Cover Reveal for Caught Inside By Jamie Deacon (cover reveal, excerpt and giveaway)

CaughtInside

Author Name: Jamie Deacon

Book Name: Caught Inside (Boys on the Brink #1)
Release Date: September 29, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Blurb

Luke believes he has his life figured out…and then he meets Theo.

It should have been simple—a summer spent with his girlfriend Zara at her family’s holiday cottage in Cornwall. Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard. He isn’t interested in love. Though his rugged good looks and lazy charm mean he can have his pick of girls, he has no intention of falling for anyone.

Nothing prepares Luke for his reaction to Theo, the sensitive Oxford undergraduate who is Zara’s cousin and closest friend. All at once, he is plunged along a path of desire and discovery that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. No one, especially Zara, must find out; what he and Theo have is too new, too fragile. But as the deceit spirals beyond their control, people are bound to get hurt, Luke most of all.

Pages or Words: 83,000

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Young Adult

 

Excerpt

I swallow against the dryness in my throat. “We need to talk.”

No response.

Slowly, as though wading through deep sand, I cross the room until I’m standing right behind him. He grips the edge of the worktop.

“Theo?”

Still nothing. Only the convulsive tightening of his fingers shows he even heard me.

“Theo,” my voice cracks, “don’t do this.”

Theo sucks in a breath. When he replies, his tone is even. “Do what?”

“This. Shutting me out.”

“I’m—”

“And don’t say you’re not, because we both know that isn’t true.” I’m aware of my voice rising, and lower it with an effort. “Just…don’t.”

Theo exhales in a long sigh. He turns to me, his expression distant but not unkind. I wish he’d glare at me, shout, whatever. Anything to show he gives a damn.

“Luke, I’m sorry about this morning. It was a mistake. If you got the wrong impression—”

“The wrong impression? You kissed me. What impression was that supposed to give me?”

He casts a nervous glance at the window.

“What’s wrong, Theo? Worried Giles might hear? I don’t blame you. He’d probably make you bathe in disinfectant for a year if he knew you’d kissed scum like me.” Theo starts to protest, but I shake my head. “You know what? Forget it. So sorry I embarrassed you.”

I need to get out of here. Humiliation, hot and clammy, coils like tar through my veins. Still, what did I expect? Theo’s made it perfectly clear how he sees me, that he thinks I’m beneath him. I grab for the nearest glass, intending to pour myself a liver full of whatever’s in that jug, but my hand shakes so much it slips through my fingers. Glass collides with oak in a minor explosion, glittering fragments flying.

“Shit.” I drop to my knees, begin picking up the larger pieces. I fumble, a jagged shard slicing my palm. “Shit.”

“Luke?” Theo crouches beside me.

“I’m fine.” I turn away from the phony concern in his eyes, fist clenched around the cut to hide it from view. Blood trickles through my fingers and onto my jeans. The pain is almost a relief.

“Let me see.” Theo holds out his hand, but I jerk away.

“I said I’m fine.”

He ignores me. With gentle firmness, he takes hold of my wrist, uncurling my fingers to examine the wound. My body stills. I scarcely breathe. Every nerve ending, every particle of my being is aware of him, the pressure of his fingers on my wrist, his warm palm supporting the back of my hand.

Buy the book

Beaten Track Publishing | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore |   Kobo  |  ARe | Smashwords

 

Meet the author

Jamie lives in a tranquil spot close to the River Thames in Berkshire, England, and has always been just a little out of place—the only redhead in a family of brunettes; an introvert far more at ease with dogs than with people; a connoisseur of simple pleasures in a society intent on the quest for wealth and fame. Despite an outward cynicism, Jamie is a romantic at heart, and, when not immersed in a book, can mostly be found writing emotional stories where young men from all walks of life are thrust headlong into the breathless, euphoric, often painful whirlwind called love.

 

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie, Making It Happen, Open Skye Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter, Dawn’s Reading Nook, The Jena Wade, A.M. Leibowitz, Nephy Hart, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Love Bytes, Up All Night, Read All Day, V’s Reads, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Molly Lolly, Louise Lyons, Alpha Book Club, MM Book Escape, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Unquietly Me, Charley Descoteaux, Kirsty Loves Books, Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews

 

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

 

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A Paul B Review: Psychic Says (Revelations #2) by J.J. Black

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Psychic SaysStephen Jurgens has psychic gifts passed down from his grandmother.  He primarily uses his gift as a medium to help others contact their departed loved ones.  His psychic gifts he has basically ignored most of his life.  He works with his best friend and pseudo-brother Grey at Revelations, an outfit dealing with strange paranormal mysteries.  Grey asks that Stephen look into a local cougar pride that has had several otherwise healthy members suddenly die in the last two months.  Stephen agreed to take the assignment because his normal bodyguard and supposed mate Maddox is busy.  This will put some distance between them,

Maddox Blackwell is the alpha for the Pontiac werewolf pack.  The alpha has known that Stephen is his mate for a number of years.  First he thought he was too young to settle down with a mate.  Then Stephen consistently states that he is actually not Maddox’s mate and even if he were, their pairing would be no good.  Not knowing what kind of danger Stephen is putting himself into investigating the pride deaths, Maddox decides to follow him to Cadillac to make sure no harm befalls his mate.

Shortly after they show up, a local pride member and librarian is found dead.  When Stephen and Maddox investigate the death, Stephen’s worst fears are confirmed.  The body’s soul has been taken.  The situation is a lot more dangerous than he thought.  A necromancer has been eating the souls of the dead and living.  Stephen, Maddox’s wolf pack, and the cougar pride must now figure out a way to stop this paranormal menace or they will end up in the morgue with all the others.  Help from an unexpected source might provide just what it is needed to subdue this otherworldly killer.

This second book in the Revelations series hit all the right spots for me.  We have mystery, thills and romance in abundance.  The interaction between Maddox and Stephen is a cross between new lovers and an old married couple.  They have known each other for years and have the same arguments over and over.  Yet they also discover what it would be like if they commit to each other finally.  It kind of reminds me of Dave and Maddie from Moonlighting.  However, I predict better things for this couple and no cancellation in sight.  The character of Dana is a delight.  She is wise beyond her young looks.  She provides needed insight at the right times for Stephen to survive his battle.

The cover art by Posh Gosh has Stephen looking out over a graveyard at sunset it looks like.  The model perfectly portrays Stephen and the cover itself represents the book expertly. 

Sales Links

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Book Details

ebook, 207 pages
Published March 8th 2016 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786513847
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesRevelations #2

Series:  Revelations

  • Ask the Oracle (Revelations #1)
  • Psychic Says (Revelations #2)

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Relative Best (Foothills Pride #5) by Pat Henshaw

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Relative BestA Foothills Pride Story

Sometimes love sneaks up when you’re least looking for it….

Zeke Bandy, owner of Bandy’s Finest Hotel in Old Town Stone Acres, California, is too busy for love. Not only does he oversee the operations of the historic hotel and uphold his family’s tradition of offering refuge to strays and runaways, Zeke also sings and plays down-home music two nights a week at the Stonewall Saloon and for occasional celebrations. Then Zeke meets Victor Longbow, the man of his dreams.

Vic isn’t looking for love either. In fact, because of his upbringing in a strict, white foster family, Vic’s not sure he believes in love. He’s in Stone Acres to open a branch office of a national brokerage firm. He’s also hoping to find a vintage photo of what might be his Native American ancestor.

After their paths cross, they become friends, then more. Connected by their experiences as orphans raised by flawed fathers, Zeke and Vic realize that some men must find love, hone it, and create families for themselves.

Pat Henshaw’s rich and wonderful Foothills Pride series keeps rolling along with this latest edition, Relative Best.  And in keeping with the tone of the others, it can certainly be read as a stand alone but having the others as backup knowledge of the town, the history and all the characters you will meet in the town and places work to enrich the story even further. I certainly enjoy seeing them again and again as they pop up in various scenes as does the places they run in town.

But back to the new story at hand.

Relative Best is that romantic story that I have come to expect from Pat Henshaw and the Foothill Pride series.  The characters have a somewhat complicated, with perhaps a dark history.  The ties to the town goes almost to the bedrock and somewhere history will popup and become part of the tale.  All that happens here and with wonderful characters to boot.

Zeke Bandy is the owner of Bandy’s Finest Hotel, a Victorian era lady who’s the center of his life.  A ginger-haired singer with a complicated history of his own, Zeke has no love life until he runs into Victor Longbow, a man in search of his past.  Victor’s complicated, dark childhood has left him with little need for a love life as he searches for his true ancestors, thinking Bandy’s Finest Hotel might hold the answers.

How Pat Henshaw fleshes these men out and make them believable is terrific, but as I often mention the short length of the story often leaves me wanting to know more about each man’s upbringing as troubled as it was.  We get flashes and brief memories, nothing more.  That the hotel is used as a halfway house for  runaways is another aspect I wish was explored more deeply.  Henshaw has so many great plot threads here in Relative Best that the book could easily double in size.

I realize the the impact and message the author wants to carry over is that its not the ancestry that makes the man but what the man makes of himself that matters most and the story conveys that beautifully.  The romance between the men works, their connection to each other snaps alive and I so wanted to see what happened to them both after the story ended.  I suppose I will have to wait until the next tale in the Foothills Pride series to catch glimpses of Zeke and Vic or maybe Pat Henshaw will carry on their story further.  Bandy’s Finest Hotel is full of stories.  This can be but the first of many.

I love the Foothills Pride stories and highly recommend not only Relative Best but all of the stories in the series.  Pick them up and get started today.

Cover Artist: AngstyG.  The cover art does a gorgeous job of relating the old time feel to the contemporary story.  Both are important themes and its so well done.

Sales Links

        

Book Details:

ebook, 80 pages
Expected publication: August 17th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
ISBN 1634775716 (ISBN13: 9781634775717)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Foothills Pride 

What’s in a Name? (Foothills Pride #1)
Redesigning Max (Foothills Pride, #2)
Behr Facts (Foothills Pride, #3)
When Adam Fell (Foothills Pride, #4)
Relative Best (Foothills Pride, #5)
Foothills Pride Stories, Vol. 1 (Foothills Pride, #1-4)

 

An Alisa Review: Softpaw (Smilodon Pride #1) by Beryll Brackhaus and Osiris Brackhaus

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

SoftpawConnor’s life could have been the dream of any cultured werecat. He is spending his days in Paris’ gay quarter with comfortably little real work, playing the piano, surrounded by art, fine food and good friends. It could have been, if not for a feral vampire preying on the prostitutes of ‘his’ quarter, killing the boys of the Marais one by one.

When Connor invites a newly arrived hooker to stay on his houseboat, the last thing he expects is Michel to be a member of the Brigade Criminelle – a troubled, hunky rookie cop sent undercover to explore Connor’s connection to the murders, picked mostly because he had been a boy of the Marais himself, not so long ago.

Hiding their true nature becomes a problem for both when they realize there maybe is more to their initial attraction. But in order to bring down the serial killer and maybe have a chance at making their relationship work out, one of them will have to
take the first, critical leap…

 

Connor has been living a quiet life in Paris while trying to figure out what he really wants to do with his life.  Connor is surprised when Michel takes him up on his open invitation for a place to stay.  Both hide important information about themselves from the other while opening their hearts to the other.

 

This story is told from both of the main characters’ point of view, which helps to understand them a bit better.  Connor does everything to be helpful to others and do what he feels is right it personally hurts him when the vampire begins its’ killing spree.  Michel wants to do his job, but has trouble believing Connor’s connection to the murders is anything other than coincidental.  When Connor uncovers Michel’s duplicity I could feel how betrayed he feels and how much more determined he is to take care of the vampire.  Connor and Michel get a wonderful HFN ending that they both deserved.  There was a look at the next book in the series and I look forward to reading it in the future.

 

Cover art is nice and portrays the story setting nicely.

 

Sales Link

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Book Details:

ebook, 229 pages
Published: July 14, 2016
Edition Language: English

Series: Smilodon Pride #1

Want More Shifter Romance? Check Out Blood Moon Pack Alliance by S.A. Welsh (excerpt and giveaway)

Blood Moon Pack Alliance by S A Welsh

 
Author: SA Welsh
 
Buy Links
 
Series Blurb
Remyís life was turned upside down when Alpha Trevor, a controlling and sly leader concerned only with power, threatened his mother and a primal strength awakened inside him. He challenged the tyrannical alpha and defeated him. Now he is alpha, but Trevor isnít going away quietly to lick his wounds. Trevor is much more devious than that. Remy and his pack have to navigate through plots and schemes created by such a formidable enemy who is willing to do anything it takes to steal back control and rule not only the Blood Moon Pack but all of the paranormal world.


 

 

Lines are drawn, alliances are made, and mates are found, but will it be enough when the lies and treachery go far deeper than they know? Spies infiltrate and enemies circle, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The people closest to Remy are at greatest risk and some suffer more than anyone should at the hands of those seeking power. Vampires and shifters alike in the Blood Moon Pack Alliance must fight to keep each other safe and hope that love and family will be enough to give them the strength to weather the storm ahead.
Hi,
I’m SA Welsh and I write because I love reading and I love letting the characters and stories in my head come to life in a book. I can’t function in the morning without a cup of tea and when I’m not writing, I’m reading. Thank you to all the readers that let me keep writing and to the authors that keep me up at night reading a thrilling chapter and also to the editors that help make my books the best they can be.
Happy reading 🙂
Sa

 Giveaway

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: Flying Fish (Sword and Silk Trilogy #1) by Sedonia Guillone

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

FlyingFish_postcard_front_DSPSword and Silk: Book One

In eighteenth century Japan, during the golden age of samurai and of the Kabuki theater, young actors known as “flying fish” traveled the countryside, performing for audiences by day and giving their bodies to their samurai patrons at night.

Genji Sakura is one such flying fish, yet he dreams of finding the man he can give his heart to and leave the loneliness of his itinerant life behind. Though he loves theater, he doesn’t love every part of his profession, especially some of the patrons. So when a handsome ronin comes upon him stealing some solitude for a bath in a hot spring and their encounter turns passionate, Genji’s surprised and delighted.

Daisuke Minamoto’s past fills his life with a bitterness that grips his soul and makes him dangerous. Yet passion takes him when he spies on a graceful young man bathing naked in a hot spring. He has always loved women, but he can’t deny the call of his heart.

After an afternoon of sexual bliss, his heart and soul are tormented and torn. Keeping this miraculous lover will require giving up the one thing that has kept him alive for years: his hatred for the lord who murdered his wife. If he loves another, how will he go on and who will he become?

I found author Sedonia Guillone years ago and then lost track of her and her magical stories.  Now once more Sedonia and her lyrical and sometimes violent tales of love are back and I couldn’t be more delighted.  In Flying Fish (Sword and Silk Trilogy #1) by Sedonia Guillone, a story of  81 pages seems to carry us back into 18th century Japan where a ronin Samurai and a traveling young actor known as flying fish or tobiko can meet on a trail near a stream and fall gently in love. But like all Japanese tales, there’s darkness the hovers over the characters, following one, and soon the other.  You are pulled effortlessly into the era, by language, location, and the sheer gentleness of Genji Sakura, the flying fish and main character here.  He’s sweetness, with the lightness of being of a sakura petal, and just as soft.  Guillone has painted a full portrait of the actor here and you can’t quite get enough of Genji.

Daisuke Minamoto is a portrait of a man covered in darkness and despair. He’s the sharpness of a blade and the roughness of a lordless life.  He’s had one goal all this time and has returned to carry it out.  Until he meets Genji Sakura and is shown a light he thought was lost.

There is a beauty to the language and flow of the story and it moves with a pace of its own staying true to the characters and time.  I just adored it and them.

As Genji says:

Love is the transformative power of the universe. The only real thing in existence, it can change the course of a human being’s life if that person is open to its healing power. From the highest emperor to the lowest peasant in the field, love is the only great leveler aside from death.

— From Tale of the Loyal Samurai by Sakura Genji (1659-1768), performed for the opening of the Great Kabuki Theater in 1685

This is a tale of hope, and of love and even a future that neither thought possible.  Such joy in 81 pages.  Pick it up and discover both the author and Flying Fish for yourself.

Cover art by Reese Dante.  I like the cover but I’m just not sure that’s the characters of the story.  Read it and let me know your opinion.

Sales Links

        

Book Details:

Release Date Aug 17, 2016
Type Novellas
Words 27,707
Pages 81
ISBN-13 978-1-63477-542-7
File Formats epub, mobi, pdf

 

Love’s Not Blind in BA Tortuga’s Real World (Release Day Tour & Excerpt!)

Real World

Real World (Love is Blind #2) by B.A. Tortuga
D
reamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Release Date August 15, 2016

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have BA Tortuga here today with an excerpt from her latest novel, Real World.  Welcome, BA.

Hey y’all, it’s BA Tortuga, resident redneck and lover of all things cowboy and redneck.  Here’s an excerpt from my new book, Real World, the story of Dan, a soldier who’s just left the service, and Weldon, a central Texas redneck that’s one of Dan’s brother’s husband’s (man, is that convoluted as hell or what?) best friends.

Much love, y’all.

BA

Blurb

A Love is Blind Novel

Dan White is trying to acclimate to civilian life after a long career in the military with multiple combat deployments.

Now he’s home in the Austin area, living with his brother Dixon, Dixon’s husband, Audie, and their two nine-year-olds. During the New Year celebration, Dan meets Abraham Weldon, and the connection is instant.

There’s a kiss. There’s a dance. There’s a proposition.

Then Dan finds out Weldon is bisexual.

And a dad.

With five kids. Five kids, one of whom is a blind fifteen-year-old.

Weldon has been in love twice in his life—with his high school best friend, Blake, and with his wife, Krista, who he met in a Dairy Queen as she was crying over a positive pregnancy test. Love number three hits Weldon like a hammer when he meets Dan.

But since Dan isn’t interested in a guy with kids, they might only get one night together.

.

Excerpt from Real World

“Hey, Emma, stop pulling Kenzie’s hair.” Dan was going to lose his shit. How could this be so hard? All he had to do was keep five kids from killing one another for an hour until Mel got there.

Weldon had blown a tire in Buda and Mel had a doctor’s appointment she couldn’t reschedule, so Dan had said, sure, he could watch the kids. No problem.

“She’s got bugs in there!” Emma teased and Kenzie immediately started to scream, which set Caleb off too.

“There are no bugs.” He couldn’t just bark orders like he did with soldiers. Dan plucked Caleb out of his high chair, patting his back. “Emma, let go. Now.”

“For fuck’s sake! Shut the fuck up. All you do is make everything worse, Emma. MacKenzie, come here right now!” Jakob looked like he was fixin’ to rain hellfire on the girls.

“Jakob!” The name shot out like a high powered rifle shot. “Language.”

Kenzie looked at him, then buried her face in Jakob’s chest. Jakob scowled in his general direction. “Look, you’re not my dad. You’re not even the dude that’s screwing around with my real dad. Back off.”

“Jakob!” Maddie stared at her big brother, blue eyes huge in her face. “That’s mean.”

“It’s true.” Jakob looked so stiff, so defiant.

“Whatever I am, your dad asked me to keep an eye on all of you for a freaking hour.” Dan put all of his officer training in his voice, knowing grown men quailed before it. “You can be civil or you can leave the room.”

Jakob stormed off and the rest of them just stared. It was Maddie who spoke. “He didn’t mean it.”

Caleb hiccupped, and he tried a smile. “I know. Heck, y’all are still getting to know me.” Dan meant it, too. Still, Jakob’s real dad comment bothered him.

It was fairly obvious that Weldon wasn’t Jakob’s biological father, but none of the kids seemed to think it was a thing. As far as Dan knew, the bio dad wasn’t in the picture.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said quietly.

“Maybe better to tell Kenzie that, huh?” That was what he was supposed to say, right? God.

“Sorry, Kenzie. That was mean. You want to color with me? You can use the markers that smell good.”

“For reals?”

“Uh-huh.” Emma offered a tiny smile, and Dan nodded at her, pleased.

Then he glanced at Maddie. “You okay?”

“I don’t like it when it’s mean.”

No, Maddie was a peacemaker, for sure.

“I’m sorry I yelled.” Dan knew he’d been justified, but Maddie deserved a quiet place to do her homework.

“It’s okay. I wanted to yell a little, too.”

Caleb patted Dan’s cheeks suddenly. “S’okay, Dan-Dan.”

He chuckled softly, the little touch unbearably charming. “It is okay, Caleb. Totally.”

“Milk?”

“Has he had milk in the last few hours?” Dan knew Weldon was trying to cut Caleb back a bit.

“Not since we came home from school.”

“Me too, Dan-Dan?” Kenzie asked. “Just a little glass?”

“Yep. You want some, Maddie? Emma?” He could stop on the way back from work tomorrow and get more milk.

“No, thanks. I’m going to have a Diet Coke.” Maddie caught Emma with a glare. “And I’m not sneaking it. I’ll have water with supper. Dan can tell Daddy or I can text him.”

“I’ll let him know,” Dan murmured, heading to the fridge to distribute milk.

Weldon did this all by himself. Weldon had done this with a brand-new baby, grieving for his wife. Dan couldn’t even imagine how much work and how little sleep Weldon had put in.

He had nothing but respect for Weldon.

Well, respect and lust.

Sales Links

        

About BA Tortuga

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the  high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her on the web at www.batortuga.com

Love is Blind Series with links to our 5 star reviews:

Ever the Same (Love is Blind, #1) by B.A. Tortuga
Real World (Love is Blind, #2) by B.A. Tortuga

In Our Contemporary Romance Spotlight: Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry (tour/giveaway)

Adulting101_600x900

Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry
R
iptide Publishing
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lisa Henry here today  with her most recent release, Adulting 101.  Welcome, Lisa.

~~~

Hi, and welcome to the blog tour to celebrate the release of Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk about writing Adulting 101, some of my influences and inspiration, and even sharing an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize!

Blurb

The struggle is real.

Nick Stahlnecker is eighteen and not ready to grow up yet. He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty?

That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult.

Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely.

Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime.

This is not a summer romance. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. That’s all. There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.

You can find out more about Adulting 101 at Riptide.

About Lisa Henry

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

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Giveaway

Each comment on this blog tour enters you for a chance to win a $20 Riptide credit and an ebook of your choice from my back catalogue. You’ll also win a super secret cute little gift that’s very close to my (and Nick’s) heart! Entries close August 20, and contest is not restricted to US residents. Remember to leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!

In the Spotlight: Priest and Pariahs by Mann Ramblings (excerpt and giveaway)

Priest and Pariahs Blog Tour

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Mann Ramblings here today to talk about writing, influences and the latest release Priest & Pariahs!

Family Influences by Mann Ramblings

I suppose it’s not really a surprise when you start plotting out a story and constructing your characters, you delve deeper than their physical characteristics. (Not that it’s not important, but we’re going beyond the superficial.) It’s not enough to know what they look like. If you want your protagonist to be more complex and genuine to your readers, there has to be more.

I usually start with their backstory. A character’s history is key to how they became the person they are. What influenced them? What motivated them? For Priest & Pariahs, I wanted a common theme between my three main characters, and without contriving some narrative link to tie them together, I found something universal regardless of their backgrounds. I chose family.

Whether we want to or not, our families affect our perception of the world, even if they were missing from it altogether. They shape our interactions with others and direct us. Whether through defiance of their authority, being a product of their values, or reacting to their actions, we rarely escape their influence.

I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate. I was in my twenties when I came out and the thought of losing people close to me was a very real terror. My family accepted me without incident, and even the ones I braced for and rehearsed for harsh opposition were unaffected by the news. (They even asked where my boyfriend was. How awkward!) They’ve accepted my bold and often inappropriate sense of humor, and when writing M/M romance became more than an offline hobby, they still saw nothing shameful about me. One of my aunts, who is quite conservative and religious, found out about my first book, and wanted a copy. Not because she wanted to read it, (the sexual content was WAY outside of her comfort zone) but because she wanted it sitting on her mantle to show how proud she was of me. I can’t say how much I adore her.

It’s this kind of support I’ve received that keeps me writing. Knowing that while my family might not be prepared to read my work, they’ve never stopped seeing my talents and believing in them. I guess that would be my family influence.

Synopsis – Priest and Pariahs

Ship Logs of the Santa Claus, Book Three

Costa McQuillen is a Pariah, a para-human with tech empathic abilities who has escaped from Earth, where being para-human is illegal—and marks him for extermination. Arrogant and standoffish, Costa is unable to trust anyone, but is willing to risk everyone’s safety to reach the planet Omoikane. His best solution: gaining passage on board the Santa Claus.

Arbor Kittering, the crew’s newest coding tech, is a medical oddity. With the technologies available to prevent birth defects, Arbor’s status as a dwarf brings the kind of attention he could happily do without. Having spent a short time in prison for data hacking and falsifying government files doesn’t help. The Santa Claus is his last chance at a new start, if he can decipher the strange malfunctions plaguing the ship.

Priest, the Santa Claus’ Head Pilot, is a bit of a scoundrel. Perpetually single, Priest is attracted to Costa for his exotic looks, and to Arbor for his unique qualities. In truth, he’d like to have both, but it’s clear such a thing isn’t in the cards. Now Priest needs to make a choice, before it’s too late.

Excerpt

“WHAT THE FUCK is this, Priest?” Arbor shouted.

Mac watched as his newest employee scrambled out of his Mess Hall chair and stalked towards the Santa Claus’ head pilot. When they sat down to dinner, Mac noticed an edge of discomfort running through Arbor, but Mac had put it off to being the new guy. Now he knew there was something specific bothering him. The sudden vitriol pouring off Arbor made Mac get up and follow him, if only to avoid another public incident with Priest.

Arbor thrust his personal datapad into Priest’s line of sight. “You want to tell me what this looks like?”

The raised eyebrows and thin smirk on Priest’s face spoke volumes. “It looks like Mr. Wiggles.”

“Mr. Wiggles?” Mac said. Craning his head over Arbor, he reached over and turned the screen by turning Arbor’s wrist. “Oh cute! You have a sock monkey! Is this picture in Engineering? Why…?” Mac’s expression deadpanned as he realized what was happening. “Oh, wait… there’s a ransom note attached. Shit.” Frowning, Mac turned on Priest. “You didn’t.”

Arbor didn’t wait for a response. “The message said, ‘Come to Engineering or you’ll never see Mr. Wiggles alive again.’ Then I went to where the holo showed, but he wasn’t there. Then I got another com that sent me somewhere else.” Arbor jammed a finger into Priest’s chest. “Where is he?”

Priest’s mouth went tight to contain his laughter. “I have no idea.”

Arbor’s jaw tightened and his whole body quaked in rage. “Bullshit! You’re the only one who’s been in my room, so it has to be you!” A few snickers could be heard from other dining crew members. It was clear multiple people were already involved and watching this new scene.

“Arbor, it’s a prank.” Mac placed his hand on Arbor’s shoulder in a vain hope to calm him down. “Every so often the crew snatches a personal effect and they pass it around from one person to the next. They send an encrypted ransom note to make the owner run around. It’s kind of an initiation of sorts.”

“Has it ever happened to you?”

Priest snorted. “He’s the captain’s boy. We like our nuts where they are, thank you very much.”

“Why would you do that to me?”

Priest and Pariah Cover

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Book Trailer

Start with Books One and Two of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus!

The Luxorian Fugitive

Luxorian PreviewSergeant Liam Jacks is the security chief of transport vessel, The Santa Claus. He travels the planetary cluster with Marc Danverse, his best friend and captain, seeking to escape his tortured past and find some peace of mind.

Having been through a civil war together, Danverse and Liam are close. Maybe too close….

All that changes when mysterious stranger, Hadrian Jamison, an escaped Adonirati, books passage to Alpha Centauri. Can he be trusted? Can the stories of his past be believed?

As Liam’s fascination with Hadrian grows, jealousy threatens to tear apart his friendship with Danverse.

When Hadrian’s owner shows up, Liam is forced to go against orders in order to launch a rescue mission to save him.

The ensuing conflict may be more than any of them expected.

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A Cook’s Tale

A Cooks Tale - Mann RamblingsThe trials and tribulations of the crew and passengers of interplanetary transport vessel, The Santa Claus continues in A Cook’s Tale.

After a horrific breakup, Erron Murfin is bitter, homeless, and friendless. When the cook’s position on the Santa Claus presents itself, Erron decides to escape his current circumstances and join the crew. On board he reconnects with family friend Gamin Wells, whose own secrets and issues begin to surface upon Erron’s arrival. The least of which is the reason the pair haven’t laid eyes on one another in over twelve years.

As Erron settles into his new duties, the men on board take an interest in their newest crew member. Among those intrigued by Erron are polyamorous couple, Barrus and James. Despite Erron’s cautious nature, he’s drawn into a triad relationship with the pair.

But there’s something about Gamin…

Is Erron too damaged to confront his own feelings?

Will his past prevent him from finding what he needs?

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Prizes: 1 ebook copy – The Luxorian Fugitive; 1 bundle – Books 1 & 2 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus

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About the Author

Like many gay men, when Mann Ramblings grew up, there weren’t any heroes he could relate to. The world held him back while he tried futilely to hide the real person inside. So much has changed since those hollow days. He finally found his voice, the voice that says it’s all right to revel in the so-called inappropriate joys, laughs, and loves that storm inside a man’s head. It took a long time to find that courage and now that it’s here, he plans to use it well.

While spending years more focused on visual arts, he never let go of his innate passion for storytelling—he wanted to write and draw comic books when he grew up. Once he discovered M/M fiction, a whole new world opened with new possibilities. Why couldn’t you have fantastic and dynamic tales with an M/M cast? He started reading the online tales of authors like, Night Tempest, Rob Colton, and Alicia Nordwell, which only fueled within him the need to create. Eventually he found GayAuthors.org, and with a little coercive nudge from Night Tempest, started sharing his tales with an unexpected level of positive response. That experience and support gave him the courage to cross his fingers and aim for the world of M/M publishing.

Born and raised in Michigan, Mann Ramblings continues to type away, wishing it was practical to use a noisy, old fashioned keyboard that clacks with each strike, if only to annoy his loving partner and spoiled miniature dachshund.

Email: mannramblings@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mannramblings
Twitter: @mannramblings

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Marriage of Inconvenience by M.J. O’Shea

Rating: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars out of 5

perf4.250x7.000.inddLights, Camera, Lies.

Kerry Pickering has a problem. As a publicist for Hollywood bad boy Jericho Knox, it’s Kerry’s job to keep Jericho in the news. So far, Jericho’s partying and public escapades have made it easy. But Jericho has a secret, and when that secret is revealed in the most spectacularly disastrous way, it’s up to Kerry to spin it.

The team decides the best course of action is to make the public fall in love—with Jericho’s secret committed relationship. The one that doesn’t exist. Yet.

The team wants someone they can trust. Someone in the inner circle. That someone is Kerry. But what will happen when Kerry realizes that for him, the romance is no longer pretend? Can Jericho love him back, or is he just playing a role?

Marriage of Inconvenience by MJ O’Shea was another fun read in the Dreamspun Desires series from Dreamspinner Press.  Who hasn’t seen those tabloids or TMZ? Right, expose’ city!  Here M.J. O’Shea uses it as the launching pad for the story and the romance of Marriage of Inconvenience.  Jericho Knox literally gets caught with his pants down by the paparazzi and now its up to his agents and publicists to put a spin on it that his followers will not only swallow but eat up and make him even more popular.  Hmmm.  What could that be?  Well how about a secret romance?  Now all they need is someone to fill the role.  Turns out the perfect person is the one who came up with the plan. Kerry Pickering.

Author O’Shea does a lovely job of defining her characters.  We get conflicted closeted Jericho risking his career in a seedy  bar, we understand shy driven Kerry trying to hold onto a job that isn’t the dream he hoped it would be.  Hollywood full of smashed hopes and fake imagery.  We get it.  Both Jericho and Kerry have to find their way through to their own reality about themselves and the possibility of a future together, if there’s even is one.   That’s both the fun and the drama of this story.

It moves along quickly, the romance builds nicely and the ending when it happens, although I felt it was a little rushed, was still the happy ending I expect from this series.

I happen to love the Dreamspun Desires Series.  Really its almost impossible to go wrong here.  The stories are quick reads, fun, wonderful romances.  The tropes usually recognizable and they translate well into M/M fiction.  What’s not to love?  I highly recommend you try them.  Why not start here?  Work your way through the series.  They make great summer reading or anytime of the year.

Cover art by Paul Richmond shows a brooding cover boy.  Not my favorite cover for the series.

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Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Expected publication: August 15th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634775287 (ISBN13: 9781634775281)
Edition LanguageEnglish