Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Manipulation (Diversion #4) by Eden Winters

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Lucky Lucklighter has a new life. His old life wants him back.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00023]From the jail cell courtesy of a life of crime, complete with drug lord lover, Lucky Lucklighter surfaced with a new life,  a new name and a new career as an agent for the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau.  Now Simon “Lucky” Harrison, Lucky even has a new boyfriend and partner,Bo Schollenberger.  Bo Schollenberger arrived at the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau in much the same way as Lucky.  As a pharmaceutical chemist, Bo ended up with a drug addiction and his  illegal deeds brought him to the attention of the head of the Bureau looking for just the right  or wrong type of men for his narcotics team.

Through perseverance and charm, Bo worked his way under Lucky’s defenses and his “I-Get-Along-Fine-Alone” mindset until Lucky starts thinking the unthinkable…that they might just have a future together.

But now Bo is missing.  Their last case involved unexpected ties to bigger crime syndicates, and a voice from Lucky’s past who whispers ““Did you miss me?”

Now Lucky must figure out who is lying and who he can trust?  The voice belonged to someone he was told was dead and now seems very alive.  And there is more to Bo’s absence than people are telling Lucky.  Is Bo missing by choice or by abduction? Every clue, every trail Lucky follows leads him back to the drug Corruption and the syndicate flooding the US markets full of this dangerously addictive drug.   With temptation all around, what won’t Lucky do to find the man he loves and bring him safely home?

Eden Winter’s Diversion series captured my heart from the moment I met Lucky Lucklighter and Bo Schollenberger in Diversion (Diversion #1).  I love complicated wounded men and here were two that not only fell into that category but did so in a way I had never seen before.  There are so many layers to these men.  Lucky’s background is a patchwork of hot cars, adrenaline rushes, and poor choices that led from boosting cars for drag racing to major involvement with a crime lord as employee and lover.  Lucky is  highly intelligent, walled off, and confident, while still leaving space in his heart for his sister, her children, and finally Bo.

Bo Schollenberger. Where to start?  Each book reveals more complications and dimensions to this already convoluted personality.  At first glance and meeting, Bo came across as extremely affable and gentle, a victim of his addiction and circumstances.  A far cry from Lucky and his unrepentant outlook who when given a choice between continuing life behind bars or freedom as an agent chose freedom.  Certainly a choice made from expediency instead of a need to “do right”.  But nothing is as it seems, and the more that Lucky (and the reader) got to know Bo,  the more we realized that Bo has depths and pain to him and his past then he was ready to reveal or deal with.

Oh the joy of discovery.  Each new story and case has uncovered new insights into each man and their past.  Bo and Lucky’s interpersonal dynamics has deepened and expanded along with their relationship.  It’s hot, sexy, at times tender and rough.  You never know from moment to moment what to expect when they get together.  And to their chagrin and our delight, neither do they.  Uncertainty, hesitation, an emotional neediness…all that is new to Lucky and it has contributed to his inability to commit to just about anything.  I love it when a reader can’t predict what the main characters will do in any given situation.  It keeps us on the edge of our seats as the plot swivels and swoops through dangerous highs and deceptively deadly lows.  This is a E Ticket ride in every way.

Eden Winters has also chosen a highly unusual subject and law enforcement agency, in this case the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau,  as the foundation for this series and as professions for Lucky and Bo.  Think hard, how many series and books are developed around pharmaceutical corporations, over/under the counter drugs, and the criminals associated with the shipping and stocking of known medications?  I can only think of one.  Eden Winter’s Diversion series.  That aspect of  this series has been an eye-opener about the giant pharmaceutical corporations, and not in a good way.  More than once it has sent me running to research different elements that have popped up during Lucky and Bo’s cases, ones that left this reader thinking about new issues far into the night.  This series world building is as quirky, complex, and believable as the characters living out their messy lives within it.  I obsess over the characters relationships, the plots, the surprises and then go back and start them over again to see what clues and secrets I missed out the first reading.  And then wait for the next book to arrive.

This story contains quite a few stunning revelations, more layers of deception than ever before and angst by the boatload.  Once started I couldn’t put it down until it was finished…right around 2:45am.  And could I sleep after that? Uh no. Manipulation contains shocks that will shake the foundations of Lucky, and Bo, and even Walter their boss.  Where there had been certainty, now is left nothing but fog and questions.  The narrative is concisely told, the tension and suspense increasingly exponentially until the plot feels as tightly wound as a coiled spring.  It explodes with all the dangerous impact one might expect and the ramifications will still be unfolding right into the  next book in the series, Redemption (which is being written now).

Each year a book from this series has found its way,  deservedly so, onto the Best of lists for Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and others.  This year is no different.  Manipulation will be high on my Best of 2014 lists, just as I expect Redemption to be there on the list for 2015.  All are highly recommended and Must Reads that should be on everyone’s TBR stack of stories.

If you haven’t discovered this series yet, please, please, don’t start here.  The pleasures and joys that come from the character growth and relationship dynamics is best enjoyed if you start at the beginning and Lucky and Bo’s first meeting in Diversion.  I have a list for you below.  Make it your check list of stories to read. Eden Winters is a remarkable author, and the creator of Lucky and Bo is certain to find her way onto your automatic buy list if she is not there already.

Tag this story and series one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Highly Recommended Must Reads!  Happy Reading!

Cover artist: L.C. Chase.  Terrific cover perfect for the character and story inside.

Sales Links:  Rocky Ridge Books     All Romance (ARe)         amazon           buy it here

Book Details:

ebook,
First Published November 1st 2014 by Rocky Ridge Books
seriesDiversion #4

Books in the Diversion series in the order they were written and should be read:

Diversion (Diversion, #1)
Collusion (Diversion #2)
Corruption (Diversion #3)
Manipulation (Diversion, #4)
Redemption (Diversion, #5) coming in 2015

Virtual Book Tour: Laura Stone and her release, The Bones of You (book tour and contest)

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The Bones of You

by Laura Stone

Laura Stone is here today with her latest release, The Bones of You.  I got a chance to ask her some questions about her inspiration for this story, and much more.  Check out the blurb and excerpt and don’t forget to click on the Rafflecopter link to enter the contest.

 

Laura Stone is giving away a $25 Interlude Press GC to one randomly drawn winner and multi-format copies of THE BONES OF YOU to ten randomly winners via Rafflecopter. One randomly chosen host will win a $25 Interlude Press GC.  Use this Rafflecopter link to enter.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Interview with Laura Stone…

What was your inspiration for the story? The Bones Of You is actually the title of a song by an English alternative rock band, Elbow. It’s just a beautiful, romantic piece of music about a man suddenly stopped in his tracks by the memory of a former love, one he’d believed he’d gotten over. I just could not get that idea out of my mind, and that’s something I think we all do at some point with old lovers: what are they up to now? Would we work as a couple now? I wanted to explore what that could be like for two people who stopped being together not because they stopped loving each other, but because life wasn’t working for them. And now, living on different sides of an ocean, how could it work again?

Do you have a muse? Without question, it’s music. I love big, sweeping epic rock songs, classical music, you name it, I love it. Music has always been a part of my life growing up, and every song always tells a story to me, even if it’s just orchestral. When one of those stories won’t leave me, I have to sit and write it out.

Do you work on one project at a time or many? In the past I’ve only worked on one project at a time, but now, if I get stuck, I’ll pick up something else and work on it, usually something like a short story, just to keep the creative juices flowing.

Hero or Antihero?  Who would you chose and why? You know, this is going to be corny and uncool, but the Hero. I think I’ve had my fill of the tortured past as an excuse for bad behavior and trying to help change them. How about we stick with the person who’s already become the good guy from the start? So uncool, I know. Now, who am I fascinated by… That’s a different story! But choose? Gimmie the hero!VBT_TheBonesOfYou_CoverBanner

People say write what you know.  Do you think that is right or even important? This is one of those phrases people bandy about, and I think it does a massive disservice to new writers. I mean, if authors had to stick to “writing what they know,” then Thomas Harris has a lot to answer for with his Hannibal Lecter! I think a better idea is to write what you want to know about. Research, educate yourself, and go! But I will say that you should write the emotions that you know. But setting? Place? Time? Nah, have fun!

What is the first book you read that really meant something to you? Hand’s down, it’s Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery was formative for my humor, my sense of fantasy, gosh, the types of friendships I wanted! Everyone deserves a Diana Berry. Anne was someone who dreamed and hoped like I did. It was such a relief to “meet” a character in a book that felt the way I did about life.

What do you find sexy in a man? How much time do we have? Ha! I love a confident man, one who isn’t posturing or peacocking for attention. A man that is confident in himself doesn’t feel the need to put other people down, doesn’t put himself above his partner, and knows that when he reaches out, they’ll reach back. A great set of (long, strong) legs and a broad set of shoulders doesn’t hurt, either!

What’s next up for you? I’m working on two different books, in fact. One is contemporary, our protagonist Becca has been dealing with the grief of losing her ex and struggling with when it’s okay to move on. (The beautiful and fun Dani Torres isn’t making it easy to resist.) The other is set in the mid-1800s, and is based off an actual gravesite in Tombstone, Arizona where two cowboys insisted on being buried together. Turns out that being homosexual and a cowboy was pretty common back then. Who knew?

Cover_The Bones of YouTHE BONES OF YOU
by Laura Stone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Bones of You BLURB:

Oliver Andrews was wholly focused on the final stages of his education at Cambridge University when a well-meaning friend up-ended his world with a simple email attachment: a clip from a U.S. morning show.

The moment he watches the video of his one-time love Seth Larsen, now a Broadway star, Oliver must begin making a series of choices that could lead him back to love—or break his heart.

The Bones of You is full of laughter and tears, with a collection of irritated Hungarians, flirtatious Irishwomen, and actors abusing Shakespeare that color Oliver and Seth’s attempts at reconciliation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Bones of You Excerpt 

And that’s when he heard it, a beautiful voice that was painfully familiar. God, that sounds just like… He dropped the satchel–the papers thankfully stowed away–and turned to his computer screen. It felt like time had stopped, that it took him forever to see proof on the screen that he’d heard what he thought he had heard. That’s when he saw him.

Oliver immediately forgot that he needed to get to campus, that he had a mountain of work ahead of him, that he’d not even eaten yet. Seth. Seth, his first love, his first, well, everything, was on his computer screen, singing. And if he’d thought Seth had a beautiful voice as a teenager, that was nothing to how he sounded now. Clearly his time at Juilliard and whatever he’d done after had developed his voice into something truly special, almost otherworldly.

Oliver gripped the computer with both hands, his face close to the screen, breath trapped in his aching chest. Seth, tall and lean, his pretty, still-boyish face aglow from the joy of performing, was in the middle of the studio, hands clasped in front of him, eyes closed and head tilted slightly as he sang a song Oliver wasn’t familiar with. He didn’t care; he was transfixed by the line of Seth’s long throat, how the fitted shirt he was wearing accentuated the breadth of his shoulders, the small smile on his face as he sang. It was Seth, but now so much more than the captivating boy he had loved all those years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura StoneAUTHOR Bio and Links:

A life-long fan girl, Laura Stone takes a leave of absence from the glamorous life of motherhood while the kids were in school, devoting her days to writing full-time. In the past she’s worn the hat of actress, Master Gardener, and computer geek, but now sticks mostly to a Texas Ranger’s ball cap as she raises her children. They’re not fully raised, but then again, she would say that she isn’t either.

She began telling stories to her parents at the age of four. She was so successful in catching her parent’s attention that her father actually dislocated his back, trying not to sit on her imaginary cat, Doka.

She lives in Texas as proof that it’s not totally populated by hard-line right-wingers—and because that’s where the good tamales are from.

Connect with Laura:

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A MelanieM Review: Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #17) by Laura Harner

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Radiant Burn coverScott McGregor almost has it all.  He’s finally living with the man he loves, Rob Hammond along with Rob’s children.  And the group of diverse group of people who live at Mountain Shadows Campground have become a family to one another.  But still problems lurk all around waiting to destroy his happiness and new life.  His nightmares are increasing and Scott realizes that he needs to uncover the truth and face his fears before he can put that part of his life behind him.

Twelve years ago, Scott and Rob Hammond’s relationship exploded, and torn them apart. Now Rob and his children are happily living with Scott and Rob is about to leave his job to help Scott run Mountain Shadows. But even as Scott and Rob’s relationship continues to deepen, Rob must help Scott work through his PTSD and the path to recovery leads to Phoenix and the only other firefighter that survived that day.

As Scott and Rob struggle to help Scott finally put his past behind him, another danger appears on the horizon.  Scott and Rob are so close to their HEA.  Can they overcome the last obstacles and finally get the future they want and deserve?

So close. With Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5), we are so close to the HEA Laura Harner has been promising us since we first met Scott MacGregor and Rob Hammond in Firestorm (Fighting Fire #1).  We’ve delved into their painful past, watched the tumultuous climb to a new relationship in the present and hoped for a bright future for them all.  Now, its almost here and the anticipation and buildup is enough to make any reader a little crazy.

Why?  Because as we all know, nothing is ever easy or straightforward in a Pulp Friction or Laura Harner series.  There’s never just one barrier to overcome, more a veritable obstacle course of hurdles that the characters must leap over or work through to get to their HEA.  That’s the joy and more than a little of the frustration (in a good way of course) that we find with these stories and characters.

One main element has been Scott’s PTSD.  His days and nights are riddled with nightmares and flashbacks, which are providing a barrier of their own to a happy future. Scott needs to face the truth about that fire and the circumstances that caused his injuries and those of the only other survivor.  Harner has dropped hints and clues about that fatal wildfire and now we are all about to get some answers.  They will be startling, shocking even, while leaving Scott and the readers with a well earned sense of relief and closure.  But as I said, with this series and Laura Harner at the helm, nothing is ever resolved that simply.

Why?  Because there is a larger scheme at work at Mountain Shadows, one that has been alluded to in some scenes, hinted at in others.  This mystery has no shape or definition yet. Instead it has been creeping like a dense fog over the campground and its inhabitants. And with each story and series, it has been gaining in complexity and size. What it is and who is behind it…well, we have no idea.  Just vague suggestions and assumptions, nothing concrete.  That’s to be left to the series finale, the last story to be written by all four authors to pull the myriad plot threads and relationships together in one explosive and ultimately satisfying crescendo of multiple tales.

Laura Harner’s Fighting Fire stories, Radiant Burn among them, has been a wonderful angst filled, sexy, white knuckle ride.  Our companions have been men who have been believably complex human beings who continue to strive for a happily ever after, no matter what wounds life and experience has inflicted upon them.  It’s been a wow of a trip and we are almost at our destination.  One final station to go….I can hardly wait.

Radiant Heat (Fighting Fire #5) and the entire Elemental Connections Pulp Friction 2014 joint series is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words most highly recommended reads.  They will all occupy a special place on our Best of 2014 List this year.

If you are new to the series or Pulp Friction 2014, run, don’t walk, to the first stories in each series.  I have listed them all below for your convenience.  This is one spectacular journey you won’t want to miss!   Happy Reading!

 

Cover Art by Laura Harner.  Terrific cover that works to brand the series and the characters Scott and Rob.

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks (ARe)           amazon             Buy it Here

Book Details:

ebook, 69 pages
Published September 12th 2014 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252892
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #17, Fighting Fire #5
charactersScott McGregor, Rob Ham

About Pulp Friction 2014

Pulp Friction 2014 Authors: Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.
The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment. All stories have been read and reviewed at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:
Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:
Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:
Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five:
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors coming in December.

Side Stories or Interludes:

Taking Chances by Lee Brazil (a In From the Cold story)
Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5) by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

Join in the Mystery Hunt with Charlie Cochrane’s The Best Corpse for the Job (tour and contest)

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Do you love mysteries?  Are  British “Cozies” mysteries must reads?  Then Charlie Cochrane has just written a mystery for you! Today Charlie Cochrane has stopped by to talk about writing, story locations, and of course, The Best Corpse for the Job!  Check it all out below and don’t forget to leave a comment with an email address to be entered in the contest.

Saving my bacon – tales of the eleventh hour by Charlie Cochrane

All of us make mistakes in our writing. Sometimes it’s just about making assumptions, like the provenance of the word blizzard. It sounds nice and old and sort of Shakespearean, so it never occurred to me to check whether my nice gay Regency vicar could use “blizzard” in my short story “The Shade on a Fine Day”. Turns out he couldn’t, as it’s late Victorian, of US origin. Rats. I’m not alone, though – PD James has allegedly featured a motorbike reversing down a road, when they don’t have reverse gear.

I’ve been saved from making a major blooper on several occasions. The little voice in your head which tells you to double check something should never be ignored. For example, I set Lessons in Seduction in and around Pegwell Bay, Kent. As a child, I used to go on day trips there from Ramsgate when we were on holiday and in my memory, the access to the beach was flat. My memory lied to me, as I discovered when I looked at pictures of the place – there were cliffs. Luckily I had time to go back and change some of the relevant bits of the story before sending it off, but it was a close shave.

I had just such an experience relating to “The Best Corpse for the Job”. In the original draft, the people who turn up to process the crime scene were called SOCOs (Scenes of Crimes Officers), but recently those title changed to CSIs (Crime Scene Investigators). In another bout of good fortune, I was out at a barbecue with someone whose daughter was a SOCO turned CSI, so I could pick her brain about what things should be called now. Thank goodness for word processing, “find and replace”, and all the other blessings of modern writing!

The other peculiar thing which happened when writing the story is related to the name of the school where the first murder takes place. To put it in context, the governors of a school in a typically leafy, middle England type of village are recruiting a new headteacher and one of the candidates gets done in. I called the school…well, I won’t tell you what I called it originally, because it was awfully like the name of a real village school. I do some freelance training and blow me down with a feather if I didn’t get asked, just at the time I was drafting Best Corpse, to go and do some training at (you’ve guessed it!) that place I will refer to simply as “a real village school”. It gets funnier. The training I was asked to take was “Selecting and Interviewing Headteachers”.

Find and replace, find and replace, find and replace…

About The Best Corpse for the JobBest Corpse for the Job cover

Tea and sympathy have never been so deadly.

Schoolteacher Adam Matthews just wants to help select a new headteacher and go home. The governors at Lindenshaw St Crispin’s have already failed miserably at finding the right candidate, so it’s make or break this second time round. But when one of the applicants is found strangled in the school, what should have been a straightforward decision turns tempestuous as a flash flood in their small English village.

Inspector Robin Bright isn’t thrilled to be back at St. Crispin’s. Memories of his days there are foul enough without tossing in a complicated murder case. And that handsome young teacher has him reminding himself not to fraternize with a witness. But it’s not long before Robin is relying on Adam for more than just his testimony.

As secrets amongst the governors emerge and a second person turns up dead, Robin needs to focus less on Adam and more on his investigation. But there are too many suspects, too many lies, and too many loose ends. Before they know it, Robin and Adam are fighting for their lives  and  their hearts.

About Charlie Cochrane

As Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes, with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes, MLR and Cheyenne.
Charlie’s Cambridge Fellows Series of Edwardian romantic mysteries was instrumental in her being named Author of the Year 2009 by the review site Speak Its Name. She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, International Thriller Writers Inc and is on the organising team for UK Meet for readers/writers of GLBT fiction. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

Connect with Charlie:

Giveaway Contest:

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for an e-book from Charlie Cochrane’s backlist (excepting The Best Corpse for the Job). Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 29. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.   However, you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Don’t forget to leave an email address where you can be contacted if selected in the body of your comment.

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You can follow Charlie Cochrane on her The Best Corpse for the Job tour here!

Its Cover Reveal Time for Sloan Johnson’s release “Teach Me”

Sloan Johnson has a New Release!

Teach Me by Sloan Johnson
Goodreads Page 

Out today!

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 Teach Me Blurb:

Two words stripped Austin Pritchard of the privileged life he’s used to. The moment he uttered the words, “I’m gay,” he realized there is no such thing as unconditional love. Now, he’s gone from traveling the world with his family to living on the streets trying to figure out how he’s going to stay in school.

A chance opportunity changes everything. Austin impresses the foreman and lands a job, but even more, he catches the eye of David Becker, who is determined to teach him that true love doesn’t come with strings.

The only thing David had as a child was love. His family struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. That has driven him to stay focused on his goals; become a tenured professor at a university and save enough money to build a home of his own. It’s not until he sees an insecure college student working on his new house that he realizes that he hasn’t planned on someone to share his life with. He’s about to learn that everything he’s already accomplished is nothing compared to the task of making Austin see that he is worthy of love.

Book Details:

245 pages, self published
Expected publication: November 25th 2014 (first published November 22nd 2014)

Author Bio:

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s body. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed, purple haired mom of two kids, one of which was a thank you present to her husband for letting her get a Staffordshire Terrier with more anxiety issues than Sloan has, which is saying something. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself in a good book and forget that she has somewhere to be.

Contact Sloan Johnson via:

On Tour with Aria Grace’s “Choosing Happy” Book tour and contest

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Check out the latest M/M Romance from Aria Grace.  We have an exclusive excerpt for our readers and a contest with several prizes for you to enter.

Book Name: Choosing Happy
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Aria Grace

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Aria enjoys the year round sunshine and laid back environment of the west coast. She lives with her husband and two children on a quiet hill that gives her lots of time to read and write. Her first series was a semi-traditional look at sexy gigs found online. She has now ventured into the exciting M/M world of gay erotica. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to drop her a note or visit her at http://www.ariagracebooks.com.

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/aria.grace.37
http://facebook.com/ariagracebooks
@ariagracebooks

CHPublisher: Surrendered Press
Cover Artist: Sexy Men Pix

Sales Links:  Amazon  iTunes    Nook   Smashwords

  Choosing Happy Blurb:

Book 3 of the More Than Friends Series. Can be read in sequence or as a standalone.  (Book #1 is free)

Steve is living in Portland with many regrets. He has alienated the people he cares most about by making bad choices that continue to haunt him. When he meets a kid that’s in a bad relationship and needs some help, Steve reluctantly offers it, knowing it’s his chance to redeem himself. What he doesn’t expect is to find happiness. It’s there, all he has to do it choose to accept it. 

For mature readers.

Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance\

Choosing Happy Exclusive Excerpt:

I hit the snooze button for the first time since high school. Always an early riser, I never sleep past six so when I crack an eyelid and see it’s seven fifteen, I groan. After a quick shower to wake up, I step into a pair of old jeans and grab the first t-shirt my fingers touch then run down the steps. The bike needs gas so I get in my truck instead and drive the six miles to work.

Having become more of a slave to technology than I’d like to admit, I’m walking and texting Allen when I hear a tiny voice.

“Hi.”

Startled, I look up and see my little duck huddled in the shadows behind my cart.

He’s curled in a tiny ball against the generator and looks like hell.

“Hey, kid.” I kneel down in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

Tears flood his eyes as he looks away. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

In the dim light, I couldn’t see his battered face but when I brush his hair aside and see a line of caked blood that crosses from the middle of his scalp to his cheek bone, I want to kill someone. “Did that prick do this to you?”

He won’t look at me. By the way he flinches, I know he’s scared. I take a deep breath and lean back on my haunches. “We should go to the police. I’ll take you.”

“No.” He jumps up and backs away, ready to bolt. “I’m sorry I came here. I’m fine.”

The way he’s limping pisses me off even more but I force a steady voice. “Okay, okay. No cops.” I slowly reach forward and hold my hand out to him, praying he’ll take it.

With a tentative step, he walks to me and lets me guide him into the trailer that serves as my shop.

 

 Pages: 36,000 words

2Choosing HappyBadgeTour Dates/Stops:

17-Nov

Parker Williams

17-Nov

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

18-Nov

The Hat Party

18-Nov

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

19-Nov

Regular Guys, Hot Romance

19-Nov

Amanda C. Stone

20-Nov

MM Good Book Reviews

20-Nov

Molly Lolly

21-Nov

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

24-Nov

Wake Up Your Wild Side

24-Nov

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

25-Nov

Love Bytes

26-Nov

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

27-Nov

  • Contest: Rafflecopter Prize:
    $25 amazon or itunes gift card (sent electronically) and signed paperback of any Aria Grace Book (shipped within US)
  • International winners can receive 2 free Aria Grace ebooks of their choice via amazon.com instead of a paperback.

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Winner Announcements and its almost Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving_Quotes_Carl Sagan

The Rush is On!

Thanksgiving almost here and the rush is on for getting all things ready whether it is shopping for ingredients, finalizing the menus and guest lists, traveling to family and loved ones.  Whatever is on your agenda, this is the week we are all scurrying to get it done.

And then its December.  Oh my.

So Happy Thanksgiving for those of us in the US and Ex pats Abroad!

And Happy Reading to all and to all a Good night!

Giblets cartoon

STRW Winner Announcements:

Meredith Shayne’s winners were:
Ist Prize – Paperback – Denise D.
2nd Prize – $10 BDP Voucher – H.B.
3 x 3rd Prize – ebook – Trinitee M., Lisa G., Shelly H.

Susan MacNicol’s “Love You Senseless” Winner is Serena S

Sarah Madison’s ” Walk A Mile” Winner is Bronwyn H.

Our Schedule this Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, November 24, 2014:

  • MelanieM Review: Who Knows The Storm by Tere Michaels
  • Choosing Happy by Aria Grace Excerpt Tour and Contest
  • A PaulB Review: Galactic Treasure (Earth Con #2) by Theodora Marie Adams

Tuesday, November 25, 2014:

  • TB: Bailey Bradford Off Course Book tour
  •  Charlie Cochrane’s No Better Corpse for the Job Book Tour
  • Sloan Johnson Teach Me Cover Reveal and Release Date Announcement‏
  • A MelanieM Review: Radiant Burn by Laura Harner (PF2014)

Wednesday, November 26, 2014:

  • VBT: The Bones of You by Laura Stone.‏  Tour and contest
  • Renee George ‘Kiss My Ash’, Book tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall
  • A PaulB Review: Ciro by Remmy Duchene

Thursday, November 27,2014 – Happy Thanksgiving!:

  • A MelanieM Review: Manipulation by Eden Winters
  • A Sammy Review: Thunder Snow by Owen Keehnen
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Third Eye by Rick R. Reed

Friday, November 28, 2014:

  • Share the Love – Lucky Strike by Jane Davitt -book tour and contest
  • A PaulB Review: “Unjustified Claims (Hidden Wolves #3)” by Kaje Harper
  • Iyana Jenna ‘Slippery Slope’ Excerpt Tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Chestnuts Roating Anthology (Angel Martinez, Freddy Mackay, Toni Griffin

Saturday, November 29, 2014:

  • Texas Fall (Texas #6) – RJ Scott Book Tour and Contest

And Then That Happened by Liam Livings Book Tour and Contest

ATTH_Tour_logo

And Then That Happened, by Liam Livings

Published by Love Lane Books

For all buy links please check here: http://lovelanebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/and-then-that-happened-by-liam-livings.html

 

And Then That Happened


 ATTH_400x600Should you settle for a nearly perfect happiness or put your heart on the line for more?

It’s 1999 and 28-year-old Dominic’s carefully planned suburban life with his boyfriend Luke is perfect. His job as a nurse, his best friend Matt, his relationship with his parents, everything is just right. He and Luke have been together ten years, seen each other through friends’ deaths and their parents’ ups and downs, and even had a commitment ceremony.

Gabe isn’t happy with his boyfriend, but he stays with him, because, well it’s complicated.

Fate throws Gabe into Dominic’s life. And then that happened. Gabe’s open relationship, impulsive nature, enthusiasm for life and straight talking advice are fascinating to Dominic. They’re friends, they click over a shared love of Goldie Hawn and Gabe shows Dominic there can be more to life than planned and safe. So why can’t he take his own advice?

And Then That Happened is about finding a new kind of happiness, even when what you have is already perfect. And how sometimes perfect isn’t quite what it seems.

AUTHOR BIO


Eight things about Liam Livings, one is untrue, can you guess which one?

  1. He lives, with his partner, where east London ends and becomes nine-carat-gold- highlights-and-fake-tan-west-Essex.
  2. He was born in Hampshire with two club feet (look it up, it’s not nice) and problem ears, needing grommets: this meant he was in plaster from toe to groin until he was two, and had to swim with a cap and olive oil soaked lamb’s wool over his ears – olive oil bought from a health food shop, before it was sold by supermarkets.
  3. He started writing when he was 14: sat in French lessons during a French exchange trip, for want of anything better to do, he wrote pen portraits about his French exchange’s teachers. He wrote for his school’s creative writing magazine and still writes a diary every day.
  4. He grew up on the edge of the New Forest – not in the New Forest mind, but on the edge. Now it’s a national park, it’s so much more glamorous. He went to uni in London and never really left.
  5. One evening, flicking through the channels, he stumbled across the film, Saving Private Ryan, and it took twenty minutes of not seeing Goldie Hawn in an army uniform, before he realised it wasn’t actually the film, Private Benjamin.
  6. When not writing, he also enjoys baking.
  7. He avoided any sport at secondary school by having an orthodontist appointment between the age of 14 and 16, and when he was old enough to drive, just drove home instead of playing rugby/hockey/whatever.
  8. He is a car geek, his particular passion is old French classics, and his every day car is what is popularly referred to as a ‘hairdressers car’ a Mazda MX5 in powder blue – Muriel.

Contact Liam through:

Contest:  Enter to win a Win $15 giftcard for Amazon or All Romance, plus free ebooks from Liam Livings and Love Lane Books.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.   Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  OR   http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f922301b40/

And Then It Happened Excerpt:

Gabe and Dominic discuss their past love lives after going to a concert together

Lying on twin beds, we compared notes on our favourite bits of the concert, sipping hot chocolate from the room’s store. Gabe said he couldn’t believe I’d never been to a concert before.

I said there were lots of things I’ve never done before. Gabe lay on his bed, arms behind his head, smiling at me.

‘I wish I’d tried a few more things, a few more men, before Luke,’ I said quietly. ‘You did, you’ve got more than your fair share of men during your early twenties.’

‘And before,’ he replied.

‘I can’t shake this feeling I’ve missed out on so much. Missed something which, for so many gay guys, is such an important part of coming out, growing up gay.’

‘You must have had your reasons why you didn’t.’

‘Course I did. I was scared, scared of all the people around me dying. And I’d met Luke, and he was nice to me, so…’

‘…you stayed together.’

‘Yeah, weeks became months, months years, and before I knew it, we’d been together a third of my life.’

‘I didn’t really think about it at the time, it wasn’t an experience, I was just living my life, being me, meeting people, seeing what happened. Same as you I suppose, only none of the people I met, stuck, so I moved onto the next one. It’s no better or worse, just different.’

‘You would say that, though, wouldn’t you?’

‘I don’t have anything to compare it to, so I don’t know.’

‘I just feel like I’ve missed out on so much, from being scared to try things.’

‘But it doesn’t matter if in the end, you’re happy.’ He paused. ‘You are happy aren’t you?’

I picked up my book and started to read. Gabe sat on the bed next to me, stroking my arm slowly. I put the book down and lay on my side, tears making the pillow damp, I felt Gabe lay behind me, his arm around my waist; we lay like spoons, fully clothed as he turned the light off.