Love Takes Flight with Ada Maria Soto’s Bowerbirds (Nested Hearts #2) (excerpt and giveaway)

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Bowerbirds (Nested Hearts #2)  by Ada Maria Soto
Release Date: Target date is August 26 2015

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Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond

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Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press eBook | Dreamspinner Press Paperback

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Two very different men have a chance at happiness, but only if they can let go of their painful pasts and allow love to take precedence.

After spending his teens and twenties raising his son, James Maron is now dating Gabriel Juarez, the wealthy and sophisticated CFO of the TechPrim technology empire. But after a life of proudly holding his head above the poverty line with the ethos of work, priorities, responsibility, and thrift, he is not looking for a Sugar Daddy, he does not need to be rescued, and Gabe’s wealth is as terrifying as feeling love for the first time.

Gabe has never been good at balancing his high pressure job with his relationships. Money usually clears most of the bumps, and when a boyfriend walks away, Gabe figures it’s for a good reason. But James isn’t like other boyfriends. He doesn’t want Gabe’s money for one, and if Gabe wants to keep his relationship together he will have to finally face the ghosts of his own past and reconsider his priorities.

Pages or Words: 60,790 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

FOR THE millionth time, a load of baseball gear left by the apartment door nearly sent James tumbling. It was one of the very few things he would not miss when Dylan left for college. He checked his watch and saw it was pushing five in the afternoon. He could technically still make it to the laundromat and get a couple of loads through, but the place filled up quick after five and it became difficult to get the good machines. Ada Maria Soto

Dylan came out of his room, his hair sticking up at odd angles from his postpractice shower. “Hey, Dad. I was starting to worry. How did the concert go last night?”

As a last-second surprise, Gabe had gotten them tickets to the California Honeydrops at the Fillmore. After a couple glasses of wine, Gabe had even talked him into dancing. “It was good. Stop leaving your gear by the door.”

“Good?” Dylan tried for a scolding look, but there was too much humor in his eyes. “No, just good does not end with you coming home… um… twenty-one hours later than expected.”

Dylan had been nagging him about getting a social life and a boyfriend for years, but James hadn’t realized he would become so nosy about it once it happened.

You’d think he was the parent here. “The concert ran a bit late, and we got a room in the city.” Then they decided not to leave that room until a few hours after the normal checkout time, followed by a late lunch.

“Which hotel?”

“Does it matter?” James asked as he picked up Dylan’s baseball gear.

“It might.”

“The Saint Francis,” James muttered, deciding to risk a Monday wash.

“Again? Well, here’s to scoring a sugar daddy.”

“What?” James froze for a second as he tucked a baseball bat under his arm.

Dylan headed for the kitchen and rummaged around the fridge. “I mean, a guy with a steady job is a good thing these days, but one who can score you concert tickets and hotel suites on a whim is a pretty sweet deal.” He pulled an apple from the veggie bin.

“He’s not—”

James felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He juggled around the gear until he could pull it out and saw he had missed a call ten minutes earlier.

“He’s not what?

“Hi. It’s me. Stuck in traffic. Seriously, traffic on a Sunday. I think the Niners are playing or something. Don’t worry, I’m on the hands-free setup. Just wanted to say I had a really nice time this weekend. The concert was a lot of fun. The other activities were fun too. Don’t know how busy I’m going to be this week, but I’d love to be able to come up there for lunch or dinner. Catch a movie or something. Oh, Tamyra left me nine messages, the last one informing me that I’m getting ‘Genie in a Bottle’ for my new ringtone. I’m hoping I can pass it off as a postmodern ironic statement or something. Oh look. Traffic is moving. Well, I’ll talk to you later. Drive carefully. Bye.” Bowerbirds

James kept the phone to his ear even after the message ended. Dylan stared at him, one eyebrow raised. He had a funny feeling Dylan practiced that look in the mirror. James hung up the phone. “You know what? My love life is none of your business.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

ADA MARIA SOTO is a born and raised Californian Mexican-American currently living as an expat in the South Pacific with her toddler and partner.
She has studied and worked in theater, film, and television with all the usual crummy side jobs of a struggling artist. She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia but refuses to let that slow down her writing.
She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.
She loves to hear from her fans, or really anyone who has read her work.

Where to find the author:

Website: https://adamariasoto.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+AdaSoto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdaMariaSoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdaMariaSotoAuthor

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

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A MelanieM Review: The Articles of Release (The Release Series #2) by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Articles of Release coverJust released from the military, wounded warrior Eric Tremaine is trying to put his life back together like the doctors reassembled his shattered leg. He’s a man with no home, since his Louisiana family rejected him, so Eric winds up in Texas with his old Army buddy, Adam Winchester, and his lover, Sage.

When Eric decides to stop sitting on his ass feeling sorry for himself, he is introduced to trainer Troy Daniels, who lost both his legs in a teenage accident. Troy knows what it’s like to feel as if your body is your enemy. While Eric and Troy have a bumpy start, they soon find enough common ground to make a friendship, if not more. But taking it to the next level means finding out what they have to offer each other, and the world, before they can trust that the love they find together won’t cause more pain than pleasure.

Each of the books in BA Tortuga’s new Release series deals with a character grappling with a torturous reentry into society.  The first novel, The Terms of Release, has Sage Redding dealing with being a ex-con returning to the small town that condemned him to close to 10 years of hard time in a state penitentiary at the age of 18.  And for a crime that may not have been his fault.  In that story, Tortuga bluntly describes the discrimination ex-cons face upon release, the terms of said release and the accompanying difficulties of losing so much of your life away from the “main culture” that you can feel alone and adrift once you are back trying to find your way inside a community once more.  That same thread is picked up again in The Articles of Release, book two in The Release series.

Making the argument (and proving it) that there are more ways of separating a person from society and community, here its injured vet Eric Tremaine who is coming out of the army, trying to adjust to a new status and situation he never wanted or thought would happen.  A explosion and severe body trauma ended Eric’s military career, leaving him full of rage, pain, and no direction to his life.  A Cajun (a familiar and well loved region for Tortuga) bereft of family, their choice, Eric turns to the only person he can think of, Win Winchester (The Terms of Release), an old Army buddy.

When BA Tortuga is clicking on all cylinders with her writing, as she is here with this series, she not only creates these unbelievably realistic tough, wounded men, but makes us pull for them in their recovery by ushering us intimately into their thoughts and feelings.  Doesn’t matter whether its their out of control “just throw shit” anger or feeling so helpless that they need to break down and sob, either way we are there with them 100 percent of the way because BA Tortuga has made them flesh and blood and vulnerable.

When Eric seeks the help and support of Win, he also gets Sage’s as well.  Sage is still undergoing therapy for the operations needed in the aftermath of the events in The Terms of Release.  Sage proves not only a sounding board for Eric but a curiosity of a man and relationship mentor.  Sage is also his introduction to trainer Troy Daniels.  Troy is a double amputee with a need to prove himself and everything sexy Eric finds in a man.

That’s four dynamic characters, although towards the end Win spends most of the time traveling so its down to Sage, Eric and Troy. No this is not a m/m/m.  Its strictly friendship between the two couples which I appreciated. All three have been through horrific ordeals and hard times, and primarily in the case of Eric and Troy,  still working their way through their physical and emotional issues.  Again BA Tortuga handles their problems and the manner in which their pain and avoidance issues manifests itself authentically, sometimes with humor, sometimes with frustration and rage.  Whatever the situation, my attachment to these men and their relationships is so deep that my attention never wavered. These four characters form such a strong foundation for this story that I could really have kept reading for another 100 to 200 hundred pages at least.

I love The Articles of Release.  I got Sage and Win from the first story and a wonderful new couple in Eric and Troy.  This story has so many layers  to it.  The wounded veteran adjusting to his new civilian life and physical restrictions, the double amputee growing up and dealing with his need to prove himself in risky situations, that being a amputee doesn’t end your sex life, along with Sage and Win’s new life, so many defining moments for each character and for the story itself.

I highly recommend this story and the series to date.  I  certainly hope BA Tortuga intends to continue it.   She’s really onto something here and I hope to see what the next book in the series might bring.

Cover art by Bree Archer.  I like the cover, yes its another torso, but at least it has the appropriate military garb and background.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon (coming soon) | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Expected publication: September 4th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634764582
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Release Series #2

The Release Series Books:

A Jeri Review: The Windup (The Rainbow League #1) by Kate McMurray

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

the Windup coverIan ran screaming from New York City upon graduating from high school. A job offer too good to turn down has brought him back, but he plans to leave as soon as the job is up. In the meantime he lets an old friend talk him into joining the Rainbow League, New York’s LGBT amateur baseball league. Baseball turns out to be a great outlet for his anxiety, and not only because sexy teammate Ty has caught his eye.

Ty is like a duck on a pond—calm and laid-back on the surface, a churning mess underneath. In Ian, he’s found someone with whom he feels comfortable enough to share some of what’s going on beneath the surface. The only catch is that Ian is dead set on leaving the city as soon as he can. Ty works up a plan to convince Ian that New York is, in fact, the greatest city in the world. But when Ian receives an offer for a job overseas, Ty needs a new plan: convince Ian that home is where Ty is.

Generally, when a book is about the main character reluctantly returning to his hometown, it is usually some Midwestern or southern small town. Not in The Windup. Ian left Brooklyn as soon as he was able. His job takes him all over the country and around the world. So when his next assignment is in NYC, he doesn’t want to take it, but he knows it is only for a year or two before he moves on.

A high school friend convinces Ian to join The Rainbow League, an LGBT summer baseball league. Most join for the hook ups, some join for the game, but Ian joins to meet other people. Naturally, he is immediately drawn to the league “slut” Ty.

Ty and Ian slowly get to know each other, but they both hold back knowing that Ian is only in NYC for a short time. Ty still sees the magic that is NYC since he was born and raised in Texas. So he wants to convince Ian to stay in the city- and with him.

I loved how, that even though they both had emotional walls up, they did slowly let each other in. Neither one was a jerk- which I have seen time and again as a defense mechanism- they were each just guarded. Watching Ty’s romantic streak come out and letting his reputation as the team slut disappear was refreshing.

The sex was hot, the romance was sweet and the baseball was fun! I’ve read a lot of pro baseball books, this is my first with a league for fun and I loved it.

The cover by Aaron Anderson is a beautiful combination of NYC as an urban back drop and (I’m guessing) Ian as a bit of a loner. It really illustrates the overall book

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published April 24th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
original title The Windup
ISBN13 9781632169686
edition language English

In the Book Spotlight: Classic
 (Rainbow Connection
 #3) by Lynn Townsend

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Classic
 (Rainbow Connection
 #3) by Lynn Townsend
Release Date: September 2, 2015

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Goodreads Link  –  Add it to your bookshelf
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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Sales Links:  Torquere Books

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Beau Watkins and Vin Reyes have mended their differences, but that doesn’t mean that everything is back the way it was. When Beau’s teenage niece shows up with her son in tow, Beau is thrown unexpectedly into a world of adult responsibilities and adult decisions, all of which could have disastrous consequences. Reconciliation with his family is complicated by an overseas internship with a predatory business woman.

Vin still struggles with his alcoholism, with finding his place in a world after college, and establishing relationships with his newfound father and sister. The last puzzle piece of Vin’s mysterious past is clicked into place when he comes face-to-face with his mother’s ex-fiance. His relationship with Beau has never been stronger… until an unexpected email threatens to topple everything they’ve build together.

Pages or Words: 69,900 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Beau grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and tossed it in his gym bag. Outside, David laid on the horn.
“Coming,” Beau muttered to the empty room. Vin was off touring yet another one of his grandfather’s facilities in the endless, looping discussion about what he was going to do with his life.Beau locked the door behind himself, and skipped most of the bottom half of the stairs with a one-handed rail-jump. He waved to the Escalade, knowing David would see him behind the tinted windows. Beau felt a flutter of pleasurable nerves in his gut; it had been a while since he’d gone out dancing–avoiding the bars was in Vin’s best interests for the time being–and he really needed a workout. David had suggested a trip to the gym, where he’d teach Beau some of the basics in kick-boxing.
Beau just reached the door when someone grabbed his shoulder. He dropped his bag, whirling, heart in his throat, breathing hard. He knocked the offending limb aside. The passenger side door of the Escalade flew open and David slid out, gun already in hand.
“Back away from Mr. Watkins, sir,” David advised, his voice low and firm.
“I am Mr. Watkins,” the man said, confused. “Beau?”
“Lee?” Beau’s legs almost gave out from under him and he leaned hard against the side of the SUV, feeling the black painted metal heating his skin. “Jesus Christ.”
“Are you all right, sir?” David didn’t look away from his target, his gun still trained on Beau’s older brother.
“Parking lot,” Beau said. David knew about his panic attacks. David had been there when Vin found Beau, beaten and bloody, on the asphalt, two years ago.
“Back. Up.” David slid the rest of the way out of the vehicle. “I consider you a threatening individual.”
“My God, David,” Beau said. David wasn’t wearing his typical three-piece suit, probably the first time Beau had ever seen him dressed casually, in black sweatpants and a white tank top, his gun holster buckled to his chest like some sort of kinky lingerie. Beau’d always suspected the raw strength underneath the tailored coats, but he’d never actually seen it. David was cut from a block of wood, hard muscles overlaid with tanned skin, marred here and there by scars, one of which could have been caused by nothing less than a bullet wound. “Lee is my brother.”
“Which does not negate the need to protect you from him, sir,” David said. “I’ve heard about his letters. Not only that, but I saw Mr. Reyes’s throat after spring break. This is a dangerous individual.”
“I kinda dislocated his shoulder for that,” Beau admitted. “Seriously, David, put the gun away and put on a shirt, you’re makin’ me horny.”
“Yah, you’re cute, kid, but not that cute.” David gave Lee a particularly fierce look. “I am very fond of your brother. I will shoot you if I even think you’re about to do something stupid. Are we crystal on this?”
“Yeah, clear, man,” Lee said. He took a cautious step backward. “I just wanna talk to him. I’m not here to pick a fight.”
Beau nodded. “Right. We’ll go talk on the steps,” he said.
Lee waited until they were out of earshot. “What the hell is that guy’s problem?”
“David and Vin saved my life a few years back,” Beau said. “I think David takes it personally that he wasn’t there to keep Contreras from beating the shit out of me. And you did try to crush Vin’s throat.” Beau’s legs were still wobbly and he collapsed onto the stairs gratefully.
“Whatever, man.”
It was barely worth the effort to glare at Lee. “What are you doing here? What do you want? How the hell did you even find our place?” Beau leaned his head against the brick wall. He would probably kill someone for a cigarette, but he was trying to quit–again–and didn’t currently have any on him.
“I got the address from Sheila, down at the post office. I asked her where Momma was sending all your packages.”
“Well, that’s just a little bit creepy,” Beau said. Not that it wasn’t typical; small towns did not hold with big federal laws about privacy. It wasn’t private, between kin, and half the town was related to most of the other half. “Sit down, Lee. My head already hurts.”
Lee dropped onto the porch, leaning his weight back on one arm. He looked older. There was no better word for it. His usually needs-a-haircut curls were gone, close clipped in an almost military style, and he’d finally shaved off the soul patch under his lip. Lee wore a button down shirt and jeans. Near his knee, there was a red smear of something that might have been dried jelly.
“How have you been, kid?” Lee asked.
“Are we being nice? Is that what we’re doing here? Nice? After… well, after everything?”
“I didn’t think you’d listen to me if I called.” Lee raked a hand over his scalp, his wedding ring glinting in the sun.
“I suppose you think I’m being unreasonable, all things considered?” Beau asked.
“Look, I’m sorry about the letters,” Lee said.
“Don’t apologize to me about them.” Beau snorted. “I didn’t read ’em after the first two. Broke my hand on the wall wishin’ it was your skull. Ann-Marie read them for me, to see if you’d stopped being an ass. Haven’t gotten one in a while. Something change in your life?”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include filk music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tisfan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kthicks3/
Other: http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/
Other: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tisfan

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Trilogy of books, Roll, Blues and Classic. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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Love a Geek in Love? Check out ‘Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts by Charlie Cochet (excerpt, contest and character profile)

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AboutTheBook

  • BewareOfGeeksFSTitle: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts
  • Author: Charlie Cochet
  • Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
  • Cover Artist: Anne Cain
  • Length: 86 pages
  • Release Date: August 19, 2015

Blurb: Julian “Quinn” Quinetro, a gruff, tough Miami SWAT officer, has been injured on the job, and all he’s looking for is a little peace and quiet to recover—difficult to achieve with his large Cuban family. An adventure in picking up his prescriptions puts him in the path of his geeky, brownie-baking neighbor, Spencer Morgan. Spencer sweeps into Quinn’s life like a tropical storm of sunshine and rainbows. Not surprisingly, it’s chaos at first sight. Quinn’s in need of a little tender loving care, and Spencer decides he’s just the man for the job. Their very different lives might clash, but they might also find some common ground—and maybe more.

Need more?  Meet Spencer!  Here is Spencer’s very own Character Profile!  Maybe we should show this to Quinn? Nah! That’s just way too easy!

BGBG Spencer Character Profile - ScatteredThoughts

Excerpt

“This is sad, man. What is it with you and brownies?”

“These aren’t just any brownies,” Spencer stated proudly as he removed his latest batch of baked chocolate decadence from the oven. “These are Nutella caramel brownies with nuts, made from scratch. These are orgasm-in-your-mouth brownies.”

“Not really sure what to think about that,” Danny muttered, eyeing the brownies dubiously. “Seriously, dude. The only orgasm you should be chasing is the one waiting next door. This is your perfect chance! He’s defenseless.” Danny reached for a brownie, but Spencer slapped his hand away before he could pilfer one.

“I have to spread the Nutella and top them with walnuts. Also, I don’t know what I find more disturbing: that you think I should take advantage of the poor guy in his defenseless state, or that you believe the only way I’ve got a shot is to take advantage of him in his defenseless state.” He stopped and turned to his pouting best friend. “And FYI, defenseless is what babies and puppies are, not huge-ass mountain men in possession of heavy artillery. I ran into him once, literally, and it’s like he’s made out of fucking granite. He’s got an eight-pack. An eight-pack.”

Spencer had never seen an eight-pack outside of cyberspace. Until his sexy neighbor, he’d questioned their existence, much like Bigfoot. The sighting had taken place one morning on his way to get groceries. Quinn had been on his way to their gated community’s pool, sporting nothing but low-riding swim trunks and flip-flops. He’d stepped into the elevator next to Spencer, and the heat outside had nothing on the heat that had spread through Spencer’s body. Luckily Quinn had been too busy texting to notice Spencer’s Human Torch impression.

“I have… I don’t even know what this is.” Spencer lifted up the hem of his apron and the Hulk T-shirt underneath with a frown. He ran his finger down a groove along his torso as he sucked his stomach in. “Does this look like muscle definition to you?”

Danny reached over to pat Spencer’s pale belly. “Looks like you need to stop baking brownies. And get some sun, man. Look at you. You’re not even white. You’re like, transparent.”

“That’s harsh.” Spencer lowered his clothes. “I don’t tan like you. I burn. You couldn’t lie to me? Besides, what am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hi, remember me? I’m the guy who’s been living next door to you for the past year. We pass each other in the hall every day, take the elevator together, have parking spaces next to each other, have mailboxes next to each other, do laundry in the same room together, and shop at the same supermarket. No? That’s okay. Excuse me while I die of embarrassment.’” Spencer walked around the kitchen counter and flopped down into a chair, waiting for the brownies to cool. “The guy doesn’t know I exist. He’s freakin’ Miami SWAT. He’s probably an overbearing, misogynistic asshole with a giant ego, anyway.”

Danny took a seat next to him, his expression filled with concern. “You don’t know that. Besides, since when do you judge people?”

Spencer narrowed his eyes at his friend. “No one likes a smartass.”

“Says the guy who got a ticket for mouthing off to a police officer.”

“I wasn’t mouthing off. I was being witty and adorable. The guy just had no sense of humor. Besides, I was nowhere near that fire hydrant. He was clearly behind on his quota. Bet that wouldn’t have happened to Quinn.” Was he pouting? Oh God, he was. Danny was right; he was sad.

“Probably because he’s SWAT and can park his ginormous truck wherever the hell he wants.” Danny went to the glass doors of the balcony overlooking the parking spaces and started laughing.

“What?”

“You know how they say dogs look like their owners? I wonder if the same applies to cars.”

Spencer joined Danny at the window, letting out a low groan. His tiny yellow Fiat gleamed cheerfully beside Quinn’s monster black Chevy Silverado. “It looks like a sunspot.”

BuyLinks

Dreamspinner Press (eBook)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

All Romance eBooks

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

AboutTheAuthor

AuthorPicCharlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

|| Facebook || Facebook Page || Twitter || Google+ || Blog ||

|| Website || Pinterest || Tumblr || Goodreads || Newsletter ||

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Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older.  Link and prize provided by the author and Creative Minds Promotions.

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Cover Reveal for Lane Hayes’ Better Than Safe (A Better Than series novel) (contest)

 

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Lane Hayes reveals the beautiful cover art for the
next book in her BETTER THAN series
titled BETTER THAN SAFE.
 
It releases on September 25, 2015, published by Dreamspinner Press.
 
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BLURB
 

Paul Fallon is a fashion advertising guru. He’s a genius at dealing with difficult editors, art directors, and designers alike. He thrives on the chaotic atmosphere and constant challenges. But in his personal life, he’s hoping for peace and stability. Settling down with a nice doctor or lawyer sounds perfect. Anyone but an artist. He’s been there, done that, and he doesn’t want to relive the heartache.

Seth Landau is a model, occasional guitarist, and aspiring painter. He’s quirky, flighty, and wise beyond his years. Life has taught him some tough lessons, then given him opportunities he never dreamed of. He’s learned to appreciate the fragility of life and to express it in his work. Seth’s flare for the absurd combined with a supple mind and a beautiful body are too alluring for Paul to ignore. Against his best intentions, Paul is drawn to the younger man whose particular brand of crazy challenges Paul to accept that things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes taking a chance is better than being safe.

 
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PRESENTING
 
Cover
Art by Aaron Anderson
 

 

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EXCLUSIVE SNIPPET
He was gorgeous, albeit a bit daft, but the truth was I had a thing for beautiful crazy people
 
Read more exclusive excerpts on –
 
 
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PRE-ORDER NOW
 
 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full time!
It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early
age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully
written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane
discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her first
novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an
Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and
wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her
amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty nest.
 
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Winner’s Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Creative Minds Promotions.
 

A Mika Review: The Cage by Catt Ford

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

The Cage coverWelcome to The Cage, where you can share the ups and downs of a group of friends as they enjoy a rollicking adventure of sex and love in “the life.”

Being a Dom has always come naturally to Lazar Thornton, owner and operator of The Cage, a thriving adult toy store and meeting place for Lazar’s closest friends, Bran, Max, Otto, and the always flamboyant and fierce Miss Dré. But even the best of friends have different tastes in scenes—and in life.

Good-humored and laid back, but much in demand as both teacher and Dom, Lazar has always run from love. Until Ben Owen, relative newbie to the BDSM world, arrives wide-eyed and eager to learn, and Lazar wants to teach this sub everything he knows. But despite the openness needed for a Dom/sub relationship to thrive, neither discusses emotions. Feeling the sting of unrequited love, Ben isn’t as sure of his place in Lazar’s life as he wants to be. Lazar will need to read his sub’s heart as well as his mind if he truly wants to keep Ben in his life.

Only took 147 days (in actuality six long brutal days) to finish this.  Any other time this would have been a DNF. I don’t do multiple person point of views which is the case here. It’s almost like an introduction to a series. A group of people with their own selective issues telling their portion of the story, but it’s all intertwining. I literally had to keep pushing myself to finish it.

I do think that’s partially unfair, because some of these characters I was really interested in. I just feel like it was not enough time to develop them to be great. The main duo relationship fell to the wayside  because they didn’t develop enough chemistry for me. I feel like we walked into them and their relationship blind.

Some of the characters like Bran, and Otto? I really liked their story. I would totally buy a novella for each of them. I didn’t want to move on from them. Bran’s story especially, it’s not common in the m/m world for a “straight” guy to fall for a transsexual with hardly any problems, or over reaction. It was just blissfully lovely in my opinion. I thought Miss Dre was too over the top. Every drag queen cliché that has ever been out there was Miss Dre, I liked her sometimes, and other times I loathed her doing too much. Just her flamboyancy was annoying. Max as a character and his relationship was the most unsettling for me. It’s not something I’m familiar with in regards to reading about the BDSM community. It was different, and if it was developed more it could have been amazing. That leaves Lazar and Ben, and while they had the most scene time, I don’t care for them because I’m interested in Bran and Otto.

I think it was an almost okay start-up for a series if it becomes one. It was a first read for me by this author. I think it was okay, and I liked her writing style enough.

Cover Art by Catt Ford. I think it was a nice looking cover for the book. It was a cute cover portrayal of Ben.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon  |  Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages, paperback
Published July 31st 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original title The Cage
ISBN13 9781634763967
edition language English

 

A Jeri Review: Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Against the Grain coverAs the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.

Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

As a rule, I am not the biggest fan of PNR (paranormal romance). Vampires, werewolves, etc. There are a couple of series that I do absolutely love and Charlie Cochet’s THIRDs series is at the top of the heap.

Against the Grain is book 5 in the THIRDS series. While you *can* read this book as a stand alone, I highly highly recommend you start with the first book. If not, you are missing a lot.

This book starts the story of Cael and Ash. Two Therian shifters who are on the same team with the THIRDS Destructive Delta. Cael and Ash have tip toed around their attraction to each other for years. Ash because he didn’t think he was good enough for Cael, and Cael because he didn’t know that Ash was gay. Their flirtation and friendship in the previous books finally comes to a head in this book.

One of the many reasons I am a fan of these books as that there is a good story behind the sex and romance. These guys never seem to catch a break, but that is what makes the books so exciting!

To add to the great story line, the romance and the sex there is humor. OH is there humor! So witty and funny, you will find yourself cracking up out loud more than once.

For followers of the series- don’t worry, our original Destructive Delta couple Dex and Sloane have a great presence in the book so you won’t be disappointed at all.

Cover artist:

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press  |  All Romance (ARe) |  Amazon  | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Published August 3rd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781634763752
edition language  English
series THIRDS #5

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Summer Time is Almost  Over…..

month-of-august-clipart-4

Here we are going into our last week of August.  Hard to believe.  Fall is on the way.   Summertime is almost over, the lazy, hazy days fading away until next year.  School is almost back in session if it hasn’t happened already, and the pools will close over Memorial weekend.  Summer done and done.

So what were you favorite summer reads?  The ones that made you laugh and the ones that made you cry?  Was it TJ Klune’s The Lightning-Struck Heart (I know that was one of Stella’s), or J. Scott Coatsworth’s The Homecoming (one of Paul’s), or one of Jaye McKenna’s Guardians of the Patterns stories for BJ, a Bluewater Bay story that our Barb, the Zany old  Lady loves so much?  Check over your summer reading list and let us know which were some of your favorites, which ones we might have missed and we ones we got!  We love hearing from you.

Same goes for your favorite covers.

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 23:

  • Our Schedule This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, August 24:

  • Book Spotlight: J. Leigh Bailey’s ‘Reckless Hope’ Tour and Giveaway
  • A Jeri Review: Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet
  • A Mika Review:  The Cage by Catt Ford
  • A MelanieM Review: Dead Man’s Hand by Lee Brazil (PF 2015)

Tuesday, August 25:

  • Cover Reveal for Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts by Charlie Cochet Tour and Giveaway
  • In the Spotlight: Lynn Townsend ‘Classic’ (excerpt and contest)
  • A Mika Review: All Man by Jay Northcote
  • A Jeri Review: The Windup by Kate McMurray

Wednesday, August 26:

  • Ada Maria Soto ‘Bowerbirds’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and Contest
  • Fret by Sandrine Gasq Dion‏ Guest Blog and Giveaway
  • A Stella Review: Bitter Taffy By Amy Lane
  • A Jeri Review: Thrown A Curve by Kate McMurray
  • A Paul B Review:  Yummy Indulgences (Men of Charlestown, #2) by Andi Anderson

Thursday, August 27:

  • Cover reveal for Melanie Hansen’s ‘Signs of Life’ excerpt and giveaway
  • A Stella Review: Confessions of a Wild Heart by Kade Boehme
  • A PaulB Review: Broken Circle (Sirius Wolves #2) by Victoria Sue
  • A MelanieM Review: The Shepherd and the Solicitor by Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee
  • A BJ Review:  Astounding! by Kim Fielding

Friday, August 28:

  • Riptide Tour: Lead Me Not by Ann Gallaugher  (contest)
  • Book Spotlight: CJane Elliott ‘Sex, Love, and Videogames’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Lead Me Not by Ann Gallagher
  • A Paul B Review: Zach (Gillham Pack, #2) by Catherine Lievens
  • A Jeri Review: The Long Slide Home by Kate McMurray

Saturday, August 29:

  • Best Covers of August 2015
  • Best Books of August 2015
  • Best of Our Summer Reads and Recs!

 

 

 

 

A Paul B Review: The Homecoming by J. Scott Coatsworth

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars   ★★★★★

The Homecoming - cover2Aldiss Harrison’s exploration voyage back to Earth became a mission of survival even before it began.  With no hope of returning back to the planet he calls home, will Aldiss and his crew survive the planet their ancestors left over 500 years ago?

The people of Antana had abandoned Earth over 500 years ago.  The ravages of mankind on its home planet had taken their toll.  They have settled on Antara building a new society.  Aldiss Harrison is scheduled on a mission to explore what has happened to earth since their departure.  Aldiss hopes he is more successful than his grandfather, who disappeared without a word on a similar mission.

However, their mission of exploration quickly becomes one of survival as a massive solar flare takes aim at Antara.  The crew of six becomes a crew of four as two of the crewmembers had not arrived in time to launch.  Left behind was Aldiss’ ex Lorin the team archaeologist.  As the team crash-lands into Earth, they realize that their team might be even smaller as one is having trouble coming out of stasis.

Hari is a member of the Blackthorn clan of wolves.  These wolves have two forms.   Their winter form is that of wolves.  Their summer form resembles the two-legged creatures of yore.  Hari is one of the few members of his clan to shift between forms at will.  When Hari sees a streak of light across the sky followed by a loud noise, he sets out to investigate.  When he arrives, he sees an object obviously made by the two legs and a pair of eyes coming from it.  Hari alerts the pack.  Most back off but one, Neru,  goes off alone.  Hari’s mother sends him to keep track of the troublemaker.  When Hari stops the attack on the two leg (Aldiss), Hari finds that he has found his errah, his chosen mate.  Aldiss and Hari must fight dissention among the clan of wolves and make sure the remaining crew members adapt to their new home world in order for them to enjoy their new relationship.

This book clicks on just about every level.  The heartbreak Aldiss feels at the loss of not only his home planet but his ex (even though he states there is nothing romantic between them anymore) is palpable.  The hope of a new home world is quickly set back first by the crash landing and the dangers that caused but also with the troubles of Cat’s illness coming out of stasis.  Add in the inter clan squabbles about what to do with their now returned ancestors and it spells trouble.  Hari is guided not only by his mother but the keh, the spirits of his ancestors.  The two “Law & Order” type twists near the end of the book complete the upheaval.  But the feeling of hope at the end of the book makes the ride worth taking.  This author is new to me and I look forward to reading more from him.

London Burden has come up with one of the most gorgeous covers I have seen this year.  It is drawing of a winter scape, with Hari in his white wolf form, standing on a hill overlooking the crash site that Aldiss’ ship landed.  This cover should make the list of top ten for the year.

Sales Links:   Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book details

Ebook, 71 pages
Edition:  English
Published:  July 29, 2015 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN:   9781620045831