Category: Book Reviews

It’s Cocktail Hour with Renee George and Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (Cocktails #7) Book Tour and Contest

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Book Name: The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (CockTails #7)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George

Author Bio:

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

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/renee.george.351
https://www.facebook.com/authorreneegeorge

http://www.twitter.com/@reneegeorge2008

Publisher: Self-publishedGinRickey2_Cocktails7_xl
Cover Artist: Renee George

Note: “The Wallbanger” will be FREE for readers from Nov 14-16!

Sales Links: 

CockTails #1 The Wallbanger – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PL92

CockTails #2 The Hot Toddy – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PNTA

CockTails #3 The Gin Rickey – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PQWO

CockTails #4 The Dirty Martini- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KV05LYO

CockTails #5 Wallbanger 2: The Old Fashioned http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MV3TT4C

CockTails #6 The Hurricane: Hot Toddy 2- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5CUFYK

CockTails #7 The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P2WFUJC

(And they’re all free through Kindle Unlimited.)

Gin Rickey 2 Blurb:

Ricky McNeil doesn’t do relationships, especially with hot, rich dudes like Alex Michaels. No, he and Alex find mutual and intense satisfaction together–and if Ricky thinks about Alex too often and wants him too much … that doesn’t mean anything. Right?

Alex wants Ricky day and night, but figures asking for an exclusive relationship with the sexy, tattooed man is the best way to scare him off.  Even so, Alex can’t resist inviting Ricky to his parents’ home for a holiday barbecue. No one’s more surprised than Alex when Ricky says yes.

Will attending a family event as a couple bring them closer together … or be the end of everything between them?

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

cocktails

Gin Rickey 2 Excerpt:

A delicious tension rose in Alex when Ricky stroked his face and curled a hand behind his neck. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and light headed, the tightening in his chest threatening to burst him wide open. His pulse hammered with anticipation. When Ricky pulled him down and their lips brushed, he nearly collapsed to the ground.

“What about these,” Ricky said, his voice low and seductive. “Are these pretty lips mine?”

“Yes,” Alex whispered. “Yes.”

Ricky’s hand trailed down Alex’s neck to his chest, his hand resting over Alex’s heart. “And this? Can I have this too?”

“Fu-uck,” he stuttered, reaching back to brace himself.

“Is that a no?”

“No,” Alex said. His skin dampened as his whole body trembled. “I mean, not a no. Jesus, I’m sweating.” His breath quickened, and he felt the edge of a panic attack. God, Ricky was going to be the death of him.

“Slow down, Alex,” Ricky said, his voice calm. “Just breathe.”

Alex took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then blew it out slowly.

Ricky wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and kissed his neck. “Again.”

He took another deep breath and after a slow exhalation, Ricky’s lips drifted across his again. Alex leaned down, slanting his mouth into the kiss, melting against Ricky’s body as he opened for the delicious invasion. The heated stroke of his lover’s tongue inside his mouth felt electric. They didn’t usually kiss. Not like this. They didn’t do this kind of intimacy. They didn’t…

Pages: 55 pages

GRBadgeTour Dates: November 14th, 2014

Tour Stops: 

Parker Williams

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

BFD Book Blog

Molly Lolly

Inked Rainbow Reads

My Fiction Nook

Wake Up Your Wild Side

The Hat Party

Love Bytes

Fallen Angel Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews

Multitasking Mommas

Tara Lain

Michael Mandrake

It’s Raining Men

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Kimi-Chan

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card.  Must be 18 years or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter the contest and for all additional contest details.
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In Our Book Spotlight: Beany Spark’s Ryan’s Wizard (book tour and contest)

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Book Name: Ryan’s Wizard
Goodreads Link

Author Name: Beany Sparks

Beany Sparks is paying us a visit today to talk about shifters, magic, and her latest release, Ryan’s Wizard!  Read the interview, check out the excerpt and don’t forget to enter the contest for the ebook copy of Ryan’s Wizard!.

Our interview:

Q. What was the inspiration for Ryan’s Wizard?

BS:  Well with the way I ended Aiden’s Shepherd (Paws and Magic 1) I kinda had to write Ryan and Olly’s story, and fast! It helped that PITA was feeling chatty.

Q. I love books with a magical component, especially wizards. What is it about magic and wizards that prompted you to put them into your story?

BS:  To be honest, Aiden was initially going to be just a regular human. I remember getting to a point and thinking, do I want to give him magic? And then I thought, why not! So Aiden got his magic, then his cousin Olly, a wizard, made his debut.

I like the freedom you get with the magical/paranormal world, you can do anything you want.

Q. Magic and mates, they seem made for each other. How did you think of combining the two?

BS:  The shifter aspect was always going to be there. In fact that’s what the series was going to be about. But then as I was writing Aiden’s Shepherd, the magic practically jumped in front of me and yelled SURPRISE! The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So the series went from being a shifter series to shifters and magic, becoming Paws and Magic.

Q. Favorite genre to read? Favorite to write in? Or are they the same?

BS:  I love to read and write about shifters, vampires, magic, and paranormal in general. I like contemporary too, but it doesn’t give you as much as freedom to play.

Q. Have you always loved a good fantasy? What was the first fantasy story that made you love this genre?

BS:  I have actually. Books in general were my escape, but fantasy let you escape to a completely different world and that appealed to me.

The Night World series by L.J. Smith was one series that introduced me to vampires, witches, werewolves, and shapeshifters. I’m still waiting for the final book to be published though…

Q. Lately I have been reading some marvelous books by terrific Australian and NZ authors. This feels like a tidal wave of delight. What do you think has prompted this marvelous influx? Ebooks, perhaps?

BS:  I think eBooks have played a big role. I also think we have some wonderful scenery that just can’t help but inspire people to write.

Q. Is there special Australian folklore to draw upon for magical elements or creatures?

BS:  Hm… I’m sure there is but nothing is coming to mind. I might have to have a good look into that. I see a possible plot bunny in my future…

Q.   When thinking about constellations, here in the US ( Northern Hemisphere) we have the Big and Little Dipper that can’t be seen down under, you have the Southern Cross, which can only be seen from your perspective.. How are our stories different and Is there a similarity to be found in our stories? Apart from speech or spelling?

BS:  I think language itself would definitely be a big difference. Not because of the spelling but because of the slang. Even between Australia and New Zealand there are different words for the same thing.

Then there’s the weather. When we think of Christmas we think of sunshine, heat, beach and BBQ (okay and shirtless men in shorts), not cold and snow. In fact, we dont have snow, not even during winter. Not unless you head to one of the few places that actually have snow.

Even our cowboys would have different scenery and different issues to deal with.

Q. What childhood story or author had the biggest impact on you as a child, an adult or a writer?

BS:  L.J. Smith definitely and how can you go past Harry Potter? I also have to say Amber Kell because Amber’s story (Attracting Anthony) was the first MM story I ever read.

Q. What’s next for Beany Sparks?

BS:  I’ve got a Christmas merman story coming out December 15th from eXtasy Books with the sequel coming out in February 2015. Then it’s back to Paws and Magic with book 3 scheduled for March.

Author Bio:

Beany lives in Western Australia. She first started reading romance novels in 2008, but it wasn’t until January 2010 when her Kindle got delivered that the world of erotic romance opened its doors to her, and she hasn’t looked back.

With suggestions and support from friends, her muse—“affectionately” known as PITA—was finally able to break free, and in January 2014 her first story was written. Since she can’t put PITA back in his box, Beany has decided to give in and team up with him. Together they’ve made plans to write both MF and MM stories.

Author Contact:
She can be reached at beany.sparks@gmail.com
Or visit her at www.beanysparks.com

Publisher: eXtasy Booksryanswizard-final
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters
Sales Links: http://www.extasybooks.com/Ryan-‘-s-Wizard/  and at                              Amazon

Ryan’s Wizard Blurb:

An alpha ends up with more than he bargained for when he finds his mate…his wizard mate.
After years of no contact, Oliver “Olly” Grey was finally able to reunite with his cousin Aiden. He’s surprised to find that Aiden now has a mate—a male, shifter mate—named Lex. And it’s Lex’s pack mates that Olly is there to help save. What he hadn’t expected was Lex’s brother Ryan.

Ryan Shepherd was happy to have found his brother Lex, and even happier to know that his brother was happily mated. But there is something about Aiden’s cousin Olly that Ryan doesn’t trust, especially when he also smells like the man currently holding his pack members captive. Yet that doesn’t stop Ryan from wanting to hold and comfort the man, and eventually he realizes why—Olly is his mate.

Now the four of them need to plan a rescue mission, but what happens when they run into the two men that had held Lex captive and those same men come to the cabin in the middle of the night?

Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal

Ryan’s Wizard Excerpt:

Aiden burst out laughing and moved one hand to ruffle Olly’s hair.

“Hey!” Olly exclaimed as he pulled back in order to glare at Aiden, who just smiled bigger and pulled him back into his arms.

“I couldn’t resist,” Aiden said, the laughter evident in his voice.

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, back to what I was saying, but hopefully without interruptions this time.” Olly looked pointedly at Ryan when he said that. Ryan seemed to be studying him intently, but didn’t utter a word.

Olly looked away and started talking again. “I know where the pack is, or at least, I know where a bunch of canine shifters are being held.”

“How do you know that they’re part of our pack?” Lex asked, sounding like he was trying to restrain his eagerness.

Olly turned to him. “Because I heard a few of the guards talk about how they captured a bunch of them together.”

“And why didn’t you get caught?” Ryan asked, anger in his voice.

“Because,” Olly paused, then sighed. “The house they’re being held in belongs to Walter.”

Aiden gasped and when Olly looked at him, he saw the horror that was on his face.

“How long has Walter had shifters imprisoned on his property?” Aiden asked, outrage in his voice.

“I don’t know for sure, but it would be a number of years.” Olly couldn’t face any of them as he said that.

“Who is this Walter?” Ryan growled.

Olly looked up at him, then looked away as he replied, “My father.”

Pages: 157 pages
BeanyBadgeTour Dates:

Tour Stops:
10-Nov  MM Good Book Reviews, Love Bytes, The Hat Party, Inked Rainbow Reads
11-Nov  Carly’s Book Reviews. Parker Williams
12-Nov  Molly Lolly,   BFD Book Blog
13-Nov  Amanda C. Stone, Hearts on Fire, Multitasking Mommas, Cate Ashwood
14-Nov  Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Blogger Girls. My Fiction Nook, Iyana Jenna

 

Contest:  Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of Ryan’s Wizard.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.
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On Tour with H. Lewis-Foster and In The Blue Moonlight (tour and contest)

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Book Name: In The Blue Moonlight
Author Name: H. Lewis-Foster

Author Bio:

H. Lewis-Foster lives in the North of England, and has always worked with books in one form or another. As a keen reader of gay fiction, she decided to try writing herself, and is now the proud author of several short stories and her debut novel ‘Burning Ashes’. She was also delighted to see her first play performed earlier in 2014.

H. likes to create characters who are talented, funny and quite often gorgeous, but who all have their faults and vulnerable sides, and she hopes that you’ll enjoy reading their stories as much as she loves writing them.

Author Contact: Twitter

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
Cover Artist: Lily Velden in collaboration with Design Bug

 

Sales Links:       amazon                Wayward Ink Publishing    All Romance eBooks (ARe)BestsellerIcon100X100

 

SMIn the Blue Moonlight H. Lewis-FosterIn The Blue Moonlight Blurb:

Simon has a good job and a nice house, and according to his best friend Chris, he’s turning into a boring old fart. So it’s totally out of character when Simon bares his bum to the local constabulary on a night out with his brother’s student mates. He hopes he’s put the incident behind him, when Simon bumps into one of the officers.  Simon fears he’s in trouble, then thinks he’s in luck when PC Mark Timmis buys him a drink – but life in a rural English town is never as simple as it seems.

 

In The Blue Moonlight Excerpt:

On a count of three from Tim, the most vocal of the group, six students and one financial expert lowered their trousers to reveal a remarkably varied set of backsides. Glancing sideways, Simon spied a pert pair of buttocks which could have graced a swimwear ad, a scrawny little bum which could barely have held up its owner’s jeans, and an unusually hairy arse adorned with a love-heart tattoo.

Then Simon looked round at the uniformed recipients of their cheeky display. Their jaw-dropping looks of surprise were priceless, and Simon genuinely hoped a passer-by had snapped them on a mobile phone. Simon soon realized, however, that it was he and his mooning chums who were far more likely to end up on YouTube.

Only one of the policemen wasn’t gaping like a truncheon had been shoved somewhere unexpected. A smile crept onto the face of the tall, blond and undeniably handsome officer. Simon instinctively smiled back, until he noticed the copper’s colleagues had recovered their professional poise and were readying themselves for action. Tim gave his orders once more.

“Leg it!”

Pages: 22 pages

Tour Dates: November 12, 2014

Tour Stops:  Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Inked Rainbow Reads, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents,
BFD Book Blog, Prism Book Alliance, Amanda C. Stone,  Fallen Angel Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Multitasking Mommas,
My Fiction Nook, Andrew Q. Gordon, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Molly Lolly, Jade Crystal, Because Two Men Are Better Than One,
Kimi-Chan, Velvet Panic

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of In The Blue Moonlight. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Into Love with Susan MacNicol’s Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1) Tour and Contest

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Fall into Love with Susan MacNicol’s Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)!

Before we get to the great book info, I have a special interview with Susan MacNicol for your (and my) enjoyment!  Susan shares her thoughts about chefs and some insight into the story.  Enjoy!

Q.  You hit it on the head for me with a main character who is a chef.  That is such a tactile and sensual profession and it makes for great characters.  What drew you to that profession?

SM:  My family are all great cooks, and it seems to be in the blood. My mum has always been a woman who can make anything taste good and has a knack for baking, cooking and creating mouth watering dishes. My sister is a chef, who ran her own restaurant in Cape Town for a while. My dad and his wife owned a hotel on the South Coast of Natal, where preparing meals was a way of life. My son is in hospitality too, not food but as a mixologist for TGI Fridays. My hubby cooks a mean meal too, and my daughter is very creative when it comes to her dishes looking good, even if she is the most messy chef I know. I am the only one who actually doesn’t enjoy cooking and finds it a chore. I can cook when I have a mind to, but I don’t enjoy it. So writing about it is probably as close as I’ll get to this past time.

Q.  Do you love to cook or to eat?  Do you have a favorite cuisine and does it figure into the story?

SM:  *grins* I think I answered the first part of this question already. Actually I’m not a big eater and I know this is sacrilegious, but I could live on takeaways, microwave meals, sandwiches and fried eggs on toast. When someone cooks I truly enjoy it but to me eating is to live, not a way of life. My favourite cuisine is sea food of some sort, but I also love tapas and mezes dishes where you get a lot of small dishes and you can pick and eat at your leisure.

Q.  Do we get any recipes to go along with the plot (hint, hint)

SM:  I have a wonderful South African recipe for something called ‘bobotie’ which you can find here and which everyone swears by…I eat it, I don’t cook it but I’ve told this is a ‘top’ recipe..

Pronounced ba-boor-tea, the national dish of South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5109/bobotie
Q. The kitchen pace can be frenetic, how hard is it to bring that to life without losing any concentration on the characters?

SM:  I found I concentrated more on the subtle hints of the life behind a restaurant, rather than full blown action in the kitchen. There are some scenes, such as the one where Gideon finds Eddie and one of his colleagues talking about his affliction, something he hates, and he goes a little bitchy. There you get to meet a couple of the others who make up the back drop for the story, as well as find out what to do when a tea towel sets alight…

Q.  Which came first title or plot?   Or characters or plot?  Or did they all just coalesce at once?

SM:   – I came up with the title first and had to figure out what it meant. When I finally got the inspiration for the story, it was a little like that proverbial ‘Eureka!’ moment. Gideon and Eddie just popped into my head. I knew I wanted a saucy red head and boy, do we get one in this story. Gideon’s grouchiness, torment and his warm, loving nature when he finally lets his guard own and Eddie in – that was fun to write. And Taylor and Leslie, Eddie’s housemates..as with a series, you need to create the lasting characters for the next book and I hope I did this with them.

Q.  This is the first in a series.  Will it feature the same characters at different points in their relationship or focus on other characters that pop up in this story?

SM:  Gideon and Eddie will have cameo roles in the next books, but each subsequent book will focus on a character introduced in previous stories and give them their very own voice. Book 2 will the story of Taylor and Draven, Book 3 is Leslie and David and Book 4 will be all about Clay and Tate. You’ll get to meet Clay in Sight and Sinners, which is book 2. After that -who knows where I’ll take it…

Q.  How many books do you have planned for this series or  isn’t there a set number at this time?

SM:  There is a set number of six that I’ve contracted for, and I think this is where it will stop for a while. I need to focus on writing my new full length and rather epic ‘Living on Air’ featuring Carey and Rhys, and that story is going to take a lot out of me. It’s about a young man, Carey, who escapes an horrific child hood event (not sexual abuse related) and hides from the world in a most unlikely place. Until he’s discovered by Rhys, and has to face up to the fact that he can’t hide from the world forever.

Q.  Your favorite childhood story if you have one and did it have an impact on you as a child and still as an adult author?

SM:  Believe it or not, and this is going to sound very clichéd, but one of the best memories I have of childhood was when I got my very first typewriter for my birthday at the age of around ten. It was an old Royal, and I can still hear the clackety-clack of the keys. I wrote voraciously at the time and my dad decided I needed a ‘new fangled’ writing instrument. His words I swear. I spent hours in my bedroom typing away and I still have a lot of the material I typed on it. I had to throw it away about five years ago as it was bust to hell after moving countries and homes and sometimes I feel a real nostalgia and wish I’d kept it.

Q.  What’s next for Susan Mac Nicol?

 SM:  Write more books. Get out and do some conferences – I’ll be in Munich in July for Eurocon and Gay Pride, Bristol in September for UK Meet, and perhaps I might get to the US for GRL in October. Keep doing what I do and hope I become famous Kidnap Benedict Cumberbatch and keep him in my cellar…oops did I say that out loud? Continue trying to entertain my readers and fans, and hope that they continue to enjoy my books and to support me like they have in the past. They are true gems and I appreciate each and every one of them, along with the bloggers who work tirelessly to support authors like myself, simply because they love reading and books. We salute you all.

Q.  Thank you, Susan, I enjoyed that so much.  Now onto Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)!

Book Name: Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)
Author Name: Susan Mac Nicol

Author Bio:

Sue MacNichol Book

Susan Mac Nicol is a self confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, self confessed geek and nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called ‘the boyfriend’ by her long suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for that…

She is never happier than when sitting in the confines of her living room/study/on a cold station platform scribbling down words and making two men fall in love. She is a romantic at heart and believes that everything happens (for the most part) for a reason. She likes to think of herself as a ‘half full’ kinda gal, although sometimes that philosophy is sorely tested.

Lover of walks in the forest, theatre productions, dabbling her toes in the cold North Sea and the vibrant city of London where you can experience all four seasons in a day , she is a hater of pantomime (so please don’t tar and feather her), duplicitous people, bigotry and self righteous idiots.

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

.

Author Contact:
website: www.susanmacnicol.com
blog: susanmacnicol.wordpress.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/susiemax77MoL_Love You Senseless_cover
twitter: www.twitter.com/SusanMacNicol7
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/susiemax777/pins/
linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/susanmacnicol/48/a44/602
tumblr: http://www.susanmacnicol.com/my-tumblr-blog/

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Cover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group

  Love You Senseless Blurb:

London’s saucy up-and-coming chef, Eddie Tripp has just the right recipe to drive tragedy from the mind of Gideon Kent—and leave him senseless with desire.

From Soho to Norwich, there’s no escaping love.

A TASTE OF FOREVER

An award-winning chef with his own restaurant and an inexhaustible passion, Gideon Kent once had everything. Then came tragedy. It stole more than Gideon’s home. He hasn’t cooked since.

Until Eddie Tripp. Fun-loving and vivacious, the Norfolk redhead’s a real up-and-comer in Gideon’s kitchen—and other places. Slim where Gideon’s broad, easy-going where Gideon is growly, he and Gideon seem polar opposites, and yet Eddie conjures flavors that would tempt anyone with a taste for perfection. The sauce of love is already simmering, and this pair is about to dine on the most delicious dish they’ve ever prepared. Because Eddie’s been Gideon’s missing ingredient all along.

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

 Love You Senseless Excerpt:

Eddie kissed back, wanting nothing more than this moment, this man in his body and his lips on his. Somewhere a bell rang and for a minute Eddie thought it might be the sound of his own passion translated to tinkling sleigh bells and fireworks like in the cartoon movies when two people kissed. He smiled at that thought then as the bell got more insistent and irritating, he turned to Gideon only to find he was no longer there. Eddie scowled and reached across to where the annoying bell sound was….

He woke from his dream upright, sweating, sticky with come and tangled in musty smelling sheets that had seen their fair share of jack off action lately and needed washing. His hand rested on his mobile phone as it trilled incessantly with his Big Ben alarm. He blinked owlishly for a minute, wondering where he was, then as the dream faded, he fell back in a loose heap with a sense of loss.

Words: 85,000

BadgeTour Dates and Stops:

11/3: Rainbow Gold Reviews
11/4: Amanda C. Stone, Joyfully Jay
11/5: Rebecca Cohen Writes
11/6: Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly
11/7: Nic Starr
11/10: The Novel Approach, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
11/11: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Hearts on Fire
11/12: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
11/13: Love Bytes, Twinsie Talk
11/14: Prism Book Alliance, Dawn’s Reading Nook
11/17: The Blogger Girls, Kristy’s Brain Food
11/18: MM Good Book Reviews, Regular Guys, Hot Romance
11/19: 3 Chicks After Dark
11/20: Smoocher’s Voice
11/21: Multitasking Mommas
11/24: Kimi-Chan, Cathy Brockman Romances
11/25: Iyana Jenna, The Hat Party
11/26: Queer Town Abbey, Andrew Q. Gordon
11/27: Crystal’s Many Reviewers, BFD Book Blog, Michael Mandrake
11/28: EE Montgomery, My Fiction Nook, It’s Raining Men

Contest:  Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A copy of Saving Alexander & Stripped Bare.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

On Tour with Parker Williams’ Protector of the Alpha (Shifting Needs #1) (contest)

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 Protector of the Alpha: Shifting Needs Book 1
Author Name: Parker Williams

Author Bio:

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that comes with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Publisher: Self-publishedProtector400x600
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales LInks:   All Romance   Smashwords    Amazon

Protector of the Alpha Blurb(s):

Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis’s life appears easy. Even in college, he is blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen.

Zakiya Incekara has always been…odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.

When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult, Paranormal

Protector of the Alpha Excerpt:

Jake’s hand was rough, his skin dry. Zak loved how his fingers gripped tightly, but not so much that it hurt. Jake said nothing as they walked along the streets of the campus. There were few people around, but Zak did not care if everyone was watching them. He was confused as to his attraction to Jake, but it was something he could not deny.

The soft jazz music poured from the door of the pub when Jake pulled it open. Jake’s hand on his lower back urged him inside. Zak sniffed appreciatively at the scent of Cajun spices, no doubt from the blackened catfish special. His stomach protested, and he heard Jake snicker, but he could not seem to raise the ire he should. Jake escorted him to a booth and allowed Zak to sit back against the brushed leather.

“Two dinner specials coming up,” Jake said brightly.

Zak gazed at Jake’s hulking form as it moved away, marveling at the sinewy grace as he dodged patrons and servers. It was odd. He had never met anyone like Jake. He doubted there was anyone like Jake. He felt comfortable in his presence. Jake’s size did not intimidate him. In fact, that made him all the sexier. But his eyes were what made Zak melt into a puddle of goo. The way they twinkled in the dimmest of light. When Jake so much as glanced at him, Zak felt he was the sole thing Jake saw.

Jake turned from the bar, and Zak watched as the bright smile turn into a sneer. He dropped the tray, the catfish crashing to the floor, before he stalked to where Zak sat. Jake grabbed a man, probably about forty, by his throat and pushed him against the wall.

“You don’t so much as breathe near him,” Jake snarled.

The man looked cool as he smiled and croaked out. “You are everything I had heard you would be, and more, my lord.”

Pages: 237 pages

 Book Tour:  November 11, 2014

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On Love and Honor with Keira Andrews and her release, Semper Fi! (book tour and contest)

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semper-fi-web-large

With one story, A Forbidden Rumspringa, Keira Andrews, jumped into the hearts and minds of so many readers, including myself.  Now Keira Andrews is back with her latest book, Semper Fi.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity (because today is Veteran’s Day) to talk to Keira Andrews about our soldiers, DADT, and the issues they face.  Here is my interview with Keira Andrews (and don’t forget to check out the blurb, excerpt, and contest below as well):

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Today is Veteran’s Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Commonwealth countries, and I’m honoured to be here to discuss Semper Fi, my new romance novel.

In WWII, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — and its repeal so that queer soldiers can serve openly — was decades away. Anti-sodomy laws were still on the books, and gay servicemen and women had to hide who they really were (with few exceptions). While reading a nonfiction book on the bitterly fought battle for Guadalcanal in the Pacific, I began to wonder about the Marines who fought there. Since I always have M/M romance on the brain, I wondered if any of them were gay, and what their lives would be like after the war. Thus, Semper Fi was born.

I was also greatly inspired by this picture:Korean War comfort

This evocative shot from the Korean War so eloquently shows the comradeship and tenderness that can exist between soldiers fighting and suffering together. I wanted to explore the evolution of a close friendship when two Marines fall in love. Intense bonds form in boot camp and foxholes in the heat of battle, but what happens to that relationship back in the real world?

And what happens when the love at the heart of a friendship blooms into something more? For me, an HEA is a necessity as a reader and a writer. What does happily ever after look like in 1948? Can two men have a life together and raise a family?

So many questions! I hope you’ll enjoy my answers in Semper Fi.

semper-fi-web-largeThe war is over. The battle for love has just begun.

As Marines, Cal and Jim depended on each other to survive bloodshed and despair in the Pacific. Relieved to put the horrors of war behind him, Jim went home to his apple orchard and a quiet life with his wife and children. Knowing Jim could never return his forbidden feelings, Cal hoped time and an ocean between them would dull the yearning for his best friend.

But when Jim’s wife dies, Cal returns to help. He doesn’t know a thing about apple farming—or children—but he’s determined to be there for Jim, even as the painful torch he carries blazes back to life. Jim is grateful for his friend’s support as he struggles with buried emotions and dark wartime memories. Then Jim begins to see Cal in a new light, and their relationship deepens in ways neither expected. Can they build a life together as a family and find happiness in a world that would condemn them?

Discover how love finds a way in Semper Fi!

Buy Links:

 Semper Fi Excerpt

1942

Bellowing black smoke in its wake, the train swayed as it crossed the Rappahannock River, the boisterous singing and chatter of the men inside muffling the creaking wood of the ancient cars. As Cal stumbled, a strong hand on his arm steadied him, and he smiled down at the man before flopping into the opposite seat. He held out a bottle. “Drink? It’s allegedly bourbon.”

A small smile lifted the man’s lips. “Sure.” He took the bottle and tipped it back. He tried to hide his grimace, but couldn’t quite. “I’ve never really liked the hard stuff.”

“Well, in defense of bourbon, this isn’t exactly Kentucky’s finest.” Cal peered out the window past the sleeping man beside him, who drooled against the streaked glass. The sun splashed orange across the horizon as it sank out of sight. “Hard to believe we’ll be in South Carolina in the morning. Assuming this dirty old pile of planks doesn’t disintegrate along the way.”
A pot-bellied stove in the middle of the train car belched, emitting only a small amount of heat in the January chill. Cal shivered against the competing drafts, wishing he’d brought a warmer jacket. But he supposed they’d all be trading their civvies for uniforms soon enough, and he’d yearn for the northern cold before too long.

“Let’s hope we’ll be shipping out in something a little sturdier,” the man said before passing the bottle to the recruit beside him, who stopped screeching an Irish sea shanty long enough to gulp down a quarter of the swill.

“I’m Cal, by the way.” Cal extended his hand. “Cal Cunningham.”

“Jim Bennett.”

If Jim noticed how smooth Cal’s palm was in comparison to his own, he didn’t let on. His neatly combed hair was a blond that probably lightened in the sun, and there was a general wholesomeness about him that indicated he spent significant time outside. Faded freckles dusted Jim’s pale skin, and he wore a blue button-front shirt that couldn’t match the brilliance of his eyes.
As most of the men around them launched into a recitation of a limerick about a man from Nantucket, a fresh waft of burning coal drifted on the air. Cal chuckled ruefully. “I think this is the Marine Corps’ way of telling us not to expect many creature comforts where we’re going.” He reclaimed the bottle and took another swig. “Where do you hail from?” he asked Jim.

“Outside a little place called Tivoli, New York.”

“We must have been on the same train down to DC. I’m from Manhattan.” Cal thought he’d gotten a good look at everyone, but he’d definitely remember handsome Jim Bennett with the blue eyes. “How far is Tivoli from the city?”

“About three hours or so.”

“Hey, we’re practically neighbors.”

Jim smiled. “I suppose so. I’ve never been out of the Hudson Valley before today.”

Cal laughed before realizing Jim was serious. He ran a hand through his thick hair. “Uh, so what do you do? No, no, let me guess. Farming.”

“Of a sort. My family owns an apple orchard. You?”

“I guess you could say I’m in the family business too. Truth is I don’t do much of anything.” He put a cigarette between his lips and offered the pack to Jim, who shook his head. Cal opened his lighter and struck a flame.

A few kerosene lamps shone through the car, casting shadows and light over the faces of the recruits. In the flickering glow, Jim’s expression was placid. He seemed to be waiting for Cal to say more.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Cal leaned forward in his seat, talking quietly in the cacophony surrounding them. “After Princeton, my father just assumed I’d come work for him. Gave me an office and everything. Great view of the Statue of Liberty, but I’ve never had much to do. He doesn’t trust me with anything important.”

Jim took this in. “What’s the business?”

“Banking.”

“You don’t mean…Cunningham Savings and Loan?”

“My father’s pride and joy. My grandfather came over from Scotland and built himself a little empire. I’m Calhoun Cunningham the third, so I guess one day it’ll all be mine.”

Shaking his head, Jim laughed incredulously. “Geez, couldn’t you have gotten a commission in the army or navy? How did you end up here?”

The wheels of the train shrieked as it rumbled south. Cal shrugged with a grin. “Couldn’t think of anything that would piss off the old man quite so much as enlisting in the Marines.”

Jim returned the smile. “I suppose that’s one reason for joining up.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for fighting for my country and destroying the forces of evil. What about you?” He sat back, inhaling a lungful of sweet smoke and relaxing against the seat.

“After the Japs hit Pearl Harbor, I enlisted as soon as I could. My father’s not doing very well these days, but my wife will look after him.”

Disappointment flickered through Cal. Not that he expected clean-cut apple farmer Jim Bennett to be anything but a straight arrow. “Wife, huh? Did you get hitched before you left?”

“No, not long after high school. I took a few night classes at the local college and met Ann there. She worked at the café.” He opened his wallet and handed over a picture of a pretty brunette and a young girl. “My wife and my daughter, Sophie.”

“That’s a real nice family you’ve got. How old is she?” Cal pointed to the child.

“Two and a half. She was actually born on my twentieth birthday.” Jim gazed at the photo and smiled wistfully. “She’s my special girl.” He glanced around as another bawdy song began and tucked the picture away. “Are you married?”

Cal grinned. “Nope. In twenty-four years there hasn’t been a woman yet who’s been able to pin me down.” He didn’t add that there never would be.

The train shuddered alarmingly, wheels wailing as everyone held on. A recruit near the end of the car stood on his seat with arms out for balance.

“All right, boys. We’d better all sing this train along or we won’t live to see boot camp, let alone the war!” He launched into “Chattanooga Choo Choo” with a voice that wasn’t half bad.

As they joined in the chorus, Cal and Jim shared a smile.
~

Author Bio:

Keira Andrews author pic small_200x200After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

You can find out more about Keira and her books at her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Contest:  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is offering up a $15 Amazon gift card as a prize for this tour.  To enter to win, leave a comment below, perhaps about our soldiers, and Veterans Day.  Leave an email address where you can be reached if chosen.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Ends 11/28.

A MelanieM Review: Semper Fi by Keira Andrews

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 The war is over. The battle for love has just begun.

Semper Fi coverLittle did  Jim Bennett and Cal Cunningham know what the future had in store for them when they met abroad the train bound to South Carolina and the training ground for the Marines.  The time is 1942 and WWII is underway.  From that initial meeting, a strong bond was forged, one that would see them through the rigors and pain of Parris Island where they became Marines then across the ocean to the Pacific campaign where the horrors of Guadalcanal and Okinawa awaits them.  And through all the blood, tears and anguish, the bond grows from friendship to love at least for Cal, a love undeclared, buried and forbidden.

After the war, Cal stays connected to Jim from afar until Jim’s wife dies. Then Jim’s need for Cal’s help overrides Cal’s plan to stay away from the man he loves and he arrives at Jim’s farm thinking to stay just a short time.  But Jim is a man in pain, suffering from PTSD and with an orchard and two small children to care for.  The bonds between them snap back into place and the loves Cal holds for Jim is stronger than ever.  But what happens when Jim begins to see Cal in a new light? Soon their relationship starts to deepen in ways neither expected. Can they build a life together as a family and find happiness in a world that would condemn them?

With Veteran’s Day almost upon us, I can’t think of a more appropriate time to recommend you discover this poignant and heartwarming novel Semper Fi by Keira Andrews, author of A Forbidden Rumspringa.  A richly layered saga of a love that begins on board a rickety train bound for Parris Island in the year 1942, the story continues through the war years and ends in 1957.  All the social upheaval, all the National milestones that came with WWII, it’s all here, bound up in an intimate tale of the struggle for love and family.

From the moment we encounter these men on the train, we know that these men are remarkable.  These characters exude a vitality perfect for their ages while brimming over with an authenticity of the times and the impact that Pearl Harbor had upon the nation.  Young men were eager to enlist and serve their country, a naive enthusiasm that is quickly dispelled by their Drill Sargent and the rigors of boot camp at Parris Island.  Keira Andrews has done her research for the history and minutiae incorporated into the story are factual while overlaid by the emotions and physicality of their situation and the times.  We experience “the breaking down to build up” that goes on in boot camp.  It’s humiliations, pain, and hardship that have to come before the rewards that the men go through.  And throughout it all we feel the bonds growing into place between Jim and Cal.  This deep emotional attachment that forms soon includes the readers in its intimacy and scope which translates well when the story moves into 1948 and Jim’s small home town.The characters of Jim Bennett and Cal Cunningham, both from New York but separated by social status, wealth, and self knowledge, are men who will capture your heart with their struggles and journey towards a loving relationship that must always be secretive and unacknowledged by those around them.

The author has chosen an unusual format here. Each chapter includes two different time perspectives.  One in the “present” 1948 and Jim’s Clover Grove Orchard in upstate New York, then it returns to 1942 and the start of Jim and Cal’s relationship and journey through WWII.   I hate to call this a flashback because it doesn’t feel that way.  More a turn of a prism that incorporates the whole of someone’s life journey.  A twist of the crystal and another facet comes into the light before turning once more.  We start out in 1948 as Cal arrives at Jim’s farm.  Then its 1942 and they are meeting on a train to South Carolina and training camp.  Each chapter moves the story forward in each time frame.  Far from being disjointed, this format serves to bring balance and a deep sense of history to the scenes occurring in 1948.  The men in 1948 are still trying to deal with the devastating emotional and physical aftermath of the war.  The men of 1942 are so young in outlook and naivete, a viewpoint that is eroded by war time experiences full of blood, horror and death.  And the reader is there with them …on the beaches, in the sweltering jungles of the Pacific, and the pounding bombardments of artillery fire from both sides.  And it all happens so gradually, while interfaced with scenes from the present, that we don’t even realize at first that their pain and suffering has become ours as well.

Another important element of the times and story?  The need for homosexuals to stay hidden even as they search out like individuals in situation after situation plays out again and again here.  The desperation and hunger that is found in the darkness and anonymity for people like Cal comes across the pages with a realness that almost hurts.   Cal has always know he was “queer” and the implications that it has had on his upbringing and outlook.  Jim?  That’s a far more complex and hidden aspect of his personality, one he doesn’t deal well with.  For him, his feelings are a “sin”. Their situation is fraught with peril, full of subtle touches and emotional support and the joy of discovery and the pain that arrives as well makes this story one you won’t soon forget.

There is a mystery to unravel, believable children to win over, and always a relationship in flux between two characters we have come to love.  I can’t recommend this story enough.  With Semper Fi, Keira Andrews now has two books in Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words “Must Read” Top Lists of 2014. This story will tug at your heartstrings while making our past and the sacrifice of so many young men feel immediate and haunting.  Pick up both stories today and start your journey with this remarkable author.

Cover design by Dar Albert is as lovely and haunting as they story itself.  A top cover any way you look at it.

 

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks             amazon             Semper Fi

Book Details:

ebook, 320 pages
Expected publication: November 11th 2014 by KA Books
ISBN139780993859854
edition languageEnglish