In the Book Spotlight: The Superstar by Patricia Logan (book tour and contest)

Book Name: The Superstar
Author Name: Patricia Logan

Author Bio:

Patricia Logan resides in Los Angeles, California along with her husband, four children, her grandchild and ever increasing number of cats. When not being stage mom, baking cookies, or scooping kitty litter, she writes steamy, award winning, gay erotic romance and tries to lead her readers on a journey of discovery with more than a little angst.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/ploganauthor
https://www.facebook.com/authorpatricialogan
https://twitter.com/PatriciaLogan1

Publisher:
Cover Artist: Jeff Adkins: http://www.jpadkinsdesigns.com
Sales Links: amazon

The Superstar Blurb:

Storm Ellison is the sexiest man on two legs. The gorgeous young star of “Trapped on an Island”, the hottest reality show on television, is instantly recognizable the moment he leaves his palatial mansion. Paparazzi follow him everywhere, leaving him no peace or privacy, selling his pictures to the tabloids, and cementing his reputation in the press as a slutty gay playboy. As Storm prepares to sign his first major movie deal, his manager decides he needs protection. What he doesn’t expect, is to be attracted to the cold bastard who’s now running his life.

Balthazar Grant, freelance bodyguard, is a huge, handsome, rough and ready former Marine, trained by the best, and willing to step between Storm and anyone stupid enough to come at him. Always stoic and serious, Taz lends a deadly presence to Storm’s entourage whenever he ventures out in public. Storm doesn’t want a bodyguard, much less one who won’t let him live his fast and loose lifestyle with impunity and he’s certainly not one to be dictated to by an overconfident Marine who has opinions about everything including who he should hook-up with.

When a deadly threat hits Storm’s world, he’s suddenly living his own reality show, only this one has an outcome which doesn’t involve being voted off an island. Will Storm wake up before it’s too late and will Taz be able to fight his attraction to the handsome young superstar while trying to convince him he’s in very real danger? The pair will soon learn that reality is stranger than fiction.

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance

The Superstar Excerpt:

Jules grinned again. “You like Storm, Taz. You LIKE like him!” she raised her voice and Taz looked around to see who else could have overheard her.

“I like him fine, Jules; I work for the guy,” he replied, intentionally misunderstanding her.

“No, Taz, you are ‘in like’ with Storm,” she reiterated. She reached up and took hold of his sunglasses, dragging them off his face. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t like Storm like that, big guy. Whoa, those are some dreamy eyes,” she sighed.

Taz felt embarrassed and exposed without his shades and hated the fact that she could see the very real truth in his eyes when all he wanted to do was deny it. He averted his gaze, staring out onto the dance floor only to regret it immediately when he noted Storm’s arms wrapped around the twink, his lips being plied by the smaller man’s as their lower bodies ground against each other to the beat of the music. The moment he saw them, he frowned.

“See? That’s what I’m talkin’ about, Taz. You can’t stand the way that other man touches Storm. You want him for yourself,” she said emphatically.

Words: 82,000

Tour Dates/Stops:

Tour Dates/Stops:

19-Nov

Multitasking Mommas

Michael Mandrake

My Fiction Nook

20-Nov

Tara Lain

Cate Ashwood

Parker Williams

21-Nov

Hearts on Fire

Love Bytes

Queer Town Abbey

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

24-Nov

It’s Raining Men

Velvet Panic

Prism Book Alliance

25-Nov

BFD Book Blog

26-Nov

Inked Rainbow Reads

Molly Lolly

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of ‘The Superstar’ by Patricia Logan. 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.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Begin Your Holidays with the Three of Hearts Collection from Riptide Publishing-You Choose The Charity Sales Benefits

Begin your holidays with a very special offer from Riptide Publishing and the author of Three of Hearts, Kelly Jamieson. Help Choose The Charity This Season!

For the Choose the Charity contest, check out all the details below. The Three of Hearts is one of three stories in this heartwarming holiday collection from Jane Davitt, Kelly Jamieson and Sydney Croft.

Book Title: Three of Hearts!
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Share the Love Collection, authors Kelly Jamieson, , Jane Davitt, and Sydney Croft
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Titles available for pre-order.

Sales Link: Three of Hearts link Riptide Share the Love Collection at Riptide

Three of Hearts Blurb:

Haylee Tremayne is tired of the road. The concert tour for Three of Hearts was a success, but she’s confused by the inexplicable tension between her bandmates, Ben and Lucas. She’s also ready to go home to her boyfriend in Nashville. Time off would probably help everyone relax, even if it is Christmas, a season with too many bad memories.

But right before their last concert, Haylee discovers she’s been dumped for a sexy girly-girl. Story of her life: all guys see is tomboy Haylee. At the after-concert party, she drowns her sorrows and—desperate to feel feminine for once in her life—asks Ben and Lucas for a threesome. And it’s just as sexy and fun as she hoped.

Back in Nashville, Ben and Lucas prove again and again that their first night wasn’t a mistake. But the tension between them is still high, and on Christmas Eve, their ménage takes a stunning turn. When it all falls apart, Haylee is terrified that their crazy relationship might cost them the band, their success, and worst of all, each other.

Begin Your Holiday Gift Giving here….

Each year, Riptide Publishing releases a holiday collection in support of an LGBTQ charity. Twenty percent of all proceeds from the Share the Love collection will be donated to the It Gets Better Project.

This collection would not be possible without the talent and generosity of its authors, who have brought us the following holiday stories:

Three of Hearts by Kelly Jamieson (releasing November 17)
Lucky Strike by Jane Davitt (releasing November 24)
Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft (releasing December 1)

About Kelly Jamieson

Kelly is a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading. She also likes to cook, and that means she likes to read cookbooks and cooking magazines. In the summer she enjoys spending time gardening, and in the winter she likes to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues. She loves lying on the beach or on her deck with a glass of wine and a good book. She also loves to travel. As you can see, pretty much all of her activities involve reading somehow! Although she doesn’t have as much time for it anymore, she also loves to shop, especially for clothes and shoes. Some think she’s obsessed with shoes but that is not true (although her husband would point out that there is no room left in our closet).

She loves to hear from readers, so visit her on her website, tweet her on Twitter, leave her a comment on Goodreads or Amazon or her blog, or email her at info@kellyjamieson.com.

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

Every year, Riptide Publishing releases a Holiday charity bundle with themed stories by bestselling authors. Twenty percent of the net proceeds of each bundle goes to a charity that serves the LGBTQ population.

Royalties from Riptide’s 2013 Home for the Holidays charity collection have raised over $14,000 in nine months for the Ali Forney Center, and continue to yield several hundred dollars per month in royalties donations. Our 2014 Share the Love charity collection will be raising money for the It Gets Better Project, and we hope to report even better results than in 2013.

For 2015, the theme will be Holiday Surprises, and we’ll have stories by HelenKay Dimon, Christine d’Abo, and Marie Sexton. But we don’t have a charity yet.

We need YOUR help to choose the 2015 charity. Nominate your favorite LGBTQ charity below and Riptide might choose it as the 2015 Holiday bundle charity!

The chosen charity for 2015 will immediately receive a $5,000 advance against royalties (paid in 2015 on announcement of the award recipient). The charity will continue to receive 20% of all lifetime net sales income from the 2015 holiday charity collection, in the form of a monthly royalty check.

Three honorable mention charities will each receive a $250 donation.

Click here to nominate a charity. Both supporters and representatives of a charity can submit a nomination

A Mika Review: Damaged Package by S.A. McAuley

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

Forced into early retirement from his career as a SWAT officer for the city of Detroit, James Deacon knew that when he failed it would be a fall of epic proportions. He’s been living life by the tips of his fingers for over twenty years, and his new gig organizing a group of misfit military types into a functioning team—including his reluctant ex-fiancée—won’t return him to stable ground anytime soon.  Trevor Barrow has been on the move for the last seven years—hitting the road when relationships became too real or too much work. He’s home now, working in the hazardous world of bike messengers in the Motor City, and the only one of his eight siblings who knows he’s returned is his sister Cat. It’s not as if reconnecting with them matters anyway, because it’s likely he’ll be gone again soon.  Both men are lugging some heavy baggage, but when they chance upon each other in a dive bar it’s hard to deny their flaws are more like symbiotic quirks. Trevor’s backpedaling instincts and Deacon’s dance-dance party past may just be intersecting at a time when things are about to get explosive in Detroit.

I didn’t like this book. I found myself wanting to end it multiple times throughout reading it. I gave these ratings based on the basic level of relationship between Deacon and Trevor. The entire book felt disjointed to me. It was weird, and not believable. I didn’t buy into the corporate espionage angle one bit or that a 16 yr old boy would get emancipated from his mother and for 7 years was able to travel to 93 countries. What did he do to gain money, shelter, protection, and knowledge? I can’t believe that would have unless he had a fairy godmother out here protecting him and supplying him with endless funds. Then after being gone from home from 7 years, he’s able to return and start up a bike messenger service. Really, because it’s that simple? Trevor talks about these friends he’s got, and how he’s able to live in an upscale apartment building and have his own company at 23. He never once talked about formal education, any type of training. The one relationship he held dear to his heart the author decided to make a muck out of it. I didn’t like it, I felt it was too easy to place the blame and take away the only faith and trust in someone.

Deacon character’s threw me off a lot, whereas with Trevor I understood why he was closed off. Deacon’s character seemed unauthentic throughout the entire book unless they were in some sort of physical state. The story seemed to be told out of sequence. They kept referencing the Audra Price incident as his reasoning from getting fired from his job of 20 years? What did he do that was so wrong? From my understanding of what was said in the book was whispering in Miss Price ear about what she did; it felt like a gimmick and not realistic. The crux of the story was basically Deacon working for “The Dictator”, this wsapowerful man in Detroit who owned lots real estate and businesses. Why does one need an paramilitary/ swat team to deliver correspondences all over the city? The corporate espionage plot was so unrealistic for me. I felt like the author spent way to much time on it, and it didn’t solve, answer or satisfy me with the story.

The only plus for me was Continue reading “A Mika Review: Damaged Package by S.A. McAuley” →

A Sammy Review: The Eskimo Slugger by Brad Boney

Rating: 4 stars out of 5:

“Don’t look elsewhere; look to what you have. And what we have is each other. Always. I know we live our lives as individuals. I can look out into the world and see that. I’m not an idiot. But I also know that thirteen billion years ago, there was no ‘we.’ There was only an ‘I.’ Everything that exists now existed then. Everyone who exists now existed then. There is only one of us. And that, Brendan, is not New Age bullshit. That’s physics. To our detriment, we emphasize our individual spirits and journeys over our collective spirit and journey. We teach our children that life is a process of learning, but if we’ve been around since the beginning of time, what could there possibly be left to learn? We only need to remember what we already know. Our struggles are not born of ignorance, but of forgetfulness. If you want to attract love, the first step is to embrace the idea that we are all connected to each other.”

Trent Days never wanted a life in the spotlight, but with the talent he has for baseball, the spotlight found him. He’s branded the Eskimo Slugger, awed by those he meets… and he hates it.

An unfortunate injury sends him back home where he meets Brendan, a law student with a flare. A skip on the record brings them back together, and be it auras or sparks, something keeps them together. It makes no sense, but within days they form an irreplaceable bond, one that will never break, not even when time stretches and lives come and go.

The question is, how do you measure the success of your life? Is it the number of home runs you hit or how many bases you steal? Or is it the lives you touch and the people who love you?

Before I go into my review, I want to note that I read this without reading The Nothingness of Ben or The Return first. Many people highly encourage doing so, but I took the dive and decided to try it without them. Do I think my experience suffered from it? Perhaps. I think there were nuances I likely missed, and that the last part with Trent and Brendan would’ve been more emotional for me had I been through the other books and experienced it there. Still, I enjoyed the book.

When I’m reading, I save page numbers for quotes. I can usually tell how much I liked a story by the number of quotes, and I’ll just say that this one has quite a few.

At first, I was hesitant. The beginning was a bit lackluster for me, including a slip-up in which the author named one of the characters before he actually introduced himself. It took me a while to actually buy into them, but once I did, I flew through the reading.

It’s important in a romance to have the main characters stand out, but I also love a good cast of side characters, and this was chalk full. The author did a brilliant job of weaving the life into their stories and making me care. I fell in love with Bill Walsh, Quincy, and of course Stanton and Hutch.

I will say that if you haven’t been spoiled as to the a particular theme of the book reincarnation, the chapter before the last one will be a bit of a shock to you. Hints are dropped throughout the story, but I’m not entirely sure I would’ve caught it as much if I hadn’t been spoiled previously. It’s sad on its own, but hopeful when you know the underlying story.

I’m very excited to read the other two books now and then maybe come back to read this again and find the little things I missed. Overall an enjoyable read that had a lot of heart.

Cover Artist: Paul Richmond. On the note of the cover, Paul Richmond did a great job of capturing an image that I think speaks to the story. There’s significance to the number 8 and it’s vague enough to let the reader have some imagination, while still capturing one of the characters.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) amazon The Eskimo Slugger

Book Details:

ebook, 230 pages
Published September 29th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 163216227X (ISBN13: 9781632162274)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.bradboney.com/

A MelanieM Review: Saving Crofton Hall (Stately Passions #1) by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Benjamin Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, has enjoyed his life of wealth and leisure. And he had every intention of continuing that lifestyle until a frantic phone call from sister interrupts his idylls in New York City. His widowed mother’s secret gambling debts lead her to forgery, putting up Crofton Hall as collateral. Now the family faces the possibility of foreclosure by the bank, and Benjamin is forced into opening their beloved estate to the public. But he must act fast and he has no idea how to accomplish turning her into a historical venue.

Enter Ashley Niven. A friend of Benjamin’s sister, Ashley has experience managing events, and he also loves history. Ashley is also in need of a job when his current employer cuts back in the staff. Being in charge of opening Crofton Hall is a dream come true, one he has held from the moment he saw the estate. But its not just the charms of Crofton Hall that Ashley finds himself drawn to but to the dashing Earl of Crofton as well.

Much like Crofton Hall herself, there are layers to be discovered under the charming fascade of Benjamin Redbourne, if only Ashley can lower his barriers of self defense enough to undercover them.

Crofton Hall has many secrets, and something hidden for over four hundred years is about to change all their lives.

Picking up Saving Crofton Hall was a true delight. First I was returning to a setting made familiar with The Crofton Chronicles, a trio of stories set in the mid 1500’s that revolved around the lives and relationship of Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, and actor Sebastian Hewell. I adored those stories and this author’s ability to bring those times and her characters vividly to life. Secondly, I hoped to have more insight into Crofton Hall’s history to discover any additional details of Anthony and Sebastian’s life together. Did I get it? Hmmmm, yes in a totally unexpected and wonderful way, something I will let the readers discover for themselves.

Saving Crofton Hall brings that grand old estate into modern times, along with the Redbourn family. Benjamin Redbourn is the 16th Earl of Crofton, his father having recently passed. The oldest son and heir, Benjamin has been blithely yet determinedly pursuing the wild life since an earlier breakup left him devastated. His search of the fast life and faster men have taken him far aboard, leaving Crofton Hall in the hands of his mother unequipped to handle it with a younger brother and sister unable to deal with their mother and the situation. Once more, Rebecca Cohen delivers us into the middle of this historic and charming estate but this time to a family facing ruin and the loss of everything that has been in family for hundreds of years, including Crofton Hall.

Crofton Hall continues to act as an important character in this story. Objects found along her halls or in the gardens, will instantly bring up fond recollections of those earlier stories, much like visiting an old friend will make older shared events and joint memories fresh once more. The hall also serves as an intimate and immediate frame of reference for Benjamin Redbourn. As the 16th Earl of Crofton he faces challenges to his family and estate the previous owners would never have thought of while retaining those responsibilities and duties that come with the title. Benjamin remains a combination of the old and the new, history and honor, with a sense of entitlement that gets an adjustment in face of an unthinkable loss. I liked Benjamin immediately. He’s a good person hit with a series of personal and emotional shocks, the first of which is a mother with a hidden gambling problem. He’s believable, relatable, and sexy. I adored him.

Next up is Ashley Niven, another character who makes this story and romance both real and endearing. Like some of those drawing room comedies, Ashley’s drawn towards Benjamin and spends an inordinate amount of time fighting his own impulses…much to our delight. Lively dialog ushers in two men in flux. Each has qualities that mesh with the other and how they find their balance makes their romance and relationship sweet, sexy, and as charming as Crofton Hall herself. And the scenes with Ashley, Benjamin, and the people who come to “rent out” Crofton Hall are some of the most poignant and humorous scenes described. When the members of the local UFO society have their meeting at the Hall, its as funny as you would expect, then its followed by a wedding so moving that sniffling is sure to occur. But the character of Ashley also has quite the unusual pedigree and that surprising background just adds more spice to an already delicious dish of a story!

There’s Mrs. Weather, Billins, Kitty, and so many others that give Saving Crofton Hall the feeling of a close-knit community pulling together to save home and hearth. None feel extraneous to the estate or the story, more a needed ingredient that gives a depth that would be missed without them.

Here is a story rich in history and appreciation for family and tradition. Saving Crofton Hall is the first in a new series, Stately Passions, by Rebecca Cohen that features various estates in the UK. I can’t wait to see where this terrific author takes us next. While Saving Crofton Hall can certainly be read as a stand alone, for the wealth of history and romance lurking in the halls and foundation, pick up the three stories that make up The Crofton Chronicles. I have listed them all for you at the bottom of this review.

I highly recommend Saving Crofton Hall by Rebecca Cohen, an author with an ability to make history feel alive, and give modern times a rich patina of culture and tradition that sets her narratives on strong foundations from which they can grow and become memorable.

Cover artist: Reese Dante. Terrific cover, and that estate looks exactly the way I pictured Crofton Hall.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner ebook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) amazon Saving Crofton Hall

Book Details:

Published November 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632165084
edition languageEnglish
series Stately Passions #1

The Crofton Chronicles in the order they were written and should be read:

The Actor and the Earl (The Crofton Chronicles #1)
Duty to the Crown (The Crofton Chronicles #2)
Forever Hold His Peace (The Crofton Chronicles #3)

An Aurora YA Review: Carnival-Decatur by Zoe Lynne

Rating: I give this book 4 out of 5

A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title

In a world of lights, music, fanfare and fun, there’s not a lot left to the mundane, and nothing can be truer for four special boys whose lives intertwine in a most unusual, unexpected way. They all have secrets and supernatural powers that set them apart from the average small town high-schooler.

Jessie’s world revolves around his family’s traveling carnival. Tate’s busy being the good son to Decatur, Alabama’s first black mayor. Rand knows everyone’s secrets. And Donny wants a family. When sexuality and special abilities become each boy’s focus, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up. With an uncertain road ahead of them, their talents to see the future, hear other people’s thoughts, and manipulate wills might help them change their destined courses and find the right path.

Four boys. Each with his own cross to bear. Just trying to grow up.

Carnival – Decatur is about four boys with abilities that are certainly outside of the norm, who have to deal with their own personal problems and ambitions as well as some things that are much less mundane. The book takes place in Decatur, Alabama, and centers around the Macon Brothers’ Carnival coming into the small town, and Jesse, whose father works in the carnival business and drags his son along from place to place, not something Jesse is entirely fond of.

This book was definitely strong, and I really enjoyed the balance between characters wanting basic things that everyone wants, but also having these special abilities that they had to focus on. I thought every single one of the four boys were strong and the differences between them and what they wanted really helped communicate that. There was strong world building, even for a modern fantasy, and I really found it an interesting book to read. Each of the characters also had realistic flaws, and I have to say that I absolutely loved the fact that there was a main character of color!

Often having LGBTQIA+ representation in books causes other diversity to fall by the wayside and I love seeing books where so many different people are represented, and represented so well. I really enjoyed the plot behind the book, too, although it definitely seemed like a more character driven story than anything else. Which was great, because I think the characters were really well written. There were times with each of them when I loved them, and times when I definitely didn’t, but I enjoyed their stories and was definitely invested in what happened to all four of the boys.

Cover Artist: Allison Cassatta. I liked the cover of this book. My personal preference is drawn covers rather than photo manipulated, but it represented the book well and I think it would draw a reader’s attention if they were in a book store or browsing online.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook & Paperback All Romance eBook amazon Carnival-Decatur

Book Details:

ebook, 202 pages
Published August 29th 2014 by Harmony Ink Press (first published August 28th 2014)
ISBN 1632162458 (ISBN13: 9781632162458)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

A MelanieM Review: Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #19) by Havan Fellows

Ratings: 5 Stars out of 5

Rowen Smithe fought his demons, in this case the people who turned a 14 year old boy into a warped nightmare of a man. But Rowen escaped them but never the darkness they created inside him. Now, with the events of the past weeks behind them, Rowen is finally prepared to start living again, this time with Mick, the man who helped free his soul and stole his heart. But in the aftermath of the horror and killing, things have changed and now its Mick that the darkness has swallowed and Rowen is uncertain how to help the man he loves regain what he has lost.

Mick Rutger was a happy-go-lucky type of guy, a feeling he liked. But his encounters up close with Rowen’s past and the events that followed have left Mick with feelings of hatred and rage, feelings he is unprepared to deal with. Drowning under his fears, nightmares, and anger, Mick closes himself off to the outside world in a drastic measure of protection. Just when Rowe has finally opened up to him and Mick had hopes for their future together.

Both men will have to battle the darkness one more time if they hope for that HEA and trust that their sanity won’t be lost forever.

Final Blow is the penultimate story in Havan Fellows’ Whispering Winds (PF2014) series. I have loved both of her characters, but especially the damaged Rowen Smithe from the very start. Mick Rutger was Rowe’s opposite, always he seemed to be that affable and lighthearted golden bouncing after the haunted, dark soul that was Rowe. It was Mick who drew Rowen out of the cabin, or down from his tree, ever so slowly out of the silence and isolation that Rowen had wrapped himself in. It was a beautiful balance between the sun and the night, a twilight journey the reader was thrilled to be on along with Mick and Rowen. For every heartbreaking reveal from Rowen, Fellows gifted us with an endearing scene of Mick beckoning Rowen further out of his shell. Remember this scene from Blown Kisses?

Huh?

Rowen sat quiet for a second, wondering where the extra noise came from when it happened again, and he looked up to the right.

“Shit…” he muttered under his breath. Someone was knocking on his door.

He turned his body, slowly moved the curtain out of the way, and with only his right eye, peered out the window. He couldn’t see the front door from this window, but he wondered if a certain.

Two clear pale blue eyes stared back at him, crinkled around the edges undoubtedly because of the smile Rowen couldn’t see from this close. Mick moved back enough to lift up Filigree—no, the stray cat—and wave her paw at Rowen.

I laughed about that scene all the way through the terrors that followed, and the glimpses of hope for a future together that the author allowed us to see. Consistently, just when things were at their worst, Fellows incorporated lighter elements to alleviate the heaviness and strain that has been a major factor in this series. And always it was Mick who was the bearer of light tidings.

But in Blown Chance, there was a major reversal of roles between Mick and Rowen, the dynamics of which are just being felt here in Final Blow. Now we see the trauma and rage those acts have visited upon Mick as well an uncertain Rowen trying to reach out and save the man he finally acknowledges that he loves. It’s an unsettling turnabout for all and it heightens the vulnerabilities and frailties of both characters like we have never seen them before.

Havan Fellows reveals Mick as a character far more complex and layered then he originally appeared to be. It makes the relationship we have seen develop between the tortured Rowe and Mick more authentic and believable. If there is to be a yin to his yang, then it also needs to be on equal ground with matching complexities and overtones. The author accomplishes that hard-won balance in Final Blow. Here her characters find themselves in situations that require them to achieve a certain amount of emotional growth and healing in order to move forward, hopefully together. It was painful and wonderful and immensely satisfying to see characters we have come to love reach out for each other and more, much, much more.

I love Final Blow as I have all the preceeding stories in this series. But there is one last story to come. There are still monsters at play and demons to vanquish. Who and what they are is still to be revealed. I can’t wait for December to come.

But until then, grab up this marvelous series if you haven’t already. Make the acquaintances of Rowen Smithe (who definitely give Wicked Templeton a run for the money as favorite Fellows character) and Mick Rutger. Start at the beginning, enjoy the journey to love and HEA. Its one of the top series of the year, along with its interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, all of which are listed below.

Cover artist: Laura Harner consistently delivers a great branding job with the series and the PulpFriction 2014 logo.

Sales Links: All Romance eBook (ARe) amazon Final Blow

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 50 pages
Published October 14th 2014 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
original titleFinal Blow (Whispering Winds #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #20)
ASINB00OII4ZRE
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #19, Whispering Winds

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

It’s Cocktail Hour with Renee George and Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (Cocktails #7) Book Tour and Contest

Book Name: The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (CockTails #7)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George

Author Bio:

Multi-published, best-selling author Renee George has been a factory worker, an army medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing stories about sexy alpha men is the BEST job she’s ever had. When she turned thirty, she went back to college and earned her BA in creative writing. She has been married to the love of her life, a wonderful man who supports in every way, for over half her life (and that is a VERY long time!). She happily lives in a small, Midwest town with her husband, two needy dogs and a very independent cat. Anything else you want to know, just ask. She’ll give you all the nitty gritty dirt.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/renee.george.351
https://www.facebook.com/authorreneegeorge

http://www.twitter.com/@reneegeorge2008

Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: Renee George

Note: “The Wallbanger” will be FREE for readers from Nov 14-16!

Sales Links:

CockTails #1 The Wallbanger – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PL92

CockTails #2 The Hot Toddy – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PNTA

CockTails #3 The Gin Rickey – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PQWO

CockTails #4 The Dirty Martini- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KV05LYO

CockTails #5 Wallbanger 2: The Old Fashioned http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MV3TT4C

CockTails #6 The Hurricane: Hot Toddy 2- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5CUFYK

CockTails #7 The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P2WFUJC

(And they’re all free through Kindle Unlimited.)

Gin Rickey 2 Blurb:

Ricky McNeil doesn’t do relationships, especially with hot, rich dudes like Alex Michaels. No, he and Alex find mutual and intense satisfaction together–and if Ricky thinks about Alex too often and wants him too much … that doesn’t mean anything. Right?

Alex wants Ricky day and night, but figures asking for an exclusive relationship with the sexy, tattooed man is the best way to scare him off. Even so, Alex can’t resist inviting Ricky to his parents’ home for a holiday barbecue. No one’s more surprised than Alex when Ricky says yes.

Will attending a family event as a couple bring them closer together … or be the end of everything between them?

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Gin Rickey 2 Excerpt:

A delicious tension rose in Alex when Ricky stroked his face and curled a hand behind his neck. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and light headed, the tightening in his chest threatening to burst him wide open. His pulse hammered with anticipation. When Ricky pulled him down and their lips brushed, he nearly collapsed to the ground.

“What about these,” Ricky said, his voice low and seductive. “Are these pretty lips mine?”

“Yes,” Alex whispered. “Yes.”

Ricky’s hand trailed down Alex’s neck to his chest, his hand resting over Alex’s heart. “And this? Can I have this too?”

“Fu-uck,” he stuttered, reaching back to brace himself.

“Is that a no?”

“No,” Alex said. His skin dampened as his whole body trembled. “I mean, not a no. Jesus, I’m sweating.” His breath quickened, and he felt the edge of a panic attack. God, Ricky was going to be the death of him.

“Slow down, Alex,” Ricky said, his voice calm. “Just breathe.”

Alex took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then blew it out slowly.

Ricky wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and kissed his neck. “Again.”

He took another deep breath and after a slow exhalation, Ricky’s lips drifted across his again. Alex leaned down, slanting his mouth into the kiss, melting against Ricky’s body as he opened for the delicious invasion. The heated stroke of his lover’s tongue inside his mouth felt electric. They didn’t usually kiss. Not like this. They didn’t do this kind of intimacy. They didn’t…

Pages: 55 pages

Tour Dates: November 14th, 2014

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

BFD Book Blog

Molly Lolly

Inked Rainbow Reads

My Fiction Nook

Wake Up Your Wild Side

The Hat Party

Love Bytes

Fallen Angel Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews

Multitasking Mommas

Tara Lain

Michael Mandrake

It’s Raining Men

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Kimi-Chan

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter the contest and for all additional contest details.
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A MelanieM Review: Say Something by BA Tortuga

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Jensen Thackerson has loved Mike Simon throughout high school. Mike was always the rising star even then and Jensen knew Mike was destined for something bigger than their small town. When Mike leaves for college, Jensen stays behind on the family farm in Texas. Ranching and being a cowboy is the only thing that Jensen knows or thinks he’s good at, other than loving Mike. But being in that small town atmosphere means that Jensen will forever be in the closet, about his feelings for men and Mike in particular. It means abiding by his family’s expectations suborning his own dreams and love in the process.

Mike Simon is thrilled to leave Texas behind. It’s a place he never felt he belonged. When acting and UNC beckoned he took off, his only regret was leaving Jensen, the boy he loved behind. As close as two boys could be, they could never figure out how to move their relationship past friendship into romance and beyond. As Mike’s journey to stardom begins, Jensen and Mike cross paths again and again, but always with the same results. Mike rockets upward and Jensen remains in Texas, a place Mike never wants to see again.

As the years pass along with personal milestones for them both, a tragedy gives Jensen and Mike one last shot at a relationship and togetherness. But it will take courage and trust, something both have lacked in the past, to make this last chance work. Could the timing finally be right for love and a HEA?

I have taken my time writing this review for Say Something by BA Tortuga because this story has me so divided over my thoughts about the writing, the characters, and the narrative. I have loved BA Tortuga from the moment I read her Stormy Weather and Roughstock series. A prolific writer, I could always spot a BA Tortuga story from the opening line. I didn’t have to look for the author’s name because Tortuga’s impeccable regional voices and dialects combined with an intimate knowledge of her settings and regional culture leapt off the page with a vitality that couldn’t be ignored. Her boys bounced, drawled, bucked and rode off into the sunset with humor, sexiness, and a charisma that few other authors achieved. Even when this author’s stories lacked one element or another, there was always something uniquely hers that set them apart and made them worth reading. So to say my expectations regarding Say Something were high is a tad on the understated side.

Did this story even come close to meeting those predictions? Unfortunately not. Had the cover not plainly stated that BA Tortuga authored Say Something I would never have guessed this was written by her. And that disappointment flavored my overall view of this story and its characters. Readers without prior knowledge of BA Tortuga, and therefore, lacking in assumptions, might have a differing outlook. But I don’t think so because other elements as well crowd in to make this one of the harder reviews I have had to write.

Say Something’s plot is large in scope,including its timeline. From high school students to middle age and beyond, this story covers decades of Jensen and Mike’s lives, the majority of which is spent apart. Tortuga’s novel has Jensen and Mike’s life break off in far different paths at the end of high school. One stays closeted and down on the farm, the other is out, proud, and rocketing to fame and fortune. Only tragedy, terminal illness and death brings them back together…again and again. Each reader will have to look at their own tolerance for this meandering, frustrating, and in my opinion, unsupported separation between them. I say unsupported because the rationale for Jensen’s actions and rejection of Mike feels believable only at the beginning. After a decade or so, it becomes as tiresome and forced as Mike feels it to be. It’s never a good thing when I find myself wanting to see a main character die off by mid story, so yes, my tolerance for the character of Jensen and the various contrivances the author uses to keep Mike and Jensen apart started waning pretty quickly.

Even when these two come together where is the joy? The joie de vivre so associated with characters that feel breathtakingly alive? Not here. Neither are the quintessential colloquialisms or regional flavor that add so much depth to her men and women and settings. Instead there exists a blandness and anonymity to the locations, people and events that take place throughout the decades here. And when this element of tepidness and well, just overall sense of “beigeness” that hovers over the characters along with the disheartening events (terminal illness, and death) that the author uses to bring them together over and over again…well, then this turns into one sad and seemingly interminable journey.

What will also bother readers (without giving away spoilers), is that both men have other romances and love affairs, meaningful ones, throughout their lives apart. That was a very realistic aspect to this story but I know that some readers will be put off just by that element alone. Some readers will say “why harp on a lack of joy amidst so much sadness and death? Because it’s the need to feel alive that’s missing here, from the characters and from the story.

So why give it 3 stars? Because BA Tortuga is still an accomplished author and sections of this story are very well written whether or not I think it comes together as a whole. That alone deserves a 3 star rating and it gets one. If you are a fan of stories of this type and content, you might be the reader Say Something is looking for. For all others,, pick up one of BA Tortuga’s other stories. There are many to choose from and several that are sure to delight. Start there to get familiar with BA Tortuga and the stories that make her a “go to author’ the majority of the time.

Cover Artist: AngstyG has created a beautiful cover in tone and composition. Love it.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance eBook (ARe) amazon Say Something

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages
Published September 29th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1632163829 (ISBN13: 9781632163820)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://batortuga.blogspot.com/

A MIka Review: Heart by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Cornish pastry chef Seb Wright dreads the summer tourist season. The cash injection to his artisan fudge pantry is more than welcome, the extra work, less so. Then one summer, a shadowy Good Samaritan catches his eye. Irish Traveller Dex is bewitching, a beautiful sullen enigma who turns Seb’s world upside down until he disappears in the night, vanishing like a mystical summer rain.   Twelve months later Dex is in the midst of a dark storm. A slave to his master, ‘Uncle’ Braden, he spends his days cleaning caravans and his nights working in Braden’s other businesses. His short summer with Seb seems a lifetime ago. Lost in the savage violence of the murky underworld, he doesn’t dare dream he’ll ever find his way back, until one night, a brutal crime opens the door for a chance escape. A new life beckons, old faces emerge, and immersed in the heady vibe of London’s East End, new love begins to heal his fractured heart.

Garrett Leigh has become a must read author for me since she put out Only Love. That book is still my favorite m/m book of this year. Heart is about finding one self, finding love, what it means to be in love, and family. Garrett Leigh always seems to put us in these dark places and we get to see these guys find their way to the light. From the beginning of the story we are introduced to this amazing man name Seb, for someone his age which is mine, the amount of compassion and love he has is astounding. I’m a sucker for abuse, dark gritty tells, under educated that’s just me. Seb was a twenty-something guy working in a town that he grew up end making fudge. He is about the only good Samaritan around in my opinion. He finds himself walking home one night and he got the feeling that someone was close which they were. It was Dex, beautiful, sweet, homeless gypsy Dex, and what does it do, honest Dex tells Seb he dropped his wallet he did. I think for me from that view point I wanted more Dex, that’s all I cared about. Reading from Seb’s point of view was so satisfying because he was enthralled just as much as the reader was. It’s a point in the beginning of the story where it’s the weather conditions are horrible and Seb see’s Dex underneath an awning trying to stay warm, Seb invites him in for food and shelter. What broke my heart was what Dex said next. He automatically went into thinking what did he owe Seb for doing this for him. As if everyone in the world expect something from a 19 yr old boy.

Things progress from there for a while. One morning Seb wakes up and Dex is gone. Surprisingly I didn’t cry, which I thought I was going to the entire time. The point of view changes to Dex story now, and man did I cry. He went through so much hard ache and pain. I can’t imagine people having to go through this. He was apart of a gypsy carnival. He was a prostitute who never seemed to come out on the winning side. As I don’t like to give away the plot I can only talk about how I felt towards these characters. I felt anger mostly. I felt anger because he had to go on years with out Seb and only have his memories as the only good thing in life. He does get save it’s not sweep off your feet. It’s hard, and Dex worked really hard for whatever he did in life. Those moments in the story pulled at my heart more and more. I really appreciate his growth, determination and usefulness.

Seb Wright is an amazing character. One thing I could say that really gave him an edge was his patience. He was super patient with Dex when they reunited. I loved how Seb was willing to move mountains for Dex. I will continue to support this author as long as Garrett continues to write. I wish I had beautiful words to encompass of how I felt. Sometimes I do have the words, and other times I just write what comes to me. I can say the angst was alive and kicking. I recommend this book to lovers of Garrett Leigh, lovers of angst. People who want to believe and succeed in life. Don’t ever give up is my only words of wisdom.

The cover artist: G.D. Leigh. I liked the cover; it doesn’t give much away for the story. Upon reading the story you kind of guess which character it’s for. The cover does make you feel at peace with what has transpired for one of the main characters.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook & Paperback All Romance eBook amazon Heart

Book Details:
eBook, 204 pages
Published October 27th, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 9781632163677
Edition Language: English
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Book Name: The Superstar Author Name: Patricia Logan

Author Bio:

The Superstar Blurb:

The Superstar Excerpt:

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Begin your holidays with a very special offer from Riptide Publishing and the author of Three of Hearts, Kelly Jamieson. Help Choose The Charity This Season!

Begin Your Holiday Gift Giving here….

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Rating: I give this book 4 out of 5

Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook & Paperback All Romance eBook amazon Carnival-Decatur

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Ratings: 5 Stars out of 5

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Book Name: The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (CockTails #7) Goodreads Link Author Name: Renee George

Gin Rickey 2 Blurb:

Gin Rickey 2 Excerpt:

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Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance eBook (ARe) amazon Say Something

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Rating: 4 stars out of 5

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Book Name: The Superstar
Author Name: Patricia Logan

Book Name: The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (CockTails #7)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George