Contemporary fiction

A Romance Must Have Heart! Romance Do’s! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Standard

A Romance Must Have Heart! Romance Do’s!

A romance must have heart.  Seems like such a simple idea.  Such a central idea!  Shouldn’t every romance ideally have heart?  But you would be surprised (or maybe you wouldn’t) at the number of romances I read where the heart of the story, the love, the romance as it were was just left out of them.

Or bled out of it at some point by as aspect of the characters or their  romance or even the ending.

Maybe its the lack of chemistry between the characters that kills it, or the relationship dynamics themselves.  Doormats anyone?  I don’t have enough fingers for the amount of times reviewers have told them they just didn’t “like” either the development of a character or a romance between characters.  That it killed the story for them. No chemistry.

Sometimes its in the initial meeting of the characters.  Gay for me for example (a trope I’m not fond of). You “turned” gay for someone? Ugh no.  I far prefer gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual …those  stories where the person discovering their sexuality whatever that maybe.   Guess we are back to boxes and titles.  And treatments, of course.  That can do it as well.  Take a heart out of a story.

How about how the couple goes about their relationship?  Can that suck the life out of the romance for you?  I know it can for me.  See doormat above.

And then there’s the ending.  So many books have crashed and burned on their endings alone.  The “oh, no, they didn’t end it there” stories!  We all have them.  The ones that left us gobsmacked.  And wanting to throw said Kindles and paperbacks across the room, the romance gone, deflating the stories like some sad pinpricked balloon.

And if you can guess a book prompted all this you would be right.  Shakes head.  I keep forgetting they get published like that. No, I’m not going to name it.

So that’s my rant for today. It’s safe to step back into the blog!  What pokes the pin into your books? What deflates the romance quicker than you can say boom? Let me know in the comments. Our giveaway is still going on until next week.

 

What Makes a Book Magic List Giveaway

So let’s make this official with a What Makes a Book Magic List Giveaway.  Send in your comments, it will run til the end of the month and we will giveaway 2 gift certificates to 2 lucky readers.  Leave your name and email address where you can be reached if chosen.

I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July, 22:

  • Tour – Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed by Quin Perin
  • An Alisa Review – Meik & Sebastian by Quin Perin
  • A Romance Must Have Heart! Romance Do’s!
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, July 23:

  • AUDIOBOOK TOUR – Zen Alpha by Sionnach Wintergreen
  • Dreamspun Promo Amy Lane on A Fool and His Manny
  • Release Day Blitz Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing #1) by Layla Reyne
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing #1) by Layla Reyne
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Broken Rules (Mended Hearts #2) by Michaela Grey
  • A Jeri Review: Sink or Swim (Anchor Point #8) by L.A. Witt
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Ardulum: First Don (Ardulum) by J.S. Fields

Tuesday, July 24:

  • Release Blitz – Curl Around My Heart by Londra Laine
  • Release Blitz – Fusion by Posy Roberts
  • RELEASE BLITZ Cold Like Snow by Sita Bethel
  • A Lucy Review: Curl Around My Heart by Londra Laine
  • An Alisa Review: Professor Hot Pants by by Ember-Raine Winters
  • An Alisa Review: Serving Him (The Retreat #1) by L.M. Somerton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Consorting with Dragons by Sera Trevor and Philip Alces (Narrator)

Wednesday, July 25:

  • AUDIO Blog TOUR The Eagle and the Fox by Nya Rawlyns
  • DSP Promo Poppy Dennison
  • Release Blitz – Finding My Way Home – Doyle Global Securities #2 – Kendel Duncan
  • Release Blitz with – Serving Him by L M Somerton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review:  Blyd and Pearce by Kim Fielding
  • A MelanieM Review: Lucky Days (Boystown, #9) by Marshall Thornton
  • A MelanieM Review Smoke in the Mirror (Road to Blissville #5) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Thursday, July 26:

  • DSP Promo Kim Fielding on Blyd and Pearce
  • Risk Taker by Lily Morton Release Day Blitz
  • A Dangerous Dance by Davidson King Blog Tour
  • A MelanieM Review: The Eye of Ra (Repeating History #1) by Dakota Chase
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Alpha Unit One, New York by Chris T. Kat
  • A Lucy Review: Erik the Pink by Matthew J. Metzger

Friday, July 27:

  • Release Blitz – Brave For You – Crystal Lacy
  • Cover Reveal – Mia Kerick Love Spell
  • Impact Flash Fiction Anthology Tour
  • DSP Promo Michaela Grey
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Dark (Expedition 63 #2) by T.A. Creech
  • A MelanieM Review: Impact Flash Fiction Anthology
  • A VVivacious Release Day Review:Alpha Unit One, New York by Chris T. Kat

Saturday, July 28:

  • Release Blitz – DJ Jamison – Hearts & Health Volume 2
  • A MelanieM Review:The End of All Stories (Legends of Badal’Shari #1) by Julia Rosenthal

 

An Alisa Review : Meik & Sebastian (Obsessed #1) by Quin Perin

Standard

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Obsessed – to preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

Meik Lennen has everything a man could want. A successful company. More money than he knows what to do with. Men and women falling to their knees in front of him, practically begging him to dominate them. Everything a man could want with only one problem: he’s bored of it all. Bored of the same old things and the greyness of his life, until…

…he catches sight of Sebastian, an enigmatic twenty-year-old street musician, who rips him out of his dull daze. Obsessed with the young man, Meik lures him in and offers him a peek into a world of sins and desire. But soon Sebastian begins to twist his way into his consciousness, threatening to reveal dark memories Meik had locked away tightly.

The beginning of a brand new MM Explicit Gay Sex Series (no romance)

The author promised no romance and there definitely is none in this story, it is all about the sex which is what I expected.  This is well written and doesn’t go to deep into the characters, it looks like it may in the next book of this series though.  And though I kind of liked the story I will read the next in the series to see where the author’s take this.

For want of a better word, Meik is an ass.  He is arrogant and doesn’t care about others feelings.  I don’t mind smut, probably read it much more than I should, but I prefer to like my characters and at this point it isn’t possible with Meik.  Sebastian was actually in the story all that much, just their two encounters so other than knowing he is an innocent young man that apparently wants Meik there isn’t much else.

The cover art by Vanessa Rödiger is nice and draws your attention.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 75 pages

Published: June 18, 2018

Edition Language: English

Series: Obsessed #1

Book Blast Tour – Meik and Sebastian – Obsessed by Quin Perin (excerpt and giveaway)

Standard

BOOK BLAST and REVIEW TOUR

Book Title: Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed

Author: Quin Perin

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Genre/s: Gay Erotica, Bisexual Erotica

Length: 74 pages

Add on Goodreads  

Blurb

Obsessed – to preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

Meik Lennen has everything a man could want. A successful company. More money than he knows what to do with. Men and women falling to their knees in front of him, practically begging him to dominate them. Everything a man could want with only one problem: he’s bored of it all. Bored of the same old things and the greyness of his life, until…

…he catches sight of Sebastian, an enigmatic twenty-year-old street musician, who rips him out of his dull daze. Obsessed with the young man, Meik lures him in and offers him a peek into a world of sins and desire. But soon Sebastian begins to twist his way into his consciousness, threatening to reveal dark memories Meik had locked away tightly.

Buy Links – FREE ON AMAZON

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Excerpt

For the briefest moment, their eyes locked. The warmth of the musician’s breaths puffed out against Meik’s cock, and he could hear the sound of cars driving by. Just a few feet away, where Sebastian had been standing, people were walking past, completely unaware of what they were up to.

“Don’t stop.”

The rough sound of Sebastian’s voice made Meik laugh. “So fucking eager, aren’t we?” he rasped. Letting his hand fall from the wall, he wrapped his fingers around the base of his shaft. Hellfire burned in his eyes as he looked at the submitting man, slapping first his left then his right cheek with his cock, loving the wet sound of flesh on flesh. “You love sucking my dick, don’t you? Tell me how much you want to choke on it, and I’ll give it to you.”

Sebastian leaned back, trapping the hand wrapped in his hair against the wall as he did. Glossy eyes gazed up at Meik as his fingers dropped down, grabbing at the front of his jeans and squeezing the bulge there. The outline of his erection was obvious and pretty impressive for his lithe form.

“This is how much I want it, sir.” Meik’s cock twitched at his words. Jesus Christ.

About the Authors

Hello there! This is Quin & Perin. We are a pair of gay erotica writers who focus on detailed, toe-curling, and realistic smut scenes with a fair share of dirty talking (Oh, boy). We write for readers who want something more. Who are fed up with the good ol’ porn-ish approach to gay erotica.

Our readers admire and acquire books that feature thrumming heartbeats and sizzling sparks between characters. Characters who click. Unlike other authors in the genre, we write without the goal of publishing anything. Publishing is just the cherry on top of a cream-covered bubble butt.

That said, it is time for the next level of smut: stories featuring fire, lust & desire.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Newsletter

Are you tired of cliché, boring drivel? Not enough bang in your smut? Is the foreplay more like boreplay? Well, then welcome to quin&perin. Smut makers with a mission. We have handjobs, blow jobs, masturbation, and more! So come on down while we go down.

Sign up for our newsletter to get notified once our new books come out!

We’d love to stay in touch

x quin&perin

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Audio Tour for Someone to Call My Own (Road to Blissville #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Standard

 Someone to Call My Own Audio Tour Banner

SOMEONE TO CALL MY OWN

Road to Blissville Series, Book 2

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

AUDIO RELEASE: 06.19.18

Someone to Call My Own Audio Cover 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wander Aguiar

COVER ARTIST:  Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art

NARRATOR: Joel Leslie

Listening Length: 8 hours and 49 minutes

SMTCMO 3D Cover

  

BLURB 

Psychic Emory Jackson and former black ops specialist Jonathon Silver are men from two completely different worlds with one thing in common: heartbreak. Emory still mourns the loss of his husband five years prior, and Jon is reeling with grief from the recent death of his twin brother.

Sparks fly when mutual friends introduce them, but it’s so much more than basic attraction. There’s an undeniable awareness and a sense of belonging that neither man can deny. Despite Emory’s premonition of a future with Jon, he has vowed never to love again. Jon is convinced that his tainted soul is the reason he will never have someone to call his own. What if they’re both wrong?

Maybe these broken men with their jagged edges could somehow align perfectly to form something whole and beautiful. But will that realization come too late for them?

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/2ezOhtg

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/2xIi2g6

 

SMTCMO teaser6

SMTCMO teaser5rdb

SMTCMO teaser4  

EXCERPT

 

“What are you doing here, Emory?”

“I think you know.”

“I have a pretty good idea, but what has changed since I left Blissville forty minutes ago?”

“Nothing,” I answered honestly. “I don’t love you, Jon.”

“Yet,” he corrected. “You don’t love me yet.” He reached for my hand and slid his fingers in between mine. “If you walk across that threshold with me, I’m going to push you up against the nearest surface and fuck you. Probably more than once. Can you live with that?”

His words sent an electrical current racing through my body. My dick hardened fast and almost painfully beneath my tight briefs. No one had ever talked dirty to me or tried to dominate me, but it ignited something inside me like he was holding a lit match near gasoline fumes. In Jon’s eyes, I saw the raw need that burned through him just as strong as it did me.

“Take me inside.”

Jon didn’t ask me if I was sure; he gripped my hand tightly and pulled me up the broad, stone steps to the front porch. I expected him to drop my hand to unlock the front door, but he hit a few numbers on a keypad with his left hand before twisting the knob to let us inside.

I had caught a brief glimpse of the living room beyond the foyer before Jon turned to me. He didn’t even bother shutting the door before he backed me up against the foyer table. Jon’s hands immediately went to my neck to loosen my tie while he swooped down and captured my lips in a hard, demanding kiss. He released a torrent of emotions he’d repressed since we met, and I tasted each one on his tongue.

 

 Aimee Logo

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy

who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees.

I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

FACEBOOK

AMAZON

TWITTER

BLOG

 

Joel Leslie/Narrator

Joel Leslie is a UK transplant, growing up with American parents in a British commonwealth.  A classically trained actor with an MFA in theatre from USC, he is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of American and British sounds.  His great range and ability to bring characters to life with honesty, wit and versatility delights producers and listeners alike.

He is proud to have a strong following with m/m listeners and an ongoing relationship with some of the finest writers in the genre.  He loves that every day he gets to share these beautiful, inspirational and empowering GLBT characters with the world.

His authors have praised him as “a narrator among narrators, a man whose ability to create different characters rests on the power of his voice and his impeccable delivery,” and a “true delight…” “his professionalism, good humor, and charm make him a dream to work with,” “Anyone else would only be second best”.

Joel has consistent access to his home studio for all production needs.  When not in the booth he spends his time chasing after two loquacious wiener dogs.

http://www.joelleslienarration.com/

Vibrant Promotions Logo

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Sink or Swim (Anchor Point #8) by L.A. Witt

Standard

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by this story. I’ve followed the series and have only given one other book in the series 5 stars, but this one is certainly worthy of my highest rating.

Was it the characters? The topic? The setting? The insight into Naval operations? I think it may have simply been the combination of all of the above. Certainly, these two men are among my favorite MCs and most definitely make an outstanding couple.

Chaplain Dylan Pedersen has recently left his partner of eight years—his very emotionally abusive ex-partner—one who wants him back and is using Dylan’s family and friends to persuade Dylan to come back. When Alhazar Bukhari, a civilian electrician contractor, comes to the chapel to ask for space to store his mat and Q’uran, the two are immediately attracted, but it’s not until they find out that they are both gay that they act on that attraction. And when they do? It’s one of those explosive up-against-the-wall sex scenes that this author does so well.

The thing I liked best about this story is that while there are indeed some mighty hot times between the sheets, there’s so much substance to the relationship development of the two men. And there’s more to the story. Alhazar’s son is gay and has a steady boyfriend, though both are still in high school. We learn of his culture, his prayer times with both children, his unusual past marriage to his best friend who is a lesbian and served in the Navy at the same time as Alhazar. We witness his fear over telling his parents, even though he’s over forty-years-old. And we see what a good friend he is to his coworker, Kimber Fraser, whose dad is Clint Fraser from Afraid to Fly. Kimber is suffering from harassment from her fellow male employees and though the author explores the subject and clearly shows the stress Kimber is under, at no time did I feel I was being lectured or that Kimber’s concerns were minor.

In response to the recent concerns brought to him by LGBTQ men and women as he counsels them in his capacity as chaplain, Dylan organizes an LGBTQ support group for those working at the base and for parents of LGBTQ children. Helped by Alhazar and others we’ve met in the past, including Mark and Diego from Once Burned, the response to the group is overwhelming, leaving Dylan happy and proud. Naturally, shortly after that, he has a face-to-face confrontation with his ex, and Alhazar’s presence complicates Dylan’s attempt to stand up to his abuser. It’s not until he officiates at the wedding ceremony for Diego and Mark that Dylan faces his own needs and realizes he’s had happiness within his grasp all along but walked away from it.

Thankfully, our guys get their HEA, and as a reader, I feel that I’ve gotten so much more than simple pleasure from a well-told story. I learned more about the needs of sailors and their family members and the issues that come up during deployment. Also, I learned more about the Muslim religion from this one story than from any other single source.

I can happily say kudos to LA Witt for bringing this story to life and I very highly recommend it.

~~~

Cover art: L.C. Chase.  It’s a gorgeous rendering of the male torso and works within the series covers as well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 340 pages
Published July 16th 2018 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleSink or Swim
ISBN139781626497511
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://riptidepublishing.com/titles/sink-or-swim
SeriesAnchor Point #8

A Caryn Review Daisy, Yellow (Paw Prints #1) by Angelique Jurd

Standard

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Who can resist a cute little puppy?  Turns out, no one in this story, which is as it should be!  Dog lovers will really enjoy this book, not only because Daisy figures prominently throughout, but also because of all the dog themed humor.  Not over the top, but just right for a vet and a city boy who just moved to the farm.

Noah Jenkins is an engineering consultant in Chicago who had just gone through a humiliating breakup when his grandfather died and left him a farm in rural Newton, Illinois.  Leaving the city to get away from his ex seemed like a perfect plan, and since his work was primarily on-line, he was able to move immediately.  He didn’t know a thing about farming, but thought he would just figure it out as he went along.  He bought a puppy – another completely new experience – and jumped right in.

One of his first days out, Daisy got bit, and Noah rushed her to the local vet.  He was convinced it was a snake bite, was embarrassed to find out it was just a bee sting, but it was a perfect meet-cute for Noah and Hunter Ross, veterinarian.  Newton is a small town, so they inevitably met up later, and although Hunter was a little awkward, they bonded over Daisy and became friends, and shortly afterwards, lovers.  But Newton was more than just a little conservative, and Hunter was still haunted by the memory of a local man beaten and run out of town for being gay, so he was as deep in the closet as he could get.

It’s been a while since I read a contemporary romance with this level of homophobia, but I thought the author sold it well.  Even as I got frustrated with Hunter’s reluctance to acknowledge his relationship with Noah to the safe people in town, I understood why he held back.  The pace of their relationship also seemed just right for their situation, and Noah’s reasons for holding back were also explained in a way that were consistent with who he was, and how he acted with other people in his life.  The secondary characters rounded the story out well, and had their own wisdom to add.  I thought the dialogue was great – they joked, they bantered, and it was funny and entertaining without being fake, and I thought it would be fun to hang out with these guys.  I loved it when Hunter teased Noah by using  the same language with him that he did with Daisy!

I would have given the book a higher rating except for a few things.  First, the book is written in present tense, which I absolutely hate and which usually makes me DNF a book.  Present tense is annoying and feels artificial, and all I can say is that at least I stuck it out because the story itself was really cute; change the tense throughout the entire book and it goes up one whole star.  Second, the ending seemed rushed and incomplete.  I was expecting the violence, but Noah’s and Hunter’s reaction to it didn’t seem quite right and I wanted more explanation of how they felt and why they decided to do what they did, but then the story was just over.  It felt like the entire book was building up to a HEA, but the author just stopped midway to make it HFN and possibly make a sequel.  There was no satisfactory wrap up to the plot (or at least to the character’s feelings about the events), but also there was nothing that made me think I have to read the next book.  It felt like the author had a story arc for one book, but decided to drag it out into a series or something.  So, overall it was cute, but nothing to make me want to read it again.

Cover by May Dawney Designs is adorable

Sales Links:

Amazon US  

Amazon UK 

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 177 pages
Published June 23rd 2018 by Small Black Cat Media
ASINB07DZ3LJCD
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPaw Prints #1 settingIllinois (United States)

BOOK BLAST – Daisy, Yellow by Angelique Jurd

Standard

BOOK BLAST

Book Title:  Daisy, Yellow

Author: Angelique Jurd

Publisher: Small Black Cat Media

Cover Artist: May Dawney Designs

Genre/s:  Contemporary Gay Romance

Length: 177 pages

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  

Amazon UK 

Blurb  

Just months after breaking up with his boyfriend, Noah Jenkins inherits his grandfather’s farm and he decides it’s time for a change of scenery. He packs his bags, buys a dog, and moves onto the property. When his Labrador puppy Daisy gets hurt he meets local vet Hunter Ross and life starts to look interesting again. 

Hunter Ross has always lived in small, conservative Newton, in rural Illinois. At 39 he’s never been in love and never had a lover and may have neglected to tell anyone he’s close to that he’s gay. It’s never been a problem – until Daisy, Yellow and her owner, Noah, show up. 

Is Noah’s love enough for Hunter to risk everything? Does Hunter have the strength to make the hardest choices he’ll ever make and survive?

Excerpt  

The great thing about small towns it turns out is that delivery is free and it’s quick. His new furniture will arrive tomorrow morning, which gives him time to get the living room ready. The parking lot in front of the clinic is empty but Noah can see Hunter’s truck parked further back and, on a whim, he follows the driveway down. He parks, unbuckles Daisy from her harness, and clips her leash on before he gets out of the car. When he turns around, Hunter is leaning against the doorway, wearing low slung jeans and a threadbare tee-shirt, arms crossed over his chest.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Noah croaks. His mouth and throat have gone dry and when Daisy pulls the leash free from his grasp, he barely notices. Hunter pushes the screen door open with a bare foot and she rushes inside.

“Shit, sorry!” He leaps after her, but Hunter doesn’t seem concerned, only amused.

From the depths of the house comes a volley of high pitched barks followed by an angry hiss.

“Sounds like she’s found Rosie.”

Noah trails behind him as Hunter goes inside, taking in his surroundings as walks. The cluttered living room is small with plain, simple furnishings in faded colors. In contrast, Noah notices, the sounds system, hooked to a laptop and a flat screen television, is state of the art. In the middle of the room stands the cat from the clinic, back arched and tail puffed up. Daisy bounces forward with a yip only to be met by a grey and white paw that smacks her nose three times in quick succession and sends her scuttling back to Noah with a yelp and a whimper.

As he picks her up he spots two scratches across her nose, both beading with blood.

“Hey, your cat scratched my pup.”

“Your pup tried to chase my cat.”

Annoyed, Noah clutches Daisy to his chest and braces his shoulders. She’s bleeding.

“You should control her better.”

The statement is met by laughter. That he likes the sound of it annoys Noah even more than the laughter itself.

“She’s a cat. How do you propose I control her?”

“I don’t know but you’re a vet, you should be able to think of something.”

Hunter steps over and peers at the scratches on Daisy’s nose.

“She’ll live. You can trust me on this, I’m a vet.” The mocking tone makes it very clear what Hunter thinks of Noah’s reaction. He bends and gathers Rosie up and puts her on the back of an armchair. She immediately jumps off, flicks her tail at the room and saunters down the hallway.

In Noah’s arms, Daisy quivers and whimpers.

Noah is about to protest again when Hunter leans forward and brushes a kiss over his mouth. It’s brief and rough, over before Noah can even register it’s happening. Stunned, he runs his finger over his bottom lip and hugs Daisy to his chest as he watches Hunter walk away, calling over his shoulder as he goes.

“Do you want coffee?”

About the Author

Author, acafan, Buddhist. Angelique is owned by four cats, three adult children, two temperamental computers, and a very patient boyfriend (not a partridge in a pear tree).

A former print journalist and editor, she has over the years, written about a wide variety of topics from politics to duck breeding to rock concerts. Her interest in fandom studies was sparked in 2015 when she watched Supernatural for the first time and she has been fascinated by the intersection between fans and creators ever since and is currently completing an MA (Media Studies) in the subject. 

She likes cold champagne, hot coffee, neat whiskey, loud Springsteen, and the Winchester brothers kicking butt. When she’s not writing she likes to color, watch movies, and get more tattoos.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  

Facebook 

Twitter @AngeliqueJurd 

Instagram: angeliquejurd

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

An Alisa Review: Tainted Life​ by ​Mel Gough

Standard

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Metropolitan Police detective Pete Tucker’s world comes crashing down when his wife sues for divorce and sole custody of their only son.

Desperate to forget his sorrows for a while, Pete seeks refuge in a Soho bar where he is approached by a sexy, funny, and clearly interested stranger. Photographer Liam Jackson is just the ticket for one oblivious night of perfect passion.

However, their attraction proves too intense for a one-night-stand. To his surprise, Pete finds that he’s game for something more – but his baggage soon gets in the way. Then Liam’s own dangerous secrets claw their way to the surface, and threaten to derail the budding romance.

Is their growing bond strong enough to weather the violent storms ahead?

Ohh man, this one pulls at your heart strings.  Pete’s wife just filed for divorce and seems to be making it out to be his fault.  Liam has been doing what he needs to survive but being with Liam gives him a little bit of happiness.

Pete has quite a bit to work through and I liked watching him figure out what is important to him and go for it.  I was glad he stayed by Liam’s side when he got hurt and the time they spent together helped them build some base for a relationship.  These two played off each other well and I liked how Liam interacted with Pete’s son.  I would have liked to see a bit more of a conclusion with Pete’s wife than the hostile truce she seems to have.

The cover art by Jazz Design is a beautiful picture of these two.

Book Link:  Tainted Life is available as a free ebook when you sign up for Mel’s mailing list: https://melgough.com/newsletter

Book Details:

ebook, 135 pages

Published: July 16, 2018 by Mel Gough

Edition Language: English

Blog Post – Lost In Indigo (Colors of Love #1) by V.L. Locey (guest post and giveaway)

Standard

 

Hi there! My name is V.L. Locey and I’m thrilled to be here today! In case you’re not familiar with me I’m an MM romance author, primarily hockey romance, but I do also write non-sporty contemporary, paranormal, and mythological gay romances. Today we’re going to chat about naming characters.

How do you come up with all those character names?

It’s funny how names work for me. Sometimes I know a character’s name before I even have a clear idea of him or how he looks. Take O’Malley Ramsey from ‘Improper Fraction’. His name was the first thing that I had for this character. I sort of built the character around the name. Now with Victor Kalinski from my Cayuga Cougars series, his name was created when he was. I had his face and temperament in mind and his name leaped to life.

For ‘Lost in Indigo’ I wanted to make sure every color of the rainbow was used for this new series of standalone MM hockey romances. When I was coming up with the characters for this novel, the idea of naming the younger man in this incredible May/December tale Indigo popped into my head and I knew I had my name for the wonderfully loving, genderflux young man who teaches my old bear, Mat more than one life lesson along the way to their HEA.

Thanks for dropping by!Skate hard and love deeply,

V.L.

Buy Links:

US: https://amzn.to/2uaNNyk

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2L0woSA

 

Cover: Designs By Sloan
Length: 70,695 words approx.
Blurb

Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.


The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win it all.


Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.


The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

July 10 – Love Bytes, We Three Queens, OMG Reads, July 12 – The Blogger Girls, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Jen’s Corner Spot, Bookaholic & Kindle, Wicked Reads, July 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed, July 14 – Katie’s Book Corner, Megan’s Media Melange, July 15 – My Fiction Nook, July 16 – Urban Smoothie Read, Xtreme Delusions, Mainely Stories, My Book Filled Life, July 18 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales, Jessie G Books, Mirrigold, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews, July 19 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, July 21 – Bayou Book Junkie

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.



When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Giveaway