. And since he lives in South Florida where the average yearly temperature is a balmy 82 Fahrenheit, there is certainly no shortage of inspiration.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexCWrites

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Tour Dates & Stops:

May 20, 2015
Havan Fellows, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Emotion in Motion, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cate Ashwood, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Lee Brazil, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Multitasking Mommas, Christy Loves 2 Read, Full Moon Dreaming,
Hearts on Fire, Charley Descoteaux

May 21, 2015
Inked Rainbow Reads, Parker Williams

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Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Buzz and Blow – Shave and Shimmer – Fade and Fluff’
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Queue Up The Fiction Fun with Mischief Corner Books, The MCB Quarterly Vol. I(excerpts and giveaway)

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LGBTQ Press: Mischief Corner Books
Book Name: The MCB Quarterly, Volume 1

Release Date: April 30, 2015

Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
Cover Artist: Freddy MacKay

A Character Interview by J. Scott Coatsworth…

My name’s Tony, and I got this questionaire in the mail from The Center – I guess they want me to “move on” Like it’s just that easy to let someone go – the man who was a part of you, heart and soul.

But what the hell. Here it goes…

1. Now that you’ve gotten together, what comes next?

Well, I wouldn’t exactly say together. OK, so after Jake died, I did have this sort of weird thing happen. You know that thing where some guy tells you he met your soulmate in the afterlife, and … what, no? Well anyhow, it was one of those sort of things.

So next? I guess I pack up his things and figure out what to do now that Jake’s no longer here for me to take care of. He’d want me to move on. But still… it’s hard.

2. What was the hardest thing for you to overcome that you didn’t expect to be an issue?

Letting go. For a few unexpected days it was summer again. We were young together. Alive. But then it was snatched away. It’s hard to let it go.

3. Who or what makes you laugh out loud?

Jake. He had a wicked sense of humor… sometimes he’d wait until I took a drink, and then say something so funny I’d snort coke out of my nose. And oh my god, his Michelle Bachmann impression. Those eyes…

4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Daiquiri Ice. It’s one of the lesser-known of the 31 flavors. I don’t even drink. But I’m addicted to the stuff. Jake… well, Jake liked chocolate chip. But he used the Italian name – stracciatella.

5. What movie will you watch over and over again?

Strictly Ballroom. Hands-down the best movie ever made, and the only other thing that makes me snort. Of course, Jake disagreed with me about that one too.

He swore up and down that Romy and Michelle was better. Turns out I’m the Mary, after all.

I hope I get to see him again in Avalon so he can fight me on that one.

Blurb:

The Quarterly is an eMagazine of LGBTQ fiction – of all kinds. This volume features four short stories: Facsimile by Mina MacLeod, Leash on Love by Beany Sparks, Man of the House by Brigid Collins, and Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth. It also includes an Author Interview with Lexi Ander, talking about writing gay science fiction, and a Featured Artist section about the multitalented Catherine Dair. And our very own Angel Martinez offers an Op-Ed on “When is an Author not an Author?”

Pages or Words: 33,200 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay fiction, Horror, Lesbian romance, M/M romance, Romance, Transexual

(Please remember that not all stories will contain all elements listed.)

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Excerpts:

Avalon by J. Scott Coatsworth

Tony wheeled the chair down the long ramp to the beach, hoping it wasn’t too hot or too cold for Jake’s skin.

The day itself was wonderful, the clearest in weeks, and the Pacific Ocean waves pounded the beach in a steady, soothing rhythm that he hoped even Jake could hear.

Soon they were on level ground, negotiating the boardwalk that ran up and down this part of the beach. Jake had a sloppy smile on his face.

Tony smiled to himself. There were so few pleasures he could give Jake anymore. The man deserved so much more than this.

He reached forward to wipe the drool from the side of Jake’s cheek. “It’s a lovely day out, isn’t it, Jake?”

His lover didn’t respond, but only stared ahead, smiling.

There were still periods of lucidity, to be sure, but they were farther and farther apart. Sometimes Tony wished that Jake would finally succumb to the growth in his head and be at peace. But only sometimes.

More often, he treasured the time they still had together and remembered the strong, vital man Jake had been when they’d first met.

For just a moment, the rest of the world faded away, and they were alone together on a quiet, windswept beach. Tony breathed in deeply, savoring the pure sweetness of the salty ocean air, the wash of clean colors that assaulted his vision.

He glanced up at the road above, only to find it was gone. There were no other people on the bluff, no buildings, nothing. They were alone, really alone, in this little corner of the world.

Tony shook his head to dispel the vision. It was the late nights, he thought, the lack of sleep that led to these strange imaginations.

A hand came down on his shoulder. Hard. And suddenly they were back among the bustle of a thousand other people.

Leash on Love by Beany Sparks

There he is again.

Matty noticed the man exit the gym as he’d done numerous times over the past few months. The gym was only a few doors down from the veterinary practice where Matty came to help out his cousin Robert when he wasn’t at uni.

Every day after his classes finished, he’d pop down to the practice and walk the dogs that were in doggy day care. Some days he’d finish earlier than others, so he didn’t always walk the dogs at the same time, but on the days that he walked the dogs later, he’d leave around the same time as the guy left the gym.

He’d noticed gym-guy after the first few visits to his cousin’s vet practice. There was nothing outrageous about the man. He had light brown hair and muscles that were obviously from his time spent at the gym, but not that of a hard-core body builder. Something about him had caught Matty’s eye, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He looked forward to seeing him, but he hadn’t gotten up the courage to say anything to him, let alone get caught watching him. Even now he was practically hiding behind his car, pretending to be looking for his keys.

“Hey, Matty!”

Matty turned to see Ronnie, or Veronica as her name badge indicated, coming towards him. Ronnie had been his best friend for years, which worked out well when she married his cousin. While Robert was a vet, Ronnie was a dentist who conveniently worked in the building opposite the vet practice. The only thing separating the buildings was the numerous parking spaces in between.

“Hey, Ronnie. What’s been happening?” Matty asked as he walked up to her and gave her a hug, which she happily returned.

“Oh you know, same old, same old.” She moved back a step and leaned against his car. “How are things with you?”

Man of the House by Brigid Collins

Some inconsiderate ass-dick had hit a skunk on the road out front of our house.

The God-awful stench woke me before my alarm, which I suppose I could have chosen to see as a blessing. For some reason, all I could focus on was the way skunk scent stuck in the back of my throat. Lucky I wasn’t much of a breakfaster.

God, it was bad. I hadn’t opened my eyes yet, but the darkness of pre-six o-fuckin’-clock in the morning pressed against my lids. That and the soft warmth of my bed whispered to me, urging me to roll over, press my face into the pillow, and pretend the dead critter out there was a squirrel. Those little bastard thieves deserved to get hit, and they didn’t stink up the neighborhood when they died.

But rolling over and pretending wasn’t what the man of the fucking house would do. I didn’t even have to go through my usual cycle of “what would Dad do” to know that. A man did what needed to be done, and that was that. No use bitching about it now, either. Dad was gone, and there was no getting him back. Someone still had to do the stuff that needed done, and I figured out months back that it wasn’t going to be Derrik.

I flopped my arm out from the blankets and around my nightstand until I managed to get my finger on the alarm switch. That taken care of, I sat up and cracked my eyes open. A red 5:23 burned out of the shadows of my room, and I groaned.

Look on the bright side, this gives you time to deal with the skunk without making you late for school.

Facsimile by Mina MacLeod

The night President Carnot is assassinated, Monique Chambly is nestled in a chair in her sitting room with a blanket wrapped around her legs. The fire is crackling, and her tea is hot. It smells of cinnamon and spice; the scent brings familiarity and comfort, but Monique cannot remember why. She remembers very little these days.

She’s staring at the amber softgel capsules, debating whether the pain is bad enough to warrant them. The phonograph is warbling Mozart. She has always adored Mozart. At least, she’s fairly certain she has.

Outside their Montmartre estate, the rain comes down upon the city, heavy and unforgiving. Thunder rolls across the sky and lightning rips through the clouds, illuminating the streets. It is a cold, terrible night to be outside.

Her joints ache. Monique winces and reaches for the capsules. Her muscles feel like they are being pulled from her bones. She manages to swallow the medication, wincing as it slides down her dry throat. Monique grabs the tea and takes a generous gulp, though her tongue protests the sting of heat. She lolls her head until her chin sits upon her chest. Dark ringlets of hair shift to hide her face. Her head feels heavy, so heavy—as though her neck isn’t strong enough to hold it up.

The next clap of thunder startles her; it cracks the sky in twain with its severity. The arc lamps in their home flicker. Monique is huddled there, curled in on herself, when Elvire finds her.

“Monique, my darling,” she says, kneeling before the chair. “Whatever are you doing awake?” She reaches out, brushing aside the curtain of Monique’s hair.

Dr. Elvire Mazet is a tall, wiry creature. Yet here she is, folded up neatly at Monique’s feet. Her dark eyes are wide with concern behind her wire-rimmed spectacles. She is still wearing her lab coat. Its immaculate whiteness has long since been stained with evidence of various experiments. A pair of safety goggles is holding her short red hair out of her face. Monique wonders idly what Elvire has been up to down in her lab. Normally, Elvire leaves all of her clothing and equipment downstairs.

Thunder rumbles through the sky yet again, and Monique shudders. “Am I—am I afraid of storms? I don’t…remember.”

Sales   Mischief Corner Books  All Romance (ARe)  – Bookstrand – Amazon – Barnes & Noble

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About the Press:

Mischief Corner Books is an organization of superheroes… no, it’s a platinum-album techno-fusion group…no, hold on a sec here…

Ah, yes. Mischief Corner is a diverse group of authors who met on a mountain in Tennessee and decided since we probably were too easily distracted to rule the world that we’d settle for causing a bit of mayhem instead.

In addition to making mayhem, we publish books with a diverse range of genres and topics… we live to break molds.

MCB. Giving voice to LGBTQ fiction.

Where to find MCB:

Giveaway

Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by MCB and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a
Rafflecopter Prize: 1 $15.00 Amazon gift certificate and copy of the Quarterly (winners choice of format), 2 $10.00 All Romance gift certificates, and 3 copies of the Quarterly (winners choice of format).

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Tour Dates & Stops:

  • 11-May Angel Martinez
  • 12-May Bayou Book Junkie
  • 13-May Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
  • 14-May Cate Ashwood
  • 15-May Cathy Brockman Romances, Full Moon Dreaming
  • 18-May  Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly
  • 19-May MM Good Book Reviews, Carly’s Book Reviews
  • 20-May  Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
  • 21-May  Inked Rainbow Reads
  • 22-May  BFD Book Blog
  • 28-May  Prism Book Alliance

Let Love Find The Way with “Light A Candle” by VJ Summers (tour and contest)

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Light a Candle (Club Velvet Ice #4) by VJ Summers
Release Date: May 18, 2015
Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon

About Light A Candle…

Will broke Dusty’s heart their senior year. One unexpected moment of passion between them, and Will freaked out. Not only wasn’t he gay, but he wasn’t kinky either—or so he insisted to Dusty. Their long friendship ended, and Dusty was left with only bittersweet memories of their last movie night together.

Ten years later, out as gay and a Dom, Will auditions for membership at Club Deviant, only to find that he’s been assigned an all-too-familiar submissive. His scene with Dustin feels like fate, and he’s determined to get back what they once had—and more.
Dustin had buried the pain of rejection deep, but playing with Will conjures all his memories of that one electric moment they shared and the friendship it destroyed. He’s built walls around his heart high enough to keep out the Trojan Army, but together, he and Will may find the courage to move beyond their past and face their future together.

About Author VJ Summers

When not working the EDJfH (Evil Day Job from Hell), obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing that her kid is sexting the boyfriend, making coffee, drinking coffee, or feeding the two cats who allow her to live with them, VJ can be found reading or writing erotic romance—either solo as m/m author VJ Summers, or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half is Sierra Summers).

VJ loves to hear from readers! You can find her at https://vjsummersandsmut.wordpress.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VJsSmut.

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Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $15 Riptide store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 23. Make sure you include a email address where you can be contacted in the body of your comment. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Prizes provided by the author and Riptide Publishing.

 

Book Details:

(Publisher’s Note: This is a heavily expanded and revised edition of Velvet Memories, previously published in 2011.) – See more at Riptide Publishing’s Light A Candle page.
Author: VJ Summers
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-286-8
eBook release: May 18, 2015
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Word count: 35,200, Page count: 136
Type: Standalone,