A Caryn Review: Morning My Angel (Angel Enterprises #1) by Sue Brown

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

e50f3-morning2bmy2bangel2bjpgYou gotta love thrillers with snarky protagonists!  Josh Cooper works for CDR, a security company in Seattle that usually provides bodyguards and such to celebrities, but he and his team have been sent to London for a special assignment.  This job is more of an investigation than what they usually do, and they first have to find their mark, before they can protect him.  CDR has contracted with a London based company to assist them, and set Josh’s team up with an equivalent team there.  From the beginning, there is mistrust and animosity as both teams – as well as various London law enforcement agencies – battle over turf and refuse to share information.

Josh is unapologetically out, gay, and willing to hit on anybody who is attractive – gay or straight – sometimes to get laid, but mostly because he just loves to get a rise out of people.  He is snarky, abrasive, has a massive caffeine addiction, and proud that everyone at CDR knows him as an asshole, but an asshole who gets things done.  About two years prior to the events of this book, after an accidental message, he started up a virtual friendship with a man whom he dubbed “Charlie” who called Josh “Angel”.  Yes, there are mentions of Farrah Fawcett in here and references to the original TV series!  Josh comes to regard Charlie as a close friend, confides in him, is happy every time Charlie contacts him, and realizes that he is falling in love with him.  Now he just needs to find out Charlie’s identity so they can get together in real life.

The pace of the book was fast and exciting, both the investigation and the romance, and I basically read it in one sitting.  Just when I thought that the action was peaking and the book was wrapping up, I’d realize I was far from the end, and the plot would take another twist.  Some of those were very predictable (Charlie’s true identity was pretty obvious to everyone but Josh), but I have to admit the big reveal at the end really surprised me.

There were a lot of loose ends that weren’t completely tied up at the end of the book, which would have been disappointing, until I realized this would be the first of a series.  Josh and Charlie don’t get their HEA, but they definitely have a HFN and the set up for more danger and adventure in the next installment.  This is a series I am going to enjoy reading!  It reminded me a little of the Shadow of the Templar by M. Chandler, for those who enjoyed that series.

The cover art by Meredith Russell made me think of an entirely different story – the model looks like a mild mannered software engineer looking out over Seattle instead of who I imagined Josh to be, and even had a beard that Josh certainly didn’t have.  The book reads like a thriller, and the cover doesn’t convey that at all.

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An Alisa Release Day Review: Chase This Light by Francis Gideon

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

 

chase-this-light-by-francis-gideonWhen Jason Flores moves to the Yukon for a new job, he’s not sure what to expect. His son Micah seems enchanted by the wildlife, but his recent fear of the dark means that the eighteen-hour nights in the winter will be a difficult adjustment. When Jason takes Micah to the local museum’s interactive lecture series on the gold rush, it turns out to be one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

 

Pete Odjick, a tattooed First Nations and Inuit man, dresses up for the weekly lectures as Skookum Jim, one of the first prospectors to find gold. He takes an immediate interest in Micah and an even bigger interest in Jason.

 

As their flirtation grows into something more serious, Jason’s job at a big name oil company and Pete’s volunteer work with an environmental group become a point of contention. Can they come to an understanding and give Micah a family again? Or will the drastic differences between them tear them apart? As the winter nights grow longer, Pete and Jason worry their love won’t be enough to chase the darkness away.

 

This was a wonderful story.  Jason has uprooted his whole life to move to the Yukon when he is transferred for his job.  He can only hope that this move will give his son, Micah, a chance to grow after the loss of his mother and grandmother.

 

Jason and Pete meet when Jason brings Micah to the museum to get out of the house after the long move.  Pete and Jason both recognize the need to move slowly because of Micah and also what they are both looking for.  Micah is such a sweet boy, but not unnaturally so as I see in so many stories.

 

We see this story from both character’s points of view.  Jason has to deal with not only his own grief when he and Pete have a misunderstanding, but also Micah’s.  They both are willing to make compromises to help each other so that their relationship can grow.

 

Cover art by Bree Archer is perfect and I wouldn’t change anything.

 

Sales Links

        

 

 

 

 

 

Book Details:

ebook, 117 pages

Published: October 12, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781634777582

Edition Language: English

Series: A World of Love Story

Ride Into Love with ‘The Rancher’s Son (Montana #2)’ by RJ Scott (recap tour and giveaway)

 The Rancher’s Son (Montana #2) – RJ Scott

Author: RJ Scott

 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Length: 66,200 woords
 
 
Series
 
Blurb
 
A man without memories, and the cop who never gave up hope. 

When he wakes up in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating, John Doe, has no memories of who he is or who hurt him. The cops can find nothing to identify him and he can’t remember anything to help… except the name Ethan and one recurring place from his dreams. Three words, and they’re not much, but it’s a start. Crooked Tree Ranch. 

Cop, Ethan Allens has never stopped searching for his brother and his brother’s best friend who vanished. When a report lands on Ethan’s desk that may give new leads he jumps at the chance to follow them up. The man he finds isn’t his brother, but it’s someone who could maybe help him discover what happened ten years ago. 

What neither man can know is that facing the very real demons of the past could very well destroy any kind of future they may think they have together. 

Author Bio:

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. 

 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
 
The last time she had a weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.
 

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Enjoy the Dance (Dancing #2) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

enjoy-the-dance-by-heidi-cullinanWhen Spenser Harris spots a young man with a black trash bag hovering outside his apartment door, his first thought is panic, the second is that the boy must belong to the Spanish-speaking family across the hall.  But then he learns the true story, and all the compassion of this kind-hearted kindergarden teacher comes to the forefront as he opens his arms and his heart wide to take in the homeless teen. They have more in common than the teen, Duon, suspects. Spenser was once a child of the foster system and didn’t find family until he had aged out of the system when Avenues for Homeless Youth placed him with a lesbian couple through the GLBT Host Home Program.  Spenser is determined that Duon won’t have to go through what he did and immediately makes plans to become an eligible home. 

Speaking of the neighbors across the hall, Duon was indeed looking for them, more specifically for Tobias, the adult son of the household, a man who instructs dance at the studio where Duon takes lessons in exchange for work. The studio is owned by Ed and Laurie (Dance With Me) and is the best thing in Duon’s life to-date. Tobias also works as a barista at Starbucks and as a nursing home janitor and sometimes even squeezes in an extra job when it looks doable. He’s the sole support of his undocumented immigrant parents who, in turn, are the sole support of his sister’s three kids. His sister, an addict and all around ne’er-do-well is generally MIA, and between avoiding INS and needing someone to watch over the kids, his parents can’t work so earning money to support everyone falls to Tobias.

This story is the love story of Spenser and Tobias but the theme is family—family of the heart as well as family of origin—for better or for worse. And it’s about the love of one person for another, with or without a blood relationship. Spenser lost his sisters when they were taken into the foster care system after his mother was arrested when Spenser was a young child. His mother is out of jail now, and he’s seen her once, but his sisters are lost to him. His heart and psyche bear the scars of abandonment from that incident and from the loss of all his foster homes. It seemed to him at the time that no matter what he did, he was never good enough. Wheras Tobias has grown up in a loving family but in a world where every misspoken word could lead the INS to their door. And every wrong deed done by his sister could bring the focus of DHS children’s services to their door and therefore INS as well. Fear is a very real emotion for Tobias, every single day.

But Duon seems to bridge a gap for both men, and Spenser finds family where he least expected it, as he’s virtually adopted by Tobias’s parents, and Tobias finds not only his own family in Spenser and Duon, but help where he least expected it. Together, they forge a new future as Tobias, Duon, and Laurie teach Spenser how to overcome his fear of failure and enjoy the dance.

I hope it’s obvious by now that I totally enjoyed this story, and I highly recommend it. It’s one of those stories that gets better with each page turn. In fact, I have never highlighted so many passages, so many quotes, so many things I thought were memorable and worth saving—not just to write the review, but to use in my life choices. A simple example is: “All lives cast shadows. Pretending otherwise is how we end up accidentally living in darkness.”

And this next passage really sent an arrow to my heart as I am aging, hopefully gracefully, while attempting to maintain my integrity and dignity: “…one day, no matter what we do, there will be darkness and end. But the time between the spark and the curtain’s close is ours to shape.” I have no words that would truly do justice to how much I respect Heidi Cullinan. After reading this book, both my eyes and my heart have been opened to the plight of both undocumented immigrants and teens in foster care, particularly “queer teens.” Please don’t skip over the Author’s Note at the end of the story. I’m trying to force down the tears as I write this, knowing there are young gay, lesbian, or transgender youth out there who are suffering at this very moment. I wish I was in a situation to do more right now, but I can donate something, and I will. 

On a much lighter note, I really need to thank the author for introducing readers to the joys of using Tajin as a seasoning. It’s as good as, or maybe even better than, described in the story. It just goes to show, you never know what you will find when you open a book by Heidi Cullinan!

Cover Artist: Kanaxa is perfect for the story.

Sales Links

Amazon • Kobo • iTunes • Barnes & Noble • All Romance Ebooks  • Smashwords • Scribd

Book Details:

ebook, 273 pages
Expected publication: October 11th 2016 by Heidi Cullinan
Original TitleEnjoy the Dance
ISBN139780996120364
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL http://www.heidicullinan.com

Series:Dancing – add to your Goodreads page below:

 

Avenues for Homeless Youth

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Ben and Shiloh (The Belladonna Arms #4) by John Inman

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

ben-and-shiloh-by-john-inmanShiloh Smart is alone and looking for a fresh start. Convinced he’s finished with love forever, he signs a lease at the Belladonna Arms, a tacky, run-down apartment building situated high on a hill in downtown San Diego.

Determined to turn his back on romance, Shiloh works hard at carving out a life for himself where love doesn’t stand a chance and staying single is all that matters.

Then his drag queen landlord’s nephew, Ben Moss, moves in. Thanks to a rumor Ben has heard since childhood of a fifty-year-old crime and a fortune in stolen money, he sets out to find the loot supposedly hidden decades ago in his uncle’s apartment building.

The minute Ben spots a kilted Shiloh toddling off to work at the Scottish restaurant up the street where he waits tables, he falls hard and fast for the aloof young redhead. Even a hidden treasure can’t compete in Ben’s eyes with the beautiful waiter with the fiery copper hair.

But even while he diligently works to break down Shiloh’s defenses, Ben doesn’t give up his quest for buried treasure. Soon, as their friendship deepens, the two young men join forces in a search for the stolen cash.

As the treasure hunt gathers steam and all the tenants get involved, Ben and Shiloh come to realize the greatest treasure isn’t buried in the Belladonna Arms at all. It’s buried far deeper—in each other’s hearts!

Its always a pleasure to take a trip back to the Belladonna Arms, that aging apartment building sitting high on a hill in San Diego that happens to be full of love pollen waiting to fall on the most unusual of couples.  In this fourth installation, its Ben and Shiloh who gets the heap helping of pollen and much, much more.

Shiloh Smart, like all the people who end up at Belladonna Arms, has been dumped by his boyfriend.  Now homeless, he needs a new place, close to his work (a restaurant that calls for him to wear a kilt) and that’s also cheap enough for his budget.  He has no intention of ever, EVER, falling in love again.  His heart is closed up good.  Except that the Belladonna Arms has other ideas and people in store for Shiloh and that would be Ben, the nephew of our endearing drag queen, Arthur.

For me, Ben and Shiloh was a little different story then the normal Belladonna Arms tale.  For one, we have a mystery to contend with, plus it seemed more of a ensemble story than normal.  While we do concentrate on Ben and Shiloh who are an odd and adorable mixture, all our other couples are very present here as well.  I have to admit I loved seeing them all, making it even harder to pick favorites.  I might even have a new favorite character in Shiloh’s mom.  She’s hilarious.  Inman surrounds his new couple with all his old ones, adding in the resident cat and her kittens (also adorable), and a mystery from the past to boot.  My mind was swirling all over the place, thinking about Sylvia and the new baby, our fav kleptos, and where the heck did that new couple with the bow ties come from? So it wasn’t always on Ben and Shiloh like perhaps it should have been, least that’s my opinion.  Not that there wasn’t tons of sex. Hey, there was!  I was just missing some other component…

I’m just not sure Ben and Shiloh got the depth of treatment that, say Ramon and Barney  did in Coming Back (Belladonna Arms #3).  That was an amazing, angst driven story.  My heart hurt for Ramon.  Certainly that’s not called for in every story.  Not everyone needs to go through what Ramon did.  And perhaps comparing the two isn’t fair as the characters aren’t the same in makeup and history.  However, the differences struck me none the same.  One book was deeply centered about one couple, and this was lovingly a Belladonna Arms affair.

However was my heart and mind happy and satisfied?  You betcha!  I love Belladonna Arms.  I could sit on the steps and watch the goings on all day and all night long side by side with the kitties.  There are still rooms to be filled.  Another just got emptied.  Love pollen at work again.  Who will be next up the steps of the Belladonna Arms?  I can’t wait to find out!

I highly recommend this series and this story.  Pick them all up and get acquainted with some of the most delightfully quirky characters you will ever want to fall in love with.

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson.  The artist does a terrific job with the character and with branding the series.

Sales Links

        

 

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published October 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 163477146X (ISBN13: 9781634771467)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Belladonna Arms: Add to your Goodreads shelf here:

Ride into Romance with The Rancher’s Son (Montana #2) by RJ Scott (excerpt and giveaway)

 The Rancher’s Son (Montana #2) – RJ Scott

Author: RJ Scott

 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Length: 66,200 woords
 
 
Series
 
Blurb
 
A man without memories, and the cop who never gave up hope. 

When he wakes up in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating, John Doe, has no memories of who he is or who hurt him. The cops can find nothing to identify him and he can’t remember anything to help… except the name Ethan and one recurring place from his dreams. Three words, and they’re not much, but it’s a start. Crooked Tree Ranch. 

Cop, Ethan Allens has never stopped searching for his brother and his brother’s best friend who vanished. When a report lands on Ethan’s desk that may give new leads he jumps at the chance to follow them up. The man he finds isn’t his brother, but it’s someone who could maybe help him discover what happened ten years ago. 

What neither man can know is that facing the very real demons of the past could very well destroy any kind of future they may think they have together. 

Author Bio:

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. 

 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
 
The last time she had a weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.
 

Giveaway

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♡Don’t miss Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Word’s Review here by Barb the Zany Old Lady! Highly Recommended!

A MelanieM Review: Changing On the Fly Anthology

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

changing-on-the-fly-anthologyChanging on the Fly is a celebration of romance, featuring six M/M stories about hockey players falling in love on – and off – the ice. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics.

The anthology will be available starting in October, 2016, for a limited time only.

It includes the following stories:

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille
Next Season by Avon Gale
Going Home by Heather Lire
On Broadway by V.L. Locey
The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith
Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

 

As a hockey lover, I couldn’t be happier to see an entire collection of stories that focus on hockey players and love.  Changing on the Fly includes six stories of hockey players or people associated with hockey players finding romance and forever love.  I have to admit I had my favorites.  They included Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille, Next Season by Avon Gale, and Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland.  I would buy this entire anthology to read Take a Shot, a 5 star story in my opinion.  Chris and Tim absolutely stole my heart.  They will steal yours as well. And a least favorite in Going Home, a truncated story that’s a prologue for another longer story.

But that’s a tremendous ratio, and you make love that story.  Each has well developed characters, and a different take on the game of hockey.  I readily admit I enjoyed each and every one.

Plus I was unfamiliar with Samantha Wayland and now get to going looking for more stories she’s written.  Another win.

Love hockey?  And romances?

Grab up this charity anthology.  Its only here for a limited time!

Sales Links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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Kobo Store

Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Expected publication: October 12th 2016
ASIN B01M1LCRDW
Edition Language English

A Stella Review: Defenseless by AJ Rose

RATING 5+ out of 5 stars

defenseless-by-aj-rose
Kyle Decker knew dating Jesse McGovern would change his life. Young and in love, and with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, the world is theirs to conquer.

But their victorious Pride celebration ends in a savage attack, brutally demonstrating they’re far from equal. Instead of wedding planning, Jesse and Kyle face an arduous recovery and a shattered sense of their place in the world, their once-promising future suddenly something to survive.

While Jesse struggles with a permanent injury and its emotional aftermath, Kyle’s single-minded focus on Jesse’s recovery is the only thing keeping his demons at bay…for now. What was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love is now full of lies and resentment.

With their dreams tattered and forever changed, trusting anyone—even each other—is daunting. So how can they have faith in twelve strangers on a jury? They’ve already learned the hard way it only takes a moment to become truly defenseless.

Surprisingly Defenseless was my first book by A.J. Rose, I own some books by this author but I was a little scared to try them (don’t ask me why). When I read the blurb of her new release, I was soon curious, I lately read a story who treated an abuse like the one Jesse and Kyle suffered and I was interested in seeing how a new to me author would deal with the same theme.

Although anything I will say in my review will do no justice to the awesomeness the story actually is, I’m going to try and put my thoughts into words.

Defenseless is a powerful book, very emotional and well written. It’s a little long to my liking with its over 400 pages but not once I was bored, even through the various scenes that took place in the law court, the author was great at keeping my attention and making me cringe for a second time when the MCs retold what happened. I replayed that night with them and it was painful as the first time. That  night that changed Jesse and Kyle lives forever, from that moment they needed to learn to be together again, to trust and help each other, but first of all they had to learn how to let their own minds recover from a horrible violence. Their journey is not an easy one, overcome fears and hidden rage while feeling defenseless, although a huge group of incredible people is around them, ready to shield and support them from the outer world.

IMO that special element that made the book great was how A.J. Rose was able to approach and show us the MCs difficult changes from every angle and from every emotion. She told us everything (every little detail of the assault) with a delicacy and a respect hard to find in other stories like this one. It surprised me so much I had to put her among my favorite authors.

Don’t think for a moment Defenseless is an oppressive and dark story, because it isn’t. There is so much pain of course, but the light  all the characters have inside themselves brightened my reading.

I feel to recommend Defenseless to everyone, it’s an amazing story, don’t miss the opportunity of meeting these guys.

I like the cover art by Elizabeth Mackey Graphic Design, it’s well done and fitting. Perfect for the story.

Sales Links

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BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, First Edition, 438 pages
Published September 13th 2016 by The Grim Writer Press
ASINB01LBLVTCO
Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: Reading the Signs by Keira Andrews

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

reading-the-signs-by-keira-andrewsPitcher Nico Agresta is desperate to live up to his family’s baseball legacy. Since he was a teenager crushing on his big brother’s teammate, he’s known he can’t act on his desires. His father made it clear there should be no queers on the field, but if Nico can win Rookie of the Year like his dad and brother did, maybe he can prove he’s worthy after all.

At 34, veteran catcher Jake Fitzgerald just wants to finish out his contract and retire. His team doesn’t have a prayer of making the playoffs, but who needs the stress? Jake lost his passion for the game—and life—after driving away the man he loved, and he swore he’d never risk his heart again.

Then he’s traded to a team that wants a vet behind the plate to tame their new star pitcher. Jake is shocked to find the gangly kid he once knew has grown into a gorgeous young man. But tightly wound Nico is having trouble controlling his temper in his quest for perfection, and Jake needs to teach him patience and restraint on the mound.

When their push and pull explodes into the bedroom, Nico and Jake will both learn how much they’ll risk for love.

As my Nats head into the playoffs, this was the perfect story to settle into…romance, baseball and a chance to see this game I love yet again through another’s eyes. Keira Andrews did not disappoint me.

Vet catcher Jake Fitzgerald is burned out.  Fitz is ready to leave the game.  Then he’s traded and what was to become the end of his career instead becomes a game changer.  The team’s new star pitcher?  A troubled hothead, Nico Agresta, someone Fitz new before.   I loved how Andrews tumbles the reader not only into the game and the team but the lives of the main characters all at once.

We get a feel for the new team dynamics, the feel of the playhouse, the management, Jake’s history and Nico’s too.

A reader doesn’t have to know, understand or particularly love baseball (although its a huge plus) to adore this story.  Andrews spells it out enough in the story for those new to the sport to understand what’s going on.  If you’ve played any sport, you can understand the pressure these athletes are under to perform.  More so, if they are coming from a tradition bound family like Nico.  The depths of character are  built up within the story, a element I really appreciated as I watched the characters grow.

The bdsm element here is one that makes sense.  Its also very sexy.  At first I have to admit, I was started and had to think about the relationship, and where and between who it was taking place.  Maybe in other  hands I might not have “bought” it, but Andrews made her case for it and I connected with both MCs and their love for each other.

This story is all about passion.   Passion for each other,  passion for America’s sport, the game of baseball, passion for family.  Keira Andrews takes two separate men, one burned out, one in trouble and brings them together in Reading the Signs…a story I can absolutely recommend because of the emotion, the connection I felt towards them both…and the game I love.  Its all there.  I couldn’t ask for more.

Cover art. I love this cover.  Its  tremendous.  One of my best of the year.

Sale Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 293 pages
Published September 22nd 2016 by KA Books
ISBN139781988260082
Edition LanguageEnglish

Skate into Love with Changing on the Fly- M/M Hockey Charity Anthology Tour (excerpts and giveaway)

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AboutTheBook

cotf_cover_2016TITLE: Changing On The Fly – M/M Hockey Charity Anthology

AUTHOR: Avon Gale, V.L. Locey, Cherylanne Corneille, Mary Smith, Heather Lire, Samantha Wayland

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

COVER ARTIST: Jen Needles

LENGTH: 368 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 12, 2016

BLURB: Changing on the Fly is a celebration of romance, featuring six M/M stories about hockey players falling in love on – and off – the ice. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to a charity that supports inclusiveness in athletics.

The anthology will be available starting in October, 2016, for a limited time only.

It includes the following stories:

Even Strength by Cherylanne Corneille

Next Season by Avon Gale

Going Home by Heather Lire

On Broadway by V.L. Locey

The Brother and the Retired Player by Mary Smith

Take a Shot by Samantha Wayland

Excerpt

V.L. Locey’s On Broadway:

 

“You’re about as far from being just a guy as I am from being able to play “Rocket Man” on harmonica.”

“Is that the song your mom named you after?” I fell back to the bed, feet dangling to the floor and hands clasped behind my head.

“Good guess.” He appeared behind me after a moment. I tipped my head back to look at him. His green eyes were darker now, smoky jade and hot with desire. “You’re really sexy in a Toby McGuire Spider-Man kind of way.”

“I don’t have any superpowers,” I replied as he leaned over and placed his hands on either side of my head.

“Not true,” Rocket whispered before covering my mouth with his. My eyes drifted shut as my fingers knotted up the bedding. His mouth was hot and wet, his tongue skilled, his taste a subtle blend of Korean buffet. “You’re Riley Zeally,” he murmured between nibbling kisses that made my heart pump faster, “the face of professional hockey.”

I reached up from the duvet to push my fingers into his hair. “I want you,” I panted between his short, maddening sweeps of my mouth.

 

Samantha Wayland’s Take a Shot:

 

“There already is someone who loves to spend time with you, who loves hockey and your friends and their ridiculous pranks. Who gets that you have to travel and that you’re tired!”

Tim blinked, appearing utterly bewildered. “Who?”

“Me, you asshole! Me.”

Tim threw his hands in the air. “What about you?”

“I appreciate you exactly as you are. I love our life. Our friends. You. Even the super fucking irritating things, because apparently there is something wrong with me. I love that you can’t hide what you’re feeling, almost ever. And that you say what you’re thinking, even when I can’t do the same. I like living with you, a fucking neat-freak nudist, and working with you, and there’s never been a time, not once, that I was tired of being around you. You’re gorgeous and you’re kind and you’re the best person I know. So shut up about there not being someone who can appreciate everything about you. There already is. And unfortunately for you, it’s me.”

 

Heather Lire’s Going Home

 

“What the fuck, man?” Blake growled at Dex.

“What?” he asked, innocently. Too innocently. “I was just making conversation with an old friend from high school. One who helped both of us graduate.”

If he’d known when he started this trip down memory lane that he’d be running into the person who’d had a staring roll in the epic disaster that had been his last night in town, he’d never have started it. Micah had also held a staring roll in every single one of his sexual fantasies back then as well.

“Fuck you, Dex.”

“Think about it like this…this is a new start for both of us. A chance to fix the things in our lives that we fucked up. Me with my career and you with Micah.”

 

Cherylanne Corneille’s Even Strength

 

He took a few laps around their end of the rink to loosen his legs. On his fourth pass around the net, he picked up a stray puck and carried it on his stick before shooting it into the net. Boone bumped his shoulder and nodded toward the glass as they rounded their end of the rink again.

What the hell? He glanced in the direction his teammate indicated. Two men around his age wearing New York’s jerseys held up a brightly colored sign that said simply, “Thank you, Nate.” He puzzled on the meaning until he made another lap. One of them also held a small rainbow flag.

 

Mary Smith’s The Brother and the Retired Player

 

Our lips touch, and the spark is struck. He pulls me closer and grips my hips. I can feel his hardness already, and my dick twitches at the contact. Our kiss intensifies as our tongues touch. I hold him closer, and the light scruff of his pale beard tickles me. I never want to leave this spot, but finally, I pull back.

 

Avon Gale’s Next Season

 

Nick stopped as Sparrow went to get into his Escalade, which he’d somehow remote started the second they got out of the building. Nick drove a 2002 Ford Focus and was lucky if it started when the key was in the ignition.

“So, uh,” Nick said, not wanting to just walk off but still as uncertain as he’d been in the locker room about what to say. “See you in Philly, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Sparrow muttered, yanking the door to his luxury SUV open with too much force. “See you in Philly, kid.”

Nick managed to get his own car door open, grabbed his ice scraper, and turned the car on so he could blast the heat. He watched Sparrow drive away, leaving tire tracks in the snow.

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AuthorBio

 

V.L. Locey

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/

 

Avon Gale

 

Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and she never gets tired of people and their stories — either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

Website: https://www.avongalewrites.com/

 

Cherylanne Corneille

 

Cherylanne Corneille has been writing almost as long as she has loved the game of hockey, so it was inevitable that she would eventually combine two of her favorite pastimes into one hobby. She will watch almost any game but prefers to cheer on the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tyler Seguin.

When not writing or watching hockey, she enjoys running and has completed 18 half marathons.  She also loves Stars Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Captain America.

Cherylanne lives in Central Florida with her cat, who was almost called Puck or Hanifin but sometimes answers to the name Phasma.

Website: https://cacorneille.wordpress.com/

 

Heather Lire

 

Heather has traveled all over the world, speaks several languages, collects romance books like they’re going out of style, and has multiple book boyfriends. Ok, she hasn’t been all over the world, except in her mind. She does however speak multiple languages and collect romance books. Her long-suffering husband and sons roll their eyes at all her book boyfriends. When she’s not busy on her next novel she can be found in her classroom where teaches one of those many languages, at one of her sons many sporting events or on twitter talking about what else, romance books.

Website: http://heatherlire.com/

 

Samantha Wayland

 

Samantha Wayland has three great loves in life; her family, writing books, and hockey. She is often found apologizing to the first for how much time and attention is taken up by the latter two, but they forgive her because they are awesome and she clearly doesn’t deserve them.

Sam lives with her family—of both the two and four-legged variety—outside of Boston. When she’s not locked away in her home office, she can generally be found tucked in the corner of the local Thai place with other socially-starved authors and an adult beverage. Her favorite things include mango martinis, tiny Chihuahuas with big attitude problems, and the Oxford comma.

Website: http://www.samanthawayland.com/

 

Mary Smith

Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR and THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BEARS SERIES along with numerous other titles, as well as co-authored THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY, OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES, and THE NINTH INNINGS SERIES with Lindsay Paige. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.

Website: http://www.authormarysmith.com/

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TourSchedule

October 10: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

October 11: Joyfully Jay

October 12: MM Good Book Reviews

October 13: Gay Book Reviews

October 14: Open Skye Book Reviews

October 17: RJ Scott

October 18: Diverse Reader :: Bayou Book Junkie

October 19: BFD Book Blog

October 20: MM Book Escape

October 21: Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words :: Alpha Book Club