Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Only love can heal an impossibly broken heart 

There’d forever been a thread running through Trevor Estes’s life—his son, Riley, strong and constant like a heartbeat. But when Riley is killed in combat, everything in Trevor’s life unravels into a mess he doesn’t know how to mourn.

Then Jesse Byrne, Riley’s friend and platoon mate, arrives on Trevor’s doorstep with a box of Riley’s things. Jesse’s all-too-familiar grief provides an unlikely source of comfort for Trevor: knowing he’s not alone is exactly what he needs.

Trevor never imagined he’d find someone who fills his heart with hope again. As the pair celebrate Riley’s memory, their unique bond deepens into something irreplaceable—and something neither man can live without.

But diving into a relationship can’t be so simple. Being together means Trevor risking the last link he has to his son…leaving Jesse to wonder if he’ll ever be enough, or if Trevor will always be haunted by the past.

Be prepared for Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen to break your heart and leave you sobbing on multiple occasions.   You have to figure that from the synopsis but the actual reading of it will rend your heart into little pieces, especially if you have children of your own.

All due to Hansen’s terrific writing and beautiful characterizations.  In Point of Contact we actually get to know and come to love Riley,  the son and  center of Trevor Estes’ life.  Through countless scenes of family intimacy that will seem so familiar to those with children, we connect with their fierce bond and familial love, and we watch with gut wrenching horror because we know the pain that’s approaching the oblivious father and son.  And no, you can’t and won’t want to stop reading.

Everything that happens within this story are events that happens to families everywhere.  Sons and daughters die in combat overseas leaving their grieving parents to try and deal with their deaths, their absences, their lack of futures…everything.  In part, this story deals with one father’s grief and inability to deal with his son’s death. Point of Contact and the author takes us with Trevor and Jesse from the moment Riley dies.  For Jesse, he’s there and that will impact him and their squad for the rest of their lives.  For Trevor?  It’s a ring of his doorbell and two military men with a somber duty to carry out.

All the intertwining threads here that continually bring Jesse and Trevor together with their love of Riley being the magnetic force and his love for them holding them all together.  Hanson also works with both Jesse’s and Trevor’s PTSD along with their deep-seated grief, problems within Riley and Jesse’s squad of survivor guilt and many more authentic elements pertaining to subject such as these.  All handled with sensitivity, believability, and great respect.

Flowing through all this is the growing relationship between Trevor and Jesse. I love how the author builds the relationship between these two men as they work their way through their loss and pain.  I felt their sorrow and yes, anger, and connected to them emotionally on this journey to love and HEA.  What an deeply moving story.

I loved this story and I highly recommend it.

Cover art is ok.  Its hard to tell if one man is older than the other.

Sales Links: Carina Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 451 pages
Expected publication: March 26th 2018 by Carina Press
ISBN139781488097058
Edition LanguageEnglish

Book Blitz – Penny Brandon’s Blind Passion (excerpt)

 

 
Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 82,000 words approx. 
 
Blurb
 

Attraction for Adam was not a handsome face, a striking smile, or beautiful eyes, but a scent that would drive him to distraction or a voice that could make his heart beat faster. When the combination of the two walked into his life in Luke, Adam couldn’t help but want him. But how was he supposed to know if Luke felt the same attraction? He had no prior experience, no past encounters, nothing to help him. Not even his sight.

One look at Adam and Luke wanted him. Sensual, gorgeous, kind, with a strength that Luke was drawn to, Adam was everything Luke desired. Being in Adam’s arms, showing him the pleasure of a man’s body, being touched, held, and desired in return, had Luke wanting more, had him wanting what he knew he couldn’t have.

It didn’t matter to him that Adam was blind, but Adam deserved more than someone like him. Luke was a man with a broken past and falling in love with Adam was a foolish thing to do, especially because Adam would never love him back if he found out what Luke was hiding.

About Penny
 

Penny is a complete romantic who believes everyone can fall in love if only they’ll open their heart to the possibility, which is why she writes these hot erotic stories that will always have a happily every after. However, it doesn’t mean that she’ll make it easy for her men to get there. A lover of things that go bump in the night, Penny’s imagination can sometimes run riot, so magic mirrors and evil dolls are only the beginning.



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An Alisa Review: The Cowboy’s Son by Patrick Mangan

Rating:  2 stars out of 5

Justin Denton has his eighteen year-old life all figured out. He just graduated high school and is about to head away from the family ranch in the middle of nowhere to go to college in a bigger city.

But when his dad blows out his shoulder, the family hires a young college student to fill in as the hired man and help Justin get the ranch through the summer season. It doesn’t help that the new guy is nice. And cute.

Yep, Justin doesn’t have anything figured out. Accepting his own sexual identity, or his growing attraction to the new ranch hand, his relationship with his parents, his future goals and plans as he leaves his small town, and certainly not how his best friends will react when he finally comes out as gay.

It’s going to be a long summer.

Justin meets Ben when his dad hires him to help on their ranch while he is healing from surgery.  They butt heads initially but quickly learn to work together.  Near the end of the summer they begin to trust each other and don’t fear hiding their growing attraction as much.

So, I guess I didn’t expect the whole story to really be about Justin accepting his sexuality, I thought it would just be a portion.  Justin has been hiding his sexuality from all those around him for years and fears their reactions.  When he and Ben let the other know about their attraction Ben becomes his “gay yoda”.  I can’t say I enjoyed it, there attraction to each other is there but they keep each other at arm’s length and then end up going in different direction while friends.

I’m not a fan of the stereo type that gay guys can sleep with their friends and not have problems with developing feelings or jealousies and that is how this story portrays it to me.  All the talking and actions throughout the story seemed exaggerated (with way more exclamation points than necessary) and the jumping from one topic or person to the next didn’t help the flow of the story either.

The cover art by E Keith is nice and gives nice setting for the story.

Sales Links: Painted Hearts Publishing | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 121 pages

Published: January 10, 2018 by Painted Hearts Publishing

Edition Language: English

An Alisa Review: Just Here For The Pain (Underdogs #2) by KA Merikan

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

—. Whips and chains – not optional .—

Sid. Drummer for The Underdogs. Secretly yearning for pain and submission.
Asher. AKA Stan. Stalker. More than meets the eye.

It’s hard to find good hookups while on tour. Sid wants pain, humiliation, and the kind of sex that isn’t easy to get from one-night stands. So for now, he’s given up, settled for an online Dom to get his rocks off, and focused on his band instead. The Underdogs are getting increasingly popular, but there is one fan who has followed Sid since before he even joined the band, and he’s driving Sid mad! Rich, spoiled hipster brat looking for the bad boy experience. If he knew what Sid was really into, he would run for the hills.

Asher is convinced that Sid is The One, his One True Love, his endgame. Years ago, Asher lost his virginity to Sid, and from that moment on, he knew it was meant to be. They had a spark, that honest connection that couldn’t be faked. The members of Sid’s band call him a stalker, but all he wants is to offer Sid his love. When Sid finally chokes out what he wants, Asher is more than ready to unleash it on him.

But the last time Sid was out as gay and submissive, he got badly burnt when his former band kicked him out, and the doors to many opportunities slammed in his face.

Asher wants the whole world to know that he’s dating Sid. Problem is, Sid would much rather keep the relationship as pain-with-benefits.

Sid and Asher have been dancing around each other for years, since their one weekend together.  Sid assumes that Asher could never be what he needs while Asher assumes Sid wants romance, they quickly learn otherwise and find that they may be perfect for each other.

Once Sid slips his needs Asher quickly shows him that it’s right up his alley.  But Asher needs someone to support and love him in return and giving his all without that isn’t helping.

These two characters have been so alone for so long and no one around them even knew it.  I felt Sid’s pain and fear when they needed to rescue his sister and how he must have felt as a teenager on his own.  Asher seems so put together but hasn’t had the love and support of a family since his past away years ago and he has never let Sid see that side of him.  Once again a simple discussion may have helped but then they wouldn’t have had the opportunity for the grand gesture.  I am loving these guys and I can’t wait for Dawn and Mage’s story.

The cover art by Natasha Snow is great.  I love the picture of Asher and Sid.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages

Published: February 4, 2018 by K.A. Merikan

Edition Language: English

Series: The Underdogs #2

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Heart2Heart Anthology

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A very enjoyable charitable endeavor by eleven talented authors.  My review is done by story:

The Set-up

A short chapter about “how Bailey the geeky programmer lost his focus.” The segment focuses on Bailey as he’s setting up the final algorithms for the new Heart2Heart dating app.  He’s distracted by a sexy window washer who pantomimes calling him.  The story breaks here and is then continued at the end of the anthology.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks – 3 stars

Shy photographer meets gregarious gamer—at first glance, the match seems destined to failure, but when the two get to know one another over a game—of course—they find they have much more in common than they’d thought.  And the interesting paranormal experiences Allen has captured on film intrigue Lawrence enough to continue their friendship to a relationship and they realize the match wasn’t so bad after all.  I didn’t feel the character chemistry in this one so only 3 stars here.

The Magician and the Mortician by AE Wasp – 4 stars

A very sweet story of a 42-year-old magician who lost his husband five years ago and has finally agreed to a blind date arranged through Heart2Heart.  The mortician turns out to be a quiet, sexy man who first saw Beto perform ten years ago and lost his heart to the magic of magic shows.  A pleasant surprise and coincidence that the two are destined to meet again.  Another unlikely match finds love.  I enjoyed the pace of this story and the characters were charming.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet – 5 stars

What an adventure!  Charlie Cochet captured the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the sweet temperament of Daniel, the cute dog walker, and the cutting-edge, dangerous personality of the assassin, Lymond.  Another two unlikelys who found their way together through the H2H app. I know a story is a keeper (and a future re-read) when I’m smiling as I read along, enjoying every minute of the adventure, totally immersed in the lives of the characters. Kudos, Charlie! 

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen – 5 stars

Phillipe is the Sommelier who is impressed, despite his initial misgivings, by the restaurant and their sommelier’s selection of wines—all provided by Heart2Heart for his first date with Angelo.  And Angelo? Oh my! Phillipe is very impressed with him as well—even when he finds out he’s an international art thief, or broker, as Angelo prefers to call himself. Full of humor, witticisms, adventure and fun, this fast-paced short story is only the beginning of the adventure in store for these guys.  I hope Chris Owen brings them back for a full-length novel. 

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner – 3 stars

This story was a lot of fun to read – from the beginning to about midpoint.  The characters and the setup were intriguing and I especially fell in love with Damien in his Superman outfit—who wouldn’t?  It looked like it would be a sweet Valentine’s Day romance, but then the author fell victim to throwing them into hot, panting sex and canceling their romantic Heart2Heart dinner date.  To be honest, it felt out of character for them—especially for Damien, and I was no longer interested in them after that. 

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton – 5 stars

Well, this one showed me that I can find an outstanding new author anywhere.  I never expected that this would be the story that would be OTT for me, but it was.  Two best friends, matched by Heart2Heart, find their way to love—a love that’s apparently been there for years but never acknowledged.  I’m definitely going to check out this author’s other work.  Excellent story. 

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox – 4.5 stars

I feel like I’m the only one of my friends who hasn’t read Lucy Lennox yet, but that’s now taken care of with this humorous, sweet MM romance.  Travis is filling in for his brother Brody as an Uber driver when he picks up a cute, young guy who is having phone sex while in his back seat.  Lots of laughs later when it gets straightened out, and lots of cuddles and loving when the two get together to solve Azrael’s problem of being a 25-year-old virgin.  Add to that, the compatibility of their “real” careers and this was a romance made in heaven.  All right, not heaven—the Heart2Heart app.  Very enjoyable!

The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer – 5 stars

Another new-to-me author that hit her story out of the ballpark.  Nothing like a big, strong, ex-Navy SEAL with a heart of gold to melt this old lady’s heart.  But add to that a snarky, strong, independent baker with a penchant for vanilla—only in his cooking—and you have the perfect recipe (pun intended) for a sweet Valentine’s Day romance.  Loved it!

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison – 3 stars

May-December romances are one of my favorite tropes and this sweet story captured the angst of the younger guy who falls in love yet again with an older guy, only to have their age difference thrown in his face, yet again.   I loved Theo ‘s character.  He reminded me of a sweet, energetic bundle of energy with a heart of gold.  And I enjoyed Harvey’s character as well—older, good-looking, gentle giant.  Though it took awhile, they finally got their Valentine’s Day wish. 

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow – 2 stars

This one was my least favorite of the stories.  The lawyer, Isaac, had an abrasive personality and the lobsterman, Will, was super-casual and flirty.  Of all the couples, they not only seemed ill-suited, but also had poor communication and I couldn’t quite get behind their togetherness.  And though all the stories are about men who shouldn’t have been matched but were, in this one I couldn’t find their commonality—their spark, so to speak.  They ended up together but it wasn’t as satisfying to me.

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy – 3.5 stars

This little tidbit was sweet and sexy, but to be honest, there was an overabundance of sex scenes. I would have liked more face-to-face, get-to-know-you time and less of the highly descriptive in-your-face sex time. Don’t get me wrong, Sloane Kennedy is one of my favorites, and I love her writing and storytelling style, but in this instance, less would have been more.  Another abrasive lawyer in this story, Harrison is matched with Nate, a cute, flamboyant twink, who eventually melts his heart, puts a smile on his face, and brings color to his black-and-white world.

The Fallout

A continuation of The Setup, which was the intro to the anthology.  It’s not clear who wrote this segment, but it’s really quite sweet and a story unto itself.   The window washer has distracted the programmer from the last testing of the algorithm of the Heart2Heart app and because of that, all the previous couples were mismatched.  Thankfully, the previous couples are more than happy with their mismatches and have contacted Heart2Heart to express their gratitude.  So the window washer and the programmer live happily ever after.  A very nice way to introduce and wrap up this anthology, the proceeds of which will benefit several different LGBTQ charities. 

In summary, not only is this an enjoyable group of stories, the authors have donated proceeds to their favorite charities.   I highly recommend this one to lovers of MM romance—especially to those who enjoy reading opposites-attract stories.

~~~

COVER DESIGN:  AngstyG/www.angstyg.com’  .The cover features a photo of two guys, one with his arm draped over the other’s shoulder, walking down a road.   It’s a nice representation of the “coupledom” of the stories within.

BUY LINK:  http://getBook.at/Heart2Heart

Anthology Details:

It will only be available for 90 days, so Tuesday, May 8th will be the last time you can purchase this anthology.
Over 162k words total, contemporary MM romance

100% of the proceeds to 3 wonderful charities:

The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Bisexual Resource Centre: http://biresource.org/

One n Ten: http://onenten.org/

Charlie Cochet on her Characters for the Heart2Heart Anthology Blog Tour (Interview, Excerpt, and Giveaway)

HEART 2 HEART ANTHOLOGY

May Archer * Charlie Cochet * Allison Hendricks * Sloane Kennedy *

Lucy Lennox * Ruthie Luhnow * Lily Morton * Chris Owen *

Poppy Dennison * Hailey Turner * A.E. Wasp

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.07.18

COVER DESIGN:  AngstyG/www.angstyg.com

ANTHOLOGY EDITOR:  Leslie Copeland

BUY LINK:  http://getBook.at/Heart2Heart

 

BLURB

Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered… What if a dating app that guaranteed you a love match broke down just in time for Valentine’s Day? What if you found yourself on a blind date with a random guy who might be your opposite in every single way? It could be a disaster. Or… When the code breaks down, fate just might take over.

Eleven of your favorite gay romance authors have joined forces to light up your Valentine’s Day with a collection of sweet, sexy, silly, and hot short stories, featuring a wacky cast of characters chosen from your reader suggestions! Morticians and magicians, superheroes and spies, lawyers and lobstermen, will all learn that love has nothing to do with algorithms… and sometimes you find it in the least-likely places.

And the best part? All proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

It will only be available for 90 days, so Tuesday, May 8th will be the last time you can purchase this anthology.

Over 162k words total, contemporary MM romance

Charlie Cochet

The Assassin and the Dog Walker

Can you tell us a little bit about your characters?

Lymond is a gruff, broody assassin who’s just trying to have somewhat of a normal life, though his hope has been slowly dwindling until he’s signed up for a blind date through the Heart2Heart app by his younger brother Jerrott. Daniel is a professional dog walker who’s always surrounded by furry friends. He’s sweet, snarky, and looking to be swept off his feet by Mr. Right.

Was writing this story easy for you to do? Or was it a little bit outside of your normal writing zone?

It was a little outside my normal writing zone as I decided to go with first person point of views for this little story, and I generally write third. I also had to make sure I focused more on the romance than the action, which I normally try to balance out the two, but this story was more about two men finding each other under the somewhat strange circumstances. It was so much fun to write.

The characters you had to choose from were readers’ submissions, correct? Were there any other characters you considered writing about before you chose this couple?

That’s write. Well, when I saw assassin, how could I not, right? As I went through the list, there were so many fabulous characters to choose from, but I needed someone who would be perfectly opposite my broody assassin, and when I saw sassy dog walker, I knew I had my couple.

What were some of the reader submissions that stood out to you, and why?

There were so many of them. Really they were all fabulous! Everything from dancers to lumberjacks. FBI agent was one I ran across before I got to my assassin, but I loved the challenge of trying to write a romance for Lymond. Keeping the story light when an assassin is involved was certainly not any easy task.

Since the anthology is only available for a limited time, (90 days) do you have any plans for your story after that?

I’m not sure yet. I have had readers asking me about Crispin and Jerrott, so it’s very likely they’ll be getting their own story.

What do you think of the line-up of authors? How does it feel to be in such great company?

It’s amazing. They’re all authors whose books I own, many favorites of mine so it was an absolute honor to be a part of this, especially since it’s for such a good cause. It’s been a lot of fun, and a fantastic experience.

Is this something you’d like to be a part of again in the future?

I would certainly work with these authors again. Schedules can sometimes make things tricky, and I tend to take part in things like this when I personally know the people involved. Many of these authors I consider friends, so there really was no question.

You’re donating the entire proceeds to charity – can you tell us more about where the money is going?

The proceeds of the anthology is going to three charities: The Trevor Project, The Bisexual Resource Center, and One-N-Ten.

Have you ever been set up on a blind date? If yes, how did it turn out?

No, I’m not that adventurous. LOL

If Heart2Heart were to match you with someone, who do you think you’d get paired with?

If the app were looking for my opposite, probably the Math professor-who’d be thoroughly horrified by the C’s I got on the subject at school, and by the blank stare on my face when they tried to explain some math formula to me. I had straight A’s and a few B+’s in everything else, but Math? Nope. 

EXCERPT

“Breathe. Just breathe.

Why the hell was I so nervous? It’s not like I hadn’t gone on blind dates before. One of these days I was going to put my foot down, and Lissa might actually listen to me. I knew my best friend just wanted to help, but every date I went on ended in disaster. It wasn’t because of the guys she picked. It was me. Or so everyone told me. According to my mother, my standards were too high, and outside of a romance novel, I was never going to find the man of my dreams, so I should stop trying to find Mr. Right, and settle for Mr. Good Enough. Thanks, Mom.

All I wanted was a little romance. Was it too much to ask to be swept off my feet? To be treated like something special, and not just a hot piece of ass? Yes, my ass was fabulous, but there were other body parts attached to it. Unfortunately, the guys I had a habit of falling for weren’t interested in those parts, especially outside of the bedroom. I had a type. Big, strong, alpha dudes were my Kryptonite. A sexy voice and chiseled jaw turned me into a puddle of whimpering need, my resolve vanishing into nothingness, much like the men in my bed did the morning after. It’s like they all turned into David fucking Blaine the moment the sun came up.

I’d even caught one guy sneaking out my bedroom window at dawn. I’d asked him if there was something wrong with my front door. He’d been so startled, he lost his balance and fell into my downstairs neighbor’s rosebushes. Served him right. When I’d looked out of my window at him, he had the nerve to tell me he forgot his gym bag, and could I could bring it down to him. I said “sure”, and tossed it out the window, ignoring the manly yelp that followed shortly after. 

“

CHARITIES

We are pleased to be donating 100% of our proceeds to 3 wonderful charities:

The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Bisexual Resource Centre: http://biresource.org/

One n Ten: http://onenten.org/

We encourage all readers to learn more about these groups and consider making a donation of your own. Every little bit helps.

 

BACKGROUND/TITLES

What began as a random idea quickly turned into a collaborative and completely voluntary effort from 11 authors, more than 130 readers, cover designer, 2 proofreaders, and one cat herder to keep it all together.

Readers were asked to submit ideas for characters, both typical and off-the-wall, and from that list, each author picked 2 seemingly mismatched guys and helped them find love.

May Archer – The Baker and the SEAL

Charlie Cochet – The Assassin and the Dog Walker

Poppy Dennison – The Electrician and the Event Planner

Alison Hendricks – The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer

Sloane Kennedy – The Florist and the Lawyer

Lucy Lennox – The Uber Drive and the Phone Sex Operator

Ruthie Luhnow – The Lawyer and the Lobsterman

Lily Morton – The Tattoo Artist and the Writer

Chris Owen – The Criminal and the Sommelier

Hailey Turner – The Superhero and the NSA Agent

AE Wasp – The Magician and the Mortician

99 cents BOOK BLAST for As You Wish by Isobel Starling

99c BOOK BLAST

Buy Links

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

AS YOU WISH (Book #1)

1 wedding, 2 best men, one hell of a love story!

Declan Ramsay was to be best man at his brother’s wedding in Scotland, sharing best man duties with the bride’s gay kid brother Sam. The best men wouldn’t meet for the first time until a few days before the wedding, so communicated by email for more than a year.

But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to see he isn’t a kid at all, but a striking, athletic blond man with a wicked sense of humor. Declan is alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself.
But is Sam Aiken all he appears to be?

About the Author

Isobel’s novel “As You Wish” (Shatterproof Bond #1) is an Amazon Best Seller on Amazon.com and Amazon France. Nine novels into her writing career Isobel has just released The Shatterproof Bond box set which contains all three novels in the series, and the first book in the M/M Romantic Comedy mystery series “Dick and the Sidekick” -“Detective Fox and the Christmas Caper”

“As You Wish” has been translated into French under the title “Comme Vous Voudrez”
The rest of the Shatterproof Bond novels will soon be available in French and German.

Find Isobel Starling here:

Facebook 

Twitter 

Website

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads 

~

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A MelanieM Review: Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Second wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need. Or will it just be a painful reminder of all they had lost?

Second chance: an opportunity to try something again that failed one time. Rush and Lincoln have shared a lot of firsts—friendship, young love, and heartbreak. Cruel reality forced the two men to choose paths that took their lives in different directions. Twenty-six years later, they get a second chance to fall in love with each all over again. Can it really be that simple, or will the same issues ruin their happiness a second time?

Happily ever after: to live happily for the rest of one’s life. Rush and Lincoln know that love and life can’t be defined by words alone. Patience, commitment, and the determination to do whatever it takes will be the only way the two men achieve their happily ever after.

Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker is a lovely, warmhearted second chance at love story, one of my favorite tropes.  Lincoln Huxley and Rush Holden have both moved on from their broken hearted teenage love or have they?  Rush Holden and his sister left home, unable to continue living under the rules and roof of his conservative, bigoted father and mother.  Lincoln Husley, unwilling to act on his feelings or give up the dream of living “normally” goes on to marry a girl and have a family on the West Coast. But twenty-six years can’t diminish the fact that Lincoln is gay or that Rush is the man he has always loved.  One divorce, and one chance meeting all those years later and sparks fly.

So many elements to admire here.  I love the way the author handled a couple whose marriage was in dissolution while the husband was figuring out how to deal with his sexuality and coming out to his wife and children.  It was realistic, gut-wrenching in a way, and done in a manner that showed all the parties as flawed, compassionate human beings who still loved each other.  Even the grown children’s reaction to their parents decision to divorce (one wanting to know who’s pushing for it), then their Dad’s later announcement of his homosexuality all rings so true.  These are great characters, fully fleshed out personalities, and they form a wonderful foundation not just for Lincoln and Rush’s relationship but for the extended family they all become as well.

The central element here, of course, is the romance and enduring love between Rush and Lincoln.  That’s such a  deeply moving storyline.  Switching between perspectives and even timelines using flashbacks, we see these men at differing times of their lives making decisions that put them on different paths.  Many scenes here will emotionally impact you to the point of sending you running for the tissues.  I can’t think now of a ammo box of Polaroid’s without sniffling.  This couple makes me smile even now.

Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker is just a wonderful story.  It’s everything you want in a contemporary romance and more.  I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Cover Art: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art.  I love this cover. Full of important elements from the story.  Great job.

Cover Photographer: WANDER AGUIAR

Buy Link: http://mybook.to/SecondWind

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published February 14th 2018 by Chasing Rainbows Press LLC
Original Title Second Wind
ASIN B079QKNW5L
Edition Language English

Aimee Nicole Walker on the Inspiration, and Fun Facts on Second Wind (Guest post,Excerpt, and Giveaway)

Second Wind Tour Banner

SECOND WIND

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.14.18

Second Wind Cover

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: WANDER AGUIAR

BUY LINK: http://mybook.to/SecondWind

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Aimee Nicole Walker here today on tour for her story Second Wind. Welcome, Aimee.

♦︎

Hello everyone. I want to thank Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me here to chat about my brand-new book, Second Wind. I’m going to talk about the inspiration for the story, give you a fun fact about the book, and share a teaser or excerpt.

About Second Wind:

The idea for Second Wind came to me while I was on vacation with my husband in eastern Tennessee. We hadn’t updated our GPS since the previous year, and the directions to the restaurant we chose for dinner took us to the back of a new high school where their outdoor athletic fields were located. So, my husband was angry as hell, but I was enthralled by the football field and the majestic mountain view for a backdrop. My creative brain fired up immediately, and I clearly saw a football game playing out. I heard the crowd cheering as the king of the gridiron scores a touchdown, the marching band playing their fight song, but what stood out in my imagination the most was the silhouette of another boy on the sideline taking pictures for the school paper and yearbook. I immediately knew three things: the king of the gridiron and the photographer were in love, nobody knew it, and their love story would take me on a journey I’d never forget.

In Second Wind, I try to honor the men and women all around the world who didn’t have an easy coming out experience or one at an early age. I tell the story of a man who tried to repress his true self to play by society’s rules and the journey he takes once he decided that living half of a life is not really living at all. I also try to show that members of the LGBTQ+ community don’t just come out one time; they have to come out each time they meet someone new. And most importantly, it’s never too late to find your happily ever after.

Fun fact about Second Wind:

I try to put little tidbits of myself in each book. I think the best way to make characters feel relatable is to give them very human habits, hopes, fears, likes, and even dislikes. In Second Wind, I put so much of me on those pages, but here is one Aimee trait for each main character.

Rush: I gave him my childhood bad habit at the penny candy counter at our ice cream parlor. Where I grew up, our ice cream parlor was called The Big Dipper. I can vividly recall the delicious way that place smelled, and it makes me so nostalgic for my childhood. I gave the guys a Scoops, and they too had a big candy counter. When I got my allowance for doing odd jobs around the house, I would walk to The Big Dipper and try to stretch that money as far as I could. I wanted bang for my buck even as a kid. I didn’t want to blow it all one one or two things. So this is how I did it. Of course, I bought an ice cream cone with two scoops. My flavor of choice back then was bubble gum, which I thankfully outgrew when I discovered rocky road. I would start in on my cone while I browsed the penny candy selection. Now, some of the candy obviously cost more than a penny. You weren’t getting a box of lemon heads for a penny, but I think they were five or ten cents. Anyway, I’d tell the poor lady behind the counter that I wanted ten of these, five of those, and ten of these other things. Then I’d ask her how much money I had left. She would count it up, give me a total for what I had left to spend, and we’d repeat until I was out of money. I eventually became more shrewd and learned to count my own money. I gave Rush this habit.

Lincoln: Growing up, Tyson chicken patties and Kraft macaroni and cheese were luxuries my single mom couldn’t afford often. They were such a special treat when I had them. To this day, I love those two things. I don’t eat them often because my tastes have advanced, but its still one of my favorite comfort foods. In Lincoln’s case, his mother detested processed chicken products and fake cheese made from a neon orange powder. He would get his fix when he went to Rush’s house.

I hope you enjoyed this behind the scene look at the making of Second Wind. That sounds a touch stuffy, doesn’t it. I hope you liked this peek into my brain. Better? Thank you so much for hanging out with me, and thanks again to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for allowing me to talk about a project that I’m so passionate about.

 

BLURB

Second wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need. Or will it just be a painful reminder of all they had lost?

Second chance: an opportunity to try something again that failed one time. Rush and Lincoln have shared a lot of firsts—friendship, young love, and heartbreak. Cruel reality forced the two men to choose paths that took their lives in different directions. Twenty-six years later, they get a second chance to fall in love with each all over again. Can it really be that simple, or will the same issues ruin their happiness a second time?

Happily ever after: to live happily for the rest of one’s life. Rush and Lincoln know that love and life can’t be defined by words alone. Patience, commitment, and the determination to do whatever it takes will be the only way the two men achieve their happily ever after.

Second Wind is a funny, sexy, and endearing standalone romance novel about love, loss, and rediscovery. It contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.

Second Wind Teaser 2

Second Wind Teaser 3

EXCERPT

I suddenly felt an invisible pull to go to the pier and ride the damn thing. No, Rush wouldn’t be with me in person, but the memory of him would be. I walked the short distance and bought tickets for the Centennial Wheel. The pier was packed with families and friends just looking to have a good time and enjoy the beautiful June weather before the serious humidity hit later in the month.

I felt a little silly as I approached the long line by myself, but I passed the time by texting Phee and checking my email. The line had suddenly stopped advancing, and I wondered if the ride broke down or something. Then I heard the chatter about newlyweds posing for photos with the grand Ferris wheel in the background.

“Look how handsome the grooms look,” someone said.

“It so good that people don’t have to hide any longer,” another person added.

I stepped out of line to see for myself, and my heart thudded to a stop in my chest before it raced with recognition. It wasn’t the grooms that held me spellbound; it was the photographer. I’d know that stance anywhere because I sure as hell had seen it enough times growing up. The camera he held in his hand was a lot different and more expensive than the ones he used to own, but the way he stood and cradled it like a rare treasure was all the same. Rush! But how was this possible? My mind had to be playing tricks on me. This moment was nothing but a fantasy brought on by all the trips down memory lane I’d made the past twenty-four hours. I would wake up to find that I fell asleep in the hotel room instead of walking to the pier.

There was no way in hell that Rush, my Rush, was a few hundred feet away from me. It had to be someone who resembled him. The photographer turned around and smiled at something his assistant said to him. I started walking toward him without stopping to think if I should. For the first time in more than twenty-six years, my world felt right. My Rush.

It felt like I’d caught my second wind.

Aimee Logo

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever- after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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