Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

Its Release Day for Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote!

ImperfectHarmony_FINAL

Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote

Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Release Date: Friday 15th of April 2016
Goodreads link

Blurb

Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful…

John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He’s shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he’s lost. When his neighbour persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.

Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John’s attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.

Despite the nineteen-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they’re going to harmonise in life and love as they do in their music, they’ll need to start following the same score.

Length: 66,000 words
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Standalone

Excerpt

Luckily there were still some parking spaces outside the church hall where Maggie’s choir met. John made sure they arrived a little early so Maggie wouldn’t have to walk too far. She was managing well on one crutch, but she still tired easily. After he parked, he got out and hurried around to help her out of the passenger door.

“Thanks, love,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I can manage now.”

A vicious gust of wind whipped a strand of hair into her face. It was dark, still sleeting, and probably slippery underfoot. There was no way John was going to leave until she was safely indoors. “I’ll just see you inside. Let me take your bag.”

Maggie let him have it without argument, and he popped it over his arm. He hovered close to Maggie as she made her way slowly to the double doors. He held one open for her and was hit by a blast of warm air. Then he accompanied her inside as she crutched along the corridor towards an open door. Yellow light flooded out, and the sound of a tenor voice singing “I Can See Clearly Now” raised the hairs on the back of John’s neck with its pure, clear beauty.

“I thought you said the emphasis was on fun rather than perfection?” he said quietly. “He’s got quite a voice.”

“That’ll be Rhys, our choir leader,” Maggie said with a smile. “Come and meet him, even if you’re not staying.”

Maggie paused when she reached the doorway and put a finger to her lips. They listened and waited for Rhys to finish singing. John peered over Maggie’s shoulder, hoping for a glimpse of the man the voice belonged to. Rhys, John presumed, was alone in the room. With his back to the door, he stood at a table pushed to the edge of the room, shuffling through some papers as he sang. All John could see of him was that he was small and slight, and quite young, based on the cut of his clothes. A hood covered his hair.

When he finished, Maggie started clapping.

Rhys wheeled around. “Oh my God! You made me jump.” He pushed his hood down and his face lit up as he beamed. “Maggie. How are you?”

John’s eyes widened as he took in Rhys’s front view as he approached Maggie and gave her a careful hug. His hair, which was shaved at the back and sides, was long on top and dyed peacock blue. His eyebrow was pierced, his arms were covered with tattoos, and the front of his T-shirt was emblazoned with a glittery equals sign in rainbow colours. All in all, he was at least twenty years younger than John had expected and completely unlike how John would have imagined a choir leader to look. In this dingy church hall in their small market town, Rhys looked like a bird of paradise that had accidentally ended up in a cage full of sparrows.

Sales Links

The buy links are:
 *Imperfect Harmony will be exclusive to Amazon for 90 days. After that it will be available at all retailers.

About the Author

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

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

In the Contemporary Spotlight: Second Skin by Alex Whitehall (New Adult Release and giveaway)

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Second Skin by Alex Whitehall
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

Hello, everybody! I’m Alex Whitehall, and I’m here today touring for my New Adult story, Second Skin, which is about Jay and Roswell, who are on a journey of love, acceptance, and self-discovery.

About Second Skin

When Jay heads to the university’s learning center for help with his math class, he doesn’t expect his tutor to be tall, dark, and handsome. But Roswell is all that and more, and their instant connection over cult movies, books, and TV shows quickly evolves into dating.

That’s when things get tricky.

Roswell might claim he doesn’t have issues with Jay being trans, but when he’s constantly insisting they “take it slow,” Jay’s not so sure. He’s been hurt before, and he’s not going to let it happen again.

But then Roswell reveals that he, too, has a few secrets under his skin.

About Alex Whitehall

If there are two types of people in the world, Alex Whitehall probably isn’t one of them, despite being a person. Their favorite pastimes include reading, horseback riding, sleeping, watching geek-tastic television, knitting, eating, and running. And wasting time on the internet. And spending glorious evenings laughing with friends.

While Alex prefers sleeping over doing anything else (except maybe eating), sometimes they emerge from the cave to be social and to hunt for food at the local market. They can be found blogging, reading, and tending after their aloe plants.

Connect with Alex:

SecondSkin_TourBanner

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Second Skin, Alex is giving away $25 in Riptide credit. Leave a comment to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 16, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Cover Reveal for the Honor Anthology

Title: Honor Anthology
Author: Emily Snow, Chelsea Camaron, MJ Fields, Daryl Banner, Lacey Black, S.M. Donaldson, Misha Elliott, Ellie Keys, Amanda Lanclos, Ryan Michele, and Dawne Walters
Release Date: May 30, 2016
For Memorial Day 2016, eleven authors have come together to honor those who lost their lives while defending our freedom. Enjoy eleven brand new military-themed stories, which may contain a few familiar faces. 
Through happiness, struggles, love, loss, appreciation, and sorrow, these stories will leave you red hot and wanting more. 
All proceeds from the sales of The Honor Anthology will be donated to the Honor the Sacrifice charity. 
*Contains adult language and content not suitable for readers under the age of 18* 

 

Includes stories from: 
NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Emily Snow 
USA Today Bestselling authors Chelsea Camaron and MJ Fields 
along with 

HOSTED BY:

A Paul B Review: Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars       ★★★★★

Enemies of the StateEthan Reichenbach is the lead agent in the President-Elect’s Secret Service detail.  He expects to spend the next four or eight years being shadowing the man just elected to live in the White House.  What he did not expect is to become the new President’s friend. Nor did he expect to develop a crush on the man in the first few months after they move to Washington. Doing so would break so many Secret Service rules and would be grounds for dismissal.  Not to mention that the President is straight.  This breaks Ethan’s personal rules of never getting involved in a relationship and never falling for a straight man.

Jack Spiers has spent the fifteen years since his wife’s death in combat in public service.  Focusing on veterans and their families, he has held several posts in Washington.  Having been elected President should be the pinnacle of his career.  But having lost his wife a long time ago, Jack finds the office lonely.  He turns to his lead Secret Service agent for friendship, which Ethan is hesitant to give at first.   However, as their friendship develops, Jack is surprised when one night Ethan kisses him.  To say that Jack is surprised would be an understatement.  As the two put distance between them, Jack still wants Ethan to be his friend.  But Jack begins to realize that he has feelings for Ethan as well.  He wants to find a way to make this work.

Against this backdrop, Jack is still President.  He must deal with a world that has basically gone to hell in a handbasket the last ten years.  With China and Russia both occupying countries and the Islamic Caliphate causing trouble both in the Middle East and around the world through terror attacks, Jack has his hands full.  However, the real trouble might be right under Jack’s nose.  An American general is working with agents in the Middle East to bring about even more instability to a region already at war.  As Jack works toward bringing peace to the world, there are others who are trying to insure that he does not succeed.  Ethan must work to protect the man who is not only the President but also his lover.

In order for a political thriller to work, the premise behind the book must work.  Set approximately 10-30 years in the future, Enemies of the State describes a world that could possibly exist at that time.  The Islamic Caliphate (ISIS/ISIL) has grown bolder with the passage of time, as has Russia with their land grabs.  The English, French and Germans are battle weary after numerous terrorist attacks.  Into this world, Jack must try to bring all sides together to prevent the start of World War III.

The other part of a good political thriller is the romance.  I loved the slow building romance between Ethan and Jack.  Ethan, the gay Secret Service agent, knows that a relationship with Jack is wrong on so many levels.  But are the signals the President is sending him real?  Jack is alone in the White House and needs a friend.  What could be wrong with that?  They begin to learn about each other as they work through their own problems with this relationship.  I look forward to see where the next book goes with both this relationship and the various subplots that are left unresolved.

The cover art by Aria Tan shows Ethan and Jack above the Washington skyline.  It is a fitting cover for the book.

Sales Links:   NineStar Press | Amazon |  ARe

Book Details

ebook, 324 pages
Published February 15th 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153337
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series:  The Executive

Enemies of the State (The Executive #1)

A Jeri Review: Touch the Sky (Free Fall #1) by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Touch the SkyLucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever.

Wow. Just wow. I have been a fan of both authors (and Nyrae Dawn’s alter ego, Riley Hart) so when it was revealed that they were writing a book together, I was definitely intrigued. They did not disappoint at all.

Gabriel and Lucas were best friends as teens. They both had troubled lives but for different reasons. And then one day Gabriel was gone.

Five years goes by and we meet Gabriel again bartending in LA. And then Lucas walks into his bar. When they discover each other, Gabriel is thrilled to see his friend again. But Lucas is pissed. REALLY pissed. His one friend walked out on him without an explanation and he had to deal with life on his own.

Gabriel is desperate to have Lucas back in his life and explain what happened. But Lucas doesn’t want to hear it. As much as he craves to have Gabriel back also.

This journey of friends rediscovering each other and learning about each other was so real. Another book that deals so incredibly well with depression and the toll it takes, not only on the sufferer, but on those who love them. When Lucas is finally ready to accept Gabriel back into his life, Gabriel falls into a seriously depressive episode. To me, that shows that readers how depression can take over your life, your thoughts and your feelings no matter the outside circumstances.

Watching Lucas help Gabriel through his depression, Gabriel finally accepting that he needs help and that he is not lonely loveable but loved, was a testament to the bond they share that wasn’t broken through the five years of silence.

Lucas has his own demons to deal with in life. As closed off as he was since Gabriel left, he finds it difficult to let anyone in completely. But knowing how much Gabriel needs him allows Lucas to open that door.

Whenever a book is co-written I always try to figure out which author wrote which character (this book alternates characters per chapter). I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong. That, to me, shows how well they write together that they meshed so seamlessly.

Cover art is gorgeous and in tune with the novel.

Sales Links:  AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1MHjbEX | AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/25oGoY7 | AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1SbDVGP | B&N: http://bit.ly/1ZBf8S5 | iBook: http://apple.co/22rX0iC

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 226 pages
Published March 28th 2016 by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn
ASIN B01D3JJN7K
Edition Language English
Series Free Fall #1

Can There Be A Future for Them? Read Touch the Sky ( Free Fall, Book 1) by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn (excerpt and author interview)

Touch The Sky Tour Banner

Touch the Sky

Free Fall, Book 1

Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn

New Adult M/M Romance

Touch The Sky Cover

COVER DESIGN: Natasha Snow

PHOTOGRAPHY: Giovanni Dall’Orto

RELEASE DATE: 03.28.16

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1MHjbEX

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/25oGoY7

AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1SbDVGP

B&N: http://bit.ly/1ZBf8S5

iBook: http://apple.co/22rX0iC

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words was lucky to have the authors in for a chat and to answer a few questions for our readers.  Welcome, Nyrae and Christina.

********

  • What made you decide to collaborate? Who approached whom?

Nyrae: It just sort of came up. We’re friends and we were talking. I’ve written two collaborations before. I wanted to do another. She wanted to write one. We enjoy each other’s work so it just sort of fell together perfectly for us.

Christina: Right. We had grown closer over the past year due to a few author groups we belonged to and we also began beta reading for each other. I have always wanted to co-write a book with somebody and it just naturally went from there.

  • Did you each write a character?

Nyrae: Technically, yes. We each created the backstory for the character and what they looked like. We alternated chapters and primarily worked on one character each, but we definitely were very involved in the whole book. We wrote in each other’s POV and changed and tweaked dialogue in each other’s chapters.

Christina: We talked extensively on the phone about each of our characters and how we were going to write them. Once we got going though, we found our voices blended pretty well, so it was natural to go into each other’s chapters during edits and add voice, tone, or characteristics. 

  • How did you go about deciding the plot?

Nyrae: We knew we wanted to write NA and LGBTQ+ so we headed in that direction. We had some phone conversations. We discovered that mental health plays a strong role in both our lives for various reasons so we took it from there.

Christina: We are both pretty angsty writers especially in our New Adults books and so even though we didn’t set out to write such a weighty topic, it happened naturally, even during plotting. We came up with several scenarios and as soon as we landed on Lucas and Gabriel, we were off and running.

  • Did each chapter come organically or was it all mapped out?

Nyrae: It was a combination of both. The initial letter is a revision from a letter in a book I had on my computer from a couple years ago, that I never finished. We’d talk out a few chapters at a time and make loose plans but they sometimes changed when one of us sat down to start writing.

Christina: The good thing is that neither one of us are huge plotters. We knew the general place we were heading but then what commonly happens is your characters veers off in some random direction that ends up being perfect for the plot. When I saw that letter that Nyrae had written and kept stored in a file, I knew that was it. That was our story.

  • How was writing a collaboration different for you than writing alone?

Nyrae: You have someone else counting on you. Someone else’s thoughts and opinions to consider. Sometimes writing styles change or writing processes.

Christina: Yep. Once you get over the initial fears and pretenses, then all you have is the work in front of you. You also have somebody cheering you on. We would leave each other comments in the sidebar and I’d smile after seeing a note like SWOON, that’s so HOT, or damn I LOVE these boys. It really fueled me on which is probably why we wrote the book so quickly.

  • Was it a good experience? You called this book 1, so…?

Nyrae: Yes! I can’t speak for Christina but I loved working with her. We definitely plan to do it again. We’ll write one of the characters from Touch the Sky.

Christina: I loved it and cannot wait to start the next book.

BLURB

Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29145268-touch-the-sky

lucas

touch the sky teaser 4

 

EXCERPT

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to speak for you. If you want to—”

“I don’t,” I say, finally meeting his gaze. “I only want you too.”

His eyes soften and he exhales a hard breath as if we’re finally on level ground. I feel giddy with relief and contentment as I clutch at his hand and drag him to the dance floor. At first he protests about his drink but then he places it in an empty spot on a ledge.

It’s a pulsing rap beat and my body feels like a live wire. My hips start swaying, my hands rise in the air, and the vibration of the music takes over. Lucas has no trouble keeping up with me, though not with as much enthusiasm.

“Fuck, you’re sexy,” he rumbles in my ear. I feel his hips gyrating as he grasps my waist and slides up behind me. His hard length is digging into my ass and that only spurs me on more.

After a few numbers, I follow Lucas to the back wall where we find a spot to rest between other couples swaying to the music. He pins my shoulders against the column, his breath heavy, eyes glazed over with lust, as his lips crash against mine.

My fingers reach for his waist but he grabs hold of them and raises my hands above my head as he bites my lips, licks into my mouth and then sucks on my tongue. Holy fuck, if we weren’t in a public place I’d ask him to pound me straight into oblivion.

“I didn’t know you could dance like that,” he rasps against my cheek as he releases his grip on my hands.

His fingers connect with my neck and he hauls my lips to his again. His tongue digs deep in my mouth and I groan shamelessly as I grab on to his hair and pull him flush against me. I’m so thoroughly turned on that my eyes practically roll to the back of my head.

He drags his mouth away and licks along my jawline up to my ear as he arches his hips into my groin. “You’ve got me so goddamn hard.”

“Yeah?” I ask, gasping against his neck. “Well, I know how to take care of that. Remember, you’ll need to beg.”

He laughs and kisses the side of my head. “Not here. I’d rather have you in my bed tonight.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nyrae Dawn

Nyrae Dawn pic

Nyrae Dawn can almost always be found with a book in her hand or an open document on her laptop. She couldn’t live without books—reading or writing them. Oh, and chocolate. She’s slightly addicted.

She gravitates toward character-driven stories. Whether reading or writing, she loves emotional journeys. It’s icing on the cake when she really feels something, but is able to laugh too. She’s a proud romantic, who has a soft spot for flawed characters, who make mistakes, but also have big hearts.

Whether she’s writing young adult, new adult, or adult you can always count on a healthy dose of romance from her books. She likes to tackle tough subjects, and believes everyone needs to see themselves in the stories they read.

Nyrae is living her very own happily ever after in California with her gorgeous husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two incredibly awesome kids.

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/nyraedawnwrites/?fref=ts

Website:

http://www.rileyhartwrites.com/p/home.html?zx=48696725e5833865

Blog

http://www.rileyhartwrites.com/index.html

Twitter: @NyraeDawn

 

 

Christina Lee

Christina Lee pic

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I’ve been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn’t until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I’m addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLee

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04