Category: M/M Romance

Dean Pace-Frech’s “Disappear With Me” Spotlight Post & Giveaway

DisappearWithMe full siz

Disappear With Me by Dean Pace-Frech
Publisher:  Amber Quill Press

Buy Links:   Amber Quill Press  – All Romance eBooks

I am happy to announce that the Second Edition of Disappear With Me is available from Amber Quill Press!

About Disappear With Me…

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?

In 1910, the United Kingdom was in turmoil. King Edward died after only nine years on the throne. The social class system that upheld British society for centuries was being chipped away by social, political, and economic unrest across the Commonwealth. Amidst this backdrop, Reverend Leander Norris is accused of sodomy. After discovering his own self-worth and unconditional love, Leander finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and pleads not guilty to the charges. Throughout the trial, Leander’s past is revealed, including the temptations that bring the accusations against him. By the end of the trail, Leander is once again reunited with a romantic interest from the past, but it may be too late to rekindle any love that might remain, given the circumstances of the era and Leander’s likely sentence.

Excerpt:

“Are you not a scholar?” Weeks asked. “Do you not know the Bible that you preach from each Sunday?”

“I know it very well,” Leander answered. “But the Bible has many interpretations. I think you can guess that mine might be a little less than conventional.”

Weeks reclined back in his chair. He made a steeple with his fingers and rested them on his pursed lips. “You’re actually sitting here telling me that, as a man of God, you’re all right with buggery and feel you’ve done nothing wrong?”

“Mr. Weeks, do you realize you keep asking me the same question over again, using different words?”

“As your counsel, I need to be sure that I understand your position, the one you expect me to defend.”

“You sound shocked that I would suggest such a thing. I can’t have you defending me if you don’t believe it yourself.”

“Reverend, my beliefs about the situation are irrelevant; it doesn’t matter what I believe. I need to be able to defend our position in court and hope our defense can refute what the prosecution will present.”

“I have to have conviction in my sermons each Sunday morning. I think you also know you need to have conviction when defending your clients.”

“And I can assure you that I have that same conviction to make sure that you receive a fair trial. I will do my best—”
“Do your best to what? Go through the motions and make sure that the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed so it looks like I’ve been given a good defense?”

Weeks didn’t answer and that was all the answer that Leander needed. After a moment, Weeks tried to start again. “Look, Reverend, I am your assigned counsel for this trial. I am on your side. I want to see you get a fair trial, but you must understand what we’re up against is quite overwhelming.”

“I know; I’ve never done anything the simple way.”

“Sir, you must understand that we are going up against laws that are rooted in two thousand years of Christian tradition and about as many years of British attitude.”

“Mr. Weeks, do you love your wife?”

Weeks let out an impatient sigh. “Of course, but here you go asking intimate questions about me that have no bearing on my defending your case.”

“Humor me, sir. Do you love your wife?”

“Yes, I very much love my wife and family.”

“What if you woke up tomorrow and a constable showed up on your doorstep and arrested you because they said the love you share with your wife was illegal?”

Weeks didn’t answer him. Instead, in a quiet voice, he said, “You know you and I are just two people. We’re not going to change these laws overnight.”

 

Search “Disappear With Me” or “Dean Pace-Frech” on your other favorite sites to purchase romance books, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, iTunes, etc.

About Dean Pace-Frech

New bw headshot

With inspiration from historical tourism sites, the love of reading, and a desire to write a novel, Dean started crafting his debut novel, A Place to Call Their Own, in 2008. After four years of writing and polishing the manuscript, it was accepted and originally published 2013. His second novel, Disappear With Me, set in Edwardian England was published later that same year. Both novels were re-released in May 2015.

Dean lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his husband, Thomas (legally as of February 14, 2015), and our two cats. They are involved in their church and enjoy watching movies, outdoor activities in the warmer weather and spending time together with friends and family. In addition to writing, Dean’s hobbies include reading and patio gardening.

Dean is currently working a standalone title, Need Your Love, set in 1966, and The Higher Law, a continuation of the story of Frank and Gregory’s family set in the 1930s.

Connect with Dean Pace-Frech
Email deanfrech@aol.com
Blog: Dean’s Web Site
Facebook: Dean Pace-Frech, Author page or send a friend request Dean Pace-Frech.
Twitter: @deanpacefrech
Google+: +deanpacefrech
Goodreads: Dean Pace-Frech
Pinterest: Dean Pace-Frech

Giveaway

A_Place_to_Call_Their_Own_400x600

In celebration of the wide release of Disappear With Me, I will be giving away 3 Ecopies of my first novel, A Place to Call Their Own, which is available from JMS Books.  Comment, follow me on Twitter, visit my author page, etc. to enter to win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author.

Rafflecopter code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vampire ISO Love in “When Will I Be Loved” by Julie Lynn Hayes (author interview and giveaway)

WhenWillIBeLoved

When Will I Be Loved by Julie Lynn Hayes
Release Date: June 7, 2015

Goodreads Link: My Goodreads
Publisher: Amber Quill
Cover Artist: Trace Zaber

STRW Julie Lynn Hayes Author Interview

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Julie Lynn Hayes, author of When Will I Be Loved.

Hi Julie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Good morning!

Thanks for having me here today!

I come from the Midwest, and have pretty much lived in St. Louis, Missouri, all my life. I live there now with my daughter, Sarah, and our cat, The Mighty Ramesses. I have a job I enjoy with an elevator inspection company, although I’ve had lots of other jobs before this one.

I’ve been married twice, and have five children and three grandchildren. I began writing when I was about nine. During the 90’s, I began publishing in small magazines, none of which exist anymore. Short stories and poetry. It wasn’t until 2010 that my first book, To the Max, was published by Dreamspinner Press. Since that time, I’ve had a number of other books published.

My current book is When Will I Be Loved, with Amber Quill Press. It’s the sequel to When Can I See You Again. The first book was about Raoul Marchand and Alexx Jameson, while this one features Miller Fenwick and Holt Wynne.

• What’s the best line you ever wrote?

That is a very difficult question. I’ve written so many lines, and I like to believe a lot of them were good lol But when I first read that question, one did leap to mind. It’s not so much that it’s clever or very descriptive or anything like that. But this one line said a whole lot in just a few words, and described the character’s state of mind perfectly. It comes from Revelations, and it’s Judas’ POV. The line is:

“What the fuck just happened?”

I have to admit, I’ve very partial to that line

• Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?

I often listen to music when I write. I have a number of Pandora stations, which reflect my different tastes in music. Pandora, for those who aren’t familiar with it, is an Internet create-your-own radio station site, and you can select a genre, or a song or an artist and build a station around that. For the most part, I don’t differentiate between what I’m writing and the music I play, with the exception of my current PI novel. My PI, surprisingly, likes country music, so I’ve created a station for working on that, which features artists like Blake Shelton and Keith Urban (whom my PI resembles) and I’ve come to appreciate country music more than I ever did. Outside of that, I especially enjoy soundtracks and musicals, and classical music, but I also like oldies, and classic rock, and alternative music, and heavy metal, such as Metallica, and variations, such as symphonic metal, including Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian, Evanescence, Nightwish and more.

• If your book were made into a movie, what actors would you like to see star?
Good question. I don’t really know who I would choose to play Miller, so I guess I’m open on that one, but Holt looks just like Josh Holloway. My daughter Sarah is into Lost, and when I asked for a suggestion for Holt, she said Josh Holloway. I looked him up and liked what I saw, so he became the face of Holt Wynne

• What genres do you write in?
I try not to limit myself on genres. While I write primarily M/M books, within that area, I like to write contemporary, historical, paranormal, mystery, urban fantasy, scifi, fantasy, time travel… anything I can think of. I also write m/f books too. I particularly enjoy paranormals, I think.

• Where and when do you prefer to write?

While I do write a little bit at work when I can – on breaks and lunch – most of my writing takes place in my living room, at my computer. Since I work a full-time job, I have to work around that. So evenings and weekends, when I get the chance, are my time to write.

Thank you, Julie Lynn Hayes, that was wonderful.  Now more about When Will I Be Loved?

Blurb:

Miller Fenwick wants the kind of happy ending his best friend got, with the hunky werewolf of his dreams. Trouble is, there doesn’t seem to be a Prince Charming on the horizon, and casual encounters don’t cut it anymore. Now that Alexx and Raoul are engaged, Miller is becoming resigned to being the bridesmaid, never the bride. But a chance encounter with a sexy stranger at Charisma has his hopes soaring, and his heart is wide open to possibilities.

Holt Wynne is the head of Helios, the largest vampire organization in the country. He’s a very influential and wealthy man, with a deep-seated hatred of werewolves. His running into Miller at Charisma isn’t entirely accidental. He’d meant to wait, but his emotions got the better of him, and he couldn’t stay away. And now see what he’s done…

Wait until Miller finds out he’s sortof just gotten married to the sexy vampire who hates the people who are Miller’s best friends. Sparks are gonna fly—and not just in the bedroom. One thing for sure—life in Crescent Bay is never dull!

Pages or Words: Approximately 115,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Mystery, Paranormal

Banner300x250

Excerpt:

Miller forced himself to take a breath, unaware until he did that he’d stopped breathing.

Quit being ridiculous. Wine going to your head already?

But he’d only had the one glass. And he hadn’t even finished that. He wasn’t such a lightweight, when it came to holding his alcohol, and he knew it.

He told himself it was just his imagination. But just to be safe, he began a slow cautious turn, looking around him, without appearing to be searching for anything—or anyone.

And there he was.

Standing a heartbeat away from Miller was one of the sexiest men he’d ever seen in his life. A man every bit as sexy as Raoul Marchand, although not in the same feral way as the werewolf.

This man was light where Raoul was dark. His hair was a honey blonde which stood out by virtue of being obviously natural, in a place where most blondes were either created by the sun or came from a bottle. He stood a little taller than Miller, exuding a presence that went beyond the merely physical, possessed of the bearing and mien of a veritable god.

But it was his eyes that drew Miller in and held him spellbound. Blue and green, like staring into tropical waves, flecked with bits of pure molten gold. And the way he was staring at Miller was sending the most delicious shivers traveling up and down his spine.

The man took a step toward Miller, his hand outstretched. Before Miller quite realized what had happened, he’d placed his own hand inside of the other man’s, and he found himself being drawn onto the dance floor.

Sales Links:  Amber Quill Press

About the author:

Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.

She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, Wayward Ink Press, and Amber Quill Press.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: Facebook

Website/Blog
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ShelleyRunyon

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 1 copy of When Will I Be Loved and 1 copy of When Will I See You Again or if winner has that, another book from my backlist

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BannerTemplate

Tour Dates & Stops:
7-Jun
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

8-Jun
Carly’s Book Reviews
Dawn’s Reading Nook

9-Jun
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
Bike Book Reviews

10-Jun
My Fiction Nook
Michael Mandrake
MM Good Book Reviews

11-Jun
Hearts on Fire

12-Jun
It’s Raining Men
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

15-Jun
Velvet Panic
Multitasking Mommas

16-Jun
BFD Book Blog

17-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads

18-Jun
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
Wake Up Your Wild Side
Prism Book Alliance

19-Jun
The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

22-Jun
Molly Lolly

23-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
Nephylim

24-Jun
Amanda C. Stone

25-Jun
Emotion in Motion

26-Jun
Decadent Delights
All I Want and More Books

29-Jun
Love Bytes

30-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie

1-Jul
Up All Night, Read All Day
Mikky’s World of Books

2-Jul
Parker Williams
Kimi-Chan

In The Spotlight: Drifting Sands by C. J. Baty (excerpt and giveaway)

Drifting Sands 600x900

Drifting Sands by C. J. Baty
Release Date: June 7, 2015

STRW In The Spotlight Header

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Bottom Drawer Publications
Cover Artist: Mumson Designs

Banner300x250

Sales Links:  Bottom Drawer Publications  – Amazon – All Romance (ARe)

STRW Author BookSynopsis

As he approaches his fortieth birthday, Justin Warfield feels alone, drifting like the sand that blows along the beach near his family’s hotel. He has done exactly as his father wanted. Married the right girl and carried on the family tradition of running the Warfield Hotel. On paper things seem perfect, but happiness hasn’t been a part of his life for a very long time.

Marcus Drummond once spent a summer with his best friend Peter at the Warfield Hotel and fell hard for Peter’s much older brother. Five years later he’s back, and this time hopes that Justin will see him as more than his kid brother’s friend.

Sparks fly when the two meet again, but there are a few things standing in their way. The closet that Justin has himself buried in and someone on a killing spree, dumping bodies on the Warfield beach . . . victims that indicate Justin may be involved in some way.

Pages or Words: 57,000 words

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

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

The night air was cool and damp as it blew off the ocean. Ian McAlister toed the sand where he stood, looking out into the darkness surrounding him. A soft glow filled the sky over the Warfield Hotel several hundred yards away. This was a public beach and closed at night, and the only sound was the soft lapping of the water against the shore.

Ian fingered the note in his pocket as he thought of the words he’d read over and over again since he’d received it.

“Ian, I need your help. Please. Come to the Warfield and meet me on the beach at 10 p.m. on Friday evening. There’s a spot on the north end of the beach, just between the public beaches and the private beach of the Warfield. There’s a sign, meet me there. Don’t tell anyone. Please, Ian, I need you.”

Ian had not heard from Justin Warfield since Justin got married. It had been too hard to see each other as only friends. They’d each gone on with their lives. But for Ian, Justin Warfield was a hard man to forget, so when the letter arrived, his decision to come had been easy.

The sound of footsteps treading through the sand caused Ian to turn around. He was surprised to find a gun aimed at him.
“What are you doing?” Ian asked, but there was no answer.

He felt the pressure as the impact of the bullet pushed him back slightly. A searing pain knifed its way into his chest. He didn’t have time to run or even scream out. Darkness took him as he crumbled to the ground.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

C. J. Baty lives in southwest Ohio with her very patient husband and two encouraging children. Her heart however, lives in the mountains of Tennessee where she hopes to retire some day. The mountains have always provided her with inspiration and a soothing balm to the stresses of everyday life.
​
The dream of writing her own stories started in high school but was left on the back burner of life until her son introduced her to fan fiction and encouraged her to give it a try. She found that her passion for telling a story was still there and writing them down to share with others was much more thrilling than she had ever expected.

One thing she has learned from life and she is often heard to say is: “You are never too old to follow your dream even if it takes you fifty years!”

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbaty
Blog: http://cjbaty.blogspot.com.au/

BannerTemplate

Tour Dates & Stops: June 7, 2015
Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Havan Fellows, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Inked Rainbow Reads, The Hat Party, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotion. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Drifting Sands’
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Sammy Review: Closing the Loop by Jane Davitt (a Double Dipping Review)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

“You’re attractive, somewhat needy, and emotionally bruised. Eat and get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow you can begin your holiday properly. I’ll stay out of your way and make it easy.”

“You sound like a doctor, not a lawyer. Got a broken heart? Take two pills with every meal and apply the ointment sparingly.”

ClosingTheLoop_400x600Coming off a nasty breakup (and spending the past years with a guy who was not worth even a quarter of that), Lee’s determined to enjoy his vacation – even with said ex on board.

After pulling strings and getting a little lucky (or a lot), he’s able to switch rooms. He’s surprised when he gets to his cabin to find the handsome, demure Cole – the same man he had helped get on the ship in the first place. Maybe it’s a sign, but at first, Cole doesn’t seem too open to the idea of fun, which makes no sense for a cruise like this.

Even though neither of them were looking for any sort of lasting relationship, fate may just have other plans, if they can make it through the roadblocks (or icebergs) it throws in their way.

I had you for no time at all and it’s like you were always there and now you’re not and I’m not handling this well at all.

I’m sad to say that, at the moment, I’m feeling a bit underwhelmed by Closing the Loop. I went into it expecting something kind of fun and light, which isn’t necessarily something I usually go for but was kind of looking forward to, and instead, I got an odd mix of… I’m not really sure what.

There’s some heavy subjects just kind of tucked in there and while they didn’t really bother me, I can’t say I felt they added anything to the plot. It could be that I lacked a connection to the characters on the level where something like what was going on with Cole would’ve made an impact on it. Instead, it all felt so strange and out of place. Most of all, what we did get from those experiences felt like it hovered on the surface. I feel like if you’re going to throw it in, you really need to go all the way with it, and I’m not sure the author succeeded in that for me.

It’s unfortunate, too, because as I’m sitting here, I don’t feel any particular way about the characters in general. I won’t remember them come tomorrow or the next day. What I will remember though is those leather gloves. I can say for certain that I won’t be able to look at leather gloves the same way again. The sex in general was pretty delicious, though not the hottest I’ve read in recent memory. It kind of fit the theme of just okay.

The premise in general was interesting. A gay cruise? Yay. The execution and some of the choices just fell short for me personally, but it may hit for other readers.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is nice and in general fits the story, though I don’t actually recall the characters lounging lack that, and I’m not sure I’d think of Cole as the kind of man to wear bright yellow swim trunks after reading the book. So it works, but not completely.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing  –   All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon     Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 150 pages
Published May 25th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 23rd 2015)
original titleClosing the Loop
ISBN139781626492813
edition languageEnglish

A BJ Review: Human Choices (Guardians of the Leythe #2.0) by Jaye McKenna

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Human Choices coverKhy has been held prisoner for years, drugged, bound with a collar around his neck that keeps him from using his leythe energy, and forced to serve Master Rikard. Treated like a slave during the day and enduring agony at night as his power is ripped from him for Rikard’s nefarious use, Khy has little memory of any other life. Until one day his master is called away on urgent business, and Khy is left alone. When the drugs wear off, he makes a break for freedom while he can.

He meets Jaedin, a former ranger who is still mourning the loss of his beloved Talon five years after his death, in the town of Rosefire. When Jaedin steps in to help Khy, he finds himself haunted by voices and in an attempt to rid himself of them, sets off in search of Khy thinking he has cursed him.

This was written from a photo and prompt for the Love’s Landscapes series of DRitC. The author did an absolutely amazing job with incorporating the prompt and the photo so truly perfectly into the story that was written. I initially read this story (which is second in a series) before having read the first book. I enjoyed it then, but this past week I went back and read it after reading book one, and it came to life much fuller and more completely since I now had a background on Varien and Tor.

The world building in this series is excellent, and all of the characters are well drawn. I cared about them and what would happen to them immediately. Plenty of angst (this author’s guys tend to go through the wringer a bit, which I love!) Totally rooting for Khy to have a HEA although the whole thing with Jaedin near the start did piss me off while at the same time I found it interesting. This story is tagged as non-con, but its a different take on the non-con trope. Almost a reversal. I won’t spoil that by explaining, but give it a read and see.

So back to the world building. There are so many elements of this series that I find pretty damn cool about its world, well, I mean in addition to the magic and the hot long-haired guys, of course.

* The Fireskye, made me think of the Northern Lights (which have always fascinated me)! Only even more cool. 

* The Black? Is it death? Hell? Both? Something else. 

* The leythe itself and how it runs through what is turning into quite a complex history.

I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Tor and Ash from book one. And while I loved the new guys (especially Jaedin), I am still most drawn to Ashnavayarian, I hope he continues to appear in this series as I find him quite fascinating as he grows and changes—which he’s done a lot of from book one to this story! And I loved the little bits of him and Tor’s continuing relationship that peek through in this near the end.

An engrossing fantasy with magic, angst, and a fascinating world. I highly recommend this, but must say I think you might enjoy it even more if you read Human Frailties, Human Strengths first. I know I did.

The cover by Cinchbug is nicely representative of the story.

Sales Links:  Free here at Goodreads M/M Romance Group

Book Details:

ebook, 141 pages
Published June 7th 2014 by M/M Romance Group @ Goodreads
edition languageEnglish
series: Guardians of the Leythe #2.0, Love’s Landscapes, Don’t Read in the Closet Events , more
characters: Jaedin (Human Choices), Khy (Human Choices), Ashnavayarian “Ash/Varian”, Tor MacAran

A Mika Review: Kage by Maris Black

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Kage coverMy name is Jamie Atwood, and I’m an addict. I never thought I’d say such a thing. Never had a problem being overly-attached to anything in my life. I came from a perfectly middle-class family, made good grades, and had a hot cheerleader girlfriend… but the truth is, nothing ever really moved me. So how did a guy like me become an addict?

I met Michael Kage.

Kage is an MMA fighter. A famous one. I like to think I helped him get that way.

He’s charming as hell, with looks to rival any movie star and talent to back it up. So why did he need to hire me as an intern Publicist? Simple. He has a darkness in him– like a black hole so deep it could swallow him, and me, and everyone we know– and that’s not good for business.

The first time I met him, I felt the pull. I think the addiction began at that very moment. And even if I’d known then what I know now, I would have fallen for him. How could I not?

For me, Kage is everything.

As much as I would like to 1 star the story, I can’t. The writing was okay, just not so much the execution. I think I would have liked the story if Jamie was not a idiot in the beginning, and then acting like a love drawn puppy later on in the story. I found Kage ridiculous. If there was ever an athlete who worked out his much, ate the right things every freaking day but turns around drinking and smoking weed. Really? Kage, you respect your body? When did Kage become a psychopath? His range of emotions went from scared closeted guy to You don’t know what I’m capable of. His behavior at the end of the story left a really bad taste in my mouth.

The story had some good parts. I do feel like Jamie was naive to certain situations. He did not see that Kage misled him from the beginning. I thought the whole uncle owning the business/mob tie situation was irrelevant, I did not get the point of this plot reference. Another huge problem to me was the sex. I’m not a man, but I’ve read countless mm books and PREPARATION is a must. For this author to do that with someone that was considered a virgin was demeaning/border like assault during that last scene.

Cover Art by: I actually liked the simplicity of this cover.

Sales Links:    All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 226 pages
Published May 25th 2015 by Maris Black Books
ASINB00VMX9MSK
edition languageEnglish

It’s Release Day for Jeff Erno’s Speedy Rewards! (excerpt)

Speedy Rewards Banner

Synopsis

Phil Mitchell pours his heart and soul into his job as manager of Speedy Mart, a local convenience store. He loves his work and he loves his fellow employees, but when it comes to his personal life, Phil is lonely and depressed and still pining for his long-departed ex.

He embarks upon the week from hell where anything that can go wrong does. It begins with a truck crashing into his outdoor sign and only goes downhill from there.

Add an asshole homophobic boss hell bent on seeing him fired and Phil realizes he needs to put into place a plan to save himself and his job.

Speedy Rewards Jeff Erno

First step in his plan: do something about his love life.

Meanwhile, Ezra, one of Philís team members, is dealing with his own roller coaster ride of a week.

As is Brandon, the local cop.

And Mark, the homophobic boss.

Perhaps, with a little luck, the next week will be better.

Buy Links

Don’t miss the 1 Year Anniversary 40% Off Sale on Wayward Inkís Publishing’s site:

Book trailer

Excerpt

Phil had started out in retail back in high school, working as a bag boy at the local supermarket. He took some community college classes but did not complete his degree. It didnít matter, though. Back then, a college degree wasnít required, especially not for retail management. He rose quickly in the company, advancing to a management position.

Finally, when the company heíd worked at for ten years went belly-up, he found himself in the unemployment line. At age twenty-five, his mom had just died and he found himself completely alone, unemployed. He decided to go back to school to complete his degree. He signed up for online classes and continued with them even after he landed the job managing the convenience store. He received his diploma right around the time he met Darren online.

Looking back on his life, he realized that period, though difficult, had been perhaps the most hopeful he could remember. Though still grieving the loss of his mother, he felt like life had begun anew. He had a new career, a man he genuinely loved, and even a college degree. That was also when he began learning Spanish.

But the honeymoon stage of his relationship with Darren didnít last long, and when it became obvious Darren was far more interested in spending his free time with a bottle of booze than with Phil, they started to grow apart. Phil devoted most of his energy to the store, and when he wasnít working, he spent a good deal of time online. The relationship withered on the vine, until one day, Darren was gone.

“You work hard,” Humberto said. “You’re always working, no?”

“Sí,” Phil said, laughing. “Yes, I’m always working.”

“Every day I see you. You no have days off? You work too hard, man.”

“Well, it seems to me you work pretty hard, too, Humberto. You’re in here every day, on your way to work. Come on down to this register. I’ll ring you up.” Phil stepped over to the check stand on the far end, the one Janine had just vacated.

“Gracias,” Humberto said, stepping up to the counter with an armload of junk food. He placed the bags of chips and the Hostess snack cakes on the counter.

“What do you do?” Humberto stared at him, smiling, and Phil wondered if maybe he didn’t understand the question. “¿Cual es tu trabajo?”

“Oh… oh. Soy un manitas.”

“¿Manitas?” Phil had heard the word, but couldn’t immediately remember the meaning. “Oh, you’re a handyman. You fix things.”

“Sí, sí.”

“Wow, like, do you do plumbing work?”

“Oh yes, yes of course. Por supuesto.”

“Hm. Ya know, I need to find someone to come fix my sink. At home, I mean. At my house. Do you have a card?”

Humberto cocked his head to the side, as if thinking.

“¿Una tarjeta? A business card.”

“Oh, yes. Yes!” He reached into his shirt pocket and removed a business card, handing it to Phil. “Call me and I’ll come fix you up.” He winked, and as Phil looked into the man’s eyes, a lump formed in his throat. “I have all the right tools for the job.”

Phil quickly looked down at the touch screen on his register, trying to focus on the task of completing the transaction. “Uh, yeah. Um, do you want a bag for this?”

“Una bolsa,” Humberto said, laughing. “Sí.”

Phil placed the business card next to his register and tore off a plastic bag from the dispenser. Then he began filling it with Humberto’s items.

“I’ll let you see my big hammer,” Humberto said, lowering his voice.

About the author

JEFF ERNO began writing LGBT fiction in the late 1990s. Although an avid reader and amateur writer from a very young age, Jeff pursued a career as a retail store manager in Northern Michigan. When his first gay-themed novel was published, he was shocked that anyone would even want to read it. So far, he ís published over thirty novels. Jeff lives in Southern Michigan, where he works part time at a convenience store.

Jeffís writing credits include a variety of themes and sub-genres including male romance, Young Adult, Science Fiction, erotica, and BDSM. He is the winner of a 2012 Rainbow Award and an Honorable Mention in 2011. His style is unpretentious and focused upon emotionally-driven, character-based stories that touch the heart. Jeff is especially passionate about young adult literature and combating teen bullying and youth suicide.