An Alisa Release Day Review: Santa’s Naughty Helper ( Lawyers in Love) by Ari McKay

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

 

Shy lawyer Kevin Anderson is presented with an unexpected opportunity when he draws hunky litigator Erik Wilson’s name for their office’s secret holiday gift exchange. Kevin has pined for his friend for a long time, but he fears ruining their working relationship if Erik doesn’t return his feelings. The anonymity of the exchange gives him the chance to let Erik know someone is interested, so Kevin turns the gift into a game: twelve days of presents, each more suggestive, culminating with a Christmas Eve meeting—if Kevin finds the courage to see it through!

 

Erik is intrigued by his secret Santa, who has given him something to look forward to during the holidays for the first time in years. But as Christmas approaches, he realizes he doesn’t want a mystery man; he wants his best friend, Kevin. When his attempts to instigate something with Kevin fail, Erik accepts the dinner invitation of his secret admirer. Little does he suspect that Santa’s naughty little helper might be just the man to make all his Christmas dreams come true in a holiday friends-to-lovers romance that progresses from sweet to spicy for two sexy lawyers.

 

I am always a sucker for a holiday story and I absolutely loved this one.  Kevin is so shy and unable to see how someone, especially his attractive friend.  Even as he begins this game he is unsure if he will have the courage to follow through, it’s only Erik’s responses and enjoyment that get him past his nervousness and encourage him to become bolder in his gifts.

 

Throughout this story you could see Erik’s eyes fully open up to how much Kevin means to him as he begins to receive the gifts and he gets support from Kevin but can’t help but not want Kevin to find someone else.  Kevin and Erik are the perfect complements to each other and support the other in all their work dealings.  Seeing their passion and care for one another when they finally gets together is wonderful.

 

Cover art by Bree Archer is wonderful and is perfect for this story.

 

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 52 pages

Published: 2nd edition, July 5, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781635335811

Edition Language: English

Series: Lawyers in Love

A Stella Release Day Review: Making a Splash by Sean Michael

RATING 2.75 out of 5 stars

After a scandal of Olympic proportions, Vince Dawson lost his job as a diving coach and is on a downhill slide. So when he sees Austin Brody at a local pool, diving like a trained athlete, he thinks he’s found his ticket back to the big leagues.

Austin thinks Vince is crazy for wanting him to dive competitively. He dives for beer and smokes, while working double shifts as a welder. Still, he’ll give training with Vince a shot.

But Austin isn’t willing to let Vince rule his life, and Vince—used to hopeful young athletes folding under pressure from him—finds Austin baffling… and hot. Even if they can work together and become more than friends, they still have a long way to go before they’ll be ready to compete.

First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2007

I’m a huge fan of Sean Michael, I was curious about the blurb of this new release, Making a Splash as soon as I read it, cause I honestly haven’t read a lot of stories focused on the diving discipline and I was very intrigued. The author can write so it’s not a surprise the novel is well written and engaging. Unfortunately despite this, Making a Splash wasn’t a winner to me.

Vince is thirty-four years old, he was a great diving coach, well known until three years ago he was accused of child molesting, all false but the diving world hadn’t welcomed Vince anymore. And then it came the day he met Austin and saw in the younger man a potential diving champion. They soon started training and at the same time they begun to understand something is going to happen between them, the attraction is clear and from the moment they will act on it, they will barely be able to keep their hands off each other till the end.

And that’s the reason why I’m not giving the story the 3 stars, there were really too many sex scenes and maybe I simply wasn’t in the mood for just hotness and nothing more, but in my opinion they took too much space from the plot and the development of the love story between Austin and Vince. Perhaps Making A Splash would have worked better for me had it been shorter and with a more complete ending, because here the end was really abrupt and caught me unprepared.

The cover art by Valerie Tibbs and Tibbs Design is amazing, I love it so much, the colors the font, it’s perfect for this title

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 187 pages

Publication Date: July 5th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ASIN B072TQT7N2

Edition Language English

In Our New Release Spotlight: Something’s Brewing at Joe’s by S.J.D. Peterson (exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

Something’s Brewing at Joe’s by S.J.D. Peterson
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host S.J.D. Peterson’s tour for Something’s Brewing at Joe’s.  The author has brought by an exclusive excerpt for everyone so enjoy!

 

Something’s Brewing at Joe’s

The promise of a dream job lures Murphy to Tampa, but he arrives to the rude awakening that the offer is on hold. Now he’s got two choices: slink back to Michigan with his tail between his legs or stay and look for work. Things perk up when he goes into a coffee shop and learns the owner is looking for someone to renovate the apartment above it. He happily takes the job, only later realizing he’s met Joe Sterling, Kaffeinate’s proprietor, before… when they hooked up at a club Murphy’s first night in Tampa.

Murphy and Joe are both proud, passionate, and outspoken. Neither is looking for a relationship, though they can’t deny they go together as well as coffee and doughnuts, in spite of their tempers. But that’s before Joe learns Murphy will be working for the corporation he believes is harming local businesses and the environment—and if Murphy will be supporting it, Joe wants nothing to do with him, dooming any possibility of an unexpected happy ending.

Exclusive Excerpt

When Murphy re-entered in the kitchen a few minutes later, Joe was finishing up the dishes. He looked over his shoulder at Murphy and smiled. Joe didn’t ask who Murphy had been talking to, but the curiosity was clear as day on his face.

“That was Donna Cohen from Barton Marlow Corporation.” Murphy took his seat at the island and picked up his beer. He held up the bottle. “Here’s to going from no job to two.”

“Barton Marlow Corporation?” Joe turned to lean against the counter and dried his hands as he stared strangely at Murphy. “The contracting company here in Tampa?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are they calling you?” Joe frowned.

Murphy grinned. “About my job. It’s why I’m in Tampa. I thought I was going to have to run back to Michigan with my tail between my legs. Now I won’t have to. Yay, me!” Murphy tipped back his beer and took a big gulp. He felt better about his decision than he had in days. This may just work out after all. Poor Mama, she was going to have to get used to the empty nest.

Murphy was shocked when Joe crossed his arms over his chest, his face contorted into an angry sneer. “Murphy, you are not seriously considering taking a job with BMC?”

Murphy blinked, surprised by Joe’s reaction. “Not only considering it, but have committed to it. I have to be at Calm Winds Resort at six in the morning.”

Joe gaped. “What? You do know who they are working with, don’t you? Who owns that resort?”

“Yeah, Fields, Fields, and Cohen.” Murphy frowned when Joe’s face turned an ugly shade of red. “What the hell’s wrong with you, Joe?”

Joe laughed. It sounded strangled and a little hysterical. “Oh. My. God.” Joe threw up his hands and stalked out of the room.

Murphy jumped up and followed him. “What the matter with you?”

Joe didn’t answer the question. He stomped to the front door and threw it open. “I think you should leave.”

Murphy froze. “What?”

Joe glared at him. “You heard me. You need to leave.”

“What’s got you so pissed?”

Joe scowled, his chest rising and falling rapidly. When Murphy continued to stare at him, dumbfounded, Joe pointed. “I said, get the fuck out.”

Murphy had no idea what was going on, and apparently Joe wasn’t going to clue him in. Well, that was fine. If Joe wanted to be an asshole, Murphy could be one too.

“Fuck you very much for dinner,” he spat and brushed past Joe. He jumped when the door slammed behind him. Murphy spun around and gaped at the closed door. Obviously, Joe’s unexpected rage had something to do with the company that had hired Murphy. But the fact that Joe had aimed his dislike of a company at Murphy pissed him off to no end. Not caring if Joe was watching, Murphy shot a one-finger salute toward the front door before spinning on his heel.

Murphy would finish the job he’d agreed to do at that apartment. He wasn’t going to be the same kind of asshole Joe was, even if the man deserved it. When he wasn’t working, he’d spend his free minutes and find a permanent place to stay. Screw Joe. Or rather, someone else could, because Murphy wouldn’t be touching or talking to the bastard again.

Want to know what happens next?

Check it out HERE

Meet Jo Peterson

SJD Peterson, better known as Jo, hails from Michigan. Not the best place to live for someone who hates the cold and snow. When not reading or writing, Jo can be found close to the heater checking out NHL stats and watching the Red Wings kick a little butt. Can’t cook, misses the clothes hamper nine out of ten tries, but is handy with power tools.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

AUTHORS AMAZON PAGE

Giveaway

The author is graciously giving away one copy of any ebook copy from her back list to one lucky reader.  Leave a comment along with your email address where you can be reached if chosen.  Must be 18 years of age to enter.  Giveaway ends July 8th at midnight.

BLOG POST Two-Man Advantage by Leigh Carman (exclusive excerpt)

Two-Man Advantage (Players of LA #3) by Leigh Carman
Dreamspinner Press

Available for Purchase at

Amazon

iBooks

Kobo

B&N-

Dreamspinner

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to  host Leigh Carman today on her Two-Man Advantage tour.  She’s brought along an exclusive excerpt for everyone to enjoy!

 

Blurb

A hockey star skating on the edge of a catastrophe.

A PR specialist so adept, he’s called “the Fixer.”

Working together will be the biggest challenge of both their careers.

The LA Vikings hockey team is fed up the violent outbursts of its huge, intimidating enforcer, Viktor Novak. Hounded by a homophobic and domineering father, Viktor takes out his frustrations by spilling blood—on and off the ice. Now he has one last chance to clean up his image, or his career is over.

That’s where Bowen Miller comes in.

Bo has taken on the hardest cases and succeeded—by micromanaging every aspect of a client’s life—at the expense of his own happiness. But in the stubborn, hot mess that is Viktor, Bo might have met his match—both in and out of the bedroom. One man is out of control, and one controls everything. But when sex and attraction come into play, those roles are open to negotiation.

Exclusive Excerpt

Vik and Bo’s first encounter

Bo

When Vik doesn’t move, I take a closer look. I know what I’m seeing; I just don’t believe it. No fucking way. His lightly stubbled face is flushed, nostrils flaring wide. His light blue irises are nearly gone, eclipsed by enormous dark pupils. Vik’s full red lips are slick, and I can see the restraint in his clenched jaw, his twitching muscles, all of them jumping as he fights his primal urges.

He wants me. Viktor Novak wants me.

“That picture in your office,” Vik says, his voice a low, seductive rumble that vibrates straight to my cock. “The one of the football player, Van Archer.”

Wait, what?

Now I’m the one who tenses up, once again ready for a fight with the exhausting Viktor Novak. Maybe what I’m reading as desire on Vik’s face is actually hostility. Maybe I’m only seeing what I want to see when in reality, there’s nothing there.

“What about it?”

“He’s gay.”

“He is,” I answer, bracing myself for an almighty argument.

Vik nods. He begins to say something, and then his mouth snaps shut as he hesitates. More curious than cautious, Vik presses on. “Are you?”

“Does it matter?” I snap, every one of my defenses at the ready. It’s no secret I’m gay. I don’t hide my sexuality, but I don’t announce it when I meet people either. If Vik wants to come at me, he’s going to get a knockdown, drag-out fight.

Vik shifts closer, splaying an immense hand on the stone countertop on either side of my waist. Intimidated by his sheer size and proximity, the fight drains out of me, and I lean back, the unforgiving granite pressing painfully into the base of my spine, making me acutely aware that this man has the ability to hurt me quite seriously any time he chooses. The fact that he could so easily dominate me physically unexpectedly turns me on so much my dick is suddenly harder than the granite surface I’m trapped against.

What the hell? I dominate, I don’t submit. So why am I rock hard and leaking like a faucet at the thought of Vik overpowering me?

“It matters to me,” Vik murmurs, his gaze dropping to my mouth before returning to my eyes.

The way Vik answers allows me to exhale, letting go of some of my fear. My initial assumption was correct. The man before me isn’t angry, he’s… hopeful.

I inhale a shaky breath and swallow. “Yes. I’m gay.”

For the briefest of seconds, Vik’s gaze widens, and a spark of desire flashes in his bright blue eyes. Then so many things happen at once, I have no time to process it all. Vik’s heavy lids drop to half-mast and he closes the remaining space between us, pressing the hot, hard length of his body against mine. Two strong, masculine hands grip either side of my head, fingers long enough to curl around the base of my skull, and Viktor Novak, star hockey player and noted brawler, lowers his face to mine and kisses me.

Sensory overload hits, and I’m frozen in place. Hot skin covered in tattoos, the faint taste of mint toothpaste, the warm scent of Viktor, the feel of his rough hands on my clean-shaven face—all of it combines to render me completely useless as his lips move over mine. It’s only when Viktor boldly thrusts his stiff cock against my groin, grinding it against my own rigid length as he simultaneously swipes his tongue across my mouth, that I wake up and get with the program.

Vik slides that wet tongue over my lips again, more insistent this time, and I can’t help but groan, opening my mouth as heat builds at the base of my spine. Vik takes advantage of my parted lips, immediately plunging his velvet tongue deep into my mouth. I release the countertop and wrap my hands around his backside, grabbing two big handfuls of those spectacular, rock-hard glutes, and tug him closer, smashing our erections together.

“Oh fuck,” Vik breathes against my lips. Those two little words nearly have me coming in my pants. I’ve never been so out of control in my life. The threads of reality unravel around me, spinning away as raw instinct takes over my conscious behavior. No twink hookup has ever incited this type of reaction from me. I’m wanton, willing, and completely uninhibited. Out of control. It’s frightening yet… freeing.

Viktor’s hands leave my skin, and I whimper from the loss of contact, leaning forward to chase that delicious mouth. When Vik’s thick fingers begin pawing desperately at my clothes, shoving the custom-fitted jacket down my arms to land on the floor then moving to unbutton my shirt, I realize his intentions. In a flash, I begin to eagerly assist Vik in shedding my clothes, yanking my silk tie loose and sliding it off my neck.

Halfway through undoing my dress shirt, Vik growls and loses patience with the dozen tiny pearl buttons. With one swift tug, he tears open the front of my shirt, buttons pinging off the kitchen cabinets and skittering across the hardwood floors. My cuffs are still fastened by a pair of platinum cuff links, so now my shirt is inside out, hanging from my wrists, and I can’t get my hands free. Vik either doesn’t notice or could care less. In the blink of an eye, he has my slacks unzipped, shoves his hand in, and takes my aching cock in his scorching hot palm.

“Jesus, Vik,” I rasp, my chest heaving. The touch of his hand on my dick is blistering hot and so fucking good, but much too brief. Vik lets go of my cock, and I panic. “What? Why are you—?”

My question dies in a strangled moan as I watch Vik shove down his own sweats and underwear, not even bothering to pull them all the way off. Instead he hooks them under his huge, tight sac, lines up our cocks, and wraps a calloused hand around both of our rigid lengths. Vik squeezes them together and my eyes roll back in my head. I struggle to free my arms, desperate to touch this man and his gorgeous, thick cock. Vik lets out a low growl when I fight the fabric binding my hands. His eyes flash, and quick as a whip, he reaches behind me, grabs the remains of my shirt, and twists it around his free hand until my wrists are tightly bound at the base of my spine, trapped by a pair of cuff links.

I want to struggle, to shout and kick until I can get my hands free. To demand my freedom so I can take charge of the encounter. But Vik ignores any effort I make to unbind my hands. He gives me a dark, lust-filled look and waits until I stop fighting and calm down. Once I’m still, Vik keeps his eyes locked on mine and spits obscenely into his palm before lowering it to stroke our cocks in tandem. At that moment, any fight left in me dies, superseded by the unbelievable pleasure of Viktor’s talented hand and the feel of his sculpted body against mine. It’s uncomfortable to give in to someone, to willingly let Vik overpower me, and part of me is still freaking out. My sexual partners are always smaller than me for a reason. I just can’t let go of that damn need to control everything and everyone. It’s my experience that when you have no power, you get hurt.

“Let it go,” Vik whispers as if reading my mind, all the while continuing to stare into my eyes as his hand speeds up between us. The friction of Vik’s slick, rough palm, the sensation of his smooth cock rubbing against mine, is sublime. But with the nagging need to free my hands still plaguing me, I can’t enjoy his talented touch to the fullest.

“I see your brain working to figure out how to take charge,” Vik says. He gives me a dark look, those sensual lips curling into a wicked smirk. “You can’t take control here, Bowen. I won’t let you. You can’t get away either. I have you at my mercy.” He leans in to growl in my ear. “I can do anything I want to you.” Vik’s husky, dominating voice reverberates through my body, making my cock impossibly harder. “Let go and enjoy the ride, Bowen, because I plan on blowing your goddamn mind.”

To find out what happens next, check out Two-Man Advantage

About the Author

Leigh Carman is the pen name for the M/M romances written by bestselling Contemporary romance writer, Heather C. Leigh.

She lived outside Atlanta for 15 years and recently moved to Houston with her husband, 2 kids, and French bulldog.

She is leaving explicit directions in her will for her friends to discreetly scatter her ashes around Fenway Park. Then they are to sit back, watch a game with a beer and a Fenway frank and have a wicked good time.

Twitter- @heatherleighauthor

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/LeighCarmanAuthor/

Website – http://heathercleighauthor.com/leigh-carman-novels/

An Ali Audiobook Review: A Second Harvest (Men of Lancaster County #1) by Eli Easton and narrator Will Tulin

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
David Fisher has lived by the rules all his life. Born to a Mennonite family, he obeyed his father and took over the family farm, married, and had two children. Now with both his kids in college and his wife deceased, he runs his farm alone and without joy, counting off the days of a life half-lived.

Christie Landon, graphic designer, Manhattanite, and fierce gay party boy, needs a change. Now thirty, he figures it’s time to grow up and think about his future. When his best friend overdoses, Christie resolves to take a break from the city. He heads to a small house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to rest, recoup, and reflect.

But life in the country is boring despite glimpses of the hunky silver fox next door. When Christie’s creativity latches on to cooking, he decides to approach his widower neighbor with a plan to share meals and grocery expenses. David agrees, and soon the odd couple finds they really enjoy spending time together.

Christie challenges the boundaries of David’s closed world and brings out feelings he buried long ago. If he can break free of the past, he might find a second chance at happiness.
This was a really lovely stories about second chances and the fact that you’re never too old to reinvent yourself.  These two men, who on the surface had nothing in common, actually found they had a lot of the same hopes and dreams.  What starts as a friendship turns in to a really sweet romance.  I really liked both of their characters and I found their romance to be realistic and believable. I loved watching the two of them fall in love.
While I liked Christie a lot, David is who stole the story for me.  I could totally relate to him as I grew up in a similar environment and I know first hand how stifling and oppressing it can be.  The scenes of him with his National Geographic magazines, always dreaming of other things, made my heart hurt for him.  I was so happy for him when he made up his mind to break free and make huge changes in his life.
The writing was engaging and drew me in from the very first chapter.  As I’ve said, really enjoyed both of the MC’s and I found their romance to be super sweet and touching. I didn’t have any complaints about the book and I went through the entire audio in one day as I cleaned and did yard work.
The book was narrated by Will Tulin and I liked him a lot.  He is a new to me narrator but one I will definitely listen to again.  He get a great job on both of the MC’s as well as all of the side characters.  I think his narration really added to the overall story and I would recommend this.
Cover by Bree Archer:  The cover was done by Bree Archer and I like it a lot.  I think it is eye catching and really beautiful.  It is also a great representation of the story.
Audiobook Details:
Listening Time: 7 hrs 40 min
Audiobook
Published June 7th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published July 1st 2016)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesMen of Lancaster County #1

A Jeri Release Day Review: What’s the Use of Wondering? By Kate McMurray

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This is the second book in the series WMU, a young adult series set at a small college. There is some character cross over from the first but this one can be read as a stand alone easily.

Logan’s life is all about violin. Trying to live up to the dreams of his parents, he spends his life playing and practicing. So he is a bit apprehensive when he gets a new roommate. But Peter isn’t what Logan believes.

I have to say, Peter put up with a lot of bs from Logan. He was so rude at the start- and all because of the giant chip on his shoulder. Peter could have lashed out or flat out ignored Logan, but he continually offered an olive branch to find common ground. Even though the common ground was obvious.

There was some tough love in there as well between the two of them. Encouraging each other to do what they want and be themselves. Living up to the expectations of your parents has to end in order to be truly happy.

Logan and Peter really were a good compliment to each other. While it started out as an opposites attract kind of thing, they really had more in common than they knew. Building a relationship on that commonality was what made this such a sweet read.

I have to say I loved that musical theater continued in this book from the first. Being a theater junkie and proud drama geek, it brought back some amazing memories.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson.  Lovely and eye-catching.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 182 pages
Published July 3rd 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB071K9XC3S
SeriesWMU #2

Amy Lane Sharing “too quiet” kid stories on her Manny Get Your Guy Tour (author guest post)

Manny Get Your Guy (The Mannies #2) by Amy Lane
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Art by Paul Richmond
Available for Purchase at:  Dreamspinner Press |  Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have Amy Lane back again, this time sharing “too quiet” kid stories on her ‘Manny Get Your Guy‘ tour.  Welcome, Amy!

 

…too quiet… Part 3 by Amy Lane

So my last two posts in the tour have been “too quiet” kid stories—and seriously, most parents have a zillion of them. Somewhere in my archives I’ve got pictures of not one, but TWO little girls who thought it would be a laugh riot to get into mom’s makeup when they were bored. Squish’s picture has lipstick everywhere on her face. Chicken’s has mascara EVERYWHERE—right after her bath.  Never turn your back on them—something will attack.

But in a bustling household, sometimes, you just can’t be everywhere at once. And sometimes, little things get overlooked.

Our cable service provider is Comcast. I know—this doesn’t SEEM like it has anything to do with childcare, but bear with me.  Because in our neighborhood, we can have Comcast or Direct TV, and at one point in time—back when Squish was a baby and Zoomboy could fit in tiny places—we thought we were getting Direct TV.

The two bozos they sent to drill holes in our house and restring all our cables and generally screw up our entertainment system were not only not very bright—they were also not very FAST. They instilled maximum damage, but it took them nine hours of walking in and out of my relatively crowded, busy house in order to do it. And in the meantime, I had to make dinner and give baths and generally try to run my house while Mate said things like, “Do we HAVE to drill the hole?”

Anyway…

Around about hour seven, it got to be “too quiet.”

We were missing a kid. 

Strange people had been going in and out of our house all day and WE WERE MISSING A KID.

MANHUNT!

Lock the dog in the bedroom, the big kids were looking under the bed, in the closets, behind the shoes, Squish was clung to, on somebody’s hip, as the whole family wandered our 1000 foot square house with increasing panic, screaming ZoomBoy’s name.

WE COULDN’T FIND ZOOMBOY!

The panic.

Seriously.

The panic.

Mate ran a circle around the block, and we couldn’t find him.

He ran the half-mile, larger circle.

Nothing.

I got into the car and turned on my brights and tooled around the neighborhood. Holy God, my kid was missing, I was going to have to call the police, I was going to have to issue an amber alert, I was going to have to…

Slow down as I was pulling into my driveway because he was running out of the house looking really pleased with himself.

“Mom! Mom! I hid between the coffee table and the couch and NOBODY FOUND ME!”

I almost smacked my child in the face.

“Were… uh… were we uh playing hide-and-seek?” I asked, spots floating in front of my eyes.

“No. I just thought I’d hide.”

“Uh, okay, hon. That was, uh, special. Maybe next time, tell somebody we’re playing that game? Mom was really worried.”

“Okay. Where’d you go?”

“TO FIND YOU!”

“But I was in the coffee table!”

“I know that now.”

“Are you okay?”

“I need to go cry on Dad now.”

“Can the guys go?”

“Yes.”

“Are they done?”

“I don’t care.”

“Good. They’re loud.”

So, yeah. Too quiet.

Also, a lesson in how no matter how hard you try as a parent, you never have it nailed down. 

By the way—Direct TV? Didn’t work. We had no service for the first 48 hours and when we complained they told us we’d forfeit our deposit if we quit now.

We forfeited the deposit, fixed the hole in our wall, and never ever strayed from Comcast again.

And we made it a family rule that you could never, ever, ever start a game of hide-and-seek unless you told people that you were hiding first.

Yeesh… I have to admit, I feel bad giving Taylor four kids and chaos for this book. I mean, I survived it, but poor Taylor.

He’s not going to know what hit him.

It’s a good thing Brandon’s there to help.

Blurb

The Mannies

Starting over and falling in love.

Tino Robbins’s sister, Nica, and her husband, Jacob, are expecting their fifth child. Fortunately, Nica’s best friend, Taylor Cochran, is back in town, released from PT and in need of a job.

After years in the service and recovering from grave injury, Taylor has grown a lot from the callow troublemaker he’d been in high school. Now he’s hoping for a fresh start with Nica and her family.

Jacob’s cousin Brandon lives above the garage and thinks “Taylor the manny” is a bad idea. Taylor might be great at protecting civilians from a zombie apocalypse, but is he any good with kids?

Turns out Taylor’s a natural. As he tries to fit in, using common sense and dry wit, Brandon realizes that Taylor doesn’t just love their family—he’s desperate to be part of it. And just like that, Brandon wants Taylor to be part of his future.

Sequel to:

The Virgin Manny

Blurb:

The Mannies

Growing up and falling in love…

Sometimes family is a blessing and a curse. When Tino Robbins is roped into helping his sister deliver her premade Italian dinners when he should be studying for finals, he’s pretty sure it’s the latter! But one delivery might change everything.

Channing Lowell’s charmed life changes when his sister dies and leaves him her seven-year-old son. He’s committed to doing what’s best for Sammy… but he’s going to need a lot of help. When Tino lands on his porch, Channing is determined to recruit him to Team Sammy.

Tino plans to make his education count—even if that means avoiding a relationship—but as he falls harder and harder for his boss, he starts to wonder: Does he have to leave his newly forged family behind in order to live his promising tomorrow?

Available at:  Amazon

Blog Tour Dates:

June 24 – MM Good Book Reviews

June 27 – My Fiction Nook

June 28 – Open Skye Book Reviews

July 1 – Boy Meets Boy

July 3 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words  

July 5 – Love Bytes

July 6 – Long and Short Reviews

  

STRW Interview with M.A. Church on her new release ‘Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius’ (author interview and excerpt)

Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius by M.A. Church
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have M.A. Church here today talking about writing, characters, and her latest release,

Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius.  Welcome, M.A.!

 

✒︎

Our Interview with M.A. Church

  • How much of yourself goes into a character?

A lot. Many of my characteristics, thoughts, feelings, and reactions are built into my characters. Actually, both my main characters have many of my personality traits.

  • Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

Absolutely! Research plays a vital role. I mainly write paranormal and sci-fi, but I spend a lot of time checking mythology. I’m a firm believer in you have to understand a myth before you can flip it on its head.  If I’m writing about werecats, I feel it’s necessary to the understand habits and reactions of felines, whether they’re big or small.  Many of my paranormal stories are based in present day, so I have to make my shifters fit into that environment.

I do enjoy research, but I love making up worlds and cultures. It’s one reasons why I’m so fond of sci-fi. But even with that, research plays a key role in making the unbelievable believable.

  • Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

I have but not recently. There was a scene in Shadows in the Night where the main character’s mother was dying. I struggled with it because it was close to when I lost my mom. It caused some bad moments, but I got through it. Frankly I think it made that scene much stronger.

  •  Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I’m good either way.  I like HEA, but sometimes the story just isn’t set up for that. I’d much rather have an ending that is HFN than to force HEA. As long story ends with the characters happy, I’m good, even if all their issues haven’t been resolved.

  • How do you choose your covers?  

The main thing I look for is something that highlights my story and picks up the feeling of the book. I want something that portrays a very basic element of the book so readers know at a glance what my story is about.

  • Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

I’d say it’d either be The Harvest series or Trouble Comes in Threes from the Fur, Fangs, and Felines series. The Harvest was originally written right after my mom passed away. The books kept me from losing my mind.

Trouble Comes in Threes doesn’t have that memory connected to it, but it was the first threesome I ever wrote. It was well received, fortunately. And I did worry about how to portray a threesome believably.

  • What’s next for you as an author?

I have a book coming from Dreamspinner in October called Dragon’s Hoard. It’s part of the new Dreamspun Beyond line, and I’m very excited about that.

At Sixes and Sevens is under contract with Dreamspinner and will *probably* be out in November. It could be October, though.

Blurb

Clay McDonald finds the perfect car on Craigslist and is quick to send the seller a text:

Is your penis still for sale?

AutoCorrect strikes again. Damn—he should’ve proofread. How embarrassing.

Luckily Darrell Anderson, a mechanic and the owner of the Prius, is more amused than offended, and the two men agree to meet. When they do, the attraction is instant, and a date is arranged. But a series of mishaps, misunderstandings, and misplaced assumptions sorely test the new relationship.

In a contemporary romantic comedy about the perils of technology and dating in the modern world, a text that went so wrong might just lead to something so right—but only if Clay can refrain from jumping to conclusions and give love the benefit of the doubt.

 

 

Excerpt

“Whoa, whoa. The truck is fine, and there’s nothing wrong with it. You didn’t hear me because I drove the Prius. Which means you’re going to need to take me back up to the shop since I left my truck there.”

Darrell groaned. Of all the rotten, underhanded…. “Oh, come on. Seriously? You just ruined my Saturday.”

Bert laughed, a cocky little grin on his face. “Hey, I told you it had to be parked here.”

Darrell continued to grumble as he went back to arranging the food. “I was trying to forget about it. Does that mean you posted the ad on Craigslist?”

“As a matter of fact, I did this morning.” Bert opened his beer. “It should be up already.”

Of course it was. “Lovely. Just what I want to do on my weekend off. I’m assuming you put my cell phone number on the ad?”

“Yup.” Bert sipped his beer, then put it down on the counter. “Look, if something comes up, just let the call go to voicemail.”

Darrell poured a soda for himself. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

Bert smirked, then drank some more of his beer as he studied Darrell.

“What?” Darrell demanded as he opened the chip bag.

Bert slowly sho✒︎ok his head, an overdone look of pity on his face. “You’ve got all the symptoms.”

Darrell knew he was going to regret asking, but just like a moth to the flame, he couldn’t resist. “All the symptoms of what?”

“BBS.”

“As sure as I’m standing here, I know better, but okay….” Darrell scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll bite. What is BBS?”

Grinning madly, Bert took another sip of his beer, then with exaggerated patience, put it on the counter. “Blue ball syndrome. Dude, you desperately need to get laid. You’re grouchy, your sense of humor has left the building, and quite frankly, your one-liners need a couple more lines.”

Darrell tilted his head back, stared at the ceiling, and sighed helplessly. “I had to ask, didn’t I?”

About the Author

M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

When not writing, she’s on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two grown children.

She is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Social Media Links:

A

Sean Michael on Memories, Writing and his release ‘Making a Splash’ (author guest post and excerpt)

Making a Splash by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs | Tibbs Design

Available for Purchase at

      
✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today on his Making a Splash tour. Welcome, Sean!

✒︎

 

Thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting me today.

In Making a Splash, Austin is a natural diver. In fact, he’s at a public pool, showing off for his friends when Vince discovers him. He’s on the three meter board.

I can remember when I was around ten, I jumped off my first five meter platform. Thinking back on it, I’m surprised I actually not only made it up there, but then jumped given that I now have a crazy fear of heights. I don’t even like standing on a chair to reach for something at the top of bookcases.

However, this time I not only climbed, I also jumped. Now, I had never jumped from this high and no one had ever told me how I should do it. I remember jumping and going deep enough that my feet touched the bottom of the pool. I did push up but not very hard and I didn’t think I was going to break the surface in time to take the breath I needed. What a panic! I did not go for a second jump.

Of course, now I know that I should have spread my arms as soon as I hit the water and if I made it to the bottom, I should have pushed up hard. Live and learn.

I’m jealous of Austin and his ability to play so freely not only that high up, but doing tricks in the air at the same time.

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

Blurb:

After a scandal of Olympic proportions, Vince Dawson lost his job as a diving coach and is on a downhill slide. So when he sees Austin Brody at a local pool, diving like a trained athlete, he thinks he’s found his ticket back to the big leagues.

Austin thinks Vince is crazy for wanting him to dive competitively. He dives for beer and smokes, while working double shifts as a welder. Still, he’ll give training with Vince a shot.

But Austin isn’t willing to let Vince rule his life, and Vince—used to hopeful young athletes folding under pressure from him—finds Austin baffling… and hot. Even if they can work together and become more than friends, they still have a long way to go before they’ll be ready to compete. 

Excerpt:

Vince stood as he watched the kid climb the ladder, moving to get a better viewing angle of the board, one that would also afford him an excellent position to see Austin’s entry. Man, the kid moved like he didn’t know it was challenging to swing all that height up on his hands on a springboard. A springboard. No one in their right mind did handstand dives on a….

Two twists. Two and a half somersaults and then into the water like a knife.

Jesus fuck.

Vince was headed for the water before he could say “I don’t follow diving anymore.” He pushed his way past the kids gathering around, eyes on the tall, skinny blond. “Who’s your coach?”

“Huh?” A big pair of green eyes met his. “I don’t play ball.”

“I sure as hell hope you don’t.” He nodded toward the diving board. “I’m talking about diving. No way you picked those moves up on your own.” No fucking way.

“Nope. Practiced ’em on the trampoline.” Austin hauled himself out of the water.

“All by yourself.” He didn’t follow diving anymore, Vince reminded himself. He was done.

“Yep. I like jumping. Hell of a rush.”

“Tell you what. You show me the toughest dive you know how to do, and I’ll buy you dinner.” With a captive audience and without all the other people trying to get a piece of the kid, maybe he could convince Austin that he was exactly what Austin needed in a coach. Or at least he could if he were still in the diving world. Which he wasn’t.

“Dinner like McDonald’s or dinner like shrimp and steak?”

He chuckled. Kid was smart too. He took a mental look at his bank account and wished he hadn’t.

“Like dinner anywhere you want.” After all, he didn’t follow diving anymore, wasn’t going to get back into coaching. But if he did? This was the person he’d want to do it with. It would be worth breaking the bank for.

“It’s a deal.” Austin held his hand out to shake.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

Its July, Happy 4th. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Its July, Happy 4th.

Yes, its officially July.  Summer is well under way.  For those of us in the States or celebrating abroad, this is the start of a long weekend extending into next week, Tuesday which is the 4th.  Roads have been packed with people getting away as have the airports and railway stations.  Celebrations and get togethers, picnics and parades, all will be going on this weekend and into next week, ending with fireworks everywhere.  Why the 4th?  John Adams thought it should have been July 2!  And wouldn’t recognize the celebrations on July 4th.

A quick history lesson: “The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.” Thank you, History.com

Also:

John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Happy Fourth of July!  Have a safe and happy weekend.

Also to our neighbors to the north, Happy Canada (Dominion) Day!  The US is not the only one celebrating our independence!  Per our wonderful internet “Canada became self-governing on July 1st, 1867, with the passage of the British North America Act (BNA Act) in the British Parliament. The holiday was originally known as “Dominion Day”. It was changed to Canada Day by the Canadian Parliament on October 27, 1982.”

Did you know? The U.S. and Canada share the largest un-defended border in the world. So congratulations and Happy Canada Day too!

 

Winner Announcement!

~Pride Father’s Day Celebration Giveaway – Last Week~

We wanted you all to give us your best suggestions for books involving LGBTQIA families or LGBT people with children stories.  What a great list of books you presented us with.  Here they are in no particular order….

STRW Great LGBTQIA Dads/Parents/Family Book Recs!

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels
What Remains by Garrett Leigh
Bonfires by Amy Lane
Until September by Chris Scully
Back to You by Chris Scully
Snow & Winter series by C.S. Poe
All’s Fair by Josh Lanyon
Stone and Shell by Lloyd A. Meeker
Good To Know series by DW Marchwell
Shaking the Sugar Tree series by Nick Wilgus
It’s Christmas Everywhere But Here by Liam Livings
Making Ends Meet by SL Armstrong
Just Like This by Taylor Lewis
The Nothingness of Ben by Brad Boney
Nested Hearts series by Ada Maria Soto
Ranger Station Haven by S.A. Stovall
Faith, Love and Devotion series by Tere Michaels
The Rebuilding Year series by Kaje Harper
But For You by Mary Calmes
The Christmas Wager by Jamie Fessenden
All the Wrong Places by Ann Gallagher
Frog by Mary Calmes (not a dad but mannies count right?) yes they do!
Southern Comfort by Lola Carson
Flaunt by E. Davies
The Harvest series M.A. Church (children don’t show up until the second book and in the spin-off sequel we to see the kids grown and finding their own mates <3)
A Matter of Time series by Mary Calmes
THIRDS by Charlie Cochet (the Dex and Cael’s Tony)
The Mannies series by Amy Lane (and because it also had great dads too)
Road to the Sun by Keira Andrews
Disasterology 101 by Taylor V. Donovan
The Tyack and Frayne Mystery series by Harper Fox

And Fur Kids, just because yes, they count:Pets
Tell Me It’s Real by TJ Klune
Sinner’s Gin by Rhys Ford
Finding Matt by J.D. Ruskin (no kids, but Bear the dog was awesome, almost the best part of the book).

 

So many great comments and recommendations.  Let me know if you have any more to add to our list!   Thank you all for participating!  New giveaway up next week.

Our winners for this contest are Trix and ami!  Thank you both.  Stella will be in touch with you both about your gift cards!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 2:

  • Its July, Happy 4th.
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, July 3:

  • DSP GUEST POST Amy Lane
  • DSP GUEST POST M.A. Church on Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius
  • DSP GUEST POST Sean Michael on Making a Splash
  • A Julia Review:The Last Ranger of Sarn (The Journals of the Huntress Book 1) by Ed Ireland
  • A Jeri Release Day Review: What’s the Use of Wondering? By Kate McMurray
  • A MelanieM Review: Feral Dust Bunnies (Offbeat Crimes #4) by Angel Martinez
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote and narrated by Mark Steadman

Tuesday, July 4 (Happy Independance Day to all those in the US and abroad)

  • BLOG POST Two-Man Advantage by Leigh Carman
  • Release Blitz Force of Nature (Coming About #4) by J.K. Hogan
  • Release Blitz for  Meg Harding’s Finding Home
  • RIPTIDE TOUR & Giveaway: Love and Other Hot Beverages by Laurie Loft
  • A Kai Review: Misdemeanor by CF White
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: A Second Harvest (Men of Lancaster County #1) by Eli Easton and narrator Will Tulin
  • An Alisa Review: Black Magic Glitterbomb by Sage C. Holloway

Wednesday, July 5:

  • Blitz Tour: Haven’s War by Parker Williams
  • Blog Tour: Burning Boundaries, by Bellora Quinn and Sadie Rose Bermingham
  • DSP GUEST POST SJD Peterson on Something’s Brewing at Joe’s
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Ahava Is Love (World of Love) by Avery Duran
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Making a Splash by Sean Michael
  • A Stella Review: Haven’s War (Safe Haven #2) by Parker Williams
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Santa’s Naughty Helper ( Lawyers in Love) by Ari McKay

Thursday, July 6:

  • RIPTIDE TOUR & Giveaway: Spun! (The Shamwell Tales #4) by J.L. Merrow
  • DSP Publications blog tour Xenia Melzer
  • An Alisa Review: Admiring Jesse by Shawn Lane
  • A MelanieM Review: Behind the Mask by Elizabeth Coldwell
  • A VVivacious Review: Oversight (The Community #2) by Santino Hassell
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: Vassily the Beautiful (The ESTO Universe) by Angel Martinez and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)

Friday, July 7:

  • DSP GUEST POST Avery Duran on Ahava is Love
  • Release Blitz for Luna David’s Saving Sebastian
  • Release Day Blitz for Lying Eyes by Robert Winter
  • Review Tour for TC Orton ‘s Iudicium
  • A Julia Review: Iudicium by​ T.C Orton
  • A Jeri Review: A Way with Words (Memories with The Breakfast Club ) by Lane Hayes
  • An Alisa Review:  Prise de Fer by A.R. Moler

Saturday, July 8:

A MelanieM Review: The Werecat Trilogy by Andrew J. Peters