Emjay Haze on Writing, Romance and her new release ‘Home is Where You Are’ (author interview and giveaway)

Home is Where You Are (States of Love) by Emjay Haze
Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Release Date: 1/26/18

Available now for Sale at: DreamSpinner Press | Amazon

Thank you for visiting my blog tour at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. I’m Emjay Haze, author of Contemporary m/m romance. Home is Where You Are is my first book with DreamSpinner Press and I’m excited to share it with you on release day.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Emjay Haze, author of Home is Where You Are

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I think my traits tend to pop up in more of my minor characters, since the main characters are both men usually in their twenties/thirties and I’m a fifty-plus year old woman, lol. I love writing strong-willed characters and I think that comes from me. I also like to write them a little quirky and feisty and that’s definitely me.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

When I was growing up, my mom introduced me to romance novels, but a lot of times, they didn’t really have a HEA, the way I wanted them, anyway. As I got older, I really got into Robert Ludlum books and other spy and mystery-type novels, and totally went away from romance. I didn’t even like watching rom-coms. Then, in 2009, I discovered m/m romance in the form of online fanfiction and fell in love with the genre. I started writing stories around my favorite music artist and then eventually moved to original characters and writing short stories and novels. I realized I didn’t hate romance at all, I was just reading the wrong kind.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I love happy endings, and I think everyone deserves one. That’s why I love this genre. If I had to pick one, I’d have to say HEA. I want my two lovebirds to ride off into the sunset together and be happy forever.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

I love e-books, because I have a kindle and subscribe to kindle unlimited, so it’s easy to download and read books. I can start on my kindle at work, and then move it to my phone or tablet on the weekend.

It’s a shame that so many bookstores have closed over the years, but I don’t see them going away all together. I think there are enough people that still want to read a book and not an electronic device. My last novel came out in both e-book and paper book and it was thrilling when I got to hold it in my hands, and I was able to give signed copies to friends. You can’t do that with an electronic version.

I see e-book formats expanding as the technology grows, and less books coming out in hard or paperback.

How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)

For all of my published works, I’ve had a publisher who provides the artist for the cover and I’ve never been disappointed. For Home is Where You Are, I had given her some general info on the settings, characters, etc, and my artist came back with three great covers to choose from. Sometimes I have sort of an idea, and the artists have all taken my ramblings and turned them into something really beautiful.

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

That’s a “who’s your favorite child” question, so the answer is no, of course not, lol. I love all of my characters and it’s really hard to choose just one. So far, they’ve all been pretty different, so it’s impossible to pick a favorite. I do really adore a few of my minor characters, though. The best friend in my new novel coming later this year is awesome. Her name is Andrea, and she’s a hoot, feisty and outspoken and a great friend. I also wrote a social worker character who took care of my foster kid main character for a very long fan-fiction story that I wrote years ago, and I absolutely loved her strength and character and the way she stood up for my protagonist. But main characters, nope, I can’t pick one.

If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”? Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

I have more trouble flawing my characters, lol. I love them and want them to be perfect, but it’s way more interesting to read about someone with flaws who grows in a story. My family and I were watching a horror movie the other day and none of us couldn stand the protagonist at first. She was a real bitch. But, as the film progressed she started to grow through all of the difficulties she was having. I liked it and understood her, but my twenty-year-old could never get past not liking the character at the beginning. So, yes, I believe that they have to have redeemable qualities, but a few flaws make them deeper characters, but not so many that you can’t forgive them.

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it? Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

Haha. Drunk? No, but I used to write a lot of fan-fiction and those sexy scenes are written much better with a few beers in the system—more uninhibited and the scene flows better. Of course, you have to edit, but I’ve never had one that I had to completely rewrite because it was a mess.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

I have a vision of having a house on the beach or a lake (where it’s warm) and having my laptop outside on a large wooden round table with a large umbrella overlooking the water while I’m wearing a tank-top and shorts and bare feet, sipping on a cool drink.

Right now, I sit at a very warped card table at the end of our family room with the big-screen TV and family watching to the right of me.

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To widen our knowledge? Why do you write?

If I had to pick one, it would be to get away. I write because I have so many stories in my head that need to get out. I have distraction issues, but when I’m writing, I can totally immerse myself into the story and ignore everything else. I love developing characters and building a story and seeing it come to life.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I have full-length novel coming out with NineStar Press sometime in April called After Hours. It’s the first of a three-book series. I’m working on the second book now. I really love writing m/m romance, and I think I will always write in that genre, but at some point I may try something new like a spy novel.

Blurb:

For a chance at a future filled with love, he’ll have to face a painful past.

Eric, recently dumped by his boyfriend, is summoned home after his dad suffers a stroke. His family farm in rural Vermont holds memories he’d rather forget, but he—with his degree in agricultural business—is needed to clear up a predicament with the bank. In trying to forget the bad, Eric has also lost sight of the good: green meadows dotted with grass-fed dairy cows and the sugar maples that once produced the area’s finest maple syrup. With Eric’s help, they will again.

A captivating farmhand named Phil tempts Eric to give the countryside another chance, but before they can consider being together, Eric must move past more than his feelings for his ex-boyfriend—he’ll need to stand up to the ghosts that sent him running from the farm in the first place….

Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Pages: 95
Part of the States of Love Series by DreamSpinner Press

Giveaway

I have a rafflecopter giveaway of 3 e-copies of Home is Where you Are, and a Grand prize of the e-book and a gift pack of Vermont maple syrup and maple candy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Emjay Haze is a Pennsylvania girl living in a Virginia world, growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs and moving to Northern Virginia to follow her now husband of twenty-plus years. She has two kids in college, a year-old puppy named Max, a black-and-white cat named Tux, a gecko named Rex, a yellow tang called Reggie, and we hear the eels are coming this week.

The family pastime is baseball, specifically the Nationals. She’s also a huge Redskins fans and loves classic rock. Emjay graduated with a degree in Creative Writing in 2015 after realizing it was the only thing she really wanted to do.

She has a wide and diverse work history in the fields of travel, hotel management, high-tech communications, web development, real estate, and the nonprofit health care industry where she has held positions such as travel agent, hotel concierge, web programmer, Realtor, account manager, and many, many others, giving her a varied and unique set of experiences that she draws upon in her stories and characters.

Emjay fell in love with the m/m romance genre after discovering the world of fanfiction several years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her family keeps asking when she’ll write something they can read, but she’s still having too much fun with her boys. Her goal is to broaden the minds of those who might not normally pick up a gay romance because it’s more about the person than the sexuality. She’ll take you on a roller-coaster journey, but you’ll always get a happy ending.

Website: http://www.mjhauthor.com/emjayhaze

Twitter: @emjayhaze

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emjayhaze

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14254769.Emjay_Haze

Goodbye January, Hello February. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Goodbye January, Hello February

Okay, doesn’t it seem like we were just doing this? Can it really be February already? January just flew by and here comes, what is for us in this area, the snowiest and coldest month of the year. For us here in the Mid Atlantic states it means the last gasp of winter usually…. our worst winter storms whether they be of ice, cold or snow.

I say that as our outside thermometers sit around 60 degrees and have for the past several days.

But it won’t last. It never does. Winter isn’t over and will be back with a bang next week because that’s what February does. It reminds us that Winter is still with us, even though we are steadily adding minutes of light to each day….something that I love. Come on, you Spring Equinox! Even February’s coldest winds can’t scare my glimpses of Spring away!

Winter Story List Challenge!

So last week we offered up the Winter List Challenge! We asked What’s your Most Memorable Winter Stories? From now until the end of the month, get in your recommendations! We will pick a winner or two to receive a gift card of $10. Make sure you include your name and email address where you can be reached. So bring on the Brrrrrs and the Winter Recommendations! Contest ends January 28 at mid.

Now about those wonderful lists from our readers, here’s the recommendations we’ve received so far. Remember you have until midnight tonight. Winner or winners announced next week:

📚From Jen:

Here are some of my most memorable winter stories:
North Pole City Tales series by Charlie Cochet
The Mystery of Nevermore by C.S. Poe
Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton
Blame It on the Mistletoe by Eli Easton
A Family for Christmas by Jay Northcote
The Winter Spirit by Indra Vaughn
The Avona Tales series by Raine O’Tierney
Color of You by C.S. Poe
Third Solstice by Harper Fox

📚From Purple Reader:

It’s sometimes hard for me to recall whether even good stories were primarily set in winter, but a few do come immediately to mind. I agree with Jen about C.S. Poe’s Color of You and Nevermore. Here are two more:
– Enemy Within by Tal Bauer – a thrilling conclusion to his Exec Office trilogy that travelled via sub above the Arctic Circle in Russia. And he had a number of hot couples I wouldn’t have minded snuggling up to for warmth.
– Foxes by Suki Fleet – moving YA story, and she vividly captures the cold that homeless kids have to survive in.

📚From Ami:

I have sucky memories so I can only remember the latest gorgeous winter story that I read: A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson.

📚From H.B.:

I didn’t have many winter reads this year but of the ones I did read these were my most memorable:

Sometimes the Best Presents Can’t Be Wrapped by B.G. Thomas
A Very Henry Christmas by N.R. Walker
Honey and Heat by Rian Durant
Something Permanent by Roan Parrish
Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton
A Christmas Kiss by Annabelle Jacobs

📚From Moondrawn:

Some great books listed already. Winter (and Christmas) are inescapable if you read any Josh Lanyon–so many to choose from: Winter Kill, Icecapade (this one is a New Years, new chances story), So This Is Christmas, Baby It’s Cold and many more.
Minnesota Christmas series by Heidi Cullinan
Deefur Dog and then Deefur Dog and the Great Mistletoe Incident (winter weather is the heart breaker here), Love Happens Anyway, and Snow In Montana by R.J. Scott.
Mountain series by P.D. Singer (although the first one is about fire fighting, the rest are about skiing)
Something Like Winter by Jay Bell
A Reason to Believe by Diana Copland.
In The Middle Of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
Something to Believe in by Sloan Parker

Of course February is the month of Valentine’s Day celebrations so you know what stories we will be asking for next…that’s right! Valentine’s Day stories or lacking that…your most romantic story of all! Yes! That hearts of hearts story! That “wild thing, you make my heart sing, you make everything groovy” story! Or whatever floats your boat! So get those recs ready for next week and the week after!

Now onto this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 28:

Goodbye January, Hello February
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, January 29:

BLITZ Ibuki by Kathryn Sommerlot
BLITZ Sweethearts by Gemma Gilmore
Review Tour – Marshall Thornton’s Hidden Treasures
A Stella Review: When It’s Time (Go Your Own Way #3) by Zane Riley
A MelanieM Review: Hidden Treasures (A Pinx Video Mystery #2) by Marshall Thornton
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Wet Heat by RD Hero and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Tuesday, January 30:

RIPTIDE TOUR Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge
DSP Guest Post Emjay Haze on Home is Where Your Are
An Ali Release Day Review:When the Devil Wants In by Cate Ashwood and JH Knight
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Hurricane Reese by R.L. Merrill
A Lila Review: A Boyfriend for the Weekend by Caitlin Ricci

Wednesday, January 31:

Review Tour – Meg Harding’s Contour
BLITZ Dantes Unglued by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
Review Tour – Garrett Leigh’s Dream (Skins #1)
A Stella Review: Contour by Meg Hardin
An Alsa Review: Spanking the Boss by Hunter Frost
A Jeri Review : Dream (Skins #1) by Garrett Leigh

Thursday, February 1:

Color Me In by Riley Hart Release Day Blitz
Retro Review Tour – LA Witt’s For The Living
RIPTIDE TOUR and Giveaway: Scratch Track by Eli Lang
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Color Me In (Last Chance #2) by Riley Hart
A Jeri Review: For The Living by L.A. Witt
An Alisa Review: Pushing Phillip (Common Powers #4) by Lynn Lorenz

Friday, February 2:

TOUR The Calling by MD Neu
Release Blitz – Meredith Russell’s Dead Fall
Release Blitz – Louise Lyons ‘ The Short Stories Collection
A MelanieM Review: Finders Keepers by N.R. Walker
A Free Dreamer Review: Light by Nathan Burgoine
A MelanieM Review: All The World’s An Undead Stage (Offbeat Crimes #6) by Angel Martinez
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Spanking the Boss (An Office Kink Novella – Book #1) by Hunter Frost

Saturday, February 3:

A MelanieM Review: Rook by T. Strange

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Home is Where You Are ( States of Love ) by Emjay Haze

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

For a chance at a future filled with love, he’ll have to face a painful past.

Home is Where You Are ( States of Love ) by Emjay Haze is a sweet friends to lovers romance. It has as a framework one of my favorite subjects, maple sugaring’ and orchards, a subject I actually know quite a bit about as I used to give demonstrations to the public and tap trees myself. So I’m always keen to read stories wrapped around this topic in one way or another.

Here it’s a man, just come to the realization that the relationship he thought he’s been in has been one side all this time and his “roommate” is leaving him. Combine that with a family emergency and it’s time to return home to the farm and town he thought he’d left behind for good.

Haze has Eric returning to the farm and small town he left after high school because of the bullying and more he endured during high school. We later find out what the “and more” entailed and why Eric has stayed away from family and farm. I’ll say parts of this aspect of the story never added up for me, especially the father’s role. And because it felt a little fragmented, so did that event.

Phil, the younger boy, and now a man, waits for Eric at the farm upon Eric’s return. Phil has always had a crush on Eric, one that flares right up when they meet again. They meet and the attraction is hot, even if Eric is a little resentful over the inclusion of Phil into his family.

I wish I could have gotten into the Phil/Eric romance more. I didn’t really feel the spark the author intended me to. Perhaps because it felt more of being talked at…there’s a lot of that here…than actual connecting. Anyhow for me…I was far more invested in the farm’s future than theirs.

Home is Where You Are is but 95 pages and the author has a lot to fit in. If you are just looking for a sweet romance, than this one filled with mapley goodness is one for you. However, if you want more of character development and relationship dynamics, search for a longer story that’s able to go into the depths this one is not given the length.

Haze did a great job with the maple sugaring element . Kudos!

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht. Love the cover with all the sugar maples and the character of Phil on the cover. Great job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 95 pages
Published January 26th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640800908
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series States of Love Vermont

Sean Michael on Writing, Romances and his release ‘Bases Loaded (Going for the Gold) (guest blog)

Bases Loaded (Going for the Gold) by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Release Date: January 18, 2018

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael back today to talk about his release Bases Loaded. Welcome, Sean!

⚾️

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

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

Both yes and no. My absolute favorite genre has always been sci-fi, which I don’t write very much of. But I also read a lot of fantasy, contemporary, and when I was in university, Harlequins were the way to get out of my head and out of the heavy reading before going to bed at night. So yes, those genres do match what I write.

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?

When my characters hurt, I hurt. I hate those parts, so I tend to write very quickly while I’m doing those sections – to get to the happy parts quicker.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

Absolutely. There’s enough sadness in the world and I want my happy endings.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

Yes. See above for Harlequins being my escape reading during university.

Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

Not necessarily can’t become a love interest, but definitely will become less of a character and more of a caricature. And if a characters faults aren’t balanced by good points, too, they’re going to become far less interesting to the reader, let alone a love interest.

What’s the wildest scene you’ve imagined and did it make it into a story?

No doubt ‘milking the prostate’ which was indeed written into one of the Briar Rose books.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

I’d love a little cottage by the ocean (North Atlantic because I prefer it cold). The sound of the waves soothes my soul. And of course there wouldn’t be a lot of people around because writing happens best for me when the house is quiet and empty.

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To wide our knowledge? Why do you write?

I write because I have to. If I go too long without writing I get twitchy. And I write what I write because everyone deserves love and a happy ending. I write to make myself and my readers happy.

What’s next for you as a writer?

There are always new characters to play with and deadlines to make me focus!

Sean Michael

Smut fixes everything

Blurb:

Can they survive the off-season and keep from striking out?

Baseball player Brett must get rehabilitation for his shoulder if he wants another season in the Major League. He and his partner, Benj, take off to the boonies to stay with physical therapist Ralph, a tough-talking, routine-setting guy, and Jean, Ralph’s Cajun lover, who cooks as well as he loves.

Brett and Ralph butt heads from the beginning. Ralph wants Brett to be more in touch with his feelings; Brett wants Ralph to give him his therapy and leave him alone. Benj and Jean get along far better, with Jean showing Benj around the kitchen and reassuring him when things with Brett get strained.

Before Ralph can even begin to work on Brett’s shoulder, though, Brett faces an even more difficult physical challenge, one that does more than threaten his career. He and Benj have to work through some tough issues, making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives together. Their gradual friendship with Ralph and Jean helps them through the bad times, but even that might not be enough to pull them through.

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:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

TWITTER: seanmichael09

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/seanmichaelpics/

Deanna Wadsworth on Characters, Research, and her new story ‘La Famiglia (A Men of Gilead Novel)’ (author interview)

La Famiglia (Men of Gilead #2) by Deanna Wadsworth
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art: Anne Cain

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Kobo | Google Play

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Deanna Wadsworth

How much of yourself goes into a character?

A whole lot, for sure LOL. There is a bit of me in every hero I write as well as the side characters. But many are just conjured characters I base off my well rounded knowledge of people. Being a nail technician/hairdresser, my day job is a lot like being a therapist some days. I’ve had over 23 years of intimate glimpses into the personal lives of soooo many different types of people. Clients tell me their problems, wildest stories, things they’ve never told anyone! Sprinkling in my own personal experiences and a healthy dose of imagination, I can create unique yet very believable characters, faults and all.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

Everyone and everything in my life is fair game, as far as I see it. Have I ever used a real person 100% in a book? Sure, at the start of a book maybe, or a character is based off someone I know. But my characters end up taking on a life of their own. Only once did I write a revenge character LOL—a real jerk I know—inspiring me to make the quote “Don’t piss me off or I’ll put you in a book and make everyone hate you like Voldemort, LOL.”

In La Famiglia, I used the personal experiences of a dear friend who was born deaf and has a CI (cochlear implant). Some of Kyle’s story and experiences I borrowed from her, but it was also a lot of research. Knowing her made it easier for me to make Kyle feel real.

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

Oh yes, always. I enjoy all genres and have books in every one but sci-fi (for now lol) and writing even a contemporary in the fictional town of Gilead—which is based on my hometown—I still need to do research. I haven’t dabbled in historical much lately because I don’t have the time for all the research on the eras I want to write in.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

For Sure! I read historical romance, horror, westerns, and fantasy and sci fi. When I started to write, I began with a high fantasy concept, but kept making it romantic so I thought I would never be published. Then a friend introduced me to paranormal romance and it was like a whole new world of possibilities had opened for me. I discovered that romance had so many sub genres and I knew it was what I wanted to write.

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?

Yes, which is why the third book in my Grim Life series I write for Harmony Ink Press as under the penname KD Worth still isn’t finished. It’s a story of grim reapers working for God. There is such a heavy death and after life theme it can depress me a bit when I have to tackle certain scenes

Blurb

Forrester Giordano comes from a huge, nosy Italian family, and with their homophobic jokes and slurs, he’s decided to stay in the closet. He finds respite in his bookstore in the quaint village of Gilead—where he has a huge crush on one of his customers, Kyle Benson.

Kyle is determined to live his dreams, and though life isn’t easy being deaf, one by one he’s making them come true. He’s scored a great job practicing law, bought a cute bungalow where he can finally have a big flower garden, and he has a dog he loves, Jasper. Now he just needs one thing to complete his happiness: a family of his own to make up for the one he never had.

Forrester and Kyle’s relationship starts off hot and heavy, and neither man can deny the depth of their connection. When Forrester’s little brother gets mixed up with their heroin-dealing cousin and his mother falls ill, Forrester has a decision to make—maybe the hardest of his life. For the first time, he’s found a man worth coming out for.

Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.

Excerpt

“So, Forrester.” Kyle said his name in a way that never ceased to send shockwaves down his back and straight to his cock. “How does one go about trading in books around here?”

Forrester pressed his groin closer to the back of the checkout counter, not wanting his thin khakis to reveal what Kyle’s voice did to him. He knew it wasn’t an accent anymore, but the soft way Kyle spoke lured him in like a siren’s song.

Since no one else waited to check out, Forrester took a moment to soak in those gorgeous hazel eyes, then smiled impishly. “First you have to bring them in.”

“That would be helpful.” Kyle’s generous mouth cracked a grin.

He tried his damnedest not to picture those downright kissable lips wrapped around his cock while he ran his fingers through Kyle’s sun-streaked hair.

He’d always had a thing for blonds.

He plucked up one of the flyers from the counter. Somehow he managed to sound professional, educated even, when he handed it over. “Our policy is we only take gently used books.”

“Mine are in great shape.”

“I bet they are,” Forrester drawled.

“They’re like new,” he insisted. “No folded corners, never dropped one in a tub either.”

“Good to hear. I hate it when people ruin a good book.” Dammit, now I’m picturing Kyle in a bathtub!

“Me too.” Kyle folded the flyer and tucked it into his pocket.

“For every book you trade in, we give 15 percent off the purchase of a new book or 25 percent off a used one. And for every three books, you get a free used book or half off a new one.”

Kyle flashed those pearly whites, making his eyes crinkle and his dimples deepen so much Forrester longed to flick his tongue inside them. “Guess I got some free books coming.”

“I guess you do,” he quipped. “Do you want to buy these today or wait till you do the trade?”

Kyle withdrew his card. “Nah, I’ll buy them now. I’ve been dying to see what happens since you got me hooked on this series. And Scott already signed this one.”

Forrester offered him a sideways smile. “I’ll just give you 15 percent off on good faith.”

“Gosh, you don’t have to do that.”

Good Lord, the guy said gosh. Could he be more adorable?

When Forrester noticed Holly watching them, he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. Instead, he shrugged off Kyle’s modesty and entered the discount into his computer. “No problem. Just make sure you bring me some good stuff, capisci?”

“Will do. Thanks a lot.”

Forrester swiped his card, then offered Kyle another inviting smile. The one Ma called his suck-up smile. “Can I get you anything else? Answer any more of your questions?”

Kyle kept smiling. “No. You’ve been pretty thorough, as usual.”

“You sure?” he prompted, unable to stop flirting so shamelessly. “You don’t need to know anything else? What’s on the bestseller list? Today’s weather? The meaning of life?”

“Forty-two.”

Official report: Forrester was in love with Kyle Benson.

Or at least in serious lust.

His grin widened so big he swore his face might crack. “A Hitchhiker fan. I should’ve known.” He tore off the receipt and slid it forward for Kyle to sign.

“Hells yeah.” Kyle laughed.

Forrester bagged the books. “Receipt with you or in the bag?”

“Bag’s fine.” He accepted his purchases, then cleared his throat and fiddled with the bag. “All right, um, thank you, Forrester. Always a pleasure.” He extended a hand and Forrester took it, electric jolts running through his blood at the feel of those lightly calloused fingers.

“No problem,” he managed, not letting go.

Kyle kept his gaze locked on Forrester, blinking and glancing from his eyes to his mouth. Warming, Forrester ran his thumb across the back of his hand. He couldn’t believe his forwardness, but Kyle had some kind of tractor beam sucking him in. Powerless against its pull, he stroked the soft skin once more with a nervous, light touch, pulses of heat and desire stirring inside him.

Forrester let go and cleared his throat. “Um, Kyle?”

“Yeah?”

The phone rang, shattering the moment.

Sighing, he snagged it on the third ring. “Thank you for calling A Novel Idea. This is Forrester, how may I help you?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

Only real friends or family could answer a phone with an “it’s me.” Lucas Beale was the former. Though totally weird, and he hated sports of all kinds, Lucas was Forrester’s “boy best friend”—Holly having the honor of being his “girl best friend.” He didn’t know what he would do without either of them.

“Hey, Lucas, what’s up?” He tried not to sound annoyed at the telephone cockblock.

Kyle waved goodbye. “I guess I’ll see ya later, Forrester.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Can’t wait for what?” Lucas asked in confusion.

He covered the receiver, hoping he didn’t sound lame to Kyle. “I mean… uh, I can’t wait to read that book together?” His entire body froze in one breath of anticipation.

Kyle cocked his head to the side, then smiled. “Absolutely.”

Still grinning, Kyle turned and walked away.

Ignoring Lucas as he started talking again, Forrester watched Kyle’s spectacular ass as he headed to the door. A woman was coming in and, like a perfect gentleman, Kyle held the door for her. Outside, Kyle slid on and strapped his helmet. Then he threw his leg over and straddled the chrome-and-black Sportster parked out front.

I got something he can straddle and ride…. Forrester’s skin flushed all the way to his toes. Was Kyle a top or a bottom? Being versatile, he really didn’t care. As long as there was manly skin touching his, lots of kissing, and he got to come, Forrester was a happy camper. But the prospect of finding out what Kyle liked made his entire body warm.

He watched Kyle put his bike into gear and walk it back out of the space. As it did every time Kyle left, a deep ache settled in his stomach.

God, I just need to marry him.

About the Author

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions for different RWA chapters, including President of the Rainbow Romance Writers in 2017. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. An avid reader, she also loves gardening, cooking, music, and dancing. Often she can be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Website │Facebook │ Twitter │Pinterest │goodreads │Amazon │Instagram │ BookBub

You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth Facebook │Twitter

Buy Deanna’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Decadent Publishing or at any reputable eBook seller like Amazon

A MelanieM Release Day Review: La Famiglia (The Men of Gilead # 2 ) by Deanna Wadsworth

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

A Men of Gilead Novel

Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.

I’m just in love with this series and the town by the river, Gilead. After my first introduction,The Rhubarb Patch (Men of Gilead, #1, where we met author Scott Howe and organic farmer Phineas Robertson, I was enamored of place and men. That holds true the second time around. Such a quirky place this Gilead! You never know what you will find there. In this case a huge population of Italians everywhere all coming from one foundation family…that would be the Giordano clan. Home to one Forrester Giordano, also known as Frankie to his huge, extended, and incredibly boisterous Italian family.

Forrester is the odd family member. He left for college away from the family, only managing an escape for a short time until tragedy pulled him back. Now he’s opened the bookstore of his dreams in Gilead, pouring all of himself into it, leaving little of nothing else, except what his family expects him to give to them. The demands on him are huge, and the pressures have kept Forrester firmly in the closet. With Wadsworth’s writing, you absolutely feel for poor Forrester. On one hand he loves his family, and fears losing them if he comes out. One the other? He so wants to be known for himself…Forrester and not the Frankie they call him. He’s an easy character to connect with.

Then Kyle Benson comes into his bookstore and life. Kyle and Jasper really, his Boston terrier. Kyle is deaf and has a profound hurt hiding in his background. It makes trusting people, even when he wants to, close to impossible. But something about Forrester makes Kyle want to try.

Two men, full of complications, past histories, and in one case, pain, find an immediate connection but then have to figure out if they can have more. Because that’s the difficult and adult part. Sex is easy (mostly) but a relationship and HEA? Well, that’s the tricky part as Kyle and Forrester work to navigate not only Forrester’s family dynamics but Kyle’s history.

Deanna Wadsworth did an incredible job with so many elements here. Of particular note is the portrayal of Kyle as a deaf person and how it feels growing up deaf in an audible world, complete with communicating and those in the deaf culture who believe that Kyle’s use of a hearing aid is a betrayal. It rings true and hits hard. Also feeling authentic is the large Italian family and its dynamics that flow around Forrester at all times. Warm, frustrating, loving…and believable.

This is an amazing story in a series that just shines. Take a trip to Gilead today, you can start here or backtrack to the first story and then head here where the first characters make an appearance as well. Now I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Cover art by Anne Cain is gorgeous, just like the first.

Book Details:

ebook, 324 pages
Expected publication: January 23rd 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640800700
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Men of Gilead #2

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Dragon’s Hoard by M.A. Church and Narrator: Dorian Bane

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

To be loved by a dragon is to be treasured.

A hundred years ago, werewolf Alpha Montgomery took a risk driven by desperation—he borrowed money from the ancient dragon Warwick Ehecatl, putting up the pack lands as collateral. Now the debt is due, and dragons don’t forget—or forgive. Warwick demands Montgomery’s son, Avery, and three businesses as compensation. As an Omega, Avery knows he is basically useless to his pack, so he might as well agree. He soon has second thoughts, though. Warwick is fearsome, and he’s free to do as he likes with Avery.

Warwick knows his race’s reputation, and he even admits some of it is deserved. But he’d rather cut off his tail than let his innocent mate’s light go out. It won’t be easy, but buried deep, there’s something between them worth safeguarding.

I really enjoyed this story. Though the circumstances weren’t great for getting Warwick and Avery together you never know if they would have ever really met in any other way. Dragon’s don’t normally mate so Warwick doesn’t understand his insistence that Avery is theirs but he isn’t going to fight what he feels.

First off, Avery’s father was an idiot if he thought he would be able to get away without paying back his debt. I loved Avery’s innocence but also that he didn’t let other preconceived notions keep him from being who he wanted and Warwick did a wonderful job showing him that he didn’t see him like those in his pack did. It took a little for Warwick to open up but form the beginning he wanted to do what was right for Avery and treat him well. While there were times when points were made multiple times, which usually is one of my biggest pet peeves, I really liked this story.

Dorian Bane did a wonderful job narrating this story. I was able to connect with the characters well and feel their emotions in his reading as he used different voices for the characters. His voice changes so much you really get to see the differences with the characters. He also portrayed the haughty attitudes of many of the characters well.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson is very nice and gives a nice visual of Warwick.

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 6 hrs 54 min

Published: December 12, 2017 (ebook first published February 27, 2017) by Dreamspinner Press

Edition Language: English

Series: Dreamspun Beyon

Release Tour for: La Famiglia (A Men of Gilead Novel) by Deanna Wadsworth (excerpt)

Title: La Famiglia

Series: A Men of Gilead Novel

Author: Deanna Wadsworth

Genre: M/M Romance Novel (standalone)

Release Date: January 23, 2018

I’m really excited about all the positive feedback I’ve gotten so far about two of my favorite heroes I’ve written, Forrester and Kyle from LA FAMIGLIA, the second official Men of Gilead book. My holiday advent story WELCOME HOME, SOLDIER also takes place in my Ohio small town of Gilead, if you’d like to catch all of the books so far.

Forrester and Kyle have been in my head for a long time, and they have been through many unfinished versions and rewrites. When I finally realized that Kyle was deaf (all the clues had been there for me but I wasn’t seeing them) the story just fell together so very quickly. I brought along an excerpt to share of the way they flirt before their first date.

Enjoy!

Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.

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