Release Blitz & Review Tour – By The Numbers (Sanctuary #10) by R.J. Scott (series finale)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK


Paperback: Amazon US | Amazon UK 


Length: 37,400 words


Cover Design: Meredith Russell


Sanctuary Series


Guarding Morgan (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Only Easy Day (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Face Value (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Still Waters (Book #4) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Full Circle (Book #5) Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Journal of Sanctuary One (Book #6) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Worlds Collide (Book #7) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Accidental Hero (Book #8) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Ghost (Book #9) Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Blurb
 

Secrets and lies threaten Brandon and Danielís new love.


Brandon Hoselton is running scared, finding security in his obsession with patterns and numbers. With his family threatened, he feels he has nowhere left to go, and even considers ending his life to keep them safe. Until Sanctuary, in the shape of the enigmatic Daniel Karnes, gives him a reason to stay alive and offers the possibility of a future free from fear.


Former SEAL Daniel is new to Sanctuary, tasked with watching Brandon, a brilliant geek with way too many secrets. Falling in love with quirky Brandon is easy; now he just has to make sure secrets donít end up with them both dying.


The only way of destroying Varga is to cut the crime bossís money, and the two men become part of an intricate take-down involving millions of dollars. But Brandon has a secret he can never share with Daniel, and their new love is at stake.

When the villain has murder in mind, sometimes the only way to stay alive is to lie.

 
Excerpt
 

Brandon took down the drapes in his room as soon as he was able to. He could have asked his sisters, but they didnít know just how badly looking at the geometric pattern in the fabric upset his equilibrium. They knew he was weird; most sisters thought their big brothers were weird. But he also had twitches and nervous tics about certain things, and theyíd seen it all, even though his list of crazy was something he could manage now.


They didnít need to know heíd spent three hours last night counting the squares on the drapes and being irritated to the point of stimming that they werenít even and the stitching was wrong. And Jesus, stimmingóhaving to move his fingers, loosen his muscles, anything to ground himselfóhe hadnít done that in years.


And hell if he was going to ask Daniel into his room to help him, because Daniel was someone Brandon did not want in his space. Not taking down drapes, or talking to him, or even breathing near him. There was only so much of Daniel that Brandon could take, because when he was anywhere near him, he lost his ability to form coherent sentences. He didnít have time to have these powerful feelings of lust that kept hitting him.


Like the time he and Daniel had met on the landing and Daniel had been in just a towel. Theyíd only been together a few days, but Daniel was funny, and sexy, and dangerous, and exactly everything Brandon should be avoiding in his life.


He had way too much to worry about, and a date written in his memory that he wouldnít forget any time soon. The deal he hadóto stay alive, to hide himself away, and then to present himself to Vargaówas just about the only thing that filled his thoughts.


Varga thought that, on a given date, Brandon would join him in his huge mansion, pull together all the funds Varga had hidden in various places, and then join him in whatever country the US didnít have an extradition treaty with.


Like hell he would. He was meeting with Varga, getting all his money, dispersing it to the right causes, and sending any intel he could get out to the authorities.


And then Varga would kill him for doing that.


Inevitable, really, and something heíd come to terms with. Heíd blown his chance to do this when heíd worked for Varga, so he had to make up for it. He was doing the right thing.


Heíd been biding his time in Hope, but had been unfortunate to be scooped up by Sanctuary. He just needed to work out a way to get away from them, and in particular Daniel, but he had about ten days to go yet until that magic date when Varga had decided he would be leaving the country.


For now, Sanctuary was safe for him and his sisters.


So yeah, choosing to avoid having Daniel in his room, with his probing questions and his distracting body, was an easy decision to make in among all that crap.


The only downside was that it meant he had to take the drapes down himself.


Trying to shoot himself hadn’t gone so well; instead of being dead and gone, he had a through shot and muscle damage which hurt like knives in his skin. He waited until day four, when the pain in his shoulder had lessened to the point where he could at least manage to get out of bed and to the window but he couldnít handle looking at those drapes any longer.


Today he actually felt capable of dealing with drapes he didnít need anyway. There were blinds at the windows, and behind the blinds each window was coated so you could see out but no one could see in. He pushed the offending fabric under the bed and clambered back to a standing position, wincing in pain as he banged his shoulder, and sat on the edge of his bed.


The drapes were still thereóhe could picture them under the bedóand exasperated, he lay back on the mattress and attempted to think of something else. Blue skies, blue mugs, blue eyes. Anything blue, because it was a color that calmed him.


He lasted about a minute.


Huffing, he rolled up carefully and reached under the bed, pulling out the drapes and screwing them into a ball. Opening his door, he threw them out onto the landing, not even checking if anyone was standing there.


Daniel. Of course it would be Daniel, who reacted like a ninja and had the drapes under submission in seconds.


Once they were dead, or at least overpowered with some sort of karate move, Brandon felt like he should apologize.


ìMy bad,î he said, and shut the door in Danielís face.


He expected the knock, but hadnít quite decided what he was going to say to Daniel when he came in. Maybe if he ignored the request to enter and said nothing, then Daniel might go away.


Daniel knocked again, and this time instead of waiting for Brandon to say he could come in, he pushed his way in, looking irritable. He was shirtless, his hair wetóevidence of a recent showeróhis sweats hanging low on his hips and every muscle deliciously tight and toned.


ìWhat the hell, Brandon?î he asked, his dark eyes angry, his lips in a set line. He wasnít holding the drapes, so Brandon counted that as a win.


ìI didnít want them up at my window,î Brandon explained, and eased himself down into the chair by his bed. He was most comfortable there; he could see out the window and it was easier to keep the pressure off his injury.


ìSo you decided to throw them in my face?î Daniel sounded less pissed and more confused about getting fabric in his face.


Brandon indicated the door. ìTo be fair, I didnít know you were there.î Then he couldnít resist, ìAnd you heroically subdued them so fast, I knew you could handle the danger.î

 

Author Bio


RJ Scott is the bestselling romance author of over 100 romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men and women 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 weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.


mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts
www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Sun Still Rises (World of Love) by Laura Bailo

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

 

Erik’s father lived for Pamplona’s yearly festival and the running of the bulls. Now he’s gone, and Erik flies to Pamplona on a whim to see the festival his father loved—without booking a room first. He’s looking at sleeping on the ground until friendly David from the tourism office offers to share his home.

When Erik realizes he trusts David, that he might even be willing to face his anxiety to get to know David better, he begins to understand what this trip could mean. Pamplona is even more beautiful when seen through David’s eyes, and Erik might have traveled around the world just to find himself. But can he hold on to his newfound confidence—and to David—when it’s time to go home?

The running of the bulls in Pamplona has always fascinated me.  Combine that with the fact that the author lives there so I figured the story would be authentic in the customs and location and I was excited to read this story, The Sun Still Rises by Laura Bailo.

For the most part, the author delivered a delightful, layered story of recovery, connection, and closure that was also a romance.  That’s a lot for a book that includes a sightseeing trip to Pamplona, Spain for its well-known running of the bulls. Did I mention it’s 86 pages long?

It starts off with a conversation between Erik and his father, someone who loves the City of Pamplona and goes yearly for the running of the bulls.  Erik has never gone with him for a number of reasons that will be revealed. It’s a typical father son talk but layered over with the painful foreknowledge for the reader. We know what’s coming.

The transition forward is handled quickly in steps and I thought it was well done.  We grieve with Erik for the loss of his father, someone he was so clearly close to while learning more about Erik himself and their relationship.

The biggest jump lands us in Spain and Erik totally out of his depth in every way.  I loved every part of this section.  Erik’s meeting with David, the reader’s immersion into the city of Pamplona, the rituals of the bull running (everything from the route to the prayer), and the slide into a relationship for these two men.  Even the treatment of Erik’s anxiety attacks is handled accurately, folding it naturally within the romance itself, an element I really liked.

Another aspect of this story that I loved (and wished had been enlarged somewhat) was the character of Eli, a good friend of David’s and a fan of Erik’s. Much is made of this character, they are a big part here as well as being brought in at a timely place at the end of the story so I wanted more of them.  Perhaps the author is planning another story about them.  I hope so.

So if I loved this story so much why not a higher rating?

That ending.  This story was all about Erik needing to find some connection to his father again and some closure with his death, learning to move forward or learning that he’d been mired more than he thought in his grief and could get past it.  Connections and closure.  But the author in a way denies the readers a final, delightful closure, leaving us that final, one step away from the finish line.  I was astonished.  I’ve seen other authors use this method and I’ve never been a fan.

I’m especially not a fan here.  If you read it, tell me your feelings about the ending, I’m curious to know.  As I said I really loved everything else about the book.  At 86 pages, Laura Bailo showcased her city, wrote a sweet and gentle romance and introduced several intriguing secondary characters.  If I could only get past that ending.

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht.  Terrific cover, love the model, and the bottom with the streets of Pamplona and the bulls is outstanding.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 86 pages
Expected publication: May 17th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language English

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

A Lila Release Day Review: A Taste of Honey by Ari McKay

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Boone Phillips needs a girlfriend—now! If he shows up to the family reunion alone, his mother will throw every woman in sight at him. But the only “woman” Boone trusts enough to ask is Honey, the drag queen alter ego of his best friend, Rob. It’s a crazy idea, but Boone is desperate.

Boone wins Rob over to the idea after first going on a “date” with him as Honey, but everything feels different once the plan is set in motion. Between nosy relatives, illegal moonshine, and the sight of Rob in white lace panties, Boone starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he thought. When an earth-shattering kiss sends Rob running, however, Boone learns some surprising things about both his family and himself. Now he needs to convince Rob to give him another chance, or his first taste of Honey might also be his last.

A Taste of Honey is a charming, southern, friends-to-lovers story.  It can almost be read as two couples—Rob and Boone & Honey and Boone—with the exception of the beginning and the end where the transition between them morphs into one. And that’s the main plot in the story.

There are several tropes the author used well to bring the characters together and to give them a sense of place. The setting is an important part and the reader to see it through the characters’ eyes. The food, dialogues, and somehow stereotypical characters added to the charm.

Even when Rob cross-dresses into Honey, and is in character when they visited Boone’s family, this story doesn’t center around it. It is a sweet, slow romance that takes time to simmer. The MCs’ friendship is strong enough to carry the book.

If you are looking for a short story with nice characters and a different take on bringing “the one” home to the family, you will enjoy this book.

The cover by Reese Dante shows a perfect mix of Honey and Rob. A great hint to the story to come.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner| Amazon | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook, 88 pages
Published: May 17, 2017 (Second Edition), by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-63533-580-4
Edition Language: English

 

J.C. LONG on Characters, Writing, and his new release ‘Hearts in Ireland’ (Guest Blog/Tour)

Hearts in Ireland (World of Love) by J.C. Long
D
reamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs | Tibbs Design

Available for Purchase at

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host J.C. Long here today on his Hearts in Ireland blog tour. Welcome, J.C.!

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Welcome everybody to the next stop on my Hearts in Ireland blog tour! I’m J. C. Long, author  of Hearts in Ireland, coming May 10th, 2017! I’m so glad to be here on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. I love to talk about myself (just joking, haha. Okay, maybe not entirely a joke) so today I’m bringing you an interview! The people folks here at SW&RT asked some really good questions, and I’m really excited to answer them! Without further ado, on to the questions!

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I try to make my characters far more well-rounded than I am. If a majority of my characters were like me, the stories would be pretty boring pretty quickly, I think. But, with that said, there are definitely elements of my personality or little quirks that do shine through into the characters, though I don’t often realize it until I’ve finished writing. Noah Potter in my novel A Matter of Duty shares my love of spicy food and aversion to certain textures of food, like tofu. The self confidence issues that the character Tate suffers in Broadway Babe are very much my own. But Ronan, from this upcoming story, is the closest to me. He has the most of me I think I’ve ever put into a character.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

I think it’s important for an author to avoid the perfect, idealized characters as much as possible. Perfection is boring. No one wants to read a character that doesn’t make a mistake, because those are usually characters with absolutely zero agency.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

Honesty time: I hate most research, which does influence what I write, I think. Let’s just say you will NOT be getting a Victorian era historical from me (I hate that era, anyway). When I select a project that requires research, I always want it to be something that I love and am interested in. My Hong Kong Nights series required quite a bit of research into the city, but I found it to be really interesting and fun. Science fiction and fantasy have a great appeal because of the ability to make up worlds and cultures as I go along.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

Yes! I have a contemporary romance WIP that’s sitting about 75% finished. I can’t touch it yet. It involves a character who loses his grandmother, who raised him. This time last year my grandmother passed away, and that loss was devastating. Any time I approach that story I get overwhelmed and can’t think straight. I hope to finish it one day, when the time is right, but for now it’s on hold.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

I didn’t read romance much as a teenager; I was far more into scifi and fantasy. I do read it now as an adult. I’ve developed an appreciation for just how wonderful the genre is (and how difficult to write, as a writer, when the world is a dark and scary place).

How do you choose your covers?  (curious on my part)

I like this question. Part of the cover process for me is trusting the artist and the publisher. They know what’s marketable and what will sell the best. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve loved all of the covers I’ve had for my books. With Hearts in Ireland I was given three choices, and I was stuck between the one you see and a second. My boyfriend actually was the tiebreaker for me.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

My favorite? That’s a bit difficult. Each story is meaningful to me in its own way. This one is the one that my heart is most invested in, I’ll say that. I can tell you my least favorite—it’s always the one I’m working on right now!

What’s next for you as an author?

I’ve got a busy year ahead of me! I’m currently working on the follow-up to Broadway Boys. When that’s finished I’m jumping into the third book in my Hong Kong Nights series and after that the third book in my Gabe Maxfield Mysteries series (the first and second will be out sometime this year).

Blurb:

When the future is shrouded and it’s hard to find direction, maybe it’s time to let the heart lead the way….

Ronan Walker stands at a crossroads, unsure how to pursue his education… unsure if he even wants to. Now that his mother is gone, all he has left are the wonderful stories of her youth in Ireland, and he’s drawn to the land of his ancestors. There, he seeks out his mother’s family and meets Fergal Walsh, who works at Ronan’s aunt’s bookstore. A love of literature facilitates a fast friendship between the two men, and even though Ronan cannot deny the potential—and his desire—for more, he cannot see a future for the two of them when he leaves Ireland. Fergal must persuade Ronan to give school in Dublin a chance—and convince Ronan that his heart has already found its home.

 

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

About the Author

J. C. Long is an American expat living in Japan, though he’s also lived stints in Seoul, South Korea—no, he’s not an Army brat; he’s an English teacher. He is also quite passionate about Welsh corgis and is convinced that anyone who does not like them is evil incarnate. His dramatic streak comes from his lifelong involvement in theater. After living in several countries aside from the United States, J. C. is convinced that love is love, no matter where you are, and is determined to write stories that demonstrate exactly that.

His favorite things in the world are pictures of corgis, writing, and Korean food (not in that order… okay, in that order). J. C. spends his time not writing thinking about writing, coming up with new characters, attending Big Bang concerts, and wishing he were writing. The best way to get him to write faster is to motivate him with corgi pictures. Yes, that is a veiled hint.

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Blog Tour and Giveaway for ‘I Do, or Dye Trying’ by Aimee Nicole Walker (A CURL UP AND DYE MYSTERIES Story)

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I DO, OR DYE TRYING

CURL UP AND DYE MYSTERIES SERIES, BOOK 4

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE/MYSTERY

IDODT Cover

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wander Aguiar

COVER ARTIST:  Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art

MODELS:  Jacob and Matthew

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Aimee Nicole Walker here today.  She’s agreed to answer a few questions for us. Welcome, Aimee!

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~Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words Interview with Aimee Nicole Walker~

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  • Do you plot out your stories or do you let your stories “write” themselves?

I let the stories write themselves. I jot down a few plot points that I’d like to hit, and I make a Cast of Characters page where I add the characters as they pop into the story. That’s as organized as I get when it comes to plotting the story. I’m much more rigorous and structured when it comes to sitting down and writing the story.

  • Have you ever found yourself caught up emotionally with the lives of your characters to the point you temporarily stopped writing because you weren’t sure you could handle where it was going?

Absolutely! There are times that I know a character has experienced hardships in their lives, but I rarely know what those times entail until they reveal them to me since I don’t plot in advance. There have been many times that I’ve sat and cried when their story came to me. The kneejerk reaction is to step away from the book right then, but I’ve learned to work with that emotion instead of pushing it away.

  • Does one type of genre speak to you more than another?

As a reader, it was mainly contemporary romance for the past few decades. That’s why I naturally started writing it. I find that my preferences now lean more toward a romance/mystery combo and even paranormal romance. I still want romance to be a main part of the storyline, but the other aspects intrigue me. I get blown away by the talent and imagination that goes into writing paranormal and fantasy books.

  • What’s the wildest evolution a character of yours has ever done?  Or do yours pretty much stay on point?

My characters never stay on point, and they surprise me every single day. There have been many times that I thought, “No, that’s now how this is going to go,” as I write whatever the character reveals to me. I’ve learned to just go with it. The character who surprised me the most was JJ from Perfect Fit. He was much deeper and more complex than I knew until I sat down and wrote his story.

BLURB

 Newly engaged Josh Roman and Gabe Wyatt know the road to happily ever after won’t be easy, but the two men are certain their biggest challenges are in the rearview mirror. However, life in Blissville is never what it seems and all signs point to dangerous curves ahead.

Josh and Gabe refuse to take a detour because everything they’ve dreamed of is within reach, not even when professional and personal revelations threaten to wreck their plans. It should be the happiest time in their lives, yet neither man can shake the feeling that something sinister waits around the next corner.

Buckle your seatbelts and hang on for the ride because Josh and Gabe are committed to saying “I do” or die trying.

I Do, or Dye Trying is the fourth book in the Curl Up and Dye Mysteries series. These books need to be read in order as the storyline unravels throughout the series. They contain sexually explicit material and are intended for adults 18 and older.

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 Video Trailer: https://vimeo.com/215362953

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EXCERPT

 

I expected Gabe to toss me down on the bed and start tearing off our clothes, but he slowly lowered me to my feet so that I could feel how excited he was when my body slid down the length of his. I looked into his gorgeous brown eyes and realized it was going to be a slow burn kind of night with our emotions on display and not hidden behind rutting and grunting.

Gabe cupped my face in his large hands and stared into my eyes. Thunder from the approaching storm rumbled louder and longer as it neared us. I thought it fit the mood perfectly since the emotions I saw in Gabe’s eyes were as stormy as the weather. I knew him well enough that I could easily name them: desire, devotion, and love—so much love. “It’s just the two of us now from here on out, and it’s a damn good thing because there will never be a man who loves you the way that I do.”

Truer words had never been spoken, and they deserved a response that was equally honest and free of snark. I slid one hand around Gabe’s neck and covered his heart with the other one. “I didn’t know I was capable of loving someone the way that I love you; I didn’t know my heart could feel so full. I surely never dreamed that a man like you would love me the way you do.”

We started undressing slowly and treated every inch of revealed skin like a cherished gift we’d been waiting for our entire lives; flesh that was too precious not to kiss or taste. There was a slight tremble to Gabe’s hand when he bumped his fingers teasingly along my spine and to his lips when he pressed them to the skin over my heart.

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.

FACEBOOK

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Dyeing to be Loved, Book 1

Something to Dye For, Book 2

Dyed and Gone to Heaven, Book 3

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An Ali Review: Faking It (Ringside Romance #2) by Christine d’Abo

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Max Tremblay should be happy. His night club, Frantic, is one of the most popular gay clubs in Toronto, and his childhood refuge, Ringside Gym, is well on the way to reopening. But when he finds yet another drunk in the alley beside the bar, Max isn’t sure this is the life he truly wants.

Grady Barnes has it all. He’s rich, famous, and wants for nothing. Well, nothing but a good relationship with his father. When he discovers that his father is going to force him into an arranged marriage, Grady has had enough. He tracks down Max, the man who got him to safety after a night of overindulgence, and makes him a proposal: pretend to be his fiancé for two weeks and he’ll invest in Ringside Gym.

When the pair travel to Vancouver to attend a family wedding, the flames of their mutual attraction ignite, and they discover that the only difference between pretend and reality is how well they can fake it.
 
I totally love the fake boyfriend trope.  I don’t know why because I wouldn’t believe it for minute in real life, but I love reading about them in books.  This story did not disappoint.  This was one of the better ones I’ve read.
Max helps Grady one night at his club and a series of events lead to them pretending they’re a couple while they attend a wedding for Grady’s brother.  How hard can it be?  Well, as it turns out, pretty hard.  Max underestimates the horribleness that is Grandy’s family.
 
The two men find they are genuinely attracted to each other but Grady’s personal life is a mess and he can’t be a partner to Max when he can’t even deal with his own life.  The story takes a serious twist mid way through and it becomes a story filled with emotions.  There’s a bit of heartache for everyone involved before we finally get to their hea.
 
This is the second book in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone.  There are a few appearances by characters from the first story but only in a peripheral way.  
 
I enjoyed this one a lot, even more than the first book in the series, and it’s one I would definitely recommend.
 
The cover is done by L.C. Chase and I think she did a great job of it.  The cover is striking and catches your attention right off.  It’s also complementary to the cover on book one.
Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 238 pages
Published May 8th 2017 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN13 9781626495531
Edition Language English

Andrew Grey on Writing, Inspiration, and Setting the Hook, his latest release (author guest blog and excerpt)

Setting the Hook by Andrew Grey
Publisher:
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Release Date: May 12 2017

 

Sales Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Dreamspinner Press

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Andrew Grey here today talking about Setting the Hook, his latest story and the inspiration behind it. Welcome, Andrew.
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On Inspiration and Setting the Hook by Andrew Grey
Labor Day weekend I had the opportunity to fish on the gulf for the first time.  It was an amazing experience and I had an incredible time  And as you can guess, I looked out over the water, fishing, talking, laughing, and the entire time my mind is running though how I could use all the experiences in a book.  I stored them away until the idea for Setting the Hook started developing in my mind.  I do have to tell you that while the situations were different, that weekend we did experience many, of the things in the story, including the hurricane, catching the sharks, as well as meeting some amazing people who left an impression on me.    I can’t wait for my next fishing trip so I can see what comes out of that.  ~ Andrew

Blurb/Synopsis:

It could be the catch of a lifetime. William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.

William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.

Mike started his Apalachicola charter fishing service as a way to care for his daughter and mother, putting their safety and security ahead of the needs of his own heart. Denying his attraction becomes harder with each of William’s visits.

William and Mike’s latest fishing excursion starts with a beautiful day, but a hurricane’s erratic course changes everything, stranding William. As the wind and rain rage outside, the passion the two men have been trying to resist for years crashes over them. In the storm’s wake, it leaves both men yearning to prolong what they have found. But real life pulls William back to his obligations. Can they find a way to reduce the distance between them and discover a place where their souls can meet? The journey will require rough sailing, but the bright future at the end might be worth the choppy seas.

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

Excerpt 

Dean got his bag and began slathering himself up. William already had, and he smelled of coconut and the rich, almost sweet scent that Mike would know anywhere. He kept his attention where it needed to be, but William kept tugging at his senses.

Mike knew he was attracted to William. He’d figured that out the first time William had showed up for a charter. Mike had taken one look at his broad shoulders and small waist hugged inside a tight T-shirt that might have been one size too small and his heart had raced. Mike still had fantasies about that white shirt that showed off the ripples in William’s belly and the way William’s nipples stuck out the perfect suckable amount. It had been hard for Mike to keep his attention where it needed to be, and now, even after four years, it wasn’t any easier. William was the kind of guy Mike could fall for. But that wasn’t going to happen. The list of reasons was so long, it could reach to the bottom of the Gulf.

William was a sophisticated man from the Northeast who worked in the family business, making engine parts for tractors, cranes, bulldozers, and all kinds of specialty engines. He lived outside Providence and was highly educated. There wasn’t any way a guy like him would be interested in someone like Mike. Besides, Mike saw him two times a year for the better part of a day when William came fishing. Their lives and worlds couldn’t have been more different, so whatever interest Mike might have in William was going to remain that—interest. Not action, and certainly nothing more than friendship of a sort. The fact that William got Mike’s motor running faster than the one on the boat was immaterial. He lived in Apalachicola, a town of two thousand people who made their living on the Gulf and where most people had family going back generations. There weren’t gay people in town as far as he knew, and Mike had no intention of being the one and only so folks could look at him differently.

“Mike,” Gordon called, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Are we getting close?”

“Yup.” Mike verified their position and turned on the fish finder, slowing down and checking out what was underneath them. “Go ahead and drop.” He slowed their speed even more, and Gordon released the anchor.

They came to a stop, the boat rocking on the waves as they got the guys ready. Mike let Gordon do his thing, and soon both Dean and William were reeling them in.

“I got a huge one!” William cried, his line whizzing out from the reel.

“Mike!” Gordon cried. “It broke the reel.” He hurried over as the line came to the end, nearly jerking the pole out of William’s hand.

Mike come up right behind him, taking hold of the rod as well, pressing to William’s back. “Get the large line spool. We can roll it onto that by hand.” He didn’t want to move but put space between them anyway, grateful for the distraction. Whatever William had was strong and large. Gordon passed him gloves, and he yanked them on, then pulled in more and more line. Foot after foot the line was retrieved, and William’s catch got closer to the surface.

“Shark,” Dean cried, pointing as a large yellow-gold body appeared from under the water.

“It’s a nurse shark,” Gordon said. “Odd to catch one during the day.”

Mike nodded his agreement. “I’d guess it’s about six feet.” He pulled back as the shark broke the surface right near the boat. “Someone snap a picture.” He held the line still, and Gordon got some pictures. So did Dean. Then Mike cut the line, and the shark took off back down into the water.

“Do you think it will survive?” William asked.

Mike shrugged, watching the waves, and thankfully the shark didn’t make an appearance as a floater.

Dean returned to his line, got a bite, and hauled in a really nice-size grouper, which went into the box with more ice.

“Let’s move on.”

Gordon hauled in the anchor, and they went in search of another location.

The morning passed with some nice catches. Dean and William ate lunch in the shade as Mike tried to locate a spot he’d had good luck with before. Out of habit and because of his mother’s warning, he checked the weather reports once again.

“Wind on the Gulf is still expected to diminish, as are the waves. However, Hurricane Marshall is continuing its fast pace toward the Space Coast, showing no signs as yet of turning north, has picked up speed, and will likely make landfall near Daytona Beach. It is now expected to turn north and ride up the center of the state and into Georgia.”

Mike sighed and took off his headphones. The weather wasn’t threatening, but he’d check in another hour for another update. Mike wasn’t so concerned about getting caught in the storm itself as much as the storm entering the Gulf and stirring up the waves.

He found a good location, and Gordon threw the anchor. While the guys fished, Mike ate his lunch and then switched with Gordon so he could eat as well, and William offered them whatever they wanted from his overflowing cooler.

The next few hours fell into a routine for Mike and Gordon, interrupted by Mike’s occasional daydreams about William. Mike checked the weather every few hours. The next check had little new information, but the report at two was disturbing.

“Hurricane Marshall made landfall at Daytona Beach and has been downgraded to a tropical storm. The eye is currently twenty miles north of Orlando. It continues to move west-northwest at twenty-nine miles an hour and is now expected the enter the Gulf as a tropical storm, but could strengthen once it gets over water. Stay tuned for further advisories.”

Mike’s stomach clenched and he looked to the east. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the storm was hundreds of miles away. Usually Mike stayed out until six and then headed back to the marina.

About the Author

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

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

Author Links

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

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Two for Trust by Elle Brownlee

Rating: 3. 5 stars out of 5

A fairy-tale vacation—if he can get the ending right.

American nurse Finch Mason steps beyond the comfort of his orderly life and takes a dream trip to England, complete with a National Trust Pass so he can visit numerous historical sites. At the first one on his list, he’s warmly welcomed—and told he bought a pass good for two.

Finch doesn’t hesitate to offer the pass to Benedict, a handsome Brit also there on an outing. They spend a magical week touring the countryside, and while it’s too soon to get attached, Finch wishes their time together would never end.

Then Finch finds himself stuck abroad with no money, and he has no one to turn to but Benedict. Benedict is happy to help, but he also owes Finch some answers—such as who he really is and why he was at the estate where they first met.

Two for Trust by Elle Brownlee is a very old fashioned romance.  It reminds me very much of those old movies and books where the heat was in the touch of a hand and the shared looks because that’s pretty much all you’re going to get here.  This is romance sans the physical aspect except for the kiss and the implied “togetherness” to come.  Fade to black.

However, the rest was charming,  maybe a little fusty in that old way I’d forgotten, that I enjoyed the book for what it was.  A slow buildup of a relationship between Finch and Benedict and when I mean slow I mean molasses on a cold winter morning slow.  They aren’t clueless about the way they feel about each other. No, but it’s tied up in all sorts of things money, and estates and well, British.  Honestly Finch reads more English then he does American. If I forgot about the fact that he’s supposed to be from the US, then it fit better.  Finch could be anyone away on his first big trip and it works.  His mistakes are those of a first timer and are very believable.  Brownlee has made him a nurse and his inclination to help, to jump in and rescue defines his character.  We get Finch, and so does Benedict, although not that he wants to at the start.

What makes this book so lovely and warm are the characters that Brownlee creates for it. Not just Benedict and Finch, but all the wonderful supporting cast, including the ones at the manor to Benedict’s family that ends up playing a major role in their relationship.

Eddie Izzard does a very funny bit in his routine about the difference between US and British films.  He talks about in the British one (Room with a View) , romances where the mc is shuffling matches to the American ones where we switch it up to Room with a View of Hell, Pond of Hell etc.  If you haven’t seen the bit, You Tube it or click on the link, it’s brilliant.  This story is the shuffling matches one, with just one or two nods to the American in it.

Anyhow, now I’m thinking about Eddie Izzard.

If you like sweet stories with zero heat and lovely characters, then this Dreamspun Desires addition from Elle Brownlee is just the thing for you.

Cover Artist: Bree Archer.  Design and art works for branding the series and this story.  Nicely done.

Sales Links

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 252 pages
Expected publication: May 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN B071KTP61X

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Carpenter and the Actor (Ellery Mountain #3) by RJ Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I really enjoyed this third story in the series that started with The Fireman and The Cop, and moved to the Teacher and the Soldier—the stories of Finn and Mal, and Daniel and Luke—all of whom make an appearance in this one.

In this installment, Kieran finally gets his chance for a happy ever after when he meets Jason McInnery, an actor taking a break from the paparazzi and craziness of his Hollywood lifestyle by seeking solitude in the Ellery Mountain Cabins where Kieran is the all-around carpenter and handyman. Jason’s brother died a year ago, in an accident with the sportscar Jason gave him so he’s carrying survivor’s guilt and feeling the loss desperately as the anniversary nears. But the photographers haven’t left him alone with his grief and he’s nearing the end of his rope.

When he spots Kieran, he’s immediately attracted, but when he later spies him bent over, working on a project, he decides to propose a two-week fling with the cute young man while he’s in the area. As it turns out, the perky, talkative, smaller man is the more dominant of the two, and they embark on some very hot and heavy fun with rope, among other things. But it’s what develops between them outside the bedroom that makes both men think twice about the two-week time limit.

Nevertheless, neither is willing to propose a solution until just before Jason leaves, when they break down and agree they want more. Can they make it work? After all, Hollywood and the Tennessee mountains are pretty far apart. This is a sweet romance with engaging characters, as were the others in the series, and we get the bonus of return visits with old friends as they work together on Daniel’s plans for a home for returning vets who have no family. I liked both the story itself and the fast pace of the romance. They definitely deserved to be happy together.

If you like sweet MM romances that you can polish off in a day and feel good when you finish, by all means, consider this and the others in the series.

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The attractive cover by Meredith Russell is similar to others in these new editions in that the background is an eye-catching sky blue with the lower pane featuring a panorama of the mountains and the upper pane featuring upper body shots of both MCs—the blond Kieran and the brunet and bearded Jason.

Sales Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2plC1kk

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2r307xx

Book Details:

ebook
Published May 10th 2017 by Love Lane Books Limited (first published April 29th 2013)
RJ Scott Website
Series Ellery Mountain #3

Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Teacher and the Soldier (Ellery Mountain #2) by RJ Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I really enjoyed this second story in the series that started with The Fireman and The Cop, the story of Finn and Mal, both of whom make an appearance in this one. Primarily featuring Finn’s friend, Daniel Skylar, whose mother owns half of the Ellery Mountain cabin property where most of the guys live, Daniel is stunned almost speechless when he comes face to face with Luke Fitzgerald, who has returned to town to settle his father’s estate. His father was the nasty drunk killed in the first book, and Luke, a victim of his father’s physical abuse through his teen years, has not been back since he ran away at age eighteen.

Now, he has to sign papers for the other half of the Ellery Mountain Cabins business so that he can put the property up for sale, get back out of town, and hopefully, never look back.

At first, his time is spent hiding in his hotel room. His panic disorder is running high and he’s extremely resentful toward townsfolk, principally Daniel’s mother, who failed to intervene when his dad was beating him during his high school years. But when he finally ventures out and manages to try to conduct a civil conversation with Daniel, he loses his temper and pops him in the jaw. Not one for physical violence, the former soldier recognizes signs of anxiety and refuses to engage. In fact, he takes the time to get to know Luke and helps him to calm.

Over the few weeks Luke is in town, although he still wants to leave when the paperwork is settled, he comes to know Daniel, Finn, Kieran, Max and others and finds himself hovering between staying and going. His relationship with Daniel has progressed from friend to friends-with-benefits and now it appears that it may be even more than that. When he gives up and decides to head out of town, will Daniel be able to stop him? Does he even want to?

This is a sweet romance with engaging characters and return visits with old friends. I liked both the story and the pace and both characters were really wonderful men who totally deserved to be happy together.

I’m looking forward to the next in the series when we finally get to see what happens with Kieran.

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The attractive cover by Meredith Russell is similar to others in these new editions in that the background is an eye-catching sky blue with the lower pane featuring a panorama of the mountains and the upper pane featuring upper body shots of both MCs.

Sales Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2q6M89I

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2pl6IX4

Book Details:

ebook, Second
Published May 10th 2017 by Love Lane Books Limited (first published April 22nd 2013)
URLhttp://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-school-teacher-and-soldier.html
SeriesEllery Mountain #2