The Storming Love Series Continues with Mario Kai Lapinski’s Jakob & Ivo (excerpt and giveaway)

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Jakob & Ivo (Storming Love: Meteor Strikes #2) by Mario Kai Lipinski
Release Date: March 4, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Kris Jacen

Blurb

Dr. Jakob Feldmann is a renowned German geneticist at Research Hospital Essen… and a recluse par excellence.

Ivo Andersson is a male nurse working at the same hospital as Jakob. His outgoing personality and good looks have earned him the nickname Sir Grin-a-lot.

They both have a crush on each other that everyone except the two of them seems to know about. But when the German Federal Police shows up with two patients suffering from a suspected alien infection, their voluntary exile in the high security research complex shifts their relationship into fast-forward mode.

Just when they find the courage to open up to each other, Jakob discovers the true nature of the infection. He has to make a decision that will change everything.

How much can love endure?

 

Pages or Words: 29,500 words
This book can be read as a standalone as each is a self-contained story
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Science Fiction

Excerpt

“Emergency, emergency on floor seven! Dr. Feldmann’s eyeballs are about to drop out.”

Jakob flinched. “Shhh, not so loud.” He spun around. “Not everyone has to know.”

Marc may have been a capable physician, but he made a bull in the china shop look like a well-behaved customer interested in a delicate porcelain service.

“I think apart from the both of you,” Marc chuckled and that sound got Jakob’s ear canals dirty, “everyone else in the hospital is aware of your crush on each other.”

“He isn’t interested in me.” Jakob turned back and looked down the hospital hall again. Ivo was still talking to the other nurse, Sandra Gronder, right? How could such a cute guy be interested in Jakob “Average Guy” Feldmann? It took one look from those blue eyes, one sweep through that dark blond mass of hair, one smile with those perfectly white rows of teeth, and every man would drop down to his knees begging for a date, regardless whether that guy was gay or not. “I’m not in his league.”

Marc groaned through his closed lips. “Oh fucking Jesus.” He reached into his pocket, got his cell out, and held it to his ear before offering it to Jakob. “It’s for you. The nineties’ rom coms are calling and want their clichés back.” He let his hand sink down. “You’re a doctor and he’s a nurse. You look at a nucleic acid sequence and give a perfect description of the person it came from. I won’t sleep with any chick for a month if you can name a better geneticist in the world than you, and I’m damn jealous. And he? He cleans bedpans and chauffeurs meals.”

“You’re a snob and a jerk.” Jakob would never become one of those demigods in white. That’s what he had promised his father and he would stick to that promise. “He’s twenty-seven. I’m thirty-three. And I don’t even know if he’s into guys.”

“Six years? You’re kidding me, aren’t you?” Marc huffed, blowing his nostrils. “As a male nurse, he most probably is gay or has been asked that question so many times that he doesn’t give a crap anymore. It’s the twenty-first century, you know? You can talk about who you fuck in public.”

Jakob closed his eyes, pushed down his glasses, and massaged the bridge of his nose. Marc was a snob and a jerk for real, but however much this turned Jakob’s stomach, he was also right. Jakob opened his eyes again. “That just isn’t me, approaching him and asking him out.” His elbow began to itch. Damn psoriasis! He didn’t need any reminder that he was nervous.

“I can ask him for you.” Marc took a step forward, but Jakob grabbed him by his arm.

“Are you crazy? No, no, please, no.” The embarrassment would kill Jakob. Slowly pining away, yearning for Ivo, didn’t seem to be that bad of an alternative to death.

Marc shrugged and tilted his head, a smug grin on his lips. “I only want to help.” Another filthy chuckle fouled the air around them. “Seriously, Jakob, get a grip on yourself and ask him. It’s not that difficult.”

For normal people, asking that simple question may have been a piece of cake, but for “Four-Eyes Jakob” and “Crumble Cake Skin Feldmann”? “I’ll consider it.” Perhaps another month and the crush would go away all by itself. They always did. He eyed Ivo again and sighed. This infatuation, however, might need some harder medication.

With another huff, Marc shook his head. “Okay. While you’re considering,” he drew quotation marks into the air, “let me share the newest rumors with you. A few minutes ago, two white vans with federal license plates pulled up at the security lock. Our friends of the BKA are back.”

The German federal police had paid them a last visit about a year ago when they had arrested a criminal with a suspected Ebola infection. It had turned out to be a false alarm though. “Did you hear anything about why they are here?”

“Nope.” Marc let the p plop. “I’ll be dicked anyway because they definitely won’t need an orthopedist unless Queen Angie sprained her ankle on a secret holiday in the Dolomites.”

Maybe they needed a geneticist? Helping to convict—or exonerate—a criminal would distract Jakob from Ivo at least. Was hijacking a doctor’s thoughts a felony? If so, Ivo was guilty: a cute rogue with a killer smile. Jakob lowered his head until his chin touched his chest. He had to stop spending all of his weekends reading fantasy graphic novels at home. At the age of thirty-three, he should have something better to do. With real people. He sighed once more.

Buy the book:

 

Meet the author:

Mario K. Lipinski (born in November, 1975, in Germany) lives in Herne, Germany.

He is a spare-time author and, in “real” life, is a mathematician teaching at university level. Does it show in his books? Yes, it does.

English is not his native language, and a frequent question is why he does write in English. For more than 15 years, most of the books he has read have been in English. So, it felt natural for him to write in English, too.

He is into romance with a capital R.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Chris McHart, Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews,

The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

Bonkers About Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Outrageous Heroes, Alpha Book Club,

Iyana Jenna, Jessie G. Books, BFD Book Blog, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews,

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Mikky’s World of Books, Unquietly Me

 

Giveaway

Enter to win.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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A MelanieM Review: Dormant Heart by Lane Swift

Rating:  4.75 stars out of 5

Dormant HeartAmateur photographer Josh Thornton is out but not so proud. He’s estranged from his family, his boyfriend dumped him, and his job at an estate agency is in jeopardy—especially after he crashes his boss’s car in the middle of nowhere on his way to Hartley Manor.

Callum Black works at the English country estate and lives there in an isolated cottage. Left mute by a childhood accident, he’s more comfortable in the company of animals than people. But when Josh—literally—crashes into his life with his camera and his friendship, Callum realizes his peaceful solitude has been more than a little lonely.

Josh’s affection for Callum deepens even as he’s consumed by doubts over Callum’s sexuality and whether Callum could ever love him. And Callum is haunted by the secret that stole his voice—a secret that keeps him tethered to Hartley Manor. When the past comes hurtling painfully back into the present, Josh and Callum have to overcome their fears and breathe life back into their dormant hearts in order to have a chance at their own picture-perfect future.

What a beautiful story.  Just as the cover is a feast for the eyes, one where you need to linger to appreciate all the details, Dormant Heart is a novel that unfolds with the pace and depth of a walk in the woods.  Its one in which each move forward should be treasured. Stop look around, admire the beauty of the narrative moment that the author is creating in words and scenes before going forward again.

The story is told from two perspectives, the first from Joshua’s, from the moment he is thrown, horribly, from his parents home to two years later when he meets Callum.  He’s funny, brave, enduring, a bit prickly and he’s feels fresh to me, loaded with his camera and a need to press forward with his life.  Blow after blow, and I mean fists in one case however briefly, to crushed bumpers, Joshua’s inner stamina makes him get up and persevere.  Joshua’s character is one that’s so easy to connect with because his voice is one that bubbles like a spring of hope around him, where with others that would have drained away.

Halfway through the story, Callum takes over, a device that might have derailed  another novel but works here.  Why?  Primarily because  Callum never speaks and here, inside his head he finally does.  We get to hear that voice no one else has heard since he was a young boy.  We hear his thoughts on Joshua, his appearance in his life, and what that interruption has meant to Callum emotionally and sexually.  Joshua is the wind blowing through Callum’s life and the effects are immediate and yet so natural as though Callum has been waiting for him.  Callum is calm on the surface, and nightmares from a childhood injury that has  taken his memory just underneath the calm.  There is so much to this character and Swift peals back the layers slowly, unfolding clues and letting us see Callum only after much effect and love.

Callum is the quiet, the observer to the constant motion of Joshua and together they make an impressive whole.  One slows the other down, and one speeds the other up.  Harmony achieved in pairing and novel. So do the characters that Lane Swift surrounds them with, especially the appealing Heather, daughter of the Lord of Hartley Manor and the sad, faded lord himself.

Yes, Joshua is the key to the memories return.  Those memories.  So shocking from a child’s standpoint and so damaging.  I think that’s where Lane Swift made her best decisions.  It was in keeping with realistic possibilities and repercussions on all involved.  Just a great job.  So why not a perfect score?

The ending…I think I wanted just a   little more resolution or pages to finally draw it out for me. And it felt a little rushed in comparison to the flow of the rest of the story. It was so close.

Lane Swift has written a gorgeous book in Dormant Heart, its one that awakened this reader’s heart for the story and characters and a certain glade with a mother fox and her kits still roam.  Love contemporary romance, and characters that speak to you?  A story that will hold your attention as well as your heartstrings?  Look no further than Dormant Heart by Lane Swift.  I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Anna Sikorska is one of my favorite covers of the year.  Gorgeous, sumptuous even, in content and color. Perfection in every way for the character and story.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published February 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634768450
Edition Language English
URL

 

Into Our Spotlight: Stay With Me by Lily Adile Lamb (guest post, excerpt and giveaway)

AwkwardInLove AboutTheBook Stay With Me

Stay With Me by Lily Adile Lamb
COVER ARTIST: Melissa Bell
RELEASE DATE: March 02, 2016

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words wants to welcome Lily Adile Lamb here today to share something about herself and her latest story, Stay With Me. Welcome, Lily.

 

I was born in Turkey and trained to be a nurse in UK. After some years of working as a counsellor and a nurse, one night I saw an advert on the paper seeking nurses to work in Western Australia. Before the paper could disappear, I grabbed the pen and paper that night to prepare my resume for the agency. It was the best decision I ever made because I also met my husband in Perth a few years later. Living in WA is a land of opportunity for me where I work full time as a nurse in day time and commenced writing LGBTQ stories later at night once my husband had retired to bed.

I support Marriage Equality and stand by same sex parents because I believe all a child needs is a loving and protective home. For me, an individual’s gender identity and expression are influenced by many factors including but not limited to, culture, religion, social restrictions, customs and beliefs…this makes one’s gender very diverse and fluid so my main focus in my stories are people who want to express themselves in the way they feel right for them and others.

I love writing multi-cultural stories of people from all backgrounds. The LGBTQ community is universal and exists in all countries and cultures. In some cultures, coming from an LGBTQ background is not easy and they are the people for whom I want to promote.

I decided to write Joseph’s story, following an article in the newspaper, about domestic violence in the home. I wanted to highlight some social issues in my story but also bring some sweetness as well so that readers can smile after reading the final page.

Joseph and Curtis are dear to my heart, partly because their story is my first story. The other reason is because they represent how hard I try to move forward in life. I worked hard and dreamed a dream to make it come true… the result is “Stay With Me”.

AboutTheBook

It has been weeks since Curtis first saw the young waiter with the haunted eyes. No matter how often he went to the café to find the right opportunity to introduce himself, that moment simply did not come that quickly. Joseph was aware of the gentle giant who quietly came to have his lunch and then left day after day. Fearing his father’s wrath and under his ever watchful eyes, he made no moves nor overtures. Until one day when the other man approaches to him… Hope can turn to love… interracial love.

Excerpt

Joseph did his best to keep a low profile all day. He washed the dishes in the evening, hoping his father would go home on his own and forget all about the gentle giant. But his father was sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. Whenever his father sat stoically without uttering a single word, he knew the man was quietly simmering.

Feeling his heart hammering as he dreaded what was about to come, Joseph took a shower. His feet felt like lead, not wanting to go back to the lounge room, but he knew if he didn’t, his father would soon look for him. As he sighed, Joseph left the security of his bedroom.

Joseph walked towards him to get his punishment over and done with.

“I don’t like how that man looks at you. He makes it obvious that he’s interested in you. Bastard, pervert. I don’t want you to look at him or smile at him anymore! I want him to get fed up coming to our corner, so you make sure you discourage him.”

Joseph stood in front of his father with his hands by his side, doing his best not to trigger the man’s anger any further. Staying silent always worked, unless he was asked to respond.

His father wrinkled his face in distaste. “You have no money, nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Remember that, boy.” Knowing the man was right, Joseph steeled his heart and continued to look at his father. He was startled when his father suddenly stood up.

His father brought his face close to him when he shouted, frightening him and making him shake all over. His father’s jeers made Joseph look down and protectively fold his arms in fear, in case the old man punched him in the stomach.

Humiliated and petrified, Joseph shook. Lifting his head as he was ordered, he bit his lip to control his facial expression. The harder he bit his bottom lip, the more he concentrated on the sting. When his father yelled at him so forcefully that spittle landed on Joseph’s face, Joseph felt too frightened to wipe it away. Hating the man’s sudden silence, Joseph’s insides quivered, not knowing what would come next.

His father snorted and pushed him away as he spoke. “Just go to your room. The sight of your face turns my stomach.” Feeling worthless and ugly, Joseph bowed his head and left the room. He made sure he closed the door softly behind him.

He sat quietly on his bed, trying to swallow his panic and slow down his rapidly beating heart. His stomach ached from stress, and he couldn’t stop shaking. Tensing his body to ward off shaking but failing so miserably, Joseph clenched his fists hard. Years of beatings and punishments had left Joseph scarred deep inside, to the point that he adapted some coping strategies that caused more physical pain to distract him from inner turmoil. Feeling the pain of his nails digging deeper into his palms, he felt breathing was somewhat easier.

After a while, he felt calmer as he reassured himself his father wasn’t coming. Once the house was quiet, Joseph allowed his tears to roll down his face. When his sobs became louder, he quickly bit his hand to dampen the noise.

Once his tears eventually dried, Joseph raked his hands down his face and tried to breathe slowly and deeply to calm himself. Joseph was aware that he’d lost all confidence in himself.

LENGTH: 32,800 words approx

GENRE: Contemporary, M/M, Interracial Romance

AuthorPic

AuthorBio

Lily Adile works as a nurse by day and writes GLBT Romance by night. Lily’s focus in her GLBT stories are mere mortals because she believes that love is universal. Her mortal heroes and heroines are not rich, famous or incredibly handsome males with six pack bodies or stunning women… rather they are just everyday people who work hard and deal with whatever that life throws at them.

Lily believes that an individual’s gender identity and expression is influenced by many factors including but not limited to culture, religion, social restrictions, custom and beliefs…this makes one’s gender very diverse and fluid.

Lily is actively involved with Marriage Equality and stands by the same sex couples who want to have children.

Lily especially thanks her husband with all her heart for his endless patience, love and support. He is the love of her life and apple of her eye….he is the home she goes to at the end of a hard day at work.

Lily Adile was born in Ankara, Turkey and then worked in other countries. She visits her family in Turkey regularly and travels to Singapore to visit the other family members.

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Love Gets a Shakeup with ‘6 Days to get Lucky’ by LE Franks (guest interview, excerpt and giveaway

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6 Days to Get Lucky (A Nick Valentine Story#2) by LE Franks
Release Date: March 2, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Wilde City Press

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing LE Franks author of 6 Days to Get Lucky. Hi LE thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

  • Tell us something no one else knows about your characters.

Davis “FatBoy” Newman was never supposed to ‘get the guy’. It really was his cousin Cameron in the first book – 6 Days to Get Valentine. He was only supposed to be the bouncer who set us his cousin. Apparently FatBoy had other ideas and the rest is history.

  • Have you ever written something that made you cry?

I have. Mostly I’ll just get a bit emotional during some dialog when it usually strikes.

  • Have you ever co-written with someone before?

I have. Sara York has been kind enough to share her talents in that arena on several occasions. (She’s pretty awesome, by the way).

  • What is the most difficult part of writing for you?

Time management. This year I’m keeping my obligations a little looser to allow for more fun and less stress while writing.

  • Name your four most important food groups.

I’m a lacto-vegetarian so you can probably guess. But during the dark of the night, when I’m writing to a deadline all healthy choices go out the window. So here are the four most important food groups while writing, arrayed in a semi circle around my laptop:

A) COFFEEEEEEEEEE
B) Diet Dr. Pepper

C) Hot Tamales/Mike & Ikes

D) Crunchy/Salty – [Kettle Brand Jalapeno Potato Chips / Cheetos/

Blurb

Mixologist Nick Valentine never thought love was in the cards, but after a scorching Valentine’s Day kiss from bouncer Davis “FatBoy” Newman, he’s beginning to think it’s possible. After four weeks of dry spell, Nick’s losing patience—it’s time FatBoy stop acting the gentleman and just throw him over the bar or Nick may just change his mind.

All FatBoy wants is a shot at winning Nick’s heart. As long as meddling bosses, an Irish hurling team and a bar riot don’t ruin his chances forever, he might just get lucky and take the man of his dreams, home.

 

Pages or Words: 72,000 words
Series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

Reaching across the empty bed next to me, I rode out the last waves of my dream alone. I could still feel his phantom kiss on my lips and the sensation of a hand stroking along my thigh.

The rest of it was just a blur of emotions and sticky residue on my sheets—though I could guess at it without much effort. FatBoy Newman had been a specter haunting me at work so it was no great leap to assume he’d shouldered his way into my dreams as well.

In fact, he was at the root of my problem: I’d been having a hell of a dry spell.

Four weeks of near misses had done nothing but stoke my bad mood and turn my balls a lovely shade of indigo that matched my jeans…

Four weeks of dashed hopes…

Four weeks since the most romantic kiss of my life…

Four weeks of nothing.

Fuck the South and its mythology of the Southern Gentleman—if FatBoy Newman didn’t stop treating me like a delicate flower and throw me up against a wall soon, I was going to explode.

It was six days until St. Patrick’s Day, and FatBoy had until then to make his move, or I was moving on.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Wilde City Press

 

 

 

Meet the Author

LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best selling author and finalist for 2013 & 2014 Rainbow Awards. Her books are available through her publishers at MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and Pride Publishing and online bookstores.

Where to find the author:

 

 


BannerTemplate Tour Dates & Stops:

7-Mar: My Fiction Nook, Book Lovers 4Ever, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter

8-Mar: Bayou Book Junkie, Alpha Book Club, MM Good Book Reviews, Love Bytes

9-Mar:: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, V’s Reads, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Jessie G. Books, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Open Skye Book Reviews

10-Mar: A.M. Leibowitz, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly

11-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Havan Fellows, Inked Rainbow Reads

 Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 6 Days to Valentine e-book & $5 Wilde City gift card for three total winner.

 

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A Stella Review :Lucky In Loveland (Welcome to Loveland #1) by K-lee Klein

RATING  3,5 out of 5 stars

Lucky In LovelandLoveland, Colorado is a special place all year around, a community of creativity and art, with scenic views and majestic mountains. But the town really shines once a year, on Valentine’s Day.

Lucky Roberts has lived in Loveland his whole life. He has good friends, strong family support, and is all about keeping his community fun and alive. The only thing Lucky has been “unlucky” with is love. But rather than avoiding February fourteenth in his hometown, he throws himself into helping others deliver their messages of love.

Enter Jack Canon. Jack moved to Loveland for a fresh start, in both his personal and professional lives. After a tough year, he’s finally hoping to just blend in, maybe carve a little niche for himself that his parents would have been proud of. What he didn’t expect was a pseudo-lumberjack with a killer body and shy smile to turn his world upside down – and he sure didn’t expect to like it so much.

When Lucky meets Jack, he feels like a thirteen year-old with his first crush. He’s clumsy, stammering, and the first greeting out of his mouth is a less than articulate, “Wow!” Words like adorable and manbun suddenly become part of his vocabulary as he discovers a deep, hidden need to romance the hell out of Jack.

And what better way to do that than during the most romantic season in the City of Love?

As I already said in my reaview of Textual Attraction (https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/2016/01/04/a-stella-review-textual-attraction-by-k-lee-klein/), I’m a huge fan of K-lee Klein. Her writing style is great and always exactly what I like to read.

Lucky in Loveland is her first self published story and the beginning of a new series called Welcome to Loveland and in my opinion she did well. I think the perfect adjective to describe it is adorable. It’s exactly the feeling I got through  all the reading.

The story starts with Lucky volunteering in the local kindergarten school where the handful little Daniel goes and most of all where the new-in-town Jack has begun teaching. He just moved to Loveland after the death of his parents.

The characters are cute and sweet together in their dates, the teasings, the stuttering, the blushing. Sweet but not childish. And the setting was unexpected, Loveland, the little town where the Valentine’s day is high celebrated. The atmosphere was magical and it carried me there with the MCs.

I honestly am looking forward to the second book to come out. If you’re looking for a light story with no drama and angst, quick and humorous, Lucky in Loveland is your book. Give it a try!

The cover designed by Karrie Jax is a winner. I particular like the colors and the style. Well done.

Sales Links:  Smashwords | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 120 pages
Published February 11th 2016 by K-lee Klein Books
Original TitleLucky In Loveland
ASINB01BPQJ2G0
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWelcome to Loveland #1

Enter the World of Hurri Cosmos’ ‘Then Sawyer Happened’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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 Then Sawyer Happened by Hurri Cosmo
Release Date: March 8, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dark Hollows Press
Cover Artist: Eden Connors

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Hurri Cosmo here today to share something about her new novel, Then Sawyer Happened.  Welcome, Hurri.

Hurri1

Let’s visit Riven Creek Ranch!

The main ranch house was first built in 1809 but has since been totally rebuilt, expanded and updated. It now boasts six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a large commercial kitchen, a beautiful patio, and meticulously maintained gardens. It has been under the Riven family name for generations.Hurri2

The first meeting between Sawyer and Trace takes place in the very pristine Riven Creek Ranch kitchen. Trace is familiar with the kitchen itself but was never made to do chores in it. Cooking and cleaning were not his thing. However, Sawyer is all about making his ranch hands as comfortable and happy as possible and that means big breakfasts and healthy lunches. Since it’s the only kitchen in the main ranch house, Sawyer Hurri3definitely frowned on the fact Trace accidentally tried to burn it down.

The main barn is a masterpiece of perfection. Sawyer is meticulous when it comes to preserving the Hurri4immaculate interior and exterior so the horses have the best possible living quarters in order to foal.

Sawyer’s manager’s cabin is also under the wing of perfect upkeep. Even though Sawyer finds himself really only sleeping here, it still reflects Sawyer’s dedication to detail and his Hurri6management style of the ranch. He is not about to allow there to be any flaws in things easily managed.Hurri5

Blurb

Trace is nursing a broken heart. He lost his job, his boyfriend of two years was cheating on him, and his apartment building burned right to the ground with all his worldly possessions. It was time for Trace to get out of Minnesota.

So Trace heads for Texas and Riven Creek Ranch, the horse farm his aunt Lois owns. But hours before he arrives, Lois is in a terrible car accident that nearly takes her life, and Trace finds himself in charge of the ranch kitchen. Sounds simple enough and it’s the least he can do for his recuperating aunt.

Then Sawyer happens.

Sawyer is his aunt’s big, beautiful, muscle bound, incredibly sexy straight ranch manager. Someone who has no clue Trace is gay. And meeting the big man should have been okay, except it was in the middle of his aunt’s kitchen at five in the morning and Trace was nearly naked. Embarrassing? Yep. But the very next day Trace proceeded to ramp up his embarrassment by quantum leaps when he nearly sets his aunt’s house on fire and the brooding Sawyer has to come to the rescue.

Seems like Trace’s “luck” followed him.

Not to mention that Aunt Lois’s “accident” was actually attempted murder. And now, they just might want Trace dead, too.

Can Trace figure out who’s behind the attempts on his aunt’s life AND keep Sawyer from finding out he’s hot for the cowboy?

He probably can’t. But he’s going to try.

Pages or Words: 60,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt:

“Sawyer! Damn. You scared me.” Trace fell back against the freezer suddenly feeling light headed. He took in the big body blocking any escape he had and his cock twitched as if it liked the idea there was no way out. “I didn’t hear you… behind me.”

“I saw your car in the driveway. How’s Lois?”

Trace shook his head in an attempt to clear it. “She’s awake and very alert… but…” But someone wants her dead. Who? Someone on this ranch? Could it be Sawyer? I trust him with my life… That’s what she said.

“But what?”

Trace looked up into hard cold eyes. The question was genuine. He cared about the condition of his aunt. But what condition did he care her to be in? “Nothing… just… well… I guess you’re going to have to know… I mean…” Damn, he had to stop acting like a horny teenager in front of this man. “Let me… I’m going to make coffee…”

“It’s made. The big insulated urn on the counter is full. Just made it about a half hour ago so it’s fine.”

“Oh. Good. Let’s sit down. I need to sit down.” Trace took a few steps forward which brought him right in front of the cowboy. He expected Sawyer to move, to back up, but he didn’t. Then Trace did the unthinkable. His body reacted on its own as he put his hand on the big man’s chest and pushed. There would have been no way on God’s green earth he would have been able to physically move the cowboy without his express permission, not to mention help. But Trace’s brain seemed to totally malfunction in this man’s presence.

And, as expected, being pushed in any direction was never going to work for Sawyer. Sawyer grabbed his wrist, twisted it tight behind Trace, which brought Trace up solid, against Sawyer’s hard body, chest to chest. Being several inches taller, Sawyer glared down into Trace’s shocked face, a smoldering look in his eyes. Trace could feel Sawyer’s hot breath on his face, sense the man’s tense muscles from his pecs down through his thighs…

Buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CKN49S8</a>

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/620302</a>

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Meet the Author

Hurri Cosmo lives in Minnesota where she holds tight to the idea that there, where it’s cold a good part of the year, she won’t age as fast. Yep, she avoids the truth as much as she avoids mirrors. But one of the reasons she loves writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure. Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, she doesn’t mind “real life” and she does try to at least keep it in mind when she writes her stories, but she truly loves creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every – single – time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason she loves reading this genre, too. Give her a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and her computer, whether she is reading or writing, and she will entertain herself for hours. The fact she actually gets paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.

Where to find the author:

Other books by Hurri Cosmo:

Until You

I Believe Now

How West Was Won

The Superior Jewel

Ice Dragon Tales (contains the first two books in the series, The Servant Prince and The Servant King)

The One

Forgetting Yesterday

Saving Jack

Talasar’s Elixir (Book one in the Dragon for Hire series)

Amber Moon (Part of the Intoxicating Fantasies series)

Chase and Capture

Baby, Think it Over

the Door Keeper

Ladders

A Place to Belong

The Neighbors – A Vampire Story

Mates, Inc

Hyden’s Law (A free download!)

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Tour Dates & Stops:

8-Mar

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Alpha Book Club

9-Mar

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bonkers About Books, Book Lovers 4Ever

10-Mar

Jessie G. Books, Love Bytes

11-Mar

Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly

14-Mar

My Fiction Nook, Divine Magazine, Making It Happen

15-Mar

A.M. Leibowitz, Havan Fellows, Rednecks and Romance, BFD Book Blog

16-Mar

V’s Reads, Butterfly-O-Meter, Attention Is Arbitrary

17-Mar

Bayou Book Junkie, Open Skye Book Reviews

18-Mar

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

21-Mar

Full Moon Dreaming, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Outrageous Heroes

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win.  Must be 18 years of age or older.

 

 

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Its a Cocktail of Love with Dirty Martini 2: The Screwdriver by G.R. George (Renee George) (giveaway)

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Dirty Martini 2: The Screwdriver (The Other Team #8)
Author Name: G.R. George/Renee George
Release Date: March 7, 2016

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/Renee_George
Publisher: Book Boutique
Cover Artist: Renee George

 

Blurb

Marty Lincoln and Chris Lawson are only happy when they’re in each other’s arms. Unfortunately, their relationship remains long-distance as Marty completes his final months in the Army. Chris has a new and challenging job that keeps him busy, but he yearns every day for Marty. Marty suffers from PTSD and needs Chris as his anchor. Time apart feeds the doubts each man harbors as they deal with their tragic pasts and try to hold on to the love blooming between them. Will fear make them give up before they even get started? Or will love find a way?

 

Pages or Words: 76 pages, 19,000 words
This book should be read after Dirty Martini, but it is suggested that the series be read in order as character recur throughout.
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

Mid-August…

Marty pulled up into the parking lot of Chris’s apartment complex in his mid-sized rental car. The evening heat and humidity clung to his skin. He and Chris had talked at least three times a week since that first phone call a month earlier, but he’d really wanted to see the man again. They’d decided to meet up on Chris’s first weekend off since becoming day manager at the bar. Marty had the jitters. What if they didn’t have the same chemistry? The same spark? All their intimacies since June had been via phone.

Chris had suggested video chat, but Marty had been too much of a chicken. Living in the military made a man paranoid about privacy. He pulled his tee shirt at the collar to let in some air, mustering his courage. The heat exacerbated the oily scent of the recently tarred parking lot. He smiled, remembering the choice words Chris had about the tar sticking to his tires. The outside steps leading to the second floor were concrete. Marty gripped the metal railing. His leg ached as he walked the flight to apartment 3B.

He bit his upper lip, running his fingers through his hair, as he stood at the door. His stomach ached with a misery born of anticipation and fear. His impulse was to bang down the door, but instead, he simply knocked. Twice.

The door opened. Chris smiled. “You made it.” Chris wore a kiwi-green tee shirt that brightened the green in his hazel eyes and a pair of low-slung jeans that hugged his narrow hips. His chestnut hair was neatly combed, and his narrow, angular face was clean shaven.

“You look nice,” Marty said.

Chris stepped back inside his apartment. “Come in. You’ve had a long trip. The bathroom is the door across the way.” There were two doors off the living room. Chris pointed the nearest one. “If you need to use it.”

“I’m fine,” Marty said. The living room and kitchen were combined in the small apartment. Chris had a blue couch, a coffee table, a recliner, and a small flat screen on a stand across the room from the couch in the living room. The kitchen had a three-by-three wooden table, four chairs, a fridge, dishwasher, sink, stove, and limited counter and cabinet space. The place wouldn’t win any decorating awards, but it was clean.

“Do you want to sit down?” Chris asked.

“Sure.” Marty felt let down by Chris’s mild reaction. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this congenial greeting hadn’t been it. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Chris said. “Can I get you a drink? Beer? Wine?”

“Sure. I’ll take whatever beer you have.” He watched Chris open the fridge and heard the telltale clinking of bottles.

Chris brought two beers into the living room. The bottles hissed as he popped the tops with an opener. He sat on the couch next to Marty. “Here you go.”

The cold bottle sweated against his hot, clammy hands. He swigged the beer, glad to have a reason not to talk for a moment. They’d talked so much on the phone over the past month that he’d assumed they’d never run out of things to say.

“So,” Chris said. “Long drive, huh?”

Wow, this conversation really was going nowhere. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Chris said. “Yes, of course. Why? Is everything okay with you?”

“Sure.” Marty scratched at the small hole near the knee of his jeans. “Good.” Why was this so goddamn hard? He turned to Chris and waited for Chris to meet his gaze.

They both laughed nervously.

“Maybe you should kiss me,” Marty said.

Buy the book: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Meet the Author

G.R. George is the pen name for USA Today Bestselling author Renee George’s GLBT urban fantasy, paranormal romance, erotic romance, contemporary romance, and romantic comedy books that highlight varying themes including ménage, gay and bisexual relationships. A published author since 2005, she has written and published over 30 books in the past decade. Accolades include: EcataRomance Award for Best Paranormal Erotic Romance and Best Gay Erotic Romance and a Literary Nymph Blush Award for Best Paranormal Romance.

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, BFD Book Blog, Gay Media Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter,

Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, For the Love of Bookends, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

The Hat Party, A.M. Leibowitz, MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews,

Full Moon Dreaming, V’s Reads, Alpha Book Club, Open Skye Book Reviews, Attention Is Arbitrary,

Up All Night, Read All Day, The Jena Wade, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Charley Descoteaux,

Mikky’s World of Books, Outrageous Heroes, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

Dirty Martini

Giveaway

Enter to win. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

 

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Enter the World of Ally Blue with The Secret of Hunter’s Bog (giveaway)

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The Secret of Hunter’s Bog by Ally Blue
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Kanaxa

Read an Excerpt/Buy Link

Hi y’all! I’m Ally Blue. Welcome to my blog tour for my newest book, The Secret of Hunter’s Bog. Thank you for stopping by. Be sure to comment on this post, or any of the posts on the tour, for a chance to win a full set of my Mojo Mysteries series—Demon Dog, A Ghost Most Elusive, and Myth Adventures—in the winner’s choice of electronic format. Read on and enjoy!

About The Secret of Hunter’s Bog

For Koichi McNab, the shop he and his twin sister Kimmy are opening in Hunter’s Bog Mall is a fresh start after their old one burned down. A way to move on. Especially when he meets the hunky owner of the luxury camping goods store next door. Koichi’s never been an outdoorsy guy, but Will Hood just might change his mind.

Will came to Southern Alabama to establish his own life away from his big, intrusive family—and in hopes of finding Anthony, the lover who vanished two years ago. But meeting Koichi throws everything off-kilter. Anthony was a long time ago. Koichi’s right here, smart and funny and cute, and Will wants him.

As Koichi and Will become friends, then lovers, Will’s past and Koichi’s present tangle into a dangerous knot that brings them face-to-face with secrets, theft, treachery . . . maybe even murder. With their lives on the line, their only way to safety is together.

About Ally Blue

Ally Blue is acknowledged by the world at large (or at least by her heroes, who tend to suffer a lot) as the Popess of Gay Angst.

She has a great big suggestively-shaped hat and rides in a bullet-proof Plexiglas bubble in Christmas parades. Her harem of manwhores does double duty as bodyguards and inspirational entertainment. Her favorite band is Radiohead, her favorite color is lime green and her favorite way to waste a perfectly good Saturday is to watch all three extended version LOTR movies in a row.

Her ultimate dream is to one day ditch the evil day job and support the family on manlove alone. She is not a hippie or a brain surgeon, no matter what her kids’ friends say.

Connect with Ally:

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Giveaway

Leave a comment for a chance to win a full set of Ally’s Mojo Mysteries series—Demon Dog, A Ghost Most Elusive, and Myth Adventures—in the winner’s choice of electronic format. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on March 12, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

The Winds of Change and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Tree blownThe Winds of Change

Oh the winds of change are blowing so strong these days whether we want them to or not.  Several days ago, a storm came through our area, one that had devastating repercussions for the Midwest and southeast regions of our country.   For us?  Some flooding and lost power.  Nothing on the enormous level that occurred out there.  But across the street several old towering trees uprooted and fell over, ones that were here for as long as I could remember (my parents built this house), trunks at least 2 to 3 feet in diameter.

It felt as though I had lost old friends, I know the local wildlife did.  The hawks that used it to nest in, the Pilated Woodpeckers that loved it so and will have to move on  and all those  squirrel from the Grey Squirrels to our Flying Squirrels who will have to relocate. I hope they moved in time.

Those bare spots haunt me as the saws and lumber men my neighbor hired  did their job quickly, leaving nothing at all behind.  What will happen in their absence? What will fill in those holes? Will the squirrels take care of it or the neighbors?  I’m betting on the squirrels.

Changes are happening in the book world as well, the winds blowing hard there too.  Publishing houses disappearing, new ones taking root, others morphing to include different presses and audiobooks (becoming more popular here with us too)…proving even as change is hard, even painful, its necessary to survive in these times.

Nature abhors stagnation and will force a change to break it up, everywhere we look change is upon us.  Some gentle, some harsh.  Some welcome, and some…well, some we all could do without.

Hopefully the changes coming to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words will be welcome.  I’m working on them.  I need more time…always more time, a scare commodity for me at the moment.

Meanwhile enjoy the upcoming week.  Its full of wonderful books, author guest blogs and reviews.  Enjoy and happy reading.

 

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                          Blow you winds, blow!  

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sunday, March 6:

  • The Winds of Change and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, March 7:

  • The Secret of Hunter’s Bog with Ally Blue (tour and giveaway)
  • Sports of the Seasons Blog Tour (M/M series) by Leigh Carter
  • Its a Cocktail of Love with Dirty Martini 2: The Screwdriver by G.R. George (Renee George) (contest)
  • A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Salt and Iron by Tam MacNeil
  • A Paul B Release Day Review: Patience by Grace R. Duncan

Tuesday, March 8:

  • EARTHQUAKES – A NEW AMSTERDAM STORY by Kelly Wrye Loose Id Tour/Contest
  • Hurri Cosmos ‘Then Sawyer Happened’ tour and giveaway
  • A MelanieM Review: Dormant Heart by Lane Swift
  • A Stella Review :Lucky in Loveland by K-lee Klein
  • A Lila Review: Ravenhearth by Lotus Oakes‏

Wednesday, March 9:

  • 6 Days to get Lucky virtual tour and giveaway
  • In the Spotlight: Stay With Me by Lily Adile Lamb (excerpt and giveaway)
  • AMelanieM Review: Night and Day by Rowan Speedwell (release day review)
  • A F.D. Review: The Prince’s Consort by Antonia Aquilante
  • A Lila Review: Where Loyalties Lie by Logan Taylor‏

Thursday, March 10:

  • Special Guest Blog by Grace R. Duncan on her release “Patience”
  • Ana J. Phoenix book blast for ‘For Never and Always (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Mario Kai Lapinski: Jakob & Ivo book blast and giveaway
  • A MelanieM Review: Blood and Clockwork by Katey Hawthorne
  • A Paul B Review:  Patience by Grace R. Duncan

Friday, March 11:

  • Brina Brady ‘Spanked in the Woodshed’ book blast and giveaway
  • Its Release Day for A Tested Love by Kayla Jameth (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review:Go Tell On the Mountain by Nick Wilgus
  • A Jeri Review: The Taste of Ink by Francis Gideon
  • A Ali Audiobook Review: Spirit by John Inman

Saturday, March 12:

  • Cover Reveal for Beastly Businessmen and Guitar Gods by Asta Idonea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Stella Review: The Queen & the Homo Jock King (At First Sight #2) by T.J. Klune

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

The Queen and the Homo Jock KingDo you believe in love at first sight?

Sanford Stewart sure doesn’t. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.

Or so he tells himself.

It’s not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside. Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open.

Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.

The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack It’s contract with the city.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

What amazing book! TJ Klune is become an author to simply trust, he never disappointed my expectations. And this book had huge expectations to not break. And I can say at some point during the reading I was a little worried.

The Queen & The Homo Jock King is not for everyone, cause the author is not for everyone. TJ is too many times over the top, he doesn’t write funny books, his stories are hilarious and deep and unbelievable, each one I’ve read, no exception. If you already read TJ you know what to expect, I thought I was ready for Sandy but I was very wrong.

I was so happy to meet again all the characters of the first book, Tell me It’s Real, Vince and Paul, Charlie, Nana and the others. Paul and Vinny are going to marry and Sandy and Darren are going to be their best men. Meanwhile Sandy needs to seduce Darren to not lose the club he works at as Helena at the city council expenses. But of course Sandy being Sandy….

It’s a joy to read a new TJ book, each time I spend a couple of days laughing so much, usually my tummy will hurt at the end (and I almost peed myself this time around too!). It’s one continuous line of funny sentences, there is no pause. I have to say it was the first time I didn’t read one of his books in a one stand session. At times it overwhelmed me (in a good way), the dialogues were too much to take all together so I had to stop and read something else. I started to be concerned and ready to be let down. It took two weeks to finish it and honestly? They were the best two (reading time) weeks of the last period. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure it was better this way, I could fully enjoy the story and each moment, avoiding missing things due to my voraciousness at eat up every new book I have on my hands.

I got my dose of Sandy/Helena and it was amazing. The tension between Darren and him almost killed me. There wasn’t a thing or a word I didn’t like. Simply perfect.

Just a little note. If you have read Tell Me It’s Real and don’t like it, don’t even think about reading this second one, it is so much worse/better.

The cover art by Reese Dante is great, I can easily see  Sandy/Helena in it. Just right!

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press |  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published February 29th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleThe Queen & the Homo Jock King
ISBN 1634768027 (ISBN13: 9781634768023)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SERIES At First Sight #2

  • Tell me It’s Real
  • The Queen & the Homo Jock