Jump into the Mystery and Romance that is ‘Investigating Julius Drake’ by Daisy Harris (tour and giveaway)

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Investigating Julius Drake by Daisy Harris
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Michelle Fairbanks

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

 

Welcome to the Investigating Julius Drake blog tour! I’m Daisy, the author, and I’ll be sharing excerpts from the book, as well as extra information about the characters, location and story. Up until recently, Seattle was my home town, and I’ve stolen plenty of locations and institutions as settings for Investigating Julius Drake. Together, we’ll take a tour through the twisty-turny, damp and caffeine-addled world that my protagonist, Henry Walker, finds himself in. Grab yourself a double, almond, split-shot, extra-foam latte, pull up a chair, and join us! And don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a $30 Starbucks gift card. Drink like a Seattleite and enjoy.

About Investigating Julius Drake

After arriving at Seattle’s prestigious Clinton Academy, fourteen-year-old Henry Walker realizes he won’t fit in. If he’s going to run with the rich and powerful, he’ll have to hide his modest background, his lack of interest in girls, and most importantly, his fascination with his handsome but troubled classmate Julius Drake.

When Julius draws Henry into the investigation of a classmate’s suicide attempt, Henry can’t resist the case—or Julius. Soon, Henry’s not only facing the truth about his feelings for Julius, but also risking his life to unmask a social media imposter. “The Other Woman” is manipulating his classmates, searching out their vulnerabilities, and driving them to desperate actions. Julius himself is at risk, what with his callous parents threatening to send him away, and his mental health taking a beating both at school and at home.

If Henry’s going to save the day and get the boy of his dreams, he’ll have to stop worrying what everyone thinks and stop pretending to be someone he’s not. Most of all, Henry will have to be honest about who he loves.

Available from Riptide Publishing. http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/investigating-julius-drake

About Daisy Harris

Born into the psychedelic wonder that was the seventies, Daisy Harris has had an interesting life so far. She’s been to Catholic school and Ramones concerts, danced to MC Hammer and Flo Rida, made the honor roll and Phi Beta Kappa, survived cholera, faced bed bugs, and she’s been a hair’s breadth from shipwreck twice. (Three times, if you count sea kayaks!)

Daisy has been a lifelong reader, devouring romance, young adult, urban fantasy, and nonfiction alike. In her professional life, she’s written medical copy and edited scientific papers. However, since 2012, she’s devoted her energy to writing gay romance full-time. That’s okay, because now on the weekends she reads medical studies for fun.

As far as Daisy’s concerned, the best things in life happen by accident. Though she’s gotten better at planning over the years, she still writes, lives, and plays by the seat of her pants. Her books are a happy mix of mysteries, romantic comedies, and coming-of-age stories, more often than not inspired by the great films of the 1980s.

Daisy lives in Seattle in a house full of dogs and children. When she’s not writing gay fiction, she can be found riding her exercise bike and testing the outer boundaries of her food processor’s potential. Every once in a while, she goes out to pay homage to the party gods of her youth—and maybe to find a little trouble.

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Investigating Julius Drake, one lucky winner will receive a $30 Starbucks Gift Card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 8, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Dinner at Jack’s by Rick R. Reed

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

dinner-at-jacks-by-rick-r-reedPersonal chef Beau St. Clair, recently divorced from his cheating husband, returns to the small Ohio River town where he grew up to lick his wounds. Jack Rogers lives with his mother, Maisie, in that same small town, angry at and frightened of the world. Jack has a gap in his memory that hides something he dares not face, and he’s probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Maisie, seeking relief from her housebound and often surly son, hires Beau to cook for Jack, hoping the change might help bring Jack, once a handsome and vibrant attorney, back to his former self. But can a new face and comfort food compensate for the terror lurking in Jack’s past?

Slowly the two men begin a dance of revelation and healing. Food and compassion build a bridge between Beau and Jack, a bridge that might lead to love.

But will Jack’s demons allow it? Jack’s history harbors secrets that could just as easily rip them apart as bring them together.

This is a story full of hurt and lots and lots of comfort. It deals with PTSD after a violent attack, though the attack isn’t described explicitly.

At first, I couldn’t stand Jack. He was a mean, horrid person most of the time. Even knowing he suffered from a mental illness, I couldn’t make myself like him. But soon enough, he got his own chapter from his POV and I started understanding him better. The two POVs are essential to me. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did, had there been only Beau’s POV.

My favourite character in the whole story was Beau’s cute little pug, Ruth. She was absolutely adorable. I loved her to bits. The way Beau leads whole conversations with her made me like him instantly. I loved that she was the boss and very much the “alpha”. Beau totally failed to be the leader of the pack that every dog owner should be, leading to some hilarious scenes with her. And I can totally relate to the feeling of “she’s so ugly, you just have to love her”. That’s the feeling I always had with my cat.

Quite a few of Beau’s chapters start with a recipe. I skipped most of those, tbh, since I’m a very lazy and unwilling cook. It’s still a unique feature I haven’t come across before. Food plays a very important role throughout the whole book.

I think the PTSD was mostly described realistically. Jack doesn’t just instantly get better thanks to lots of loving. Everybody keeps insisting that he really, really should get help from a professional, but Jack doesn’t want to.

The one thing that really bothered me was the whole set up. It’s all one huge coincidence. Not only have Beau and Jack met years ago, they also happen to be from the same small town, Maisi just so happens to go looking for a personal chef on Craigslist and Beau just so happens to actually read and, despite his better judgement, also accept the job. It was just too much to feel realistic.

Still, I enjoyed “Dinner at Jack’s”. It’s not as sugary-sweet as I’d feared. There are a lot of dark elements and the mental illness is taken seriously. But the best part was still Ruth.

Cover: The cover by Reese Dante shows Jack and Beau embracing in the snow and gnocchi at the bottom. It fits the story really well.

Sales Links

        

Book details:

ebook, 220 pages
Expected publication: October 3rd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634776712 (ISBN13: 9781634776714)
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Audiobook Review: A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C. and Robert M. Clark (Narrator)

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

a-shot-at-forgiveness-audioSometimes to find love, you must first learn forgiveness.

A dozen years, 2,000 miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi’s favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.

But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.

 

Isaac has lived with his anger towards Rafi since they were teens.  When Rafi shows up Isaac is sure he is just there to make his life hell again.

 

This story is told from Isaac’s point of view, so we see the sweet actions that Rafi does, but how they are misinterpreted by Isaac due to his tainted view.  When Isaac learns that he is the reason that Rafi plans to move to the city and transfer he is floored, but he begins to look at their past interactions to see them a bit differently.

 

Robert M Clark did a good job narrating this story.  I could connect with the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.  Even though this is a book I have read it gave me a new connection to the story listening to him.

 

Cover art is nice and catches your eye.

 

Sales Links

 

 

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 1 hrs 38 min
Published: July 6, 2016 (ebook, 2nd edition, published July, 5 2015)
Edition Language: English

Of Reading and Writing Books ~ A World of Choices! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Of Reading and Writing Books ~ A World of Choices!

Last month, our topic was focused on the audiobook as all market trends are pointing to that as the new  hot book market.  What?  Not ebooks?  I can remember when (yes, not that long ago) when the ebook was being held up as both the savior of reading and the demise of the printed form.  Neither has happened.  The printed form continues to survive simply because there will always be people who love the feel of a book in their hands and who savor the experience of turning a real page.  I know as I’m one of them.  I treasure my old print favorites that line my bookshelves.  Simply glancing over can bring up a phrase or a memory as I look at a binding.  A  ebook can never do that. But the eBook gave me other choices while bolstering the careers of authors old and new.  It enlarged our options of the types of books available, the genres often described as niche are maybe less so, and now when I think books…its anything is possible.  Libraries have ebooks, bookstores carry M/M paperbacks, and I can get audiobooks through a number of sources including Dreamspinner Press, Riptide Publishing, Less Than Three Press, Amazon…so many choices. What’s next?  And how did we get here?

When I go somewhere local, its my Kindle that goes with me and not a dog-eared paperback as in a the past or a heavy hardbound copy of the latest mystery.  I love that convenience and the light weight.  (However, if I’m heading to some place where I know the wifi will disappear like this morning’s Krispy Kreme?  Out comes the paperback.)  The eBook made other things happen however, authors were able to get their stories out to readers who wanted to read them.  Niche  publishing like M/M romances or just plain M/M or LGBT fiction established itself and grew from a few publishers into a variety publishing houses offering now a number of formats from print to ebook and yes, audiobook versions and in a number of languages.  But there are some authors who prefer to do it themselves, they go the self publishing route.  I often wonder about them…how hard it is for them to find an audience for their stories, a following for their particular outlook on writing.  How do you, the reader, find an independent author?  How do you buy your books?  Authors!  What’s your experience like as a writer?  Did you first publish in print?  Or eBook?  At a publisher?  Or self publish?  I want to hear from you!  I’ll also be reaching out to several authors and publishers in search of answers and insight.  I’ll let you know what I find.

So, that’s going to be our focus for my Sunday rambles.  A look at books..ebook from a reader’s, author’s and hopefully, a publisher’s point of view.  How its changed, how its remained the same and where we think its going.  I hope you will stay with us all month long.  I’ll be throwing in a Spooky Reading Contest or two as  well because of Halloween.

Contest Time!

My first contest?  Readers, tell me how you find your independent authors.  Buy randomly? Pick them out from Goodreads?  Already follow them?  Or maybe you don’t?  Maybe you only buy books from a publisher or a author linked to a publisher.  I want to know that too.   3 winners who leave comments will get a $10 gift certificate (Dreamspinner, or Amazon, or Riptide…your choice).  This contest will end quickly as I need the answers to use in in my blog, so think about them.  Contest ends Oct 15th, midnight. Make sure you leave your email address where you can be reached.  More winners maybe chosen if the comments are extra wonderful. Thanks.

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Meanwhile here are our winners of the audiobooks from Joel Leslie.  Congratulations!

Our 10 winners are in no particular order:

Joel will be in touch with each of you about choosing and receiving your audiobooks.  Happy listening.  For all our other listeners and readers?  New contests for ebooks starts this week.  Don’t forget to leave  your comment and email address, plus more is sure to come.  Hmmmm, meet us back here to find out.   Meanwhile this week’s schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

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This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, October 2:

  • Of Reading and Writing Books~ A World of Choices!
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 3:

  • A Paul B New Release Review: Unsafe Exposure (Hidden Wolves #4) by Kaje Harper
  • A VVivacious Review: Immortal Watch by Olivia Helling
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C. and Robert M. Clark (Narrator)
  • A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Dinner at Jack’s by Rick R Reed
  • A Paul B Release Day Review: Warrior’s Pledge by EE Montgomery

Tuesday, October 4:

  • Spotlight Tour:  Investigating Julius Drake with Daisy Harris ( Riptide Publishing giveaway)
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Pendulum by LC Davis
  • An Ali Audiobook Review:  Alaska Hunt by Shelter Somerset and John Solo (Narrator)
  • An Alisa Review: Smoke and Spots By Deirdre O’Dare

Wednesday, October 5:

  •  Cover Reveal: Line Drive by Sloan Johnson
  • Can’t Hide From Me blog tour with Cordelia Kingsbridge (giveaway)
  • Release Day Book Blast and Giveaway for Engineering Love by Jackie Nacht
  • In the Spotlight:  Soaring Hearts by A.L. Boyd (giveaway, excerpts)
  • A Caryn Review: Silences of Fallen Stars by Vivian Dean
  • An Alisa Review: A Little Blood by Aimer Boyz

Thursday, October 6:

  • Re-Release Day Blitz & Giveaway for Settling the Score by Eden Winters
  • In the Spotlight: A Pirate’s Honor by Tricia Owens ( excerpt and giveaway)
  • Audiobook Spotlight: Opposites (Opposites #1) by T. M. Smith and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: Opposites (Opposites #1) by T. M. Smith and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)
  • A Stella Review: God of Jazz: Fugue, Concord by Varian Krylov
  • A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Fear of Frogs (Brimstone #2) by Angel Martinez and Narrated by: Vance Bastian

Friday, October 7:

  • Release Day Tour and Giveaway: Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation by John Ames
  • In the Spotlight:  The Ghost in the Mirror by Faith Gibson (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Coffee Sip and Book  Break with Turn The Page…. release blitz Charity Anthology
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review:   A Kind of Honesty by Lane Hayes *
  • A MelanieM Review: Rain and Whiskey (Stormy Weather #1) by B.A. Tortuga
  • A Jeri Review: The Ghost in the Mirror by Faith Gibson
  • A Alisa Review: Model Bodyguard by Lissa Kasey

Saturday, October 8:

  • Book Blitz for The Wolves of Daos 5 by Rebecca James (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Lila Review: Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean

 

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: A Matchless Man (Lexington Lovers #2) by Ariel Tachna

Rating: 4.25 stars out of  5

a-matchless-manNone of the matches caught his eye as much as the matchmaker himself.

Growing up poorer than poor didn’t leave Navashen Bhattathiri many options for life outside of school. All of his concentration was on keeping his scholarships. Sixteen years later, he’s fulfilled his dream and become a doctor. Now he’s returning home to Lexington and is ready to prove himself to the world. In doing so, he reconnects with Brent Carpenter—high school classmate, real estate agent, all-around great guy… and closet matchmaker.

Brent makes it his mission to help Navashen develop a social life and meet available, interesting men. Unfortunately Navashen’s schedule is unpredictable, and few of those available, interesting men value his dedication like Brent does. Brent’s unfailing friendship and support convince Navashen he’s the one, but can he capture Brent’s heart when the matchmaker is focused on finding Navashen another man?

A Matchless Man (Lexington Lovers #2) by Ariel Tachna is another heartwarming, loving romance from the Dreamspun desire.  I haven’t read the first  Lexington Lovers story but this one is a definite winner.  Ariel Tachna uses her intimate knowledge of the Indian family unit to great advantage here with the character of Navashen Bhattathiri.  Navashen is returning home to Lexington, ready to settle down with his new job, wanting to buy his forever home and  finally start his new life as a out gay doctor.  Included in those plans are Navashen’s parents living close by and his adult younger brother with a learning disability brought on by a premature birth and lack of oxygen to the brain.

The family dynamics are such that you get a feel not only for the adult Navashen but for the life he had as a child as well.  You can sense the isolation of the mother (self imposed), the father’s role, that  wonderful brother.  That family, each member and its culture is vividly, sympathetically portrayed.  You understand their actions, even their fears, and it makes them come alive.

That goes for all the characters here.  From the other secondary ones like the retired math teacher and hardware store owner, to the other main one in Brent Carpenter, the real estate agent who helps Navashen find his “right” home, and get settled within the community.  Brent too has his own issues,  primarily dealing with his ex, wife that is.  Brent is bi-sexual, something that confuses Navashen who is less experienced with his own sexuality.

Tachna packs this story with quite a number of themes , each is handled honestly and with delicacy and humor.  Akshat, the brother especially jumps to mind with the  way he’s been sheltered and now starts to assume more responsibilities when he moves in with his brother.  The joy, the growth…this character just shines off the page.  Yet you never forget his history or his position in the family.  Its just terrific.

Also the way Brent’s bisexuality is talked about, his choices and Navashen’s as well.  There is adult discussion going on here, and yes, some emotional denial, but that’s all too human as well.  Tachna shows how that isolation that exists in the Bhattathira family extends in many ways to all members.  In Navashen, he’s had blinders on  until he finished his internships and got his degree.  Now he’s still focused on the house and his brother.  That’s seems very real too.

This entire story reads true.

The angst, such as it is, is believable, built on human foibles and the barriers raised up out of past fears.  But watching the characters work their way through their problems to arrive at a place where they can see a future together?  Beyond wonderful.

I loved this story.  Now I’ll have to find the first in the series to see what I missed.

Cover art by Paul Richmond shows Navashen, a terrific representation of the character.

Sales Links

        

 

Book Details:

ebook, 224 pages
Expected publication: October 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773705 (ISBN13: 9781634773706)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Lexington Lovers – add it to your Goodreads shelf here:

Unstable Stud (Lexington Lovers, #1)
A Matchless Man (Lexington Lovers, #2)

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Babe in the Woodshop by Ashlyn Kane, Claudia Mayrant and C.J. Burke

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

 

babe-in-the-woodshopWhen long hours and crushing stress push Bellamy Alexander to his breaking point, he walks away from his consulting job and drives until he runs out of gas. Fortune deposits him in front of Antonio’s, a place with decent pizza and an opening for a delivery boy. Even better, he finds an apartment right across the street from his new job. And best of all, Chris McGregor, the property manager who runs the custom furniture shop below Bell’s new digs, is super hot—and super into Bell.

It seems too good to be true—and maybe it is. Things aren’t exactly going smoothly. Bell avoids telling his mother the truth about his new job because he doesn’t want to hear how he should go back to the corporate world. On the other hand, he doesn’t think he wants to deliver pizza forever either. He’d like to think about settling down, but Chris runs hot and cold. Between Bell’s uncertainty and the hang-ups Chris refuses to talk about, they have their work cut out for them. Fortune may have caused their paths to dovetail, but it will take more than wood glue to hold them together.

Babe in the Woodshop by Ashlyn Kane, Claudia Mayrant and C.J. Burke is an all-around romantic feel good charmer.  I’m familiar only with author’s Ashlyn Kane’s stories, so  I was a little apprehensive about a novel that had not one but three authors pooling their talents to come up with one cohesive plot and characters I could enjoy and connect with.

The end result was as heartwarming and wonderful as that cover by Alexandria Corza. It just sort of glows with happiness as do the men and the people around them as the story comes to a close.  Its angst free and darn near close to perfect.

Bell Alexander has had it with his full tilt stressed to the max life.  So he opts out when his car dies in the parking lot of this pizza place in this small town he’s passing through. Turns out life has just handed him exactly what he needs and he runs with it.  He gets a job as a pizza delivery boy (the last one just retired..its that sort of town). He finds the place to live comes with an unusual feline tenant upstairs and a handsome owner downstairs.

The pace of the story is as slow and marvelously true  to the character and small town  charm of the place.  It lets you get a grasp of life as its lived there and on Bell as he slows down, unwinds, and starts to heal.

While we are learning about Bell, the author is busy giving us insight into Chris McGregor, our carpenter and property manager. There is no verbal dump of information.  A conversation here, hints there from someone else, and little by little we get the full portrait of a man whose been very hurt in the past and can’t figure out how to get over that.  Never does either man come across as anything less than believable.

Nor do they jump immediately into bed.  Nope.  The buildup is slow and steady.  I liked that too.

The only thing I wanted more of was the ending.  Perhaps I’m greedy.  Maybe I didn’t want to let go of that small town or this couple but it felt a little too  abrupt for me.  That was the only thing that kept this was being perfect.

But the rest of this?  Unless you want a lot of angst in your story, because really this didn’t have a lot of that here,  this heartwarming romance is the perfect thing for lovers of contemporary romance or just romance.  I  absolutely recommend it.  And now I’m going to have to look up those other two authors to see what they have written.  I’ll let you know what I find.

Cover by Alexandria Corza is one of my favorites.  Heartwarming and pertinent to the story. Loved it.

Sales Links

        

 

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: September 30th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634777069 (ISBN13: 9781634777063)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Paul B Release Day Review: A Nice Normal Family by John Terry Moore

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

a-nice-normal-familyLeonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Sir Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Nelson Rockefeller, Agatha Christie, Steven Spielberg, Harry Belafonte, Winston Churchill, and Richard Strauss.

These are the names that young Jackson “Jacko” Smith learned from his tutor at a young age.  Famous people who have overcame their dyslexia to do something important for the world.  He uses these names to help guide him through the decisions he makes in his life.  What some would consider extraordinary, he sees as a nice, normal life.

Diagnosed as dyslexic in pre-kinder, Jacko receives help from most of his family to overcome the disability.  While his mother would not approve any special help, his father and siblings make sure he gets the extra help he needs.  It is through his second tutor that he meets Samuel “Sammy” Collins.  The two youngsters become best friends with Sammy helping Jacko out with his school work.   As they progress through school, they must deal with setbacks life has for them.  Between bullying, lost loves, and general anxiety about the future, the boys stay friends through the years.

As they move on to adulthood, Sammy trains to be a teacher dealing with students with disabilities.  Jacko takes a job with the city cutting lawns.  His ability to think differently than most others will fuel his rise through the ranks until he gets to management.  Along the way, Jacko realizes that he has feeling that are more than friends for Sammy, who has been out and proud his whole life.  The pair marries and set off creating their life together, like any other Australian couple.  What follows leads the pair to the pinnacle of Australian power, something neither of them imagined.

This is a wonderful book that sets out the life of Jacko as he struggles with his dyslexia, issues with his mother, bullies, and xenophobic people.  While this is a book about the lives of these two men, it also deals with several issues currently facing Australia specifically and other parts of the world.  The author touches on monarchist, partisanship, foreigners, and the current debate on marriage equality in Australia.  (In the book, the issue has been settled for several years.)  The book also serves a mini-travelogue of Southeast Asian countries.  If you want a book that deals with family dynamics, a touch of politics and a friends to lovers story, I highly recommend A Nice, Normal Family.

The cover art by Maria Fanning shows the Collins-Smith family as I pictured them.  Jacko, Sammy, Max and Kate are pictured in front of a harbor on the Australian coast.

Sales Links

        

Book Details

ebook, 350 pages
Expected publication: September 30th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634775465 (ISBN13: 9781634775465)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Enjoy A Coffee Sip and Book Break with Choices by Stevie Woods (excerpt and giveaway)

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Title:  Choices

Author: Stevie Woods

Publisher: Torquere Press

Release Date: September 31, 2016

Heat Level: 5 – Erotica

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 15,600 Words

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotic-Romance, Gay Romance

Add to Goodreads

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Synopsis

Best friends since kindergarten, Ben and James are separated after college graduation by their different choices. Ben stays in their small hometown while James heads off to New York with dreams of money and success. Ben works to make his life follow the path he wants, and dreams of the day when James realizes he made a mistake and comes back home.

Each man promises to stay in touch, but this falls by the wayside as James’ life in the big city takes off, leaving Ben yearning for a dream that gradually fades as the years pass.

In New York, James finds that not all dreams are worth the cost of a wrong choice.

(Previously published by Amber Quill Press.)

Excerpt

When Ben had written to tell James of his success and pleasure in his new work, James had responded positively, but still wondered why Ben “didn’t really give it a go and study architecture” before going on to tell Ben about the lovely new end table he’d bought for his apartment.

“He still after you to take that architecture course?”

Ben jerked in surprise. He hadn’t heard Suzie come in, but shouldn’t have been surprised at her reading over his shoulder. Suzie was still very much a handful as always. It was no wonder he loved her so much.

“Don’t you know how rude that is?” He ought to try to teach her some manners.

“You should take it to your room if it’s private,” she said, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge. “Anyhow, did he?”

Ben sighed. “Yeah. He’s doing so well, he thinks I’m missing out.”

“Each to his own. You know how much I think of James, but he sure is blinkered about you.”

Ben glanced at his sister, wondering if he was just being too sensitive or if she really had guessed how he felt about James. He’d been thinking of telling his parents the truth about his leanings, but hadn’t managed it yet. It was with a sense of relief he heard Suzie add, “Thinks everyone wants to be just like him.”

“Go on; get busy with your homework.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, but left the kitchen, and after he heard her thump her way upstairs, Ben re-read the letter.

It went on that way for some time, and Ben allowed James to dominate their correspondence with news of his work and home life, the new friends he’d made and his varied social life. Gradually, however, James’ letters became less frequent, sliding to one every fortnight and then monthly, until finally they were sporadic and Ben received the last one from him about twenty months after James had left.

For about six months after that Ben continued to write about once a month with news of his family and information about Ben’s own version of success, but he finally accepted defeat when James never responded to any of them. Not even the last one where Ben had given James a kind of ultimatum: respond to tell me you want me to keep in touch or I’ll assume you wish me to stop writing to you.

Disappointment wasn’t a strong enough a word to describe how Ben felt about James’ abandonment of his past connections. He refused to consider that James had discarded him; that was just too hard to bear. He couldn’t help but think James’ new life must be everything he ever wanted, everything he dreamed of, and his hometown friends were a memory he preferred to leave behind. Sadly, Ben acknowledged the odds were that a person as wonderful as James had found that someone special and old friends—even best friends like him—were superfluous.

As much as he disliked it, Ben considered trying to email James, though if James had wanted to keep in touch he could easily have gone that route himself, but James hadn’t bothered. It seemed James wanted to let the contact fade.

For a moment, Ben considered going to New York and visiting James to see for himself just how his friend was faring in his new life, but he soon dismissed the idea. It was doubtful Ben’s unexpected arrival would be welcome. Ben would probably talk too much anyway, tell James more than he wanted to hear and more than Ben could afford to reveal. Though part of Ben thought that surely James knew how he really felt about him. Ben wasn’t too good at keeping his feelings under wraps. He’d believed, too, that James shared his attachment, but that James just wasn’t ready at the time. Perhaps one day…

The day James had left for New York, Ben had told him that he had his own dream to follow. Maybe it was time to stop living his life as an extension of James Lilley and concentrate on making more of himself. Then, when the day came that James finally did come home, he would find a new, improved Benjamin Short waiting for him.

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Torquere Press

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Meet the Author

STEVIE WOODS is a Brit living in the Northwest of England who has left her day job behind – though it’s a quandary that there still doesn’t seem to be much more free time in her day!

A long time avid reader of romance with a dash of adventure, Stevie only stumbled over ‘slash’ pairings a few years ago and was an immediate convert. Having dabbled with writing on and off for years, it wasn’t long before Stevie was tapping away on the keyboard inventing stories around two hot guys, gaining her first publication in the summer of 2007.

Stevie likes reading stories with a good strong plot and believable characters and does her best to create them in her own work.

Stevie has a soft spot for Historical settings but also thoroughly enjoys SF and Fantasy, Paranormal and Contemporary, finding the similarities as intriguing as the differences. Stevie already has a variety of novels, novellas and short stories released by MLR Press, Phaze Books and Torquere Press.

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An Alisa Audiobook Review: The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett and Narrator Rusty Topsfield

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

the-cattle-barons-bogus-boyfriend-audioIt might be a sham to his boss, but it’s all too real to him.

 

Administrative assistant Jonah Hollis has nurtured a hopeless crush on his boss, millionaire cattle rancher Lincoln Courtwright, ever since he started working for him. But hope is kindled when Linc and beautiful rodeo star Melissa Cutler break up just weeks before the biggest event of the Dallas social season, the Cattle Baron’s Ball, and Linc asks Jonah to accompany him in her place.

 

Is it all a ploy to make Melissa jealous? Can Jonah fit into Linc’s world? It takes some encouragement from his roommates and his best friend, Caylee, for Jonah to agree. Before long, Jonah dares to believe Linc might just feel something for him… until interfering family and a series of misunderstandings threaten his fragile dream of happiness.

 

This was a sweet story.  Jonah has always known he was gay, but has never found anyone that he wanted to explore it with.  The only person he can’t stop thinking about is his straight boss even though he knows nothing will ever happen.

 

When Jonah and Linc begin to grow a friendship and Jonah begins to learn new things about Linc he can’t even begin to believe that anything could happen.  He can’t seem to keep his feelings separate when Linc seems so genuine.  When someone uses his worst fears against him Linc does anything he can to show Jonah how he really feels.  The family they make with Caylee and other friends at the end of this story is wonderful to see.

 

Rusty Topsfield did a great job narrating this story.  I enjoyed listening and was able to keep track of the stories and characters which is always nice.  He was able to portray the characters emotions in his reading.

 

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

 

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon |  iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 5hrs 15min
Published July 8, 2016 (ebook first published May 15, 2016)
Edition Language: English

Release Day Tour: Morning My Angel by Sue Brown- (excerpt and giveaway)

Morning My Angel – Sue Brown

Author: Sue Brown
 
Release Date: September 29 2016
 
Length: 265 pages
 
Blurb
 
Josh Cooper, top US security field agent, is sent on an inter-agency assignment to London, when a partner in his firm goes missing in suspicious circumstances. Used to working in sole charge of his well-honed team, he clashes heads with the handsome, but pompous Cal, his UK co-operator and superior. Josh’s gut tells him something is wrong. He’s being kept out of the loop and Cal’s agenda is running on a different path. 

He also has a personal issue to deal with. He’s involved in a cyber-relationship with “Charlie”, an unknown man who connected with Josh by accident. Their banter has led to deeper respect and a sexual interest, but now Josh is faced with a growing attraction to Cal. Between this conflict and the tension of the mission, Josh’s heart and head are overworked and confused. Things can’t get much worse. 

Then Josh discovers the enemies he’s seeking have a new target: him.
 
Author Bio
 

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