In the Spotlight: Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote (excerpt)

Book Information
Title: Practice Makes Perfect
Series: Housemates book #3
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Length: 54,000 words
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea—until the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30234682-practice–makes–perfect
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Excerpt

Sitting on his bed, Dev yawned, his full stomach making him sleepy. He stared at his phone as he contemplated calling home but decided he couldn’t face it tonight. He loved his mum, but she did tend to bang on. Once she got him on the line, she’d end up talking for ages and asking him a million questions he was too tired to answer. Instead, he sent his mum a quick text.

All moved in, everything’s good. I’m shattered now so I’m going to have an early night. I’ll call you tomorrow.

She replied within seconds as though she’d been waiting for him to call.

Okay sweetie, glad you’re settled. Sleep well xxx

He picked up his notepad and crossed off phone home. Texting counted. He also crossed off everything else on his list for today. That was Saturday done.

Dev set his notepad aside, opened his laptop, and pulled up his lists app. He liked his notepad for day-to-day organisation; it gave him a certain satisfaction to cross out the things he’d done and to get to the end of the day with all the tasks completed. But for longer-term planning, he kept his lists on his Mac, synced to his phone.

For the first time in six months, Dev could breathe again. Finally he had a safe place where he could get back on track and look to the future. He began to type.

Things To Do This Term

Make some friends

Learn to cook

Research sex stuff

Join Grindr

Get some experience

Find a boyfriend

He stared at the words on the screen and sighed. That seemed like a lot of things to aim for. But it was good to have goals, right? Jez and Mac seemed really nice, so hopefully Dev was already on his way to achieving the first objective. And that bloke Ewan… Dev’s mind conjured up the image of the flame-haired hunk who lived next door. Ewan had been friendly.

Maybe there was potential there too.

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H7V027A
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H7V027A
Universal Amazon link (will open in your region) http://mybook.to/PMP_JayN

NB: Practice Makes Perfect will be Amazon exclusive for 90 days after release, and will then be available at all the usual sellers.

Author Bio:

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Love Sex with your Science Fiction? Its the Bounty Series Finale with No Master (Bounty #3) by Christine d’Abo (giveaway)

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No Master (Bounty #3) by Christine d’Abo
R
iptide Publishing
Cover art by Lou Harper

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

 

Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo! Thank you so much for having me here on the blog today.

There’s something special about the last book in a series. In the case of my Bounty series, I wanted to explore a character that held more power than some of the previous characters. Korbin, the Admiral of the Black is the de facto leader of the space pirates; a dangerous man who is not to be trifled with. The only man to come close is Zain, the Admiral’s second in command and the one person who knows all of his secrets.

Too bad for Korbin, Zain has more than a few secrets of his own.

I loved playing with the master/slave dynamic with these two men. The power exchange in their professional lives becomes confused when they must take things to the next level. Zain’s past as a freed sex slave makes every interaction with Korbin painful when they are forced to pretend to be master and slave. It forces them to confront their feelings for one another, something they wouldn’t otherwise have done.

Not to mention the sex.

Did I mention the sex?

Yeah…it’s pretty hot. ☺

I hope you enjoy the final tale in the Bounty series.

If you would like to learn more about me, please pay a visit to my website www.christinedabo.com. I’m also very active on Twitter as @Christine_dAbo and have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to sign up, simply click here to fill out the form.

About No Master

No man in the galaxy inspires more fear than Korbin, the Admiral of the Black. His life as leader of the biggest pirate band in space leaves little room for trust, so when Korbin’s second-in-command disappears without a trace, he suspects the worst.

Zain Strand has left his life as a sex slave behind and risen within the pirate ranks. But he abandons it all to rescue an old friend from recapture by the slavers—even if that means a suicidal confrontation with his old master. He doesn’t expect Korbin’s arrival, doesn’t want Korbin’s help . . . but Korbin gives Zain no choice.

Posing as master and slave to infiltrate a slave auction, Korbin and Zain embark on a journey of lust that rapidly reveals their deeper feelings. When Zain’s old master discovers their ruse, Korbin must do everything in his power to save both their lives and their newfound love.

—

Publisher’s note: While books #1 and #2 in the Bounty series should be read in order, this book stands alone and can be read without the first two.

This title is an edited second edition, previously published in 2011.

About Christine d’Abo

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Connect with Christine:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the Bounty series, one lucky person will receive a $50 gift certificate to Riptide. Winner will be selected from across all three book tours (No Quarter, No Remedy, No Master) and as such, the contest is open until midnight, Eastern time, on July 2, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Comment to enter, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Bounty

Bounty hunters and pirates may contend for dominance in the vast reaches of interstellar space, but the heart of the conflict always comes down to who you know. Who you hate. Who you love.

Back To Hot Summer Reads And This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sun Reading

Hot Summer Reads

So after appropriately, my computer summer meltdown, we are back to discussing what’s hot in this summer’s reading list.  Are you a reader that haunts your favorite writer’s blog looking for any word on their upcoming releases?  Do you search out the most recent book news via their publishers or Goodreads? How do you get your book news?

I get it all those ways  and more….I follow authors on their twitter accounts, blogs, Goodreads, ravenously gobble up the upcoming new releases news that come my way via all the publishers and even the authors themselves.  New Rhys Ford, oh my!  Charlie Cochrane…woohoo!  Alex Beecroft, Amy Lane…actually I have a long, long, list.  I bet you do too.

Plus there’s plenty of  room on my lists for my author discoveries and new books that I read and fall in love with.  But back to the business at hand.  I haven’t had time to compile my summer  reading list with all the computer casualties to deal with and the new startup.  So help me out. What authors and what releases are on your list for this summer?  What are the hot summer books?  Tell me! And you just might end up with a hot summer prize!

girl reading between stacks of books summer

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 26:

  • Back To Hot Summer Reads
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 27:

  • No Master by Christine d’Abo Series Finale Tour and Giveaway
  • Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote – Blog Stop -Charity Book
  • A Stella Review:  Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote
  • A Free Dreamer Review: King of the Storm by B.A. Brock
  • A VVivacious Review: A More Perfect Union Anthology

 

Tuesday, June 28:

  • Blog Tour for They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black
  • Cover Reveal of The Orchard of Flesh By Christian Baines
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Dark Blood by Caleb James
  • A Lila Review: Elemental Love by L. M. Somerton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black

Wednesday, June 29:

  • A Stella Review:  Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black
  • Anthony by JP Barnaby Tour and Giveaway
  • An Ali Review: Anthony by JP Barnaby
  • An Alisa Review: Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Sacrati by Kate Sherwood

Thursday, June 30:

  • Blitz and Giveaway – Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris
  • An Ali Review: Hot Dogs and Kisses by JD Walker
  • A Paul Review: A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer
  • A Lila Review: Amnesia by Sean Michael
  • A MelanieM Review: Absinthe of Malice by Rhys Ford

Friday, July 1:

  • Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword by Lexi Ander (excerpt and giveaway)
  • blitz for July 1st for K Lache’s novel, Valor (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Second Harvest by Eli Easton
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Romanus by Mary Calmes
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes
  • A MelanieM Review: Ace In the Hole by Ava Drake

Saturday, July  2:

  • An Ali Review: Heaven Sent boxed set by Jet Mykles
  • A Paul B Review: The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1) by Jade Astor

 

girl reading under palm tree

 

 

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Little Wolf (Beings in Love #4) by R. Cooper and Robert Nieman (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Little Wolf audiobookOn the run from his old-blood werewolf family, Tim Dirus finds himself in Wolf’s Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans and one of the last places Tim wants to be. Kept away from other wolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him.

 

Tim isn’t in Wolf’s Paw an hour before he draws the attention of Sheriff Nathaniel Neri, the alphaest alpha in a town full of alphas. Powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful wolf Tim has ever seen, Nathaniel makes Tim feel safe for reasons Tim doesn’t understand. For five years he’s lived on the run, in fear of his family and other wolves. Everything about Wolf’s Paw is contrary to what he thought he knew, and he is terrified. Fearing his mate will run, Sheriff Nathaniel must calm his little wolf and show him he’s more than a match for this big, bad alpha.

 

Tim has been running from his family for years, with the help of a friend he goes to Wolf’s Paw.  When he meets Nathaniel he does everything he can to push him away, but the sheriff is determined to keep Tim safe if not from others, but from himself.  They both slowly open up to the other, but both continue to misunderstand the other’s actions.

 

This was an interesting story.  As with other stories in the series the whole not being able to tell your mate who they are to you can get a bit aggravating.  Tim never learned about any of his instincts while being lock away at his uncle’s mansion and doesn’t know how to process and understand the feelings he is having. How they can take Tim pushing Nathaniel away when he doesn’t know as a rejection is hard to fathom.

 

Robert Nieman did a great job narrating this story.  He doesn’t change voices much when narrating, but this author’s style of writing didn’t need the break up between characters.

 

Cover art by Paul Richmond is perfect and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 18 hrs 55min
Published: May 2, 2016 (ebook first published May 8, 2015)
Edition Language: English

Series: A Being(s) In Love Story

A MelanieM Review: Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Muds, Movies Bullets and BullsFour men in need of a helping hand….

When a cowboy finds he has grit in all the wrong places, what is he to do? Meet the man of his dreams, of course. But what will save two cowboys from getting bogged down in the mire?

An ex-rodeo cowboy who hates working with Hollywood actors meets a movie star who is looking for something real. Will they get a happy ending, just like in the movies?

A redneck ends up injured and stranded, and his old friend comes to the rescue. It’s the old story of the one that got away. What will they do to keep each other in their lives—and will it be too late?

A professional bull rider is starting to feel his age. When he’s injured far from home and his career is threatened, it’s up to his best friend to step in and point out the other options. Both men have plans—but will they include each other?

If you asked me who is one of my favorite authors, I would reply B.A. Tortuga for a number of reasons, the first coming to mind is her ability to bring regional voices vividly to life in a way that makes you feel that you are seeing them laugh, love and yes, sometimes cry across the pages of her stories.  Books like Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls which are a collection of some of my favorite stories are a wonderful way to either discover this author or remember why you love her writing so much.

Stories in the order you find them in the book.

Mud On Tires – 5 stars out of 5

When Lee strips naked to rescue a cow stuck in the mud, last thing he expects is another cowboy named Collin to come to his.  This story has it all,  dialog full of regional twang and zest, laughter and love, dogs that have as much character as the men they follow and of course, pie!  Its not just Tortuga’s love for her cowboys but the locations and people.  Those small steakhouses low on decor and high on some of the best steaks you’ll ever eat?  I’ve been there and they are on these pages.  So are the waitresses that know your name and your eating preferences.  How I love this story.

Just Like in the Movies – 4.5 stars out of 5

Dooley Robinson, horse wrangler to the movies meets closeted movie star on the rise Tyler David Garrison and begins a relationship like no other.  This was a different sort of  Tortuga story but one I liked just as well as the others oddly enough.  Why?  Because she was able to convey a relationship between the  men, and the love and affection without there actually having a lot time on the page together.  You could feel them missing each other so in just a couple of words or phrases.  Perfect.

Ricochet – 5 stars out of 5

What can I say? I’m such a sucker for these sorts of stories.  Friends to lovers, a man finally returning home where he belongs.  A hilarious mom and dad welcoming party and a best friend like no other.  At 36, Holt takes a hard look at his life, and doesn’t like what he sees and decides to make a change.  He’s headed home where he belongs.  But he needs to extract himself from his current situation first and that comes with a cost.  It will be his best friend since forever, Teague, coming to his rescue and bringing him home to make it right.

Every part of this  story rings true.  The deep friendship, the “knowing” that comes of years of growing up together as boys that telegraphs  across the pages, the funny and sharp scenes with Momma and Daddy when they see what’s happened to their boy.  Tortuga manages to bring both the humor and the angst out in a situation where you want to cry and laugh and you know both emotions are exactly right.  As is the relationship between Hold and Teague.  It doesn’t come easily, it comes with some sharp words, but it works and its wonderful and its my favorite story of the group.

No Bull – 4.75 stars out of 5

No Bull finishes the collection and its probably the right one to do so as the men finish out their careers as bullriders, a favorite theme of B.A Tortuga’s.  But it starts in a hospital with the aftermath of a bull ride gone horribly wrong.  Joss is in the bed and wired up with more broken bones than his best friend and rodeo partner, Mackey, can count.  What follows is a tale of friendship that turns into something deeper than neither man fully expects and yet it happens so naturally.  Again its told beautifully, with men who have known each other for some time and are now at the end of their respective bull riding careers.  A lovely tale and a great way to end this collection.

I just love this book and highly recommend it.  Not familiar with B.A Tortuga?  I can’t think of a better way to make your introduction to this wonderful author than with Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls by B.A. Tortuga.   It will make you laugh, its sexy, full of itty bitty cowboys and the men who love them and you won’t want to put it down.

 

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza does a great job with this cover.  I love it.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 206 pages
Published June 24th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634771605 (ISBN13: 9781634771603)
Edition LanguageEnglish
1st Edition of Mud on Tires published by Torquere Press, 2006.
1st Edition of Just Like in the Movies published by Torquere Press, 2007.
1st Edition of Ricochet published by Torquere Press, 2007.
1st Edition of No Bull published by Torquere Press, 2006

An Ali Review: Reaping Fate (Reaping Havoc #2) by A.J. Rose

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Health care reform is dead. Concept photo.
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Then Mitch is assigned to reap a serial killer’s victim.

Mitch and Nate are willing to go to just about any lengths to bring the killer to justice, but Divinity has a plan for everyone, and the reapers are at risk of being terminated themselves if they meddle too much. Mitch knows better than to tempt fate, but Nate isn’t wired to sit idly by while innocent people lose their lives to a vicious killer.

Nate sets out to balance the scales of justice for the souls in their charge, but what happens when he becomes the killer’s bug in the web? Ca he stop a killer without exercising his own free will or putting those he loves in the crosshairs? Only Death knows, and he’s not talking.

I enjoyed this next installment in the Reaping Havoc series.  Mitch and Nate have been together awhile and are working as reapers in their town.  A murder victim that Mitch is called to do doesn’t set right with Nate.  He wants to investigate and find the killer.  There is a rule though that reapers can not get involved and by doing so Nate and Mitch are risking their contract and their life together.  I thought the plot was well done and a little more fast paced than book one.  This series has a nice paranormal twist and is not overly angsty.  We meet some new characters in this story and I really liked Sebastian and his husband Robert.
You can read this book as a standalone but it would be a big spoiler for the first book so you should probably read them in order.  This is a low angst paranormal series that has a unique storyline.  The main focus in the murder mystery with a nice on going love story between the two main characters.
Cover art. I love the cover.  I think it is really well done and is a great depiction of the plot of the story.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:
ebook, 277 pages
Published May 4th 2016 by The Grim Writer Press
Original TitleReaping Fate
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series: Reaping Havoc

Ride Into Romance with The Pinkerton Man Series by CJ Baty (Author guest post, excerpt and Giveaway)

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have CJ Baty here today talking about why write an western/historical romance? Welcome, CJ!

Why write a western/historical romance?

That’s an extremely good question because I never in my wildest dreams thought I would. When Wayward Ink Publishing put out a call for stories for an anthology, “Men in Uniform”, I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of this. I’d been a fan of WIP and their anthologies for quite a while. I did have a problem though. I had no idea what to write.

There are so many great cop, firefighter, defective stories out there. Some of my favorite authors write those kinds of stories but I had never attempted it. So what was I going to write. My mind flashed back to a fan fiction story I wrote several years ago and I wondered could I use that theme but put in America during the same time period. I did my research and found that the Pinkerton Agency was in its early beginnings  and they had a very distinctive uniform . . . bowler hats, long leather coats and a unique badge. That was it for me. When Lily Velden informed me that the Pinkerton Man had been accepted for the anthology, it was a joyful day indeed. I was going to be a part of the Wayward Ink family.

I fell in love with Stiles from the moment I first typed his name. He’s not ashamed of who he is or with whom desires. There are times when he has self doubts, but he is a loyal to those he cares about and he is driven to see justice done. He was a character that I could see having many adventures. I can’t wait to share more of them with you.

Now more about The Pinkerton Man series…

Book One Synopsis

THE PINKERTON MAN

Stiles Langberry leaves England under the dark cloud of blackmail.

He resettles in America with a new name, becoming a Pinkerton Agent.

His new employer sends him undercover to a brothel that serves homosexual men, where prostitutes are being murdered. In the course of his investigation, he becomes involved with Paul, one of the prostitutes. Complicating matters, one of the suspects draws Stiles like no man before him. Stiles knows he must stop the killer before he strikes again.

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Book One Synopsis

HOME ON THE RANGE

Pinkerton Agent Stiles Long is sent to the Circle W Ranch to uncover who is killing the ranch’s cattle. In order to discover the truth about the goings on at the ranch, Stiles has to prove to the ranchers he’s more than a good-looking city slicker.

Savage Beare, the head ranch foreman, is far from happy that Stiles is there to check things out. He has secrets of his own.

Stiles finds Savage incredibly good-looking, but cold and aloof.

He’s also a suspect. One of many.

When Stiles’ best friend and partner, Lizzie Ferguson, is kidnapped things begin to shake apart.

Stiles doesn’t trust anyone and he needs to find Lizzie before it’s too late.

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Buy Links

Don’t miss the discounted prices until 48 hours after release!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/pinkerton-man-series-by-cj-baty/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pinkertonmanseries-2058762-158.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Pinkerton-Man-Books-One-Two-ebook/dp/B01H1ZCQTE/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pinkerton-Man-Books-One-Two-ebook/dp/B01H1ZCQTE/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Pinkerton-Man-Books-One-Two-ebook/dp/B01H1ZCQTE/
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/Pinkerton-Man-Books-One-Two-ebook/dp/B01H1ZCQTE/

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Book Trailer

Excerpt

A deep voice coughed at his side. Stiles looked up to see an incredible pair of green eyes fixed on him. A feeling stirred in Stiles and he tested the waters by grinning at the gentleman to his left. He smiled back: a wide jubilant expression.

“Hello. Is that seat taken?” he asked, pointing at the seat across from Stiles.

Stiles waved his hand in a ‘have a seat’ motion and the man sat gracefully, facing him. Removing his hat, his eyes sparkled as he looked Stiles over. There was no doubt that he liked what he saw.

“Patrick O’Donnell.” He offered his hand to Stiles.

Taking the hand firmly in his own, Stiles felt the warmth and smoothness of the man’s skin. He was definitely not a rancher. Stiles doubted he’d ever done a hard day’s work in his life. Their hands lingered, entwined longer than polite society would approve. One more clue that he was as inclined as Stiles was for the company of another virile man.

“Stiles Long,” he said as their hands separated and they reclined in their respective seats, each observing the other.

“Where would you be traveling to, Mr. Long?”

“I’m headed for Mercer, Wyoming on business.”

“Business in Mercer.” He laughed. The sound was deep—smooth like the skin on his hand—and made the hairs on Stiles’ body stand to attention.

“Do you know the area? I’m looking at buying a ranch there.”

“Actually, I’m headed home to Mercer myself. I own the hotel and saloon in town. Patty’s Place. Will you be staying with me?” One corner of his lips turned up, giving his face the appearance of a one-sided grin. It caused Stiles to return the same.

“It seems I will be for a night. Though, I will need to hire a coach to take me to the Circle W Ranch as soon as possible.”

A shadow fell across O’Donnell’s face and a scowl reached the corners of those green eyes, which were now dark and stormy. “You’re looking at the Circle W to buy.” It was not really a question. It was more accusatory in meaning.

“Possibly.” Stiles decided it would be better to tread carefully until he knew more about Mr. Patrick O’Donnell. The man stayed a moment longer, then made an excuse that he needed to see someone else on the train. Stiles watched after him as he went and felt a little dumbfounded. What had just happened?

About the author

CJ BATY lives in southwest Ohio with her very patient husband and two encouraging children. Her heart however, lives in the mountains of Tennessee where she hopes to retire some day. The mountains have always provided her with inspiration and a soothing balm to the stresses of everyday life.

The dream of writing her own stories started in high school but was left on the back burner of life until her son introduced her to Fan Fiction and encouraged her to give it a try. She found that her passion for telling a story was still there and writing them down to share with others was much more thrilling than she had ever expected.

One thing she has learned from life and she is often heard to say is, “You are never too old to follow your dream!”

C.J. BATY can be found at:

Website: http://cjbaty.blogspot.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=344242482358480&fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbaty

Taking the Plunge by Scott Kramer—Blitz and Giveaway

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Author: Scott J Kramer

Title:  Taking the Plunge

Series Title and Number: Jane Monterrey Mystery #1

Publisher:  Prizm

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date:  6/29/2016

Heat Level: 1

Pairing: n/a

Length: 80,000 words

Genre:Mystery

Add to Goodreads

Taking the Plunge Cover

Synopsis

Jane “CK” Monterrey is an inexperienced Cincinnati private eye whose world is flipped when local millionaire George Halberran plunges to his death outside her office window. Hired by George’s eccentric mother, Vucktoria, to investigate her son’s death, Jane has no idea how messy things can get. With the help of sexy Officer Brad Hyatt, her nosy mother and all sorts of quirky new friends—from little numismatics to a monkey that dances to Michael Jackson’s Thriller—Jane stumbles along trying to find out if George really was murdered without getting hurt herself.i

Purchase

Torquere Press

Taking the Plunge Square

Meet the Author

 

Ever since Scott’s mother denied naming him Scott Fitzgerald Kramer, writing has been in his blood. He watched his grandfather use an old-fashioned typewriter to compose memories about his grandmother. Finding out quickly that typewriters didn’t like him, Scott began carrying a scrap of paper and a pencil. Word processing changed his fate.

Scott lives in Cincinnati with his beautiful wife and two adorable little girls. During the day, Scott as Mr. Kramer terrorizes sixth grade students, forcing them to read and write. Slowly, they come to realize that reading is fun and writing is something they have to do to pass his class.

Taking the Plunge is Scott’s first novel in the Jane Monterrey Mystery Series. The second book Trouble Comes in Pairs will be published. You can visit Scott at http://scottjkramer.wordpress.com/

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Taking the Plunge.

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A MelanieM Review: Sand-Man’s Family (Wild and Precious #3) by CJane Elliott

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

sand-mans-familyWhen Sandy Nixon’s conservative Catholic parents discover he’s had sex before marriage, they are furious. But when he blurts out he’s bisexual, they go ballistic. After they threaten him with conversion therapy, Sandy does what many queer kids long to do—leaves his homophobic parents in the dust. He moves in with his Uncle Phineas and Phineas’s partner Cody in Portland, Oregon, and is finally safe to be himself. Sandy misses his siblings, though, and decides to visit his former home in Rockford for Thanksgiving. On the train, he runs into Jade Byrne.

As the only out gay kid in their Catholic high school, Jade has stared down homophobes while being fabulous in the school musicals. He’s crushed on Sandy for years. But he’s made sure never to show it, even after they had a onetime hookup, because Sandy’s the good Catholic kid, the altar boy, and the apparently straight athlete—all the things Jade isn’t. Traveling back to Rockford together sees the start of a month of adventures, a blossoming attraction, and a chance for Sandy to learn what it means to have a family that hurts and to choose a family that heals.

Sand-Man’s Family is a continuation of that wonderful series (Wild and Precious)  from CJane Elliot and this time we get to see Sandy Nixon’s story, Phinny’s nephew.  Sandy escaped from his family after a fight and the threat of a “gay away” camp from his drunken father and conservative mother, the flight carrying him on the train west to his drag queen uncle Phinny in the second story There You Are (Wild and Precious #2).  Sandy’s back history has been the thing I’ve been waiting on and this wonderful story is a treat all around.

Again, I continue to be amazed at the fullness of the characterizations and the amount of story CJ Elliot packs into 125 pages.  It feels so much larger.  Sandy is such a great young person.  Still growing as a individual, working his way through all his sexual feelings, his crushes and figuring out who he is.  You just fall in love with him more as you watch him struggle and grow.

And of course, there’s Phinny and Cody, Sandy’s uncle and partner along as support, offering their guidance, food, and whatever Sandy needs at the moment.  Jade is a great new addition to the series and the sparks flew between Sandy and him immediately.  Plus again, Elliot makes Portland another quirky character that slides effortlessly into place here and all the books of the series.

Elliot’s writing is smooth, the conversations and dialog on point and at the level of age of the characters.  I laughed out loud at some points in the story and sniffled at little at others, the author really understands the uncertainty and  hesitation that comes with each stage of finding yourself at that age.  Just lovely.   Did I wish for more?  Of course, with this series and story 125 pages is never enough for me. However, I look forward to whatever the next book may bring.  I love this series so and I hope its something wonderful for a skateboarder in need of help.

Pick them all up and read them in order.  I highly recommend them all, including Sand-Man’s Family by  CJ Elliot.

Cover art by Angsty G is wonderful and perfect for the story.  Loved it.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 125 pages
Published May 4th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634772253 (ISBN13: 9781634772259)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Wild and Precious:

Wild and Precious (Wild and Precious, #1)

There You Are (Wild and Precious, #2)

Sand-Man’s Family (Wild and Precious, #3)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rekindled Flame by Andrew Grey

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Rekindled FlameWhen he arrives at the scene of a raging fire with his unit, Morgan doesn’t waste any time going in to rescue a disabled man from his burning apartment. The moment the family who owns the house tells him about their trapped tenant, Morgan notifies his captain and goes. Getting permission isn’t as important to him as saving the man’s life, and it’s a good thing he didn’t hesitate because he manages to pull Richard out of the apartment with no time to spare. Morgan cares about the people he pulls from burning buildings and always checks on them the next day, so when he heads to the hospital to check on Richard, he’s shocked to find that Richard is Richie, his childhood best friend.

He and Richie were next-door neighbors, and in fact, their friend Amy performed a marriage ceremony for them in the barn on her property. Playing wedding with the little girl to keep her busy while her mom got ponies ready for all of them to ride was fun—up to a point. Boys don’t usually like to play wedding, but Morgan had kept the nail-turned-into-wedding-ring he received that day because it was soon after that his father just suddenly packed them up and moved out of town without giving Morgan a chance to say good-bye to Richie, and it’s something that Morgan never forgot.

Now, he offers Richie the spare room in his house while the man gets his life back in order. He doesn’t know it at first, but Richie has nothing left, including hope. Richie was severely injured in a classified mission in Iraq, and he’s never recovered physically or emotionally. His PTSD causes nightmares, and when the arsonist strikes again, this time trying to burn down Morgan’s house, it’s evident that Richie is the intended victim. However, Morgan is more concerned with the fact that Richie is in danger than with the attempt on his house, and he realizes his heart might not survive if he loses Richie again.

But even though Morgan seems to be one-hundred percent committed to getting romantically involved with Richie, their romance is a slow-burn, especially from Richie’s perspective. Between his injury and his inability to be specific about classified information, he can’t participate in helping to find the arsonist. And to top it off, though he cares for Morgan, he’s afraid Morgan is getting in over his head with someone so disabled.

This was a great love story as well as a suspenseful action drama. The guys do get their HEA, but it’s a difficult journey to get there. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well as the MCs and, of course, the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever puppy featured in the story were the perfect icing on the cake for me. I recommend this one to lovers of Andrew Grey, especially if you happen to enjoy sweet and sexy MCs and those who manage to overcome seemingly insurmountable disabilities.

~~~~~

Cover Art by LC Chase shows a young man bare from the waist up in a close-up on the cover. In the background is a raging inferno, a firefighter fighting the flames, and an empty wheelchair—all important to this story.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published June 13th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634774698 (ISBN13: 9781634774697)
Edition LanguageEnglish