Category: Contemporary fiction

Erin McLellan on Writing, Locations, and her release Life of Bliss (Love Life #2) by Erin McLellan

 

Life of Bliss (Love Life #2) by Erin McLellan

Release Date: April 30, 2018

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Erin McLellan here today to talk about the characters in her latest story, Life of Bliss.  Welcome, Erin.

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Erin McLellan ~

Who inspired Victor’s character? 

He was very likeable as the BFF who was a rock for Niles while Skyping with him from his job on a cruise ship throughout Life on Pause. I don’t usually go into detail on a secondary character in a review but I did for him when I reviewed Life on Pause. 

Is he based on someone you’ve met?  And, by the way, thank you for giving him his own story in this sequel.  

You’re welcome! I am so happy you loved Victor! He was one of those characters that just seemed to jump off the page when I started writing him. When I was drafting Life on Pause, I didn’t have clear plans to write him and/or Todd a sequel, but he ended up being so charismatic and fun that I didn’t want to let him go.

I wouldn’t say that Victor is based on any one person, but when I originally wrote him, I thought a lot about the friends in my life. It was really important to me that he be an awesome friend, and I’m lucky to have had a lot of good examples to pull from. Also, a handful of Victor’s one-liners are courtesy of my friend, Dillon. They both have very snarky, quirky senses of humor, and I’d often have conversations with Dillon that ended with me saying, “Can I steal that joke for my book?” And he always says yes because he’s wonderful. Life of Bliss is dedicated to him.

What was your favorite scene in Life of Bliss?

Oh! This is such a hard one. My favorite is the scene during Remy’s wedding reception. Todd and Victor get increasingly tipsy and their feelings for each other peek through. Of course, when their inhibitions start to lower, they get this crazy idea that they should elope! It was the first scene I envisioned—the origin, so to speak—when I thought of the story!

I also have a soft spot for the scene with the possum, and any scene that involves sticky notes.

Who or what inspired this enemies to lovers story?

In Life on Pause, where the characters first meet, their disdain for each other is pretty explosive, but their chemistry was somewhat of a happy accident, I guess. I hadn’t planned it. Though, I have to admit that my husband and I were not the best of friends when we first met, so perhaps I pulled sub-consciously from that experience a bit!

Other parts of the story had more real-life inspiration. My husband and I went to Eureka Springs, AR, one of the settings in the story, before we were married. We loved it and were really tickled by all the wedding-themed stuff. A lot of the Oklahoma City scenes are based on real places, like the gay bar and some of the restaurants. Lastly, the idea for this story came from one of my late-maternal grandmother’s diary entries. She wrote about how a lot of her friends didn’t have weddings during the Korean War, but instead eloped to Arkansas where there was no marriage-license waiting period. That tidbit has always stuck in my head, especially as some places in Arkansas, like Eureka Springs, have very wedding-themed economies.

What do you enjoy most about writing MM romances? 

It’s important to me to write queer characters, and while I’ve now written three m/m romances, I plan to write m/f and f/f as well. In fact, I’m writing an m/f with a bisexual woman right now!

I’ve had fun writing m/m romances set in the Great Plains (like Oklahoma) because it’s not a setting I’ve seen very often in m/m romance, and when I have, it’s the place people are trying to escape from, or they’re all cowboys. Not to knock cowboys, because they’re great, but they certainly aren’t common anymore. I grew up in Oklahoma, so I know a ton of queer people who have built their lives there, who cope with the good and the bad of living in a conservative, flyover state every day. It’s important to me to show what that might look like.

Lastly, I enjoy writing soft, squish-worthy heroes, so why not write two in one story!

Life of Bliss Tagline:

Pretending to be boyfriends is easy. Being accidental husbands is not.

Blurb:

Nobody plans to accidentally marry their frenemy-with-benefits.

Todd McGower and Victor Consuelos do not like each other. They can’t have a conversation without insults flying, and Victor seems to get off on pushing Todd’s buttons. The fact that their antagonism always leads to explosive sex . . . well, that’s their little secret.

Victor has a secret of his own. His full-blown crush on Todd is ruining his sex life. He hasn’t looked at anyone else in months, and he’s too hung up on Todd to find a date to his cousin’s wedding.

In a moment of weakness after a heart-stopping night together, Todd agrees to be Victor’s fake boyfriend for the wedding. Victor will have his plus-one—which will get his family off his back—and Todd will get a free mini-vacation. It’s a win-win.

But pretending to be fake boyfriends leads to real intimacy, which leads to too much wine, and suddenly, Todd and Victor wake up with wedding bands and a marriage license between them. That was not their plan, but a summer of wedded bliss might just change their minds.

Series: Love Life #2 (note: can be read as a standalone)

Genre: m/m contemporary romance

Length: 53,000 words

Buy Links:

Author Bio:

Erin McLellan writes contemporary romance with characters that are complex, goodhearted, and sometimes a little quirky. She likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after.

Erin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma. Though no longer a public librarian, Erin still enjoys being surrounded by books and readers, but now she hopes to find her stories on the shelves as well.

Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska with her husband and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.erinmclellan.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/emclellanwrites

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinmclellanwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorerinmclellan/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erinmclellanwri/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/erin-mclellan

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16700859.Erin_McLellan

 

Giveaway

Here is a Rafflecopter giveaway for 3 copies of Life on Pause. It runs from April 30-May 7 and the author will contact the winners! Must be 18 years of age or older.  Good luck everyone!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/25596f903/?

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Release Blitz and Giveaway – Whisper (Skins #2) by Garrett Leigh

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Cover Design: Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 260 pages
 
Skins Series
 
Dream (Book #1) – Universal Buy Link
 
Blurb
 

Standalone second book in the Skins series.

Lonely physiotherapist Harry Foster has the world at his feet. A full client list, a six figure Instagram following, and a publishing deal for a book he doesn’t have time to write until his agent offers him a break—a retreat to the wild south west coast.

Cornish horseman Joe Carter is lonely too. Rescuing horses and managing Whisper Farm takes up most of his days, and by night he plays chicken with the farm’s perilous bank accounts.

At his sister’s unwelcome suggestion, he rents his only bedroom to a bloke from the city, and when Harry arrives, he’s everything Joe isn’t—calm, patient, and gorgeous enough to be exactly the kind of distraction Joe doesn’t need.

Harry doesn’t have time for distractions either—even shirtless farmers riding bareback past his bedroom window—but his moody host proves impossible to ignore.

On paper, they have nothing in common, but Joe is beautiful…glorious, and when an accident puts his life in Harry’s healing hands, the whisper of true love is inevitable. If the trouble that put the farm on its knees in the first place doesn’t get in the way.

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.


Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.


When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.


Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess.


Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

A MelanieM Review: Hard to Get (Haven’s Cove #2) by Jaclyn Quinn

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Gabe D’Angelo has it all. Designer clothes, luxury cars, a cool confidence most would envy, and a never-ending supply of money—and men. When he arrived in Haven’s Cove to be there for his best friend, he never imagined he’d end up extending his stay indefinitely. Small town living isn’t so bad after all, and the views are magnificent—especially the view of a sexy, rugged blond. But when that mysterious, brooding man refuses all Gabe’s advances, he is forced to take a step back and truly look at the person he’s become.

Nate Black moved from Boston to Haven’s Cove for his family. He’s missed small town living and the simple, tranquil life that comes with it. What he doesn’t bargain for is the pushy, spoiled playboy who’s set his eyes on Nate as his next conquest. Knowing this man has the potential to crack the foundation of his quiet life, Nate will do everything he can to protect his safe, closed-off world.

Is one man worth loving? Is the other worth the sacrifice? Or is the love they’re searching for not just hard to get but completely out of reach?

After the first story (Hard to Let Go) in Haven’s Cove series where we met both men, I was curious to see where the author was going to take these men an their relationship.  Now we get our answer in Hard to Get (Haven’s Cove #2). For starters, Nate Black is someone you like immediately and Gabe is that individual you don’t.  At least for me.  And that opener for this story increased that tenfold.

Gabe became that person who see’s others as an object to triumph over, to “win” and move on.  When a reader such as me is already on the side of Nate, a character like Gabe is already in the losing position here as far as my heart and connections go.   And he stayed that way for some time.  It drew down my ability to invest in his redemption and my belief that he truly felt something for Nate and his daughter in such a short amount of time.

Even his friends in the story didn’t believe him (via the author).  Trust me that didn’t help either when trying to build the case that the man had an unrevealed character he has yet to show people.  Or that a huge change of heart and ways was coming.  As it was.

What really makes this story, and in fact, the entire series work, is that Jaclyn Quinn can write wonderful characterizations.  So in effect, you are mad at the people she’s created that feel so believable for behaving in such an abominable manner and not the writer. Yes, you don’t like their actions but you believe in their story.  So great job there.

The rest of the romance that follows the growth of Gabe’s character and Nate’s ability to learn to trust in Gabe.  While the pace feels sweet and fast, especially when a child is involved, it’s still comes across as real.  As does their friends and family.  Mothers push when not wanted, although I found her actions surprising again when there is a child involved.  I won’t even begin to discuss Gabe’s family and father.

The Haven’s Cove series has become a romantic gem of stories that  started with Hard to Let Go and now with  Hard to Get.  I already see the next couple on the horizon and can’t wait for their story as well.  I don’t really consider this a standalone because it’s great to have the background and foundation work of the first novel before reading this one.  Read them both in order.  I highly recommend them if you’re a lover of contemporary romance.

Cover art:  Cate Ashwood Designs does a very good job of capturing both characters.

Sales Links:AMAZON US/AMAZON UK

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 19th 2018 by self-published (first published April 17th 2018)
Original TitleHard to Get: A Haven’s Cove Novel
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Haven’s Cove :

Hard to Let Go (Haven’s Cove #1)

Hard to Get (Haven’s Cove #2)

A Caryn Review: Orderly Affair (Hearts & Health #6) by DJ Jamison

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Book 6 in the Hearts and Health series, and I have to say that I am impressed that the author has managed to create truly new characters for each book!  I am enjoying the variety, and though I definitely have some couples and books I prefer more than others (this is one of the ones I liked best) I am now actively looking for more sequels.  Ashe, Kansas, is a small community, but it is big enough to hold the gay/bi community that the author has created so far, and hopefully continue to grow.  This book acknowledges how that community has started to loosely come together, in a way that does not detract at all from this couple’s narrative.

Ian Connolly is a hospital orderly who was briefly introduced at the very end of Surprise Delivery when he walked in to a janitor’s closet to find Eric blowing Caspar.  This book picks up very shortly afterwards with Ian still dwelling on the scene and how erotic it felt, and finally deciding to act on his long suppressed attraction to men.  He’s 37, divorced for a few years after a 16 year marriage, and very unsure of when or even how to start dating men, especially when he was not sure he wanted to come out to his conservative family and his teenage son.  When a hookup app showed another guy right there in the hospital, he gathered his courage and responded to the message.

Callum Price felt trapped:  supporting his disabled and unappreciative mother in a house that was falling down around him, supporting his deadbeat ex-boyfriend who didn’t move out when they broke up because his mother liked having him around, working at a job that he enjoyed but couldn’t advance in because he could never save up the money to finish school.  When a hot guy showed up on Thrust (I don’t know if that’s a real hookup app, but I love the name!), Callum thought nothing of giving up his lunch break to meet with the guy in a deserted corner of the hospital.  What he didn’t expect, however, was for Ian to keep pursuing him – from repeat hookups, to friends with benefits, and finally to an exclusive relationship.  Which would have been great, except that Ian was closeted.

When I first started reading MM romance, it seemed like all of the stories involved closeted men, and coming out was always part of the conflict in the plot.  It’s one of the things that drew me to MM in the first place.  It’s certainly not as ubiquitous now – which is a good thing because to me it means that being queer is starting to become accepted as completely normal like it should be – but I do still like to see how characters navigate the process.  In this case, Ian at least knows that he wants to be out, doesn’t have any internalized homophobia, but is just scared of how it will change his relationship with his family and his son.  Callum was a more complicated character – he struggled with his desire to prove to everyone that he didn’t need help, and his tendency to just give in to terrible situations to avoid conflict, and the whole crazy scenario of living with his mother and his ex-boyfriend didn’t seem so unbelievable after all.  I really rooted for him, and was thrilled when he started to gain more confidence in himself and take charge of his life.  Ian’s family, and especially his son Liam, were wonderful secondary characters that really showed another side of Ian.  I also appreciated the fact that Ian was happy to be an orderly – it’s a necessary job, though distinctly unglamorous, and there is nothing wrong with not wanting a college degree and pursuing the typical materialistic “American Dream”.

Cover art by Lucas Soltow is probably my least favorite in the series so far.  Nice abs on the model, but nothing else about him was similar to descriptions of Ian, and where is cutie pie Callum?

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 245 pages
Published April 24th 2018 by DJ Jamison

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Tied up by the Boss (Office Kink #2 ) by Hunter Frost

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Parker Greenhill speaks out against one of the execs to whom his marketing firm is pitching a project, he thinks he’s doing his ex a favor, but in reality, he’s hurting himself because his company loses the chance to work with that exec and Parker loses the respect of his bosses, teammates, and subordinates. Worse, he’s assigned to work with his curmudgeon of a boss, Morgan Brant, an older Brit who takes his role as VP seriously.

Somehow, though, working with Morgan flips a switch in Parker and he ends up on his knees submitting to his Sir after work every night. There may be ropes and bondage involved. And there may be a better use for Parker’s sassy mouth.

I enjoyed this story so much I couldn’t put it down. I simply had to read straight through to see what these men were up to and to learn how their awkward work situation would be resolved.

The author put plenty of kink into the story and built two characters who were at extremes of personality and yet gelled nicely together. And did I mention age gap? Well yes, there’s quite an age difference, so added to the bondage, the silver fox with the cute young exec just pushed all my buttons. Without giving away any spoilers, I can say that Morgan’s mum was a surprise to Parker and he was a pleasant surprise to her. There’s lots to love here and I’m most definitely looking forward to more in this series.

Highly recommend to lovers of light kink and bondage, age-gap, and slow burn.

~~~

Cover by James of GoOnWrite.com is a photo of a man’s tie set against a deep mauve background. It’s both attractive and pertinent to the story and is the same photo used in book one, but in a different shade.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 124 pages
Published April 23rd 2018
Original TitleTied Up by the Boss
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesOffice Kink #2

BLOG TOUR Hard To Get (Haven’s Cove #2) by Jaclyn Quinn (excerpt and giveaway)

Hard To Get Tour Banner

HARD TO GET

HAVEN’S COVE SERIES, BOOK 2

JACLYN QUINN

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 04.19.18

Hard To Get Cover

COVER DESIGN by Cate Ashwood Designs

AMAZON US/AMAZON UK

BLURB

Gabe D’Angelo has it all. Designer clothes, luxury cars, a cool confidence most would envy, and a never-ending supply of money—and men. When he arrived in Haven’s Cove to be there for his best friend, he never imagined he’d end up extending his stay indefinitely. Small town living isn’t so bad after all, and the views are magnificent—especially the view of a sexy, rugged blond. But when that mysterious, brooding man refuses all Gabe’s advances, he is forced to take a step back and truly look at the person he’s become.

Nate Black moved from Boston to Haven’s Cove for his family. He’s missed small town living and the simple, tranquil life that comes with it. What he doesn’t bargain for is the pushy, spoiled playboy who’s set his eyes on Nate as his next conquest. Knowing this man has the potential to crack the foundation of his quiet life, Nate will do everything he can to protect his safe, closed-off world.

Is one man worth loving? Is the other worth the sacrifice? Or is the love they’re searching for not just hard to get but completely out of reach?

Hard to Get Teaser 2
Hard to Get Teaser 3

EXCERPT

There was that huge heart again, trying to see something in Gabe that just wasn’t there. Gabe smiled. “Jonah Taylor, always trying to save the world from heartbreak and pain. You can’t solve everyone’s problems, Jonah.”

Jonah smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “I can try. Look, I think you need a distraction. Maybe even step away from the whole Nate situation a little.”

“Why, Jonah, you sly fox. Are you offering yourself as the commercial break from my regularly scheduled program?” Gabe said seductively, laughing as Jonah turned the color of a ripe tomato.

“Gabe…” Jonah squirmed in his chair, and Gabe couldn’t keep up the teasing.

Gabe patted Jonah’s hand and laughed. “I’m kidding, Jonah. Besides, I prefer devil’s food cake for dessert.” Gabe winked at him.

Jonah shook his head and chuckled, looking offended. “What are you trying to say? I’m vanilla?”

Gabe let his eyes roam over Jonah’s muscular body as he sat in the chair, making sure to take in every bulge. “Oh…no, sir. Not vanilla. Let’s just say, I enjoy something a little more sinful, and you definitely have angel’s food written all over you.”

Jonah’s skin was flushed from Gabe’s roaming eyes as he squirmed in his chair a little. “I’ll try to take that as a compliment.”

“Absolutely. You should.” Gabe smiled.

Jonah returned the smile, relaxing again, and said, “Why don’t you come to the gym with me? I can get you a pass. I know it’s not the fun you had in mind,” Jonah laughed, “but it could be a good distraction. Not to mention, the scenery isn’t all that bad.” Jonah wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

Gabe suddenly had visions of hot, sweaty bodies, muscles straining with exertion, grunts of men as they lifted. Why hadn’t he thought of it himself?

Jonah smirked. “By the look on your face, I’d say you’re interested.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes then grinned. “I have to say, Jonah, for someone who doesn’t know me all that well you seem to have read me correctly.”

“Remember you said that,” Jonah said. “Pretty sure it applies to everything I’ve said to you just now.”

Gabe hung his head and laughed. “Walked into that one, I suppose.”

“So, you’ll come?” Jonah asked.

“Maybe a little later. Right now, I think I’ll go to the gym with you,” Gabe said and watched as Jonah blushed once again.

“And I walked into that one.” Jonah chuckled.

Gabe stood up and walked Jonah to the door. “Shall I follow you, or do you want to just give me the address?”

Jonah reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out his car keys. “I’m on my way there now. If it won’t take you long to get ready, I’ll wait in my car.”

“I’ll only be five minutes. I may be high-maintenance, but believe it or not, I don’t wear my Armani suits to the gym.”

Jonah chuckled again and nodded his head. “Okay, I’ll be in my car. The gym’s in Maple Grove, the next town over, but still only takes ten minutes to get there. You can follow me.” Jonah opened the door then turned back around with a wicked smile. “Oh, and by the way, even angels fall every now and then, and it’s twice the ride. Scorching on the way down, but the best fucking ecstasy you’ve ever felt on the way back up.” It was Jonah who winked that time, and Gabe found himself with a shitload more respect for the guy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I have been an artist from a very young age. From drawing cartoon characters and evolving into portraits, making jewelry, photography, and now writing. I have an amazing support system in my family and friends and couldn’t be more grateful.

I live in central New Jersey, love summers at the Jersey Shore, rock music, wine, sexy men, and laughing a lot with my amazing friends and family. Sunday dinners at my parents’ house are crazy, hysterical and you can count on a movie quote…or ten…being thrown out. Insults between siblings is how we show our love for each other!

When I’m not creating, you can find me reading books from my favorite authors. I’m a hopeless romantic, starving for passionate characters and always craving that happy ending, whether in reading or in writing my own books.

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