What Happens In Vegas Charity Blog Hop and M/M Short Story: ‘Waking Up Married in Vegas’ by Hunter Frost

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Welcome to the What Happens in Vegas Charity Blog Hop!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to be a participant in this charity event and is hosting author Hunter Frost.  Welcome, Hunter.  Please tell us more about this event and your charity!

From Hunter Frost:

The Marriage Equality Blog Hop revolves around a bunch of authors, bloggers, and reviewers who want to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to affirm marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. By featuring stories of love and marriage between LGBTQ couples and promoting charitable organizations that focus on assisting and empowering the LGBTQ community, we hope share our joy in an important historical moment.
The charity I chose to promote is The Center in Las Vegas. The Center is a full-service community center that serves the city’s LGBTQ population by providing educational programs, free HIV and STD testing, vaccinations, internet and computer stations, a lending library, and other helpful resources.http://thecenterlv.org By donating to the The Center here: http://www.thecenterlv.org/get-involved/rainbow-circle/donations you help support these highly desirable programs to the LGBTQ community in Las Vegas.

Now for Hunter Frost’s short story. Enjoy!

Waking Up Married in Vegas

By

Hunter Frost

Officer Reed Weston ran his hands through his hair as he exited the elevator on the twenty-fourth floor of the Golden Nugget, keeping an eye out for Grant’s suite number. It had been six months since that first fateful night on Freemont Street when they had met, and Reed still got butterflies before each rendezvous.

After their inaugural vacation together in Kauai, they decided to fly out to visit each other once a month, which soon turned into every other week, and finally every weekend. The traveling was tiring and expensive, but Reed couldn’t imagine any more time away from Grant. And he assumed Grant felt the same. Reed had never been this obsessed with a man before, but for some reason he welcomed the once terrifying concept.

He knocked on the proper door, wishing Grant wouldn’t spend the money on a room when they could just go back to his place. But Grant wanted to be as close as possible when Reed ended his graveyard shift. At least for one night of the weekend, he always said. And Reed couldn’t deny he appreciated Grant’s need to squeeze as much time out of their weekends as possible.

“You alone?” Grant called out from inside.

Reed raised his brow. Interesting. His ex had called him boring, but the man inside that room had been anything but since Reed had known him. “Um…yes?” Reed answered hesitantly.

Grant didn’t reply, but the sound of locks opening prepared Reed as the door swung wide.

And there stood Grant – completely naked with a massive hard-on.

“Fuck me,” Reed whispered at the beautiful sight. Sexy as all get out, Grant was even sexier in the buff. Lean and trim, he somehow avoided the spare tire that Reed found himself constantly fighting off. Maybe he should take up swimming, if it helped him look as fine as Grant did.

Reed wasted no time in striding forward to reach for him, as Grant jumped into his arms and wrapped his legs around his middle. Reed went in for a kiss when Grant yelped.

“That’s gonna leave a mark.” Grant shifted in Reed’s arms and blew out a breath.

“What did you crush?” Reed chuckled. Next time, he’d remove his duty belt before lunging for a naked man…when not in the line of duty, of course.

“Nothing like that, just caught some skin on your gun holster.” He answered like it was something that happened every day.

“I’d be happy to kiss it better,” Reed murmured, as Grant tightened his arms around Reed’s neck. Reed had missed this – being able to hold him, smell him, and stare into his chocolate brown eyes. Grant’s bare ass in his hands didn’t hurt either.

Grant nibbled on his ear, making him shiver. “It’s really high up on my inner thigh,” he whispered.

If Reed wasn’t hard before, he was steel now. “Is that supposed to discourage me?”

Grant laughed, and Reed pulled him into a kiss that had both of them moaning. Before they got too carried away, Reed said against Grant’s lips. “I need a shower first. It’s been a long night.”

“No, I like the smell of danger and deviancy on you.”

“More like sweat and sorrow.” He could smell it. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

“You’re kinda kinky.” Reed kissed him again with a growl in his throat and carried him over to the bed, reluctantly letting him drop. This is where he’d been dreaming of getting Grant since yesterday morning. He removed his duty belt and placed it on the stuffed chair beside the bed.

“Let me do the rest,” Grant said, as he untucked Reed’s yellow polo from his cargo pants. Grant rested back on his haunches as he pushed Reed’s shirt up. Reed pulled it off the rest of the way.

Damn, Grant’s hands drove him crazy as they traveled up Reed’s abs and spread across his chest. He circled Reed’s nipples – now as hard as his cock. “Jesus, if you don’t let my cock out, I might pop the zipper right off.”

“I’d like to see that,” he said, unfastening Reed’s pants with urgency and pushing them down with his boxers. “Next time.”

When Reed’s cock sprung free, both of them groaned. The tip was already dripping.

Grant used the pre-come to stroke him slowly and deliberately, making Reed’s eyes roll up in the back of his head. “God, that feels incredible.”

“And I know it’ll feel incredible in my ass,” Grant replied, reaching over to pick up a condom off the bed, where a handful of them had been scattered.

Reed arched a brow. “My you’ve become such a dirty, dirty boy. What happened to my boring accountant?” He smirked and unlaced his boots, removing them and the rest of his clothes.

Grant ripped the condom rapper open with his teeth, looking up at him with mischievous eyes. “It’s impossible to be boring around you. You encourage my wild side.” He grabbed Reed’s cock and stroked.

Reed bit his lower lip and slid his hand into Grant’s soft hair. “You bet I do. Any hot-blooded man would be a fool not to.” He kissed him hard and deep, needing to feel the crush of his addicting lips and the hot slick of his tongue.

Grant slid on the condom and massaged Reed’s balls, drawing out a guttural moan. Grant already knew so well how his body would respond to his intimate caresses.

Reed slid his hands down to Grant’s chest and broke the kiss as he pushed him down to the bed with a thump. Reed then slipped his hands under Grant’s ass, spreading his thighs with his face as he dove down to kiss and lick at his inner thigh, skirting Grant’s cock and balls. “Is that the spot that needed kissing?” he asked.

“Uh huh,” Grant grunted. “So much better. But there are plenty of other spots you can tend to…”

“How about this spot?” Reed asked, as he titled Grant’s ass forward, spreading his cheeks as he tickled the puckered hole with his tongue.

Grant gasped. “Oh, God, Reed…yes.”

Reed laved at his tender flesh, licking and nibbling, until Grant nearly writhed out from under him. Reed pushed his tongue in as far as he could manage, Grant’s panting and curses almost too much for Reed to take without spilling his own seed.

“Now, Reed. Please fuck me.”

Grant’s begging had Reed scrambling onto the bed, lining his cock up to that glorious hole. Considering the condoms were lubed and he had made a wet feast of Grant, he figured he could slide in fairly easily.

Grant groaned as Reed pressed his cock inside, so hot and snug. Reed gritted his teeth to hold back the orgasm that already had his balls tight and on edge.

“I could live in there,” Reed whispered.

Grant chuckled, his breath ragged, as he lifted his hips. “You could stay forever.”

Reed smiled back, matching Grant’s rhythm, wondering if they were still talking about sex. But his thoughts were cut short as he bit back his climax. “I’m gonna come, baby,” he managed to say, pumping faster into Grant, angling toward his prostate. He wouldn’t stop until Grant got off.

“Yes, yes…Do it,” Grant said, his face betraying his oncoming orgasm. “You know I’ll be right there with you.”

God, yes. As Reed thrust, his climax ripped through him, sending electric jolts through his entire body.

Grant grasped Reed’s hand tight, no different than the very first time they slept together. Reed realized he’d come to crave that intensity, that connection, which only Grant had been able to give him.

“I’m coming, I’m coming…” Grant yelled, as he shot all the way up to his neck. His body jerked under Reed, who stroked Grant’s leg with his free hand.

When they both finally relaxed, Reed moved to slip out of Grant. He kissed the hand that held his and got off the bed.

“Where are you going?” Grant asked, his eyes still closed. His legs were bent at the knees and spread wide, his expression spent and absolutely beautiful.

Reed shook his head to clear it. “Shower. Now, I really need one. And there’s no way I’m going to completely funk up the bed we’ll be sleeping in later.”

Grant chuckled. “I’ll join you in a minute.”

“I’m counting on it.”

#

Grant woke up with a start. Pressure on his shoulder and his name in a deep, hushed voice came from the dark mass next to him in the bed.

“Wake up, Grant,” Reed whispered, squeezing his arm.

Grant blinked his heavy eyelids, nerves suddenly on edge. “What? What is it? Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s not.”
“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Grant shifted to sit up and felt for Reed’s solid form, touching his body as if trying to find something out of place.

Reed sat up, grasping both of his hands in his. “No, it’s not that.”

Grant leaned back against the headboard, relief washing over him.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Reed said, his thumbs brushing the top Grant’s hands.

The words slammed into Grant like a mack truck. Did he mean…them? Grant searched through the entire day in his head, wondering what had happened to provoke Reed’s change of heart. They had had a wonderful day as usual, ordering breakfast from room service after more sexy fun in the shower. Grant insisted Reed nap after that, considering he had met him right after his shift. Then they drove out to Red Rock and did a short hike since the fall weather finally made it bearable. Once they had dinner at Reed’s favorite local pub, they came home, fooled around and promptly fell asleep.

“What do you mean?” Grant asked, his voice higher than he expected.

“It means I love you and I can’t do this back and forth thing anymore. I must be losing it because I can’t even stand being away from you for five days.”

Grant’s mouth went slack. Boy, did he jump to the wrong conclusion.

But wait.

“Did you just say you loved me?” The silence following made Grant lean over and turn on the light so he could see Reed properly. “Did you hear me?”

Reed squinted. “Yes, I nodded ‘yes’.”

“In the dark.” Grant chuckled and Reed joined him.

“Sorry.”

Grant grabbed his face and kissed him quickly. “I love you, too.”

“Thank God,” Reed said, wrapping his arms around Grant’s waist. “But I’m sick of missing you. I want to be next to you, in the same city, the same house, waking up in the same bed.” He paused and visibly swallowed. His blue eyes darkened. “Marry me, Grant. I don’t care if it’s crazy. I’ve never felt this way about someone.”

Grant couldn’t get his eyes to work. Shock made them blink uncontrollably, while tears stung them from behind. “You’re serious?” He said, for lack of anything better. Of course he wanted to marry Reed. He was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Coming to Vegas to forget his ex may not have been the smartest thing he could have done, but it was by far the luckiest. To know that Reed felt the same about him made the tears fall.

“Are these happy tears?” Reed whispered, bringing his hands up to catch the watery trails with his thumbs.

“Of course they are, you big dummy,” Grant said, playfully punching him in his meaty chest.

“Is that a yes?” Reed asked, pulling him closer.

Grant nodded. “Yes, Officer.”

Reed groaned and then proceeded to kiss every ounce of life from his body, until he laid limp in his arms.

Grant didn’t know how he managed to speak after that. “Where will we live?”

“I don’t care. If you want me to move to Ohio, I’ll go. I could find work there. That’s the bonus of being a police officer.”

“What about your Mom and the Silva family and the rest of metro? They all need you.”

“You know my Mom loves you. And so does Silva, Allison, and the kids.” Reed smiled. “They’ll understand. Especially knowing how happy I am.”

Grant took a deep breath. He wouldn’t deny that he’d thought about moving in with Reed and even marriage, but he never expected it to happen so soon. Still, he knew what he wanted. “If you don’t care, then I’m moving here. I don’t think you’re done here in Vegas.”

“Really? Could you leave your parents and Lisa? Lisa won’t know what to do with herself.” Reed smirked.

“With the new baby coming, and my Mom so busy doting on her soon-to-be grandbaby, they won’t even notice I’m gone,” Grant grinned. “Besides, they can afford to miss me for a while. It’s about time I leave the nest.”

Reed chuckled. “You’re my brave little bird.”

Grant rolled his eyes and shoved him. “We could revisit the whole living situation every few years, just to make sure we’re happy with the arrangements.”

Reed wrapped an arm around Grant’s neck and kissed his forehead. “You’re so smart.”

“Level-headed,” Grant corrected him.
“Then you’re going to freak out when you hear what I have to say next.”

Grant blinked. “What?”

“Let’s do it now.”

“Sex? Sure.” Grant trailed a finger down Reed’s chest. “You know I’m always game for that.”

“Not that.” Reed pressed Grant’s hand against his chest. “I meant, let’s get married right now.”

“Now?”

“This is Vegas. You can get married at all hours of the day or night and same-sex marriage is now legal in Nevada.” Reed’s blue eyes grew brighter as he talked. “Elvis could marry us, or…we could even get Captain Jack Sparrow to officiate. I know how much you love Pirates of the Caribbean. We’ve only watched every movie five or six times together.”

Grant gasped. “Captain Jack Sparrow? Really?!”

Reed nodded slowly, his smile widening.

Grant thought his head might pop off. First, Reed drops the bomb that he can’t do this, then he tells him he loves him, and last he proposes to him all in the span of a few minutes. But Captain Jack Sparrow? Oh my… Grant jumped off the bed. “We gotta shower. Do they rent tuxes this late? Or do these places provide pirate clothing?”

Reed laughed. “I’m sure these places provide anything we could need. You get in the shower first. I’ll call around.”

Grant ran towards the bathroom, but turned back to wrap his arms around Reed from behind. He pressed his lips to Reed’s ear. “I love you so much, Reed Weston.”

Reed grabbed Grant’s hand around his neck and nuzzled him. “And I love you, Grant Carroll.”

Grant squeezed his fiancé one more time before heading toward the shower. “Oh my God, I’m going to get married tonight…By a pirate!” He could hear Reed laughing as he closed the bathroom door.

#

Daybreak broke through the small slits in the blinds, waking Reed. He blinked lazily and smiled, watching the bright light play across Grant’s golden hair. His husband laid next to him, flat on his stomach and dead to the world. It had been a whirlwind trip, starting out as wonderful as always, and ending with the two of them married by Captain Jack Sparrow. He couldn’t believe he had been the first one to suggest marriage, let alone to suggest doing it right then and there. But this was no normal man snoring next to him. This was Grant Carroll – the boring accountant from Columbus, Ohio, who came into Reed’s life drunk and adorable, stealing Reed’s broken heart with the uncoordinated wink of his eye and the purity of his soul. And just maybe his fine ass.

Reed looked down at Grant’s hand, the silver band they had purchased at a pawnshop on his finger. Reed wore the matching one. The bands shined bright even in the dim light of the room, much like he hoped their lives would. And as Reed moved to cover Grant’s hand with his, he knew as long as he had Grant by his side, it all was worth it.

THE END

CHARITY

The charity that I chose to feature is The Center, a communal complex in the heart of Las Vegas that offers a variety of wonderful services to the LGBTQ community. I’ve visited this amazing place and immediately felt welcome and part of something much bigger than myself. Besides an extensive lending library, computer stations, and other educational resources, they provide free HIV and STD testing and vaccinations. It is a clean, safe place for anyone to visit if they desire. I wish there were more centers such as this to service the Las Vegas and surrounding areas.
http://www.thecenterlv.org

AUTHOR BIO

Hunter lost a bet at a blackjack table and begrudgingly traded temperate Southern California for the sweltering heat of Las Vegas. There she resides with an extremely tolerant boyfriend and two cats named after her favorite beverage, Latte and Java.

When she’s not dreaming of returning to coastal living, Hunter works at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from where she recently received her Master’s in British history. In order to appease her muse, she writes the kind of fiction that keeps her sane. She adores romance in all forms, but prefers her stories with two heroes that find their happily-ever-after with each other.

You can find Hunter Frost here:

http://www.twitter.com/HunterFrostMM
http://www.facebook.com/HunterFrostMM
http://www.HunterFrost.net

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September is Here and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

September and Fall

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This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 Leaves have started to fall, yet I’m still working on our Best Books of Summer 2015 Part II.  While I do, here is our schedule this week.

Sunday, August 30:

  • September is Upon Us and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, August 31:

  • What Happens In Vegas Charity Blog Hop
  • Its Love and Texas Heat with Patricia Logan’s Buttermilk Ranch
  • A Stella Review: Free Ride by J.L. Merrow
  • A Jeri Review: Unsaid (The Manhattanites Book 3) by Avery Aster
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady: A Sense of Place by NR Walker

Tuesday, September 1:

  • Cover Reveal for JK Hogan’s ‘Unbreak Broken’
  • Riptide Book Tour : Fall and Rising by Sunny Moraine (contest)
  • Book Spotlight: Viki Lyn ‘Lover’s Trill’ (excerpt and contest)
  • A Mika Review: Bent Arrow by Posy Roberts (double  dipping review)
  • A Stella Review: Bent Arrow by Posy Roberts

Wednesday, September 2:

  • Coffee Sip and Book Break: Thianna Durston’s ‘Discovery’ {excerpt and giveaway}
  •  Love Heats Up with TC Blue’s ‘Sexual Frankenstein’ (contest)
  • A Stella Review: Red Hot – Coffin Nails MC California by KA Merikan
  • A MelanieM Review: Taxes and Tardis by N. R. Walker
  • A Paul B Review: Craig (Gillhan Pack #3) by Catherine Lievens

Thursday, September 3  Happy Birthday, RJ Scott!:

  • Throwback Thursday:  A Barb  the Zany Old Lady Review: The Summer House by R.J. Scott
  • Posy Roberts ‘Bent Arrow’ book blast  and contest
  • A Mika Review: Trust by Sarah Masters
  • A MelanieM Review: Put A Ring On It by K.A. Mitchell
  • A BJ Review: TBA

Friday, September 4:

  • A Closer Look at A SHOOTING STAR by Joe Cosentino (guest post and contest)
  • Spotlight:  L.A. Witt’s Running with Scissors tour and contest
  • Book Blast and Giveaway: Like A Lover by Jay Northcote
  • A Stella Review: Speedy Rewards by Jeff Erno
  • A MelanieM Review: No Place Left to Run by Zarah Detand

Saturday, September 5:

  • STRW Best Books of Summer 2015 Part II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best Books and Covers of August 2015

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best Books and Covers of August 2015

Looking back at our August 2015, never have I seen so many wonderful books as we read and reviewed this month.  Normally I would include those books with a 4.5 or higher rating, but we had so many excellent 5 star novels this month that I had to stop somewhere and left those off this time.

Did you miss out on any of our reviews listed below?  Give them and the books another look now.  These stories are too amazing to be missed.  And don’t forget the covers that we loved just below that.  Does it match your own lists this month?  Write us and let us know!

Best Books of August 2015 – ★★★★★

Get Your Shine On by Nick Wilgus (A Stella Review on 8/5)
Redemption by Eden Winters (A MelanieM Review on 8/7)
Evolution by Lissa Kasey (An Aurora YA Review on 8/8)
Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed (A Mika Review on 8/11)
Diamond Edge by Laura Harner (A MelanieM Review on 8/12)
The Harder They Fall by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau (A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review on 8/13)
The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune (A Stella Review on 8/14)
The Pillar the Kim Fielding (A BJ Review on 8/14)
Lucky Linus by Gene Grant (A Mika Review on 8/ 15)
The Homecoming by J. Scott Coatsworth on 8/21 (A Paul B Review)

Audiobooks:audiobook clipart bw

Nowhere Ranch by Heidi Cullinan, narrated by Iggy Toma (A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review on 8/17)

End of a Series:

A Piece of Cake by Mary Calmes (Jory and Sam) (A MelanieM Review) on 8/14

 

Favorite Covers of August 2015

Ink & Shadows coverDefinitely Maybe Yours coverLucky Linus coverThe Homecoming - cover2

 

 

 

 

 

Shadows and Ink by Rhys Ford, cover art by Anne Cain
Definitely, Maybe. Yours by Lissa Reed, cover art by Buckeyegrrl Design -made Mika want to read the story,
The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune, cover art by Paul Richmond, powerful and unique
The Pillar by Kim Fielding, cover artist is Shobana Appavu.  Stunning and rich as the story
Lucky Linus by Gene Grant, cover art by Paul Richmond, photograph is again the reason Mika wanted this book
The Homecoming by J. Scott Coatsworth, cover art by London Burden, Paul thinks its one of the most gorgeous covers he’s seen all year.

Special Mentions to Kate McMurray’s The Rainbow League Series, cover art by Aaron Anderson.  Wonderful.

The Pillar coverThe Lightning Struck Heart cover

The Long Slide Home cover

Thrown A Curve cover

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of the Summer of 2015 Reads – Part I

 STRW Best Books of Summer 2015

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best Books of Summer 2015- Part I

The approaching end of summer and the list of stories I was compiling of the books we loved to read this summer of 2015 made me think of several things.  First it brought back all those memories of those past summer best sellers. Perhaps you might even remember them. Those stories that we (of a certain generation) gobbled up with a ferocity now saved for certain cable and internet shows.  We read them, discussed them and then read them again.  All against the backdrop of the laid back and at the time endless atmosphere of summer – vacations, to die for romances, and a autumnal seriousness that we pushed as far away as we could manage.

Now I look at the New York Times Best Seller List and notice that seasons don’t make the impact they once did.  And I think, perhaps its due to a revision in peoples reading habits.  We read on the go now. I do it too.  My Kindle’s has made that much easier (I’m on my second one at that).  But I can also read on my iPhone or computer.  Doesn’t matter.  I still do have my hardcopies, shelves of them.  ( I will never give those up.  That’s along the lines of dying with your boots on or bookmark behind your ear…or something.)  And I will continue to haunt bookstores because I love them and that’s an addiction of mine.  Don’t judge.  But ebooks have changed my reading habits, made it easier for me (enlarged fonts sigh) in so many ways as I suspect they have for others.

I especially love that I can carry hundreds of books in a itty bitty device in my purse and reading whatever whenever.  *blinks innocently* That’s amazing, wonderful and just darn light…as in weight.  No, I don’t miss those heavy tote bags of books to the  beach let me tell you.

So I asked this of my reviewers:

Is there such a thing as a summer book anymore?  It used to be the big book everyone lugged to the beach to read, like Stephen King’s It ,Alex Haley’s Roots or Frank Herbert’s Dune.   Or maybe just a ton of  books you had been wanting to read and now had a chance to over “the vacation”.  Does the summer book exist anymore?

Here are some of their answers.

From Barb the Zany Old Lady:

“I don’t think of books as “summer reads” anymore because, when I pick up my e-reader and get into a good story, I go on vacation in my mind.  In other words, I don’t physically have to go away somewhere to enjoy a good book.  Just picking the right story and having the ease of an e-reader allows me to escape to my own version of “Fantasyland.”

From Mika:

“For me, I think the summer fad of books has definitely faded. Since e-books are so easy to bring around, I never see myself waiting to read a certain book, or carrying any books around. I think it also might be a generation thing as well. I haven’t stepped foot in a library since I was in elementary school, and I know some of my older friends still check out library books. The only books I purchased from stores are cookbooks, and sometimes I order them online.”

 From Melanie:

For me?  I have to agree with them.  I look for favored books to release all year long, not just at certain times, like the summer or Christmas.  My reading habits have changed and not just because of the blog.  There are other considerations as well. So for me, my summer reading blockbusters are wonderful memories of all genres.  Now I just don’t have to shake the sand out of the tote bag or off the books after I get home!

 How do you feel about it? Email us and let us  know. Your replies will appear in Part II of our Best of 2015!

Now on to some of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words  favorite Summer of 2015 Books!

 Carry the OceanDefinitely Maybe Yours coverRed Dirt Heart 4 coverOut of the Blue

 

 

From Mika

who says “surprisingly 4 new authors to me as well as a favorite and someone who I’m liking only their contemporary novels.”

Definitely Maybe Yours, by  Lissa Reed
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Dangerous Spirits by  Jordan L. Hawk
Out of the Blue by R.J. Jones
Red Dirt Heart 4,  by N.R. Walker
Trust the Focus, by Megan Erickson
Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan

AgainstTheGrainFSLGIn the Middle of Somewhere coverThe Boss

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From Jeri:

Repaired Melissa Collins
Boss (Boss #1) by Ashley John
Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet
In the Middle of Somewhere (In the Middle of Somewhere #1)by Roan Parrish

From Barb the Zany Old Lady:

 (more from us coming in Part II)
Tigers on the Run coverLead Me Not coverDeepOfTheSound_600x900Brute cover

A Jeri Review: The Long Slide Home (The Rainbow League #3) by Kate McMurray

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The Long Slide Home coverNate and Carlos have been the best of friends since their childhood playing baseball together in the Bronx. For the last few years, Nate’s been in love with Carlos, though he’s never acted on it, and Carlos has never given any indication that he returns Nate’s feelings. Nate has finally given up, determined to move on and find someone else, especially now that Carlos has shacked up with his boyfriend Aiden.

Carlos doesn’t understand why Nate has suddenly gotten weird, acting cold and distant at team practice for the Rainbow League. But if that’s how things are going to be, Carlos is done trying to figure Nate out. But then Aiden starts to show he might not be the man Carlos thought he was, and Carlos needs his best friend’s support. Worse, he starts to realize his feelings for Nate might not be limited to friendship. But in the aftermath of his relationship with Aiden, and with Nate having problems of his own, the timing is all wrong to make a real relationship work. As emotions run high, both have hard time figuring out what is real and what is just convenient.

Sometimes it takes something to open your eyes to the possibilities. For Nate, it was watching Carlos dating Aidan.

Nate and Carlos have been friends since they were kids. Growing up in the same neighborhood of the Bronx, their mutual love of the Yankees and baseball in general, and Nate practically growing up in Carlos’ Puerto Rican family since he only had a single working mother.

They played on the same team in the league and were both out of the closet. Everyone assumed they were together until Carlos started dating Aidan.

Nate is losing his chance to have Carlos as his own- but he is also losing his friendship with Carlos. He never hangs out after games with his friends, he leaves directly after practice and doesn’t say much to anyone. Until he shows up at Nate’s door with a bruise on his face.

Watching these two navigate through their friendship to something more was really beautiful. They struggle to find the balance between friends and lovers, while navigating baseball, Carlos’ huge family and a rebound situation. You just want to cheer for them to make it through.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson who did the covers for the first two stories as well.I loved having both main characters on the cover of the book, which again, follows the same art as the previous two.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published August 14th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original title The Long Slide Home
ISBN139781632169723
edition language English
Books in the Rainbow League Series are:

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Lead Me Not by Ann Gallagher

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Lead Me Not coverIsaac Morris strongly believes in spreading the word of the Lord as he firmly and loudly protests homosexuality at rallies organized by his church at any and all LGBTQ pride gatherings. Following in the footsteps of his father, the leader of the church which has a zero tolerance for that type of sexual deviant Sodomizer, he and his brothers are being groomed to take over the flock when, and if, his father retires. At one such protest, a gay man challenges him to prove that being homosexual is a choice. Stunned, Isaac begins to think through the possibilities of proving that one can choose to be homosexual and one can choose to come back to the Lord and be heterosexual again.

His twin sister, Ruth, encourages him and helps him to convince their father and older brothers that their plan is sound. Their nephew Griffin has been struggling with being gay and is due to be sent to a special camp as a last resort to save him. His father, Isaac’s brother John, supports the project in the hope that it will help Griffin see that he can become “normal” through a conscious decision to change. Ruth, a film major, and Isaac, a recently divorced man, have nothing to lose by setting up a house in Seattle to film a documentary while Isaac infiltrates the gay community to prove being gay is a choice. Motivated by the knowledge that he is helping Griffin and others like him, Isaac stifles his nausea at having to do this project. Focusing on the hope that he can help lead those sinners back to God, they move forward with their plan.

His first foray into attempting a hookup ends up with him being bashed in the alley behind the bar, CapitalOUT. Colton, one of the bartenders, accompanies the bouncers as they head into the alley to break up the fight and rescue the guy. It’s Colton who treats Isaac’s wounds and extends the hand of comfort, healing, and friendship to Isaac. And it’s Colton, whom Isaac turns to when he decides he needs some guidance before attempting this again. Colton is a sweet, quiet, confidant man who conveys a soft-spoken attitude and acceptance of the Lord’s way in most everything he does. Colton volunteers all his spare time at his church, a church which welcomes and supports LGBTQ members and provides a youth center for those teens who have been abandoned by their families.

Pastor Mike once saved Colton from the same fate, and Colton is firm about giving back to the church which saved his life. Over time, Isaac finally acknowledges that the church is based on love and respect for all who seek the Lord, and he has lengthy discussions and debates with the pastor about the sections of the Bible his father uses as a basis for his hatred of homosexuality. Pastor Mike shows Isaac a different interpretation and suggests that Isaac’s father is using the Bible for his own means to spread hatred, rather than love. (To clarify here, no one knows who Isaac’s father actually is.)

Isaac also discovers that he has feelings for Colton, feelings he never felt for his wife, and feelings which scare him. How can he come to care for a man? Is he really gay? Can he possibly go back when this film production is done? And can he break the heart of the wonderful man he’s come to care for? The decision is taken from his hands when his brothers discover his confidential video of his private thoughts about each situation he’s been thrown in. They also discover that he works now as a bartender at CaptialOUT, and they come storming in to pull him away— but not before revealing his secret to Colton— a secret which clearly devastates Colton and tears the couple apart before they ever have a chance to commit to each other.

This is an absolutely wonderful story. It’s long, and non-explicit, but that seems of little importance as it clearly shows the depth of love two men can have for each other. This story is not so much about the sexual attraction as it is about other things that attract one person to another. The beauty of the soul of a man, his goodness shining through, the buildup of trust between two people and yes, even the butterflies in the tummy when their gazes meet across a room.

What happens to Isaac and Colton and how the issues are resolved is both fascinating and engaging and I quickly reached the point where I didn’t want to put the book down. I highly recommend this story to all lovers of M/M romance, and especially to those who struggle with the arguments related to religion and homosexuality and the “word of God” in the Bible. I found the story quite educational and enlightening without feeling as if I were sitting at the foot of a preacher and being spoon-fed Bible studies. This story is also great because it can be shared with family members who prefer to read non-explicit romances or those who may be considered too young to read such stories. I can summarize by saying that when I finished the book, I was stunned by the powerful message and the depth of feeling conveyed to readers. Don’t hesitate to read this one.

~~~~~
Cover Art by L.C. Chase depicts two men, representing the MCs, standing against a background of a crowd of protesters holding up homophobic placards.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 415 pages
Expected publication: August 24th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
original title Lead Me Not
ISBN 1626492778 (ISBN13: 9781626492776)
edition language English
settingSeattle, Washington (United States)

Coffee Break Highlight: Ann Gallagher on Lead Me Not and Future Projects for Her and Her Alter Egos! (guest post and giveaway)

Lead Me Not cover

Lead Me Not by Ann Gallagher
Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Cover Artist:  L. C. Chase
Sales Link:  Riptide Publishing

LeadMeNot_TourBanner

 

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Ann Gallagher blog tour for Lead Me Not!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (including books written as L.A. Witt and Lauren Gallagher, excluding Lead Me Not) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 29. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Don’t forget to leave your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prizes provided by Riptide Publishing and the author.

***

So what’s next for Ann Gallagher & Co?

Lead Me Not prompted me to add a new pen name to my ever-growing roster. (I swear, I’m stopping at five. I do not need more. Please, please, no more…) So now that Ann Gallagher has one book out there, what’s next?

I honestly don’t know much more I’ll be writing in the Christian/inspirational genre (I simply haven’t come up with any additional ideas, though that’s not to say they won’t happen down the line), but I also don’t want Ann to be a one trick pony. So, chances are, she will be required to wear multiple hats just like my other names. This name will most likely be LGBTQ, focusing on sweet romances (not limited to Christian romances) and Young Adult.

And yes, I am expanding into YA next year. I have two YA romances in the works, and a third YA book that likely won’t be a romance.

Speaking of my herd of pen names, here’s what’s next for everyone else:

L.A. Witt is the busiest of the bunch. What He Left Behind (an erotic menage from Samhain Publishing) just came out, and Running With Scissors (a rock star romance) will be out on August 31st. Also in the offing, Rain Shadow (a new Bluewater Bay book) this fall, followed by If The Seas Catch Fire (erotic suspense with Mafia shenanigans) in November, and a kinky office romance called Not Safe For Work in December. And there are several co-written projects which will be announced as they’re completed.

Lauren Gallagher has a hetero release in October called The Virgin Cowboy Billionaire’s Secret Baby (yes, really), and a bisexual ménage called The Best Laid Plans, which is due out in February. Also in the works is Stuck Landing, the first lesbian book in the Bluewater Bay series.

Diana Fyre is working on two horror novels, which will be announced sometime in 2016.
And finally, Lori A. Witt is working on Mythos, a non-romance science fiction novel; a dystopian spec-fic story; and a sequel to The Tide of War.

There are a few other projects going on that will be announced in 2016, so stay tuned!

***

Lead Me Not cover

Blurb

Isaac Morris has devoted his life to preaching against the sin of homosexuality. But when his sister proposes a documentary to demonstrate once and for all that it’s a choice—with Isaac choosing to be gay as proof—he balks. Until he learns his nephew is headed down that perverted path. Isaac will do anything to convince the teenager he can choose to be straight . . . including his sister’s film.

When Isaac’s first foray into the gay lifestyle ends with a homophobic beating, he’s saved and cared for by Colton Roberts, a gentle, compassionate bartender with a cross around his neck. Colton challenges every one of Isaac’s deeply held beliefs about gay men. He was kicked out by homophobic parents, saved from the streets by a kind pastor, and is now a devout Christian. Colton’s sexuality has cost him dearly, but it also brought him to God.

As the two grow closer, everything Isaac knows about homosexuality, his faith, and himself is called into question. And if he’s been wrong all along, what does that mean for his ministry, his soul, his struggling nephew—and the man he never meant to love?

Lead Me Not is available August 24th from Riptide Publishing.

   About the Author and her many Identities!

Ann Gallagher is the slightly more civilized alter ego of  L.A. Witt,   Lauren Gallagher, and Lori A. Witt. So she tells herself, anyway. When she isn’t wreaking havoc on Spain with her husband and trusty two-headed Brahma bull, she writes romances just like her wilder counterparts, but without all the heat. She is also far too mature to get involved in the petty battle between L.A. and Lauren, but she’s seriously going to get even with Lori for a certain incident that shall not be discussed publicly.

Connect with Ann:

  • Website:  \n _blankhttp://loriawitt.com
  • Author Blog:   \n _blankhttp://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com
  • 
Personal Blog:   \n _blankhttp://navywifeadventures.blogspot.
  • Twitter: @GallagherWitt
  • Facebook:  http://facebook.com//L-A-Witt-MM-Fiction

[Our Barb the Zany Old Lady 5 Star Review follows]

A MelanieM Review: The Shepherd and the Solicitor by Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When a storm is brewing, taking shelter could be the most dangerous move of all.

The Shepherd and the Solicitor coverOne careless, public sign of affection cost Daniel Pierce’s lover his life at the hands of a hate-filled mob. Grief-stricken, Daniel retreated from society to a sheep farm in the wilds of the north. Years later, Gregory Tobin erupts into his solitary life.

Sent to confirm the existence—or the death—of the Pierce family’s lost heir, Tobin isn’t sure he’s found the right man. The gruff, shaggy hermit calling himself Jacob Bennet bears little resemblance to photographs of the younger Pierce. Tobin needs more time to study his quarry.

With lambing season in full swing, Daniel grudgingly admits he could use an extra hand. Through a long, exhausting night, they parry back and forth as Tobin probes closer and closer to the truth. And something beyond casual attraction simmers between them.

They come together in a crash of desire, but ultimately Daniel must overcome the terrors of the past to reconcile the man he was with the man he’s becoming—a man capable of loving again.

In The Shepherd and the Solicitor, authors Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee effortlessly bring 1883 Yorkshire to life, allowing  their readers to sink into many levels of society and culture of that age through their novel and characters.  A lover of historic fiction, especially historic romance, that blurb attracted me with its wounded withdrawn main character and the man sent to find him and return him to society.  The authors delivered not only on the promise of their synopsis but gave me a story that let me feel a part of a small community struggling for survival on the edge of a moor. Do I love this story?  Oh, yes I do!

Let’s start with the characterizations first.  Its the death of Daniel Pierce’s lover at a mob that the impetus for his  flight.  Wrong place, wrong time, one tiny gesture that gets noticed by the wrong person and a mob is ignited.  Daniel barely escapes with his life, his lover perishes as a police officer watches.  Emotionally destroyed, Daniel abandons everyone and everything he associates with his lover’s death and disappears.

When the story picks up the Board of Directors of the Pierce family firm is looking for the lost heir,  He must be found so the company’s majority shares Daniel owns can be either sold or handled for control of the firm.  The job is given to a young solicitor Gregory Tobin, a middle man in his firm,  He considers this job tedious but intends to carry it out responsibility and throughly.  And that and a slight clue has lead him to the wilds of Yorkshire, muddy roads and an almost inhabitable inn.

With each character (primary and otherwise), Devon and Dee set up their portraits complete with the correct set of clothing and footwear appropriate to their stations and lifestyles, their speech patterns matches their professions (lost and current), and even the books left scattered around Daniel/Jacob’s cottage is perfect for the times and education of the man in question.  The authors don’t hit us over the head with their research but stash it away in the narrative in bits and pieces so we notice it as we would looking around someone’s room or house.  It feels natural and believable.

A element I delighted in was the flocks of sheep and sheep dogs being raised by Jacob.  The reader along with Gregory get quite the introduction into the rough life of a shepherd in 1883, from the exhaustion, pain, and joys of lambing to the bare minimum existence of Daniel/Jacob’s cottage. Through lively, vivid descriptions Gregory’s initiation into that life becomes ours as well, those passages making us laugh and often sniffle.  When Gregory names a triplet of lambs after three solicitors in his office, his reasons and descriptions will sending you giggling.  And when a ewe rejects her lamb and they desperately search for a solution, its feels raw, real and urgent .

That brings us to the element of romance.  If you like your romance to be quick, hot and heavy, then this is probably not the romance story for you.  Devon and Dee have made Daniel’s pain and trauma over the death of his lover palpable.  That event caused him to totally withdraw from the world as he knew it, becoming someone totally different overtime.  And time is what it takes for Gregory to start to break through those barriers and keep within the social restraints of the 1800’s respectability. Theirs is a slow build towards friendship and a romantic relationship.  Its a tight balancing act, one that Daniel has lost once and is not sure he is brave enough to reach for again.  I was deeply engaged in this romance and loved every slow step they took towards each other.

I even loved the ending, maybe the denouement was stretching it a little but by that time, I didn’t care whether it was as realistic as the rest of the story.  I loved it and I loved the solution that the authors came up with for Daniel and Gregory, that was close to perfection.

I highly recommend this story. Even if you normally don’t read historic romance, you will love this couple and their story of love and devotion.  Its heartwarming and beautifully written.  I may not ever want to have lived in the 1800’s but through the writing of Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee, I  feel as though I have visited there for a while.  And had a wonderful time.

 

Cover artist Lea Kaye Suttle cover is lovely, a little old fashioned.  I do wish there were some sheep on it.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 161 pages
Expected publication: September 29th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASIN B00YX4QH1A
edition language English

 

A Stella Review: Confessions Of a Wild Heart by Kade Boehme

Rating: 3. 75 stars out of 5

Confessions of a Wild HeartUS Army PFC Jase Emery, on leave in Germany, sees Ase Ramirez for the first time with a camera to his face. Ase’s wild child ways provide a welcome distraction for Jase. But their weekend of fun ends abruptly when Ase’s conservative family catches them. Through email, Ase and Jase are able to keep the link open. But that too comes to an end.

Jase was never able to live up to his parent’s expectations like his brother was. He didn’t stay and work the family ranch, or marry. He saw the world. His return from serving in the Army changed nothing, he wanted to be free to live his own life. But the death of his father and his mother’s failing health force him to come home, hide his bisexuality, and live a life in the closet as a local Sheriff Deputy so he can take care of his family. This was to be his life… Until Ase returns.

After his family caught Ase and Jase together, Ase worked hard at getting the heat off himself. His occasional thoughts of Jase and their amazing weekend dwindle as life and family take the forefront and fear drives Ase to make huge mistakes.

When Ase and Jase come face to face again, it isn’t easy. Insecurities, and a hurt that have only grown with time make it hard to see the future.Can their friendship blossom into something more? With Ase’s wild side reappearing from the shadows and major trust issues, can he and Jase, with huge obstacles of his own, learn to forgive, move on, and find a peace they both so desperately want… together?

I read Chasing the Rainbow https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/2015/06/16/a-stella-review-chasing-the-rainbow-by-kade-boehme/ on May and last week this new one and I realized I’m struggling a little with Kade’s work lately. Confessions of a Wild Heart was a good book, definitely better than the  last one, but I’m used to get something different from the author.

I’m not talking about details in the writing’s style or the plot or the characters, on the contrary. When you are going to read the lovely and hot story between Jace and Ase, you will meet great characters (both main and secondary), well defined, real and “defective” just like us. The development of the love story was real too and it gave a huge strength to the book, putting it on a higher level. The writing was good, done in a way to make the reading flow easily. Everything was right.

What did I miss? I have to admit, at the end of the book, I wasn’t able to rate it and I had to think about it for some days. It was good but it lacked that something I later realized is a mix of the emotional part and the chemistry among MCs. Still Confessions of a Wild Heart is full of feelings, not all of them positive, but they were there with hot and sexy scenes. I read the feelings, but I couldn’t feel them and the chemistry, almost if there was screen between me and the story.

That’s why I’m not giving it the full 4 stars (that to me means I loved the book) to a book that probably would have deserved a little more than that but I expect from more Kade.

Cover art by Natasha Snow caught my attention before I read the blurb. It’s Natasha’s and it’s really amazing. And the model is hard to ignore.

Sales Links:  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Published July 20th 2015 by Amazon Digital Services, Inc
Kindle Edition, 338 pages
ASIN B0127TCGXK
Edition Language English

A Paul B Review: Broken Circle (Sirius Wolves #2) by Victoria Sue

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Broken Circle coverSeven months have passed since we last checked in on Aden, Blaze, Connor and Darric.  The Orion’s Circle is expecting their first child.  The second book of the Sirius Wolves series opens up with the Aden in the process of delivering their bundle of joy.  When the child comes, Blaze is surprised that they have a daughter instead of the son that he thought they would have.

Shortly after Beth is born, a new terrorist group is trying to destroy the joint wolf human military training that Blaze and Senator Mason have been trying to set up.  Their first attempt, kill the Joint Chiefs in Washington DC, fails.  Their second attempt takes place in Denver.  This time the group succeeds.  The group Winter Circle claims responsibility.  Blaze knows that the terrorist group is named in such a way to implicate the werewolves.  He hopes that it is just a coincidence that a human group would choose that name.

Meanwhile, Doctor Madden is back in town.  He has gotten information that the Orion’s Circle has had a child and wants to try to duplicate the results in humans.  He first kidnaps Blaze thinking he is the reason for the child.  When Blaze is unwilling to divulge any information, Madden then sets about kidnapping Aden to give Blaze incentive to talk.  When Connor and Darric arrive to rescue their mates, all hell breaks out.

I enjoy this story.  Blaze is complex character.  He is the Supreme Alpha but cannot seem to do anything right when it comes to Aden.  What Blaze sees as protecting his mates, Aden sees it as overbearing sometimes.  Blaze’s idea about hiring a couple of nannies is a prime example.  Darric and Connor are there to try to explain to their mates what the others motivations are.  With the plot twists that occur in this book, it will be interesting to see how this relationship moves forward in following books.

The cover design by 3 Rusted Spoons shows the Omega Aden shirtless in jeans standing in front of a starry sky.  It is a decent cover for the story.

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

Book Details

Ebook, 127 pages
Edition:  English
ISBN:  978-1-942176-92-3
Published:  July 29, 2015 by Dark Hollows Press

Series:  Sirius Wolves

  • Orion’s Circle (Sirius Wolves #1)
  • Broken Circle (Sirius Wolves #2)