Book Blitzing for ‘Here For Us’ by A.M. Arthur (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Here For Us

Series: Us #1

Author: A.M. Arthur

Publisher: Briggs-King Books

Release Date: 3/17/17

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male Menage

Length: 94,000 words

Genre: Gay Romance, Menage

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Synopsis

Cris Sable doesn’t walk into popular gay bar Big Dick’s expecting to find more than a casual hookup, so he’s surprised by his instant attraction and intense chemistry with go-go dancer Jake. Jake’s sexy as hell and a firecracker in bed. The sparks between them are undeniable, and what starts as a hookup evolves into something deeper, possibly permanent—until Jake dumps Cris flat on his ass for no good reason.

Angry and confused, Cris finds comfort with his longtime friend and employer Charles “Chet” Greenwood. Cris’s emotional state stirs up Charles’s long-buried feelings for Cris. Feelings he’s denied for eight years, because Cris is his employee and therefore off limits—not to mention two decades younger than Charles. Cris admits he has feelings for Charles, too, but he’s still getting over Jake and both men agree nothing can happen between them while Charles is still Cris’s boss.

Jake Bowden knows he doesn’t have anything to offer a guy. He’s a go-go dancer with no degree and no real career aspirations. He’s also used to everyone who loves him leaving, so it makes sense to cut Cris loose before things get too serious. Cris is kind, passionate and totally deserves a guy like Charles—wealthy, owns a home, successful businessman. Jake can’t compete so why bother? They’re better off together. But when Jake has a serious personal crisis, Cris and Charles unite to pull him back together, and the three men discover it’s possible—maybe even inevitable—to fall in love with more than one person at a time.

Excerpt

Chapter One

I need to fucking get laid.

The thought followed Cris Sable through the heavy industrial door that hid the throbbing interior of Big Dick’s, the most popular gay nightclub in Harrisburg. The place was hard to find if you didn’t know where it was, or if you didn’t know the big muscle bear sitting by the entrance was a bouncer. Cris hadn’t been to the club in over a year, mostly by choice, but tonight he needed something.

Definitely a drink, although he’d have to limit himself now that he was functioning with one kidney. And, if possible, he wanted to leave with a willing ass to fuck. It had been a long dry spell.

A dry spell of his own making, but still, a guy had needs, and he wasn’t looking to get his needs met by a woman tonight. Tonight he needed dick.

He eased his way over to the bar and ordered a margarita on the rocks. Something he could work his way through slowly. The club was in full swing, bodies gyrating on the dance floor, men dry humping their way through the evening. Soon early morning. At the rear of the dance floor, six go-go dancers were on risers, each decked out in one color of the rainbow. Barely-there briefs in a solid color, sparkle body paint all over their chests and legs, and some dancers even had colorful streaks in their hair. Monday was theme night for the go-go dancers, which explained why there were so many. On the other nights of the week that Cris had visited, the club usually only had three dancers.

Cris zeroed in on the dancer in blue. He loved the color blue, and this kid was pretty fucking hot in a royal blue thong, with blue swirls across his pecs and shoulders. Something kind of tribal and arty. He spun around to shake his ass, showing off very taut blue-painted cheeks. Even from the distance, he was cute. The kind of cute Cris liked to wrangle around in bed and fuck through the mattress.

Occasionally, a hand would rise from the crowd with money in it, and the blue dancer squatted low enough for the money to be tucked away in their underwear. Very strip club-esque, but Big Dick’s had a strict policy about not touching the dancers for longer than it took to tip them.

He scanned the other dancers’ faces and froze solid at the guy at the end. Despite the yellow paint, Cris knew that nearly naked body intimately enough to see past the costume and recognize Colby. Not his real name, and Cris didn’t know what it was, but they’d filmed together at Mean Green Boys roughly two years ago. Colby was only with the company for a few months before he quit to be with his boyfriend.

Cris had been intensely jealous at the time. At twenty-eight years old, he’d failed to find and maintain a serious relationship for longer than six months. And even that relationship had imploded when she found out he did gay porn. Okay, so he shouldn’t have kept that a secret for so long. He’d been so damned happy to find someone who understood and accepted he was bisexual that he’d been scared to destroy it too soon by admitting to the porn.

But secrets never did a relationship any good, and Lily had dumped his ass hard.

He’d taken a two year hiatus from porn after that, hoping to try and rebuild his flailing love life, before returning to Mean Green. The studio owner, Chet Green, was one of his closest friends—hence the very secret reason for his single remaining kidney.

“Hello, gorgeous.” A slinky number in leather pants and a silver mesh shirt slid up to Cris at the bar. Cute, kohl-lined eyes, plump lips that promised they knew how to suck a dick.

Cris grinned. “Who, me?”

“Oh, honey, we both know you’re the sexiest thing in the club tonight.” A warm arm draped over his shoulders. “Name’s Luke.”

“Cris.”

“Hmm, I think you look more like a Vincent.”

Cris tensed. No fucking way could this random guy know who he was. There was no hint of malice in his easy grin, no sign the name was anything other than a really good guess. Cris came from an Italian family from Long Island, and the genes were pretty strong. He’d rid himself of his identifying accent years ago, though, thank Christ.

“Or Vincenzo, or Anthony,” the kid said, oblivious to Cris’s racing thoughts.

“Well, it’s Cris.” Rude, fine, but he’d lost any interest in Luke. Cristian Sable was his identity now. “See you around.”

Cris pushed away from the bar and eased his way into the crowd occupying the fringes of the dance floor. A few blatant offers came his way, but Cris turned them all down. He didn’t realize he’d inched closer to the risers and his blue dancer until the guy was less than ten feet away.

Blue had a face that was both easygoing and sharp. He was enjoying himself without totally letting his guard down. And he was hella cute. Fuckable for sure.

Bodies danced frenetically all around him, allowing Cris to stay close to the wall and shift nearer to Blue. Someone held up a bill between two fingers. Blue wiggled his hips and squatted low so the money could be tucked into his g-string. The triangle of blue material held a very promising package for a smaller guy.

Blue blew a kiss to his patron, then spun in an ass-wiggling circle. His dark gaze roamed the crowd, then paused on Cris. An unexpected thrill shot through him. Some sort of instinctive acknowledgement of the man on the stage, as if they’d been waiting to meet. Blue held eye contact; Cris drew out a long, lazy smile. Blue cocked his head, winked, and then kept dancing. Cris stayed in his spot. Every few minutes, Blue glanced his way. Right into his eyes.

Target acquired.

The dancers came and went from the risers, likely taking breaks in between sets. When Blue winked again and disappeared, Cris had half a mind to try and find him. Except he didn’t work at the club, and he had no real excuse to get backstage. Cris sipped his watered-down margarita and watched the eye candy on display. The gorgeous men, the throbbing music, and the heady scents of sweat and sex worked their magic on Cris, and he was half-hard by the time a brown-haired kid with a smear of blue under both eyes sidled up next to him.

Cris studied the familiar face, now scrubbed clean except for those two very appealing smudges. His hair maintained hints of blue glitter. He’d covered that amazing body with jeans and a white sleeveless tee, but this was Cris’s dancer. Blue.

“You off the clock?” Cris asked.

“Yup.” He grabbed Cris’s glass and finished it off with a smirk that did funny things to Cris’s balls. “Damn, I think I owe you a drink.”

He laughed. “Cris.”

“Jake.” He snagged Cris’s belt and tugged him toward the bar.

The forwardness was a huge fucking turn on, and Cris’s cock was at full mast by the time they reached the bar. An older man in a sparkly vest smiled at them.

“Two margaritas on the rocks,” Jake said. “My tab.”

“On it,” the bartender said.

Cris rested one hand on Jake’s lower back, and he was surprised by the tiny thrill that vibrated up his arm. Jake pressed into his touch, eyelids fluttering as if he’d felt something similar. Cris leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Blue is my favorite color.”

Jake looked up, big brown eyes glimmering with mischief. “Oh yeah?”

“Definitely. It looks good on you.”

“Know what else would look good on me?”

Cris saw the flirty line coming, but he played along. “What’s that?”

“You.”

He nuzzled Jake’s ear with his nose. “I agree.”

The bartender slid their drinks over. Jake gulped his, while Cris only sipped. And studied his future sex partner. A good six inches shorter than him, and slimmer all over. Dance-honed muscles. Tight jeans that did nothing to hide his erection. A very One Direction boyish hotness about him that made Cris want to fuck him senseless.

“I’d ask if you want to dance,” Jake said, “but you didn’t bust a move all night.”

“Not much of a dancer.”

“No good?”

“I’m plenty good.” Cris put a little leer into those words. “But I don’t like using dancing as foreplay. I’d rather play in private.”

Jake pressed his hard dick against Cris’s thigh, amusement dancing in his eyes. His voice was crazy sexy in a way that Cris couldn’t describe, but he liked it. “So I’m guessing you aren’t a fan of the bathroom with the favors?”

Big Dick’s had two bathrooms for its patrons, and rumor had it that the bathroom on the left had a bowl of condoms and lube sachets for patrons. Folks interested in a quick—and safe—fuck with a stranger. The bathroom on the right was for regular business.

“Nope.” Cris slid his hand from Jake’s lower back to grab his ass. “I prefer a nice big bed where I can have my way with someone for a few hours. Upright in a bathroom stall is over too fast.”

Jake swallowed hard, his cheeks pinking up. “Sounds like an adventure.”

“You up for it?”

“What do you think?” He ground his dick into Cris’s thigh. “Think I’m up for it?”

“I might need more convincing.”

Jake grabbed at Cris’s erection and squeezed, the contact sending happy sparklers down Cris’s spine. He really liked Jake touching him. “I’d suck you right here but Richard frowns on public displays of fellatio.”

Cris didn’t know who Richard was, and he didn’t care. Owner or manager, probably. His only priority was getting Jake naked in his bed. He pushed his mostly full glass away. “Then let’s get out of here before you get in trouble with your boss.”

Jake gulped his margarita, then plunked his glass on the bar. “Lead the way.”

He did.

The cool night air did nothing to ease his throbbing dick, nor did the long walk to his car. Jake kept close, their arms brushing, but otherwise not touching. The city was still alive and well all around them, and while Cris was big and imposing enough that few people ever bothered him, Jake walked with purpose. Aware of everyone they passed. He’d danced the exact same way: wary of the world.

Cris silently promised to help Jake forget those shadows that made him walk through life like it would turn against him at any moment. Even if only for a few hours.

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Meet the Author

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, SMP Swerve, and Briggs-King Books.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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A Stella Review: Spark to the Heart (Parkerburg series #4) by Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows

RATING 3 out of 5 stars

As a misguided youth, Rosy loved being that kid in Parkerburg—you know the one that everybody swears will end up in jail or comatose—until one summer day on the back roads of town when two lives came to a screeching halt.

Thirteen years later, Rosy owns the local pub on Maple Street and makes a good show of how he’s recovered from tragedy. He even convinces himself…until he meets the new man in town and realizes just how okay he isn’t. With the demons of his fatal past still stalking him, Rosy has no idea how to switch from simply existing to actually living.

Angus “Jet” Manheim—famous for his smooth, sexy voice and notorious for his hard partying ways—sped through most of his adult life on stage and in the recording studio. Sober and retired to the quaint New England town of Parkerburg, Jet’s ready to slow his soundtrack…until his compelling neighbor—a grumbling, muscular mountain of a man with an odd name—ups the tempo.

Frequently absentminded, Jet finds Rosy an easy object of focus, a solid center around which Jet hopes to build a future. But retirement isn’t easy. The entertainment industry doesn’t stop knocking just because you hang a do not disturb sign.

When Rosy’s and Jet’s pasts try to harmonize with their present, they might have to decide whether the chorus is worth repeating.

The Hearts of Parkerburg stories can be read as standalones, each with a HEA…but trust me, you’ll want to read about all the sweet happenings in this quaint little town.

This new installment in the Hearts Of Parkerburg series by Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows didn’t satisfy me as the previous one, Fire of the Heart, did. I probably will be in the minority with my review, but this novel is a barely three stars to me. And the reason I barely liked the story can be found in the lack of feelings between the MCs. I’m very easy to please in my reading, just give me some love and a happy ending and I’m a happy girl. When I miss one of these two elements, I can’t give a higher rating to the book.

Although it’s part of a series, Spark of the Heart works as a standalone, so start this series wherever you prefer. I read the blurb and I liked it, I read the story and I liked the idea, the general plot, the characters are all complex and with heavy backgrounds, they are real and enjoyable, just how I need my characters to be. I adored the fact the story isn’t focused on just the MCs but there are secondary ones like Brian and Bas, which I would love to know more about. I liked the setting and the good writing, (that’s the main reason I gave the book a three stars, because it is very well written) made me picturing the places, the shops, the atmosphere, in my mind with an easiness hard to find.

That said, as I previously anticipated, I missed something. Apart from the physical attraction, clear and hot, I couldn’t feel more between the MCs. Almost to the end, when Jet said Rosy he loved him, I was taken aback. Throughout all the story I saw nothing, just a sex interest and no more. It puzzled me and made the ending rushed through an unexpected HEA.

Still, I hope the authors will give me more stories on some characters I found in Spark of the Heart and loved.

The cover art by Author Services follows the theme of the other covers and I like it, simple and romantic.

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BOOK DETAILS

Ebook 215 pages

Published March 1st 2017 by Appleton Publishing Avenue

ISBN 13 9781370649815

Edition Language English

Hearts of Parkerburg series

Christmas in His Heart #1

Heart on the Run #2

Fire of the Heart #3

Spark to the Heart #4

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Fallen Angel (The Angel of 13th Street #2) by Eden Winters

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Who can save the rescuer of lost souls?

For ten years ex-rent boy Noah Everett has fought the good fight, offering second chances to those still in the life. Now he’s cracking under the stress. What began as a two-man mission is now going corporate, meaning rules, regulations and inexperienced volunteers needing guidance in a field Noah makes up as he goes along. Who can he turn to when his mentor’s strength is all but gone and his lover is leaving for college—possibly for good?

Four years at State with a full ride scholarship will launch Jeremy Kincaid’s future, but his present includes Noah, Doc, and the closest he’s ever had to a family. And a meth addict who’s become Jeremy’s own personal mission.

An attack sends Noah spinning out of control. Jeremy has to find the way to reach Noah before the man he knows and loves disappears forever.

This story was tough for me to rate. I was excitedly looking forward to the sequel to one of the first books I read in the M/M genre: The Angel of Thirteenth Street. I love the author and clearly recalled enjoying that story. But this one fell short for me, mostly because it took me a long time to engage with the characters. I’m a voracious reader, so a few thousand characters have come and gone in my life since I read Angel, and I didn’t recall specifics about that story or about the main characters, Noah and Jeremy. I realize now that I should have gone back and reread the first one because this one may have captured my attention and engaged me sooner if I was able to freshly recall that story.

And because I didn’t recall the characters—either individually, or as a couple—I didn’t connect with them in the early sex scenes and actually skimmed over the scenes because “ho-hum two guys having sex” before I became invested in them as a couple was just that—ho-hum. It wasn’t until about 60% of the way in that I started to really care about what was happening to Noah and Jeremy and Doc and definitely about Lark and Sam, two of the secondary characters. In fact, I just read online that they are going to have their story told someday, but honestly, I wouldn’t have minded just having their full story woven into this one. They engaged me. Noah and Jeremy did not.

The story is definitely a continuation of the first one, and because I didn’t clearly recall the first, I would not recommend this as a standalone. The author relies heavily on a fan base from the past. Noah comes across as an older man (though I think he’s only early thirties) and since he’s undergoing an emotional crisis and can’t shake his past throughout most of the book, and heemotionally detaches from his “almost” nineteen-year-old partner, I really didn’t like him much.

Jeremy, on the other hand, was a sweetheart—smart, sharp, understanding, caring, concerned, generous, and more. But him with Noah? Most of their scenes together were sex scenes in the first half and walk-on-glass-around-the-grumpy-guy scenes in the second half. The ending was satisfying, though, and I really liked the Christmas Carol theme of the intervention spearheaded by Jeremy.

So, overall, yes I liked it, hence 3 stars. But I would offer a warning that should be posted with the book—read or reread book one immediately before starting this one because together they make a whole—and I think anyone would enjoy this one much more if book one was fresh in the memory banks.

~~~

Cover by P.D. Singer is a simple side profile of a young man leaning against a brick wall. Not colorful and not attention-getting IMHO.

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Book Details:

ebook, Second

Published February 27th 2017 by Rocky Ridge Books (first published May 1st 2012)

Edition Language English

Series

The Angel of 13th Street #2

Characters

Noah Everett, Jeremy Kincaid

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Who We Are by Nicola Haken

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Since putting his life on hold ten years ago, Oliver Clayton doesn’t know who he is anymore. To his clients at the hair salon, he’s the sassy and confident stylist. To the crowds who come to watch his drag act at the club, he’s the fierce and fabulous Miss Tique. He’s popular. Talented. Out, proud, and self-assured.

He’s also a good actor.

Sebastian Day is content with life’s easy, if not a little monotonous, routine. After several failed relationships, he likes the simplicity of being alone in his truck at his job as a heavy goods driver, spending the weekends with his teenage son, and putting the world to rights with his cat, Marv. He’s not lonely. He isn’t hiding.

At least…he doesn’t think he is until he meets the mesmerising stranger with the red hair and purple lips.

Can Oliver and Sebastian help each other embrace who they are? Or will a cruel twist of fate end their journey before it’s even begun?

Who We Are is just a superb bit of storytelling, from the incredible characters to the heartrending life obstacles and things almost guaranteed to derail all our hopes, dreams and plans for happiness that get thrown in these characters way. Haken charts it all out here and then realistically manages to give us and her characters the ending we are crying out for. How I adored this story.

Of course, any outstanding story has to have its foundation in its characters and that especially true with Who We Are. But its not just Ollie Clayton and Seb Day that we get here (although they are so incredible that would it be just them, it would still be a 5 star tale). No, its all the characters that circle them with an almost gravitational pull. From Tyler, the brother Ollie has brought up and supported since their mother died of cancer to Scott, Seb’s son, (and the other family equally great), to mothers, fathers, uncles, best friends, the author has created a community for Ollie and Seb to live within that’s so vibrant and meaningful that the reader easily loses themselves to the story and to the lives of all the people they meet within. Each person moved me with what was going on in their lives and how they were or weren’t handling it. These were layered human beings who acted their ages, had problems and conversations that reflected that as well. I believed in them with all my heart and needed them to move forward any way they could.

Oh, the issues these people faced….a myriad of them. This story unfolds so beautifully, especially the courtship of Ollie and Seb. The awkward flirting, the funny meetings that slowly turn into deep feelings. The butterflies in the stomach that the reader feels as well. Grab that box of tissues. These two will sink deep into your heart as they do with each other. Soulmates has never felt so true.

But life is harsh as Ollie has learned over and over. I think Nicola Haken has taken a stark look at what happens to people, their relationships when life deals them a tough blow. This section is just as wonderful and terrifying as everything that went before. And for some, maybe the hardest pages to read.

But that ending…that wipe your tears, grab up the book and start from the beginning again ending….yes…simply splendid. I see and then hear these words in my head and immediately, I start smiling and reaching for the Kindle in anticipation of a book I’m happily recommending to you all:

“Are you flirting with me?”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe”

Cover art is perfect for the character and story.

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 271 pages
Published March 8th 2017
ASINB06XHGDVGF

Love Contemporary Romance? Check out ‘Step by Step’ by KC Wells – Release Tour (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Step by Step

Author: K.C. Wells

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 13, 2017

DREAMSPINNER PRESS

Jamie’s life is one big financial mess, and it really isn’t his fault. However, the last thing he expected to find in the library was a Good Samaritan. He might have been suspicious of Guy’s motives at first, but it soon becomes apparent that his savior is a good man who has been lucky in life and is looking to pay it forward. Guy being gay is not a problem. Jamie’s not interested… or so he thinks.

Guy is happy to help Jamie, and the two men get along fine. But when Jamie’s curiosity leads him from one thing to another, Guy finds himself looking at the young man with new eyes. What started out as a hand up is now something completely different….

“Please, tell me you’re tapping that gorgeous ass,” Troy said in a low voice.

Guy followed Troy’s gaze to where Jamie stood next to Cole, talking and smiling with Simon Bexter. Guy smiled to himself. Perfect. Cole had caught on to Guy’s plan.

Then Troy’s words hit home. “Excuse me?”

Troy indicated Jamie with a nod of his head. “Your so-called roommate. Only that’s a euphemism, right?” He gave Guy a sideways glance. “You are fucking him, right?”

“Wrong.” Guy set his jaw. It wasn’t the first time that evening that he’d heard that assumption. “One, he’s straight, and—”

Troy snorted. “And what’s wrong with that? He just doesn’t know what he’s missing.” He leered. “You could be the one to teach him how to take a dick.”

Guy tried not to growl. “And two, I’m helping him get a good start in life. Like someone once did for me.” Right then he was asking himself why he’d invited Troy in the first place.

Troy groaned. “Seriously? Just look at him. That is one beautiful specimen of manhood right there.”

Guy watched how Jamie interacted with others. It was funny, but until that moment, he’d never seen him as a man. He was just…. Jamie. But Troy had a point. Jamie’s creamy skin, gorgeous blue eyes, and slim figure all added up to a beautiful man.

How come I never saw him so clearly before?

Maybe it was because Jamie was straight. Guy wasn’t in the habit of lusting after straight guys. He’d had his fingers burned in the past, and on both occasions, it hadn’t turned out well. Maybe that was why his brain had refused to acknowledge what he was now seeing: Jamie was lovely.

Then Jamie glanced across at him and his eyes lit up.

“Ooh, someone’s happy,” Troy said in a singsong voice. “Look at that smile.” He nudged Guy with his elbow. “You play your cards right and you could have that tasty piece of ass warming your sheets tonight.”

Guy turned to Troy with a sigh of exasperation. “You don’t listen, do you? Not going to happen. You got that? Now go find yourself someone else to pester.” He had no idea why Troy’s suggestions evoked such a strong reaction in him, but he wasn’t about to spend time fathoming it out. Not when Jamie was walking over to him.

Troy huffed and left him to go to the bar, and Guy was fine with that. He’d known Troy for years, but recently he had changed. He’d become a pig, pure and simple. At least Guy could see that now.

Well, no more.

Jamie stopped in front of him, his face glowing. “Thank you.” The words were uttered fervently but quietly.

“For what?”

Jamie’s smile hadn’t dimmed. “I figured it out, with a little help from Cole. You put a lot of thought into that guest list, didn’t you?”

Guy played the innocent. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.” When Jamie continued to stare, he had to relent. “Okay, so I might have invited a few lawyers.” He nodded in Cole’s direction. “I got the impression you were a little awestruck when I introduced you to Cole.”

Jamie chuckled. “That would be an understatement. I may have a mild case of hero-worship.”

“Hero?” Guy widened his eyes. “Wow.” He buffed his fingernails on his shirt. “Guess I did good, then.”

Jamie laughed. “Better than good. You are one cool guy, do you know that?”

Fuck, the light in his eyes….

Guy steered himself away from that particular thought, but he had to admit it had shaken him. When was the last time someone looked at me like that?

The sad thing was, he couldn’t remember.

Guy pulled himself together. “So are you done schmoozing for the night, or is Cole about to introduce you to another mover and shaker?”

Jamie laughed again, and Guy loved its natural, unforced quality. Even his laughter makes me feel good. He gave himself a mental slap. He did not want to think about Jamie like that.

Guy smiled. “I’m going to mingle and make sure everybody’s happy. Cole looks like he’s taking good care of you.” He reached out and squeezed Jamie’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

To his surprise Jamie gave him a quick hug. “Thank you,” he whispered before releasing him and disappearing in Cole’s direction.

Guy stared after him, shocked by the unexpected display of affection. Then Troy stepped into his line of sight, his lips contorted into a smirk, his eyebrows arched.

Guy slowly turned away and headed into the living room.

Nope. Not going there.

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Recommended Story: Read Lila’s Review Here

K.C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.

She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

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Release Day Blitz: An Officer’s Submission (Cuffs, Collars, and Love #4) by Christa Tomlinson (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: An Officer’s Submission

Series: Cuffs, Collars, and Love #4

Author: Christa Tomlinson

Publisher: Self- Torlina Publishing

Release Date: March 16

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 67,000

Genre: Romance, erotic romance, contemporary, D/S, established couples

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Synopsis

“You don’t ever have to keep anything you feel locked up, Clay. I’m your Dom, and whatever you need from me, I’ll gladly give to you.”
– Sergeant Logan Pierce

Police Officer Clay Foster is finally at peace and happy with his life. He enjoys his career as a member of Houston’s SWAT team, and he loves submitting to his Dom in the bedroom. His life is perfect, until one cruel act destroys Clay’s bubble of happiness. Shattered trust forces Clay to reevaluate his career, his relationship, and himself.

Sergeant Logan Pierce is the leader of Houston’s elite SWAT team. On the force, he’s the best at what he does. In private, the most important thing in his life is taking care of his submissive, Clay. Clay is his whole world, and Logan will do whatever is necessary to keep him safe. Even if that means going up against Clay’s stubbornness in order to help him heal.

Can Logan and Clay work together to rebuild their happiness? Can they find their way back to the shared passion of Dominance and submission? Or will their love and relationship end before it’s truly begun?

Excerpt

“It’s good to be back home.”

Logan looked down at him with an eyebrow raised. “Home?”

Clay snorted a laugh. As usual, they were at Logan’s house. When he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t been back to his apartment in weeks. In fact, his bags from their recent trip to Colorado were here at Logan’s. He hadn’t bothered to take them back to his place after their return.

“If I’m in your space too much, I can throw all my stuff in the car and head back to my apartment,” he said as he pretended to pull away.

Logan tightened his grip on his foot. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Clay bit his lip to hold back a grin. “I didn’t think you wanted me to. But what I meant is, I feel good about life. That trip was awesome. I got to play in the snow, just like I wanted.”

“And I got to warm you up when you were done.”

“You did a very good job. You might have gotten me a little overheated a few times,” he teased. He wiggled his toes as Logan squeezed his foot again. “You and I are in a great place. And I think things are going to be better at work now too. We redid Hayden’s ridiculous course and passed with flying colors this time. I’m hoping the fact that we passed the redo means Hayden will get off our backs and quit fucking with our schedule.”

“The team is gelling again. And we’re hoping Hayden will finally move on and give up on his pet project of tormenting our team. Anything else?”

Clay shifted, looking at the TV instead of Logan. “What else is there?”

“Are you still blaming yourself for that idiot making those fake calls to our team?”

Clay pulled his feet off Logan’s lap for real this time and got up from the couch. “Why wouldn’t I blame myself? It was my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault. And I don’t like hearing you say that it was.”

“C’mon, Sarge. You know that was on me.” Clay roughly ran a hand through his hair, turning his back on his lover. “If I hadn’t gone to that convention and went on camera bragging about how badass our team was, that whacko would have never taken it as a challenge to try and prove he was better than us.” He turned back around as Logan grabbed his hand and pulled him to stand in between his legs.

“Maybe not. But maybe he would have taken his anger out in another way.”

“What do you mean?”

“You read the report Roberts put together on the guy. He was looking for revenge because he felt he’d been slighted too many times. What if he’d physically attacked the people he wanted revenge against? Someone or several someones could have been hurt. At least with the revenge tactics he chose, no one was. We managed to catch the idiot, and hopefully he’ll be granted some time to think about what he did.”

“Are you forgetting he tried to kill me?” Clay saw a muscle tic in Logan’s jaw at the question, his hazel eyes going hard before he answered.

“No, I’m not forgetting.”

Clay tilted his head to the side as he studied his lover. “You know, I noticed that the perp seemed a little worse for wear before you got him loaded in the patrol car. Did you do anything to cause that?”

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

Logan’s response was a non-answer, but it confirmed Clay’s suspicions. “I’m a cop. On occasion, I might get hurt. And you can’t go after people because of that.”

“And you’re mine. Did you forget that?”

Clay shook his head. “No, Sir.”

“Come here.” Clay followed the gentle pull Logan gave his hand to drop down to the couch and straddle his lap.

“You’re my lover. My submissive. It’s my right and my pleasure to protect you, always.” He brought a hand up, his thumb sliding across the metal collar that circled Clay’s neck. “I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you or take you away from me.”

A thrill shot through Clay at that declaration. Logan’s unapologetic possessiveness had caused problems early on in their relationship, but they’d worked on it and come to an understanding on boundaries. Now, he was able to revel in Logan’s possessiveness and caring, because he knew it wouldn’t get out of hand. Clay pressed his forehead to Logan’s and closed his eyes. “I love when you talk to me like that.”

Logan’s hand moved to grip the back of his neck. “Do you?”

His eyes still closed, Clay nodded.

“Tell me why.”

“Because it makes me feel like the most important thing in your world. I’ve never felt like that with anyone.”

“It’s true. You are the most important thing to me. Having you in my life, wearing my collar, means everything to me.”

Clay opened his eyes and looked into his lover’s gaze, seeing the sincerity there. Not that he doubted him. Logan had proven time and time again how much he loved him. “I don’t deserve you, Sir. And I don’t do enough to show you how much I love you in return.”

“You don’t have to do anything to deserve me. I’m with you because I don’t ever want to be with anyone else.”

“Well, maybe I can show you what I feel tonight. Physically.”

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Self- Torlina Publishing

Meet the Author

Christa Tomlinson is an exciting up and coming author in erotic romance. Christa graduated from The University of Missouri-St. Louis with a degree in history. She loves to create stories that are emotional and lovely with sex that is integral to the characters’ romantic arc. Her books include straight couples, curvy couples, gay, and multicultural couples. Love is love and everyone should have their story told.

Christa lives in Houston, Texas with her two dogs, and is a retired roller derby player. She enjoys hearing from readers, other authors and aspiring writers. For more on Christa’s work, including deleted scenes, excerpts, and free reads, visit http://www.ChristaTomlinson.com

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Between the Secrets, an all-new MM romance by S. Ferguson is now LIVE!!

Sometimes the past won’t let you escape no matter how much your future wants you to.

Jake James lives in the shadows of his shame. The guilt for what he’s done, for what was done to him, has left him hollow and haunted.

Greg Bissen just wants Jake to let him in, having accepted who he is a long time ago, he is desperate to break through Jake’s defenses.

When danger and an agonizing loss threatens to tear them apart, will Jake let the burdens of his past crush him?

Or can love really conquer all, even if it’s hiding in between the secrets?

Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2lK53n3

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/gRPHZU

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About the Author:

Ferguson is a military wife and mother of three. She loves to find beauty in the flawed and broken.

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Email: sfergusonwrites@gmail.com

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An Alisa Review: Love by Design by Sam B. Morgan

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Two years ago, Jeremy Lanzo’s life almost fell apart when he fell for his boss and the golden prince of McIntyre Corporation, Benjamin McIntyre, the Third. After being ruthlessly rejected, he swore off the blue-eyed blond and did everything in his power never to cross paths with Ben again.

Now the two of them have been chosen to lead the company’s largest project to date; a lavish hotel in Sydney, Australia. Working and residing with Ben is difficult enough, but Ben’s continued attempts to make amends and re-kindling their broken friendship may prove more tempting than either of them can handle.

Ugh, I really wanted to like this story and kept hoping the tone would change and it would pick up, but it never seemed to. Jeremy has pretty much been on his own since he went off to college and has sworn to stay away from Ben as much as possible while Ben is hoping to get their friendship going again. Their connection to each other is strong, but they worry of what others would think could very well be their downfall.

I liked the premise of this story and definitely didn’t enjoy this as much as the author’s previous book I have read. It started off right with the poor me attitude and it just continued through the book with both characters. We see both of the characters points of view which means we hear how both of them are sad or depressed about what happened before and what they would like now. I couldn’t connect with the characters as they seemed to live a bubble from the outside world and once that comes into play it feels like they give up. It was nice to see Ben finally grow a pair near the end of the book and decide what he had with Jeremy is more special than anything else, but it just couldn’t redeem the rest of the story for me.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is nice and works well for the story.

Sales Links: Loose Id | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 205 pages

Published: February 17, 2017 by Loose Id

ISBN: 9781682522899

Edition Language: English

An Ali Release Day Review: Sophie (Survivor Stories #5) by J.P. Barnaby

Rating: 4 out 5 stars

It’s amazing how a single word from a tiny girl can change your life.

Spencer Thomas’s world turns upside down when his beloved Nell dies and leaves custody of her three-year-old daughter to him. Her “Spenna” comes when Sophie needs him most, but his boyfriend, Aaron, can’t be a parent. He just can’t. Neither of them expected a baby to fall into the lives they’d finally just settled.

When Nell’s ex comes to claim Sophie, Aaron needs to make a decision: man up or walk away as Spencer faces the fight of his life.

This was a touching and beautiful end to this series. At time this story takes place Aaron and Spencer have been together for seven years. They’re doing well until Spencer ends up with Sophie. Aaron is terrified of raising a child because if anyone knows the tragedies that befall children it’s him. There comes a point where both Aaron and Spencer have some tough choices to make.

There’s an author’s note at the end saying this is her last book before she retires. I’m so glad she wrote this before she does. It was like a gift to fans. There’s nothing better in my opinion that seeing everything wrapped up for your favorite characters and knowing they’ll have their happily ever after. The gang’s all here in this. Aaron’s parents, his brothers and their families and Spencer’s dad.

I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you’ve read this series over the years, this is a must read. (This book is not a standalone though and it probably won’t have the same impact if you haven’t read Aaron and Spencer’s book.)

Cover Artist: AngstyG: I love the cover. It fits the story well and stays within the same style as the previous books in the series.

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Book Details:

ebook, 108 pages
Expected publication: March 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635333909
Edition LanguageEnglishSeries Survivor Stories

Sarah Madison on Writing, Characters, and her story ‘Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense: Book One)’ (author interview, excerpt and guest post)

Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense #1) by Sarah Madison
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Available for Purchase at

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sarah Madison here today talking about writing, characters, and her latest novel, Unspeakable Words. Welcome, Sarah!

~Our Sarah Madison Interview~

How much of yourself goes into a character?

Oh, that’s a good question. I’d have to say elements of myself go into nearly every main character. When I’m writing about feeling insecure or out of my element, that’s me. If my character is unafraid of physical danger but terrified of emotional loss, that’s me. If a character admires competence and loyalty, that’s me. Many times, a story evolves out of something I’m going through at the moment—like the notion of whether or not one person can make a difference. And many of my stories have the common theme of creating your family rather than relying on flesh and blood to see you through, or that life is more than mere survival.

No matter what themes we choose to write about, be it feeling unattractive, abandoned, underappreciated at work, personal loss, or whatever, naturally we pull from our own internal resources to describe how our characters feel. There is always an Objective Observer in me that notes events in my life with an impartial eye. I can be in the midst of some great trauma, and a part of me is categorizing my reactions and thinking, “I’m going to use this in a story someday…”

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?

Do you mean a fine line, where on one side it’s acceptable to draw on personal experiences but it doesn’t take much to cross over into Mary/Gary Sue territory? Yes, I think that’s true. For example, I can write a character who is brilliant at his job but sucks at his personal relationships. I can borrow from my own experiences, especially if they are funny or embarrassing. But I am neither brilliant at my job nor horrible at personal relationships. The character is never a stand-in for me in the story. I’m taking an idea and building a character around it, taking advantages of life events and experiences that will help lend verisimilitude to the creation. I’d never want to create a character that not only serves as my avatar but is larger-than-life perfect and can do no wrong. Not only would the character wind up cartoonish and two-dimensional, but it would be hard to create new characters without having them all sound and act the same.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

May I say both? ☺ Because I adore research. I can get lost for weeks or months reading and researching a particular topic, which is one of the reasons I don’t write as fast as I’d like. But I also love world building too. When I wrote Crying for the Moon, it was my first-ever vampire story. I started to plunge headfirst into my usual research mode (which is to read and watch everything I can get my hands on before jotting down a single word) but then I realized I didn’t need to do that. I could write my vampires any way I wanted—creating a world and mythology that made sense to me without relying on the existing bank of culture. The end result was a vampire story many considered refreshingly different and original. I had a lot of fun doing that.

But when I wrote The Boys of Summer, I did the total immersion thing. I haunted the history section of the bookstore and library. I watched documentaries and era-movies. I read books on the Battle of Britain. I was appalled by my lack of knowledge about such an important part of history that I couldn’t rest until I’d learned enough that I thought I could tell the story of those young pilots effectively.

I have an entire section of bookshelves devoted to forensics, true crime, and profiling, thanks to the Sixth Sense series. Last summer, I went to Writer’s Police Academy, which I highly recommend for anyone who wants to write mysteries and crime drama.

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

I suspect it’s why I can’t settle down to one genre. I love them all! Historicals, mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, you name it, I read it. I actually read very little romance growing up, but I adored any story that had a romantic subplot.

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?

More times than I care to admit. Usually, the story needs time to mature so I can figure out where it needs to go. I’ve got one story on job burnout I may never finish however. Writing it is just too close to home.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

It’s a must for me at this point in my life. That’s not to say I will never read a story that breaks my heart. Some of the most amazing stories I’ve ever read did just that. They stay with me today because of the powerful impact they made on me. But to be honest, these days, life is pretty crappy for a lot of people. I write because it takes me out of myself and out of a bad day. I hope those reading my stories can escape reality for a few hours and forget about being a caretaker, or chronic illness, or the fact their boss/wife/husband/parent/child is being a jerk. ☺

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

Some, but I lived for mysteries and sci-fi. Probably why so many of my stories have a paranormal element to them.

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

The story dearest to my heart is probably The Boys of Summer. Partly because of how the research drew me in, but also because in many ways, it is a more gut-wrenching story than what I usually tell, and yet I still managed to give it a happy ending.

I am very partial to the Sixth Sense series as well, though. Probably because as a series, I’ve spent more time with these characters than any of the others. Also because I love how the characters have grown and how their relationship has evolved over time.

What’s next for you as an author?

The revised and expanded version of Unspeakable Words is available for pre-order now, and will be re-released on March 10^th, 2017.

I’m currently working on the fourth and final installment in the series, tentatively titled Deal with the Devil. Current release date sometime in 2018. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the relaunch of the series, or coming to the party for the first time. I think you’ll enjoy it.

About Unspeakable Words

The Sixth Sense: Book One

Special Agent John Flynn is everything Jerry Parker is not: dangerously handsome, coolly charismatic, and respected by his peers. Special Agent Parker is dedicated and meticulous, but his abrasive personality has given him a reputation for being difficult. When new information on a cold case appears, Parker is assigned to work with Flynn, and the sparks fly as their investigative styles clash. Contact with a strange artifact changes everything when it bestows unusual and unpredictable powers on Flynn… and the two men must learn to trust each other before a killer strikes again.

First Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2010.

Excerpt

“Jerry!”

Jerry abandoned his conversation with Flynn to look for the owner of the voice from his past. His heart squeezed painfully to a halt at the sight of Derek standing on the sidewalk behind him, only to restart at double-time.

Jesus. Talk about running into your ex.

Derek wore a brown blazer over a tan turtleneck, with a brightly colored scarf carelessly thrown around his neck. Jerry had a momentary spurt of irritation for the affectation and then felt his heart sink. There was no way he could avoid speaking to Derek without looking churlish, and he didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.

“What are you doing down here?” Derek’s voice was inappropriately coy as he raised an eyebrow in Flynn’s direction and gave him the once-over. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

His sun-bleached hair was overly long and curling at the collar, and Jerry was secretly amused that it appeared to be getting thin on top. Derek had creases at the corners of his eyes as well. Too much time in the tanning booth, no doubt.

He must be having a cow over that.

It must be harder now for Derek to catch the attention of some sweet young ass, unless the young thing was desperate for a sugar daddy.

“Derek Collins,” Jerry said smoothly, “my partner, John Flynn. We’re here on business, Derek.”

This is the guy that I thought I loved once. Boy, was I an idiot.

“Partner?” Derek glanced swiftly at Jerry’s left hand and then gave a little laugh. “Oh, partner,” he repeated without explanation, shooting a sly smirk at Flynn.

Jerry felt Flynn go rigid with tension, like a dog with his hackles up.

Relax. Gayness isn’t catching.

Flynn shot him a wounded look, and Jerry felt ashamed when he realized Flynn wasn’t embarrassed by Derek’s innuendos, he was pissed off on Jerry’s behalf. That was just…. Wow. Warmth suddenly flooded him, and he was both embarrassed and comforted at the same time.

Inexplicably, Flynn’s face relaxed, and a lazy smile appeared. “Yes, partner.” He practically purred as he placed a hand on Jerry’s arm. “Come on, Jer. We don’t want to be late for that interview.”

He guided Jerry away with a decidedly possessive hand on the small of his back.

“What was that about?” Jerry hissed as they left Derek openmouthed behind them.

“That asshole,” Flynn growled. “I can’t believe he cheated on you with a twinkie.”

Jerry stumbled and then laughed. When he quickly glanced over his shoulder, he saw Derek staring at the two of them speculatively. He laughed even harder and clapped Flynn on the back.

“It’s ‘twink’ if you really want to be cool,” Jerry corrected him.

“Asshole.” Flynn repeated the epithet for good measure, sounding pissed off again. “I wanted to punch him, but then I realized what would jerk his chain.” He appeared insufferably pleased with himself.

“You’re an idiot,” Jerry said with amusement. “A nice one, but an idiot all the same.” It’ll be all over town by this evening that I have a hot boyfriend. He fixed a sharp look on Flynn to check his reaction, but Flynn merely whistled innocently. “Come on,” Jerry sighed, not knowing what to make of the gesture. “We’ve got work to do.”

About the Author

Sarah Madison is a writer with a little dog, a big dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. An amateur photographer and a former competitor in the horse sport known as eventing, when she’s not out hiking with the dogs or down at the stables, she’s at the laptop working on her next story. When she’s in the middle of a chapter, she relies on the smoke detector to tell her dinner is ready. She writes because it’s cheaper than therapy.

Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013, 2015, and 2016 Rainbow Awards. The Boys of Summer won Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards. The Sixth Sense series was voted 2^nd place in the 2014 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Mystery series, and 3^rd place in the 2105 PGR Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series. Fool’s Gold was voted best M/M romance in the 2016 PRG Awards.

If you want to make her day, e-mail her and tell you how much you like her stories.

Website: http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Madison/e/B004K9QY5C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1471196589&sr=1-2-ent

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/searchresults?q=Sarah+Madison

E-mail: akasarahmadison@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Madison-Author/106445646104338

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic

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Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense #1) by Sarah Madison Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Available for Purchase at

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sarah Madison here today talking about writing, characters, and her latest novel, Unspeakable Words. Welcome, Sarah!

~Our Sarah Madison Interview~

About Unspeakable Words

Excerpt

About the Author

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Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense #1) by Sarah Madison
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase