Category: Contemporary fiction

Starting Nov 6: The Phisher King will be available for free on Kindle.

Blurb

Sequel to Rainbow Award-winning m/m romantic thriller “The Phisher King.”

FBI Agent Callum Riggs and hacker Hunter Walsh have settled into a quiet, contented life together with their Pomeranian, Bruiser. Under a hostile new administration, Cal’s changing duties at the Bureau frustrate his career and personal ambitions. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Cal, Hunter pursues vengeance against his would-be rapist Chad, following him into the heart of Seattle’s blossoming Alt-Right scene.

Will Cal’s handsome former partner Justin Barnes and Hunter’s mounting pile of secrets drive a wedge between them? With Barnes trying to woo Cal away from his current life, Hunter in too deep with a band of White Nationalists, and the authorities focused on all the wrong suspects, will Cal and Hunter find a way to save Seattle before tensions explode?

This sexy 60k romantic thriller contains: an undercover Pomeranian, a buff FBI agent who likes being called daddy, and a pink-haired hacker who has serious issues with authority.

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

About the Authors

Clancy Nacht
Clancy Nacht is a bisexual genderqueer person who lives in Austin. Clancy has published several bestselling romances. Many of her books have been honored with Rainbow Awards; Le Jazz Hot won for Best Bisexual/Transgender Romance & Erotic Romance. In 2013, Black Gold: Double Black was a runner-up for a Rainbow Award. In 2015, Gemini won an Honorable Mention for Gay Erotic Romance and in 2016, Strange Times won an Honorable Mention for Science Fiction. Wyatt’s Recipes for Wooing Rock Stars was a finalist in the highly competitive William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance. The Phisher King won second place in the Rainbow Award for Romantic Suspense, 16th for Gay Book of the Year.

Thursday Euclid
The Thursday Euclid is a strange and elusive creature dwelling in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Frequently mistaken for Bigfoot, Chupacabra, or the monster of the week, he is, in fact, a 30-something black sheep with a penchant for K-pop, geekery, and hot and sour soup. When he’s not playing Dragon Age or SWTOR, he’s probably watching B-movies or talking to his best friend and frequent collaborator Clancy Nacht. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, or email him at thursdayeuclid at gmail dot com.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter

RELEASE BLITZ AND REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: One Step Back by Edie Danford

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Asher is the good boy nerd and Joe is the bad boy jock. Joe’s mom and Asher’s dad have been dating for four years and are about to get married before everything falls apart. Eleven years later, Asher and Joe meet again at a business meeting when they realize they will be working on an account together. This might appeal to those who like the second chance trope. Through scenes and flashbacks, we get layers of their personality and history together a little bit at a time throughout the book. By the end of chapter four, I am wondering why they are not together? There is never a really good answer. Immaturity? Stubbornness? Pride? Fear of more rejection? Maybe all of the above, but if they can’t talk and work things out, they shouldn’t be together anyway.

I think this is a stylistic thing for me. It’s not that it’s badly written–it isn’t. I’m not a huge fan of flashbacks, but they are effective here. I think the alternating first person POV also works well to slowly reveal both sides of the story evenly. It may be that what I don’t click with is: there is so much inner monologue in a way that doesn’t match the style of what they each say when they talk. Even though it is supposed to be first person, the inner monologues of both characters are the same, and really the author telling us what we need to know to make the story work–most of which is complicated family histories or complicated work politics. These feel like manufacturered crisis. I do like that Joe being bisexual is never a problem or issue between them.

The angst and all consuming lust/love is kept high at all times: “…the amount of energy I’d spent thinking about him had probably caused a shift in the universe and, after coming within fifty or so miles of him, I figured we’d be thrown together by the force of cosmic rays.” It’s exhausting. But, plenty of fans love angsty OTT feelings, this style seems to be popular so you might like it. I think it would be more effective if it was used more sparingly for the dramatic moments like a crescendo. Even the sex scenes, while explicit and hot, have a lot of thinking, which banks the fire for me, leaving me distanced from what’s happening. Then, there is sex scene after sex scene after sex scene, past and present. The final complications all happen because they are making plans without talking to each other. I understood that when they were teenagers, but they are late twenties (29?) now at least. Of course, they finally work it out because this is a romance, but it felt hard won even though nothing much happens in my opinion.

The cover is by Black Jazz Designs. This is obviously supposed to be Joe. With dual POV, it seems strange that only one of them are on the cover.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 316 pages
Published October 23rd 2018 by Edie Danford
ASINB07GNY5Z8C

A MelanieM Review: Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Hockey superstar Joey Luciano has always been good at being whatever people needed him to be. The fans want a good-looking fast-living party boy? Enter ‘the Looch,’ Joey’s carefully created public persona. But the cracks in his mask are starting to show, and he’s begun to lose touch with who he really is. It’s going to take someone who’s been there from the very beginning, to help him find his way home.

Coach Liam O’Reilly always had a very clear picture of what his life should look like. Falling in love with the infuriating, passionate, stubborn, and endlessly fascinating boy next door was not part of the plan. But when Liam’s carefully constructed life fell apart one Christmas Eve, Joey Luciano was there to pick up the pieces. Now Liam can’t stop wanting him.

The passion blazing between them on the ice and behind closed doors could leave both of them badly burned. But through the smoke, Liam can see glimpses of a future brighter than any he’d imagined, a future worth risking his career and reputation for, if only he is brave enough to reach for it.

But Joey’s got a secret he’s keeping from everyone. If it gets out, it could be the end of everything.

I really enjoyed the Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp. It has so many elements I love in a contemporary romance, starting off with hockey players and hockey coaches in love combinations. Or just a hockey element. That always draws me in. Wasp also has another aspect to this series and story I adore. Large families that support the main characters!

Families easily identifiable by location (Boston), ethnicities (Irish and Italian), long association (neighbors), and even intertwined relationships. This extended main cast is a huge factor in connecting the reader to the character of Joey Luciano (the Italian family) and Liam O’Reilly (the Irish one), In a totally current and hilarious format, we often see the family members communicating with each other via group text. It’s never overdone, totally funny, and very realistic. It’s has the feel of family and truth. And it brought these people and their lives right into my heart.

Joey, “the Looch” Luciano, is a 25 year old with a lot of issues. On the outside, he’s let this “Looch” character he’s created take over his life (brash, outgoing to the extreme that it seems like he’s hogging the media and outshining his teammates. No one is happy with him, including himself. On the inside it’s worse. Wasp has created Joey as a insecure person, low self esteem to the point that he seeks approval from every source and everyone without asking himself why he needs it so. This is an enormous issue, obviously. Not his only one. On top of this Joey is dealing with the fact that he has loved Liam since he can remember, a love that he has never looked at what that meant. Why? Because he shrinks from being called gay or even bisexual. Which imo is totally misused here with regards to Joey.

Joey is someone who has lacked self examination for most of his life and it’s not until he gets involved with Liam that he smacks into some hard realities for himself. At about 51 percent, we get these musing from Joey…

“What did people see when they looked at him? Could they tell he was having sex with a guy? Probably not. He looked as normal as Paul and Robbie. And he wasn’t gay gay. If anything he was bisexual like Liam.”

There are so many flags in those sentences that show exactly how messed up Joey is over not only his sexuality but homosexuality in general. Being gay isn’t “normal”? He also has issues with femme versus masc. And as is worked out down the story, Joey really doesn’t enjoy sex with women, so no, not bisexual. Yes, some of this flags get addressed, not as many as I wished but a lot.

There are so many broken layers to Joey, it’s just one right after enough. Panic attacks, health issues, and more that need to be seriously addressed. Are all given the depth of attention I would wish or deserve? Perhaps not but they aren’t blown off either. Believable, authentic cracks in this man. Kudos to A.E. Wasp for creating such a character.

Liam is a strong character, older by 10 years than Joey. I liked him and their relationship but honestly wondered if the author was going to use their hot, and admittedly kinky sex life as a bandaid for all of Joey’s deep problems. Thankfully, the answer is no. Wasp let me wonder about that, while I enjoyed Joey and LIam working out their relationship and then gave me everything I hoped for in the ending of this story. That included my Washington Caps winning the Stanley Cup this year! And therapy for Joey. Win win.

The humor here had me cackling! Whether it’s Knock Knock jokes or Liam’s younger brother Patrick trying to get Liam to switch out his posh furniture for a huge leather sectional that all the young hockey players can come over and watch TV on saying”

“It’s the traditional furnishings of our people!”

Well, this book and dialogue crackles with fun, the knowledge of what it is like to be young, in love, or a hockey player, or to just do dumb things. And all of the above.

Yes, plenty of angst too.

If I also have a complaint, its the actual lack of hockey.

We get headlines, sports feeds, but little actual ice time. These men are passionate about ice and hockey. So where is the time on the ice? Where is the sense of team?

We get little of that except towards the very end in the important game. I wish so badly we had had lots more of that action throughout the story. Then we could understand why Joey and Liam’s actions carried the weight of the love of ice behind them that they did. I felt that was missing because we never really saw Joey on ice for the majority of the book. We were told about it but never actually “felt” it through the character. And I felt that was a mistake.

But did I love this story? Yes I did. I thought the author did a tremendous job with the characters, actualizing a man on the brink of a life change for himself and letting us travel some of the journey with him. Scary, messy, not totally complete, a work in progress as they say. I think Joey would agree with that and be happy. So would Liam and the rest of the two families.

I definitely look for more in this series. I recommend this one for all lovers of contemporary romance and hockey and even a little love of spanking!

Cover art: Ana Phoenix. Nice cover but doesn’t quite get the age difference.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 462 pages
Published September 21st 2018
ASINB07HL6TTW9
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHot Off the Ice #5

Book Blast with Reviews – Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp (excerpt)

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5)

Author: A. E. Wasp

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Ana Phoenix

Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Romance

Heat Rating: 3.5 flames

Length: 100,000 words/432 pages

It is a standalone book.

This is a story about losing the path and finding yourself.

It contains kissing, yelling, spanking, and carb-loaded family interventions.

Blurb

But Joey’s got a secret he’s keeping from everyone. If it gets out, it could be the end of everything.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Excerpt

“Hey,” Joey said, looking up from his phone as Liam fell into the bathroom. “Took you long enough. I’ve been in this fucking bathroom for ten minutes. It’s not that nice. One of those for me?”

“Fucking hell,” Liam said.

Those were the first words he’d spoken to Joey since Christmas Day. Jerk. Stupid gorgeous jerk.

”Okay, then.” Joey reached for one of the shot glasses and downed it, coughing a little from the tequila burn. He’d been expecting whiskey. “Tequila?” Bad things happened when they drank tequila.

Liam nodded and poured the other shot down his throat.

“Gina?”

“Who else?”

Who else but his big sister would do that? Of course, he’d known they were planning on trapping him in the bathroom. He’d also known Liam would do what they wanted, too. The O’Reilly-Luciano double-team had a ninety-five percent success rate.

He’d gone along with it because someplace, not even that deep inside, he desperately wanted to see Liam again. To see if Liam would still have the same effect on him as he had since puberty. Joey licked the last drop of alcohol off his lips, feeling a tingle of lust when Liam dropped his gaze to Joey’s mouth. Yeah. Still, the same effect. Stupid, good-looking smug bastard.

Liam set his glass on the counter with a thud, and then closed the distance between them, forcing Joey to look up to meet his eyes. Sometimes Joey really hated being four inches shorter than him.

“Nice outfit,” Liam said taking in the remains of Joey’s hastily-constructed pirate costume; red and black striped nylon pants ending in a ragged cuff just below the knee, black patent-leather Doc Martin boots, and a wide gold sash tied around his waist. He’d lost his shirt somewhere in the club. The way Liam couldn’t tear his eyes away from Joey’s tattoos made the loss of the two hundred dollar shirt totally worth it.

Liam picked up the end of the sash, sliding the silky material through his fingers. “How come every time I see you, you’re wearing some kind of costume?” Last time they’d met, Joey had been dressed as Santa.

Liam, of course, was his normal GQ self in dark trousers, a white dress shirt, and one of his vast collection of purple ties. The perfect simplicity of his clothes making everyone else look like they were trying too hard.

“How come every time I see you, you’re overdressed?” Joey asked.

Liam ran his hand through his thick red hair. “At least I’m not wandering around half-naked, letting everybody and their brother get their eyes all over me.”

Joey’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

Liam scowled. “It’s a snake pit out there. I got groped half a dozen times walking here.”

Joey leaned back against the water-splattered sink counter. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your point is?”

Liam stepped close enough that their thighs brushed. Dropping his hand heavily on Joey’s shoulder, he watched transfixed as his thumb traced the curve of Joey’s collarbone. “My point is, that maybe I don’t like the idea of you getting pawed at by a room full of drunks and puck bunnies.”

Joey knocked Liam’s hand away. He had to be fucking kidding. “Tough shit.” Joey pushed himself upright, poking Liam in the center of his (distractingly firm) chest, hard enough to make him take a step backward. “You got no right to tell me what to do or not to do.”

About the Author

After time spent raising children, earning several college degrees, and traveling the world with the U.S. State Department, she is returning to her first love – writing.

A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world that can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.

Born on Long Island, NY, Amy has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Bangkok. She currently lives in a town suspiciously like Red Deer, Colorado.

Author Links

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ review here. We highly recommend it.

It’s November and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

It’s November

November has finally arrived here. It came with blustery winds and a drop in temperatures! Almost overnight the leaves changed in color and our Indian summer vanished and fall arrived with a crispness to the air and that greyness in the skies. All those trick or treaters just got in under the weather wire here and had a wonderful time. Yes the hoards descended!

But now its quiet, the winds howling and snatching the falls leaves up and away. Again, a wonderful night to be reading. Only the foxes, raccoons, deer, and owls at play.

We had some great comments and recommendations for scary titles and books so lets finish up and get the winners names out. As I happily scarf down leftover Halloween candy (always buy the good stuff), the winners of the What Books go Boo for You Giveaway are H.B. and Purple Reader! Congratulations to you both! Contact Stella, Principessa of the Giftcards for yours. We will finish up with some last minute recs for scary stories from P.R.:I’ve got a few left over recs that I enjoyed and thought others might too:

From Purple Reader:

Did I mention spirits? How about a couple series about paranormal investigators:
HELLSINGER series (FISH & GHOSTS, DUCK DUCK GHOSTS) by Rhys Ford
– and this one starts off in a Charming way:
A CHARM OF MAGPIES series by K.J. Charles
– On the other end, a shadowy, savage dystopia:
FALLOCAUST series by Quil Carter
– If necrophiliacs are your thing, or aren’t:
COLD FINGERS by Amy Spector
– I haven’t read them all, and not all are queer themed, but the author is iconic:
THE BOOKS OF BLOOD Vols. 1-6 by Clive Barker

Now for this week, an old favorite of mine and maybe yours is back. I’m reviewing their third book in Ethan Day’s Summit City series called Life In Union (Summit City #3) by Ethan Day. Yep! Boone is back! It’s hilarious! Sno ho’s and all. If you aren’t familiar, grab up the first two and get ready for this one. It’s a doozy. A terrific M/M Historical from Eli Easton, The Lion and the Crow, that I read a long time ago, came alive again, in the audio version. Never heard that narrator before. He’s amazing. Plus I have to mention that I’m also reviewing the next in the Pinx Video series from Marshall Thornton, Late Fees, a must read too.

There is also hockey, shifters, holiday stories and more coming up this week so don’t miss a day of it. The countdown begins.

Happy November everyone! Happy Reading.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, November 4:

It’s November
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Book Blast with Reviews – Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp
A MelanieM Review: Boy Next Door (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A. E. Wasp
A Chaos Moondrawn Review: One Step Back by Edie Danford
A Stella Releases Day Review: Strays by A.J. Thomas

Monday, November 5:

BLOG TOUR Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert
Release Day Blast Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree Author: Jeanne
REVIEW TOUR – False Flag (The Phisher King, #2) Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid
A Lucy Review: Bump by Matthew J. Metzger
A VVivacious Review: Spare Parts by T.J.Land
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert

Tuesday, November 6:

In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: Surreal Estate by Jesi Lea Ryan
Release Blitz Ari McKay – Seeking Solace
An Alisa Release Day Review: Fangs for the Memories by Julia Talbot
A MelanieM Review: Life In Union (Summit City #3) by Ethan Day
A Free Dreamer Review: In the Name of Magic by Chris Bedell
A Chaos Moondrawn Release Day Review: Bad Habit (Bad in Baltimore #6) by K.A. Mitchell

Wednesday, November 7:

Promo Andrew Grey
Release Blitz – His Two Leading Men by Aidan Wayne
Blog Tour – Why I… series by Colette Davison
An Ashez Review: Capital Assets (Rattle on Wall Street #1) by Cecelia Storm
An Alisa Review: Fling by Baylin Crow
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Seeking Solace (The Walker Boys 3) by Ari McKay

Thursday, November 8:

Promo -Sean Michael
Book Blast – The Signal Box by Lazlo Thorn
An Alisa Review Carnival Cowboy by Temple Madison
A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Trusted (Until You #3) by Karrie Roman
An Ali Audio Review: No Tears for Darcy by Vicki Reese and Brock Hatton (Narrator)
A MelanieM Audiobook Review:The Lion and the Crow by Eli Easton and Scott Richard Ehredt

Friday, November 9:

TOUR Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt
Release Blitz – Leta Blake – Alpha Heat
do you think we should’ve glued it first? by Bobbie Rayne Book Blast
An Alisa Review: Sugar Cookies & Mistletoe by Kay Doherty
A Lucy Release Day Review: The Kinsey Scale (Campus Connections #1) by CJane Elliott
A Lila Review To Tame an Omega by Lisa Gray
A MelanieM Audio Review:Love You so Madly (Love You So Stories #2) by Tara Lain and Ry Forest (Narrator)

Saturday, November 10:

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Late Fees (Pinx Video Mysteries, #3) by Marshall Thornton

An Alisa Review: Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed #3 by Quin Perin

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

It was supposed to be the perfect arrangement.

Easy sex in exchange for a cozy bed. Until Meik’s darkest secret scratches the surface, forcing him to cut Sebastian loose in a last-ditch attempt to regain his sanity.

But he’s not the only one with secrets.

All along, the enigmatic musician had something to hide. Will Meik manage to tear himself free or will his obsession and memories batter him into submission?

This is the third book of the Gay Erotic Romance “Obsessed”. It features explicit adult m/m content as well as romantic elements. The book ends on a cliffhanger.

I am still not a fan of Meik can’t figure out what Sebastian sees in him. We start off just after the last story ended but even though Meik sent Sebastian away he couldn’t seem to let him stay away. I continue to feel that I just have to see how this all ends.

Meik is still having so many flashbacks that I can’t help but think he should be rethinking how he has spent his life, Gabe seemed like such a sweet guy and while Meik wasn’t as much of a jerk back then but he seems to actually care about someone. Sebastian continues to be there of Meik’s enjoyment and I don’t feel that there is much to allow me to connect with him, I just want to see how all this ends up especially after Meik’s mess up at the end of this installment.

The cover art by Vanessa Rödiger is nice and typical of serials matches the other stories.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 100 pages

Expected Publication: November 1, 2018

Edition Language: English

Series: Obsessed #3

ReplyForward

New Release Blitz for Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed #2 by Quin Perin (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed #2

Author: Quin Perin

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Genre/s: Gay Erotica / Gay Erotic Romance

Length: 24 000 words

Release Date: September 1, 2018

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link

Blurb – Book 2

Ever since the first sexual encounter with Sebastian, Meik has felt off-kilter.

He can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t work without thinking about the musician and so, Meik decides to settle into an arrangement with him. There is no love. There is no romance. Sebastian gets a warm place to sleep, and Meik gets to keep his boy toy.

The perfect bargain.

But when Sebastian’s presence triggers memories of his first and only love, Meik unravels under the reminiscences that carved him into the man he is today. Will Meik be able to hold himself together or will his carefully crafted badass image fall apart?

This is the second book of the Gay Erotic Romance “Obsessed”. It features explicit adult m/m content as well as romantic elements. The book ends on a cliffhanger.

Excerpt (18+ Readers only)

“You read books like that?”

Meik jerked, the tablet falling flat against his stomach as he turned his head to glance over at the musician. Amusement spread across Sebastian’s face as he leaned over the blond’s shoulder. “I thought you were sleeping.” His tone was accusing, like he’d just been caught with his hands down his pants, watching porn or something. Which…wasn’t too far from the truth.

Sebastian straightened up, his hands folded behind his back. He wasn’t wearing the towel anymore, pale body bare in the dim light of the living room. And he was hard, cock flushed a deep red, and the flared, shimmering head pointed directly at Meik. “Woke up,” he said, offering a crooked grin, “decided to come and see what you were doing. Didn’t expect you…to be reading smut.”

“What are you talking about?” Meik huffed, glaring at him.

“I saw what you were reading.” The little smirk spread into a full-on grin.

Meik wanted to fuck it off his face. “What about it?”

“It’s porn.” Sebastian laughed. “You were reading about a ranch hand fucking some twink. I saw it. Why when you could just fuck me?”

“I’m not fucking you. I already told you, I’m not going to let you get me sick.” Blue eyes dropped back down to that stiff cock, and he smirked faintly. “Look at you. Such an eager little whore, huh? Too bad for you, isn’t it?”

“Mm? Too bad for me?”

Sebastian’s eyes twinkled with something other than his fever as he stalked his way along the couch. It was an odd feeling; being looked at as though he were prey when it was usually the other way around.

HAVEN’T READ THE BEGINNING OF THE SERIES YET?

Read Book 1 for FREE here

Universal Link

Obsessed_Garrett_#1

Blurb

Quin Perin presents “Meik&Sebastian – Obsessed” – A best-selling Gay Erotic Romance

All Meik cares about is lust, not love.

An eager boy toy, that’s what he’s looking for. Someone who worships the ground he walks on. The very second he lays eyes on the enigmatic, street musician Sebastian, he believes he found his new playmate. Obsessed with the young man, Meik introduces him to a world full of sins and desire until the man’s presence threatens to reveal dark memories he had locked away tightly.

This is the first book of the Gay Erotic Romance “Obsessed”. It features explicit adult m/m content. The book ends on a cliffhanger but can be read as a standalone. This part does not entail any romantic elements.