Love Wolf Shifters? A.F. Henley is Here Talking Wolf, en Garde (Wolf #2) (guest post, special teaser and giveaway)

Wolf, en Garde (Wolf #2) by A.F. Henley
Less Than Three Press
Release Date May 17

Cover Artist: Raphael (website https://boysininkandcolour.com/ )

Pre Purchase/Buy Link/Read a Full Excerpt Here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is thrilled to have A.F.Henley here to talk about the sequel to Wolf. Welcome, A.F., tell us more about Wolf, en Garde and what we can expect from this amazing series.

***********

So, here we are again! I’m crazy excited to be joining you here on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words to introduce (or, in some cases reintroduce) the characters and places of my newest release, Wolf en Garde. For those who joined me months ago with the Wolf, WY tour: welcome back; I’ve missed you! For those who are meeting the friends and villains of Wolf for the first time—hello, it’s great to meet you!

I’ve said it before, but I’ve never been a series writer. When I wrote “The End” I meant it. I left the characters with their HEA or HFN, and that was that: farewell, amen, good luck. However, with Wolf, WY there was an entire story brewing underneath the romance of Randy and Vaughn. I could see it trying to bubble up through the rest of the words and it intrigued me to no end. Had it been just a case of, “Okay, but what happened to Lyle? Or Isaac or Hannah?” I probably wouldn’t have bothered. Not because I didn’t care, but simply because there are a million stories in the naked city (or however that goes) and my head always seems to be swimming with them. Wolf had something it wanted to say to me, to you, and it wasn’t about to let me stop.

And here with are… with Lyle’s story, and the next “chapter” of the Wolf series.

I’d like to take you on a bit of a journey with this blog tour; give you a chance to meet the new characters and to shake hands with the ones you already know, explain the settings and the locations, and hopefully pique your interest in the “what comes next” of the Wolf series with some tiny teasers from the novel. But I won’t ask you to hop on board without a thank you for showing up. Follow through to the end of the post to learn how you could win your very own signed, print copy of Wolf en Garde, a sterling silver (nickel and lead-free) Howling Wolf Bangle, and a $20 gift certificate to the Less Than Three Press book market. After all, your time is valuable, and I can’t thank you enough for being here.

But first, the teaser. And what better way to start than with our main character: Lyle O’Connell. When we met Lyle, he was a young man going through the kind of change that we’ve all experienced but with a whole heck of a lot of extra… uh… fun?… thrown in for good measure. Let’s hope it made him a better man…

Tiny Teaser: Introducing – Lyle O’Connell

For all the times Lyle had ever included the words “teeming with” in a thought or statement—which, when he considered it, were actually few and far between—none had been as accurate as his thought that the airport was teeming with people. From the smallest shrieking infant to the tallest ear-budded man, from the casual vacationer in their comfy travel clothes to the business people in their suits and skirts, every shape, size and ethnicity was represented. It was the largest, loudest, most chaotic group of people that Lyle had ever been part of in his life. And it was fucking amazing.

He’d felt the buzz of the terminal before he’d been halfway across the jet bridge that brought him from the small plane that had carried him, his father, his siblings, and Randy, his father’s—partner, Lyle thought, and instantly diminished the word to friend—from the airport in Casper to their current stop in Denver. They wouldn’t be there for long, a mere hour before they’d step back onto a (hopefully) much bigger plane and finish their journey up to D.C., and Lyle intended to enjoy every single second of it. The smells were intense and copious: hormones heavy with fear, anxiety, grief, and excitement; fast food, restaurant food, alcohol; cologne over sweat and perfume over fabric softeners. If he could have done it without consequence, Lyle would have forced himself into a shift right then and there. The thought of experiencing all those scents with a nose more educated than the one he wore at that moment was almost too seductive.

His father wasn’t doing quite so well, which meant that, through proximity alone, neither was Randy. That fact was more amusing than it probably should have been, though Lyle was doing his best not to let his amusement show. His father, Vaughn, wouldn’t be impressed in the least if Lyle made those feelings obvious. Respect and subservience to the normal majority of their world was not just expected, it was insisted upon—to the point that when Lyle had wandered a little too deep into instinctual territory over dominating those around him, Lyle had been shipped off and brainwashed by the fucking committee until he’d sworn up and down that he was wrong and was going to live within their rules. It had been a bullshit season for Lyle, that winter and early spring he’d spent in the clutches of the GDBCG (the Genetics Development and Biological Connectivity Group, who worked for the Committee with respect to research and rehabilitation), and Lyle had no intention of ending back there. Besides, the next time it might not just be a few months of parroting back rules and expectations. Next time, they just might decide Lyle wasn’t worth the effort and put a bullet in his head. They could do it, too. Without anybody ever lifting an eyebrow over what had happened.

Wolf, en Garde Excerpt
© AF Henley, 2016

Wolf Animation GIF Header

Blurb

Wolf, en Garde

Three years ago Lyle made a mistake that cost him his freedom, and almost his life. Now, sick to death of watching his father love the man that Lyle wanted, Lyle accepts an offer to leave Wolf, WY behind and see what life in Washington, D.C. can do for him instead.

When Lyle comes across a seductive, attractive stranger with a fascinating yet terrifying view of humanity, he’s more than intrigued. It doesn’t take Lyle long to realize that Arius isn’t just playing games, though, and when Lyle runs across a secret in Arius’ lair he has no choice but to flee, even knowing his actions will enrage Arius.

On the run, with only a psychic’s second sight and his own instinct to help him, Lyle has nowhere to go but home. The only question is, will they have him when he shows up.

Genre: Gay, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Notes: Wolf, WY contains some explicit and violent content
Book 2 in the Wolf series

Purchasing Link above – save 15% by preordering your copy today! Discount available until May 17th

The Giveaway

On behalf of the tour, please join the giveaway by taking part in the Rafflecopter below. The prize consists of a sterling silver (nickel and lead-free) Howling Wolf charm bangle, a $20 Gift Certificate to the Less Than Three Press book market (free books!), and a signed, print copy of Wolf, WY.

For all the terms and conditions, please check out the t’s and c’s posted on the Rafflecopter.

** Please note that this giveaway is being offered tour-wide and there will be one winner awarded for the entire event.

Wolf en Garde Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

As always, my heartfelt thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me today. It is an honour and a pleasure to be back and I can’t stress enough that authors like myself could never pull it off without sites like yours.

And a huge thanks to you, my friends, for reading and joining me. Best of luck with the giveaway and I hope you enjoyed the post!

Until next time,

AF Henley ❤

About the Author

Henley was born with a full-blown passion for run-on sentences, a zealous indulgence in all words descriptive, and the endearing tendency to overuse punctuation. Since the early years Henley has been an enthusiastic writer, from the first few I-love-my-dog stories to the current leap into erotica.

A self-professed Google genius, Henley lives for the hours spent digging through the Internet for ‘research purposes’ which, more often than not, lead seven thousand miles away from first intentions but bring Henley to new discoveries and ideas that, once seeded, tend to flourish.

Henley has been proudly publishing with Less Than Three Press since 2012.

For more information, please stop by for a visit at afhenley.com.

A VVivacious Review: Ocean of Secrets by Jerry Sacher

Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5

Andrew Elliot finds himself caught in an unwilling engagement which is bound to get him trapped in a disappointing marriage.

Mathew Ahearn, lost after his parents’ deaths, finds himself desperate for a new start in his life.

These two men from very different strata of society find themselves together on a journey from Southampton to New York aboard the RMS Titanic.

The blurb of this book is what really had me interested in this story. Because once you reveal that the MCs are aboard the Titanic there is just something tragic that attaches itself to the storyline.

This book had a certain novelty attached to it seeing as this is the first story I have ever read about the Titanic which is kind of what drove me to start and finish reading this story. But it should also tell you something else and i.e. the fact that the Titanic is the hero of this story. Because almost all the things I liked about this book are somehow related to the Titanic. Also more than following the journey of the characters we are also following the journey of this ship right from where it was created in Belfast, Ireland to its maiden voyage from Southampton which it never got to complete.

The plot and writing in this book are not very nuanced. Things are pretty plain from the starting; nothing really catches you with surprise. I guessed all the turning points of this book before they happened, which on one hand means that the events of this story lend themselves to future events but on the other hand with things being so forthright it is hard to find the story very interesting.

Andrew was quite irritating probably because all the time he spent on the Titanic not in company of Mathew he was either trying to get away from his current engagement or was being reprimanded to pay attention on the now and here seeing as he was so lost in his thoughts. Which yeah is okay the first few times but by the tenth time you start wondering if the guy ever really pays attention. Also his storyline was a little too transparent from the beginning.

Mathew is a twenty year old lad who finds himself in a difficult position but he just wants to get away and start a new life far away from everything he has ever known. Mathew’s story was actually interesting but his story pretty much wraps up in the first few chapters and later on the plot focuses more on Andrew. Personally I would have liked to have read more about Mathew’s time as a steward aboard the Titanic.

Overall what really lets this story down is the fact that the love story between these two characters is a little too unbelievable. I mean if they had probably spent a little more time together before they were professing their love for each other, it would have made their love a lot more believable. The plausibility of their love story is a bit hard to swallow literally because these two go from catching glimpses of each other to talking for 2-3 minutes at a time to making love and this all happens in the span of five days.

Also another thing I found a bit unbelievable was the number of people who were okay with Andrew’s homosexuality, I mean personally I would have expected more caution and disgust if just for appearance sake back in the 1912.

I guess if I had to summarize I would say the Titanic is the clear hero of the story and dominates the story line. Everything else feels and probably is secondary to the legend that is the Titanic. Personally as a love story this book sorely lacked development even though I liked how the story ended.

Cover Art by Bree Archer. I loved the cover of this book, it is really pretty.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Published April 18th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN 1634768221 (ISBN13: 9781634768221)

Edition Language English

Jerry Sacher on the Titanic and the Inspiration Behind ‘Ocean of Secrets’ ( author guest blog )

Ocean of Secrets by Jerry Sacher
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art by Bree Archer

Purchase Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

*******

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Jerry Sacher here today to talk about Jerry’s latest novel, Ocean of Secrets. Welcome, Jerry.

********

My name is Jerry Sacher, and my newest novel, Ocean of Secrets, releases on Friday, April 29th, 2016.

Andrew Elliot, the son of a Scottish Nobleman, is sent to America accompanied by his fiancé and her brother. But theirs is no love match. Andrew’s family insists that he marries to ‘cure’ him of his feelings for someone else–the son of the caretaker on his father’s estate.

Matthew Ahearn, newly orphaned, dreams of Texas and cowboys. He lands a job as a third class steward on a ship bound for America, and it is there that his and Andrew’s worlds collide. The two men–and their secrets–are brought together, lost in the magic of an ocean voyage, one that will always be remembered.

The year is 1912, and they’re about to board R.M.S Titanic…

The book will be available both on Dreamspinnerpress.com and Amazon.com

Jack and Rose; Edith and Edward of Noel Coward’s Cavalcade of 1933; Lady Marjorie Bellamy on Upstairs Downstairs. What did all of these fictional people have in common? The sinking of the Titanic played a major role in their stories… So why did I choose to write another story about the sinking of the Titanic?

I have been interested in the Titanic since first grade, when I was first able to read a book about the ill-fated liner. The stories of the passengers and crew who were there have always fascinated me. I always wanted to write one of my own, and to tell in my own way a story that, until now, hasn’t been told: the romance between two men with the great ship as the background of their world.

There was known to have been at least one gay couple traveling on the Titanic: a young man in second class named Albert Fynney, who was accompanied by a male companion named William Gaskell. Both of them were the subject of many rumors that had circulated prior to boarding the liner.

A first class passenger, noted artist Frank Millet, wrote to a friend back home from the ship from the last port of call–Queenstown, Ireland–describing “A queer lot of people” and “Plenty of our kind” of people among the passengers. Who could he have been talking about? My antagonist, Andrew, is befriended by Mr. Millet. Could he have met someone like Andrew and written to his friend about him from the ship? It’s possible.

The story begins with Andrew Elliot, the son of a Scottish nobleman, engaged to a woman he doesn’t love, and being sent to America aboard the Titanic, chaperoned by her brother. The hasty match has been arranged by Andrew’s parents in hopes he will get over his feelings for a young man on the family estate, and to keep the family from scandal.

On the Titanic, he meets a young crewman named Matthew, who has secrets of his own. The lives and fates of all of them are thrown together on the night of April 14, 1912. Who will survive?

Here is a short excerpt:

“Come on, jump and I’ll follow you!” He shouted above the rumbling noise that was coming from all around them. Matthew held onto Andrew’s hand for a brief second, squeezing, and each, giving the other silent encouragement. Then Matthew jumped, Andrew watched him hit the water that was now only a few feet below. Andrew took a step off the edge of the deck and leaped. The water was bitterly cold, like a thousand knives being driven into his body. He could barely breathe, but he had to find Matthew. Andrew looked behind him as the lights blinked and went out and the ship towered above him in the darkness. People were jumping, splashing near him, crying out.

He thought he heard someone calling out his name,so he swam toward the sound. He only got a few feet away, when he found himself being showered with pieces of glass, wood, and scraps of metal and sparks; the screech of tortured steel drowned out all other noise, except the voice that persistently called out his name. An arm reached out, grabbing at him and pulling him under, but he somehow managed to break free. He came up next to a collapsible boat with a handful of people inside huddling together and watching the scene unfold in front of them. Andrew hung onto the side of the boat and followed their gaze.

I hope you enjoy reading Ocean of Secrets…

There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages about writing historic fiction. The biggest advantage for me is the research. Since I enjoy history I get to read about a lot of time periods that I had previously known nothing about. Being interested in the Titanic I discovered a couple of things I didn’t really know before. Only the more expensive cabins in first class had a private bathroom/water closet. The rest were shared facilities. There was no fresh water to bathe in, only hot and cold salt water.

In 1912, even though there were telephones, phonographs, and motion pictures, slang phrases or common expressions varied from place to place. Much like today, a word that means one thing in America could have a different meaning in England. So it was difficult not to let modern words or phrases slip in to the dialogue while I was writing Ocean of Secrets.

In writing a story I’m more of a planner. I will first complete a biography of all the main antagonists and protagonists, and then once I’ve given them a back story, than I’ll set up an outline, although the charters will tell their own story once you type in the first sentence.

My favorite characters are Andrew Elliot and Matthew, plus Jeremy Haniver from my first novel: The Saint of San Francisco. I love them and I think I identify with them because all three of them are trying to find their way through life, and they emerged through conflict with confidence that none of them knew they possessed…

A little about me: I currently live in Chicago with my husband, Dean, and our two rambunctious cats, Monty and Nicky. I’ve been actively writing full time for the past six years. I’m interested in Titanic and all periods of history, and I have also published a novel set during the Russian Revolution.

My other works include: The Saint of San Francisco. The Rosary and the Badge. Noble’s Savior, and Fair In Love.

You can follow me on Twitter at @jerrysacher1 and on Facebook on my The Saint of San Francisco page. Keep up with me on my website, JerrySacher.com, for more news about Ocean of Secrets and my other projects.

Thanks,

Jerry Sacher

A BJ Audio Review: The Merchant of Death (Playing the Fool #2) by Lisa Henryand J.A. Rock/Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Merchant of Death audio All’s fair in love and war.

There’s something rotten in the state of Indiana. When con man Henry Page takes it upon himself to investigate the death of an elderly patient at a care facility, he does so in true Shakespearean tradition: dressed as a girl.

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness has more to worry about than Henry’s latest crazy idea. Someone is trying to send him a message—via a corpse with a couple of bullets in it. He needs to figure out who’s trying to set him up before he gets arrested, and he really doesn’t have time for Henry’s shenanigans. Then again, he’d probably be able to focus better if Henry didn’t look so damn distracting in a babydoll dress and a wig.

But when Mac discovers that Henry has been keeping a secret that connects the cases, he has to find a way to live on the right side of the law when he just might be in love with the wrong sort of man.

I enjoyed the second installment of this humorous romantic suspense story much more than the first. While there was still banter and humor, I felt this one had more of well, everything that I love. More romance, more suspense, more depth, and definitely more heat.

Very much enjoyed the mystery/suspense element of the book. Adored the cross-dressing and touch of kink! But it was getting to see the layers of Henry/Sebastian coming to light, getting to meet Viola and learn more of his past and what made him into who he is, that was what I loved. Also was pleased at where this book picked up without a big time gap after the previous one.

The care-home drama/mystery leads seamlessly into the next twist. And while we do have another cliffhanger, but this one didn’t actually rub the wrong way as much as the first. Perhaps that was due to the fact that it wasn’t accompanied by cock-blocking—or perhaps it was just that I liked those last several lines quite a lot.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was once again spot on and captivating. The character voices were distinct and well done. Definitely a case where the narration adds an extra layer to the experience of the story.

The brightly contrasting simple cover design works perfectly, and it’s refreshing not having a couple of guys or naked torsos on the cover.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Audible, Amazon, iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 6 pages, 5 hrs 29 mins
Published March 15th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published January 31st 2015)
ASINB01CYN3RAU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #2 settingIndiana (United States

Its Space Operas and Love for Christine d’Abo with No Quarter (Bounty #1) (guest post,excerpt and giveaway)

No Quarter (Bounty #1) by Christine d’Abo
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by Lou Harper

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

❊❊❊❊❊

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Christine d’Abo here today to share her thoughts about her latest release, No Quarter and her love of science fiction. Welcome, Christine!

❊❊❊❊❊

Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo! Thank you so much for having me here on the blog today. I have been a big fan of all things science fiction since I was six. I started by watching reruns of the original Star Trek, moved on to watching (and re watching) Star Wars, and finally I was introduced to the world of Doctor Who.

My world exploded, expanded and I loved it all. The idea of space operas, and how they focus on the people and their developments, rather than the science was what appealed even at that young an age. The adventure, the romance, good versus evil, showed me that there could be more to live that what existed in my tiny world.

As I got older and my life experiences grew, I never lost that love of space opera. One thing that I wanted to do was to put my own mark on it, to show a different side to the worlds that had been portrayed. The Bounty series was my way of doing that. Not everyone in the universe is straight, and it’s important to show diversity out amongst the stars as well as here on Earth.

The men and women you’ll meet – both space pirates and bounty hunters alike – are full of life, love and are most definitely up to no good. I hope you enjoy reading their tales as much as I loved writing them.

If you would like to learn more about me, please pay a visit to my website http://www.christinedabo.com. I’m also very active on Twitter as @Christine_dAbo and have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to sign up, simply click here to fill out the form.

About No Quarter

When bounty hunter Gar Stitt is given a simple locate-and-retrieve mission, he’s convinced it’s a waste of his skills. His success rate is legendary, after all, and Captain Faolan Wolf isn’t hard to find. He’s the most notorious pirate in the galaxy, and when he shows up planetside to take his pleasures, he’s far from subtle.

Faolan never expected a hot but tightly wound hunter to walk into his private party and try to apprehend him single-handedly. And when an unexpected betrayal forces them to work together, Faolan’s even more surprised to find himself drawn to Gar personally—especially since neither of them do personal.

Gar had intended to put Faolan in prison. Instead he finds his solitary existence shaken by his desire for the pirate. And when the bounty hunter becomes the hunted, he must put his faith in Faolan and his pirate crew, or run the risk of ending up dead.

Publisher’s note: This title is an edited second edition, previously published in 2010.

About Christine d’Abo

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Connect with Christine:

Website: christinedabo.com
Blog: christinedabo.blogspot.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorChristinedAbo
Twitter: @Christine_dAbo
Tumblr: christinedabo.tumblr.com
Pintrest: pintrest.com/christinedabo
Goodreads: goodreads.com/christine_d_abo

NoQuarter_TourBanner

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the Bounty series, one lucky person will receive a $50 gift certificate to Riptide. Winner will be selected from across all three book tours (No Quarter, No Remedy, No Master) and as such, the contest is open until midnight, Eastern time, on July 2, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Comment to enter, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Bounty Series

Bounty hunters and pirates may contend for dominance in the vast reaches of interstellar space, but the heart of the conflict always comes down to who you know. Who you hate. Who you love.

Whether the prize is a priceless gem, political gain, the antidote to a rare poison, or a bounty big enough to secure any hunter’s future, the only way for a pirate or a hunter to come out ahead is by building alliances. One system, one planet, one person, one heart at a time. The distance between the stars may be infinite, but love doesn’t care about boundaries.

– See more at: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/series/bounty#sthash.gZbNHJI3.dpuf

Its a Return to The Sunset Club with Beau’s Baby by AC Katt (excerpt and giveaway)

Beau’s Baby (The Sunset Club #4) by AC Katt
Release Date: April 22, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Lex Valentine

Blurb

Jack Romano is a policeman who has just killed in man in the line of duty. As if this wasn’t bad enough, he found out that his bemoaned first love’s wife has died in childbirth and his ex lover killed himself leaving the sickly newborn to Jack. Carlo Del Monte who has been chasing Jack for nine months uses Bella as an opportunity to get Jack in his house as well as his bed. The two of them set up housekeeping with the help of the Soccer team, their partners and Carlo’s big Italian family then tradegy strikes, little Bella gets the measles.

Pages or Words: 50,306 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

Prologue

Four Years Ago

“Beau, get your lazy ass out of bed. I have the afternoon off.” Jack Romano went to the fridge and grabbed a beer and with a smile in his voice he continued, “Unless, of course, that’s where you’d like us to spend our afternoon… Beau? Where are you? Beau?”

Jack walked back to the bedroom of his and Beau’s apartment following the sound of voices. Figuring it was one of the soccer team, Jack walked through the door and glanced around looking for his man. He found him. Beau was fucking Meredith Simmons in their bed.

“I’m sorry that you had to find out like this, Jack. I’ve been trying to tell you, but…” Beau got out of bed and started to dress.

“Tell me what? What is this?” Jack’s voice broke. “This is a mistake. You’re gay. We’ve been together since high school.”

“Meredith, get dressed. We’ll be in the living room. Finish your beer, Jack.”

“No, I don’t want to fucking finish my beer. I want to know what’s going on.”

“It’s pretty straight forward, I’m in love with Meredith and I’m going to marry her.”

“Honey, I’m leaving so you can get this mess straightened out. Don’t let him corrupt you again.” Meredith let herself out, the door closing quietly behind her.

“How long?” Jack asked needing to know.

“Six months, maybe more.”

“But we made love yesterday.”

“We fucked yesterday. Let’s get down to business. Meredith and I would like this apartment so we’d appreciate it if you found somewhere else to live.”

“No fucking way…it’s my name on the lease, and you’re the one who’s leaving.”

“You’ll be sorry you’re doing this. I was planning on seeing you on the side once Meredith and I are married. You know I love you but I can’t get ahead at work being a fag, I need a wife.”

“No, you’re wrong. Gays are accepted everywhere. Please, we can work this out.”

“We can’t. I won’t put my future in jeopardy.”

“You’re gay. You aren’t going to change that.”

“Actually, I’m bi.” Beau came up to put his arms around Jack. “You love me. We’ll talk about all of this when I get back.”

Jack broke Beau’s hold and with tears streaming down his cheeks said, “Get the hell out of my apartment. You can move out tomorrow. I’ll sort out your things tonight.”

“You can’t do that.”

“As I said, my name is on the lease. Get the fuck out. You’re leaving me.”

“Jack, be reasonable, we can be together when I come home from the honeymoon. We’ll have to sneak around but—”

“Do you really think I’m capable of that? Helping you cheat? No, just no.”

“You’ll change your mind when I come home. I’ll be back.”

“Get the fuck out, get out of here, right now.” Jack’s voice broke again.

Beau slammed the door on his way out.

Jack sat down on the sofa that he and Beau picked out for the living room seven months ago, put his head in his hands and wept.

“Beau, Beau, how can I live without you? But I can’t be with you as long as you’re with her.”

***

Bobby and Keith’s House

Thursday in June, Four Years Later

Eight in the Morning

Jack was distraught when he came back to Bobby’s. Carlo was with him.

“They’re not doing anything to you because you shot Billy are they?” Reggie asked obviously worried. Reggie and Mark were staying with Bobby because of the fire.

“No, but any officer-involved shooting requires a hearing. The captain already called it a good shoot. The rest of the procedure is all technicalities…” Jack still had storm clouds over his face.

He and Carlo sat down at the kitchen table and Marla poured them some coffee. Jack appeared dumbstruck.

He finally blurted out, “Meredith died in childbirth three days ago.” Jack’s voice broke. “She had a little girl. Beau killed himself yesterday and left custody of the infant to me in a new will he made after Meredith died. They tried to contact me yesterday, but I was busy with the Billy business. I have to go sign paperwork at Social Services if I accept custody. No one has been there for the baby for three days. Carlo’s going with me to identify Beau at the morgue.”

“Why do you have to identify him?” Bobby was incensed.

“There isn’t anyone else.” Jack’s shoulders shook.

“I have to go see her at the hospital if I accept custody. There is no family. If I don’t take her, she’ll go into the foster system. I have to make up my mind right away.”

“What?” Bobby screeched in anger.

“You heard me. Carlo came to my apartment when he heard about the shooting. He’s going to help me with the legal mess. I’ll take that security job with you, Keith, if the offer is still open. Now that I’m going to have a child, I need steady work that doesn’t require me to place my life on the line.”

“Of course the offer is still open.” Bobby put his arm around Jack. “Are you okay?”

“I haven’t had time to think about it. They’re holding a note for me from Beau at his lawyer’s office.”

“Do you need any baby things? I have Kitty’s things, although they’re not the best quality,” Jason offered.

“I have to get some stuff from their apartment. Meredith probably bought things for the baby. I’ll need to purchase a house. My apartment has only one bedroom.” Jack’s face scrunched up in worry.

“Do you need money?” Reggie asked.

“I don’t know Reg. I promise I’ll let you know.”

“The two bedroom across the street from us is for sale. It’s small, but there is plenty of property if you want to expand later,” Jason said. “Stella is going into Assisted Living.”

“I might be interested. Carlo needs to look at Beau’s finances. I’m going to visit her at the hospital now. They’re keeping her for a while, she’s underweight.”

“How much underweight?” Bobby asked.

“She weighs only three pounds even though she was full term. Although she’s finally breathing on her own and just started sucking the bottle, they told me she can’t go home yet. Meredith wasn’t eating much. She wanted to keep her figure,” Jack said, the disgust plain on his face.

Bobby’s jaw dropped. “What a bitch.”

“Carlo’s coming with me. The Billy mess is cleaned up, now I have one of my own.”

Bobby reached out and touched Jack’s arm. “You don’t have to take her. An infant girl is greatly prized on the adoption market. She’d get a home quickly.”

“I have to keep her. She’s all I have left of Beau. I’ve got to go,” Jack choked on a sob. He left with Carlo and the door closed behind them.

“Goddamn Beau, he’s sabotaging Jack’s relationships from the grave,” Jason cursed.

“It’sclear that he’s not going to change his mind about keeping her. Carlo was doing more than a flyby here. I wonder how he feels about this.” Keith poured more coffee.

“Not you, baby, you’re on medication, remember, Greg said limit your caffeine,” Reggie told Mark. “Have juice with Bobby. He’s on meds too.”

“We’ll all have to help him do this. The little girl is an innocent, she can’t help that her father was a lying, cheating, son of a bitch,” Bobby said eyes moving from Jason to Reggie.

“It isn’t like we haven’t taken care of little girls before, we have Kitty-cat. As far as Carlo is concerned, he was interested. We’ll find out how invested he is now. Let’s see how this all plays out.” Reggie moved to the sofa and sat down in a huff.

Bobby lifted his juice. “A toast to Billy’s fortunate demise. As for Beau, may he rest in peace, if that’s possible for a liar and a cheat whose only good deed was offing himself?”

“Here, here…” They men clinked their coffee cups and glasses.

“We’ll know more about what Jack wants to do once he and Carlo take care of the legalities,” Keith observed.

“I don’t know about you, but to me it looked like Carlo was all in,” Zach noted.

Jason’s face was rife with speculation. “I believe you’re right.”

Buy the book: MLR Press

BannerTemplate

Meet the author:

AC Katt was born in New York City’s Greenwich Village. She remembers sitting at the fountain in Washington Square Park listening to folk music while they passed the hat. At nine, her parents dragged her to New Jersey where she grew up, married and raised four children and became a voracious reader of romantic fiction. At one time she owned over two thousand novels, until she and her husband took themselves and the cat to New Mexico for their health and its great beauty.

Now, most of AC’s books are electronic (although she still keeps six bookcases of hardcovers), so she never has to give away another book. AC is a late bloomer, however, she claims to have found her niche writing LGBT romance.

She hangs out at ACKatt.com and ackattsjournal.com; where she keeps her blog. To get snippets of new releases and Works in Progress subscribe to AC Katt’s Kattery by sending an e-mail to mlhansel@gmail.com.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AC-Katt-62628106022/?fref=ts
Twitter: @ackatt
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ackatt/
Website: www.ackatt.com
Blog: www.ackattsjournal.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Bonkers About Books, Kirsty Loves Books, Happily Ever Chapter,

MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Mikky’s World of Books, Book Lovers 4Ever, Alpha Book Club,

Jessie G. Books, Oh My Shelves, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Velvet Panic,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Open Skye Book Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow,

Outrageous Heroes

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: All four of the Sunset Club series in .PDF format. Must be 18 years of age or older.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A MelanieM Review: Candy Land (Hidden Gem #3) by Lissa Kasey

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

Cameron “Candy” Michelson Jr. doesn’t have time for distractions. He’s too busy restructuring the red-light district into an adult playland for City M and running the Hidden Gem. But when his companion, Avery “Ivy” Laurent, grows closer to Jack, an investigator for the Institute of Scientific Study, Candy can’t hide his jealousy. Nor his own interest in Jack.

Ivy is crazy about Jack, but he’s also in love with Candy. Ideally, Ivy longs for all three of them to be together, but between Jack’s nonexistent libido and Candy’s supercharged needs, Ivy isn’t sure how to make it work.

When Jack gets called in to help the City M police department investigate a series of violently murdered companions, both Candy and Ivy brace for trouble. But nothing prepares them for Candy becoming the prime suspect.

In a future landscape of corrupt government officials, brutal BDSM crimes, and a host of dark creatures, Candy, Ivy, and Jack must work together to find the killer, save themselves—and learn how to trust each other.

The Hidden Gem stories by Lissa Kasey captivated me from the very beginning with her horrifying vision of a world in chemical ruin, its environs toxic and governments reduced down to geographical areas, even cities where populations clustered, clinging to life such as it was. Throughout the populations were AMs, mutants both forced by experimentation and born into their genetic forms naturally by evolution…but all hidden from the citizens due to fear.

In each story, the title refers to a pleasure place. The Hidden Gem, is the top “house” in City M, and Misaki “Aki” Itou is its highest paid and most sought after “companion”. He will find love with detective Shane McNaughton, and their story sets in motion all the action and relationship dynamics to follow. Its a 5 star magnificent ride and I couldn’t figure out how Kasey would top it. But of course, she did with Cardinal Sins (Hidden Gem, #2). Again its the name of a house of pleasure and gambling that the owner of the Hidden Gem finds, renovates and reopens for an unimaginable reason…its amazing tunnels of fish tanks that thread through its halls. Here its the enigmatic Paris Hansworth, former “companion” turned senator and all powerful man who ends up finding the love of his life, Rain, in the most unexpected place. Each story gives a clue through the beautiful covers of Shobana Appavu. Yes, its in the blurb but its doesn’t prepare you for the power of the finding and the story itself.

Again, each book is building towards something more but I had no idea how strongly the author was preparing us for the final story in the trilogy until I came to Candy Land. If I could give a book more than 5 stars I certainly would do so here.

Candy Land picks up the story almost immediately from Cardinal Sins and the three characters, one recently introduced and two we’ve come to know and love in all the other stories. They all seem to be headed for something interesting as far as a matchup together, a triad, if they can communicate and overcome the enormous physical demons they have and plot hurdles ahead of them. Cameron “Candy” Michelson Jr we met in the first book as the best friend of Aki and as high a paid companion as Aki was. Now Candy is running Hidden Gem, has matured and is having trouble finding his way in staying Candy and the boss. Avery “Ivy” Laurent,a psi paid companion at the Hidden Gem, Candy’s love interest is also interested in Frank, a AM who was partnered with Shane back when they were both cops. Yes, circles upon circles of relationship dynamics and it all works. Its important because these Venn diagram relationships are needed when the AM murders and explosive government politics start to intrude upon City M and their lives to the point of horrifying consequences to all.

One of the things I most admired about this story was Kasey’s ability to balance the need to bring the characters maturity along together and apart (especially Candy and Frank) while keep the suspense and deep intrigue mounting on the larger plot level. Candy had to come to understand and accept Frank’s asexuality if their triad was to work, Frank also had to understand Candy’s need for dominance and Ivy’s need for them both. It was a delicate give and take between all three and it works so beautifully here. We get their vulnerability, their strengths, their humor and their pain…in short, we get them as whole viable people. I loved them all and together even better. That’s saying a lot as threesomes usually aren’t my thing. And this one is outstanding.

Even better? The plot! That nail biting, hold on to your seats because you won’t believe what’s coming next plot. I ended up reading whole pages twice because they were so damn good. Had the popcorn going, just hunched over the action, the drama, and the sequences that unfolded on the Kindle before me. It had it all, angst, parts that had me weeping in anger, sadness and then unbelievable joy. Yep, this book is over the moon.

When I got to the end, I was so thrilled, I was stunned with joy. It was everything I had wanted for each and every character. How many times do you say that in a story? Or a trilogy? That you were completely satisfied with how everything worked out? Now would I be happy if Lissa Kasey goes back and give Ono his own HEA? You bet. I think he deserves it after all this. And then there’s that little matter of the boat people. But the main characters? Happy, happy, happy.

So do I recommend this book? Silly question. Of course I do. All of them to be precise. And Lissa Kasey too. I will be picking them all back up and reading them in a row now that I have the trilogy complete to see what I may have missed. Do yourself a favor, grab them all up, do it too. Make yourself some popcorn while you’re at it. You will be there for a wonderful fantasy ride!

Cover art by Shobana Appavu is as outstanding as the book. Each cover a clue as to the major element inside.

Sales Links: Amazon |Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Barnes & Noble

Book Details:

ebook, 274 pages
Published April 25th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634771672 (ISBN13: 9781634771672)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Trilogy: Hidden Gem

Love A Hidden Gem? Candy Land (Hidden Gem#3) by Lissa Kasey is the Amazing Trilogy Finale (excerpt and giveaway)

Candy Land (Hidden Gem#3) by Lissa Kasey
Release Date: April 25, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Shobana Appavu

Blurb

Pages or Words: 100,000 words
Should be read as a series
Categories: BDSM, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage, Paranormal, Romance, Shifters, Urban Fantasy

Excerpt

Candy groaned when he realized he was the most innocent in the dark side of the world of the three of them.

Him innocent. Unbelievable.

Dom, whore, and pimp, he shouldn’t inch at the idea of death and blood, but he did. Fuck. Had Paris known how worthless he was going to be when it came to monsters, gore, and the supernatural shit of the world?

He glanced at Jack, sighing over his natural boy-next-door beauty. His dark blond hair was long, curling around his ears, and somewhat unruly. It looked soft, and Candy longed to run his fingers through it. He’d met more handsome men than Jack, Paris and Shane being prime specimens of men, but something about him drew Candy in deep. His eyes were a soft shade of honey brown, with specks of dark chocolate that glistened if the light hit them just right. He always held himself apart, shoulders squared, head high. Con dent, Candy thought. But every once in a while he’d get a glimpse of something lurking beneath all that bravado—a childlike innocence and fear. It was the little boy hiding his heart behind the badge that made Candy want Jack so bad. He wanted to take that fear away, show him that while the world might not be safe, he wasn’t alone anymore.

Had Ivy even gotten to taste those thick lips? Or experience Jack’s strong arms wrapped around him? Had he chased away the overconfident man and fearful child long enough to see the real Jack? Did Candy have a chance? Should he even care if his death was just around the corner? Fuck. If there was anything he hated it was uncertainty. Whatever Aki saw would happen. Candy had no doubt about that. If he was going to die today or even a year from now, shouldn’t he just live every moment like it was his last? What would Jack do if Candy threw himself at him? Kissed the breath out of him? Asked to be held? Candy growled to himself and shook his head. He didn’t know where to start, but somehow he was sure aggression wouldn’t be welcome.

Jack stayed on his heel while Candy wandered, but seemed to be inspecting the property himself, maybe looking for clues that had been missed by the police. He had this nervous habit of biting his lip when he was deep in thought. Candy had noticed it ages ago, and it drove him nuts. It was an almost boyish cuteness that made Candy want to kiss Jack just to stop him from worrying at his lip, but now he knew it wouldn’t be welcomed and it irritated him. His tight pants bit into his lling cock. It wasn’t fair to be attracted to someone so badly.

He’d looked up the term Ivy had left for him after his last client: asexuality. A lack of emotional interest in sex. There were a dozen divisions within the term, some even sex- or relationship-averse, meaning they were repulsed by sex. Did sex disgust Jack? Was that why he hugged himself whenever he entered the Gem and refused to meet anyone’s eyes? Candy had thought it was just shyness, and maybe it partially was. He just didn’t quite understand. How could someone be physically able to have sex, but not want to? If he asked Jack, would he answer?

Candy sighed to himself and headed up the stairs. Even the stairs were caked in grease and grime. Ivy had lived here for several years, walking those steps in bare feet. Candy didn’t want to see, but he had to get his mind off Jack. The nastiness of the Red Delight client rooms would hopefully wilt his erection. If he’d been home he would have found a spare moment with Ivy to alleviate some tension. Here there was nothing but sticky floors, stained walls, and the stench of years of cigarette smoke.

Jack followed him up the stairs. Neither of them spoke or touched anything. A door at the far end was still marked with the yellow paint used by the police to indicate the crime area. Jack rubbed his nose and grabbed Candy’s arm before either of them could make a step toward that door. “It still smells of death up here. We should go back down. There’s nothing to see, right? You don’t want the actual building, just the land.”

“Ivy is too free with information,” Candy said, somewhat annoyed. How was it fair for Jack to know so much about him when Candy knew almost nothing about Jack?

“He worries about you. Wants to take care of you.” “Funny. I’d say he does the same for you.”

Jack shrugged. “He’s a friend. I thought he was your friend too.”

Candy stepped into Jack’s personal bubble. “I fuck him regularly. We’re more than just friends.”

Jack didn’t step back, nor did he appear to be shocked by Candy’s words, which stole some of Candy’s anger. Ivy had obviously not been dishonest with either of them. Though Candy had never expected him to fully disclose his sex life to Jack. “Why does that matter?” Jack asked finally. “I’m friends with Shane and Aki doesn’t mind. I know they have sex often.”

Did Jack really not know? Maybe he didn’t get that Ivy wanted more than friendship. Hell, Candy would have liked to get to know Jack on a more personal level too, only his hackles were always raised by the man. He had this feeling that Jack would have to be the man of the relationship. The guy in charge, the Dominant, and Goddess knew Candy hated to give up control. Not that he didn’t like occasionally having someone hold him down and pound into him. Fuck, his head was messed up. And why did Jack smell so damn good?

Candy stood close enough that if he leaned forward just a bit he could finally capture Jack’s abused lip. When had he grown tall enough to nearly meet Jack eye to eye? And the strength of Jack’s hand on his arm… Candy knew it could hold him, maybe even be enough to restrain him. He sucked in a deep breath; his cock ached to be touched and leaked in his pants. It made him angry. He was never rational when angry. Paris had been trying for years to teach him to bury that wild emotion and had failed. Candy opened his mouth to say something scathing, only Jack spoke first.

“I never got to thank you for the book,” Jack said. “At least not in person. I’m sure Ivy told you I was grateful. But I really do like it. It’s like owning a piece of history. I’m in awe that you even found it.”

An odd mash of glee filled Candy’s gut. Jack liked the book. He knew that, of course, Ivy had told him so, but it was different hearing it from the man himself. The anger fell away. Did Jack really see him?

“The cake too. That was pretty amazing. I have the rest of it in my freezer. Been eating it a little at a time. Ivy helped me cut it into slices so I could freeze it and unthaw it as I want. I’ve never been a huge fan of sweets, but the lemon and strawberry mix is good. I’ve never had anyone give me anything. Thank you.”

Candy gave in to his need to touch and be touched. Even if it meant Jack shoved him away, he had to step forward, close that space and try. He leaned forward, not daring to kiss Jack, but enough to rest his forehead on Jack’s shoulder, arm loose around his waist. He kept their hips apart so as not to startle Jack with his erection. He almost expected Jack to step back. But he didn’t. His arms circled around Candy’s back, patting his shoulder lightly.

“The new hair color is good,” Jack told him. “Makes me think of flowers. Not that you’re flowery, but I’m sort of hoping spring comes soon. I don’t like the cold very much.” He seemed to be rambling now. Breathing a little hitched. Candy couldn’t recall Jack ever speaking to him so much. “More you than that brown I saw you with at Solstice. And I’m glad the jacket ts. When I saw it last week I told Ivy it would be perfect for you. I don’t know when your birthday is, but if it makes you feel better you can pretend it’s a present for your birthday, or maybe a late Solstice present.”

The clothes, or at least the jacket, had been from Jack? Candy wished they were in a better place. He would have shoved Jack against the wall and proved to him how great sex could be. Only he couldn’t imagine touching anything in here and not coming away with some nasty disease. “Thank you. The coat is nice. Warm.”

Jack rubbed Candy’s arms. “That’s what I thought when I saw it. That it would keep you warm, and the color is nice. Bright, like your hair always was.” He hesitated in his touch, but Candy moved closer to him, assuring him that it was okay. “It’s been a while since I saw you last. I hope you’re doing okay. I mean, I’m sure Ivy would have told me if you weren’t, but it’s good to see for myself that you’re looking good….”

Jack thought he looked good? Manny appeared on the stairs a moment later, saving Candy from doing something stupid, like stealing a kiss from Jack.

“Oscar’s finished,” Manny told him. He said nothing about the embrace that would have embarrassed Candy had anyone else seen.

Candy pulled away reluctantly. He couldn’t meet Jack’s eyes as he made his way downstairs. If he had, he’d have said something stupid, like ask if they could go back to his place afterward. Jack probably would have taken the proposal badly anyway.

Yohan didn’t look any happier. And the offer was even lower. Candy took the screen and added a small sum of money to it. This was their final offer. “Take it or leave it,” Candy told him.

“You’re ripping me off,” Yohan protested. “Just because you can.”

Candy shrugged. Jack took the screen and glanced over it. “Looks fair to me. The condition of the building is questionable. I noticed more cracks in the walls and ceiling than the building code would allow, even for an older structure. There’s substantial water damage upstairs, so the roof is bad. Probably should have been replaced years ago. And then there are the health code violations….”

“I’ll take your offer,” Yohan said, most likely to shut Jack up before he could air the long list of problems with the property. Oscar stepped in to get his signature and thumb print on several e-documents.

Candy couldn’t help but grin at Jack, who gave him a nonchalant shrug. “Everyone out to the bus,” Candy instructed the companions. “You’ll be heading to Cardinal Sins.”

“What will we be doing there?” one of them asked.

“Paris will interview each of you and find a suitable job. Most likely serving drinks, food, maybe cleaning or cooking. He’s pretty well stocked in companions right now.” And all of these whores were well past their prime. Candy would have to find out where Yohan had sold the others to. There weren’t many brothels left in City M, and he hated the idea of any whore being left to be abused by some asshole pimp.

“No more whoring?” another clarified. “Not likely.” He ushered them toward the door. Jack still stood between him and Yohan. Yohan had several bags

packed and there was a car that wasn’t part of Candy’s entourage parked near the curb. “Will you be leaving town, then?” Jack asked Yohan. “I’d like to know where to nd you in case more questions come up about this case.”

Yohan shook his head. “Not my problem anymore. That belongs to him now too.” He waved his hand at Candy and made his way out the door and down to the car.

There was another unmarked car parked across the street that Jack saluted lightly. The passenger window rolled up, and as soon as Yohan’s car eased away from the curb, the black sedan followed.

“Ino,” Jack informed Candy. “He’ll let me know if Yohan leaves town or hides out somewhere. I really do want to know where he goes, just in case.”

Candy nodded, a little shocked by Jack’s foresight. If Candy had been thinking ahead, he’d have put one of the guards on the task. It was just more proof that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. He watched the former companions all board the bus and sent a text off to Paris that they would be in need of immediate healthcare as well as clothing and jobs. Oscar held out the last of the documents for him to review and sign. Moments later, with money transferred, it was time to return to the Gem and to Ivy. If only he could bring Jack with him. He knew for certain Ivy wouldn’t mind at all.

Jack stood less than two feet away. He was looking around, a confused expression on his face. “Everything okay?” Candy asked him. He reached out to touch Jack’s arm. Oscar was already headed back to the car when Jack’s eyes widened in alarm and the same instant something sliced into Candy. For a moment he stood there, startled, confused at the odd, growing, wet heat suddenly pouring down his back, and then the fiery pain that erupted from his back and through his stomach. Hot pokers seemed to melt through his body, driving mind-numbing pain to every nerve.

His breath faltered as blood filled a lung. He choked on the rising fluid and spit out a gush of red and froth. The world turned into a wild swirl of fading colors, all centering on Jack’s face. His expression was horrified, and then a moment later, Jack was no longer there and a black tiger leapt at Candy.

Buy the book

Amazon |Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Barnes & Noble

Meet the author:

Lissa Kasey is more than just romance. She specializes in depth characters, detailed world building, and twisting plots to keep you clinging to your book reader. All stories have a side of romance, emotionally messed up protagonists and feature LGBTGA spectrum characters facing real world problems no matter how fictional the story.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lissa.kasey
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLissaKasey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/parisbvamp
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/parisbvamp/

Tour Stops:

Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews,

Nephy Hart, Alpha Book Club, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Gay Media Reviews,

3 Chicks After Dark

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A print copy of ‘Candy Land’ by Lissa Kasey! Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A BJ Audiobook Review: The Two Gentlemen of Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Mischief, thou art afoot.

Two Gentlemen of Altona Audiobook Special Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness is having a rough week. Not only is he on a new diet, but he’s also been tasked with keeping Henry Page-the world’s most irritating witness-alive. Which is tough when Mac’s a breath away from killing the Shakespeare-quoting, ethically challenged, egg-obsessed Henry himself. Unless killing isn’t really what Mac wants to do to him.

Con man Henry Page prefers to keep his distance from the law . . . though he wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to uptight, handsome Agent McGuinness. As the sole witness to a mob hit, Henry’s a valuable asset to the FBI. But he’s got his own agenda, and it doesn’t involve testifying.

When evidence surfaces of a mole in the FBI office, Mac and Henry are forced to go into hiding. Holed up in a fishing cabin, they’re surprised to discover that their feelings run more than skin deep. But as the mob closes in, Henry has to make his escape. And Mac has to decide how far he’s willing to go to keep Henry by his side.

A well-written, humorous romantic suspense that seemed more focused on the banter than the suspense. Humor, banter and snark are not something I normally look for in a story, and the fact that this book is heavy weighted with it told me pretty early on that might be a case of a story not being a good fit for me.

The opening was a bit confusing and slow–it took me a while for me to engage with the plot. However, I enjoyed that the two characters were very much opposites. Mac wasn’t a typical super-hot perfect agent, but was bald, bit overweight and struggling with his diet as well as his grumpiness. I loved him. Henry, on the other hand, annoyed me much of time with his banter and lies. Came across as a taker who only did the right thing at one key point because someone else talked him in to it. It was only seeing the hints of a dark, sad past that kept me from totally disliking him, well, that and the scene with the storm. Overall, I found myself wanting less banter and more depth. Again, just a personal preference, I’m sure.

This book has massive cock blocking–phone calls at exactly the worst possible time more than once! I would have actually have preferred no sex to the continual interrupted starts and stops as I think that the internal thoughts and little hints at attraction would have been enough for nice sexual tension without all the coitus interruptus thrown in.

There were a lot of Shakespeare references that I didn’t connect with, and so I’m sure I probably didn’t get some of the layers of the story for that reason. Also, the scene in the hospital near the end didn’t click with me for several reasons (which I won’t mention due to spoiler aspects). Finally came the massive cliffhanger ending that left this feeling like more of an intro or serial than a full story.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was excellent, nice delivery of the humorous bits. The character voices (even the women) were well done and the rough, gritty voice he used for Mac contrasted nicely with the suave one for Henry. I think the narration added to the depth of the story and was my favorite part of the experience. The story itself didn’t engage me enough to make me eager to return to it, but once I began listening, the narration was always easy to listen to.

Engaging cover by L.C. Chase both because of the bright contrasting simple red/black/white color scheme and the simple design. Did a good job of getting the lighthearted humor with suspense idea across.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Book Details:

Audible Audio, 6 pages, 5 hrs 11 mins
Published February 12th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published December 27th 2014)
Original TitleThe Two Gentlemen of Altona
ASINB01BMMKJFU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #1 settingIndiana (United States)

A Lila Review: Pride Weekend (Buchanan House #2) by Charley Descoteaux

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

In this free short story, we meet Adam Byron and Silas Grant. They’re looking to enjoy a good time during Pride weekend at the Oregon Coast, but they couldn’t afford to stay at the Buchanan House individually. They agreed, online, to share the expenses of one room, no strings attached.

Adam and Silas had the opportunity to exchange text messages before their trip and get to know a little bit more about each other. Even when they agreed before hand to keep it platonic between them, as soon as they see each other their attraction is quick and mutual.

We get to be part of their weekend. Plus, we see their interactions with some of the characters from the previous book. By the end of the story, the reader understands the magic of the Buchanan House.

Pride Weekend is a lovely story. It has the romance and the magic that was missing in the first book of the series. Perhaps because it concentrates in just one weekend in the life of the main characters and we get to experience the new found lust they have for each other.

This short story is a simple, but a sweet snippet in the life of two guests at the Buchanan House. They spent most of their time in their room, but even so, we learned about their past and what they want for their future.

There are a lot of smexy scenes, but the reader gets a sense of place and the opportunity to see a new relationship develop. What starts as lust, changes rapidly into great chemistry, and unexpected possibilities.

Overall, a great, sexy short– filled with an easy friendship and the start of an amazing relationship. The pacing works well. The characters are memorable, and their HFN is strong enough to be considered the start of a HEA.

The cover by L.C. Chase is beautiful. The colors, the couple, and the atmosphere are the perfect setting for this short story. Really inviting.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 50 pages
Published: April 22, 2016, by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 9781634768757
Edition Language: English

Series: Buchanan House
Book #1: Buchanan House
Book #2: Pride Weekend
Book #3: Tiny House

Wolf, en Garde (Wolf #2) by A.F. Henley Less Than Three Press Release Date May 17

Cover Artist: Raphael (website https://boysininkandcolour.com/ )

Tiny Teaser: Introducing – Lyle O’Connell

Blurb

The Giveaway

About the Author

Share this:

Share this:

Ocean of Secrets by Jerry Sacher Dreamspinner Press Cover Art by Bree Archer

Purchase Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

Share this:

Share this:

No Quarter (Bounty #1) by Christine d’Abo Riptide Publishing Cover Art by Lou Harper

About No Quarter

About Christine d’Abo

Giveaway

Share this:

Beau’s Baby (The Sunset Club #4) by AC Katt Release Date: April 22, 2016

Goodreads Link Publisher: MLR Press Cover Artist: Lex Valentine

Giveaway

Share this:

Share this:

Candy Land (Hidden Gem#3) by Lissa Kasey Release Date: April 25, 2016

Goodreads Link Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Shobana Appavu

Blurb

Excerpt

Buy the book

Amazon |Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Barnes & Noble

Meet the author:

Giveaway

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Wolf, en Garde (Wolf #2) by A.F. Henley
Less Than Three Press
Release Date May 17

Ocean of Secrets by Jerry Sacher
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art by Bree Archer

No Quarter (Bounty #1) by Christine d’Abo
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by Lou Harper

Beau’s Baby (The Sunset Club #4) by AC Katt
Release Date: April 22, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Lex Valentine

Candy Land (Hidden Gem#3) by Lissa Kasey
Release Date: April 25, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Shobana Appavu