Cover Reveal – Loving A Warrior by Melanie Hansen – giveaway

 

Pre-Order Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Carina
 
Length: 77,300 words approx.
 
Publisher: Carina Press
 
Blurb



BUD/S: six months of the most intense training there is. It’s survival of the toughest, and Matt Knytych is determined to come out the other side a navy SEAL.


Distraction is life or death. And just the sight of former marine Shane Hovland is enough to shake Matt’s concentration.


Shane came to BUD/S training ready to prove himself—again. Semper Fi is forever, but he needs a new start. Not this dangerous heat with a man he barely knows.


Everything they’ve ever wanted is riding on a thin, punishing line. And they’ll have to fight for more than just each other if they want to make it through intact.


After all, the only easy day was yesterday.


Author Bio


Melanie Hansen has spent time in Texas and Florida prisons…for work. She’s been in a room with a 17-year-old mass murderer who was also one of the most soft-spoken and polite teenagers she’s ever met. After a 13-year career as a court reporter, she can tell many stories both hilarious and heartbreaking.


She grew up with an Air Force dad, and ended up marrying a Navy man. After living and working all over the country, she hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to her stories about people finding love amidst real-life struggles.


Melanie left the stressful world of the courtroom behind and now enjoys a rewarding career transcribing for a deaf student. She currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

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How Did It Get to August? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

How Did It Get to August?

Truly, how did it get to be August already?  It seems to be that only a short while ago I was writing about the 4th of July and July topics and here we are tumbling into the first week of August.  Oh the dogs days of summer are upon us and I hadn’t even realized it.

Of course, that could be because it’s been pouring and flooding it instead of the heat beating down on us like the Dog Star Sirius is supposed to do.  Oh I know its doing that out west and I’m sorry.  But here in Maryland we are drenched as July was the wettest one recorded in history.

So this week we finish up with our Romance Do’s and Don’ts.

What Makes a Book Magic List Giveaway Concludes…..

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.

Wonderful comments and we decided to reward them both with gift certificates.  Are winners are HB and Ami!  Here are the winning comments:

From Ami:

Ami on what makes a story a success:

Hmmm, this is very subjective question… because every “successful” romance book can speak to me in a different way. It can be interesting places, or family of choice, or simply popular trope done right.

But I think if I truly think about the books that I love, it will ALWAYS return to characters. I have to feel invested to the characters development, themselves or the relationship. The trope can be hashed and rehashed, the setting mundane, the story simply about day-to-day life, no spectacular thing happen to them (except maybe falling in love). But once the characters hook me, THEN, it becomes magic.

What deflates the romance quicker than you can say boom <<

Well, I always love that “wooing” part of romance, you know? Where the characters take time to know each other, and try to romance one another. What deflates romance quicker for me is the instant-love or well, the instant-lust/instant-attraction. I am a sucker for slow burn. Anything quick just kills the book for me most of the time.

From H.B.:

Do’s: Well this isn’t really an easy question to answer this week. I have a tendency to like a majority of the books I give a read. I think the major draw of a book for me is the character building, their personality and development. Great banter and world building are a plus

Don’t’s:

Like Ami, I too, love to see the wooing part but I’m not adverse to seeing a instant love or instant attraction read. For me, I think that finding out the that one of the characters isn’t being sincere with their feeling or is willing to humiliate/isn’t willing to stand up for their love interest to save themselves is a turn off.

Next week we will start talking about what topics or elements you feel get great coverage from publishers  and which you think are still overlooked.

Until then. Have a great week, congratulations to our winners, and happy reading!

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 29:

  • How Did It Get to August? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Audio Tour Love in Spades by Charlie Cochet and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)

Monday, July 30:

  • Blog Tour Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne
  • Cover Reveal – Melanie Hansen – Loving A Warrior
  • Release Blitz – Dawn by T.A. Creech
  • Blog Post for DJ Jamison’s Hearts & Health Volume 2
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Blood and Eternity (Blood #3) by Shira Anthony
  • A MelanieM Review: Hammer of the Witch (Repeating History #2) by Dakota Chase
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: Suspicious Behavior (Bad Behavior #2)  by L.A. Witt and Cari Z. with Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)

Tuesday, July 31:

  • RELEASE DAY BLITZ LOVE LETTERS by Anyta Sunday
  • Release Day Blitz: The Case of the Sexy Shakespearean by Tara Lain
  • Release Blitz – Won’t Feel A Thing by CF White
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Blood and Eternity (Blood #3) by Shira Anthony
  • An Ali Release Day Review: Ravensong (Green Creek #2)  by T.J. Klune
  • An Alisa Release Day Review:  The Case of the Sexy Shakespearean (The Middlemark Mysteries #1) by Tara Lain

Wednesday, August 1:

  • DSP Promo BA Tortuga
  • BLITZ Push Me Pull Me by Amanda Rhodes
  • Book Blitz – Sandine Tomas – The Music Of Love
  • A Lucy Review Admiring Ash (LOVE LETTERS #1) by Anyta Sunday
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady  Review: Just Julian (Romeo & Julian) by Markus Harwood-Jones
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Romeo for Real (Romeo & Julian) by Markus Harwood-Jones

Thursday, August 2:

  • DSP Promo Chris T. Kat
  • Blog Tour – Finding My Way Home – Doyle Global Securities #2 – Kendel Duncan
  • A Lucy Review Begging Ben (LOVE LETTERS #2) by Anyta Sunday
  • An Alisa Review: Blackbird Fly Home– Doyle Global Securities #1 – Kendel Duncan
  • An Alisa Review: Finding My Way Home – Doyle Global Securities #2 – Kendel Duncan
  • A MelanieM Review:  Haka Ever After (The Sin Bin #7)  by Dahlia Donovan

Friday, August 3

  • Cover Reveal RJ Scott’s Second Chance Ranch
  • Review Tour – Fusion by Posy Roberts
  • DSP Promo Shira Anthony on Blood and Eternity (Blood #3)
  • A Lucy Review: Challenging Chance (LOVE LETTERS #3) by Anyta Sunday
  • A Stella Review :Fusion (North Star #2) by Posy Roberts
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: The Alpha Prince (Kingdom of Askara #3) by Victoria Sue  and Michael Pauley (Narrator)

Saturday, August 4:

  • Book Blitz: Be Still My Heart by Charlie Cochet
  • A MelanieM Review: The Gallery: The Special Exhibits (The Gallery #2) by Megan Derr

 

Audio Tour Love in Spades (Four Kings Security #1) by Charlie Cochet and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)

 Love in Spades Audio Banner

LOVE IN SPADES

Four Kings Security, Book 1

CHARLIE COCHET

AUDIO RELEASE: 06.20.18

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COVER DESIGN: REESE DANTE

NARRATOR: Greg Boudreaux

https://www.facebook.com/GTremblayVoice/


Listening Length: 7 hours and 53 minutes

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Audible: http://bit.ly/CCLISAUDIBLE

iTunes: http://bit.ly/CCLISITUNES 

getBook.at/LoveInSpades 

BLURB

Ex-Special Forces soldier Anston “Ace” Sharpe is fighting a different battle these days—one involving the world of private security across the state of Florida. As part owner of Four Kings Security, Ace and his fellow Kings tackle everything from armed transport and investigations to cyber intelligence and executive protection. Cocky, fearless, and brash, Ace isn’t afraid to take risks.

After years of working alongside his father, Colton Connolly is ready to take the helm at Connolly Maritime, but his father’s retirement is put on hold when Colton begins receiving death threats. If that isn’t bad enough, his father signs a contract with Four Kings Security to provide Colton with round-the-clock protection, despite his adamant refusal. Colton’s life has been turned upside down, the last thing he needs is a shadow, especially in the form of infuriating, sexy-as-sin Ace Sharpe, who seems to be on a mission to drive Colton mad.

Sparks fly the moment Colton and Ace meet on a sultry night club dance floor. But getting involved with a client, even one as fiery and beautiful as Colton Connolly, is a line Ace is unwilling to cross. Colton might be attracted to Ace, but he’d been burned before. He might be willing to put his life in Ace’s hands, but not his heart.

As the Florida nights heat up, so does their passion, and Ace and Colton are faced with a difficult choice—take the plunge and risk it all, or play it safe and walk away?

If Ace can keep a deadly threat from robbing Colton of a future….

LiSGraphic3

EXCERPT

Ace’s lips curled into a wicked grin, and he dove under the water. Colton stilled, waiting for Ace to pop, but he didn’t. Jesus, the guy could hold his breath for a long time. It was like he’d vanished. Until something grabbed Colton’s legs. He released a barrage of curses as he was lifted, his arms flailing in an attempt not to lose his balance as Ace came up under him, and Colton ended up on Ace’s shoulders.

“You ass!” Colton hugged Ace’s head to keep himself steady as he sat on the man’s broad shoulders while Ace laughed himself silly. He held on to Colton’s thighs, and started walking. “What are you doing?” Colton squeaked.

“Going for a walk,” Ace said as if it were obvious.

“No, you have something devious planned; I know it.”

Ace chuckled. “Are you doubting me?”

“Absolutely. Remember the pool?”

“In my defense, you were being an ass.”

Colton let out a mock gasp. “Are you using inappropriate language toward your client?”

“I’ll show you inappropriate.” Ace growled deep in his throat, and Colton shivered.

“Ace,” Colton moaned. “Please don’t make that sound while my crotch is pressed against the back of your head.”

Ace stopped moving. Before Colton could ask if he was okay, Ace sank into the water, and disappeared again, leaving Colton standing there wondering what the man was about to do next. One thing was for sure, Ace always kept him on his toes. Hands caressed his legs, and Colton groaned, his eyes closing as Ace slid his hands up Colton’s body until he resurfaced, his arms around Colton and front pressed to Colton’s back. Colton covered Ace’s hands with his and leaned back into him before turning in his arms.

“We should head back,” Ace murmured, his eyes on Colton’s lips.

“You drive me fucking crazy, you know that?” Colton huffed. He slipped his hands beneath the water and cupped Ace through his shorts, making him groan. “How about you stop teasing me, take control of these gorgeous balls, and bury yourself deep inside me.”

Ace cursed under his breath. He opened his mouth to reply, but Colton put his fingers to Ace’s lips and released his hold on him.

“You know where to find me.” Colton turned and swam back to the shore. If Ace was determined to drive him out of his mind with his sensual caresses, lingering looks, and sultry voice, then it was only fair Colton return the favor.

CharlieLogo2018Website

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website: http://www.charliecochet.com

Blog: http://www.charliecochet.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charliecochet

Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/authorcharliecochet

Tumblr: http://charliecochet.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charliecochet/

Twitter: @charliecochet

Instagram: http://instagram.com/charliecochet

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/charliecochet

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Release Blitz – Hearts & Health Volume 2 by DJ Jamison (guest blog, excerpt, and giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 220,000 words approx.
Tour Dates:

July 26 – The Novel ApproachJuly 30 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue WordsAugust 1 – Gay Book ReviewsAugust 2 – Joyfully JayAugust 3 – Bayou Book Junkie

Three Romances in one set by DJ Jamisen

Hearts and Health: Volume 2 (a box set of Books 4-6 in the series) is out now, so I thought it’d be fun to give you an overview of the three couples getting their HEA in this bundle!

WADE & BEAU: In Room for Recovery, Wade is keeping a secret that’s poisoning him inside, and until he can face it, he can’t accept himself or his love for anyone else. When Beau is threatened by bullies, though, Wade can’t keep his distance. The two forge a friendship, and soon enough, Beau is finding a way past Wade’s walls to the heart he keeps so well-hidden. This book has younger characters (eighteen and nineteen) than most of the others in the series. Wade and Beau both appeared briefly in Urgent Care, Book 3 in the series, but the story still works as a standalone.

ERIC & CASPER: In Surprise Delivery, Dr. Eric Holtz, a divorced workaholic, gets his happy ending. When Eric’s niece shows up, pregnant and ready to raise her baby without her parents’ help, Eric has family again. Her ob-gyn, Dr. Casper Rollins, is ready to help Eric break those nasty work habits as he prepares for this massive life change. But Eric discovers that Casper isn’t the light-hearted adrenaline junkie he appears to be. Reluctant to give his heart after the death of his past love, Casper needs his own lesson in living life to the fullest, and Eric is there to provide it.

IAN & CALLUM: Ian, a hospital orderly, appears briefly in Bedside Manner, but it’s his appearance in Surprise Delivery — when he inadvertently walks in on some hot man-on-man action — that serves as the catalyst for his sexual journey. Ian, divorced and the father of a teen, has long suppressed his bisexual side, but his curiosity drives him to install an app and hook up with a nearby user. Geeky lab tech Callum Price happens to be in the building and is all too happy to help Ian explore his sexuality. This is a hookups to lovers story, layered with the obstacles that come with family obligations and expectations. But rest assured, these two men will get their HEA!

The Hearts and Health series focuses on a new couple with each book, and for the most part, each book can stand on its own. If you haven’t yet read earlier books, there’s a box set of Books 1-3 out on Amazon, as well.

 
Blurb
 

Room For Recovery – Book #4


When Beau James is cornered by two bullies, he’s rescued by none other than the broody Wade Ritter, who he’s crushed on from afar. Despite their family connection, Wade has resisted all of Beau’s attempts at friendship — until now. His protective streak gives Beau an opportunity to get past Wade’s prickly exterior. But Wade is carrying a heavy burden that makes it tough to open up. With Beau’s help, he realizes there’s room for recovery. If he can face hard truths about his sexuality and love himself, he might be able to love Beau too.


Surprise Delivery – Book #5


Dr. Casper Rollins knows how to have fun. The love of his life, Kage Myers, lived every moment to the fullest before he died. Now, Casper goes on adrenaline-soaked adventures when he wants to feel closer to his lost love. Dr. Eric Holtz is married to his work, so much so his last partner left him. When his niece arrives, pregnant and in need of an ally, he has family again. Then her obstetrician suggests breaking Eric of his workaholic tendencies, and a fun and sexy fling ensues. But it’s not long before feelings are in the mix. If these two want a future, they’ll have to embrace the lesson Kage taught Casper long ago: You only live once.


Orderly Affair – Book #6


When Ian Connolly installs a hookup app to explore his long-suppressed attraction to men, he doesn’t expect to connect with anyone he knows, especially not lab tech Callum Price. But from their first scorching encounter, he’s hooked. Callum hasn’t had the best luck with love, and he’s suffocating under a pile of responsibilities. But when he sees an opportunity to blow off steam with Ian, he takes it. If Ian can be honest with his family about loving a man, maybe Callum can admit his own truth: He wants a man he can count on, a man just like Ian.

 
Excerpts
 
Room For Recovery


Beau James was trashed. Eyes glazed, words slurred, inhibitions gone, full-on trashed.


He balanced on the orange-and-brown plaid couch in Barry Gleason’s basement, a cup of beer sloshing in one hand as he tried to dance to rap blaring through Barry’s speakers. Tried to dance, as in, couldn’t dance to save his life. It was painful to watch — Beau thrust his slender hips completely off-beat — but it was also hard to look away.


It was hot in the small room with so many bodies crowding in, and Beau’s curly hair was frizzing into a halo around his flushed face. A halo for the angel, Wade thought sarcastically. A sheen of sweat made Beau look as if he were glowing. Or maybe that was the huge smile on his face, beaming his care-free, drunken joy to everyone in the room.


Even Wade wasn’t immune.


That smile did squirrely things to Wade’s insides. It always had, which was why he worked so hard to make that smile disappear when they were together.


He’d known Beau was gay from the moment they met three years before. With puppy dog eyes full of adoration, Beau’s crush on Wade hadn’t been subtle. Wade tried to keep his distance — because annoying or not, Beau was cute — but that was easier said than done when their families were intertwined. Wade saw Beau for Sunday dinners with the James family, for Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays in between.


And now, as the drunken star of Barry Gleason’s party.


Barry’s parents let kids drink, so long as none of them drove, so his house was the go-to party spot. Wade didn’t often come to these parties, but Anna had dragged him out and promptly disappeared to gossip with her friends on the cheerleading squad. He tried not to feel too relieved about that. He wasn’t in the mood to have an armful of girlfriend.


Glancing around, he noticed a couple of guys holding up phones, taking pictures or videos. Beau was going to be embarrassed come Monday morning.


“Take it off,” someone called.


“Strip show!”


Beau laughed and fluttered his eyelashes. “I don’t get naked with a guy before the second date!”


“Knew he was gay,” Jeremy Krantz said. “Fucking gross.”


Wade was afraid things might get ugly if Beau didn’t get home soon. He had perfected the art of avoiding Beau, so he searched the room for someone who might know him. Beau mostly hung with the same two friends. Wade scanned the room and spotted Beau’s friend, Nathan something, near the television, where a video game was under way.


Nathan was tall, with dark, messy hair and skinny as a skeleton. Wade mostly remembered because of his height-to-weight ratio. Taller even than Wade, he towered over Beau when they stood side-by-side. Usually a cute, freckled blond girl stood between them, but he didn’t see her.


Nathan held a game controller, and Wade realized he was one of the players. Two others were seated in gamer chairs low to the ground.


“Dude!” a familiar voice said. “I didn’t know you could do that!”


Wade wasn’t surprised to see Shane tucked away in the gamer’s corner. His best friend was addicted to video games. He was more surprised to see Anna in the other chair, fumbling with a remote.


“How do you fire? I forgot which button to hit.”


Shane leaned over and nudged her index finger onto the A button. His hand lingered on hers a fraction longer than necessary, and Wade narrowed his eyes. Was his best friend trying to make a move on his girlfriend?


He wasn’t jealous, exactly. He’d been relieved not to have Anna all over him tonight. It was more the principle of the matter. He shelved his irritation for the moment and turned to Beau’s friend.


“Hey, man, uh … you hang with Beau, right? You’re Nathan?”


The guy was focused on the game, and it took him a minute to respond.


“I go by Nate.” He spared a look at Wade, then did a double-take. “Why?”


There was a hint of suspicion to his voice that made Wade wonder what Beau had said about him.


“Uh, well, Beau’s pretty smashed.”


Nathan hit the pause button, and Anna protested loudly, before she noticed Wade standing there. She smiled brightly and jumped up.


“Hey, you. I thought I’d lost you to a love affair with the wall.”


Wade rolled his eyes. She thought she was funny. She was, which was part of her appeal. If only the rest of her appealed to him. Try as he might, he couldn’t get excited about the thought of the make-out session they’d have before he dropped her off at home later.


“Beau’s wasted?” Nate said, sounding incredulous. He turned, taking in the room, and his eyes popped wide. “Holy crap!”


He rushed off, and Wade watched him intercept a guy trying to hand Beau yet another beer. There was laughter and boo’s as Nate coaxed Beau off the sofa and led him toward the door. Wade couldn’t hear their words, but he could tell Nate was pissed as he flipped off someone and pulled a stumbling Beau out the door.


Disaster averted. 
 
★★★★★★★★
 
Surprise Delivery


“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you asked if I wanted to have fun,” Eric said, gasping for breath.


Casper laughed, one hand clutching his stomach and his other gripping Eric’s wrist and tugging. Eric was having just a bit more difficulty than Casper in climbing from the top of a trash bin to a tree to the roof of the downtown library.


Thankfully, dusk had fallen, and they were on the backside of the library, where they were less likely to be noticed. He’d never live it down if he was arrested for loitering on the roof of a public property. It was hardly the kind of publicity a medical director needed to generate.


Eric finally heaved himself onto the mostly flat, asphalt roof with Casper’s assistance. He dropped down on his back and stared at a sky painted with the pink and orange streaks of sunset. The sun, still a molten ball in the sky, dropped slowly behind puffy clouds that were beginning to look more like cotton candy, all pink and soft around the edges.


Casper settled beside him, crossing his arms under his head. “It’s worth it now, though, right?”


Unlike Eric, Casper had jumped from trash bin to tree to roof with the agility of a teenager. Lying as he was, with his arms folded behind his head, his triceps bulged. Eric found that a prettier sight than the sunset.


“You know, the hospital’s taller. I have a key to the roof. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble and had a great view of the sunset.”


“You can just go up the stairwell and right onto the roof?”


“Yep,” Eric said, a bit smugly. “The helipad is up there, so there has to be access. It’s rare for us to receive a life flight, but it does happen.”


Casper made an obnoxious buzzing noise. “You’re venturing awfully close to shop talk, and besides, where’s the fun in walking up some stairs?”


Eric huffed a rueful laugh. “It’s more fun than a broken ankle.”


“No ankles were broken,” Casper chastised. “Now look at that gorgeous sky and enjoy yourself.”


Eric reached out and traced a blaze of orange inked on the pale skin of Casper’s bicep. “I’d rather look at this.”


Casper twitched, but he didn’t pull away. His head swiveled, light blue eyes fixing on Eric. “They always like the ink,” he murmured. 
 
★★★★★★★★
 
Orderly Affair


“Take off your shirt.”


Ian’s eyes went wide, and he glanced over Callum’s shoulder toward the bathroom at-large. Right, public place. Callum squeezed into the stall, latching the door behind him. It left about an inch between their bodies.


“You said you’d prove it was your pic,” he said.


Ian scoffed. “You know it was my pic. You know me.”


Callum blinked, making his eyes innocent. “How do I know that?”


Ian turned red, which was kind of adorable. Here was this older, buffer dude going shy. Then Ian’s eyes skimmed over Callum’s button-down shirt, fitted to his slender form, and he licked his lips.


Callum’s insides fluttered. Was Ian attracted to him?


People who knew Callum in his daily life thought he was smart but geeky. His work uniform of dress slacks, button-down shirt, and glasses didn’t do a lot to dispel that impression. Nor did his interests: science, space exploration, Star Wars and comic book movies. He wasn’t even one of those “cool” geeks who built apps or kicked ass while gaming.


Callum could pull off twink when he needed, though. His ex-boyfriend Doug was big on telling Callum he was lucky he had a tight ass. That shit was annoying, if true. When he went out, he didn’t have much trouble landing a guy as long as he dressed in skintight clothes and toned down his nerdy inclinations.


Not possible with Ian. The man knew he was a medical lab tech. Didn’t get much geekier than that.


“We’ve played basketball together,” Ian said. “I’ve taken off my shirt before.”


Foiled.


Callum tapped his lips, unable to concede the point.


“I must not have been paying attention,” he said. “So, I’m going to have to insist. It’s a pretty tight fit in here, though. How about I help you?”


“Wha—”


Ian’s voice cut off with a strangled garble as Callum grabbed the hem of Ian’s scrub top. He’d shocked him. He only hoped it was a good shock, and he didn’t get knocked on his ass for being too forward.


“Lift your arms,” he said, projecting as much confidence as he could as he pushed Ian’s shirt over those delectable abs. The man was seriously cut. That picture was no lie.


Ian obeyed, and a moment later he was shirtless. Holy muscles, Batman!


Callum stared at Ian’s broad, hairy chest, heaving with nervous breaths. His nipples, a dusky rose, tipped impressive pecs. His body was strong and defined, his stomach not just flat but rippling with muscle. Callum wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a man this built in person. He’d seen Ian without a shirt at the basketball court once or twice, but Callum had been preoccupied with trying to pass the ball without tripping over his own feet. Clearly, he’d missed an impressive sight.


“Well? Satisfied now?” Ian asked impatiently.


Callum was about to answer in the affirmative when his gaze dipped below Ian’s waistband and he saw the tent the man was pitching under his pants.


“Holy shit,” Callum said, and impulsively reached out to curl his fingers around Ian’s thick cock. “You’re hard.”


Ian groaned. “Cal …”


“Are you hard for me?” Callum whispered in wonder. Dragging his eyes up Ian’s body, he met a heated gaze. Ian’s dark hair, stubbled jaw, and sculpted lips were seriously sexy, a fact that Callum couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed before now. It wasn’t often you found both a good-looking face and a hot, built bod. He’d done enough online hookups to know. He’d hit the jackpot.


“Take off your shirt,” Ian said hoarsely. 
 
Author Bio


DJ Jamison is the author of more than a dozen m/m romances, including the Ashe Sentinel series and the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight. DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love. DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish and, regrettably, one snake.


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Release Blitz – Brave For You by Crystal Lacy (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 86,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Jay Aheer – https://www.simplydefinedart.com
 
Blurb
 

Less than a year after moving to Hawaii, construction foreman Nate Ellison’s wife leaves him and their infant son for another man. Months into single-fatherhood, Nate meets Andrew “An” Hoang and is slowly drawn into An’s life. Through An’s friendship, he finds himself finally enjoying his new home in paradise.


An Hoang hasn’t had a real relationship in years. With his pediatrics practice and a niece to care for on his days off, he doesn’t have the headspace for more than a simple roll in the sack. But when he meets Nate—who just happens to be the gorgeous construction worker he encountered in the lobby of his apartment building—something about Nate makes it impossible for him not to care. When Nate needs An’s help with his son, An doesn’t refuse.


What happens when Nate’s past and An’s old-fashioned parents interfere just as the two men begin to fall for each other? Will they find the means to be brave and give their love a chance to flourish?

 
Excerpt
 
He stared at the sweet curve of Nate’s lips on his screen and felt his cock twitch in his hand. His other hand must have twitched in response, too, because the very next thing was that he could hear Nate’s voice on the other line, “Hey,” followed by a slower, “Hello?”


An sucked in a sharp breath. He’d answered the phone. Nate was on the phone and An’s cock was still hard in his hand. He brought the phone up to his ear, the glass casing cold and slippery against his cheek acting as a welcome shock to his system.


“Hi.”


“Hey, man.” Nate’s voice was warm and cheerful, as though he’d been waiting all day to hear from An. An knew that wasn’t a possibility, knew this was probably just how Nate sounded to everyone over the phone, but it didn’t keep his body from responding automatically. His face split into a wide smile and then, An noted rather ruefully, his cock pulsed against his palm.


Picking up the call had been a mistake, and An would have to rectify that mistake any moment now, make some kind of excuse and hang up on Nate. He had been about to seal the deal with whoever it was on Grindr, and he didn’t need to be on the phone with his neighbor at this moment. Not when Nate was only a few steps away. Not when Nate was unavailable.


Tell him you’ll call him back. Hang up.


He cleared his throat, swallowing thickly before speaking. “Hi,” he said, and realized this was a repeat of the last words he’d spoken. Embarrassment, he discovered, did not cause him to lose his erection. “What can I do for you?”


“Oh, I wanted to check if you guys were doing anything next weekend. Going hiking again, or…” Nate sounded unsure. “Am I interrupting something? You seem kind of… Are you sick?”


“No, no. A little cold. I was in the process of getting dressed.” Not technically a lie. It was chilly in here from the central air and he would have to get dressed eventually if he wanted to drive to wherever he was meeting Jay. An forced his hand away from his own cock and ran it through the hair on his head in an effort to calm himself. He needed to focus on the question Nate was asking and not on how intimate Nate’s voice sounded so close to his ear. This was the first time he’d heard from Nate all week, though Nate had left the car on Saturday with a promise to be in touch.


“Dai mentioned she wanted to go down to the Halona Blowhole look-out point,” he managed to say without losing his train of thought. “Walk down to the cove. Swim. Do you know the place?”


“Never been.” Was it wishful thinking or was that hope in Nate’s voice?


“If you’d like to tag along, we could carpool. Perhaps have a picnic. Let the children play.”


“We’d love to, if you don’t think we’re imposing.”


“How could you impose when I’m the one who suggested it? Dai will be very pleased. If there’s nothing else you have planned for next weekend.”


“No. No plans.” Nate’s laughter rang golden over the phone line. “I’m kinda pathetic, aren’t I? Calling you up and forcing you to make plans that include me.”


“We were going anyway,” An lied, feeling touched by the easy vulnerability of Nate’s words. “You didn’t force me, I promise. I’ll text you the details once I find out when we’ll be ready to go. I’m not sure if I’ll have Dai on Saturday or Sunday.”


“Oh, yeah… I’ll let you get back to—to what you were doing.” There was a shyness to Nate’s tone that made An smile, made him pretend that maybe Nate had remembered that An told him he was getting dressed, and maybe that made Nate think about An talking to him on the phone in a state of undress. An reached down again, passing a hand over the hard length of his cock, holding the phone away from his mouth so the quickening of his breath wouldn’t reach the microphone.


“It’s fine.” He spoke a little louder so Nate could hear across the distance of his mouth and the phone. “I’ll talk to you later about next weekend. Or text you.” They said their goodbyes. Nate wished An a “nice weekend” and then the call cut off. An’s display was back on the Grindr chat window.


Show me urs was still the last message on the chat log, right underneath Jay’s dick pic. An swiped up to the camera app. He snapped a quick shot of himself, hard and heavy in his own hand, leaking a drop of clear fluid at the tip. Then he deleted it.


An: Sorry, something came up tonight. Maybe another time.

Crystal Lacy lives with her loving family in Hawaii, where it is always either drizzling or sunny and never snows—which is a shame, because she prefers being cold to being damp and hot unless it’s for Very Good Reasons. She writes queer romance, mainly M/M, but also some F/F. She has aspirations to one day write a YA novel about cats.


Crystal is a long-time fangirl and writes slash fanfiction for the Harry Potter and NBC Hannibal fandoms. She has a deep love for fandom culture, and can be frequently spotted on Twitter and Tumblr reblogging pretty fan art.


Join Crystal’s readers group on FB for sneak peeks, bonus content, and ARC opportunities or subscribe her newsletter for monthly book giveaways, recs, news, and more! You can also follow Crystal on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook

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Cover Reveal for Love Spell by Mia Kerick (giveaway)

Title: Love Spell
Author: Mia Kerick
Re-Release Date: August 27th 2018
Published by: Ninestar Press
Genre: Young Adult, LGBT

Sales Link:  NineStar Press

BLURB

Having come to terms with being gay, Chance César is still uneasy with his gender identity, or, as he phrases it, “being stuck in the gray area between girl and boy.” This concern, however, doesn’t stop him from strutting his fabulous stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug-in-all-the-right (wrong)-places orange tuxedo as the winner of this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon Festival at the local Beans and Greens Farm’s annual fall celebration, serenaded by the enthusiastic catcalls of his BFF, Emily Benson. Although he refuses to visually fade into the background of his rural New Hampshire town, Chance is socially invisible—except when being tormented or beat up by familiar bullies. But when Chance, the Harvest Moon Festival’s mockingly-elected Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue (Jazz), the legitimate winner of the Pumpkin Carving King contest, sparks fly. Chance wants to be noticed and admired and romantically embraced by Jazz, in all of his neon orange-haired glory.

And so at a sleepover, Chance and Emily conduct intense research on their laptop computers, and come up with an article in an online women’s magazine called “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You.” Along with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure, it becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely “sickening” (this is a good thing), and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

 

What reviewers are saying about LOVE SPELL ~

“Kerick devotes most of the book to sassy fun and first-love desire, but her depiction of the loneliness caused by apathetic parents, the insecurity of extra pounds, the stress of college applications, the meanness of bullies, the importance of forgiveness, and especially the uneasiness of being “stuck in the gray area between girl and boy” make this novel thoroughly enjoyable. The book not only hits upon all manner of teenage angst, but also on the significance of true family values and on the joys of such simple pleasures as high–thread-count sheets, sharing homemade pizza, and playing card games instead of “head games” on a Friday night. The characters are memorable and the dialogue is consistently bright and believable, featuring authentic-sounding teenspeak. The author even defines Chance’s invented vocabulary words (such as “Randatorbs” and “Dooza-palooza”) in a back-of-the-book glossary for readers who can’t keep up.

A comical, thought-provoking YA novel for those who believe in the magic of love without all the hocus-pocus.” – Kirkus Reviews (2015)

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About the Author

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—a daughter in law school, another in dance school, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She writes LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-four years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on emotional growth in turbulent relationships. As she has a great affinity for the tortured hero, there is, at minimum, one in each book. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of said tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press for providing alternate places to stash her stories.

Her books have won a Best YA Lesbian Rainbow Award, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.

Mia is a Progressive, a little bit too obsessed by politics, and cheers for each and every victory in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com. Visit her website for updates on what is going on in Mia’s world, rants, music, parties, and pictures, and maybe even a little bit of inspiration.

Links: Facebook | Twitter

A Lucy Review: Erik the Pink by Matthew J. Metzger

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

While this is a love story, it is more the story of a first year with a new baby and how much it can take for someone to bounce back from it.  Andreas and Erik are an established couple who, as the book starts, are having their first baby.  A girl, named Beatriz.  Both of them have some trauma in their past.  Erik is very English and was abandoned by his mother at 18 months and then bounced around foster homes until he aged out; Andreas is from Spain and was verbally abused and kicked out of his home when he came out to his family as trans.  These two couldn’t be more different.  Erik is a red-headed giant of a man who has wanted nothing more in his life than a family he could call his own. “He’d waited his entire life to be here, and the enormity of it threatened to burst him right out of his own body.”  Andreas is slim, fashionable and has wanted nothing for than for his body to match who he really is and while he wanted a baby, the consequences to himself were really horrible.  “Nine months of absolute hell-unimaginable hell, from the horrifically persistent misgendering to the disgusting betrayal of his own body.”  His dysphoria was out of control, “…nine months of hating himself for hating being pregnant…” 

Beatriz is everything Erik has dreamed of, except he’s too terrified to touch her.  “She’s too small.  I’ll break her.”  Despite what he had to go through, Andreas does as well.  “He’d been so scared it wouldn’t be worth it. But here she was.  And despite all of his fears, he already know he loved her.”

There are a lot of baby details here so those who don’t like to read about children should be aware.   There is sweetness to the point of overload at times, but for me it matched the enormity of what Erik was feeling.  “Erik didn’t care it he looked a bit bonkers, having a cry while holding his baby and hugging his partner.  He’d wanted her for his entire life – he was allowed to have a bit of a meltdown now she was actually here.”

What made the book more balanced in terms of the sugar was the incredible struggle Andreas was going through to try to get back to himself.   He had already been struggling with dysphoria and now genital dysphoria has been added.  “The dysphoria had taken everything from him – the gym, his job, the spa, Saturday mornings in coffee shops while Erik was at work, even going to the pub for an evening meal to walk home with Erik after he’d closed up for the night.  Everything.  And it had been a struggle to remember it hadn’t been Beatriz taking it all away, but himself.”  I can’t even imagine the pain he had to go through to have this baby he’s always wanted so desperately that turns him into something he’s hated.  He has always called the worst days his “dizzy days” and the pregnancy and aftermath are nearly all dizzy days.  Erik knows he can’t understand but he tries so hard to make things easier for Andreas.  He doesn’t look at just Beatriz as what he spent a lifetime waiting for but Andreas as well. He knows how much Andreas has struggled since starting to show.  “And I miss you, and I know I can’t make it better because it’s all tangled up with your body and how it makes you feel, but I love you and I hate seeing you down, so I want to make you feel good for a bit, even if it’s just surface good.”

They have some great friends in Jo (a former foster sister of Erik’s), her husband, Mike, and Lauren.  The airport broke my heart for Erik, I have to admit it. I know it was always to help Andreas but once in a while Erik’s feelings should be considered too.  The dysphoria did affect him during the pregnancy as well.  “It had been nine months of juggling his excitement with his partner’s horror.  It had been nine months of trying desperately to navigate when he could be excited, when he had to pretend it wasn’t happening and when he had to consider the possibilities of termination without outright begging Andreas not to do it.”  While maybe not as painful as what Andreas is going through, still painful. 

The writing is very realistic and even without the added trauma of being trans, I appreciated the attitude toward being pregnant.  Despite what some would have us believe, not everyone enjoys being pregnant.  Some people hate it.  That doesn’t mean hating the baby, Andreas shows that very well, but hating the process, what it does to your body, the aftermath of trying to get that body back while you are exhausted and trying to adjust to having this new person in your care.  As a cisgender person I can’t speak for how much it would affect a trans man but I definitely was in the not loving pregnancy group.   There were a few baby things that made me say “huh?” but those were minor.  The major focus of this book was adjustments.  Adjusting to a new life for all of them.  Getting back to the real him for Andreas.  I loved the reason for “Erik the Pink”, probably the sweetest thing in the whole book for “An abandoned, unwanted, unloved survivor.”  The book is sweet without being overly fluffy.  It ends on a high, hopeful note and I can only wish the best things for all of them.

Cover art, showing a baby held in gentle hands, conveys the feeling of the book well.  Soft and sweet.

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC  | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 212 pages
Published June 30th 2018 by JMS Books LLC
ASINB07DK7MFG1
Edition LanguageEnglish

Davidson King on The Power Of Readers and the new release ‘A Dangerous Dance’ (guest post, excerpt, and giveaway)

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A Dangerous Dance

Haven Hart Series, Book 3

Davidson King

Publication Date: July 17th

M/M, Romance, Suspense, Drama

 A-Dangerous-Dance---EBook-Cover-Only 

Cover Design: Morningstar Ashley @ Designs by Morningstar

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2uEiJr5 

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2mw2wzC

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Davidson King here today on   tour for A Dangerous Dance, the latest in the Haven Hart series.  Welcome, Davidson.

♦︎

The Power Of Readers and How The Made This Book Possible by Davidson King

Truth is, I never planned on Bill having a book. That’s right. After Snow Falling released – my first book in this universe—so many readers asked me if Bill was going to have a book. Each person that asked me I was like, “Um, I don’t know?”

It was while I was writing Hug It Out, book two, I saw it happening. Mace was born, he teamed up with Bill, and the idea came to fruition.

These two were like oil and water. Now I had to come up with their plot while mingling it into this universe I was building.

The power of reader’s is what inspired this book and took it to the heights it did.

I wrote Snow Falling not one hundred percent sure there would be more. I knew I’d write more but where this universe was going wasn’t clear until this book. Readers pushed this universe to new places. Now, yes there is an end game for it, but we aren’t there yet.

There are so many characters to meet and loved ones to get their happily ever afters, and that is thanks to readers. They are powerful and inspire. Perhaps they are wizards?

 

Synopsis

Finally working for a man he can trust has given Bill a new purpose. His boss, Christopher Manos, commands respect and absolute loyalty, and Bill has proven himself worthy of a seat at Christopher’s table. Becoming best friends with Christopher’s husband, Snow, has further proven his allegiance and cements a place for him in the Manos family. When Snow’s life is in danger, Christopher places his full trust in Bill to destroy anything and anyone that poses a threat to his husband. But hunting and wiping out the enemy for the safety of everyone Bill cares about means partnering with the one person he has vowed to never see again.

Mace wears a mask of vain cockiness and uses his model good looks to his full advantage. Known to many as Without a Trace Mace, he’s a deadly assassin well known for wiping out whole families and getting away without a trace. With a dangerous past and an unknown future, Mace uses his veil of conceit to keep others at a distance, rarely trusting anyone. When his boss, Black–the one man he trusts above all others—gives him his next assignment, he learns his newest partner is none other than Bill, the man he’d do anything to avoid.

With the safety of the Manos family on the line at the hands of a brilliant maniac, Bill and Mace begrudgingly put their differences aside to ensure Snow, and his loved ones, are protected from harm.  With their lives in grave danger and the clock ticking towards zero hour, they navigate deathly perilous situations and uncertain outcomes, hoping they survive long enough to keep the Manos family safe.

Bill and Mace’s traitorous hearts draw them closer together no matter how hard they fight the inevitable. With the lives of their loved ones hanging in the balance, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous dance. But when the music stops, will they both be left standing?

Amazon Exclusive/KU

Length: 57,400 words

Good Reads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40663791-a-dangerous-dance

A Dangerous Dance Teaser 4

A Dangerous Dance Teaser 3

Excerpt

“Billy Boy!” Mace said loudly with a clap, making Snow jump.

“Well, if it isn’t fuck face Mace.” Watching Mace’s smile fall and morph into anger made my entire week. If I was going to find any joy in this job, it was going to be repeatedly knocking that pretty boy off his self-made pedestal.

“Let’s put the pissing contest off for a later date.” Black’s gravelly, booming voice was powerful enough to make you snap to attention. But I couldn’t help myself. I shot Mace a wink and joined Snow when he sat on the couch.

“I’ll rip those eyes from your head while you sleep, fucker,” Mace whispered so only Snow and I could hear. I knew Snow was about to go rabid, so I beat him to it.

“You assume I sleep.”

Mace wanted to say something else, but when Christopher slapped a folder on the coffee table between us, it was all business.

Davidson King Logo

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she’s not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17286464.Davidson_King

Twitter: @DavidsonKing11 https://twitter.com/DavidsonKing11

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MCMD5r

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsonkingauthor/?hl=en

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonKingAuthor/

Facebook Group: King’s Court: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DavidsonKingsCourt/

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Release Day Blitz for Risk Taker (Mixed Messages #3) by Lily Morton (excerpt and giveaway)

 Risk Taker RDB banner

Risk Taker

Mixed Messages Series, Book 3

Lily Morton

M/M Romance

Release Date: 07.22.18

Risk-Taker-Generic 

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2Oal9WI

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2LD9u0F

 

BLURB

Being in love with your best friend is hard.

Henry’s the odd man out. All his friends are settling down, and his reputation as the Hook-Up King of London seems more like a curse than a blessing these days. Especially when it keeps photojournalist Ivo, his best friend and the brilliant man he’s loved since they were fifteen, at arm’s length. But that’s where Ivo wants him, right? Putting aside his feelings, Henry decides to give up casual sex and look for the real deal. After all, he has no chance with Ivo – or does he?

Henry is everything to Ivo. Best friend, soul mate, the one person who has never let him down. The one person he is loyal to above everything and everyone. But Henry’s in a box marked best friend and that’s where Ivo’s kept him for nearly twenty years, despite steadily falling in love with the gentle man. And besides, why would Henry want to date Ivo? Burned out and injured, he’s the walking embodiment of damaged.

Distance has helped Henry and Ivo keep a lid on their attraction, but when they find themselves in the same city for a change—Ivo hurt and needing assistance, and Henry more than willing to provide it—the two best friends grow closer than ever, forcing a realization, and a decision. Risk their friendship for their hearts? Or can they have both?

From the bestselling author of Rule Breaker and Deal Maker comes a tender love story about two best friends who are perfect for each other, and always have been – if only they knew it.

This is the third book in the Mixed Messages series, but it can be read as a standalone.

RiskTaker-Teaser1

RiskTaker-Teaser2
 

EXCERPT

The bell in the shop rings as the door opens, and I smile as I feel his presence behind me.

“Is there a particular reason, Henry, why I am standing in an art supply shop rather than sitting in a perfectly good restaurant eating lunch?”

I shift the basket over my arm and turn to face one of my best friends. “Gabe, you really should be a bit more highbrow. Otherwise, you’ll never keep that pretty totty you’ve got.”

His perfect-looking face scrunches up in disgust. “Totty. What an utterly disgusting word.”

“I know,” I say cheerfully, turning back to the shelf I was perusing and chucking in another tube of Rose Gold oil paint.

“Makes you sound like your father,” he says snippily, and I nudge him.

“Now that’s petty. Anyway, I’m nothing like him. I have all my own teeth, and my complexion is milky-white perfection, if I do say so myself.”

He snorts. “Apart from those freckles.”

I shake my head and touch a finger to my face and my bête noire, the multitude of freckles that span my nose. “I wish that cream I got off the internet at uni had worked,” I say forlornly, and he laughs loudly, making it echo around the shop.

“I did so enjoy the way your face turned that shade of green. Made you look like Grotbags from The Rod Hull and Emu Show.” He reaches over and grabs a tube of paint. “It was this shade precisely. Hmm, Pistachio Green.” He chucks it into my basket, and I patiently remove it and put it back on the shelf.

I toss a couple of tubes of Prussian Blue into the basket while he leans casually against the shelf looking like the perfect picture of a lawyer in his dark grey, hand-tailored suit.

“Why are we here, Henry? Because if you’re thinking of giving up the law and becoming an artist, I really will have to stage an intervention.”

I laugh. “I think I’d make a very good artist.”

“Piss artist, more likely,” he says, poking my arm with one long finger. “So, if we’re not shopping for what would be the shortest career in art history, who are we shopping for?” His gaze sharpens, and I mentally groan because aside from Ivo there is no one who knows me better. “Hmm. Would we be shopping for a six foot four blond photographer who a certain red-headed lawyer has had the hots for, for years?”

“That’s such a non-Gabe expression,” I sneer. “Has Dylan been influencing you?”

He looks startled and shakes his head. “Those fucking phrases of his and Jude’s. They’re messing up my vocabulary. Yesterday one of the senior partners asked me if I was okay and I said I was cool. He went out and asked his assistant to tell maintenance that the building heating needed to be turned up.”

I laugh helplessly, and he gives me a rueful grin. “Don’t distract me, Henry. Is Ivo back?” I nod slowly and his expression darkens. “Is he okay?”

I shrug, picking up a brush and studying it intently so I don’t have to look at him. “Not really. He’s got a hole from a fucking bullet in his side, and broken ribs and bruises all over him from being near a car bomb when it went off.”

“What?” he says instantly. “Is he okay?” Gabe has always had a complicated relationship with Ivo. He loves being with him, and they can talk for hours, but he hates the effect that he unknowingly has on my life.

“He’s fine. Silas checked him over.”

He checks with his hand out to grab the brush from me. “Henry, isn’t Silas a vet?”

I shrug. “He was very good at biology at school.”

“I was good at it too. You don’t see me turning up at St Bart’s Hospital and performing a few appendectomies during my lunch hour though, do you?”

“The only biology you were any good at was the male anatomy kind,” I say tartly, and chuck the brush in the basket.

He smiles. “That I was. I’m a very learned man in that area.”

I snort. “You’re practically PhD material.”


Lily Morton Logo

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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In the Contemporary Spotlight : When He Was Bad (Coconut Cove #3) by Poppy Dennison (author interview )

When He Was Bad (Coconut Cove #3) by Poppy Dennison

Dreamspinner Press

Cover Art: Reese Dante

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner Press |  Amazon   |   Kobo 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Poppy Dennison here today on tour for her new story When He Was Bad.  Welcome, Poppy.

 

♦︎

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Poppy Dennison

How much of yourself goes into a character?

PD: I think quite a bit of the author goes into the character. I know that for me, I tend to feel the emotions my characters are feeling. When Levi was worried, I was worried. When he was happy, I was happy! It’s really hard for me to write a happy scene when I’m in a bad mood. It’s makes diving into the worlds I create even more amazing because I really do lose myself in my imagination. I have such a cool job. 🙂

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

PD: I do think there’s a fine line when using my personal experiences as an author. Authenticity for characters is really important. I always have to remember that I’m telling someone else’s story. I love to pull from things that have happened to me and think about how my character would have reacted. It makes me really think more in depth about a character. How would Whitney react to someone cutting in line at the coffee shop? I made a snarky comment, but Whit probably would have found a way to “accidentally” spill his coffee on them later!

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

PD: You know, that’s a bit of a tricky question. I’ve been reading romance for years, so in that way, yes. But I used to love reading romantic suspense and mystery stories (Mary Higgins Clark jumps to mind!). I’ve never written in that subgenre though and have no plans to. Never really thought about it until you asked!

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

PD: Absolutely. Sometimes it’s just not the right moment for the story. Or should that be “write” moment? I have quite a few stories that I’ve put aside as I wasn’t in the headspace to get the tone right. I’ve pulled out old stories sometimes years later and finished them.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

PD: HEA all the way! The only sort of exception is an ongoing series, but I still prefer an ending that is much closer to HEA than HFN.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

PD: Absolutely! I’ve read romance since I was a teenager and as an adult it’s about the only fiction I read. (I read a lot of history, mythology, biography, etc too.)

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

PD: I’m a huge fan of ebooks. I love the instant gratification of it. (I’m spoiled, I’ll admit it.) I also love the option to get books in paperback when I really love them. One of my favorite things to do at events is get authors to sign their books that I’ve really loved. I have an entire bookcase full of them. That said, since I do have a  limited amount of space (like everyone else) I like being able to get the book in ebook first. I don’t see ebooks going away anytime soon.

How do you choose your covers?  (curious on my part)

This is actually a bit funny. Usually, I work with an artist I’m close to (A.J. Corza or Reese Dante) and they’re amazing artists who who work with me to get the right look for a title. I also have a couple author friends who give “final” approval for my covers because sometimes I’m not the best judge. Reese Dante did the covers for Coconut Cove and she was so great taking some generic notes from M.J. O’Shea and I and making them into a cohesive cover. I absolutely love her work.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

I think Mind Magic, my first published novel, will always be my favorite for sentimental reasons. I didn’t know I could be a published author, so going through the process with that book and watching its success was a life changing event for me.

What’s next for you as an author?

Next up for me is Growing Pains, the next title in my Bartlett Boys series. It’s the story of cousin Kale and the cop he falls in love with.

What’s  the wildest scene you’ve imagined and did it make it into a story?

PD: Almost every story I’ve written has started with a wild scene that I’ve imagined and that scene is always in the story! I have really crazy dreams and a wicked imagination so it helps. I have an entire folder full of “story starters” that are just random bits of scenes that pop into my head. I don’t know where they live, but a lot of times they find a home in an upcoming project.

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it?  Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

PD: Alas, no. I’m a morning person and do most of my writing before most people get up for the day. Now, I have written a story that, as Amy Lane says, had me “riding the dragon”. That’s when your fingers are flying on the keyboard and the words are just coming out of you with no thought, no plan, just writing. You just hold on and try to keep up. Those have been some of my favorite scenes, and one of them appeared in a book with absolutely no edits needed. (Okay, a couple commas because commas….why?But no words were changed. LOL )

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

PD: Someplace quiet (as I’m typing this, there is someone using a leaf blower outside my window. The dirty looks I’m sending his way are EPIC.) But seriously, I’m not one of those writers who listens to music when they write or whatever. I like me, my computer, and silence. I don’t want any distractions. I sometimes wear noise cancelling headphones with ambient noise to help. So whatever place looks like that. 🙂

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To wide our knowledge?  Why do you write?

PD: I’d love to have a noble reason for writing, but the truth of the matter is, I write because I have to. I don’t have a choice. When I don’t write, I get really out of sorts: sad, mad, cranky, the works. When I’m not actually writing, I’m world building. There’s always some sort of creative work going on in my imagination. That said, it is really good for me to write happy ever afters when there’s so much stress and anxiety in the world around me. I’m really thankful when I can lose myself in my worlds and make people happy. It’s an amazing feeling.

Blurb:

Coconut Cove: Book Three

Lights, camera… wardrobe?

Coconut Cove is television’s newest hot sensation. The glitzy teen drama set in the beach lover’s paradise of Key West is the talk of every gossip rag eager for dirt and hookup news on the hot young actors—like Levi Phillips, who plays the show’s resident bad boy.

Levi’s attraction to costume designer Whit heads into high romance when Whit orders Levi out of his clothes—in an attempt to save Levi from heat exhaustion, of course.

Sassy Whit knows just how to dress, and undress, Levi, and soon the sexy duo are steaming it up offscreen, which is no surprise to their friends and castmates.

But love in the public eye is complicated, and rumors pose challenges that can threaten careers and love….

About the Author:

Add two parts sass and one part sweet and you have Poppy Dennison to a T—sweet tea that is. Raised by a gaggle of Southern women who love reading and have backbones of steel, Poppy was brought up to see the best in people but always speak her mind. Mix it all together, like Grandma’s famous cobbler, and you get a sassy, Southern lady with a quick wit and loads of charm, who will soften any blow with “Bless your heart.”

Her books reflect her small town roots, are filled with all the comforts of home, and come with side dish of spicy, because that’s the way she likes it.