Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

Grace Kilian Delaney on Writing Twists, Turns and ReWrites: Waking Oisin by Grace Kilian Delaney (guest blog, excerpt and giveaway)

Hi Everyone! I’m Grace Kilian Delaney and thanks for following me on my blog tour for my new contemporary MM romance, Waking Oisin. A special thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me here today!

Every writer has their own method of writing, and for me, as much as I try planning out my novels, there is usually some twist that happens. Sometimes it requires an entire rewrite. Waking Oisin was a complete rewrite.

Oisin (pronounced ocean or oh-sheen) was first introduced in Seven Minutes, a novella that focused on his friend Devon, but provided a hint at how unsatisfactory Oisin’s love life was. He deserved his HFN ending, and so a plot was born. Only it wasn’t anything like the book that got published.

Oisin and another character from Seven Minutes seemed like the perfect setup, and I thought they would work but Oisin said, “No way in hell.” So I went searching for a lover to balance out Oisin’s temperamental character, someone who might discipline him. Who better than a Dom to provide discipline? I fell down the rabbit hole of BDSM and wrote an entire story based on Trent being a Dom and rescuing Oisin from another Dom that wasn’t as kind and…yeah. I hated it. My beta readers weren’t that happy about it either. So, back to the computer I went.

I carried over the character arcs for Oisin and Trent and the circumstances involving Oisin’s father, but the rest of the plot got reworked. Their relationship went from BDSM to kink and became more playful than the initial story. Instead of a not-so-nice Dom being their obstacle, in the published version Oisin and Trent must choose between their career goals or their newfound love, a far more relatable circumstance.

The entire process from the first draft to published book took about a year and a half, proving that writing takes dedication and is truly a labor of love for me.  I’m glad I stuck with it and Oisin finally got his HFN ending.

Waking Oisin
Grace Kilian Delaney
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, bisexual, gay, genderqueer, new adult, cross-dresser, college student, lawyer, age-gap, piercings & tattoos, dirty talk, toys, spanking, D/s dynamics, light kink, family drama, pets

Oisin Harrison blames his fiancée’s distrust for ruining their relationship. He blames his father for pushing him into law school. But more than all that, he blames himself for letting other people’s expectations stop him from going after his dream. But dressing in drag with his best friend is the one thing Oisin refuses to compromise.

As Sin, he meets handsome Trenton Fisher, a man who appreciates Oisin’s cross-dressing. Trent upends his world by doing things to his body no one ever has, making him want more than just one night together. That is, until Oisin discovers his hot hookup works at his father’s law firm and is angling for a promotion.

To complicate things, Trent doesn’t seem to recognize Oisin out of drag. Or does he?

Will Oisin and Trent’s magnetic attraction grow to something deeper, or will it threaten to jeopardize their careers and futures?

Waking Oisin contains characters from Seven Minutes but can be read as a standalone.

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Excerpt

Waking Oisin
Grace Killian Delaney © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
Oisin Harrison

As I walked out of my last class of the day, the wretched feeling grew larger in my stomach, and if it weren’t for the cool January air, I might have puked. I’d failed my first project. My second semester at UNLV’s law school was not going well, and I’d be lucky if I made it through the next four months without getting kicked out.

My father had been disappointed with my decision to attend our home state’s college. Being the senior partner and founder of the most prestigious entertainment law firm, with locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, he’d had ridiculously high expectations for his youngest son. When he came home from LA on Friday, like he did every weekend, the news of my being on academic probation would be reported to him by one of his many acquaintances (aka babysitters) before I had an opportunity to plead my side, and a butt chewing would ensue.

I trudged back to my apartment where I found my best friend, Devon Thomson, in the parking lot getting out of his car. His makeup and short brown hair were flawless, and the stylish wrap coat he wore stopped just above his knees, leaving his calves exposed. The ease with which he expressed his femininity had always impressed me.

Devon picked up on my body language immediately. “You don’t look too happy.”

“I failed.” My chest tightened. I’d never failed at anything before. I’d survived an undergrad degree in Biological Sciences and graduated summa cum laude, but I had no heart for law. Lately, I had no heart for anything; I was a zombie masquerading among the living.

Devon hugged me. “It’s okay, Os. You’ll do better next time—you always do.”

That’s why I loved my friend. He was always a hundred and ten percent supportive and affectionate. I missed our nights making love to each other as FWB and hanging out with him like we used to before he met his boyfriend. Whenever he talked about his lover, he glowed with happiness. I’d never seen him so happy, so in love, and it made any nostalgic desires I had seem trivial.

He released me and a wicked grin spread across his lips. “I got something that might cheer you up.”

“I know that look, and it means trouble.” I laughed, and it seemed like it’d been an eternity since that sound had come from me. “I’m in.”

He clapped, his suede gloves dampening the sound. “We got invited to a record release party in Los Angeles next weekend, and I was thinking we could dress up like we used to? It’s been too long since we had some fun together.”

My heart swelled. Seemed I wasn’t the only one missing our together time. I should stay and study. Be a good little student. But what Devon offered was too tempting. Screw it. I was going to LA. “Sounds perfect.”

“Yay! I’ve got the best outfit for you. You’re gonna look so hot, you’ll be swatting off guys and girls.”

“I don’t know about that.” Sometimes I thought being bisexual was a blessing, other times a curse. The curse had happened last semester when my fiancée determined my bisexuality was a cover for being gay and that one day I’d leave her for a man. I protested. She left anyway.

“I do,” Devon affirmed, hooking his arm with mine and resting his head on my shoulder as we walked the few steps to my front door

“Who are you? Susie Sunshine?” I envied the confidence he had; it drew people to him. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt safe or confident in my own skin.

He brought his hands to his face, framing it like a sun’s rays. “Oh, you know me. Just a ray of light wherever I go.”

“Will Stone be there?” Mentioning his boyfriend’s name brightened his smile to megawatt proportions. I’d need sunglasses if he kept it up.

“Yep. And before you even ask—no, Matty will not be there.”

Matty. Stone’s bandmate, who’d brought me to his hotel room, kissed me, and then shoved me away. Last time I saw him, he apologized for leading me on. Alcohol made any hole look good until a hiccup of sobriety hit. Whatever. Matty had been my last attempt at getting laid, and that was so many months ago, I’d reinstated my virginity.

I let out a breath. “It won’t matter if he’s there, Dev. We’re good. He’s over it. I’m over it. It’s not like he’s the first person to reject me.” That sounded more pathetic than I’d intended. Time to change the topic. “Do you mind if we stop by Paws for Love before getting dinner? There’s someone I want to check in on.”

“Wouldn’t be one of those gorgeous redheaded veterinarians, would it?” Dev raised his perfectly arched eyebrows.

“Despite my crush on the twins, no. It’s a female of the four-legged variety—much too hairy. I found a dog, a black lab, with a damaged leg.”

Devon brushed my cheek with his gloved fingers. “You’re so sweet, you know that?”

The familiar touch set up an ache in my heart, but not because I wanted to be in a relationship with him. Devon and I had been there, done that, and decided we were better off friends.

“Being sweet has done nothing for me.”

“Ooh, you could get yourself a leather daddy, go all whips and chains. You know, be bad.” Devon tapped a finger against his lips, his gaze shifted upward in thought.

“Seriously?” I struggled with the lock to the lemon-yellow front door, fighting back the disturbing image.

Devon lightly pushed me out of the way and turned the key twice before it gave. He plopped the key into my hand without acknowledging his triumph over the stubborn lock. “Might loosen you up some.”

“Getting laid would loosen me up, never mind getting a leather daddy.” I shouldered the door and went inside.

“I think we’ve found a goal for our LA trip.” He rubbed his hands together.

I barked a laugh. “My dad always says it’s good to have goals.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Grace Kilian Delaney resides in flammable Southern California where she spends the wee hours of the morning drinking coffee and writing. She identifies as genderfluid and pansexual, though both are recent labels, and a goal of hers is to create stories that include gay, bisexual, and genderfluid characters. When not writing, Grace composes music, pretends she’s an opera singer, plays piano, and practices yoga, though not all at the same time.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

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Release Blitz: Art by Adonis by Kris Sawyer (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Art by Adonis

Author: Kris Sawyer

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Sidney Lowell

Genre/s: Gay Romance, Contemporary

Length: 45000 words approx/ 210 pages

It is a standalone story.

Blurb

When a man takes an unexpected turn and ends up where he isn’t supposed to be, his fate will bring him back to his own path. But when it happens to two people at the same time, their fates will interlink and their paths ultimately entwine.

Aidan Ross, artist extraordinaire meets Rick Mahoney when the man comes for an interview, except he is at the wrong one. Aidan wants him to be the inspiration for his next paintings so badly that he makes a tempting offer. But soon he realizes that he has a decision to make. Aidan can’t be certain whether it’s only the artist in him who is allured by Rick’s charming looks or if there is more than that.

When an unexpected job proposal is made, Rick has his own concerns, the main one being the fact he is in a wheelchair. Why would a renowned artist like Adonis want to paint him? But he is in dire need of a job and he finds it hard to say no to a handsome man like Aidan Ross.

Art by Adonis is a journey of two men, imperfect in their own way yet so perfect for each other.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US  

Amazon UK 

Goodreads   

Excerpt

The models came and went. They auditioned, shared their portfolios and answered some of the questions Aidan asked. Some did impress him quite a lot, but somewhere his mind still compared them with the guy he’d bumped into earlier leaving him inexplicably with utter disappointment.

When the last guy had left, he watched as Kim’s head appeared through the half-open door. Kimberly Hobbs had worked for him for the past two years as his personal secretary. Ever since the beginning, they had bonded so well Kim knew exactly what Aidan wanted and it almost always got done before he could even tell her. She was in her mid-thirties and a mother of two, but she looked younger than his twenty seven years. Her blood red lipstick and brown hair tied up in a tight bun was the usual signature style she flaunted every single day.

“Do you know a Mr. Pattinson? I never saw him in any of your appointments, so I thought I’d ask.”

“Pattinson?” Aidan racked his brain to put any familiar face to that name but nothing came up. “No, why?”

“There’s a guy here. He says his name is Rick Mahoney and that Mr. Pattinson sent him for the interview.”

Aidan had no clue who Rick Mahoney was or a Mr. Pattinson for that matter. None of the names rang any bells. He made a hand gesture signaling Kim to let him in. “I might as well meet him and see if I can remember anything.” He told her and waited.

Kim moved aside and held the door open for Rick. “Mr. Mahoney, my boss will see you now.”

A familiar face came into view as Rick entered, wheeling his chair inside the room and Kim closed the door to give them some privacy. Aidan couldn’t help the grin that appeared on his face. Of course, he’d recognized this man. Not because he knew who Mr. Pattinson was – but Rick was the same guy he’d met earlier that day. “Hey, you’re the guy on the wrong floor.” He said it as a matter of fact. “Didn’t think we’d meet again so soon.” It was a pleasant surprise.

Rick seemed surprised too and a bit intimidated. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gilbert. I didn’t realize it was you who I ran into earlier.”

“Gilbert?” Aidan laughed. “I’m not Mr Gilbert. My name’s Aidan Ross and I’m an artist. I was interviewing male models here for my next set of paintings. I’m guessing you are here for that too?”

“No, no, no…” The color had drained from Rick’s face. “I’m not a model. I think I must have come to the wrong interview.” Aidan tried to concentrate on the words as Rick rambled on but his nervousness amused him more. He’s so cute. “Mr. Pattinson is the hotel manager and I came here for the bookkeeper’s job at the hotel. He told me I’d be interviewed by Mr. Gilbert on the tenth floor. I came here looking for him and I saw this lady talking to one guy about his interview. I assumed she was talking about Mr. Gilbert’s interview, so I asked and she brought me here to see you.” Ha! What are the odds? “I’m really sorry for the confusion, Mr. Ross. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Aidan waved his hand dismissively and smiled. “No bother at all!”

Rick shook his head, refusing to look Aidan in the eye. “I’m sure you’ve loads of errands to run. I’ll get out of your way.”

“Hey, wait!” Aidan called out as Rick was about to turn, the suddenness astounded him. Aidan chuckled. “Don’t you think it’s amazing?”

“What?”

“That we meet again so soon.” Aidan replied with the excitement he felt within him. “I mean I’ve wanted to see you again so badly. I knew it was totally impossible for us to run into each other again. And yet, here you are. I still can’t believe it!”

Rick furrowed his brows. “Why did you want to see me again?” He asked.

“Because I like you.” He said without any hesitation.

“Huh?”

“Yes, I love the way you look. You are a specimen of male beauty in its rarest form.” Aidan grinned.

Rick’s face flushed. “That’s enough.”

“Look, I’m an artist and I don’t want to see such beauty going unnoticed. I want to paint you. I want to put you on my canvas and show it to the world.” He realized he was leaning over the desk too much and sat up straightening the slim tie he wore. “So will you let me? Draw you?”

About the Author

Kris Sawyer is the pseudonym of Sid Love, who has written several books in the M/M Romance genre but with the Alpha’s Warlock series, he intends to introduce a new world of supernatural beings that will intrigue the readers.

Sawyer grew up in one of busiest cities in the world, Mumbai, listening to the excerpts of Indian epics from his father every night. He is a Potter-head and loves a good mystery in the books he reads.

Alpha’s Warlock is Sawyer’s dream project that he’s been working on forever!

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Giveaway

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A MelanieM Review: Hard to Let Go (Haven’s Cove #1) by Jaclyn Quinn

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 

Owen Richards lives a quiet life in his small hometown of Haven’s Cove. He has a rewarding life consisting of three very supportive—not to mention feisty—women, and a successful bakery that he owns and absolutely loves. Yet, Owen can’t seem to shake this emptiness inside or the intense feeling that something is missing. A sudden encounter with a man from his past, one he despises, turns his entire world upside down. When Owen finds himself attracted to that sexy man, he questions everything, including his sanity. After all, only an incredibly disturbed person would find that he can’t stop thinking about his high school bully.

Brody Walker never expected to return to Haven’s Cove. He’s made a life for himself in Boston, where he can truly be the person he was always meant to be. But an unexpected call has Brody facing all the demons he’d left behind so long ago. Now, he’s faced with not only a difficult goodbye, but one long overdue apology to a man who is no longer that lanky kid from high school. The challenge is to convince the guy he’s changed—and also prove he’s worth taking a chance on.

When passions ignite truths are exposed, changing the beliefs these men have held on to for years. Faced with the knowledge that things aren’t always what they seem, will they choose to hold on to the incredible thing they’ve found…or is it easier to give in to the fear and let go?

I love it when I discover a new author and start a new series all while reading a book I enjoyed thoroughly.  That just happened with Hard to Let Go (Haven’s Cove #1) by Jaclyn Quinn.   Quinn has created a small town filled with lovely atmosphere and local flavor, enough to have started pulling home it’s young people who left for college and returned to start businesses and buy homes. Of course, other things, sadder,  more angst driven events have brought them home as well.

For Brody Walker who hoped never to set foot in Haven’s Cover again, it’s to spend time with his dying mother and to hopefully find some closer for himself on his traumatic youth and childhood.  He also needs to face his own past and guilt over deeds done.  It’s a journey he’s not sure he can face.  The author switches pov, putting us into the emotional turmoil and mental anguish that is Brody upon his return to Haven’s Cove.  We feel an immediate connection to this character and his life is spread out before us like a map, showing us exactly a line from the childhood abuse to his behavior throughout his life.  He’s a poignant and powerful figure.

Owen Richards has close ties to Brody.  How close we find out almost upon Brody’s return to town.  It’ impact upon Owen’s life pushes it out of the stagnant level it was in, especially concerning his relationship with his best friend/boyfriend Jonas into one of uncertainty, excitement and action.

I just loved all the characters here including the ones that I hope Quinn is setting up for future stories including Jonas and Gabe (not as a couple but separately).  Each is looking for someone different and Gabe, Brody’s best friend, already has someone in mind, whether they want it or not.

The abuse here is brought up in memories or flashbacks but packs an emotional punch as it should.  My only sorrow is that the father was never made to pay for his crimes, especially as he confessed in front of a witness.  Although I’m not sure what the law says about the statute of limitations.

That being my only element of irritation, I loved everything else about this story, from the characters to the universe the author is building in Haven’s Cove to the depth of the storylines.  It has everything you would want and more.  I highly recommend  Hard to Let Go and can’t wait for the next in the series to be released.

Cover by Cate Ashwood Designs. I just love this cover.  Its both the characters and Haven’s Cove tied up together. Perfect.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 254 pages
Published February 18th 2018
Original TitleHard to Let Go
ASINB079WTSJWD
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHaven’s Cove #1

Russell J. Sanders on the Titanic, Tex-Mex, and his new release ‘Titanic Summer’ (guest blog)

Titanic Summer by Russell J. Sanders
Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Buy Links: Harmony Ink Press |  Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Russell J. Sanders here  today talking about his latest story Titanic Summers. Welcome, Russell.

♦︎

Titanic Summer: A Li’l Travel, a Li’l Politics, and a Lotta Enchiladas

By Russell Sanders

The best hobbies are those that give you joy, engage your mind, and lead you on a quest. You lose yourself in the research, the acquiring, the sheer happiness of just sitting and staring at your treasures. Oh, how I’ve experienced all that! I can spend hours at the piano, playing and singing for only me. I can peruse cookbooks, looking at variations of a single recipe just to decide how I, the amateur chef, will compose a delicacy. I can lose myself in the vast internet, planning an exotic trip—booking those flights to Bali, choosing the seats for that Broadway show, reading all about the museum in Boston so I’ll savor every moment, drooling over the thought of the Mexican food I’ve found in Bar Harbor of all places. And I can never flip the TV remote past a documentary on the Titanic, that magnificent ship that sank on its maiden voyage.

The story of the Titanic has everything: mystery, majesty, the rich and famous, the downtrodden seeking new lives in a new land, the hubris of designers and ship line magnates declaring the ship unsinkable, and it has Molly Brown, the unsinkable wannabe society dame from Colorado, filthy rich and not afraid to spend it! The tale of the Titanic has everything, and I can’t get enough. Books, movies, TV, exhibits…I’ve read ‘em all, seen ‘em all, visited ‘em all.

So fresh off a pilgrimage to the Titanic graves and the Titanic museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, ten years ago, I began another journey. I wanted my next novel to feature that Titanic experience in some way.

I write novels intended primarily for teen readers. My ego and my desire want them to be far much more, great works that everyone wants and needs and has to read. So pick up a copy of Titanic Summer. You won’t be disappointed even if you’re sixty-five and still a teen at heart. But I digress. I knew that most teens would not be all that excited about the ship that hit the iceberg. But what if a teen’s dad was? And what if Dad took his son on his pilgrimage? And what if teen got into the whole Titanic thing because he loved his dad?

Ah! Now that’s what stories are made of. With little more than that, I began writing. And writing. And writing. Ten years later, ten zillion revisions later, Titanic Summer became what it is today. The book that Harmony Ink Press decided to take a chance on. Oh—I forgot. Add another revision to it all because even after Harmony Ink accepted the manuscript (and yes, that was only after I did a further revision for them,) the editing process began and that first edit was like re-writing the whole novel. I have never worked so hard on an edit in my life. But it was worth it. Titanic Summer is now as magnificent as the ship it rode in on. Yeah, I know—that’s for the readers to decide. If an author can’t use a little hyperbole, who can?

Somewhere in all those revisions, teen Jake became gay, and in real life, Houston city council passed an equal rights ordinance. That bit of history was ultimately defeated by the voters, and I, a devastated Houston gay man, realized that any poor teenage Houstonian gay would be profoundly affected by it all. And another layer was added to Jake’s story.

Titanic Summer is a travelogue. Readers—I’m talkin’ to you out there because you just gotta read this book!—will journey from Houston to Philadelphia to Boston to Portland, Maine, to Halifax, and back to Philly and Houston. There are lots of sights to be seen.

Titanic Summer is also another kind of journey. A sixteen-year-old boy who knows he’s gay and doesn’t want to accept it. He doesn’t care if anyone else in the world is gay, but he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it for himself. Not because he doesn’t want to be gay; he just doesn’t want anyone to know about him. It’s a roller coaster ride for Jake, folks. Step right up and see the kid try to take the next rise and sudden dip—whoosh! Will he live to ride again, or will he end up tossing his cookies, vowing never to get on that Texas Hurricane again?

Titanic Summer is Tex-Mex. Oh, it is Tex-Mex. Believe me, if you don’t finish this wanting some nachos, some enchiladas, some chips, some salsa, some guac, then you seriously are not a Houstonian. But we can make you one real fast. Dive in, the water’s fine (make that a Margarita; that is, if you’re legal—we don’t advocate underage drinking, y’all.) Search Yelp and find the nearest Tex Mex near you, jump on your pony, and head out to the feeding trough. And better yet, if there’s a Chuy’s near you, that’s the place to go. If you’re a novice, start with the Panchos. Then graduate to the Classic Tex Mex enchiladas. After that, you’re good to go. Do like me. Find you some Mexican food wherever you travel. It might turn out to be great (Jakarta, Indonesia) or might turn out to be rather strange (Rome, Italy) but it’s always an adventure. And if you’re not craving chips and salsa after reading Titanic Summer, I’ve not done my job. By the way, I am NOT a paid spokesperson for Chuy’s Restaurants. But if I got a little rebate from each time I’ve eaten there, I’d be a wealthy man.

So there you have it—the lowdown on Titanic Summer. Part Canada, part New England, part Houston, and all heart. And Tex-Mex. Don’t forget the Tex-Mex.

Blurb—Titanic Summer

It’s 2015, and teenage Jake Hardy is hiding something. During a summer trip to the Titanic Mecca of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jake’s father makes a confession, and though Jake feels upset and confused, he also wants to be understanding. But he feels deceived—much like he’s deceiving those he cares about. Jake is gay, just not ready to tell the world.

Jake and his father are far from alone in their secrets, as Jake discovers back in Texas, where the fight for and against the Equal Rights Ordinance rages. He’s surprised to learn how much the outcome will affect his friends, and he’s torn between standing with them and the wishes of his religious fanatic mother. Being true to himself won’t be easy or painless, and it will come with sacrifices—and rewards.

About the Author

Russell J. Sanders is a lifelong devotee of the theater. He’s a singer, actor, and director, winning awards for his acting roles and shows he has directed. As a teacher, he has taught theater arts to hundreds of students, plus he’s also taught literature and writing to thousands of others. Russell has also traveled the world, visiting Indonesia, Japan, India, Canada, the Caribbean, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Venice—and almost all the US states. His friends think he’s crazy, but wherever he goes, he seeks out Mexican restaurants. The Mexican food in Tokyo was great, he says; in Rome, not so good. Texans cut their teeth on barbecue and Mexican food. Russell’s love for enchiladas led him on a quest to try them wherever he can find them, and he has found them in some very out-of-the-way places. And good or bad, he’s delighted to sample his favorite food. Most importantly, Russell is an out-and-proud gay man, living in Houston with his husband, a relatively recent marriage but a relationship that started twenty years ago. He hopes that his novels inspire confidence and instill pride in his young gay fans, and he also hopes others learn from his work, as well.

Website: www.russelljsanders.weebly.com   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/russell.sanders.14

Visit my website: www.russelljsanders.weebly.com

Follow me on Facebook at Russell J. Sanders, author: https://www.facebook.com/Russell-J-Sanders-author-514666448554674/

Follow me on Twitter: @russelljsanders

Visit my author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Sanders/e/B00AVXOY80/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

View my about me page:  https://about.me/russell.sanders

View my book trailers:  (all book trailers use free use public domain images and music)

Thirteen Therapists: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-zdafR2c8&feature=youtu.be

Special Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrVphGxgXqc&feature=youtu.be

The Book of Ethan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6IBm1CBINg

Colors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwkLr2TTpcI

All You Need Is Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsQUwQUoUzs&feature=youtu.be

Titanic Summer: https://youtu.be/tVqWvlOP-PQ

Audiobook Blitz and Giveaway for Leaning Into the Fall (Leaning Into Stories #2 ) by Lane Hayes and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Title:  Leaning Into the Fall

Series: Leaning Into Stories, #2

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher:  Self-Published

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Genre: Romance, Erotica, Bisexual, humor, San Francisco, May to December romance

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Synopsis

Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He’s made a fortune in the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.

Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.

Listen to an audio excerpt & purchase at Audible

 Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Meet the Narrator

Nick is an award winning narrator with a fan following for his work in fiction, specifically in the romance genre. His performances in two of Amy Lane’s books, Beneath the Stain and Christmas Kitsch, made him the recipient of Sinfully M/M Book Review’s Narrator of the Year – 2015. When he’s not in the booth, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and kids, (aka their beagle Frank and cat Stella), drumming in his cover band, exploring rural back roads with his wife on his motorcycle, or being enthralled in a tabletop role playing game with his friends. 

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Winter Cowboy (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming #1) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This story is quite dark and depressing and there’s no romance to it until the latter part of the book so readers should be prepared to wait for the love and also be prepared for a lot of heartbreak and pain from past mistakes.  To be honest, the setup took so long and was so depressing, I was tempted to stop reading.  But I love RJ Scott’s work so I knew it would be worth the wait and I kept going.

Micah is summoned by the sister he hasn’t seen in nearly ten years when she’s finally able to get a call out for help from the compound of the cult where’s she’s been held and abused. Arriving just in time to see her shoot her husband, an insane cult leader, Micah grabs her and her five-year-old son, Laurie, and they get out with only the clothes on their backs.  And though he hasn’t been home in nine years, he heads to the ranch he inherited from his father, all while making plans to set up whatever he needs to secure his sister’s future.  He’d left the area after he took his boyfriend Daniel’s car on a joyride with his two best friends and was involved in an accident that killed one boy and left the other without a leg.  The one who lost his leg is Daniel’s brother, and in his grief and pain, Daniel pushed Micah away and made him promise never to return home. 

After spending a year in prison for reckless driving and manslaughter, Micah has been working as a professional trainer on a horse farm, sending his wages home to his aunt and uncle for upkeep on the family ranch.  So when he comes back with a very pregnant Rachel and little undernourished and emotionally abused Laurie, he not only expects trouble, he gets it. 

There’s quite a bit of backstory on what happened to Rachel in the cult but there’s even more about what happened to Micah and why he and Daniel can’t be together again.  To make matters worse, Daniel is suffering PTSD from an incident at the hospital where he was the ER physician when a former patient’s family member took hostages and killed Daniel’s coworker.  All of this trauma for Daniel comes out in anger toward Micah, and even in physical violence a few times. 

To be honest, Daniel wasn’t a likeable character, even toward the end of the story when he finally took his counseling to heart and learned how to look at the past differently.  Micah was also a bit of a bundle of nerves, with his protector hero complex, always worried about his sister and the consequences of someone finding out what happened. Fully prepared to take the blame, he wallowed in angst and dark thoughts for most of the book. 

If the last fourth of the story didn’t move toward positive action when it did, I’d likely have given this a lower rating because, as I said, it was dark and depressing and there was a lot about their backstory, none of which was pleasant.  The author was able to tie all the loose ends together, however, and finally brush off the old romance and give it new life, making it one I can look back on and say I liked. 

Secondary characters were many and varied and I especially enjoyed little Laurie. He won my heart from the first time he appeared in the story and never relinquished it at all.  I also found the sheriff to be intriguing, as well as Daniel’s brother Chris, the young man who lost a pro sports career when he lost his leg.  I hope both of these characters get their own stories—together or individually with different love interests. 

I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy a book with plenty of angst-filled moments, as well as hurt-comfort and redemption. 

~~~

The cover by Meredith Russell is a close-up photo of a man with short, light hair. I assume it’s Micah.  To be honest, the light sepia tone is quite bland so I don’t find the cover appealing at all.

Sales Links:   Amazon |  Universal Buy Link

Book Details:

ebook
Published February 28th 2018 by RJ Scott (first published February 25th 2018)
Original TitleWinter Cowboy
ISBN139781785641114
SeriesWhisper Ridge, Wyoming #1

Review Tour for Winter Cowboy (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming #1) by R.J. Scott (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 70,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Blurb
 

Micah Lennox left Whisper Ridge after promising the man he loved that he would never return. But the only way he knows to keep his pregnant sister and nephew safe is to go home. Spending winter in Wyoming opens too many old wounds, but he’s on the run from justice which can’t be far behind, and this is his last chance at redemption.


After a hostage situation leaves Doctor Daniel Sheridan struggling with PTSD, he returns to Whisper Ridge. Joining his dad in family practice is a balm to soothe his exhausted soul, and somehow, he finds a peace he can live with. That is until he meets Micah in a frozen graveyard, and the years of anger and feelings of betrayal boiling inside him, erupt.


Two broken men fight and scratch for their lives and that of their families, and somehow, in the middle of it all, they find each other.


Is it possible that love can be rekindled and become a forever to believe in?




Feb 28 – Oh My Shelves, Annette Gisby, My Fiction Nook, The Blogger Girls
March 2 – Alpha’s Do It Better, Bookaholic & Kindle
March 5 – Urban Smoothie Read, Gay Media Review
March 7 – BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, Nerdy Dirty & Flirty
March 9 – Making It Happen, The Geekery Book Review, Wicked Reads, Slave To The Written Word
March 12 – Sexy Erotic Xciting, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Book Lovers 4Ever, Jim’s Reading Room, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews
March 14 – Xtreme Delusions, Drops Of Ink
March 15 – Hearts On Fire Reviews
March 16 – Valerie Ullmer, Mirrigold, Padme’s Library, A Book Lover’s Dream, Bayou Book Junkie

 

Excerpt
 

Chapter 1

2009, Daniel


A figure stood beside Isaac’s grave and I knew immediately who it was.


There was no marker yet for the boy who had died two weeks ago and who would forever be nineteen. Flowers marked his resting place, but snow had long since covered them and softened the raised earth so it wasn’t as obvious against the gravestones around the figure. A car accident had taken Isaac, killed him on impact, and his family grieved for a future that would never be realized.


I’d just left my brother, Chris, in the hospital, broken beyond repair in the same accident. At least we had the possibility of a future with him, even though the road to recovery would be hard. He was still in a medically induced coma, not yet awake to know he’d lost his leg, or that fire had marked his face. But he would wake up. They told us he’d live.


No one had asked me where I was going when I’d left Chris’ room, each of us lost in various stages of shock and grief, and we all dealt with what had happened in our own way. I’d needed to connect with Isaac. Needed the peace to balance the loss and guilt that ate away inside me.


Isaac dead on impact, Chris’ future destroyed, and in front of me, hunched over Isaac’s last resting place, was the man responsible for it all.


The man who left my bed in the dead of night to become a murderer.


Micah.


He was huddled into his coat, the January ice bitter by the buried, hands forced into his pockets, and his hood pulled around his face. Micah must have heard me, because he glanced my way, startled, grief written on his face. And then his expression changed.


He stepped toward me, his expression full of something like hope.


“Daniel?” he said. “Is Chris okay? No one will let me see him.”


He stopped walking when I didn’t reach out for him and looked at me uncertainly.


“His leg is gone, down from his knee,” I explained dispassionately, and then touched my face, “and his burns are bad, the left side of his face from his temple to his chin.”


“Shit. Shit.” Micah bent at the waist, as if he couldn’t breathe, and he was crying.


“How is it you don’t have a mark on you?” I asked, still eerily calm, and utterly focused.


He took his hand from his pocket, and pulled up his sleeve, exposing bandages. “I was burned,” he began. He dropped his hand when I didn’t comment, forced it back into his pocket, wincing as he did so.


I imagined the burn hurt a little, maybe even a lot, but he was there, as whole and real as when he’d left my bed on that terrible day.


In my mind I saw Chris in the hospital, the covers raised over the cage which protected his surgical site, then dipping lower where his ankle should have been. I saw a clear image of Isaac the day before he died, knocking for Chris and grinning at me as if he had the greatest secret to tell his best friend.


And here was Micah, telling me he had slight burns on his arm? The same man who’d told me in one breath that he loved me and then had stolen my car, driving it into a bridge and killing one boy, leaving another maimed and in a coma.


My fist flew, clenched aggression targeting Micah’s face, his cheekbone, and I heard a satisfying crunch. He staggered back a step, but he didn’t go down, and he didn’t take his hands from his pockets. I was too fast. I hit him again, blood flecking his face, dissipating into the icy air. He moved again, the force of my blows shoving him back.


Still, his hands remained in his pockets, and he was unnervingly quiet, taking my hits as if they were nothing at all. Another punch connected with his lip and split the skin, and this time he grunted in pain. He staggered backward toward the next grave and bent back over the stone marker with the force of that final blow. I stepped closer. I hit him again, connecting with his jaw, but the hit wasn’t hard. There was nothing to it; he didn’t move away.


“You took my car,” I yelled, right in his face.


“You said I could borrow it,” he pleaded.


I raised my hand to hit him again, but he winced, and closed his eyes, and I wanted him to look at me. “Open your damn eyes!”


He did, and he wouldn’t avert his gaze, naked grief in his expression.


“Daniel, please listen.”


“You’ve destroyed Chris’ life.”


“I know.”


“You need to leave Whisper Ridge, and never come back. I don’t want to see your face, I don’t want Chris to ever see you again. You understand?”


“I understand,” his tone low and broken.


“You will never come back here.” I shook him. He was smaller than me, thinner, lighter, and I shook him so hard his head snapped back. “Promise me!”


“I pr—promise,” he said through tears.


I was disgusted by him, hated him, wanted to kill him right there on Isaac’s grave.


“I hope they lock you up and throw away the fucking key!” I was still shouting, and he didn’t move, just stared at me with those pale eyes, red and wet from crying. He wouldn’t stop crying. “Don’t fucking stare at me!”


I shoved him one last time, and then before I could work out what the hell I was still doing there shouting at him, I pivoted and turned my back on him, and on Isaac’s grave, and the entire carnage.

RJ’s goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.


RJ Scott is the bestselling author of over one hundred romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.


The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.


Giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ Off-Campus Setup by Maria Vickers (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Off-Campus Setup
Author: Maria Vickers
Genre: M/M College Romance
Release Date: March 7, 2018
Levi Cox left it all behind to go to school in California, but nothing could prepare him for what he discovers when he gets there. Between the university screwing up his living arrangements, the weird meddling old woman who runs the boarding house, and the fellow student who instantly catches his eye, life in Cali is more than he expected, and he isn’t sure he’s ready for any of it. College was supposed to be an adventure, but this might be more than Levi can handle. 

 


Nathan Orion wants to have fun. That’s what he lives for and it’s exactly what his college years are supposed to be about. He’s happy with living the single life and being carefree…that is until the new student at his grandmother’s boarding house crashes into his life. Now he’s been recruited to show the new guy around, and if Nathan has his way, it won’t be just on-campus.

Will there be more, or is this only an illusion? Two men thrown together, not expecting anything, but possibly finding so much more than an off-campus setup.

Nathan

“You need something?” Well, he managed more than one word. He swallowed hard. 

My eyes followed the movement of his throat and I had to gulp a mouthful of saliva in response. This was stupid. We were two grown adults, regardless if we were still in our teens. Acting like two strangers after what happened was idiotic. “Can we talk?” I didn’t know what I planned on saying, but anything was better than this. 

“Sure.” He opened his door a little more and disappeared inside. 

Shuffling my feet, I followed him and closed the door behind me. I’d been in his room before. Uncluttered and simple, just like the man leaning against his desk, the sunlight streaming through the window behind him. 

“What did you need?” his asked, his drawl a little more pronounced with a tone of voice that sounded either bored or resigned. I couldn’t tell which. 

Everything about this made me nervous, but I couldn’t say why. I licked my lips to wet them, noticing his eyes following my tongue. In a moment of bravery—or sheer stupidity—I blurted, “Do you want to go out tonight?” I lived my life calm, cool, and collected. I didn’t get nervous or word vomit whatever popped into my head. Apparently tonight, the rules had changed and I did not approve one iota. 

“I don’t feel like goin’ out to a party. That’s not my thing,” he answered, leaning back a little more, his hands resting on the flat desk top behind him. His words and tone hinted that he was holding himself back, but his posture told me that he hadn’t closed himself off to me. Finally, my psych classes were being put to good use. 

“I didn’t say anything about a party. Did I?” I grinned, feeling a little braver. 

His lips pulled up into his own smile and he shook his head. “No, I don’t guess you did. What did you have in mind?” 

“After the stunt my grandmother pulled earlier when she decided to give us both a heart attack, I figured we could use a small break. I know we also need to make up for the studying we missed, but that can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, no thinking about school, my grandmother, or anything else. Fun is the name of the game. We’ll go out and let loose. Start off with dinner and then decide what to do from there. What do you say?” 

His smile grew and I knew he’d go along with my plan. “Fine. We’ll go out and then how about you take me out to Santa Monica Pier. You said it wasn’t too far away.”

“Deal. Now go get ready.”

“This is my room. You’re the one that needs to git.” 

I scanned the room briefly and chuckled. “True. I’ll see you in an hour?”

“I’ll be here.” 

Leaving his room through his door, since I knew for a fact that I’d locked my side of the bathroom earlier, I walked next door and entered. No thinking. Tonight was only about doing.

 


 

Maria Vickers currently lives in St. Louis, MO with her pug, Spencer Tracy. She has always had a passion for writing and after she became disabled in 2010, she decided to use writing as her escape. She believes that life is about what you make of it. You have to live it to the fullest no matter the circumstances.

From a young age, she has always loved books and even dreamed of being an author when she was younger. Growing up in the Navy, she used to weave tales for her siblings and her friends about anything and everything. And when she wasn’t creating her own stories, she had a book in her hand. They transported her to another world. She hopes that with her books, her readers have the same experience and that they can relate to her characters. 

Getting sick changed her life forever, but it also opened doors for her that she thought would always be out of reach.