Category: Book Tours and Contests

Ride Into the Wind with the Hard Riders Anthology (book tour)

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The Authors of the Hard Riders Anthology talk about

Why I Like Bikers…

Jenna:

There’s a theory about bikers that 99% of them are law abiding citizens and the other 1% are ‘outlaws’. The one-percenters are often visible at charity events such as delivering toys to children during holiday seasons or blocking protesters at funerals. When I began writing my story for the Hard Riders Anthology, I thought about that. The bad boy with a heart of gold is a favorite of mine. What if I took that guy to the next level? He’d be just bad enough, into illegal gun running and drug activity, but he’d also be sexy as hell. The type of guy who could kill someone if he had to, but he’d only do it to protect his MC brothers or his family. The love interest for my story was born. The hero had to be just as hunky, but not quite as seasoned or tough. For them it was lust at first sight. For me, it was the perfect match.

LM:

“…You’ve got to see an outlaw straddle his hog and start jumping on the starter pedal to fully appreciate what it means. It is like seeing a thirsty man find water.  His face changes, his whole bearing radiates confidence and authority. He sits there for a moment with the big machine rumbling between his legs, and then he blasts off…” – Hunter S. Thompson, Hell’s Angels: The Strange And Terrible Saga of The Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs

It’s a fantasy, but bikers are road warriors, mounted on powerful steeds. Flawed anti-heroes guided by a strict code that brings with it honour of a sort. They represent freedom and lawlessness, rebels that deep down we can empathise with. Myths wrapped in leather, labelled by hard-earned patches, they belong to a closed world – and peeking in feels illicit and exciting. Riding proud and free they present romantic figures and from the safety of our comfortable lives, it’s strangely satisfying to know that they still exist at the limits of the law.

Morticia:

Ink and Leather. That about sums it up! Of course, a guy can have tattoos and wear leather, but never have been near a Harley or any other bike in his life. I think the overall attraction for me is the ‘bad boy’ image. Ever since my first boyfriend when I was fifteen years old, I’ve been drawn to the hot guy who’s the one most likely to get into trouble. That love interest was a drummer and smoked questionable substances – I was a goner!

Another added element to the bad boy image of a biker is – you guessed it – the bike. There’s a crazy sense of freedom and a rollercoaster thrill ride when you’re on the back of a bike. I don’t ride, but I love being wrapped around a big, muscled guy who does. Plus, when you’re straddling that machine, it’s hard to ignore the strong vibrations. *ahem*

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Blurbs for Hard Riders:

 Clear Blue Sky by Jenna Byrnes

Respect all, fear none is the Rebel Riders Motorcycle Club’s motto. Will the Riders step up when the Demon Outlaws go after one of their own?

Sky Warren doesn’t let the screen door smack him on the way out of Kansas. When his former abusive partner Duke is arrested for selling drugs, Sky takes off. He’s ready for a clean start and a change of scenery. Moving to Lakewood, Colorado, with his cousin and accepting a job in Billy’s bike shop seems like just what he needs to start over. In Billy’s riding club he meets Task Rivers, a handsome, sexy biker, and they hit it off immediately. Task is edgy, yet he shows Sky how a respectful and considerate man treats his partner. The two fall into a lusty, passionate relationship.

 Mantrap by L.M. Somerton:

Not all cages have bars.

The Wyverns Motorcycle Club has a reputation as fierce as its dragon emblem. Its enigmatic leader, Rogue Hellaby, has a police file so thick you could prop up a table with it.

When Rogue receives an instruction to kidnap and hold hostage the son of a powerful drug lord, he doesn’t bat an eyelid. But Rogue has never had to deal with a captive like Orlando de la Pena. Orlando is furious—not because he’s being held prisoner, but because he’s prevented from partying at his favorite BDSM club. Rogue discovers that the only way to deal with Orlando is to become the Dom he so obviously needs. But Orlando’s father wants him back, and The Wyverns must face a battle that could cost them their lives.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of light BDSM.

 Biking Bad by Morticia Knight

When Dylan, a young wannabe investigator, stumbles into the Mojave Sidewinder’s MC bar, he finds all kinds of trouble—especially in biker Luc ‘Zero’ Villarojas.

The Mojave Sidewinders is the largest gay MC club in Southern California. They’re also one-percenters, which makes them alluring to those looking for trouble and a danger to those making it. Luc ‘Zero’ Villarojas has been a brother ever since the club’s prez took him in as a runaway. At thirty-four years of age, he’s content to ride his hog, chase tail and run his tattoo and piercing parlor, Zero to Sixty.

Working his first big case involving a missing young man, Dylan barges into Road Rage, the Mojave Sidewinder’s exclusive bar, and starts asking questions. When it looks as though he’s about to get beaten up, a large, muscled biker covered in ink comes to his aid. Dylan’s incredibly attracted to him—even if Zero is pretty scary and Dylan’s still a virgin. But is there something Zero knows about the missing man that he’s hiding? And is Dylan in more danger than he realises?

Like the sound of Hard Riders? Buy it here.

WORD COUNT: 62474
ISBN: 9781784303099
FORMAT: eBook
THRILLERS AND SUSPENSE, CONTEMPORARY

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About  Jenna Byrnes:

Jenna Byrnes could use more cabinet space and more hours in a day. She’d fill the kitchen with gadgets her husband purchases off TV and let him cook for her to his heart’s content. She’d breeze through the days adding hours of sleep, and more time for writing the hot, erotic romance she loves to read.

About LM Somerton:

Lucinda lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

About Morticia Knight:

M/M and M/M/F Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people’s fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.

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For Your Holiday Reading Enjoyment…Lee Brazil’s and Havan Fellows’ Christmas In His Heart (book tour and contest)

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Book Name: Christmas In His Heart
Release Date: December 4th, 2014
Author Name: Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows

Two favorite authors are here with their latest story, Christmas In His Heart.  Did I have  some questions for them both?  Why, yes I did and here is my holiday conversation with Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows:

A holiday story should be like opening a Christmas or Chanukah present. What elements about your story had you both smiling with delight?

Lee: I just loved all the bright, cheerful banter between the leads. I may never see another sausage without chuckling. 

Havan: Oh my god they were a hot fun mess when those two started talking. lmao Plus I loved the strong secondary characters and how they all genuinely cared.

Favorite holiday story for each of you?

Oh… White Christmas is one, but also… I just love It’s A Wonderful Life. The story of how one person’s life affects so many others, of how one missing soul can change the world really speaks to me. We’re taught these days that life is about everyone, that its society and the greater good that we ought to be concerned with. Sometimes we forget how valuable the individual is. It’s A Wonderful Life proves the value of the individual. 

The Polar Express has always been a favorite in my family, but believe it or not I’ve never watched the movie. I guess some books I just can’t bring myself to watch the movie version no matter how good people claim they are.

I love the Holiday Movies, from Hallmark to It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown.  What movies or specials do you look forward to if any?

Um… Clearly I misinterpreted the previous question. Sorry about that. My favorite Christmas cartoon was the one with the burgermeister. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I was terrified of the Winter Warlock as a child, but the magic of the season just came alive for me.

I love the “claymation duo” as my family calls it: Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, oh and Frosty the Snowman is also enjoyed. But our favorite holiday movie is Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. We watch it every year on Christmas Eve, never fails.

You both have been so busy with the Pulp Friction 2014 outstanding series, why no holiday stories involving those couples?  Or is there?

Well, that would be telling! The stories are sequential, timeline-wise. The finale takes place in December, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some seasonal elements crept into the finale. 

*zips lips…sits on hands*

Do you both have any holiday traditions passed down from generation to generation?  And have they ever made it into a story?

My family has a lot of traditions, and many of them I have foisted upon my SO. Stockings hung on Christmas Eve, presents opened Christmas morning, turkey dinner with stuffing and cranberries…

When my siblings and I grew up and had our own families we developed new traditions…but the bottom line is that all extensions of the family get together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is dedicated to spending it with our individual broods. That way we get the best of both worlds, because no matter how much I love my whole family, I cherish those Christmas mornings with my kiddos.

What is the hardest thing about writing with a partner?

Waiting. The hardest part was waiting. Havan works an EDJ, and I wrote while she was working, so many times I’d have to wait for her feedback, and it was just finger itching.

*hugs* Lee never had to worry about my feedback – you’ve read his writing, you know how good he is at it. 🙂 But yeah…my EDJ was especially evil to me. We’d be chatting back and forth while I was at work and I’d get this brilliant amazing idea (well aren’t all my ideas brilliant and amazing? lol) but I’d be stuck at my desk for another two hours before I could run home and put it to paper and see if Lee liked it as well…and I suffer from youngest child syndrome, you know what I mean? The Now-now-now syndrome…I wanted to write the scene now now now so Lee could read it now now now. Not to be confused with the youngest child syndrome Mine-mine-mine which is a totally different thing…lmao

What is the easiest thing about writing with a partner?

Writing with Havan made writing easier. Her energy and creativity were just like a spark for me. The story flowed with an ease I seldom see.

That goes both ways I would say. He’d knock the WIP (work in process) over to me and I’d be so stoked to get my wordage in and kick it back to him…and within seconds (or it felt like seconds – do not insert ex-boyfriend joke here…lmao) he’d have it back to me. It was like we fed on each other’s excitement about this story and our guys. It was more addicting than any drug…um…not that I’d know about those types of things…can you see my halo from there?

What message or overall feeling would you like readers to take away from Christmas In His Heart?

There’s a magic to the holiday season, people are the best they can be, kindness flows, and love… well it just makes everything alright.

All of the above…and a smile can do wonders in any situation. I do like smiling…I count it toward my daily exercise goal. 🙂 

What’s next for you both?

Pulp Friction 2014 Finale, and then… Pulp Friction 2015. Are you ready for New Orleans?

Let the beads start flying! *big huge grins*

Thank you Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having us…you know this is one of our fave places to hang out!

My thanks to you both!  Now back to our authors and story…

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Author Bio:

LEE BRAZIL:

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.

Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.

   Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?

Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.

If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

HAVAN FELLOWS:

I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.

Okay no, seriously…I’m a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own. And just like every other red-blooded human—I love hearing from people. So feel free to drop me a line—whether it’s a comment on my blog, an email, a tweet, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it’s easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.

Authors Contacts:

Publisher: Lime Time Press
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales Links:  amazon     All Romance (ARe)

Blurb:beacon hill at night  

Christmastime brings joy to hearts everywhere. Between snow angels, festive clothing, holiday decorations, and of course, all the beautiful lights, it’s hard not to partake in the season.

Unless you no longer have Christmas in your heart.

Dermot Alasdair has never shared the horrific memories that keep him from celebrating the happiest time of the year, nor does he ever plan to. He’s fine being alone and shut off from everyone; he has his restaurant and that’s all he needs. He believes that, too…until the craft store next door from his eatery hires a perpetually smiling annoyance. Really, it isn’t normal for someone to be that happy all the time.

Xander Leahman didn’t know what he was getting into when he accepted an invitation to visit his best friend and help her interview people for the newly created position of manager at Craft Time. When a surly man bumps into him and then walks away with an enticing sway to his hips, Xander decides the position—and Dermot—are perfect for him. Now all he can think of is finding ways to get Dermot out of his clothes. Well that, and how to open this grinch’s heart to the Christmas season and, hopefully, love.
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Holiday

Excerpt:

“Hey! Good morning!”

The cheerful greeting broke through his concentration, and Dermot looked up to see the new manager of the Craft Time craft store sweeping the sidewalk in front of the shop. “Hey,” he muttered sourly. Xander Leahman made his head ache. Just one glance and he wanted to snap at the man to comb his hair, put on a heavier jacket, and for Christ sakes why wasn’t he wearing gloves outside in this weather?

Dermot wasn’t going to stop. He had no plans stop and talk to the smiling man. Xander bubbled more than a bottle of shaken soda water. Dermot didn’t have time for his chatter, and he didn’t have time for the strange, compelling not-quite-nausea he seemed prone to in Xander’s company.

Maybe he was allergic to the man’s cologne, or deodorant, or shampoo. Dermot leaned forward and sniffed surreptitiously, but he couldn’t smell anything other than cinnamon and vanilla. An overwhelming urge to bake overcame him, and he jerked himself upright.

He was an executive chef, not a pastry chef. He didn’t bake, and especially not something as…plebeian as oatmeal raisin cookies, which was what Xander smelled like.

“Excuse me.” He deliberately stepped around Xander, who put out a hand and caught his arm.

“I saw you coming down the street.” Xander set the broom aside and picked up a steaming mug from the windowsill. “It’s not as good as Prudence’s coffee, but I made it fresh this morning.”

Blinking in astonishment, Dermot stared from the mug to the hand on his arm. He could really… “Thanks.” He accepted the mug and inhaled the rich aroma of good coffee, scented with cinnamon and…yeah, vanilla. And he’d thought it was Xander who smelled so good? He didn’t know whether to be relieved or embarrassed. “I needed this. That walk feels longer every day that the temperature drops.” The first sip exploded on his tongue with soothing heat and delicious flavor and he bit back a moan of appreciation.

Words: 35,562

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

8-Dec

Parker Williams

MM Good Book Reviews

EE Montgomery

9-Dec

Multitasking Mommas

Carly’s Book Reviews

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

Amanda C. Stone

10-Dec

Queer Town Abbey

BFD Book Blog

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Cathy Brockman Romances

Bayou Book Junkie

11-Dec

My Fiction Nook

Molly Lolly

Hearts on Fire


12-Dec

Inked Rainbow Reads

Fallen Angel Reviews

Tara Lain

13-Dec

Love Bytes

Iyana Jenna

MM Good Book Reviews

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter, Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

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In the Book Spotlight: Hitting Black Ice by Heloise West (book tour and contest)

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Book Name: Hitting Black Ice
Author Name: Heloise West

Heloise West is here with a contest, blurb and excerpt from her latest book, Hitting Black Ice.  The author also took a turn in our author’s interview chair.  Check it out below:

Q. Hitting Black Ice is a great title. Where did you get the inspiration for it?

If I said in a dream, would you believe me? Well, it was a two-for dream; I was trying to think of a title for story for a member of our writing group, and they both came to me just as I was starting to wake up. You know, in that middle state between dreaming and not quite awake, the hypnagogic state. I wanted something active and punchy, and I think that did the trick.

Q. What is the first idea you want the reader to imagine when they read that title?

Danger, unexpected and spinning you out of control…but if you can keep your head, you can get yourself out of it…

Q. This book has plenty of exciting elements….murder, mystery, a man on the run..how do you find a right balance for all these threads in your story?

The romance helped keep it all tied together, I think.

Q. Suspense and action are terrific elements for keeping a reader on their seats, but how do you bring the romance into it without losing that tautness of plot?

I don’t think I ever made it easy for Hunter and Shawn–even when there was a lull in the present action, the past was a threat, too. So basically, the answer is subplots that shadow and echo the main plot.

Q. What was your muse for this story?

Since the main POV character was Hunter, I listened to later Decemberists for that undercurrent of sadness. Since he’s really a country boy in the city, the folk aspect of the Decemberists worked for me, too. It’s not really a playlist. It’s the same two albums on an endless loop. The music shoves me deeper emotionally into the character.

Q. If you love to write mysteries, do you also like to read them?

I do love to write mysteries. I love to read mysteries, too, especially historical mysteries.

Q. If so, which author is a favorite of yours or is there a favorite fictional detective/sleuth character?

I can never answer “most favorite” questions or “desert island” questions (unless the answer is Matt Damon).
My favorite sleuths is a great question: (can’t answer with one 😉
Gordianus the Finder (Steven’s Saylor’s Sub Rosa series), Feste (12th century jester/spy by Alan Gordon), Adrien English, of course, and Kit and JX. Ariana Franklin’s Adelia from the Mistress of the Art of Death series; Mary, Sherlock Holmes’ young wife in Laurie King’s s

eries. Those are off the top of my head, the auto-buys, though a few of these series have ended.

Q. What’s next for Heloise West?

I’m working on a sequel to Hitting Black Ice and a Renaissance era romance/mystery suspense is on submission.

Thanks for having me here today!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Author Bio:

Heloise West, when not hunched over the keyboard plotting love and mayhem, dreams about moving to a villa in Tuscany. She loves history, mysteries, and romance of all flavors. She travels and gardens with her partner of 10 years, and their home overflows with books, cats, art, and red wine.

Author Contact:

Publisher: Loose IDHeloiseWest_HittingBlackIce_coverin
Cover Artist: Syneca Featherstone
Sales:  Loose id    All Romance (ARe)   amazon

Hitting Black Ice Blurb:

ER physician’s assistant Hunter guards his heart carefully, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for Shawn, the front desk clerk. He keeps his distance from relationships for a reason, but just can’t help himself when it comes to Shawn.

Shawn is on the run from the law and love to protect himself and anyone else involved. One man is dead because of him, and his life now is simple and easily thrown into a bag at any hint of danger. Until he meets Hunter, and he no longer wants to run.

Forced into a hostage situation, buried passion explodes in the aftermath, and sex in the supply closet brings their hearts back to life. Tentatively, step by step, they begin to explore a relationship together until the past catches up with Shawn.

FBI agent Nick Truman has finally found his man, but when Shawn escapes, he focuses his attention on Hunter. Shawn returns, even though it means sacrificing himself to save Hunter from the man who framed him for murder.
Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance

Excerpt:

It was nine o’clock. They’d long lost the reservation. Hunter turned away from the warm lights of the restaurant, heart heavy. Shawn was too good to be true. For all he knew, he had a problem like Jerry’s, who’d often left him waiting, wondering, and ultimately fearing as dinner sat cold on the table. He gave in and took a step toward home.

“Hunter!”

He whipped around.

Shawn rushed toward him. He slipped on the snowy sidewalk, nearly going down, but Hunter ran at him, and they crashed together so hard his teeth clicked. Shawn’s arms went around him and his around Shawn, and they managed to hold each other up.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of Shawn’s mouth.

“All you deserve is pizza crusts,” Hunter mock-growled and kissed him, unconsciously trying to taste booze on his breath. Like Jerry and too many broken promises. Relieved it was only peppermint mouthwash, he didn’t stop kissing him.

When Hunter let him speak, Shawn said, “I’m starving, I’ll take it.” He pushed Hunter a little away from him. “Jesus. You’re freezing.”

“And starving. There’s a Greek pizza place down this way, come on—”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, taking Hunter’s hand.

 

HBIBadgeTour Dates/Tour Stops: 

2-Dec

Jade Crystal

Molly Lolly

3-Dec

The Blogger Girls

Amanda C. Stone

4-Dec

The Hat Party

5-Dec

Parker Williams

8-Dec

Charley Descoteaux

3 Chicks After Dark

9-Dec

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

10-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

11-Dec

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

12-Dec

Love Bytes

15-Dec

Inked Rainbow Reads

16-Dec

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

17-Dec

Multitasking Mommas

18-Dec

BFD Book Blog

19-Dec

Prism Book Alliance

22-Dec

MM Good Book Reviews

Fallen Angel Reviews

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-Copy of ‘Hitting Black Ice’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided below to enter and for all additional contest details.

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Virtual Tour: Two Alone In Dublin by Lucy Carey (contest and book tour)

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Lucy Carey is here on her Two Alone In Dublin tour to introduce her book to our readers. Check out the blurb and excerpts below, along with my interview with the author towards the end.

Here’s Lucy Carey and Two Alone In Dublin!

 

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Contest: Lucy will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

__________________

Two Alone in Dublin

by Lucy Carey

BLURB:

Surrounded by one million people in Dublin city, two women feel very alone. One a university student from a small town in the Irish countryside, the other an adventurous spirit from a city in Brazil, they’ve both been searching for the other among the irritations and noise of everyday life…
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Excerpt:Cover_Two Alone in Dublin

Mariana hadn’t worn this shade of lipstick in an age. She painted the brash, bright-red gloss around her full lips, rubbed her lips together and pouted. This was her going-out colour, a colour guaranteed to make her feel sexy and confident and womanly.

Had it really been so long since she had been on a date? she wondered. Despite this being her go-to colour for dates, it had been buried in the bottom of her makeup bag.

She checked her teeth for lipstick and, finding none, stepped back to look at her full reflection in the mirror.

She had chosen a form-fitting dress in a colour to match the shade of her lipstick and she adjusted the cups of her bra, to push her cleavage higher in its V-neck.

This, she thought to herself, must be what Susie had described as “putting your best foot forward.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lucy Carey, Lesbian and Bisexual Romance and Erotic-Fiction Writer

I am a 30-year-old bisexual author who writes the kind of fiction I think other LGBTQ women want to read.

As someone born and raised in Ireland, let me assure you: our country is beautiful…and so are its women.VBT_TwoAloneInDublin_CoverBanner

I aim to introduce you to the best of both—the stunning scenery of the Emerald Isle and its funny, complex, gorgeous, lesbian and bisexual women. I hope you enjoy it.  Contact me at:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8565141.Lucy_Carey

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucy-Carey/1432435577012573

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Alone-Dublin-Lesbian-Story-ebook/dp/B00NKQEZ3Y

 

 My Interview with Lucy Carey

 

Q. What was your inspiration for the story?

It was almost a typical “girl meet girl” story. I regularly attended a coffee shop where this beautiful barista, who was Central or South American, worked. She was very warm and always happy to chat. We had a bit of a connection—she flirted a little and I flirted back—but I was too nervous to do anything about it.

I haven’t seen her in years but in my head, I’ve built a whole story around her—where’s she’s from, what might have happened if I’d made a move, etc. That backstory helped to lay the groundwork for Mariana, the Brazilian woman in my story, “Two Alone in Dublin,” who encounters a stressed-out, lonely college student named Susie who she feels an instant connection to…

Q. Do you have a muse?

I’d love if I did! No, sadly, it’s just me plugging away at my writing, no special inspiration involved. I’m not sure if I believe in the idea of “the muse” anyway; it seems to me that to rely on something outside yourself for inspiration is to give control of your story away. But I may be overthinking that!

Q. Do you work on one project at a time or many?

I wish I could work on one at a time! My biggest issue as a writer is forcing myself to focus on one story when I have so many different stories I’d like to read and write. Also, my day job involves some drier writing, so by necessity, I write the paycheck stuff in the daytime and the passion projects at night.

Q. Hero or Antihero? Who would you chose and why?

Give me a good antihero over a sappy, boy/girl scout hero any day! The antihero always seems to be having more fun—or at least, they seem like more fun to be around. As a former chain-smoking, often truant teenager, I identify more with the antihero, I think. In my head, I’m a badass. In reality, I’m in bed by eleven and never break the speed limit these days…

Q. People say write what you know. Do you think that is right or even important?

I think that piece of advice has been repeated so often as to be completely useless by now. Sure, it’s good to draw on your own experiences and emotions, as I did with Mariana for “Two Alone in Dublin”—but eventually only writing what you know will severely limit what you can write. I find writing about what you don’t know a better exercise sometimes. By that I mean that your characters should not always act in a way you’re used to or have the experiences you’ve had. Otherwise, nothing of any imagination would ever get written.

Q. What is the first book you read that really meant something to you?

I really loved “Little Women” when I was a little girl, not just because it focused primarily on female relationships but because I identified with Jo—headstrong, tomboyish, and occasionally putting my foot in my mouth with my sense of humor. She is an especially enjoyable and impressive character given the year that she was written.

Q. What do you find sexy in a man/woman?

I love a dirty sense of humor and a twinkle in someone’s eye—that applies to women and men (I am bisexual). I also like very individual people with their own sense of style: be that vintage, rockabilly, tidy, scruffy0 or whatever. As long as someone’s working it with confidence, I’m interested.

Q. What’s next up for you?

I have a couple of projects on the go (I’m trying to focus on one at a time, I swear!). I’m currently writing a longer lesbian romance that will be novel length (as opposed to a novella). Additionally, I’m working on some short, erotic pieces—a world away from the gentle romance of my current book.

Join with Amelia C. Gormley as She Talks Gaming, Mystery, and her latest release, Player Vs Player (book tour and contest)

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“Change is dangerous when it pushes back.”

 

Welcome, Amelia C. Gormely.  Amelia is here today to talk about gaming, prejudices, mystery and Player Vs Player, her latest release for Riptide Publishing.

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Hi and welcome to the Player vs. Player blog tour!

Player vs. Player marks my first attempt at writing a whodunit, which was a bit of a scary endeavor. I’ve always been better at stories that are about character growth and exploration, of taking a character and putting them in a situation and then sitting back and watching the evolution of that character as they work their way out the other side. PvP was a much different experience, and something which took me outside my authorly comfort-zone.

Writing Player vs. Player also gave me an opportunity to combine four things I’m deeply enthusiastic about: gaming, fandom, activism, and of course, LGBT romance. I’ve been a gamer since early childhood, back when Atari had just released their first consoles. My teenage years were marked by NES and Sega, and early adulthood saw the transfer of my gaming allegiance to PC gaming.

It was because of my involvement in the fandom for Bioware’s Dragon Age franchise that I began writing m/m romance, and I eventually published courtesy of the encouragement I received from a friend I made through that fandom.

It’s also Dragon Age fandom that opened my eyes to some of the toxic undercurrents in gaming and geek culture. I had, of course, been witness to the casual misogyny and homophobia within gaming culture at various times, but until I witnessed the vitriolic free-for-all against former Bioware writer Jennifer Hepler, and then the attacks on feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian. It brought to my attention the subject of convention harassment and the Fake Geek Girl trope that is used to marginalize and invalidate the presence of women in fandom.

So when the idea occurred to me to write a book bringing all these things together, both acknowledging my roots as an author and a gamer, I had to take it. I know that the LGBT romance audience is full of other people who have experienced marginalization, misogyny, homophobia, racism, negative stereotyping, and inadequate positive representation in geek and fan culture (which by all means are not issues limited to gaming.) And I know we’ve all been witness to, and maybe even targets of, the toxic backlash that comes of speaking up and trying to change that culture.

This book is for all of us. It’s for the critics who have been driven from their homes and forced into silence by threats of violence. It’s for the cosplayers who have been groped and assaulted without their consent. It’s for the LGBTQ/POC/female geeks who have heard casual slurs in fan spaces that left them feeling alienated and unwelcome. And it’s for the people pushing to change that culture, and to make geekdom something inclusive for all of us.

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Pushing for change can be dangerous when change starts pushing back.

Video game writer Niles River loves the work he does at Third Wave Studios: creating games with mass appeal that feature women, people of color, and LGBTQ characters. To make his job even better, his best friend is his boss, and his twin brother works beside him. And they mostly agree that being on the forefront of social change is worth dealing with trollish vitriol—Niles is more worried about his clingy ex and their closeted intern’s crush on his brother than he is about internet harassment.

But now the bodies on the ground are no longer virtual, and someone’s started hand-delivering threats to Niles’s door. The vendetta against Third Wave has escalated, and to make matters worse, the investigating detective is an old flame who left Niles heartbroken for a life in the closet.

No change happens without pain, but can Niles justify continuing on with Third Wave when the cost is the blood of others? If he does, the last scene he writes may be his own death.
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Contest: Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of one book from my backlist (excluding Player vs Player.) Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 13th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Author Bio

Amelia C. Gormley may seem like anyone else. But the truth is she sings in the shower, dances doing laundry, and writes blisteringly hot m/m erotic romance while her son is at school. When she’s not writing in her Pacific Northwest home, Amelia single-handedly juggles her husband, her son, their home, and the obstacles of life by turning into an everyday superhero. And that, she supposes, is just like anyone else.

Her self-published novel-in-three-parts,  Impulse ( Inertia, Book One;  Acceleration, Book Two; and  Velocity, Book Three) can be found at most major online book retailers, and be sure to check Riptide for her latest releases, including her Highland historical, The Laird’s Forbidden Lover, the Professor’s Rule series of erotic novelettes (co-written with Heidi Belleau), the post-apocalyptic romance,  Strain, her New Adult contemporary,  Saugatuck Summer, and of course,  Player vs. Player, available now. She is presently at work on two more novels set in the Strain universe, Juggernaut and Bane, coming summer/fall of 2015.
You can contact Amelia on

It’s “Hell On Wheels” when Z.A. Maxfield Goes To Bluewater Bay! (Book tour and contest)

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Z.A. Maxfield is here with Hell On Wheels, the latest Bluewater Bay story and one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Stories!BWBlogo_Web

Check it out below and don’t forget to enter the contests Z.A. Maxfield has for all of you to enter. Hell On Wheels coverWelcome, Z.A. Maxfield.

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Many, many thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for inviting me to be here today to share my latest book release, Hell On Wheels.

While I was writing this book, one of the things that struck me was how much I enjoy writing characters who don’t do what one expects them to do. I think this goes back to my love of the screwball comedies of the thirties, to actors and actresses like Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, William Powell and Myrna Loy.

The dialogue was snappy. The comebacks often sarcastic and witty, and there’s sophistication, even in films like Duck Soup, which has more physical humor than I normally care for. I wanted to be Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. I wanted to be Barbara Stanwyck The Lady Eve.

Here’s my list of top five screwball comedies, the ones I found most memorable, and the ones that color my perception to this day. I’m not numbering them because ‘sniff” I love them all and I’d hate to pick a favorite.

• It Happened One Night – what is not to love about this. Between Clark Gable’s manly chin and Claudette Colbert’s legs, nothing can go wrong here. Add the road trip realities of hitchhiking with crazies and bad motels and toss in some of the best dialogue ever, and well. DO not miss out on a classic.
• The Thin Man – William Powell and Myrna Loy drink their way through a mystery. With a dog. Because Myrna Loy’s face when she says “Nicky, Darling.”
• His Girl Friday – Yes. Santa Clause. There really was Rosalind Russell. And she wasn’t just a pretty face. She’s funny and acerbic in this film, and held every bit of cinematic ground against handsome scene-stealer Cary Grant. And she wore a dumbass hat.
• Bringing Up Baby – Cary Grant again, with Katherine Hepburn this time, and a leopard named Baby. That’s right. I said a leopard. Comedy is serious business.
• My Man Godfrey – Special because its social message is timeless. Carole Lombard is simply radiant in this film and William Powell is handsome and sarcastic. These films set the gold standard of romantic and class comedy for the time in which they were filmed.

Many of these gems are available on Netflix. Check them out today!

My Blog Tour giveaway plan is as follows:

1. Comment here for the chance to win an ebook. My assistant William will randomly pick a winner for each blog I visit, and that person will win an ebook of their choice from my backlist.

2. For the Hell On Wheels Tour Rafflecopter giveaway, I will be awarding one lucky reader with a 25.00 gift certificate for Amazon. The giveaway will conclude at midnight on December 8th, at which time we’ll choose a winner.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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3. There are many ways to enter, and some can be done more than once. Give yourself lots of chances to win by following along the blog tour and commenting.

Here’s the book’s official blurb:Hell On Wheels cover

Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

– Check out more about Hell On Wheels at Riptide Publishing’s  page.

About the Author

Z. A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back. Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. Three things reverberate throughout all her stories: Unconditional love, redemption, and the belief that miracles happen when we least expect them.

If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four can find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.”

Readers can visit ZAM at her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.