A Lila Review: Undercover Star by Jackie Keswick

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

It sounds like the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas. Detective Inspector Josh Ingram wants to find a deadly medieval locket and through it, a murderer. So why does his boss decide to team him up with Matisse Vervein, a pop idol many consider just a pretty face… and expect the two of them to hunt down an art thief?

Marissa Godwin, Matisse’s no-nonsense manager, isn’t stupid. Neither is her brother-in-law, Detective Superintendent Tim Montgomery. Each is looking out for a lonely man on the verge of quitting what he does best, and both believe that their charges would make a great team.

The attraction sizzling between Josh and Matisse is hard to miss, but there’s plenty of resentment, too. Focused on pushing Josh and Matisse towards each other, Marissa and Tim haven’t imagined the kind of trouble a music star and a detective can find when they ditch their prejudices and accept that the attraction between them is mutual. Or how far each is prepared to go to prove it to the other.

Undercover Star is a mix of intrigue, adventure, and romance. It starts right into the action which can be confusing. It takes time to learn all the names and follow Matisse first meeting with Josh. His acceptance seems rushed and out of nowhere, but after that, the rest of the story takes a more linear form.

There’s a disconnection between catching the thief and the romance arc. One is the catalyst to the other, but the investigation becomes secondary, and almost pushed aside after the MCs’ relationship starts.

As always, the author did an excellent job setting the story in a realistic part of the world. And adding the right amount of politics and procedures for the investigation to feel realistic. I’m almost sure people who know the area easily recognized the towns and stops in the book.

Overall, it’s a nice story. The end was somehow abrupt and there’s no sense of ending. Not really a cliffhanger, but a HFN. Hopefully, there’s more to see in this world.

The cover by Emma Griffin has several important elements of the story, but it’s a bit cluttered.

Sale Links: Wintergreen | Amazon | NOOK

ebook, 130 pages
Published: November 22, 2017, by Wintergreen Publishing
ISBN: 2940154955376
Edition Language: English

A Lila Review : Of Hope and Anguish(Revolutionaries #2) by Silvia Violet

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

What they say this book’s all about?

Jack and Eli have been separated for months while Jack gathers intelligence in Philadelphia and Eli spies on British officers in New York. When Jack has to take on the role of spymaster and work behind-the-scenes, Eli offers to insinuate himself in Philadelphia’s loyalist circles, taking Jack’s place.

As Eli works to uncover traitorous negotiations between a high-ranking American officer and the British, he cozies up to British spymaster John Andre. Jack doesn’t like Eli putting himself at risk, nor does he like seeing him fawning over a beautiful, charming man.

As the chances of the American army surviving the winter decline, tensions mount between Jack and Eli, threatening to tear them apart. They will have to rely on their love and trust for one another to make it through these harrowing months.

Of Hope and Anguish brings the American Revolution to another level. It starts shortly after Revolutionary Temptation and it’s more interesting and intriguing than its predecessor. We get to experience more of everything, romance, action, spies, and much more.

The literary fiction element in this story is also present. I really appreciated the way the author added her characters to Revolutionary times. It’s definitely more engaging than what we learned in high school. All details are relevant and mixed with reality to create a well-crafted book.

There’s a better balance between romance and fiction in this second book. Perhaps because we now know the characters, settings, etc. and can dive into the overall content. We get to see Eli and Jack grow as a couple and we get to understand the decisions they take, not only for the country but for their new-found love. Also, Constance gets a bit of happiness in this story that added to the plot. Even the villains are an integral part.

Just like before, the pace in this book is fast, entertaining, and leaves the reader looking for more. The book does have a fulfilling ending but it leaves us with enough to look forward to the next book. One of those exceptions when the second book is better than the first one.

Just like the previous cover by Meredith Russell, this one fits the story and the characterization of Eli & Jack.

Sale Links: Smashwords | Amazon | Payhip

ebook, 218 pages
Published: March 5, 2018, Silvia Violet Books
ISBN: 1984134361
Edition Language: English

Series: Revolutionaries

Book #1: Revolutionary Temptation

Book #2: Of Hope and Anguish

Series Review Tour for Infinity #1 and #2 by C J Lynne (excerpt and giveaway)

SERIES REVIEW TOUR

Get to know the secretive men of Infinity nightclub as they find love in the most unexpected places.  True love has no beginning or ending…it simply is.

They are standalone stories, but characters from previous books make appearances in successive books.

Book Title: Worth the Risk, Infinity #1

Author: C.J. Lynne

Publisher:  Self-published

Cover Artist:  C. J. Lynne

Genre/s:  LGBTQ, Romance, Erotic

Length: 154,000 words/362 print pages

Blurb

Love doesn’t exist…

Or so Tyler Johnson thinks.  He’s never had much, if any, of it thrown his way.  A chance meeting with the enigmatic Jaxon Markham causes Ty to—if still not believe in love—at least know without a doubt that lust is alive and well.  Ty’s not looking for forever, but what’s the harm in spending a few days, and scorching nights, with Jax—as long as Jax plays by his rules and keeps things casual and uncomplicated?

Jax knows his luck has finally changed for the better when he lays eyes on Tyler.  The man is gorgeous, and stirs feelings in Jax he’d never thought he would experience. The more time Jax spends with Ty, the more certain he is that Ty’s his soulmate.  Now all that remains is convincing the stubborn Tyler of that elating fact. Jax is more than up for the task, because he’s nothing if not persistent—a fact the elusive Tyler is soon made aware of.

Jax quickly, and much too easily, demolishes all of Ty’s protective walls and Ty reluctantly begins to think that maybe, just maybe that intangible emotion called love is alive and well after all, and perhaps finally within his grasp.  However, when his ugly past returns to haunt him, making him doubt all the good he’s experienced with and because of Jax, Ty’s positive outlook crumbles, giving way to doubt, fear and despair making him wonder if he can truly be the man Jax needs and deserves—or will past and present demons destroy Ty’s one chance at true happiness?

Goodreads   

Excerpt  

“Since we’ve been dating for a week, and after last night—which was fucking fantastic by the way,” Jax began. “Can I—”

“I totally agree,” Ty interrupted around a kiss.

“Mmmm, good.”  Jax nibbled at his lower lip.   “In that case, I hope I’ve proven I‘m not a loon.”

“You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t,” Ty assured him with a chuckle.

“Good to know.”  Jax fingered his hair before resting his arm along the back of the sofa. “Since you now trust me to know where you live, have invited me into your home, bed and…your body—for which I’m very grateful, I might add.”

“Yes?” Ty’s breath arrested at Jax’s statement and the downright decadent look in his eyes.

“I was thinking that maybe I can know your last name.”  Jax gave him a wink and begged, “Please?”

Ty’s chuckle quickly morphed into a full-blown laugh as he leaned into Jax’s side.  He laid his head on Jax’s shoulder and smiled up at him. He really liked this man.

“Well…since you now know my body intimately, I guess I can tell you my last name.”   Ty acquiesced and informed, “It’s Johnson.”

“It’s nice to meet you Tyler Johnson.”  Jax brushed strands of his hair off his forehead and reciprocated, “I’m Jaxon Markham.”

Ty’s grin slowly fell and he sat up, staring at Jax horrified.   Yep, horrified was the perfect word for how he felt.  His eyes grew wide with shock and his mouth fell open as he struggled not to pass out.  He shot off the sofa, quickly standing as if he’d been burned. Oh fuck, this is Jaxon Markham?  It can’t be.  

Wait a minute, Ty tried to calm himself.   Maybe he wasn’t the same Jaxon Markham Ty was thinking of.  But…hell, it wasn’t a common name; Jax had to be the Jaxon Markham Ty knew—well, knew of.  When that appalling possibility raced through his mind, he suddenly remembered where he’d seen Jax before—the jacket of his latest legal-thriller novel, which Ty had read twice, and owned along with the six others Jax had written.   Jax had sported a beard on the book jacket, and his hair had been longer, which is why he hadn’t immediately placed him.   

Jax was a famous writer, but that wasn’t the worst of it.  Jaxon Markham was also soon to be his… He closed his eyes and shook his head trying to ward off that unwelcomed thought.  Horrified eyes sprang open, and he stared speechlessly at an obviously baffled Jax.

Oh shit, I had sex with Jaxon Markham!  How fucked up is that?

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US   

Amazon UK

Book Title: Finally Letting Go, Infinity #2

Author: C.J. Lynne

Publisher:  Self-published

Cover Artist:  C. J. Lynne

Genre/s:  LGBTQ, Romance, Erotic

Length:  133,000 words/320 print pages

Blurb

Take What You Want…

Brandon Rosen is a man who refuses to admit what he wants—namely, a life with another man.  Being gay just won’t do.  It will not go over well with his family, particularly his overbearing father.  Thus, for years Brandon has tried to tamp down his attraction to men, refusing to entertain even the possibility that his other half might be a…him.  That was the plan and it had worked wonderfully until he meets Simon Carter—an arrogant star swimmer and law school student who also happens to be the best friend of Brandon’s first and only miserably-failed attempt at dating a man.  

Simon is constantly in Brandon’s face taunting him to admit he’s gay.   The more confrontations he has with the stunningly handsome man, the harder it becomes for Brandon to deny the part of himself he thought he’d buried years ago—the one that craves the touch of another man, and now not just any man…but Simon—the one person who hates his guts.

Simon Carter is self-assured, knows who he is and what he wants out of life.  He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy who will do anything to protect his loved ones, so when his best friend’s asshole ex, Brandon Rosen, makes an unexpected reappearance in their lives, Simon is determined to keep Brandon from ruining his friend’s new relationship.  That will be easy to do—right? Simon thought so, but what he didn’t count on was an insane attraction to the deeply closeted man.

Simon soon finds out there’s just something about Brandon that reels him in, no matter how mightily he fights against it, making him question what kind of man he is to want anything to do with the person who once broke his best friend’s heart?  He doesn’t know, but one thing quickly becomes apparent—he craves Brandon Rosen, and despite his better judgment, he intends to have him…consequences be damned.

Goodreads 

Excerpt

Brandon watched mesmerized as Simon’s mocking lips slowly lowered toward his.  His parted in anticipation of touch and being devoured, but before his silent wish was granted, he found the strength to push out of Simon’s loose embrace and take a few steps to the side, ending all physical contact between them.  He needed to stop this. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—give into the insane desire coursing through him…not for a man, and certainly not for this man.

“You need to leave me alone,” Brandon firmly suggested, even though his heart was beating so loudly in his ears, it deafened him.

“Why?”

“Because, I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not into men.”

Simon laughed heartily and gave him a chastising look before accusing, “I’ve never met someone more into men than you, Blondie.”   Then he smugly coaxed, “Why don’t you admit it? Things would be so much easier if you did.”

They’d become that much more complicated, Brandon silently admitted.  Having a relationship with a man would throw his world into complete and utter chaos—that was something he was determined to avoid at all costs.  With that in mind, he straightened his spine and hardened his expression, and tamped down his overwhelming want for the man staring at him like he was a meal he couldn’t wait to devour.  Oh hell, I need to get out of here…now!

“If we’re unfortunate enough to meet again, keep your damned hands to yourself,” Brandon ordered and without waiting for a response, he jerked open his car door and got inside, slamming it shut behind him.

Just to fuck with him, Brandon was sure, Simon leaned down and rapped his knuckles on the dark tinted window.  He waited a few seconds thinking over the pros and cons of lowering it, but eventually despite his good sense, he did just that.  

“What?” he tightly asked the man staring down at him.

“What about my lips?” Simon flippantly asked in response to Brandon’s previous statement.

“Fuck off,” Brandon growled, raising his window again.  When there was another knock, he sighed loudly before rolling it down a bit, not bothering to hide his irritation as he gritted out, “Now what?”

Smiling eyes danced over his face, lingering on his lips before Simon said the last thing he expected, “Nice car.”

He frowned and uncertainly responded, “Thanks.”

Simon placed a hand on the hood of the car, leaned in closer and, in a bedroom voice if ever he’d heard one, suggested, “Maybe one day soon you’ll take me for a nice, long ride.”

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US  

Amazon UK

About the Author 

C.J. is first and foremost an avid reader of romance.  Nothing is better than watching two strong-willed people meet, connect and work through personal challenges while fighting to overcome internal and external obstacles to be together.  

C.J. is a southerner who believes that love is love, and if you’re ever lucky enough to find it, you should hold onto it with both hands and feet.  C.J. writes love stories filled with emotion and hopes you—the reader—will enjoy them as much as C.J. enjoys creating them.

C. J. writes M/M romances with heart and heat.  She believes that love is love and if you’re ever lucky enough to find it, you should hold onto it with both hands and feet.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website   

Facebook 

Twitter  

Google+  

Goodreads

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win:

2 x $10 Amazon gift cards

1 autographed copy of Worth the Risk

1 autographed copy of Finally Letting Go

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SERIES TOUR SCHEDULE

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Review Tour and Giveaway for Of Hope and Anguish (Revolutionaries #2) by Silvia Violet

 

 
Length: 50,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Revolutionaries Series
 
Revolutionary Temptation (Book #1) Currently only 99c/99p – Universal Buy Links
 
Blurb
 

Jack and Eli have been separated for months while Jack gathers intelligence in Philadelphia and Eli spies on British officers in New York. When Jack has to take on the role of spymaster and work behind-the-scenes, Eli offers to insinuate himself in Philadelphia’s loyalist circles, taking Jack’s place.


As Eli works to uncover traitorous negotiations between a high-ranking American officer and the British, he cozies up to British spymaster John Andre. Jack doesn’t like Eli putting himself at risk, nor does he like seeing him fawning over a beautiful, charming man.


As the chances of the American army surviving the winter decline, tensions mount between Jack and Eli, threatening to tear them apart. They will have to rely on their love and trust for one another to make it through these harrowing months.

March 6 – V’s Reads
March 10 – Dog-Eared Daydreams
March 12 – Making It Happen

About the Author


Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia’s stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, curling up with her favorite books, and spending time with her family.


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A Lila Release Day Review:Twisted and Tied (Marshals #4) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones finally has everything he ever wanted. He’s head-over-heels in love and married to the man of his dreams, his partner Ian Doyle, he’s doing well at work, and all his friends are in good places as well. Things are all tied up nicely… until they’re not.

Change has never been easy for Miro, and when situations at work force the team he’s come to depend on to break apart, and worst of all, his and Ian’s individual strengths put them on two separate paths, he’s pretty certain everything just went up in smoke. But before he can even worry about the future, his past comes for a visit, shaking his world up even more. It’s hard to tell what road he should truly be on, but as he learns some paths are forged and others are discovered, it might be that where he’s going is the right course after all. If he can navigate all the twists and turns, he and Ian might just get their happily ever after.

Twisted and Tied is my favorite book in this series. Perhaps because it brings all the plot lines to an end and after several volumes, it’s easy to follow the connections with other books by the author. Also by now, we know all the characters well and small details, like brand name mentions, are part of the narrative.

Even when the book is only from Miro’s point of view and in the first person, we get to see and understand everyone’s’ actions and their part in the story. The author is known for her detailed descriptions–from settings, physical aspects to the weather, foods, and clothing.

I will recommend reading Together Tied before this book, not because it’s necessary, but because it brings the relationship between Kage and the Marshals to a different level. Then it’s easier to understand certain decisions Kage takes here involving Miro and Ian. These books definitely are not stand-alone but in my case, I haven’t read the original books with Kage and Jory.

As for this story’s plot, it’s a lot simpler than any of the previous books. The reader has time to appreciate the changes happening in Ian’s and Miro’s lives and they didn’t spend long periods of time apart as they did before. We get updates from other characters and get to know new ones with potential for other series.

The beginning is slower than we are used to but it has enough information not to get you bored. I did a bit of crying around the eighty percent of the story but it was because I didn’t expect something to happen as it did. Perhaps I was naive enough but in the end, it worked well. I was hoping for an impossibly happy ending. But hey, a girl can dream.

The ending was a little anti-climatic but fitting. It brought Miro’s life full circle and set the path for his future with his friends, family, and work. Ian is more of a secondary character in this story than one of the main character but it still worked.  Overall, this is a great ending to the Marshals series.

The cover by Reese Dante matched the previous ones and gives several hints about the particulars of this story.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner| Amazon | Nook

ebook, 266 pages
Published: March 13, 2018, by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 9781640801721
Edition Language: English

Series: Marshals

Book #1: All Kinds of Tied Down (Marshals, #1) 

Book #2: Fit to be Tied (Marshals, #2) 

Book #3: Tied Up in Knots (Marshals, #3) 

Book #3.5: Together Tied (Marshals, #3.5)

Book #4: Twisted and Tied (Marshals, #4) 

An Alisa Release Day Review: Running to You by Andrew Grey

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Home, love, and possibilities he never imagined are waiting for Billy Joe to claim them. But first he needs to escape the horrors of his past.

A twisted act of cruelty and prejudice drives Billy Joe from his Mississippi home, and he makes it as far as Pennsylvania—where his car breaks down just as the year’s first snowstorm blows in. Fortunately, Carlos is there to lend a hand.

Carlos is no stranger to hardship. His family rejected him for being gay, but with determination, he put himself through school and became a librarian. Carlos sees the same willpower in Billy, and he wants to help Billy and his son succeed in a new life that is very different from the one they left behind. With his support, they start to adjust, and before long, both men want more than encouragement from each other. They want the chance for a future together, but their families have other ideas… and Billy’s will stop at nothing to get what they want.

This was a wonderful story.  Billy Joe flees his hometown with his son after witnessing something horrible to allow them to make a better life for themselves.  Carlos is drawn to the man with the guarded eyes and the adorable little boy.

Billy Joe lived his life under his father’s bigoted rule but after a horrible realization escapes with Tyler.  Carlos has lived without his family for years but made a new one with his friends.

I really liked how much “real” this story was.  Billy had to deal with a very scary prospect to get justice for his friend but other than that there wasn’t anything big and extravagant, which I think a lot of stories seem to use.  I loved watching Carlos and Billy Joe navigate how to entwine their lives together.  You could see how both of these men have been jaded by life but want the world for Tyler and will work hard to make it happen, there is no real “rescuing” going on; they both had to support each other in different ways.  I could feel both of their pain but also their happiness throughout the story. And I loved Tyler, that boy was adorable, but he wasn’t perfect and still had fits unlike how children are often portrayed.

The cover art by Kanaxa is wonderful and perfect for this story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Published: March 13, 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-413-5

Edition Language: English

Andrew Grey on Favorite Stories, Covers and his new release Running To You (author guest blog and excerpt)

Running to You by Andrew Grey
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Release Date: Mar 13 2018

Buy Links:Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Andrew Grey here today talking about favorite stories, and what’s ahead for him as an  author.  Welcome, Andrew.

♦︎

How do you choose your covers?  (curious on my part)  Yes.  With Dreamspinner, we work with the cover artist to develop a cover that fits the story and one that we like.  DSP has always worked that way and it’s a process I really like.  There have been times when they have gone above and beyond to make me happy.  For the cover of Love Comes Silently we ended up going back and forth twenty times.  (Mostly to get the right pink hat.)

Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?  That is a really hard question.  I think I have to say Love Means… No Shame.  That story really worked its way deep into my heart.  I also put a lot of myself and my own experiences into the story, so it got very personal quickly. 

What’s next for you as an author?  I just finished a story called Borrowed Heart where the main character Robin, had a heart transplant six years before and after being hurt badly by his ex-boyfriend, he needs to figure out how he’s going to move forward with the time that has been given to him.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Home, love, and possibilities he never imagined are waiting for Billy Joe to claim them. But first he needs to escape the horrors of his past.

A twisted act of cruelty and prejudice drives Billy Joe from his Mississippi home, and he makes it as far as Pennsylvania—where his car breaks down just as the year’s first snowstorm blows in. Fortunately, Carlos is there to lend a hand.

Carlos is no stranger to hardship. His family rejected him for being gay, but with determination, he put himself through school and became a librarian. Carlos sees the same willpower in Billy, and he wants to help Billy and his son succeed in a new life that is very different from the one they left behind. With his support, they start to adjust, and before long, both men want more than encouragement from each other. They want the chance for a future together, but their families have other ideas… and Billy’s will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Series: Standalone (Currently)
Genre:  M/M Contemporary Romance
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Excerpt 

Carlos Miras pulled to a stop behind the black Escape by the side of the highway. His father would probably tell him he was a fool, and his mother would probably say he had a good heart—too good a heart. But neither of their opinions mattered anymore. He was no longer part of their family. Carlos looked out his front window, wipers swishing back and forth to ward off the snow. He saw hints of light coming from inside the car, most likely from a cell phone.

He got out, pulling his coat closed around him. Hazard lights blinked red against the snow. Carlos tapped on the window of the back door because he thought he saw movement. “Are you all right?” he shouted.

The back door opened to a man leaning over the back seat to a small child still in his car seat, covered in a blanket. “The car died, and I was trying to get him warm.” The man turned and pulled back, eyes widening. Carlos had trouble placing the expression. “We’ll be fine as soon as I call for help.”

“Pop the hood. Let me take a look at it.” Carlos had spent numerous hours working on cars with his father and brothers. Not that he’d been particularly into cars at the time, but he picked things up by osmosis. He went around to the front, and when the hood popped, he pushed it open and used his phone to illuminate the engine.

“It just went dark all of a sudden and everything stopped working,” the man said, pulling himself into the coat after closing the car door.

Carlos bent over the engine and quickly found the problem. “It’s the electrical system.” He reconnected the main circuit to the alternator and stood back up. The hood light came on as though he’d flipped a switch, and Carlos closed the hood. “That ought to do it. I suggest you take it in to have it looked at, but you were pretty lucky.”

The man turned the key and the engine came to life. “Thanks,” he said softly. “I was trying to make Harrisburg to get a hotel and….”

Carlos shook his head. “I don’t think so. The snow isn’t going to stop, and the roads are only going to get worse. I’d say to get a hotel, but with this weather, they have been reporting that almost everything is full.” He sighed. “Let me make a call.” He pulled out his phone and called his landlady, Mrs. Carmichael, and explained the situation. “I know it’s unusual, but he has a little boy with him, and in this weather….”

About the Author

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from RBTL Book Promotions and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. *****

Release Day Blitz Heartbeats by Jenna Kendrick (excerpt)

Heartbeats RDB Banner

 HEARTBEATS

JENNA KENDRICK

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 03.13.18

Heartbeats Cover 

 Cover Artist – Dianne at Lyrical Lines

 

BLURB 

When Andrew Palmer and his husband decide to expand their family, they use a surrogate to carry their baby. On the day they get the happy news they’re expecting, Andrew is blindsided when Mason asks him for a divorce and moves out, taking their daughter with him. Instead of counting down the days until the twins’ birth with his partner, Andrew’s fighting for every moment of time with his daughter and readying himself to become a single father.

Orphaned at a young age, Bradley Stern has always wanted a family to call his own. He’s done everything possible in preparation to become a single father including finding a surrogate to carry his child. Knowing he’s going to have two babies to care for means double the love, and he can hardly wait the last few months for his twins to be born.

When Andrew and Bradley each get a call about a tragic car accident and premature delivery, they discover their surrogate has promised the twins to both of them. As they wait for paternity results and watch the babies struggle to survive, they turn to each other for comfort. Only one man will walk away with what both want most, but now he’ll also take the other man’s heart, as well.

 

Heartbeats Available 

Heartbeats Teaser 

EXCERPT

 “Surely you can tell me something. How are my babies?” Bradley raked his fingers through his hair, barely resisting pulling it out by the handful. No telling what it looked like, but he left it firmly attached to his scalp.

“Mr. Stern, as I’ve already said, someone will be out for you shortly.” The NICU nurse’s voice straddled a fine line between professional courtesy and annoyance. “Now, are you going to wait patiently, or do I have to ask security to escort you out of the hospital?” As he turned away, the glass divider between the info desk and the waiting area rattled with more force than the last time he’d demanded answers. Too bad, because he wasn’t budging until he knew what was happening to his twins and their surrogate.

For all that the hospital had tried to create a welcoming environment, the empty waiting room stank of lost hopes, stale coffee, and the astringent smell that lingered in all hospitals. If he sat, he’d be swallowed up by the despondency that clung to the chairs. Instead, he walked. Fourteen steps up the hall, fourteen steps back, just far enough for it to be considered pacing and not hovering. He’d practically worn a trench into the hardwood floor. It’d been hours already—he glanced at his watch—no, more like twenty minutes. No wonder the staff was losing patience. Time was standing still.

His mouth opened in an overly loud yawn that had him looking right and left with embarrassment, but it was too early for anyone other than hospital staff to be milling about. The inscrutable nurse didn’t even look up from her computer screen.

The adrenaline rush from racing to get here battled with the exhaustion of having been awake for over twenty-four hours. After a long week in New York City filled with frustrating meetings and high-profile events with Uncle Richard and his merry band of blowhards, he’d been unable to stand one more night there. Every car horn and squeal of brakes from the street below set him on edge, and come morning, Richard would have one more piece of business, one more person he needed to meet. Any excuse to keep him nearby and try to wear him down. He’d just wanted to get home to his mountain, treacherous roads in the middle of the night be damned, and he’d called down for his Tesla Roadster before he so much as loosened his tie. Halfway to Egremont, he’d received the call that had him veering east to Springfield.

The same refrain haunted him as it had the rest of the drive. I’m not ready. I’m not ready. Never mind that this was the culmination of a long-held dream. Making lists of baby supplies and everything he needed to decorate the nursery was a far cry from having checked so much as a single item off said lists. But none of that was important right now. He’d deal with the nursery and all the rest once he knew his babies were well.

They’re not ready, either. He’d been reading about fetal development week-by-week throughout the pregnancy, not that he could recall a single useful fact right now. Fingernails and blinking—the parts he’d been so excited about a couple days ago—suddenly took a back seat to lung development. He swallowed the knot in his throat and reached into his pocket. No. Already a hair’s breadth from losing his shit, Googling worst-case scenarios wouldn’t help him avoid being kicked out of the hospital for causing a disturbance.

Stomping feet and labored breaths caught his attention as two men ran down the hall. One pointed at the chairs, then approached the nurse’s station, quietly giving his name. His companion, jacket wide open and sweatshirt clearly inside-out, looked around the area wide-eyed before lurching across the hall to the restroom.

“Did you see where my brother went? A little bit taller, a lot less handsome?”

There was no reply from the nurse. Bradley glanced over to see the man staring back at him quizzically. He pointed at the bathroom just as the door opened.

The brother was indeed taller, by at least a few inches. But his dark blond hair, bright blue eyes, and muscles for days rendered him a hundred times sexier than the first guy.

Judging from the greenish cast to his skin, he was also either hungover or sick. Bradley stepped away in distaste, leaving the other men to melt into the chairs of despair while he resumed pacing. Fourteen steps up the hall. Turn. Five, six, seven—

The door to the unit opened. “Who’s here for the Penn twins?”

—Eight, nine. Wait. Penn.

Bradley hurried over to the man in bright blue scrubs. The surgical mask tucked under his chin pulled his ears forward, giving him a slightly elfin appearance. Or maybe lack of sleep and stress were making Bradley as fanciful as the giraffes and elephants painted on the walls.

The nurse gave Bradley a welcoming smile. “You the new dads?”

Bradley looked to his right, only then noticing the tall guy had also approached.

“Oh, we’re not together,” he said. Being together with someone wasn’t in the cards for him. His heart was taking a big enough risk letting children in, much less a partner.

“We ask that only parents come into the unit for the first visit. Which one of you is the father?” He looked expectantly between the two men.

“I am,” they both replied at the same time.

 

 JennaCorkscrewFullScreen

 Jenna Kendrick writes contemporary, new adult, and paranormal romance about smart guys with a propensity for snark. Jenna went to a small college in the woods of Western Massachusetts, where she alternated between bare feet and hiking boots and used dining hall trays as a mode of transportation in the winter. She fell in love with creative writing after writing a satirical essay to get out of yet another literary analysis assignment. Unable to choose a coast or climate zone, she bounced around the country before settling in Upstate New York. She lives with her husband and several furry creatives, some of whom think of her desk as their own.

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COVER REVEAL for Blood Bathory: Like The NIght (The Guardians of Gaia #1) by Ari McKay (giveaway)

 

 
Cover Design: Lou Harper @ Cover Affairs
 
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Length: 123,737 words
 
Blurb
 

You can run…


After losing his younger sister to cancer, fashion photographer Evan St. John tries to outrun his pain, leaving New York for the excitement of Paris. His talent and striking good looks bring him to the attention of Elizabeth Nadasdy, the elegant and powerful owner of House of Nadasdy. Evan is thrilled at the opportunity to work for such a prestigious designer, but he soon discovers Elizabeth wants more than his talent. Beneath the beautiful mask she presents to the world lurks the evil of a vampire whose lust for beauty is surpassed only by her thirst for blood.


Evan’s life is shattered when Elizabeth turns him into one of her “children.” Unable to bear what he has become, he flees to New York to find his best friend, police officer Will Trask. The one person who might be able to help him.


But you can’t hide…


Together, Evan and Will find themselves drawn deeper into a strange world they never knew existed. Standing against the vampires are the theriomorphs, shapeshifters who serve as the guardians of Gaia, the embodiment of all life on earth. Though sworn to eradicate every vampire, Marielle Du Lac, the leader of the theriomorphs, offers them a bargain. If they help bring down Elizabeth, her people will try to find a way to restore Evan to life.


Caught up in an ancient war between two powerful supernatural forces, Evan and Will must choose sides, because if they are to have any chance of a future together, they must destroy Elizabeth Nadasdy before she destroys them.

About The Authors

 

Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.


Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.


McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.


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A MelanieM Review :Explore with Me (With Me Series #2) by Kris Jacen

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Can two coming from such different backgrounds and points in their lives find a balance to explore together?

The Army is the only thing that First Sergeant Danny Glenn has known in his adult life. From the age of nineteen on, he’s worn a uniform every day. He’s seen so much in his twenty years but the last deployment did something to him. Danny’s begun to wonder if he can’t do more good helping people in the US instead of other countries but to do that he’d have to get out.

Doctor Liam MacNamara is finishing up the last of his residency in Emergency Medicine. Now’s the tough part, which offer to accept. He could stay in New Orleans where shifts are never dull or choose to uproot and experience somewhere different. College followed by medical school and then residency are the only things he’s known since he was eighteen. There’s got to be more out there, right?

Can a retired first sergeant and a brand-new doctor balance each other enough to explore their options together?

I so glad Kris Jacen went ahead and wrote another story in what became a series because it’s wonderful.  Explore with Me continues in the same universe and with the same characters and heptad as the marvelous Wait for Me. First Sergeant Danny Glenn is another member of the heptad that I fell in love with in the first story.

But the author removes him from that close-knit group and their support system by placing him in New Orleans.  I have to admit I missed them but they all will show up later.  By isolating him, cutting him away from his heptad, the focus is again primarily on him, his issues, and the problem at the moment, the one the places him at the hospital.    His doctor, Doctor Liam MacNamara, happens to be the baby brother of Mackay…yep  the same Master Sergeant Jeff “Mackey” MacNamara of Wait for Me.  Lian is also at a crossroads in his life, needing to figure out where to go next now that his internship is done.

Two men, one major attraction, close ties between them,  and both at crossroads in their lives. All you need for a wonderful, emotionally charged story and Jacen gives us that.  And she does so within the framework of the military she knows so well.

The members of the heptad (the group of soldiers that serves together and support each other) don’t have to be physically present to be a strong presence here.  No, they appear via  phone calls, texts, what have you.  And then of course, they do come when needed. They are family. All the nibbles and squeakers (the children as they are called), the dogs, the spouses (men and women)…everyone is here.  I love that about these stories.  Kris Jacen makes it clear that a soldier cannot be a soldier within their support system, their military heptad family which includes their actual ones.  That important message comes through strongly here for the readers and Danny.

The buildup to a relationship is slow and realistic.  I liked that too.  In fact I loved everything about this except maybe I wanted a little more at the end.  Maybe the author will give it to us in another story.  Plus there’s a certain soldier May that now needs his story told as well.  I hope they have a part to play in his.  This is a terrific series that I can see going on for some time.  It’s rich and full of love and wonderful people.  I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

I highly recommend this story and the previous one. It helps to have read Wait for Me to understand all the characters you meet here.   Take this soldier and the whole heptad into your heart today.

Cover art: Jared Rackler. I love the cover for this book.  Attractive and the colors are striking.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 127 pages
Published February 8th 2018 by MLR Press
Original TitleExplore with Me
ASINB079Q4BCCZ
Edition LanguageEnglish