Category: Contemporary fiction

The One That I Want & Hopelessly Devoted by RJ Jones (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 

 

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Title: The One That I Want; Hopelessly Devoted
Author: RJ Jones
Genre: Gay Romance, Musical
Length: Short Stories
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

 

Synopsis

Jason escapes into the magic of a Broadway play every weekend. Musicals always have a happy ending and for a few hours he can believe there’s a happy ending waiting for him, too. When the tall drink of water who works on the top floor of Jason’s building, wants to take him on a date, Jason is surprised. After all, Jason is awkward and skinny, and sees himself as a boring accountant, while Paul is tall, dark, and incredibly hot.

Despite Jason’s reservations, Paul and Jason start dating and attending the shows Jason adores. But if Paul likes musicals as much as Jason, why does he always doze off? Is Paul leading a double life? Does he have a wife tucked away somewhere?

Jason knows Paul is hiding something and when the secrets come out, Jason finds his fantasy comes to life, right there on the stage.

The One That I Want Special Excerpt

THE NEXT morning he was there again, and his lips quirked in a small smile when he saw me. I looked at all the people milling around the elevator, then headed for the stairs. I couldn’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder. Mr. Gorgeous was staring at me, his brow furrowed and his smile gone. At least I could breathe in the stairwell. I took the stairs for the rest of the week, successfully eluding another encounter with Mr. Way-out-of-my-league.

Friday morning came, and I looked toward the elevator, expecting to see him waiting with the hordes, but he wasn’t there. I didn’t always see him, and I presumed he traveled for work or maybe had breakfast meetings on the days I didn’t see him. Heading for the stairs, I pushed the door open as I tried to fit my Encore magazine into my messenger bag.

“Why are you ignoring me?”

My heart felt like it had flown out of my chest. I grabbed the railing to steady myself with one hand; the other clutching at my chest like it was possible to stop my heart from flying away.

“Jesus, holy… Are you trying to kill me? I’m sure it’d be less painful to throw me down the stairs.”

“Sorry, but you’ve been avoiding me all week. Short of stalking you on your way home I thought this was a better, non-psychotic way of getting you to talk to me.”

“And scaring someone to death in an empty stairwell is less psychotic?”

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26851011-the-one-that-i-want

The One That I Want RJ Jones

 

Buy Links

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/the-one-that-i-want-by-rj-jones/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/One-That-I-Want-ebook/dp/B0160LK6CE/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theonethatiwant-1897813-149.html

 

Hopelessly Devoted

One year on from Paul’s proposal, Jason is living a life he never dreamed of. As he fusses with his tie and readies to walk down the aisle, he reminisces about the previous twelve months. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the happy couple in the lead up to their wedding, with obstacles big and small thrown in their way.

Marrying one of New York’s most eligible bachelors has Jason’s stomach in knots. Expectations of their society wedding are high, but out of love for Paul, Jason goes along with the grand plans because he understands Paul’s family has a reputation to maintain. But Paul has a surprise up his sleeve that just may see Jason getting the wedding of his dreams.

Follow Jason on his journey as he prepares to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in New York and find out just how Dave got his name.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26851055-hopelessly-devoted

Hopelessly Devoted

 

 

Buy Links

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/hopelessly-devoted-by-r-j-jones/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0161IK2ZW/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hopelesslydevoted-1897814-149.html

 

Giveaway

Prizes: Two WIP gift cards of $2.99 each.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and  Eyes o

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About the author

R.J. Jones started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasn’t until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write.

It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the shower…

R.J.’s initial thought was if she could write their scene then they’d shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of her day. Not so. That shower scene ended up being 3000 words long and three hours of work.  And still, they didn’t shut up.  They told her their entire story and she didn’t sleep for days. Sometimes she couldn’t keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by her bed.

Whilst she was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit.

You see the problem? If she ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write.

R.J. is a wife and a mother to two boys. She is surrounded by males. Even her dog is a boy.

R.J. Jones can be found at:

Website: http://rjjonesauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robyn.j.jones.1711
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjjonesauthor
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjjones-author
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rjjonesauthor/

A Mika Review: Will & Patrick Wake Up Married (Wake Up Married, Episode 1) by Leta Blake & Alice Griffiths

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00075]After a drunken night of hot sex in Vegas, strangers Will Patterson and Dr. Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Will and Patrick don’t like it, or each other, but they have to make the best of it until they can find another way out of their marriage. To ensure the trust fund Will’s charitable foundation relies on isn’t revoked by his mobster grandfather, he and Patrick travel to Will’s hometown of Healing, South Dakota, posing as a newlywed couple in the throes of true love at first sight.

Complicating their scheme are Will’s unresolved feelings for his all-too-recent ex-boyfriend Ryan, and Patrick’s desire to get back to the only thing that really matters to him in life: neurosurgery. Will they fool everyone? Or will the mafia get wind that their marriage is a fake? Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!

We all know I like Leta Blake’s work a lot, so anything she releases I’m going to want… a lot. I thought Will & Patrick Wake Up Married (Wake Up Married, Episode 1)  was a cool idea for a romantic comedy with M/M romance. It started off really good. Will is disorientated and naked in bed with a man who isn’t Ryan his boyfriend, yet Ryan broke up with him the night before. We’ve all been there done that with alcohol involved. Typical break up behavior ensued. Well this time Will went overboard and got himself married Vegas style. Patrick was hilarious. I liked his sarcasm and snark. He generally didn’t panic as much as Will.

This started out really well for me, and then the fire kind of died out. I’m think all the things surrounding the marriage took away from Patrick and Will. We saw glimpse of Patrick trying to be there for Will despite the situation at hand.

I can’t wait to see what happens next for these two. Maybe they will actually end up liking each other. Only time will tell.

Cover Art by Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Designs. I liked the design, very eye catching for the readers. Its definitely reminds me of a romantic comedy. I was intrigued because of the cover.

Sales Links:   | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: October 27th 2015 by Leta Blake Books (first published January 1st 2015)
ISBN139781626227446
edition language English

Will & Patrick Books Wake Up Married Series:

Will & Patrick Wake Up Married (Wake Up Married, Episode 1)
Will & Patrick Meet the Family (Wake Up Married, Episode 2)

Want that Shiver of Dread to Go with your Romance? Dead Ringer by Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler is Here ( contest)

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Dead Ringer by Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by  Dion Marc, Marisha Dudek

Buy It at Riptide Publishing here

Hi, and welcome to the DEAD RINGER release tour! We’re Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler. Thanks to our generous blog hosts, and thanks to you for hanging out with us! Be sure to check out our full list of tour stops so you can see the rest of our extras and snag yourself more chances to win our giveaway!

Blurb

Brandon Ringer has a dead man’s face. His grandfather, silver-screen heartthrob James Ringer, died tragically at twenty-one, and Brandon looks exactly like him. But that’s where the resemblance ends. Brandon is unknown, unemployed, and up to his ears in bills after inheriting his grandparents’ Hollywood mansion. He refuses to sell it—it’s his last connection to his grandmother—so to raise the cash he needs, he joins a celebrity look-alike escort agency.

Percy Charles is chronically ill, isolated, and lonely. His only company is his meddlesome caregiver and his collection of James Ringer memorabilia. When he finds “Jim Ringer” on Hollywood Doubles’ website, he books an appointment, hoping to meet someone who shares his passion for his idol.

Brandon? Not that person.

But despite their differences, they connect, and Percy’s fanboy love for James shows Brandon a side of his grandfather he never knew. Soon they want time together off the clock, but Percy is losing his battle for independence, and Brandon feels trapped in James’s long shadow. Their struggle to love each other is the stuff of classic Hollywood. Too bad Brandon knows how those stories end.

About Heidi

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write.

She has a degree in history from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centred on popular culture, oral folklore, and sexuality, but she was known to perplex her professors with unironic papers on the historical roots of modern romance novel tropes. (Ask her about Highlanders!)

When not writing, you might catch her trying to explain British television to her newborn daughter or standing in line at the local coffee shop, waiting on her caramel macchiato.

Connect with Heidi:

About Sam

Sam Schooler is queer and nonbinary, and she grew up surrounded by corn, churches, and cliché “Hell Is Real” signs. After twelve years of Catholic school in southwestern Ohio, she applied to the most liberal university she could find and wound up with a degree in journalism. Now, she writes trope-subverting new adult books about people of all genders and orientations—and all the ways they can love each other. Sam lives with her wife and their two cats in Regina, Saskatchewan.

You can find her backlist and details about upcoming projects at “http://samschooler.weebly.com/” .

If you’re feeling daring, follow her on Twitter as “https://twitter.com/samschoolering”  or on Tumblr as “http://meetcute-s.tumblr.com/“ to get the full immersive experience.

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Giveaway

Feeling lucky? Leave a comment with your email on this or any of our other DEAD RINGER tour posts for a chance to win one of our two grand prizes. Each winner will receive a $15 gift card to Riptide Publishing, plus get their choice of either a poster-sized print of DEAD RINGER’s gorgeous cover photo by Marisha Dudek, or a postcard set featuring the eye-catching ephemera of James Ringer’s filmography, designed by Vivian Ng. Contest is not restricted to US entries.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Love Action, Suspense & Romance? Check Out Enduring Night by John Wiltshire (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Enduring Night (More Heat Than The Sun #7) by John Wiltshire
 Release Date: October 23, 2015

Goodreads Link
 Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Dana Jamroz

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Today we’re happy to have back one of our Down Under Showcase writers John Wiltshire,  author of Enduring Night, a new release in John’s  wonderful More Heat Than The Sun series.

Hi John, welcome back to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  Tell our readers about yourself, your background, and your current book.

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  • What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Hah. Besides my books making it to a movie one day? I think it would be being able to carry on. I’ve suffered from writer’s block in the past and it’s debilitating. While I can still write I reckon I’m blessed.

  • How many published books do you have? Can you tell us something about them?

I have seven now published in the More Heat Than the Sun series. I set out with this series to deliberately write a world that builds slowly. The first book is almost like a seed. You may not even engage with the characters. It was a risk on my part to start a long series like this, because I needed people to be intrigued enough to stick with it. Fortunately many have been, and now in Book 7, and even more in Book 8, it’s become a hopefully rich and very engaging world. The two main characters, Nikolas and Ben, now have an eclectic group of friends and adopted family around them, which would seem incredible to anyone reading the introduction to the series, Book 1, Love is a Stranger.

I also have two historical novels published: A Royal Affair and its sequel Aleksey’s Kingdom. I really enjoyed writing these two books because they are written in the first person, which allows a lot of humour when you write it. Nikolai is not the most self-aware chap, and his attitudes and opinions make me laugh. I’m also a bit of a history buff, so it was fun doing the research for them. I like characters who aren’t entirely honest about who they are, and Nikolai has his pretenses and masks peeled away when he falls in love.

I have a short story published, Catch Me When I Fall, which was actually the first thing I wrote for publication. It’s about a fallen angel.

  • Your main character wants to cook something special for his love interest. What does he make?

Uh-huh. I sometimes wonder if I’m writing in the right genre. My characters don’t really interact over food, or make romantic gestures, come to that. Ben has been trying to cook a bit recently. He had to learn once to go undercover and it was a disaster. I think Nikolas once made Ben a cup of tea. Does any of that count?

  • What are you working on at the moment? What’s it about?

I’m writing a short story for a co-authoring project at MLR Press. Four authors were chosen to write a series of mystery stories based around the seasons. I’m doing autumn, but it’s autumn with a difference. I’m also writing a novel set in a small village in Devon. All my characters are members of a book club. It’s huge fun to write, because I know all these people. Fortunately, I’m eleven thousand miles away, and they can’t get me when the book comes out.

  • Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?

Not at all. I write scene by scene mainly. If it’s just a tiny scene, so be it. Sometimes I go months without writing anything. I start to panic a bit if I’ve not got one whole unpublished novel still in the bag.

I’d rather write nothing at all than write something I wasn’t happy with.

Thanks, John, for stopping by.  You are always welcome here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

Now more about Enduring Night…

Blurb

You’d have thought that Ben and Nikolas would have learnt that their romantic holidays inevitably end up as disasters. A short break on the polar ice sees them trapped in a nightmare of murder and deceit. Neither of them, however, foresees the long-term impact that endless winter has on their relationship. They return with a metaphorical darkness that threatens everything they have created together. Desperate and fearing for Nikolas’s life, Ben makes a bargain with a surprising ally. For the first time, Nikolas meets an enemy more powerful than he is. But fortunately, not as sneaky…

 

Pages or Words: 80,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller

Excerpt

Prologue

The view from the window hadn’t changed since the last time Ben had studied it—one grey, depressing wing of the building, the car park below, and some scraggly trees, still bare in January. Farther away, he could see the roofs of some houses, and perhaps, if he let his imagination run away with it, the distant hills of Bodmin moor. He didn’t speculate in the realms of fiction much these days. He brought his gaze back to the utilitarian architecture.

The seagull was back, perched on the sill, as it had been day after day. Sometimes, it tapped the window with its beak. Ben was never sure if the gull wanted in, or for him to open the window and join it outside, flying or falling. Freedom either way.

Secretly, Ben thought the gull was an albatross. It was so vast, so impressive, that it seemed inconceivable that it could be an ordinary gull blown in from Plymouth Sound and sitting on the grimy ledge. The first albatross perhaps to make it to England, tossed on ocean currents all the way from the Chatham Islands, lost, alone. If it was, then it was in good company. Ben had never felt so lost or so alone, and he had spent a fair proportion of his life being buffeted by metaphorical winds far stronger than those that prowled the vast oceans of the world.

Buy the book: MLR Books

RC

Meet the Author

John Wiltshire is English, an ex-army officer, who emigrated to New Zealand and now spends his time surfing and procrastinating on YouTube.

Where to find the author:

Giveaway

Final

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Enduring Night’ by John Wiltshire.   Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.   Link and prizes provided by the author and p

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

23-Oct: Mikky’s World of Books, Velvet Panic, Reviews by Jessewave, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

26-Oct: BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter

27-Oct: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Jessie G. Books, Boy Meets Boy Reviews

28-Oct: Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie

29-Oct: The Hat Party, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

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Coffee Sip and Book Break with A.M. Arthur’s ‘The World As He Sees It’ (excerpt and giveaway

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The World As He Sees (Perspectives #2) by A.M. Arthur
Release Date: October 20, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Cover Artist: Lyn Taylor

Sales Links: Samhain Publishing | Amazon | ARe | B & N | Kobo | iTunes

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Blurb

Love knows no limits…but fear could keep them from seeing it.

Gabe lives a double life. As Gabriel Henson, he works multiple jobs to support his remorseless, alcoholic mother. As Tony Ryder, he does internet porn for extra cash and regular safe sex without complications.

Yet when he encounters a scared young man freaking out in a night club, he’s compelled to reach out. Ever since then, the memory of that young man has haunted him.

Tristan Lavelle lives his life thirty minutes at a time. After a traumatic brain injury three years ago, he gets through his day recording his life in spiral notebooks and sticky note reminders.

A month after Tristan’s embarrassingly public meltdown, another chance meeting with Gabe sparks a warm, emotionally fulfilling email relationship. Both men crave more, but fear of the next step stands between them.

Until Tristan gets the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial that could improve his memory—if the side effects don’t kill him. But for Tristan, the possibility of a real life with Gabe is worth any risk…

 

Pages or Words: 283 pages, 83,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt


The late hour didn’t diminish the sweltering August heat, and Tristan worked up a good sweat walking. Shane and Noel both looked crazy sexy in their club clothes, and even sexier walking side by side. He was happy for Noel. Happy his best friend was in love and enjoying himself.

He was also stupidly, insanely jealous.

He stuck close with his stupid, insane jealousy because the streets were teeming with people of all ages, heading into and out of the different restaurants and clubs. They turned down a quieter side street that was more like an alley. Halfway down the block a few guys hung out against a stone wall, most of them smoking cigarettes. An industrial door with no sign or markings was being guarded by a big, burly bear of a man in a black leather vest.

“Hey, Officer Carlson,” the bouncer said. He had a deep voice to match his broad body. “Nice to see you again.”

“Hi, Mr. Henson,” Noel said.

“Bear, son. Everyone calls me Bear.”

“Right. This is my friend Tristan Lavelle.”

“A right pleasure.”

Tristan shook Bear’s hand, surprised by the gentle grip. “Hi.” He glanced at Shane, who didn’t seem at all annoyed at being left out. “Um, that’s Shane. Noel’s boyfriend.”

Bear grinned. “Yeah, I know that one all right.”

“You do?” He reached for a notebook he didn’t have, then looked at Noel for answers.

“Shane dances here once a week,” Noel said. “He got the job through Bear’s son Gabe.”

“Oh.” He didn’t bother asking if he’d already been told that. Probably. Every single piece of information that was mildly important to his life had been repeated to him at least, oh, eighteen times. Minimum.

“Enjoy yourselves, boys,” Bear said. “First drinks are on the house.”

“Thank you,” Tristan replied.

Noel pulled the door, and what had been a distant bass became an impressive thumpa-thumpa in Tristan’s chest. The interior of the club was wide and deep, with a high ceiling decorated in strands of red and blue lights. Strobes and other lighting flashed around the dance floor, which seemed to make up most of the floor space. A small U-shaped bar stood to the right. In the rear were what looked like raised platforms. Two hot guys in red short-shorts were gyrating together on one of them.

This is the kind of dancing Shane does? Shit.

He was probably twenty kinds of hot up there.

Someone jostled past them, reminding Tristan to keep moving forward. Noel was hustling them straight for the bar. Tristan couldn’t drink alcohol because of his antidepressants and anxiety medications, and Noel was driving so the only person able to drink much was Shane.

Lucky bastard.

Not that Tristan was going to mourn his dry night. Men. Everywhere around him, a sea of hot men. All kinds of eye candy. Every age, height, weight, shape and body hair amount. He observed and mentally drooled over the flesh on display. The air smelled of liquor and sweat and sex, and good Lord he was starting to get lightheaded from it all.

Noel nudged them closer to the bar. A middle-aged man with gray hair and a pink sequined vest gave them all a big, toothy smile. “Noel and friends,” he said. “Richard Brightman, pleased to officially meet you, Tristan.”

“Hello,” Tristan said. Officially meet you implied they’d interacted before, but the man’s name meant nothing to him.

“I’m Bear’s husband. We own the place.”

“Oh. It’s a great place. I’m pretty sure this is my first time. I like it.”

Noel flinched.

Okay that was wrong. When was I here before?

“So what are we drinking tonight?” Richard asked. “First round on the house. Samuel Adams for you, Shane?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Shane replied.

Richard knows because Shane works here.

“I’ll have a vodka tonic,” Noel said. “Tris?”

“Virgin margarita,” Tristan said. He loved margaritas, and while a virgin wasn’t as good as one with Patrón, he couldn’t mix with his meds.

“Coming up,” Richard said.

The music changed to a faster, sharper beat. Tristan’s hips rolled in tiny motions, instinct bringing out his love of club dancing. Of getting into it with another dude, all writhing bodies and gyrating hips. Arms and legs. Sweat and heavy breathing.

Wonderful arousal stirred in his gut, heating his blood already. He might not be getting laid tonight, but damn it, he was going to have some fun.

“Hey, you guys made it,” said a sexy, sultry voice.

Tristan glanced over his shoulder to see who the voice had spoken to, only to find himself staring into a pair of kind, dark eyes. Kind, dark eyes belonging to a stunningly handsome face. Black hair. Tan skin. Tall and well-built. A walking wet dream who was smiling like they were old friends.

Holy fucking hell, he’s gorgeous.

“Hey, Gabe,” Shane said.

Gabe.

Those kind, dark eyes never broke from his, and Tristan couldn’t look away. Gabe was a stranger, and yet somehow familiar.

His eyes. The eyes I see. We’ve met.

“We’ve met,” Tristan said before he could think twice.

Gabe’s eyebrows twitched. “Yes, we have. Do you remember that?”

“I remember your eyes.”

 

RC

About 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.

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.

Contact her at am_arthur@yahoo.com with your cooking tips (or book comments).

 

Where to find the author:

 

Giveaway

Final

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize Goodie Basket: 1 signed paperback of The Truth As He Knows It, 1 signed paperback of The World As He Sees it, plus a bunch of other goodies (notebooks, cute post-it’s, etc…).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:
20-Oct

21-Oct

22-Oct

23-Oct

26-Oct

27-Oct

28-Oct

29-Oct

30-Oct

2-Nov

3-Nov

4-Nov

5-Nov

6-Nov

9-Nov

10-Nov

11-Nov

12-Nov

13-Nov

16-Nov

 

 

 

A Stella New Adult Review: Go Your Own Way by Zane Riley

Rating 4.5 stars out of 5

Go Your Own Way coverWill Osborne couldn’t wait to put the roller coaster ride of his public education behind him. Having suffered bullying and harassment since grade school, he planned a senior year that would be simple and quiet before going away to college and starting fresh. But when a reform school transfer student struts into his first class, Will realizes that the thrill ride has only just begun.

Lennox McAvoy is an avalanche. He’s crude, flirtatious, and the most insufferable, beautiful person Will’s ever met. From his ankle monitor to his dull smile, Lennox appears irredeemable. But when Will’s father falls seriously ill, Will discovers that there is more to Lennox than meets the eye.

Go Your Own Way is the new adult debut novel by the talented Zane Riley and another winner from the (new to me) Interlude Press. The book was nothing like I was expecting and really different from the usual NA (new adult) stories I read in the past. In three words, I loved it! I’m so happy when I discover new authors and I can’t believe this is Zane’s only book I have available right now.

Will and Lennox are two characters that will be in my heart for a bit. The author did an amazing work at describing them and making me like them so much. They are so cute together! I can assure you both are super interesting since the first lines, and when sparkles fly between them the fun is assured. Two boys apparently so different from each other but with lots in common.

Lennox seems a strong young man, steeled by the too hard past years. But it’s an act he absolutely needs to survive his life, made of a nasty motel room, of food stolen at the school cafeteria, of prejudices and attempts at his safety, of nights spent in the bathtub with a flashlight. He isn’t expecting someone like Will to happen to his shitty life and to get through his heart like this amazing young man does.

“I do like him,” Will confessed. “But I can’t stand him, too. It’s… complicated. I don’t want to just date for a few weeks. I don’t—I want something that’s real.”

“Why can’t a short relationship be real?” Roxanne asked. “I mean, Romeo and Juliet—”

“Were two insane, dopey teenagers whose infatuation killed a half a dozen people,” Will said. “I want maturity. Commitment. Someone to talk to about everything.”

“Sounds like a therapist to me”

Will is been bullied all his life. He can’t wait to finish his last year of high school to fly out of the strict town he’s born in. He has a beautiful stepmother and a great dad, both funny and so supportive. He always dreamed about his first love and his idea is nothing as Lennox, cheeky and rude. But Lennox, who is the biggest annoying person in Will’s world, becomes his greater distractions and helper in the hardest and hurtful event in his life so far. Lennox becomes a comfort, because he understands what Will is going through. There is still ice and fire between them but that’s exactly what makes their relationships so beautiful.

The writing is light and funny but deep and emotional too. The author uses a double point of view, perfect to make more real and detectable the MCs’ minds and feelings, especially in the hilarious dialogues, full of banters, jokes and the MCs’ smart mouths that make Go Your Own Way an engaging “enemies to lovers” book.

I gave this book only 4,5 stars cause the ending was too abrupt and it needs a sequel, there are so many things I still have to know and see, especially about Lennox. Still this is a highly recommended story.

Cover design by Buckeyegrrl Designs. The cover depicts a specific scene in the book, the first time they kiss against a chalkboard. It is really awesome and the backcover is even better. Really well done.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | Smashwords | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 326 pages
Published May 5th 2015 by Interlude Press
ASIN B00WOP7OGM
Edition Language English

A Jeri Review: Hollywood Secrets (Hollywood) by T.S. McKinney

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Hollywood Secrets coverEthan Weatherby.  Well…Vic and Grayson are smackdab in the middle of their happy-ending, loving each other with so much sugary sweet sap and disgustingly dirty sex that it’s turning my stomach…or making me green with jealously.  Magnus and I broke up months ago, making me the laughing stock of Hollywood and leaving me drowning in a big black pit of despair.  In an attempt to hide away from all the Hollywood glitz and gossip, I accompany Vic to Florence, Alabama for her latest movie.  In my messed-up mind, I tell myself that I’ll get me a little Southern Boy Nookie that will miraculously make me forget all about Magnus.  As it turns out…I get so much more than nookie.

Jeremy Michaelson.  He’s hands down the hottest, most innocently beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my entire life.  Every alpha instinct in me comes to life the first time I see him and the overwhelming desire to make him mine comes roaring to life.  After our first encounter, I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about me.

At least I thought he did…until I realize there is so much more to my Southern heartthrob than what he wants me to see.  He has secrets, potentially deadly secrets that risk putting an end to us before we even have a chance for our beginning.  The more I try to unravel his past, the harder he pushes me away.

Here’s the deal…when I want something, I don’t give up easily…and I want Jeremy Michaelson.

This is another tough one for me to review. I thought I would like it more than I did. Admittedly I haven’t read the first in the series (it’s MF and I pretty much exclusively read MM), so perhaps this is just the writing style.

Everyone in the book seemed quite over the top. But at the same time, except for the supporting character of Victoria, no one seems to really work or have a real life outside of this romance.

After hearing about Jeremy’s back story, I expected him to be a lot more worldly, more jaded. He comes across as almost virginal in the book which makes no sense as he is ready to jump into bed with Ethan straight after an injury.

Ethan is portrayed as very stereotypically gay. Tiny dog, screams like a girl, perfect hair and wardrobe, girl best friend. But when it comes to sex he turns into this super toppy alpha which just doesn’t seem to fit his personality at all.

The story just moved far too quickly for me for it to be believable. But if you like fluffy full of sex for sex sake, this is definitely the book for you.

Even the cover art seemed a bit generic for me.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published September 3rd 2015 by Smashwords Edition
(first published September 2nd 2015)
ISBN139781944054014
seriesHollywood

A Mika Review: Keep Me Wanting by Avril Ashton

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Keep Me Wanting coverThe last thing on Damian Archer’s mind is a relationship. He’s focused on running the family business and keeping up appearances. He’s fine with the way things are, until the tattooed help at a friend’s party takes one look at him and calls him on his bull.

Fired from a brand new job, Fin Thornton is homeless and penniless. He knows men like Damian. He abhors men like Damian. Despite the wealthy man coming to his aid when he desperately needs it, Fin is hesitant to lower his guard. Yet Damian insists on being in Fin’s face, demanding things and offering help.

In spite of their differences, something keeps them wanting each other. The same connection that has Damian desperate to stake a claim on the skittish Fin. But it will take a ghost from Fin’s tragic past to show both men that what they have is worth more than money.

Okay we all know how I love Avril Ashton. Good Lord that woman can write a sex scene. Oh my goodness. I would have rather this been straight smut then the contemporary story. Damian and Fin are extremely hot together. I think I need to reiterate that. I’m never bored with that aspect of her stories. For this one though, I kind of felt like we walked into the middle of this potential couple history. From the first it was rudeness between the two and I just felt like we were missing the introduction between the two.  But it moved fast from that initial meeting.

I do like the chemistry between the two a lot. It was some sparks, then they were on fire. I mean Fin was a little spit fire from beginning to end. I like Damian, I kind of wanted to see more of him. We saw his family side, business side but nothing of just Damian. I don’t have to worry that the sexual side of the relationship is boring or dull. Goodness, I re-read a few pages this morning for scientific research purposes only. She writes those scenes extremely well. I needed to reiterate that. LOL. All in all I thought this was a cute contemporary novella. Mrs. A is never going to not have a little drama, or funk in her stories so we did get this. I can’t wait for that little prequel whenever that’s out. I see you Sullivan & Carter.

Cover Art by: Emmy Ellis, did a wonderful job. I loved the cover model and the background a lot. The model and his piercing were spot on.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

eBook,  pages, October 21, 2015, 2015 by Sinner’s Haven Publishing.