Book Tour & Contest: Starling by Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese

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Whistle Stop Tour for Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese’s

Starling!

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Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese have stopped by to talk about Starling, their latest release from Torquere.

We’d like to do a giveaway of a free e-copy of “Lake Effect,” our short story from the wedding-themed anthology They Do, also from Torquere.  To enter to win, leave an comment with your email address included.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends 9/20.

Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese Talk About Inspiration and their latest book, Starling!

Starling was inspired by a question, and then by our own fascination with the unglamourous parts of fairytale of fame.

Racheline and I started writing together more or less by accident. We met through mutual friends and share loves of television, backstage stories, and romances that are a little dark and a little messy.

But loving backstage stories when one of you is a SAG-AFTRA actor and the other has a long history of working crew in school shows can be hard. There’s so much to fantasize about, people don’t always get the reality right.

But what if? We asked each other. What if a guy who never wanted to be famous, became famous? And then, email by email, we started telling each other a story. And once we started, we didn’t stop. A year later, we’ve sold two novels — including Starling — a short story, and a novellete, have a half-dozen projects currently in progress, and several currently out with publishers for submission.

For Starling and its sequels, we wanted to tell a story about the wonder and the terror that is fame. Starling may be a fairytale — that discovered in a diner narrative always is. But it’s not a the Disney fairytale. Rather, it’s much more Hans Christian Andersen or Brothers Grimm.

Since Starling is a contemporary romance, it’s not that there are monsters lurking under the bed, but we are huge fans of magical realism and wanted to see how we could bring those ideas to a story, both magic and real, set in Hollywood.

As Alex, our guy who becomes famous, and Paul, the guy he falls for, navigate their way to their happy ending, things are hard and occasionally dark. Because life, after all, isn’t easy, and fame and success don’t make figuring out how to get, and keep, what — and who — you want any easier.

STARLING COVER Maltese McRaeTitle:  Starling
Authors: Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese
Publisher:  Torquere Books
Cover artist:  Brandon Clay

Sales Link: Amazon

 “Starling” Blurb:

When J. Alex Cook, a production assistant on The Fourth Estate (one of network TV’s hottest shows), is accidentally catapulted to stardom, he finds himself struggling to navigate both fame and a relationship with Paul, one of Fourth’s key writers. Despite their incendiary chemistry, Alex’s inexperience and the baggage they’re both carrying quickly lead to an ugly break-up.

Reeling from their broken hearts, Alex has an affair with a polyamorous co-star and Paul has an ill-advised reunion with an old flame. Meanwhile, the meddling of their colleagues, friends — and even the paparazzi! — quickly make Alex and Paul’s real life romance troubles the soap opera of the television season.

But while the entertainment value may be high, no one knows better than Alex and Paul that there are no guarantees when it comes to love in Los Angeles.

Authors Bios:

Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese’s gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry, is published by Torquere Press. The first novel, Starling, was released September 2014; its sequel, Doves, is scheduled for January 2015. Racheline is a NYC-based performer and storyteller focused on themes of sex, gender, desire and mourning. Erin McRae is a writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C.

Contact Links:

A MelanieM Review: The Last Thing He Needs by J.H. Knight

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Last Thing He Needs CoverTommy O’Shea is raising his seven younger brothers and sisters the best he can under the worst of circumstances. With an alcoholic, drug addicted father and stepmother to contend with, only the fact that the house they live in was their grandmother’s keeps a roof over their heads.  The money needed for food and other living expenses is cobbled together by a collection of part time jobs, petty thefts and other desperate measures.  This includes selling sexual favors in alleys to get by.  And it’s been that way since Tommy was 15. Here living on the edge is razor sharp, pain is common place and despairs its companion. Between trying to make sure his brothers and sisters are fed, attend school, and stay out of the foster care system, Tommy has room for little else in his life, including a relationship.

Police officer Bobby McAlister has known Tommy and his family since they were kids. Unbeknownst to Tommy he has been trying to keep an eye out for their safety.  A chance meeting with Tommy gives Bobby a chance to help out while trying to strike up a friendship once more.  But Tommy has erected a wall of anger, diffidence and shame to keep others away and he tries to do the same with Bobby. Bobby sees how desperate the situation has become and refuses to be pushed away and a tentative friendship and relationship is formed.

A shattering event tests the fragile bonds that has formed between Tommy, Bobby and Tommy’s family.  Will they be strong enough to withstand the tragedy that befalls the O’Shea family, or will all be lost forever under the aftermath?

The Last Thing He Needs by J. H. Knight is that story that slips along the edges of what could have been a Lifetime movie yet surmounts that overwrought template to become a deeply moving and emotionally wrenching story of family and love.  J. H. Knight is another new author and a terrific one if this story is any indication.  I have to admit I approached this story from two very different viewpoints.  One, the side of me that’s addicted to those Christmas Hallmark movies, and the other side?  That’s the one that looks at life through George Carlin glasses.  The blurb hooked me in while my suspicious nature said to beware the maudlin elements that could have made this a manipulative sob fest.

I shouldn’t have worried.  Knight took all the suspect elements, the impoverished family, the kids in danger, the drug addled parents…all of it and made it believable and heartrending. It all starts with Tommy O’Shea for he is the anchor of his family and for this story.  If Tommy had not come across as real as he does, this would be a very different novel.  But Knight makes us believe in Tommy.  In his anger, and pain, and desperation.  The descriptions of the O’Shea family’s living conditions ring in as authentic and gritty.  The condition of the house, exterior and interior rooms, reads as desperation,especially the bedroom crammed with bodies. The teenagers shouldering burdens they were never meant to cope with, young kids on the edge of delinquency but for reasons that make your heart break, and the toddlers unaware of how shaky is the foundation their family rests on.  Knight has a clear enough idea of the reality of poor families these days to make the O’Shea family existence spare, gritty and desperate without coating it in dramatic prose and imagery.  It’s a grim life and Knight depicts it as such.

Bobby McAlister comes from a very different background.  The only son of two loving parents, the loss of his father has left Bobby and his mother trying to cope with the hole in their lives and a future without the man they both loved deeply.  His life and upbringing could not be any more different and the manner in which Tommy and the kids are living is almost too much for Bobby to comprehend, even as a police officer.  His emotional and familial solidity is the bulwark Tommy needs for himself and for his brothers and sisters against the reality their lives have become.  Bobby isn’t perfect and that just pulls us into his personality even further.  Then add to that his grieving mother, Judy, and our love for the McAlister family just grows and grows.

All the characters here managed to be fleshed out to a level that enables the reader to believe in them too.  Tommy’s father and step mother are characters whose addictions and behaviors are heinous yet Knight is careful to show that Cal and step mother Cheryl were once so very different from the people they are now after years of substance abuse, bad decisions, and parental neglect has made them.  Life is choices and sometimes it only takes a slip or a push for you to go one way or the way.  Or in Tommy’s case, realize that to ask and accept help when you need it does not have to be dangerous or belittling.

Knight is quick not to deliver any easy answers for a desperate and painful situation.  Tommy’s life and that of his siblings remain precarious for most of the story.  But the resolution, while slow to arrive, is ultimately satisfying and emotionally heartwarming.  This story and its characters earns its ending.  It’s wonderful and realistic.  And it puts J.H. Knight squarely on my must read list.  I think after reading this story you will find yourself doing the same.  Consider this highly recommended by Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

Cover art by AngstyG.  I like the cover but its lacking a little something in design.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press       All Romance eBooks (ARe)     Amazon   The Last Thing He Needs

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Published July 28th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 27th 2014)
ISBN139781627988605
edition languageEnglish

On Tour with Bailey Bradford’s Broncs and Bullies! (contest)

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Welcome, Bailey Bradford to ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.  Bailey is here with her latest release, Broncs & Bullies.  She brought along a contest to enter, her top five favorite country songs and a blurb to check out.

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Blog Tour_Broncs and Bullies_Bailey Bradford_Social Media_finalGood morning to y’all 😀 It’s blog-tour fun time! Since I’ve got a new book out in the Mossy Glenn series, Broncs and Bullies, I’m doing some Top 5’s relating to cowboys and such. Y’all just ignore the fact that my last Top 5 had 7 items. We’re going to let that go 😀

To celebrate the release of Broncs and Bullies, I’ll be giving away an ebook copy of Broncs and Bullies via Totallybound to a randomly drawn commenter to this post. A winner announced on my blog at http://www.baileysplayroom.blogspot.com on Sept. 13th.

Now, on to that Top 5 list! How about my Top 5 C& W songs—which, they’re all going to be old ones because I don’t listen to C&W now, and the old ones shaped a lot of my cowboy ideals, along with all the Louis L’Amour books. Man, I loved those books! But anyway. On to the music! Y’all chime in with y’all’s favorites in the comments below for a chance to win!

In no particular order, my Top 5 C&W songs:

• El Paso, Marty Robbins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIRL_iu3eQM

I was such an emo kid before emo was a term. 😀 And I cried like a baby when Marty Robbins died. Not as hard as I cried when—

• Anything by Waylon Jennings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKjT6RsIFjA

Anyone who reads my blog or sees my FB posts might have caught onto the fact that I like bear-ish men. Waylon was big, hairy, growly, and also, sweet. He was, to me, a stud and I grew up listening to his music and crushing on him. And I was really mad that I wasn’t named Amanda!

• Till the Rivers All Run Dry, Don Williams (who also sang… Amanda). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdZuodp3ZZM

The Hubs and I saw him in concert several years ago, and he still had that smooth, beautiful voice. And he’s a big guy, like tall big, too. And hairy. Okay yeah, back to that bear-ish look for me, heh ^.^

• Grandma’s Song, Gail Davies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqCXKOxYIQ0

All of my kids know this song. I’ve sang it to them so many times… We hit that chorus at the top of our lungs, though, and speed it up until it’s more like a tongue twister most of the time. We do this out in public often, and never understand people look at us like we’re unhinged 😀 Sing like you mean it!

• I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4U66RYzQo

Anyone else see The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?
This song and the way Dolly puts her heart into it wrecked me. However, Dolly is an incredible entertainer, and I lurves her madly.

broncsandbullies_800Blurb for Broncs and Bullies:

Frankie never let anyone close, until Duke refused to give up on him.

Frankie Freemont knows everyone at the Mossy Glenn thinks he’s a jerk for breaking things off with Jody. Letting people get close to him just isn’t something Frankie does. And older men? No way. Frankie doesn’t do that daddy thing so many younger guys seem to like.

Which is why he can’t understand his reaction to Duke Edmonds. Duke has always made him nervous for no reason Frankie can figure out.

Duke suffers a concussion, and Frankie suffers the consequences of a bad choice he makes. With his family wanting him for only one thing—money—and Duke slowly breaking down his defenses, Frankie doesn’t know which way is up.

Duke is determined to prove to Frankie that he’s a good man—they both are. Duke’s worked hard to overcome his youthful past. He’s still ashamed of being a bully years ago, and does everything he can to make sure he never makes mistakes like that again. Being a better man is hard at times, but Duke’s spent his whole adult life doing so.

Now he and Frankie have to decide what they want, and how to go about getting it. That means making some changes that can break each man’s heart.

Like the sound of Broncs and Bullies? Buy it here at Totally Bound!

About Bailey Bradford:

A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are reserved for pounding away at the keyboard, as are early morning hours. Sleep? Doesn’t happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters bouncing about, tapping on Bailey’s brain demanding to be let out.

Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey’s office and are never far from hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey’s presence can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any circumstances.

Author Contacts:

A MelanieM Review: Blown Chance (Whispering Winds, #4) (Pulp Friction 2014 #15) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

PF4_BlownChance400x600Rowen Smithe had been anticipating the worst when his past came calling in the form of his former partner. Once through the initial explosions (and when all first aide supplies were put away), the truth about Rowen, the warped nature of his childhood, previous profession, everything came to light.  And his Mountain Shadow family didn’t abandon him.  In fact it brought them all closer together.

But not everyone in Rowen’s past is willing to let Rowen off so easily.  An old acquaintance arrives quietly in Mountain Shadows and his target is Rowen Smithe.  Recovering from the turmoil of the recent events, none of Mountain Shadows campground are prepared for what is to come, the least of which is Mick Rutger.

Mick Rutgers is in love with Rowen Smithe and has been working hard to break down the barriers Rowen has raised to protect himself.  But when Rowen’s former partner appears and their history together comes out, Mick thinks the time has finally come for them to have a future together.  It seems that Fate has one last hurdle for the pair to overcome.   One more dangerous element from Rowen’s past.  Is this the one that brings them closer together? Or is it the one to break Mick’s resolve and destroy their chance at happiness forever?

Blown Chance is guaranteed to break your heart in more ways than you might think possible.  The previous 3.5 (yes, .5) stories have been setting us up for this emotional rollercoaster.  The scrabbled together family of Mountain Shadows has just undergone an emotional tsunami resulting from the revelations about Rowen’s past, including childhood and dubious profession.  Still once the shocks have worn off and the wounds patched up (ok part of that was deadly funny), all the characters we have come to love over this series (and some from last year’s) pull together once more in love and support.   Its has been emotionally draining for all, and yes, I am including the reader here too.  But peace is such a fragile thing, especially when the people involved are such explosive individuals with past histories that refuse to stay in the past.

I have to admit I laughed out loud at portions of Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5).  But humor has little place here.  Rowen’s past is one of horrific events of which sometimes he has been the cause.  And that past refuses to let him go.  It returns silently and swiftly just when you think Rowen and Mick are settling down enough to talk about a relationship.  Havan Fellows lulls us into temporary complacency and then smacks us down with a tide of events and people that we really should have seen coming.  She builds us up and then brings us down but not so far at first that we think we’re safe.  Because no one is.

I love the suspense  and anticipation Fellows builds into her plot.  It’s crazy white knuckle ride of action, stealth, and surprise!  Still, amongst all the shocks and tremors here, Havan Fellows never forgets the complicated men at the center and their strained journey towards love and acceptance.   Rowen quickly became a favorite of mine with his tortured demeanor and his ability to become a part of the woodland environment around him.  Rowen is such an interesting, quixotic personality that he just draws you to him.  So we can understand Mick Rutger’s fascination with Rowen and ultimately his love for him as well.  Their tentative bonds have been constantly under stress, but the worst is about to confront them all.  How is all plays out  is wildly inventive, crazily satisfying, and totally frustrating.

I get the ending, I really do.  It makes absolute sense.  But now I need book 5.  I need to see what happens next.  I care for these characters and want them to have their happily ever after.  They deserve it and so do the readers.  I know its coming but waiting is get harder by the minute.  How I love the anticipation!

This is an outstanding series.  The fact that it gets intertwined with the Pulp Friction 2013 series is just the icing on the cake.  Loved that series, love this series too.  Whispering Winds and all the other Elemental Connections series are easily at the top of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014.  If you have started reading them yet,  (perhaps there is a binge reading fest ahead), start at the first story and work your way through.  It’s the best way to understand the characters and to watch the relationships change and  grow.  Pick them up today.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  These covers are tremendous, great for branding the series and the characters.

Sales links:            All Romance eBooks              Amazon             Blown Chances

 

Here are the books in the Elemental Connections series to date:

Round One:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1) by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by T.A. Webb
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

Round Two:

Controlled Burn by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth by T.A. Webb

Round Three:

Backburn by Laura Harner
Cold Feet by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard by Havan Fellows
Tremors by T.A. Webb
Taking Chances  by Lee Brazil– bonus book, In From the Cold

Round Four:

Flare-up by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold by Lee Brazil
Wicked Winds by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Blown Chance by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks by T.A. Webb

Book Details:
Published August 15th 2014 by Appleton Publishing Avenue (first published August 14th 2014)
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #15, Whispering Winds #4

A MelanieM Review: Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5) by T.A. Webb

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Frankie's Knight coverAtlanta Detective Frankie Prater is working a case where young boys working as prositutes have gone missing.  Then he gets a lead on his case from a most unexpected source…the Arizona Flagstaff Police Department where a joint task force has convened after the arrest of a serial  rapist murderer and sadist..  Turns out that this monster is responsible for the abduction of 40 boys and girls from around the country and among them just might be the young boy missing Frankie is looking for in Atlanta.

Frankie journeys to Flagstaff hoping for answers and perhaps even the boy himself.  With him is Brady Owens.  Brady lived six years as a prostitute after his parents threw him out at the age of twelve.  While on the streets, his boyfriend was killed by a rogue cop and he himself was tortured before being saved by Frankie’s brother, the City Knight and his friends.  Now he lives with Frankie and his kids.   Brady has turned eighteen. Brady knows what and who he wants.  It’s Frankie Prater and he is pretty sure that Frankie wants him back.  But how to convince him that he’s all grownup and ready for a relationship?

In the middle of an investigation where the missing kids are  plentiful, their bodies are missing, and clues are scarce, will Frankie figure out his feelings for Brady before the investigation turns deadly once more?

T.A. Webb is killing me here.  Never have I handed out  so many high ratings as I have with this series and authors.  And with Frankie’s Knight, a side story from this year’s Pulp Friction’s Elemental Connections series, the  pattern continues.  Once more, T.A. Webb is able to combine the two series (City Knight) and (Earthquake) in a realistic and dramatic fashion.  Here the connecting element is missing boys, both in Atlanta and Flagstaff.   Unfortunately from the last Earthquake novel, Tremors (Earthquake #3), we have learned  the identity of the culprit behind a main character’s kidnapping.  It is revealed that he is not only a sadist but a serial rapist and murderer of more than 40 boys and girls across the US.  That horrific discovery reverberates across agencies and states where the children were kidnapped, among them Atlanta.

There is always an element of angst to these stories whether it is kidnapping, torture, abuse or murder.  But in Frankie’s Knight, that aspect is heartbreaking as Webb works the reality of  those discarded LGBTQ children on the streets and the life that awaits them there as castoffs from  family and society. There are so many of them, a fact highlighted by the shear number of children this person was able to kidnap and kill without raising alarm. Unfortunately this is another realistic element here as the media and law enforcement can attest.   T.A. Webb’s treatment and characterizations of these kids is both authentic and profoundly painful.  We have seen it in Brady Owens and his friends from the City Knight series last year.  Here Brady’s background of abuse and prostitution will come into play in a most unexpected way.

T.A. Webb’s plot is gripping.  The suspense  builds as the hunt for the Atlanta boy intensifies.  All the law enforcement agents gathered combine forces and resources to put this person away for good, find the boys and girls missing, even if they think it is only bodies to locate at this point.  And through it all, Brady and Frankie are trying to find their way to each other and a HEA.  Webb gives us tension with a capital T, whether it is the building sexual tension between Brady and Frankie or the stress and tension caused by the investigation that comes with a time restriction.  It all builds into an explosive finale worth of the plot and characters.  Just amazing.  And once more,  T.A. Webb leaves the reader wanting more of all the people and couple involved.

I highly recommend Frankie’s Knight and all of the Earthquake and Elemental Connections series.  I have listed them for you at the bottom.  However, in order to avoid spoilers and to understand the sequence of events and character development, they should be read in the order they were written.  Grab them all up today.  This is one amazing author and series!

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Amazing cover, I love it.

Sales links:             All Romance eBooks           Amazon           Frankie’s Knight

Books in the Earthquake (Pulp Friction 2014) series in the order they should be read:

Higher Ground (Earthquake #1) (Pulp Friction 2014 #4)
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) (Pulp Friction 2014 #8)
Tremors (Earthquake #3) (Pulp Friction #12)
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) (Pulp Friction 2014 #16)

Higher Ground coverMoving Earth coverTremors cover by TA WebbFrankie's Knight cover

Book Details:
ebook, 65 pages
Published August 26th 2014 by A Bear on Books
ISBN139781310928611
edition languageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Yakuza Courage (The Way of the Yakuza #2) by H.J. Brues

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Yakuza CourageEx-Navy SEAL Brendan O’Farrihy’s life was never the same after his SEAL team deployed to Afghanistan on a near suicidal covert mission. It ended disastrously, killing two of his team members and shattering the lives of the remaining SEALS. Now Brendan works for a Washington lawyer and boyfriend, helping his clients by conducting investigations and acting as security.  Then Brendan is sent to Honolulu on a new job for their client, Senator Harris.  It seems that the Senator’s youngest son has gotten involved with the Yakuza and brought them back with him from Japan where he had been kidnapped.  The Senator’s son, Kenneth Harris,  is living and working at Honolulu dojo , a suspected front for a yakuza syndicate.  Brendon’s job is to investigate and extract the son as necessary. The first step in Brendan’s investigation? Enroll in a kendo class being given at the dojo in question to get close to his subject and observe the situation.

Kendo instructor, the cocky, short-fused, gorgeous Kinosuke Yonekawa has arrived in Honolulu along with his former yakuza underboss Shigure Matsunaga, other ex yakuza members and of course, Ken Harris, Matsunaga’s gajin lover who is helping to see them established in the US. Kinosuke feels cutoff from all he knew, especially his place in Japanese and Yakuza society. American culture and customs confuse him and he feels adrift from the very people who make up his family. Then a new student arrives in class. Freckled, outgoing, handsome and yet respectful. The feelings he engenders in Kinosuke just add to his jumbled state of mind.

As Brendan becomes more involved with Kinosuke, the less sure he is that the Senator has been telling him the truth. The Yakuza are protectiave of Ken and seem to have left their criminal connections behind them in Japan. So what exactly is going on?  When Ken disappears from the dojo, Brendan must decide whether to stick to his original plan or reveal his investigation to Kinosuke and the others in order to help them find Ken and bring him home.  But will Kinosuke ever forgive him?  And will it all be in time to rescue Ken from a danger closer than Brendan had imagined.

Yakuza Courage, the second story in H.J. Brues’ The Way of the Yakuza series, represents yet another new series and author for me.  Her special combination of suspense, romance and all the elements that a variety of cultures bring really made this story (and series) a real highlight for me.  I am working backwards here so I was missing the first installment, Yakuza Pride, where Ken Harris and Shigure Matsunaga met in Japan and the kidnapping that occurred there.  However, I didn’t feel as though that lack of a complete backstory was necessary in order to get connected to the men, the romances and histories central to the plot here.

Words that come to mind when trying to describe the characters, and plot?  Densely packed, beautifully constructed, and always complex.  That applies to everything here.  The characters are especially marvelous.  On one side you have Brendan O’Farrihy and the remaining members of his SEAL family, a damaged, closeknit, and over the top competent group of warriors devastated by a mission gone wrong.  And soon to be reunited in Hawaii.  On the other side?  A closeknit group of Japanese warriors…a segment of the criminal gang that is Yakuza.  They too have been separated, not from each other, but from their material and emotional foundation in the Yakuza organization in Japan.  Two teams or families adrift by circumstances and one man who will bring them all together.  What a great plot!  And to make them all feel alive H. J. Brues steeps her story and characters deep in the culture of Hawaii.  Here  it is the white people or haole who are outsiders.  Not so those of multiracial backgrounds found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, where it can take a true polyglot to understand the mixture of dialects, colloquialisms, pidgin mashups of  English, Japanese, Samoan, and much, much more that has become the language of the people there.

I loved the manner in which Brues folded her knowledge of the various cultures (of Japan, Yakuza, Hawaii, and SEAL) together in such a way that they remain distinct yet commonplace elements of the people and story lines.  Her characters speak the language of their home and cultures and it feels as natural as breathing.  Along the way other details and facets are thrown in, such as the clothing worn by kendo masters and the slippers and furnishings found there. Want to know more about what it is like to don (and take off) the hakama pants worn by Kendo Masters and students? Then read the scene that highlights the difficulty and time it took Brendan and Kinosuke to remove their hakama pants while half crazed with lust.  It comes across as both authentic, and funny.   Dialects swing back and forth from Japanese to colloquial Hawaii then to standard SEAL  speak and English and then around again.   A tremendous merry-go-round of  vivid imagery, local flavor, and layering that can make your head swim if other cultures and languages are not your thing.  For me it felt as if each new page brought another present to unwrap.

There is a tremendous amount of information here and plot complications to  include so at times the reading can slow down, the narrative sluggish under the weight of all those great elements and tactical maneuverings.  Then its starts to pick up as the other SEAL team members arrive and the rush is on to accomplish several missions, save Ken, and complete a HEA for all.  That race towards the resolution is really gripping, the author’s sentences creating a picture of tension, danger, and imminent discovery.  So  many great action sequences coming together for a jam packed explosive finale.

I loved this story so much that I went back and grabbed up  the first in the series, Yakuza Pride.  But that is a review for a later time.  But if you haven’t read that story, don’t worry you can start here as I did.  From that glorious cover to the equally stunning story inside, this is one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014 and highly recommended reads!

Cover artist Reese Dante’s cover is lush, beautifully rendered and spot on for this story.

Sales Links:         Dreamspinner Press (on sale)      All Romance eBooks       Amazon        Yakuza Courage

Book Details:

ebook, 336 pages
Published August 1st 2014 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published July 31st 2014)
ISBN139781627988667
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Way of the Yakuza #2

Book in the Series to date:

Yakuza Pride (The Way of the Yakuza #1)
Yakuza Courage (The Way of the Yakuza #2)

On Tour with K.C. Wells and Learning to Love: Final Exam! (contest)

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Join K.C. Wells on her Learning to Love: Final Exam Book Tour!

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K.C. Wells has stopped by on her Learning to Love: Final Exam Book Tour.  Along with participating in an author interview, she has also brought along a contest to enter.  Visit the Rafflecopter link provided and be entered to win a eBook copy of Learning to Love: Final Exam!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Now on to our interview:

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interviews K.C. Wells

STRW:  Why a story series about three couples instead of one?

K.C. Wells:  I didn’t start out to write a series, you have to understand that. I had a story kicking about in my head for a year or so before I got to the point where I couldn’t wait to write it down. Michael & Sean were there, waiting for me. But then Evan started to blossom as a character. I loved him from the beginning: his sense of humour, the way he was totally at ease with his sexuality, and wasn’t about to hide that for anyone. And about half way through Michael & Sean, All I wanted was for him to find someone to love. Enter Daniel… As soon as Daniel started talking to me, I knew their story would be very different.

So now I’m thinking, “Oh my God, this isn’t one book, it’s two!” And that’s when I started to think that if one couple was good, two was great, then three would be fantastic! I looked at the characters who had made an appearance so far. Guess who started talking to me? Josh.

I always liked Josh. Here was yet another young man at ease with being gay. But if Josh was going to be in the story, who would arouse his interest?
Which is why in Evan and Daniel, Chris makes an appearance, nervous, feeling guilty and wanting to put things right. And Josh, sweet, kind-hearted Josh, finds the shy young man very interesting. Chris arouses his protective nature.

The last book was planned out in April, 2012. I had submitted Michael & Sean and had started to write Evan and Daniel. At that point I had no idea that Dreamspinner Press were going to say, “yes” and publish the first book. I knew when I submitted it that there were going to be others, possibly three more.

STRW:  Was writing the relationship dynamics made easier or harder by having three couples?

K.C. Wells:  It got easier as their characters emerged fully. By the end of Evan & Daniel’s story, Daniel’s dominant nature was coming to the fore, as was his tendency to be jealous. Michael was still Michael – solid, dependable, and totally devoted to Sean. Chris’s shyness stuck out, in direct comparison to Josh’s outgoing nature. And as I began to flesh out each couple, they became more distinctive, less homogenized. What I love about Final Exam is that by now they have grown into their relationships – maybe Josh & Chris to a lesser extent – and each has their own voice.

STRW:  Do you see yourself revisiting these couples in the future?

Well, let’s see now…

There’s a wedding coming up, isn’t there? Josh & Chris have finally set a date, and it’s going to be a church wedding. I can see Chris’s grandmother Margaret’s fine hand in that. And you know they’ll all want to be involved. 😉

And as for Evan and Daniel, once they get their careers on the right track and somewhere to live, they’ll want to see where their BDSM journey takes them next.

 

STRW:  How long did it take to evolve your writing style?

K.C. Wells:  I’m not sure how to answer that! Reading now through Michael & Sean, I’m sorry but my first thought is, “Bloody hell, I got better at this!” By the time I came to write Trusting Thomas, I had learned so much from going through the editing process. I found I was trying to avoid making my earlier mistakes. But for me, I knew I’d evolved when I was writing September’s Tide, in July last year. My Dad had read Michael & Sean, bless him, even though it was definitely not his thing. He’d given me technical advice at the time, assuming, as he said, that I “knew my genre” as far as content went. I was staying with him and Hache, my stepmother, in Montpellier in the south of France. He was writing too. I asked if I could read him the first chapter that I’d just written of a story about an American detective writer with writer’s block, who is sent by his agent to spend a month on the Isle of Wight. Dad sat there in silence while I read the chapter aloud, including David Hannon’s American accent. When I’d finished, he said nothing for a moment. Then he looked at me and said, “I’m so glad you read that to me. This is nothing like your first book. This flows. Its construction is so much better. It reads very well.”
Very proud daughter moment!

I was too close to see the changes but he could, in the space of a year.

STRW:  What’s next for KC Wells?

K.C. Wells:   Sigh……

My problem is that I have too many stories, each of them clamouring for my attention. Once I’ve finished Confetti, Cake & Confessions, which should be any second now, then I’ll be finishing the sixth book in the Collars & Cuffs series, Make Me Soar. This is Dorian’s story. BUT I am also faced with a dilemma. Do I finally get around to writing the third Island Tale, about my blind Dom, Adam, in Submitting to the Darkness? Or will it be my first thriller, Fatal Designs? Or how about my first MMMM?

Yeah, waayyyyyy too many ideas in my head.

Thanks for having me today! ;

STRW:  Thanks, K.C., for the great interview! Loved it and look  forward to all your new stories to come.  Now, readers, check out K.C. Wells’ Learning to Love: Final Exam.  The blurb and excerpts can be found below and don’t forget to enter the contest!

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Book Name: Learning to Love: Final Exam
Author Name: K.C. Wells
Author Bio: Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way.

K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love was even hotter…

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.
The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.

To see more of K.C.’s titles, click here

Author Contact:   K.C. can be reached via…

  • email (k.c.wells@btinternet.com),
    Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld) or
    through comments at the K.C.Wells
    Website (www.kcwellsworld.com ) K.C. loves to hear from readers.

 

LearningtoLove-FinalExamFSTitle:  Learning to Love: Final Exam by K.C. Wells
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Buy Links:      Dreamspinner Ebook   Dreamspinner Paperback

Blurb:

One house, three couples, and one year left until their final exams….

Evan and Daniel want to take their D/s relationship to the next level. When Daniel suggests conducting a little research at a BDSM club, Evan is more than up for it. Trouble is, one of their housemates isn’t happy about this.

Finances tighten for new couple Josh and Chris. Wanting to ease some of the pressure on Chris, Josh starts as an agency nurse. But tackling a heavy workload at medical school and working late-shifts leaves little time for the couple. Something’s gotta give.

In Spain, Sean was diagnosed as suffering from migraines. But after the medications have no effect and he starts suffering from other complaints, he decides to get a second opinion without telling Michael. When Michael finds out, Sean’s usually laid-back husband’s reaction shocks everyone. But Michael needs to get his head sorted fast, because Sean needs his strength.

As their school career comes to a close and the one person who holds them all together starts to fall apart, the final exam is a true test of friendship.

 Learning to Love: Final Exam Excerpt:

SEAN WAS getting really fed up with his housemates.

Ever since he and Michael had got back from Spain, the four men had turned into mother hens. Sean was constantly aware of them watching him. At least, it felt like they were. When he’d brought it up, Michael had said he was imagining things, but then again, Michael was guilty of the same thing in Sean’s book. He knew Michael was keeping a close eye on him. Sean hadn’t said a word. These days, he didn’t trust himself to do so without biting Michael’s head off, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Okay, so I’ve had a few migraines. Why the scrutiny all the time?

He loved his housemates to bits, but recently he’d found himself snapping at them on occasion, and that just wasn’t like him. He could see the same thought in Michael’s eyes and that hurt. He hated it when Michael worried, especially if he was the cause.

He wanted to scream at them all.

Look, I’m fine! It’s just a few fucking HEADACHES, that’s all!

He wouldn’t, of course, tempting though the idea was. And besides, there was that tiny voice in his head that wouldn’t go away.

What if it’s more than just headaches? What if there’s something else wrong?

At first he’d pushed the thought aside. He’d been to the doctors in Spain, hadn’t he? The doc had been perfectly happy with his diagnosis of migraines

Only now the headaches were occurring more regularly, which was worrisome. The fact that his bloody pills were useless wasn’t helping either.

Then DO something. Get another opinion.

Now that made sense.

Sean picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts to the clinic where he and Michael got tested every few months.

The sooner he got this sorted, the happier he’d be. And maybe then his housemates would stop mothering him.

He listened for a moment. Michael was downstairs in the kitchen with Chris, Evan, and Daniel. Josh was at the hospital. If Michael knew he was making an appointment, he’d only worry even more.

So that meant only one course of action—Sean wasn’t going to tell him. He’d go see another doctor, see if there were any tests they could run, and maybe get some medication that actually worked. He glanced at the notice board where his and Michael’s timetables were pinned. Being on the same course had its drawbacks, especially if he wanted to book an appointment when Michael wouldn’t be around. The only time available was when Michael saw his personal tutor. At least the clinic was on campus, but he might have to book it a week or two in advance to be sure of getting the slot he wanted.

And if he were completely honest, Sean was starting to get concerned. He rarely got sick, he ate healthily—Michael made sure of that—he didn’t smoke, and his alcohol intake amounted to a couple of glasses of wine per week. So putting up with headaches was pissing him off.

Make the call, Sean. While Michael’s not in earshot.

Sighing, he pressed Connect.


FinalExam600x600BannerTour Dates/Stops:
8/25: Reviews and Ramblings
8/26: Wake Up Your Wild Side
8/27: Prism Book Alliance
8/28: Hearts on Fire
8/29: Parker Williams
9/1: Jade Crystal
9/2: Angel Martinez
9/3: Amanda C. Stone
9/4: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
9/5: Love Bytes
9/8: Regular Guys, Hot Romance
9/9: MM Good Book Reviews
9/10: LeAnn’s Book Reviews
9/11: Cate Ashwood, Dawn’s Reading Nook
9/12: Velvet Panic
9/15: My Fiction Nook
9/16: 3 Chicks After Dark
9/17: Fallen Angel Reviews
9/18: SA McAuley
9/19: Iyana Jenna

 

Contest: Use the Rafflecopter link to enter to win and for more contest details.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: Copy of the book when it comes out

September is here and This Week’s Schedule at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords

Announcement clip artWinner Announcements:

Winner of The Wheel Mysteries Susan Laine contest is Anna Thompson
Winner of Lee Brazil’s contest is Prof VJ Duke
Winner of Midnight Rodeo Homecoming:Carrier V.
Winner of Rory Ni Coileain’s Soulshares Contest is Nikki R.

More announcements to come this month, including a new reviewer who will be starting mid September. But more on her later.

September is here. That’s amazing. I think because this summer was so unseasonably cool and delightful that I don’t have the same desperate need to have September appear this year. Already there have been plenty signs of fall. Leaves are falling, I have seen a kettle or two of Broadwings a flight mid migration, and I heard my first Eastern Screech Owl whinnying for its territory a few days ago. And my gardens, for the most part, are awash in blue.

I do love this time of year. So many changes happening outside. It’s my favorite time of the year.

Here are a few pictures from my yard…

Garden 2 Sept 1Garden Sept 1

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Now for the week ahead at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords:

Monday, September 1:

  • A Barb Review: Bliss by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau
  • August Summary of Reviews and Best Covers

Tuesday, September 2:

  • Cover Reveal for Angel Martinez’ No Fae Is An Island (contest)
  • In the Author Spotlight:  Havan Fellows (contest)
  • Riptide Book Tour: Pulling Leather by L.C. Chase (contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Firestorm by Rory Ni Coileain

Wednesday, September 3:

  • In the Author Spotlight:  Angel Martinez on Fae, and her Series (contest)
  • Book Blast:  A Tooth for a Fang by Liv Olteano Tour and contest
  • Review:  A MelanieM Review: A Suitable Replacement by Megan Derr

Thursday, September 4:

  • KC Wells’ Learning To Love: Final Exam Book Tour and Contest
  • On Tour with Rae Brewer’s David Dilemma (contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Yakuza Courage by H.J. Brues

Friday, September 5:

  • Rebecca Cohen’s “Idolatry” Book Tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  A Tooth for a Fang by Live Olteano

Saturday, September 6:

  • A MelanieM Review: Blown Chance by Havan Fellows
  • A MelanieM Review: Frank’s Knight (a PF2014 side story) by T.A. Webb

 

A MelanieM Review: Summer Son by Anna Martin

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Summer Son coverIt wasn’t Ellis Broad’s idea to have a child in the first place, it was his husband, Oliver’s. Now 29, Ellis finds himself divorced and the single father of Harrison, his six-month old son.  Turned out that Harrison was Ellis’ biological son not his husband’s and that changed everything.  Now Ellis is raising his son alone, while  working at home full time at his graphic design business.  The only thing keeping him going was his closeknit circle of friends and occasional babysitting from his mother.  Everyone calls it hiding, but Ellis just sees it as his life…a full time dad.

But his friends have other ideas and introduce Ellis to artist Zane Hadlin.  From the first moment they meet, sparks fly.  Ellis feels an ease and companionship with Zane that he never had with Oliver.  And the feelings are reciprocated.  However Zane comes with some serious baggage.   Zane and his older brother got  mixed up with gangs when they were younger and it got his older brother killed.  It also put Zane and his family into hiding, complete with a different last name.  Truly scary stuff for Ellis with a young son to look after.

And Oliver hasn’t completely disappeared from their lives. A chance meeting with Zane, Ellis and Harrison on an outing together starts Oliver poking into Zane’s background in a rush of jealousy. Why? Because it is clear that Ellis has never been this happy.  He has Zane, Harrison and a new outlook on life.  But will Oliver’s interference and Zane’s past conspire to take it all away?

I really enjoyed Summer Son by Anna Martin.  Much like its title, the story runs along slow, warm, unhurried lines.  It’s highlights are a collection of small scenes of domesticity and the deeply moving bond between a father and his son.  Its reminiscent of summer picnics at a park, looking over at all the couples and families spread out on their blankets and tables, watching small intimacies of tenderness and family love.

At the heart of this story is Ellis and Harrison, his six-month old son.  Their moments together are delightful and affectionately real.  Ellis copes with sleep deprived days and nights, working when Harrison is asleep and totally consumed with his son when Harrison is awake.  We are privy to all the details first time parents make note of and all the development progress that parents celebrate.  It’s loving, warm, and rings with authenticity.  It’s probably my favorite aspect of this story.

Ellis Broad comes across as very believable, especially in his role as a loving but stressed out father.  That’s a huge load to carry but Ellis is also shouldering parental duties alone at a stage in his life he never anticipated.  Gone, or so he thinks, are his dreams for a loving husband and the life they talked about together.  Now Ellis is withdrawn and mistrustful of anything that looks like romance and commitment until a young artist walks into his life, making him question his beliefs and decisions.  I really loved Ellis.  In fact its really hard not to, especially when he has Harrison in tow.

Zane Hadlin is interesting in his own right.  Young, gay and of arabic descent, his gang membership was due to a sense of obligation to his brother and mother.  The death of his brother changed everything for him and his family.  Now a talented artist, Zane also works with children with special needs.  Those scenes will really help to connect you with Zane, including the games he plays with Harrison.

The men finds themselves moving into love and a relationship with a certain amount of thoughtfulness and ease.  The drama, when it comes, is gently dealt with, the hurt kept to a reasonable level, and the ending joyful and completely satisfactory.  I know that for some readers the addition of a family or child pushes the romance into the background and its does so here.  If you are strictly looking for a hot “jump your bones” sort of romance, this is probably not the story for you.  But if you enjoy reading about the formation of a family, and loving relationships, then you will find this gentle novel a lovely read and Anna Martin a new author  who’s stories you will look forward to.

Cover Art:  Aaron Anderson.  How could you not love that cover?  It’s wonderful and perfect for this story.

Sales Links:        Dreamspinner Press                 All Romance eBooks             Amazon           Summer Son

Book Details:
book, 200 pages
Published August 1st 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 31st 2014)
ISBN139781627987295
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

VBT: Designs On You by Carrie Pack (contest)

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Author Carrie Pack is here on tour.  She sat down in the Scattered Thoughts Interchair, answered some questions about herself, her latest release and writing. There is also a wonderful contest to enter consisting of several Barnes & Noble gift cards and ebooks of Designs on You.  Make sure you check out the contest prizes and Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post as well as the book excerpt and author information. Now on to our interview!

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A Carrie Pack Interview: Writing Designs On You

Melanie: What was your inspiration for the story?

Carrie Pack: Designs on You was inspired by my experience working as a production artist and graphic designer right out of college. I worked for a national retailer creating print ads, designing signage, and scanning photos.

It was interesting work, but it could also be tedious; I did a lot of repetitive tasks. And sometimes I would get crazy requests for retouching that meant zooming in on model’s crotches or putting one man’s head on another man’s body.

When I got the idea for a story about a graphic designer falling for a model, I gave him the task of retouching, which is both challenging and monotonous. I really started to think about what it would be like for someone to be stuck in a rut professionally, doing a job very similar to mine, while also being stuck in a rut romantically. How would that play out? Who would that person be?

Melanie:  Do you work on one project at a time or many?

Carrie Pack:  I tend to focus on just one project at a time, and if I have more than one thing I need to complete, I have to take a break between projects to reset. It’s hard for me to switch gears quickly. I need to get in the right mindset to work on something. When it comes to writing, I like to devote entire days to that project. If I try to switch gears and write something else, or in a different style, it’s hard for me to find the right voice for each project.

Melanie:  Hero or Antihero? Who would you chose and why?

Carrie Pack:  Antihero. Every time. I think it’s because antiheroes tend to be more complex, both in their motivations and their actions. It’s moral gray area, which to me, is more human. Heroes usually have very black-and-white decisions to make, but an antihero may do something immoral, yet have reasons behind their actions that complicate the issue. The interesting thing about an antihero is they have the opportunity to become either a hero or a villain, and I’m always intrigued to see how that turns out.

Melanie:  People say write what you know. Do you think that’s right or even important?

Carrie Pack:  I think it is important, to an extent, but it’s not the only thing. Did JK Rowling write what she knew? Yes and no. Obviously she crafted an entirely new world, but Hogwarts is also based on the English education system. Instead of A-levels, they take OWLs and NEWTs. So she added elements of what she knew to her fictionalized world.

I think the most successful fantasy and sci-fi books anchor themselves in reality. That way readers can recognize their own world within the pages of the fantasy realm.

With Designs on You, I used my personal, real-life experiences to shape a fictional world. My hope is that the real-world details help to make Scott and Jamie feel real to them so that they’re along for the ride when the completely fictional events happen.

Melanie:  What is the first book you read that really meant something to you?

Carrie Pack: I have vivid memories of reading the other books in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series and realizing that there was more to the story than Dorothy’s quest to return to Kansas. In particular, I was hooked on The Scarecrow of Oz. I think I checked it out of my school library so many times, the entire card was filled with my name and a series of dates. I loved the idea that a story could continue and evolve after the main quest was over. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed Wicked so much when it first came out, and I still read fanfiction as an adult. I want more.

Melanie:  What do you find sexy in a man?

Carrie Pack:  A sense of humor. My husband makes me laugh every day, and it keeps things fresh. Physically, though… I truly enjoy a good butt, especially if the man also has really nice legs.

Melanie:  What’s next up for you?

Carrie Pack:  Well, school starts in about a week—I’m a part-time college professor—so I’m sure I’ll be knee-deep in grading before I know it. In my free time, I hope to continue work on a science-fiction story I’ve been tinkering with. It involves time travel, which is something I’ve always wanted to write but have been a bit scared to try. It’s going to be one hell of an adventure for me to write it. But I have a really great idea that I’m excited to flesh out. Stay tuned!

Melanie:  Thanks for the wonderful interview.  For more about Carrie Pack and her latest book, Designs On You, keep reading for book details and an excerpt!

Cover_DesignsOnYouDesigns on You  by Carrie Pack
Publisher:  Interlude Press

Sales Link: Interlude Press Store  Amazon   Barnes & Noble

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BLURB:

If graphic designer Scott Parker has to design one more cupcake company logo, he might lose it. So when he is tasked with retouching photos for a big fashion client, a stunning, lanky model mesmerizes Scott and occupies his fantasies long after the assignment is finished.

When the model is assigned to one of Scott’s projects, Scott discovers that the object of his desire is nothing like what he imagined. Despite Jamie Donovan’s aloof and dismissive behavior, Scott struggles to forge a friendship with him, all the while trying to keep his attraction at bay.

Will Jamie follow through on signals that he may be interested, or will he forever be the beautiful man in the photograph, an untouchable fantasy?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

The model turns his head to follow Isaac’s gaze. And, of course… it’s Jamie. Scott’s intake of breath is so sharp that he has to cough to cover the sound. Because Jamie Donovan is even more beautiful in person.

Scott stares open-mouthed for a minute.

Jamie purses his lips and raises both his eyebrows when he sees Scott standing there, obviously confused by his presence, or perhaps annoyed at the blatant ogling that Scott is indulging in. He looks down to Isaac, giving him the same questioning look.

“This is Scott Parker, our art director for the day,” Isaac mumbles around the pins between his lips. He flips a strand of hair out of his face, but it immediately falls back to its original position.

Scott steps forward and smiles. “Yvonne’s got the flu,” he says, unable to think of anything else to say.

“I know,” Isaac replies. “She fill you in on the concept?”

Scott nods. He needs to give him Yvonne’s notes and try to get organized for the shoot, but instead, he walks around behind Isaac and takes in the full outfit: skinny-legged grey trousers and a jacket that looks to be a cross between a leather bomber and a straightjacket. It looks amazing on Jamie.

“Hi,” Scott says, extending his hand.

Jamie looks down at it like it might burn him and slowly drags his eyes back up to Scott’s face.

“Charmed,” he says with a lifted eyebrow. His voice isn’t as deep as Scott would have thought, but it has a seductive, raspy quality.

Scott’s eyes follow Jamie as he leans forward to look in the mirror, attempting to fix his already flawless hair. It’s swooped up in an overdramatic pompadour that should look ridiculous, but Scott thinks it looks perfect, and he almost says so before he realizes he’s still holding his hand out and Jamie has completely left him hanging.

Scott slowly withdraws his hand and shoves it unceremoniously into his pocket. “Likewise,” he mumbles under his breath.

Yvonne wasn’t kidding. This kid’s an ice queen. It’s kind of annoying. It’s also kind of hot.

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InterludePressLogo

AuthorPic_carrie pack

 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A former graphic artist, Carrie Pack turned to her early career experience as the backdrop for her first novel. She lives in Florida with her husband, where she teaches advertising writing at a local college.

Contest: Carrie will be awarding a $25 Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Barnes and Noble GC and a print edition of Designs on You (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn host. A free download of an Interlude Press eBook title or an author/book swag pack (US ONLY) will be awarded to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter at each stop during the tour.

VBT_DesignsOnYou_CoverBannerMust be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link provided below for the entry form and additional contest details.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

August 18: Books on Silver Wings

August 19: Fire and Ice Book Reviews
August 19: Long and Short Reviews
August 20: Carly’s Book Reviews
August 21: Hearts On Fire Reviews
August 22: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
August 25: Booklover Sue
August 25: Full Moon Dreaming
August 26: Mia Downing
August 27: Happily Ever After
August 28: ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords
August 29: It’s Raining Books

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/07/virtual-book-tour-designs-on-you-by.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway