Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

Looking for that Next Romance Story? Check out the New Release Blitz for Coffee (A Cup of John #2) by Matthew J. Metzger (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Coffee

Series: A Cup of John, Book Two

Author: Matthew J. Metzger

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: August 19. 2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 69100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, British, trans, gay, queer, age gap, established couple, size difference, blue collar, disability, ableism, death and grieving, family issues, dirty talk, wedding, ownvoices

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Synopsis

When Chris’s stepfather passes away and leaves Chris a house and a wedding ring, it seems like the perfect opportunity to take the next step in his relationship with John.

So, they’re both in for a nasty shock when Chris’s mother is vehemently opposed to the idea. Despite three years of history to prove otherwise, she insists that John is only a temporary feature in Chris’s life, and a man like him can’t be expected to stay with someone like Chris in the long run.

Can Chris persuade her that she’s wrong in time for the wedding—or will there be an empty space in the photographs?

Excerpt

Coffee
Matthew J. Metzger © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Rather appropriately for the occasion, it had been raining all day.

Chris took in a deep lungful of smoke and exhaled it smoothly into the chilly afternoon. The memorial garden was blissful after the hustle and bustle of the funeral. The air was open and soothingly cool, not like the stuffy heat of the chapel. He could breathe again. He could gather the shards of grief around himself and try to put them back together, without having to think about his mother’s sobbing at his side, or the favourite song that had been played for Jack’s last journey, a song now stained with sadness.

The gentle patter of raindrops on the umbrella calmed him, and the far-off chirping of some irate bird provided a gentle counterpoint. Life slowed. From farther off, the chattering of friends and relations had finally died away, and Chris stubbed out the remains of the cigarette as he heard the crunch of gravel.

He’d never been here before, but the footsteps coming down the path were as familiar as his own. Thunderously heavy, an immense weight crushing each step into the ground even as the pace was slow and steady. That slight stress on one step, followed by lightness on the other. That dodgy knee from the rugby accident last year had left its mark in the form of a subtle limp and a tiny scar like a fish hook that made its owner go all shivery when Chris kissed it. Even the speed with which each step followed the other was familiar, like the tower of a body might collapse if the feet were spread too far apart. The hands that clasped Chris’s shoulders were as big as spades, and only one person in his life was tall enough to kiss the crown of his head without the use of a box to stand on.

Chris leaned back into the wall of a man who had arrived and lifted the umbrella to let him into the shelter.

“Your mum’s gone home with Lauren.”

The relief was bittersweet. Mum and Lauren had always gotten along, despite one being Dad’s ex-wife and one being Dad’s girlfriend. Lauren would look after her—even if it was Chris’s job. Even if he was supposed to.

“You did great.”

Chris swallowed thickly. “I think it’s just sunk in.”

It hadn’t been real. It had taken so long that it had never quite felt real until this moment.

Jack had died a long, slow, terrible death. Weeks in the hospice. Chris would never forget the gargling way his stepfather had breathed near the end, or the clammy coolness of his skin. The way Mum had cried, soft little sniffles at the corner of the bed on that final day. The gaps between the gurgles, until finally there had been nothing but the eeriest silence. The shaking in his fingertips was over.

Everything was over. The smell of cigar smoke on the tenth of March, the one day of the year Jack lit up. The shuffle of his slippers. The whirr of that deathtrap of a stairlift. The croaking way he’d chuckled, a noise that in a bigger man would have been a belly laugh. The little huff he let out when Mum was in one of her moods, followed up hastily with “Yes, dear, of course…” And Chris had never seen it, but he’d known Jack had flashed him little smirks across the table at such moments, conspiratorial understandings between the two men who were most subject to her fussing and flapping, the two men who loved her most. Gone.

“Jack’s gone.”

“I know.” The words were soft but firm. The hands on his shoulders rubbed down to his elbows and then back up in a long, smooth stroke. “But so is the pain and the suffering. He’s not hurting anymore. And if he was right, then he gets to see his daughter again now.”

Chris coughed a shaky laugh. It bubbled out of his ribs like water overflowing. “No such thing as heaven.”

“You never know.”

Chris sighed and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes and hummed as a kiss was pressed into his temple.

“I should go and see Mum,” he said.

But his chest ached. His ribs felt like they were going to cave in, and a red-hot pain followed the scar, as if he’d been wrapped in metal wire, melting against his skin. He hurt.

“I want to go home.”

The hands pulled. He was turned by the shoulders and drawn into a rain-damp embrace. The arms around his back made the pain worse, but Chris clung and burrowed into the embrace anyway. The kiss on the top of his head slotted two of the jagged edges together and sealed them shut again. The grief ebbed a fraction.

“Come on, then. Let’s go home.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Matthew J. Metzger is an ace, trans author posing as a functional human being in the wilds of Yorkshire, England. Although mainly a writer of contemporary, working-class romance, he also strays into fantasy when the mood strikes. Whatever the genre, the focus is inevitably on queer characters and their relationships, be they familial, platonic, sexual, or romantic.

When not crunching numbers at his day job, or writing books by night, Matthew can be found tweeting from the gym, being used as a pillow by his cat, or trying to keep his website in some semblance of order.

Website | Twitter

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Don’t Miss Out on the Blog Tour Appeal to You (Beyond the Cove #3) by Jaclyn Quinn (excerpt)

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Appeal To You

Beyond the Cove Series, Book 3

Jaclyn Quinn

M/M Romance

Release Date: 07.31.19

Appeal To You Cover

Cover design by Cate Ashwood

Blurb

Will the demons of the past ruin any hope for the future?

If there’s anyone who knows how to have a good time—be it with a man or a woman—it’s Ryder Pearce. Master of the nail-it-and-bail-it theory, he lives his life for one person and one person only: himself. When a man enters Ryder’s life who challenges him on every flirtation, every sexual innuendo he can come up with, Ryder’s thrown off his game in a big way. Because there’s one thing the man has made perfectly clear—they’ve played this game before, and Ryder doesn’t remember the outcome.

Avery Hamilton has seen all of Ryder’s moves and has witnessed his sex appeal. He knows all too well about his cocky sense of humor and his penchant for one-night stands. There was a time in his life when he’d taken the bait, but this time around, he wants more. He’s seen Ryder’s act; what he hasn’t seen is Ryder—the real Ryder he hides from the world.

When both men come together to help a young boy, Ryder’s forced to face things from his past he’s blocked out. Things he never wanted anyone to know. Now, Ryder has one fear… Will revealing that side of himself be real enough for Avery? Or will it be the reason Avery walks away?

*Warning: This book contains off-page references to sexual/physical abuse of a minor. This book is the third book in a series. Reading the books out of order may result in spoilers.

Universal Buy Link: mybook.to/AppealtoYou

Teaser-#1

Teaser-#3

“Listen, about earlier…” Avery began, hoping to get some kind of conversation going. “I really am sorry. I have this knee-jerk reaction to jump to conclusions with you.” Avery nudged Ryder playfully with his arm until he looked over at him. “You’re too damn quiet, and it’s making me nervous.”

Ryder laughed. “Never thought you’d say that, huh?” He shrugged his shoulders, looking forward again. “Forget about it, man. Trust me”—he glanced back over at Avery—“I’m nowhere near perfect. I fuck up every damn day.” His gaze shifted forward again as they separated, letting an older couple walk between them. When they met up again, Ryder added, “Most of the time, though, even if it doesn’t seem like it, it’s with good intentions.” His eyes flicked again to Avery’s, but it was as if he didn’t want to hold eye contact and nervously looked ahead once more.

“It hasn’t gone unnoticed. Not by me.” Avery owed him at least that much. Ryder’s surprised smile from Avery’s admission made him laugh. “Don’t look so shocked. I’m a very perceptive man. Not much gets past me.”

All at once, the smile faded, and Ryder looked straight ahead again. “Is that so?”

Avery stopped short in the middle of the boardwalk, crossing his arms over his chest. Ryder looked back at him as he also came to a stop and turned around. “Yeah, it is. Like the fact that you’re acting weird. What the hell is up with you today?”

“Why does something have to be up?”

“Are you only going to answer me with questions?”

“Do you want me to only answer you with questions?”

Avery hung his head back and groaned. “Jesus Christ, sometimes I just want to strangle you.”

Ryder closed the distance between them with two slow steps. “I’ll try anything once. Didn’t take you for a breath play kind of guy, though. Do you make that groaning sound you just made while you do it? Because yes, please.”

Avery straightened his back then leaned his face only a few inches away from Ryder. “You really don’t take anything seriously, do you?” His tone came out huskier than he’d meant it to, but this man kept him in a perpetual state of frustration—including sexual.

“Sex. I take sex very seriously,” Ryder retorted, but his face didn’t show the conviction of his words. Damn, Avery was so tired of staring at the same fucking wall Ryder had built around himself. Ryder was, surprisingly, the first to break eye contact, moving his gaze to the ocean.

This wasn’t accomplishing anything, and they sure as hell weren’t going to find Chris by standing here.

Yet, Avery refused to let the man get the last word. He lifted a finger to Ryder’s cheek, turning his head so he was looking at him again. “You’re acting weird, and it has nothing to do with sex.” Avery stepped around Ryder to continue walking, pissed that Ryder always had a way of pushing his buttons. So, push back. He turned abruptly, making Ryder bump into him. He stared down into gray eyes and couldn’t help himself when he said, “Although, if we were talking sex… Breath play? No. But I can make you come so hard, you’ll be gasping for air when I’m done with you.”

“Hot damn,” Ryder whispered right before Avery forced himself to turn around again, holding back a smug smile as he began to walk and scan the area.
Teaser-#2

Jaclyn Quinn Logo

I have been an artist from a very young age. From drawing cartoon characters and evolving into portraits, making jewelry, photography, and now writing. I have an amazing support system in my family and friends and couldn’t be more grateful.

I live in central New Jersey, love summers at the Jersey Shore, rock music, wine, sexy men, and laughing a lot with my amazing friends and family. Sunday dinners at my parents’ house are crazy, hysterical and you can count on a movie quote…or ten…being thrown out. Insults between siblings is how we show our love for each other!

When I’m not creating, you can find me reading books from my favorite authors. I’m a hopeless romantic, starving for passionate characters and always craving that happy ending, whether in reading or in writing my own books.

https://linktr.ee/JQbooks

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Doctor’s Orders (Copper Point Medical #3) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Nearly twenty-four hours after finishing this story, the last in the series, I feel bereft, as if I’ve lost good friends. Not only do I miss Jared and Nick, I miss Erin and Owen, and Jack and Simon. How will I go on without the cast from Copper Point in my life? That may sound a bit dramatic, but the truth is that I’ve stopped what I’m doing a number of times today to think fondly of Jared and Nick and wonder how everything is going at St. Ann’s. 

This book is not at all like the first two, but this couple has known each other a long time, were once high school lovers, and still love each other deeply though they take great pains to keep their feelings hidden. That’s especially true of Nick, the hospital CEO. A handsome black man in his late thirties, he lives with his mother, grandmother, and sister in his childhood home, supporting them financially and emotionally and trying his best to live up to the ideal man they and his late father planned for him to be. Those plans did not include being gay, falling in love with a doctor, or being open about it. In a word, Nick is torn. 

His matriarchal household provided his firm foundation in his religious and family beliefs and it’s not something he can shed easily, even when an accident literally throws him back into Jared’s arms, twenty years after the last time they were together, and the flames glow again from the embers they’ve kept banked. There’s no escaping their attraction now and Jared is willing to give Nick time this time, unlike the ultimatum he gave Nick in their teens. But giving him time takes its toll on Jared and the smiling doctor begins to crack on the inside. The key point, per Jared, is community. Nick belongs to his family and his church in a way Jared had never known and likely never would.

I love the way the author weaves in the characters from books one and two, including secondary characters—board members and friends. There’s a whole community here, not just the two principal stars in this drama, and in a way, the ending when the whole community is present for what happens at the Founders Day parade is fitting for this couple. I have a note to myself at the 25% mark that although I already knew the characters from the early books, the author sealed my reading enjoyment with the elevator accident. And another note: the author’s style is so polished that even when a character does something I don’t like, I’m still interested because the writing has pulled me in.

All in all, this is a book—and a series—that is so worth reading. There’s no cookie-cutter prose here. Each book has a different couple, a different style, a different feel—but all have a happy ending. I highly recommend this series to all who love MM romance.

The attractive cover by Kanaxa is similar to others in the series in that it features a single character against a white background. In this case, it’s the very handsome Nick Beckert, hospital CEO and Jared’s lifelong love. 

Sales Links:Goodreads • Publisher • Audible • Ripped Bodice • Barnes & Noble • Google Play Ebook • Google Play Audio • Apple Books • Kobo (US) • Kobo (Canada) • Amazon (US) • Amazon(Canada) • Amazon (UK) • Powells

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 384 pages
Expected publication: August 20th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
Original Title The Doctor’s Orders
ASIN B07QVKSLPN
Edition Language English
Series Copper Point Medical #3

Copper Point: Medical Series

The Doctor’s Secret

The Doctor’s Date

The Doctor’s Orders

A Vivacious Review: Heel (Working Out the Kinks #2) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 3.75 Stars out of 5

Adrian finds himself in a bad relationship but when the relationship turns violent he finds himself broken.

While trying to put back all the pieces of himself together he once again finds himself seeking Vale, the person who helped him stand on his feet before.

 Can Vale help Adrian find all the parts of himself especially the parts that make being a puppy so much of a joy for Adrian?

This book felt so good. The entire time I was reading it, I was just so happy. Despite the fact that at the beginning of this story Adrian is not in a happy place, the story always feels good. So even when things are bad you know it will all work out in the end. I didn’t know how much I was craving that feel-good factor that this book has it in oodles.

Adrian is a pup who finds himself in a tough position when his boyfriend turns violent but he gets himself out of the situation and puts himself back together slowly but surely. I really liked his spirit despite the fact that he is beaten up he finds in himself the strength to show up and be strong. I admired Adrian a lot once he was on the path to recovery he grows brighter every day till it is almost infectious and I loved seeing him happy.

Vale is amazing, amazing. I remember him from the first book and he was a fascinating character even then. I’m glad he found everything he was looking for.

It is so delightful to see these two together. They are perfect for each other. I loved how Vale treats Adrian and how he helps him get all his confidence back. This story does justice to these two amazing characters.

The pacing of the plot is, however, a bit irregular. When the story starts things just keep happening one after the other which really got me invested into the characters and the plot but then somewhere at the three quarters mark in this book absolutely nothing is happening and the worst part is that you know the story isn’t finished so you are just on high alert waiting for something to pop up and I didn’t like the feeling of having to wait for something to happen while reading a book. Then towards the end, the author brings up two big plot points that needed to get solved and proceeds to do it in the last 15% of the book. Personally, I believe if the author had taken one of the plot points and solved it earlier while making us aware of the other. I would have enjoyed the story more especially during that part three quarters into the story where there was a significant lull in the plot.

All things said and done, I needed this book and its highly hopeful tone. I really loved Adrian & Vale and their story. Also, it was so much fun seeing Jonah and Lars again. I really loved them in the first book and it was good to see them all settled in this one.

Cover Art by K.M. Neuhold is gorgeous. Even before I knew that the collar on the cover is actually Adrian’s collar in the book, something about that collar just screamed Adrian to me. It’s weird how much that collar can help you get an idea of who Adrian is. Also, everything aside that cover is still gorgeous even if it didn’t tie in as perfectly as it does with the story it would still be pretty but this way it is perfect.

Buy Link: mybook.to/Heel

Book Details:

ebook, 284 pages
Published August 2nd 2019
Series Working Out the Kinks #2

An Alisa Review: CID by S. L. Danielson

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Ask 26-year-old artist Cid Walker how he’s feeling and you’ll likely get a snarl, or a glare, but not a real answer. Cid’s soul is so damaged from a brutal and savage ex-fiancé that trusting anyone is out of the question.

 

Two classmates try to get his attention; Barry and Kellen. Barry is only 18 and a very naïve, sweet boy-next-door type who is young, needy, and anxious to get involved with the mysterious artist. He wants to be with Cid more than anything, but his efforts fail.

 

Kellen, all of 22, is as snarky as Cid is at first, but soon manages to get across to him. Kellen understands why Cid is acting out because Kellen is also keeping his soul and psyche intact with mere Band-Aids after being attacked a few years ago.

 

Add in a stalker that won’t take ‘no’ for an answer and you have Cid’s life at the moment. Who can get through his broken heart?

 

***trigger alert*** mention of past sexual assault

 

Okay, so this book took me forever to get through considering it’s about 200 pages long.  The story just moved slow and I think my annoyance with the characters/storyline didn’t help.  And while it’s not a bad story, I think there were just too many things that bugged me.

 

I get why Cid was stand-offish and scared to get involved with someone but I think my biggest annoyance was Barry.  He was childish and needy and that was the last thing Cid needed to deal with but then Barry would lay the guilt trip and it made Cid think he did something wrong throughout the whole book, which he didn’t, they were never dating, Cid never said they were dating and specifically said friends (which seems to be an impossibility to Barry).

 

I did like Cid and Kellen together they both helped each other heal though I think Kellen protecting Cid did more for both of them.  I loved the Kellen could just silently sit there when it was needed to (not something Barry seemed capable of).  I was glad to see their happily ever after and Cid gained a family but with the large time jumps there was more explaining what had happened than seeing it which is alright for a short story but not one this long.

 

The cover art by Bee Javier is alright and it gives a slight visual of Cid.

 

Sales Links: Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages

Published: August 1, 2018

Edition Language: English

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Action/Suspense And Romance? Check Out the New Release Blitz for Hitting Black Ice (Heart and Haven #1) by Heloise West (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Hitting Black Ice

Series: Heart and Haven, Book One

Author: Heloise West

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: August 19. 2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 75100

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, FBI, double agents, action/suspense, medical profession, contemporary, action, suspense, theft, gay

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Synopsis

Shawn is on the run from the law and love, to protect himself and anyone else involved. Until he meets Hunter, and he no longer wants to run.

ER physician’s assistant Hunter guards his heart carefully, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for the temp front desk clerk. He keeps his distance from relationships for a good reason but just can’t help himself when it comes to Shawn.

Forced into a hostage situation, buried passions explode in the aftermath, and sex in the supply closet brings both their hearts back to life. But as they explore their relationship, the past catches up with Shawn.

FBI agent Nick Truman has finally found his man, and when Shawn escapes, he focuses his attention on Hunter. Will Shawn sacrifice himself to save Hunter from the man who framed him for murder?

Excerpt

Hitting Black Ice
Heloise West © 2019
All Rights Reserved

Hunter had a crush, a big one.

In the cafeteria late one night on his break at the hospital, he sipped at a coffee and focused on Shawn, the night desk clerk for the ER, sitting a few tables over. With long black hair tied back neatly and eyes of faded denim blue, Shawn had a lean body, his face long and bony. Tonight, he wore a brown turtleneck under a white-and-green-striped button-down. The rolled sleeves revealed muscled forearms dusted with golden hair, as mismatched to the dyed black hair as his pale eyebrows and lashes. A silver skull ring and silver studs in his ears appeared at odds with the lanyard and dangling ID card.

Hunter drank more coffee, barely tasting it. He’d tried to talk himself out of it, but he couldn’t squirm away from the attraction. When he’d walked past the registration desk to the water cooler—again—or hung out there a moment too long with an empty clipboard in his hands, he caught those tiny flicks of interest in Shawn’s eyes. Hunter must have given away his interest, because the nurses smirked at his pretended obliviousness.

He bent to the not-very-engrossing crossword in the newspaper, imagining what tattoo might lie beneath Shawn’s cool demeanor. Maybe gargoyle wings across a broad and muscled back, or a snake wrapped around his thigh. Something more esoteric—a phrase in Latin, like Hunter’s own primum non nocere, or a bit of wisdom in Chinese characters. Or an old-school Aerosmith tat? Hunter glanced up from filling in the little squares with black ink blocks. He could have sworn Shawn hurriedly dropped his attention down to the paperback in his hands. He turned the page and shot a second glance at Hunter. Gazes locked and jumped away.

Shit!

Heat rushed through Hunter all at once and climbed up to his face. Too aware of the black-haired man with biceps to die for and long legs to—well, never mind. Taking a boner back to the ER was not a good idea.

He had touched those biceps once when he gave Shawn a flu shot back in the fall. Shawn had taken the needle without a flinch.

Shawn stood with his tray in hand and walked toward the trash container behind Hunter. The back of his neck prickled as if Shawn breathed on the little hairs there. Hunter picked up his coffee cup once more but tasted only the dregs.

Good thing he’d decided to become a physician’s assistant and not an actor. He didn’t talk to Shawn unless he had to, the worst giveaway of all. No shy bones in his body, yet he feared conversation led to more conversation, to flirting, and the next thing he knew, they’d be going on a date, Hunter falling head over heels, and then the asshole—

Stop. You know how the story ends.

Behind him, Shawn cleared his throat. Hunter didn’t turn around. Shawn returned to his seat, picked up the paperback, and slumped down into the chair with a scowl.

Marisa slipped into the seat across the table from Hunter, and he smiled.

“I’m onto you,” she whispered.

“Uh-huh.” Hunter moved his body slightly so he could still see Shawn around her.

“You’ve been taking late lunch for three weeks now. I know why—or who.” She smiled, a small Hispanic woman with curly chestnut hair framing her heart-shaped face and hazel eyes. If Hunter weren’t himself, and she weren’t married, he thought he’d be with her. Her lips always gleamed with gloss, and her eyes snapped with fire when she got pissy. He loved it, most days, even when she aimed for him.

She leaned toward him. “Shawn, right?” Her eyes took on a warning snap now and dared him to contradict her.

“I don’t even know if he’s gay.” Which wasn’t true, but he knew better than to deny it to her face.

She sipped at her coffee with her gaze on him. Her mouth left lipstick smiles on the rim of the cup. “There’s something different about this one. And he’s lovely to look at.”

“Lovely.” Hunter snorted. Dead sexy Shawn. Hunter spied him out at the clubs twice now but avoided him there too. Shawn undulated like liquid fire across the dance floor.

“Talk to him, honey.”

“Please. Don’t.” He must have spoken louder than he meant to. Shawn glanced at them and away again.

“You’re letting Jerry’s death run your life.”

Hunter slapped the magazine down. “I’m too sober for this conversation.”

“It’s like he’s locked your heart away.”

Mindful of the potential audience, he lowered his voice. “You’re jumping way ahead here.”

She shook her head. “I know you. You have so much love to give, and I hate to see you suffer.”

Her probing questions about Hunter’s past, family, present situation were all familiar ground. Friendship he could manage; he recognized it when it was offered to him. He’d been out since he was nine. Always been out was what he told people. She was one of the few friends to whom he could confide nearly everything. Jerry’s addictions had killed him, but his family and friends blamed Hunter, and on a deeper emotional level, he blamed himself too. Marisa knew this, and it worried her. She wanted him to find love and move on, be part of a couple. She knew, but she didn’t understand.

He wasn’t abstinent now, not at twenty-five, and never got involved with anyone beyond one- and two-night stands. Hunter didn’t want to take responsibility for another heart.

When the tide of emotion and memory washed through him and left him able to speak again, he said, “I’m not suffering here.” He kept much of the darkness at bay with whiskey and anonymous sex. Who needed Prozac with a warm, muscled body in the bed?

“Stagnating,” Marisa said.

“Maintaining.” It had been a far prettier day in May, eight months ago now, when he walked out of the ER at Boston General to Jerry waiting for him in the parking lot with a gun.

“Ask him out on a date. An old-fashioned date where, at the end of the night, you kiss him good night.”

“No!”

“Don’t get angry.” She patted his hand.

He whipped it away. “Too late.”

Marisa sighed. “I’ll make it up to you. Toni, Anna, and I are going to Twisters tonight. I’ll buy you a drink.”

Hunter gathered up his tray. He liked the ER crowd. They always had fun when they got together in off-work hours, and he agreed to meet her at Twisters before hitting the clubs.

When his shift was over early in the morning, he drove back to his apartment and crawled into bed as the day glowed behind the blackout curtains. The end of the week had left him exhausted, and his sleep was blessedly dreamless.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Heloise West, when not hunched over the keyboard plotting love and mayhem, dreams about moving to a villa in Tuscany. She loves history, mysteries, and romance. She travels and gardens with her partner of fifteen years, and their home overflows with books, cats, art, and red wine. Find Heloise on Facebook

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Love Contemporary Romance? Check Out the Retro Review Tour for CID by S. L. Danielson

RETRO REVIEW TOUR

Book Title: CID

Author: S. L. Danielson

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Bee Javier

Release Date: August 1, 2018

Genre/s:  Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s:  Friends to lovers, abuse recovery

Themes: Coming out, forgiveness

Heat Rating:  4 flames     

Length: 50 236 words/209 pages

It is a standalone story.

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Blurb

Ask 26-year-old artist Cid Walker how he’s feeling and you’ll likely get a snarl, or a glare, but not a real answer. Cid’s soul is so damaged from a brutal and savage ex-fiancé that trusting anyone is out of the question.

Two classmates try to get his attention; Barry and Kellen. Barry is only 18 and a very naïve, sweet boy-next-door type who is young, needy, and anxious to get involved with the mysterious artist. He wants to be with Cid more than anything, but his efforts fail.

Kellen, all of 22, is as snarky as Cid is at first, but soon manages to get across to him. Kellen understands why Cid is acting out because Kellen is also keeping his soul and psyche intact with mere Band-Aids after being attacked a few years ago.

Add in a stalker that won’t take ‘no’ for an answer and you have Cid’s life at the moment. Who can get through his broken heart?

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Universal Link  |   Smashwords

About the Author 

Why was I drawn to this genre? Why do I write it and who do I write it for? What’s my goal in writing?
I used to write het stories solely, until I was about 16 and met the first gay boy I ever knew. I was smitten with him, but more I wanted him and others like him to have a voice, to be seen, and to be heard that they are normal just like everybody else. They love, cry, exalt, cheer, live lives of triumph and sadness just like everybody else.
By my teens gay storylines had taken over completely but the genre was still very taboo.
Annie Proulx and her work Brokeback Mountain in the early 2000’s really broke me free. By then, I’d been writing nearly 2 decades and was thrilled when I saw that it actually got some notice.
The genre exploded, and I was right there with it. In 2006 I published my first book.
My audience is mainly straight woman, gay men, and anyone else over 18 who enjoys a good story between two teens/young adults/adults falling in love. I don’t have insta-romance or bdsm, or anything like that, but I tell a good story from my heart that I hope the reader will enjoy.

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Blog/Website  |  Twitter: @sl_danielson  |  Pinterest

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Don’t Miss the Release Blitz and Giveaway for Love Or The NFL by Terry O’Reilly (excerpt)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books | Universal Link
 
Length: 48,596 words
 
Publisher: JMS Books
 
Blurb
 

Gymnast Frank Bethune arrives on campus already enamored with the star tight end, Bill Billingsly. Although the chances of them meeting are slim, fate draws them together, and their friendship turns to love.


Ever since childhood, Bill has dreamed of playing professional football. Though high risk to his potential career, Bill would seek out clandestine encounters with other guys when and where he could, but the first time he spots Frank, Bill knows he is someone special, someone he could possibly share a life with. If he’s drafted, will Bill and Frank be able to continue their closeted relationship, running the risk of discovery? Or will they have to part company for the sake of Bill living out his dream?


Bill knows he’ll need to use all his considerable skills learned on the field to score the life he wants off of it, too. Either way, is happiness even possible when it’s the NFL vs. love?

 
Excerpt



“I better get going,” Bill finally said. “I have an early class tomorrow and practice in the afternoon.”


They got up. “Frodo … I mean Frank, could I talk to you for a minute?” Bill said goodnight to Mark, and he and Frank went outside. They walked a ways down one of the sidewalks that wound around the dorms. Bill was quiet for some time, then without looking at Frank said, “I’m really sorry about the other night.”


“It’s okay,” Frank replied. “Like I said upstairs, it’s cool. I didn’t say anything to anyone.”


Bill turned to Frank. “I really appreciate that, you have no idea how much.”


“I think I kinda do,” Frank said, thinking of his minister father.


Bill walked to a nearby bench and sat down. He indicated Frank should sit as well.


After a few seconds, Bill said, “It’s really tough being a football player and … gay. Things are changing but not really in the world of sports. Oh, they give some lip service to being accepting, but the reality is if you’re gay — you’re through. Especially baseball and football — the bastions of macho.”


Bill paused for a moment then added, “So, you see how really grateful I am that you’re okay with keeping my secret. I’ve got a chance to go pro, but not if I’m outed.”


“Aren’t you afraid Dennis will talk?”


“Yes. But I have to trust him. He says he won’t. But you never know.”


“Then why take that chance?” Frank asked, his affection for Bill igniting concern for the man.


Bill shook his head. “I know. That part of me is the dumb jock.”


Then he looked intently at Frank. “Gay guys have needs, too, and sometimes they let their dicks do the thinking, just like you straight guys.”


Frank wanted to tell Bill right there why he understood what the man was going through, but he hesitated, and Bill went on.


“So, I took a chance. Dennis isn’t out either. At least he tells me he isn’t. So I think I can depend on him. I hope I can anyway. We’ve been doing this for a couple years now, and he’s kept it a secret. Maybe someday I’ll be able to just be myself, but for now I can’t. I’m so glad you understand. Look, I better say good night. It’s getting late.” Bill stood up.


Frank stood, too. “Can I ask you something?”


“Sure. Shoot.”


“Why do you call me Frodo?”


“Aw, geez. I hope my calling you that doesn’t make you feel bad, because I sure don’t mean it to.”


“No, it’s okay. I’m just curious. I actually kinda like it.”


Bill smiled. “Well, I’m a literature major, emphasis on British writers. Tolkien is my favorite. Ever read his stuff?”


“Yeah, I have. The books are a little tough to get through though. The movies were easier to understand.”


Bill nodded. “Well, I’m not sure J.R.R. would be pleased with the films, but they did make a lot of people read his books who might not have. Anyway, you know about Frodo then?”


“Sure — hobbit and main character of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.”


“Hero of The Lord of the Rings, and my favorite character of all time — so brave, so vulnerable. When I saw you, I thought of him.”


“Why?”


“Well, and please don’t take offense, your size and …”


“My furry feet? Hobbits have furry feet.”


“Do you have furry feet?” Bill asked, smile widening.


“Not really. Don’t have much fur anywhere actually.”


“Okay, so no furry feet, but there’s just something about you that makes me think, Frodo. I hope you don’t mind.”


Frank smiled. “No, I don’t mind at all.”


Just then the Burton Bell Tower clock chimed one.


“I’ve enjoyed being with you. It’s great to have someone I can be honest with. I hate to say it, but I really have to go,” Bill said.


Frank nodded.


“Good night then. See you at our next rehearsal, Frank.”


“You can call me Frodo if you want.”


“You got it, Frodo. Uh –” Bill looked around to make sure they were alone. “Would you mind if I gave you a hug?”


Frank nearly leapt into Bill’s arms. “No, that’d be okay with me,” he said, his heart jolting into high gear.


Bill walked back into the shadows and opened his arms. Frank stepped into them, his head nestled in the groove between Bill’s firm chest muscles. He could feel the swell of Bill’s cock press against his belly. Frank felt his dick hardening, but somehow he didn’t care. If that gave away his feelings for Bill, so be it.


They stood for a few seconds, then broke apart. Bill looked down into Frank’s eyes. For a moment, it looked to Frank like Bill might bend down and kiss him. He hoped so. But Bill merely said, “Good night, Frodo,” in a tone that was almost tender.


“Good night, Strider,” Frank said, using the name of Frodo’s protector from the Tolkien novels.


Bill shook his head slowly, smiling deeply. “Frodo, I think we’re gonna become very good friends.”


Bill walked away. Frank watched him go. Frodo’s heart was humming as he watched Strider disappear into the darkness.

 
Author Bio



Since retiring, Terry spends his time writing, working with animal rescue groups, walking his four dogs, and riding/showing his champion Quarter Horse. He also finds time to read and travel.


His interest in Native American culture stems from the fact that in tracing his heritage, he found his great grandfather was an Illini.

 
 

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