Category: Contemporary fiction

Release Blitz and Giveaway for KA Merikan’s Just Here For The Pain

 

Universal Buy Link: books2read.com/JustHereForThePain

 
Length: 90,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
The Underdogs Series
 
Book #1 – Manic Pixie Dream Boy – books2read.com/ManicPixieDreamBoy
 
Blurb
 

—. Whips and chains – not optional .—


Sid. Drummer for The Underdogs. Secretly yearning for pain and submission.

Asher. AKA Stan. Stalker. More than meets the eye.


It’s hard to find good hookups while on tour. Sid wants pain, humiliation, and the kind of sex that isn’t easy to get from one-night stands. So for now, he’s given up, settled for an online Dom to get his rocks off, and focused on his band instead. The Underdogs are getting increasingly popular, but there is one fan who has followed Sid since before he even joined the band, and he’s driving Sid mad! Rich, spoiled hipster brat looking for the bad boy experience. If he knew what Sid was really into, he would run for the hills.


Asher is convinced that Sid is The One, his One True Love, his endgame. Years ago, Asher lost his virginity to Sid, and from that moment on, he knew it was meant to be. They had a spark, that honest connection that couldn’t be faked. The members of Sid’s band call him a stalker, but all he wants is to offer Sid his love. When Sid finally chokes out what he wants, Asher is more than ready to unleash it on him.


But the last time Sid was out as gay and submissive, he got badly burnt when his former band kicked him out, and the doors to many opportunities slammed in his face.

Asher wants the whole world to know that he’s dating Sid. Problem is, Sid would much rather keep the relationship as pain-with-benefit

 

K. A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are taken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite pushing thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.


They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.



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A MelanieM Review: After the Scrum by Dahlia Donovan

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 

When a former rugby player reinventing himself meets a man who’s afraid to move on, can love offer a path for them both?

When Caddock Stanford loses his brother and his rugby career, two of the most important parts of his life are gone forever. Now raising his young nephew, he seeks a quieter place away from the paparazzi and all the vices of his old life. Lust and love in the form of an eccentric man weren’t even on his horizon.

Yet.
Francis Keen talks to his dog and his car. In his experience, people are less predictable and safe. His crippling anxiety keeps him anchored to his grandmother’s home. He wonders if he’ll ever find the courage to live—and to love.

Two men, so different, on track for a romantic collision… can they survive the impact? 

I’ve read all the Sin Bin series and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.  So it occurred to me that I never read the very first book that started it all…After the Scrum! This is the novel that launched the series and started to introducing the characters that appears throughout the stories that followed.  Of course I had to read it.  And see what the hell scrum meant.

Scrum.  A rugby term that means an ordered formation of players used to restart play, in which the forward of a team huddle together to gain possession of the ball.   Got that from the small glossary Dahlia Donovan gives us at the beginning of After the Scrum to clue us “Yanks” and non – Rugby oriented people into the various lingo, colloquialisms, and sports terms we will encounter therein.  [Note: I will admit to watching rugby without every actually caring about the game outcome or who’s playing…draw your own conclusions.] It’s a marvelous use here in the title.

Caddock Stanford aka ‘the Brute’ had been the star player for years on the national team until a injury sidelined him for good.  Then life hit him again when his beloved younger brother, Had, died during a diving accident, leaving him the guardian of Had’s four year old son, Devlin.  Overwhelmed, Caddock takes a chance on a new life in a seaside village in Cornwall called Looe.  A whole restart on life.

But Uncle “Boo” as Devlin calls him really doesn’t get the romantic start until decorator Francis Keen and his therapy dog Sherlock enter his bar and life.  Francis is needing that restart as much as Caddock does after a traumatic past and PTSD has made it hard for him to move forward.

I loved these characters and easily connected with them.  As with all her stories, the author’s dialog and narrative drew me into the characters and their relationship.  I felt apart of their lives  in such a close knit manner.  In a way, you felt steeped in the very life of Looe itself….whether wandering down to the Bakery or to Gran’s or the path to the sea.  Donovan pulls you into the small village dynamics and how it interacts upon individuals and their relationships.  Lovely.

I actually wanted more here as I enjoyed these two men and the family they become with Devlin and “Lock”.  I could have enjoyed a book twice this size because I just wasn’t prepared to let them go at the end.  Of course I feel that way at every one of her stories.  Still, this one is special.  Caddock and Francis are special.  And now I’ll have to reread all the stories for the parts about them all over again.

Loved the ending.

I love this story and all the Sin Bin books.  Start here!  This is one great couple you shouldn’t miss out on. I highly recommend it.

Cover art: Claire Smith.  I like the  cover. It has the softness that brands all the following stories.

Sales Links:  Hot Tree Publishing| Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 163 pages
Published April 2016 by Hot Tree Publishing
ISBN132940152823578
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Finders Keepers by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Needing a change of scene, Griffin Burke moves from Brisbane to Coolum Beach to start a new job. The beautiful white sand, aqua-coloured ocean, blue skies, and summer breezes are everything he longs for. What he finds is a mud-covered dog, lost and hungry, with a nametag and a phone number.

Dane Hughes is stuck in Surfers Paradise at a week-long work conference when he gets a phone call from his distraught mother. His dog, his fur baby, Wicket, has run away. Unable to leave and feeling helpless and miserable, he gets a text from a guy. “I think I found your dog…”

Griffin and Dane start talking, and Griffin agrees to look after Wicket until Dane can collect him. With a few days left before his new job starts, Griffin takes Wicket on some coastal adventures and sends Dane photos of their fun, and so the start of something new and kind of wonderful begins.

Griffin might have moved to Coolum in search of a new life, but what he finds is so much more. What he gets to keep just might take some four-legged help.

Ever see a cover and know immediately you must, must read that story?  That, without ever having to read the blurb, something (in this case an beyond adorable dog and his master) grabs you by your ever lovin’ romantic heart? Finders Keepers did that and then doubled down with a blurb that had me all blubbery.  As a dog owner, one of the worst fears is losing your dog…trust me.  So I could instantly transport myself into Dane Hughes’ shoes and emotional turmoil when he finds out that Wicket has escaped from his Mom’s house.  I teared up in empathy. Yep, NR Walker had me hooked before I even started the story.

Oh what a story Finders Keepers turned out to be!  The very definition of heartwarming, and romantic, and utterly real.   This is a book I will be sinking myself into over and over again.  I’ve definitely found myself a new comfort read in Finders Keepers and a new favorite couple or family, because that includes Wicket, a small dog with tons of personality.

The special wonder of this romance is the manner in which  NR Walker has it conducted.  Through a series of texts and pics between the men…the connection between them being Wicket, that irresistible canine cupid.  This format works for them and us as it intimately lets us into both  men’s lives and thoughts.  We get to know them as they get to know each other.  And their anticipation becomes ours as well when the time arrives to actually meet.  How my heart thumped wildly too.

One of the many things that I have always loved about NR Walker’s stories is her superb characterizations,  That continues here.  It’s not just Griffin Burke and Dane Hughes, two men who meet over a dog but understand each other on so many levels, including their jobs.  No it’s Bernice and K, who for me are also main characters.  Vibrant, real, by turns hilarious and poignant, these two memorable individuals almost cry out for their own story to be told.  I love them with equal enthusiasm.  Trust me you will too.

Finders Keepers can make you laugh, hiccup with nervous anticipation, sniffle with the thought of loss, and make your heart swell with the sheer amounts of love and happiness that bubble over throughout the story, especially at the end.  That’s what I call great storytelling and a wonderful romance.  I’ll be rereading this when I need a pickerupper.  But I highly recommend it now for everyone who hasn’t found it the first time.  You are in for a real treat!

Cover art: Humble .  I adore this  cover.  Eye catching, heartwarming!  A Hug in cover art.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Expected publication: February 2nd 2018 (first published January 31st 2018)
Original TitleFinders Keepers
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Spanking the Boss (An Office Kink Novella – Book #1) by Hunter Frost

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Charlie Reynolds is the new guy at NetSmash, a marketing research firm, but though he might be fresh out of college, he’s already thirty-five years old.  He went to prison for a foolish loss of temper that led to an assault charge when he was young and he’s determined to become a better man now.   Always conscious of people’s perceptions of ex-cons, Charlie hesitates to reveal that he’s not the janitor when he’s caught using the executive suite restroom during the company Halloween party.  Then again, his janitor costume, sporting the nickname he used when he worked his way through college as a janitor, would lead anyone to believe it true—including the CEO, the incredibly handsome Trent Davis. 

Once caught, the attraction sparks fly, and before he knows it, the CEO is bent over with his pants down and Charlie behind him “spanking the boss.”   This is a fun romance between two unlikely lovers—the new guy, Charlie, not long out of prison, recent college grad, and highly ambitious junior account manager—and Trent, gorgeous, smart, driven young exec who never gives up control to others.  It was pure pleasure to watch the way Charlie, in his guise as Chaz the janitor, takes charge of Trent for a full night of kinky pleasure.  When morning comes, as the two parted, I was rooting for more interaction between them, and though it took awhile to overcome some—many!—obstacles, the author brought us to a very satisfying ending with a happy ever after in their future. 

I was impressed with the character development for such a short story—and not just the main characters—the secondary characters as well.  We have everything from female bestie, to nasty VP boss, and a sexy, envious VP who could potentially make a play for the exec job someday.  I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, and since the author identified the characters who will get the next romance, I’m hoping for a super-fun enemies-to-lovers story.   

Highly recommend.

Cover by James of GoOnWrite.com is a photo of a man’s tie set against a light purple background. It’s both attractive and pertinent to the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 104 pages

Publication: January 31, 2018

Edition Language: English

Series: An Office Kink Novella #1

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Louise Lyons ‘ The Short Stories Collection

 

Buy Links: books2read.com/LLShortStories
 
Length: 45,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

A collection of three short stories.


In Darkest Peru


When shy and geeky Rhys White is ditched by his boyfriend of five years, and made redundant from his job in the space of one week, he decides to make some changes. Tired of being boring and hiding being his computer, he throws caution to the winds and buys a plane ticket to Peru.


The adventure in Peru starts out well, but then disaster strikes when the bus he is travelling on is held up by thieves. Rhys loses everything, including his passport, wallet, and phone.


Stranded in Cuzco, not too far from the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu, Rhys tries to find someone to help him. Just when he begins to lose hope, sexy Brazilian, Rafael, comes to his rescue, and his desperation situation takes a turn for the better.


One Snowy Night


After yet another failed date, Keith Brambles’ luck turns from bad to worse, as he tries to drive home in heavy snow and crashes his car. With no phone signal, no warm clothes, and the weather worsening, he fears freezing to death overnight.


But help is at hand in the form of a knight in a white van. Mike Talbot stops to help Keith, and takes him home to warm up—in more ways than one, when the pair’s mutual attraction kicks in.


Mike is everything Keith has ever dreamed of when he thinks of his ideal man. But can Mike really be Keith’s dream come true, or is their night together just another bit of fun?


Lost and Found


When author Philip Johnson loses his much-loved dog, Prince, he buries himself in the fantasy world of his latest novel. But as his heartbreak gradually lessens and he focuses more on the happy times he had with Prince, he realises the hole left in his life needs to be filled with a new puppy.


After responding to an advertisement for a young dog, Philip is surprised to find the owner is none other than Edward Manby, the very good-looking vet who took care of Prince in his last hours. Philip is delighted to discover his attraction to Edward is returned and despite the twenty-year age gap between them, their love for their pets brings them together and leads to romance

.

 

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy.


Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of eight, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late twenties. Posting stories based on some of her favourite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing “hobby” more seriously.


Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad dog called Casper, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races home afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.


Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and job, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.


Facebook: www.facebook.com/louiselyonsauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/louiselyons013
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/louiselyons013
Instagram: www.instagram.com/louiselyons013
Blog: www.louiselyonsauthor.com
Email: louiselyons013@gmail.com

Giveaway

Giveaway: Louise is giving away a signed paperback copy of her 2015 fantasy/vampire romance novel, The Eye of the Beholder, which is no longer available for sale. Please comment on any of the Release Blitz posts to enter. Available for worldwide shipping.

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A Jeri Review: For The Living by L.A. Witt

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

I love rereleases when it is a one I somehow missed. I am a fan of LA Witt, so I was eager to read this.
What I loved the most was that it was different. One man struggling with his sexual identity and then forced to grieve a wife that deserved more. And a mortician who he met while burying his wife. You don’t read about that everyday.
The pain Jay felt was so real. First the pain of knowing he was gay, but how to tell his wife about it. Because he did love her, he just wasn’t in love with her. And then to lose her so suddenly. No closure, no truth, no nothing. She was just gone. He doesn’t know how to deal with all of that at once. And then Scott offers a friendly ear and shoulder. Yes, he is a funeral director so comforting people is a bit in the job description. But he also knows what it is like to struggle to come out.
Scott was a bit too perfect for me. So sympathetic and understanding. Most of the time he wasn’t taking his own feelings into consideration. And then when he was upset, it was like he flipped a switch. 90% way too saintly and 10% why are you being such a jerk? I found it almost funny that he is this professional, clean cut funeral director/mortician, but he is covered in tattoos you only see when his shirt is off. Like she was saying “see? he’s a bad boy!”.
I liked Jay though. I felt like his struggle was real. Oddly, even though his parents were close to him, they didn’t seem to have too much in the story. You would think that their son losing his wife would bring them forward more. Having him struggle with that would have been very realistic. Instead he leans heavily on Scott.
So, yes, it was a good story. I liked it. I just didn’t love it. Assuming that because this is a rerelease it was also re-edited. It really needed more though.
Cover art Lori Witt.  Wonderful cover.  Love the composition.

Buy Link Ebook: books2read.com/ForTheLivingLA-

Buy Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 279 pages
Published November 3rd 2016 (first published April 1st 2012)
Original TitleFor the Living
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Color Me In (Last Chance #2) by Riley Hart

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

This is a beautiful love story—a slow burn, awakening of sexuality for Ryan, who has only ever loved one person previously, his former wife Danielle.  Now, in the midst of an unexpected attraction to Caleb White, a man who returned to the small town of Last Chance after having been both in prison and a porn star, he’s shocked when he learns that he’s demisexual.  No wonder he’s never really felt a sexual urge with any of the other women who have come on to him in the past.  And no wonder his feelings for Caleb include a sexual attraction.  After he avidly devours every definition of demisexual from the Internet, he feels changed—like it’s okay to inhabit his body and mind.  He’s not an oddity after all. 

Ryan works as a mechanic for Shane, from Depth of Field (Last Chance #1), and meets Caleb at an all-night diner one sleepless night. Caleb has returned to the town he left when he was sixteen and his family packed up and moved him away quickly after he and Shane were discovered kissing. Later, in his late teens and early twenties he got into trouble and ended up serving a prison term.  By the time he got out, he felt Shane wouldn’t understand, so he never contacted him.  And then while spending years working in the porn industry, he wasn’t willing to simply call Shane to renew what might have only been a passing teenage crush for the man.

But Caleb never forgot him, and he returned to Last Chance where he was welcomed with open arms by Shane and his new boyfriend, Van, another young man they went to school with. Caleb bought a house but hasn’t secured a job yet. Over coffee at the diner late one night, Ryan discloses that he needs to find a new apartment, so Caleb offers him a roommate situation.  Though reluctant to take it, Ryan eventually agrees. 

So the setting is there for two men to become friends, and then become attracted, and then act on that attraction, but this story is, as I said, a slow burn and it was beautifully done.  Ryan had always wondered why he never felt the sexual appeal of anyone other than his former wife.  And then he felt awkward when he found himself drawn to Caleb, but after he learned what it meant to be demisexual, he began to accept himself, and with Caleb’s help, the two started the slow exploration of their mutual attraction.   

The love story is, of course, primarily between these two men. But it’s also the story of a young man who lost his wife after their baby died and she pushed him away.  There’s grieving and healing and the love of two people who were friends as well as spouses.  Now, Danielle is back in his life when Ryan has to rush to his father’s hospital bedside and it’s evident that they still love each other—though as friends now.  And Ryan’s father?  A man who loves his child but has never expressed it properly.  The two have a chance to make amends and verbalize the love they have for one another.  So, as I said, there’s love in this story—multiple facets of love in the same way we humans have so many facets to our personalities. 

I really enjoyed the way the author allowed Ryan to fall in love with Caleb slowly.  And Caleb was a dream man—one who had matured through the School of Hard Knocks and was both kind and understanding.  He was also sexy as hell and totally devoted to Ryan, and Caleb knew he had all the time in the world to wait for this man.  It’s very difficult to put the emotions of this story into words.  Suffice it to say that it’s much more than a GFY or a bi-curious story, and yet it hits on some of the notes from those sorts of stories, which I happen to enjoy. 

Those who enjoyed Crossroads should definitely enjoy this one and if that one was a bit too far out of the realm of believability with two formerly straight men being attracted to one another, this one should hit the spot as an out-and-proud gay man helps a previously thought-to-be-straight man navigate the waters of man-on-man loving.  That love and the love Ryan holds for his family make this a must read for 2018.  Highly recommended. 

~~

COVER DESIGN: X-Potion Designs
COVER IMAGE: Stone Creek City

Cover art is a photo depicting two apparently naked men, one embracing the other from behind.  It’s the perfect depiction of the MCs in this story, with Caleb simply holding Ryan close. 

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published January 28th 2018 by Riley Hart
Original TitleColor Me In
ASINB079DK8B64
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesLast Chance #2