It’s Back to Bluewater Bay with ‘All Wheel Drive’ by ZA Maxfield (giveaway)

All Wheel Drive (Bluewater Bay #18) by Z.A. Maxfield
Riptide Publishing

Cover art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Purchase it Here at Riptide Publishing

 

 

About All Wheel Drive

Healey Holly is battered, depressed, and looking to go to ground in his childhood home. He wants to rent the garage apartment, but it’s Diego Luz’s place now, and the last thing Diego wants is to share it.

Diego is recovering too—from the accident that put him in a wheelchair and the death of his mother shortly after. The garage apartment is where he’s keeping his mother’s things, and as long as they’re up those stairs and he’s down on the ground, there’s no way he can deal with his loss.  And that’s just how he likes it.

Healey believes in science. Diego believes in luck. It will take a blend of both, and some prayer thrown in besides, for these two to learn that it’s the journey and the destination that matters.

Available now from Riptide Publishing! 

About Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield,  Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, Jaime Samms and Ally Blue. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

Check it out at Riptide Publishing! http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/universe/bluewater-bay

About ZA Maxfield

Z. A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back.  Pathologically disorganized and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends.  If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four manages to find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.”

Her published books include Crossing Borders, Epic Award finalist St. Nacho’s, Drawn Together, ePistols at Dawn, Notturno, Stirring Up Trouble, and Vigil.

Readers can visit her website at http://www.zamaxfield.com, and contact her at zamaxfield@zamaxfield.com.

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of All Wheel Drive, one lucky winner will receive an ecopy of Hell on Wheels and a $25 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 15, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

What’s Your Favorite Story Time Again and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

What’s Your Favorite Story Time Again – Soldiers and Wounded Warriors

With the holidays flashing by…Memorial Day, Independance Day….I thought about all the stories that I love so much that contained soldiers and/or vets returned from tours of duty.  Some of them are series and some are stand alone novels but there’s no denying the impact on your mind and heart they leave behind.

Some stories are contemporary and some reach far into the future or into the past but the soldier’s lot (no matter the gender) remains the same in its basics.  The dealing with the fear of the unknown, the stress, the pain, the loss, and the battles.  And then for some, the re-entry into civilian life.  So let’s hear again from all of you, what are your favorite stories with soldiers and why?  I thought we’d divide them into categories this time.  This week its contemporary fiction.  Next week: Other, from Science Fiction to Historical.  Let me know if you think that’s too broad a category and I’ll adjust it.

So I’ll start off our list of contemporary fiction with a series near to my heart:

♦︎The Release series by B.A. Tortuga (3 books) – all dealing with vets being released back into civilian life.  It’s outstanding.

♦︎Manny Get Your Guy by Amy Lane – wounded vet dealing with rehab and reentry at the same time.

That’s just for starters.  What’s yours?  Of course, there’s a giveaway attached for this List.

Contemporary Soldier/Wounded Warrior Story Recommendation Reader List

Comment with recommendations and your email address and one or two readers will be picked to receive a $10 gift cert from Dreamspinner Press.  Giveaway ends next Saturday, July 15th in time to start our next Soldiers-Others category.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 9:

  • Review Tour THE SHAPE OF YOU by Felice Stevens
  • A Jeri Review: The Shape of You by Felice Stevens
  • What’s Your Favorite Story Time Again
  •  This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, July 10:

  • Blog tour Racing the Sky by Layla Dorine
  • DSP GUEST POST Rick R Reed on M4M
  • A VVivacious Review: Regret by Christina Lee
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: M4M by Rick R. Reed
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Bonfires by Amy Lane and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
  • An Alisa Review:  Facing Fears by Morticia Knight

Tuesday, July 11:

  • DSP GUEST POST Leigh Carman on Two-Man Advantage
  • RIPTIDE TOUR All Wheel Drive by ZA Maxfield
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Moro’s Price by M Crane Hana
  • A Jeri Review: Chief’s Mess (Anchor Point #3) by L.A. Witt
  • A Julia Review: Painting Class ( Chiaroscuro, #1) by Suzanne Clay
  • An Alisa Review: Different Dynamics by Tamir Drake

Wednesday, July 12:

  • DSP GUEST POST Andrew Grey on Fire and Fog
  • Review Tour – Meg Harding – Finding Home
  • Tour: Unscripted Love by Aimee Nicole Walker RDB,
  • A Jeri Release Day Review: FAST Balls (Balls to the Wall #5) by Tara Lain
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony and Narrator: Andrew McFerrin
  • A MelanieM Review: Broke Deep (Porthkennack #3) by Charlie Cochrane
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Mascara & Bandages (Mary’s Boys#3) by Brandon Witt
  • A Stella Review: Finding Home by Meg Harding

Thursday, July 13:

  • Harmony GUEST POST Gene Gant
  • Review Tour – RJ Scott – The Ranchers Son (Montana #2) narrated by Sean Crisden
  • A Lila Audiobook Review:  The Ranchers Son (Montana #2) by RJ Scott and Sean Crisden (Narrator)
  • A MelanieM Review: Werecat: The Sim Ru Prophecy by Andrew J. Peters
  • An Ali Audiobook Review : The Innocent Auction (Innocent #1) by Victoria Sue and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
  • An Alisa Review: A New Way to Dance by Sean Michael

Friday, July 14:

  • Letting Go by Morningstar Ashley Release Day Blitz
  • RIPTIDE TOUR and Giveaway: The Other Five Percent by Quinn Anderson
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Kind of Home by Lane Hayes
  • A Jeri Review: The Other Five Percent by Quinn Anderson
  • A VVivacious Review:  Rent Mate by Ash Penn
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Who We Truly Are (Enhanced #2) by Victoria Sue

Saturday, July 15:

A MelanieM Release Day Review: All In (Wild Cards #3) by Ava Drake

 

 

 

In Our Romance Spotlight: Love and Other Hot Beverages by Laurie Loft (giveaway)

Love and Other Hot Beverages by Laurie Loft
Riptide Publishing

Cover art by L.C. Chase
Available for Purchase at Riptide Publishing

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Laurie Loft here today on her Love and Other Hot Beverages tour.  Welcome, Laurie!

✒︎

 

I’m Laurie Loft, author of Love and Other Hot Beverages. Welcome to my blog tour, and thanks for being here! I’m excited to give out super cool prizes to two people who make thoughtful comments to any of my blog posts: one French press (an item which features prominently in my novel), and a $15.00 Starbucks gift card. Either way, you’ll enjoy plenty of hot beverages!

There’ll be seven posts in which I’ll discuss my book as well as unrelated items. Comment, and we can get to know each other a little better.

About Love and Other Hot Beverages

After a rough breakup, Todd Addison wants time alone to grieve. While still dreaming of winning back his ex’s love, he moves across the country and finds work with a construction company. The last thing he needs is the cute office boy developing a crush on him, especially since he’s back in the closet.

Sebastián Nye can’t help feeling sorry for the obviously brokenhearted Todd. Though rebuffed repeatedly, Sebby chisels away at Todd’s resistance, determined to help him forget—a task potentially beyond anyone’s capabilities. He never meant to fall for the poor guy, but he does. Hard.

Desperate to hold on to Todd, Sebby hatches a sneaky plot guaranteed to end Todd’s heartbreak—if Todd doesn’t bail and ruin everything. Just when things can’t get more complicated, Todd’s ex wants him back. And Sebby’s abusive ex is just waiting to catch Sebby alone. Todd and Sebby must decide what’s worth fighting for, what’s worth sacrifice, and what’s worth compromise, or their relationship will begin and end with a broken heart.

Love and Other Hot Beverages is now available from Riptide Publishing.

About Laurie Loft

Laurie Loft lives in Iowa, endeavoring to write stories to give you that rush. Her husband, cat, and dogs kindly tolerate this odd activity. Her first M/M novel came about because of a minor character in a straight romance who just took over and demanded his own book. Laurie enjoys NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and other forms of writerly torture. She finds inspiration in her NaNo friends and her fellow Riptide authors. When not writing or working at her mysterious day job, she can often be found screaming at tangled cross stitch threads.

Connect with Laurie:

Website

Blog

Twitter: @Laurie_Loft

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Love and Other Hot Beverages, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Starbucks gift card and a French press from Laurie! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 8, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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

Its July, Happy 4th.

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

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

Also:

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

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

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

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

 

Winner Announcement!

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

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

STRW Great LGBTQIA Dads/Parents/Family Book Recs!

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

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

 

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

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

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 2:

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

Monday, July 3:

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

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

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

Wednesday, July 5:

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

Thursday, July 6:

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

Friday, July 7:

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

Saturday, July 8:

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

 

 

 

A Month Full of Pride. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

A Month Full of Pride

 

As we count the days down towards the end of June, we’ve have a wonderful month full of Pride.  And we have one last week to go.  Last week we announced the winners of our Pride Readers Best Coming Out Stories Giveaway.  This week we put together a list of all of those recommended stories.  Please feel free to add to it by commenting or let us know if we’ve left any out.  It’s always great to have a place to lookup those stories we love to read but can’t always remember their names.  We will have a place here to start looking up Rec Lists (coming soon).  Here is our Readers Best Coming Our Stories:

Readers Recommended Best Coming Out Stories!

Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain
Ready For Love by Stella Starling
Falling Together by SK (Shelley) Grayson
#gaymers series by Annabeth Albert
Thanks a Lot, John LeClair by Johanna Parkhurst
Patient Eyes by Andy Eisenberg
Kaje Harper’s Life Lessons

Josh Lanyon’s Death of A Pirate King
John Goode’s Tales from Foster High.
Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim
The Catch Trap-Marion Zimmer Bradley
Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane

My Summer of Wes by Missy Welsh
There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford
Superhero by Eli Easton
Bad Boyfriend by KA Mitchell.
True Colors by Anyta Sunday
American Love Songs by Ashlyn Kane
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Unexpected Guest by Andy Eisenberg.
Boy Meets Boy” by David Levithan

Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy

 

We have one last week for everyone to enter into our Father’s Day giveaway.  Give us your best stories with families and children, gay dads and their kids…

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

Give us your best suggestions for books involving LGBTQIA families or LGBT people with children stories.  I just finished last week’s wonderful Accepting The Fall by Meg Harding, with firefighter Zander Brooks learning to cope with fatherhood as the parent of a bright, frightened 5 year old.  Terrific story.  And Dragon Home by Mell Eight with William, the foster parent of two growing dragons kits (a whole different set of parenting skills required there).  But I know there are soooo many out there!  Let’s start a list!

So for Father’s Day, what books melted your heart?  That had children, maybe puppies or kittens or both?  Amy Lane’s Promises series just jumps to my mind.  What comes into yours?  Ones that break your heart and then puts them back together again.  Stories you never forget because your heart won’t let them go….

Tell me which ones you love and let’s share our favorites.  A random reader who leaves a comment or readers (you never know here) will receive a $10 gift certificate.  Dreamspinner Press or Amazon, your choice.    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Happy Pride Month.   Giveaway ends midnight June 30th.  Winners announced July 1st.

Sad Announcement

And now for some very sad news.  Author A.C. Katt has passed away suddenly.  Kris Jacen of MLR Press announced the news on her FB page.  Many of our reviewers here, including Paul who also passed away recently, loved her stories including her Werewolves of Manhattan series.  Here is more on 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.

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 writes GLBT andis to writing, a late bloomer, however, she’s found her niche writing GLBT romance. She currently writes for MLR Press, JMS Books, and Decadent Publishing.

She will be missed.  Our condolences go out to her family and friends.  Her stories will always be with us.

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 25:

  • A Month Full of Pride.
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 26:

  • DSP GUEST POST Erik Swill on Too Many Temples
  • Release Day Blitz Nate’s Last Tango by Kevin Klehr
  • A Lila Review: Waiting for You (Lifesworn #1) by Megan Derr
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Slim Chance by Jeff Erno
  • An Ali Release Day Review: Model Investigator (Haven Investigations #3) by Lissa Kasey
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale

Tuesday, June 27:

  • Blog Tour Moro’s Price by M. Crane Hana
  • Release Day Blast Regret by Christina Lee
  • Smitty’s Sheriff (Hope Collection) by Cardeno C. /Tour
  • A Caryn Review: Misdemeanor (Responsible Adult #1) by C.F. White
  • A MelanieM Review McShayne’s Dragon (McShayne’s Bloodline Book 1) by Nicole Dennis
  • An Ali Review: Windward (Mirror #2) by Kirby Crow /Meridian (Mirror #1) by Kirby Crow
  • An Alisa Review: The Sky at Night by Wayne Mansfield

Wednesday, June 28:

  • Audiobook Review Tour for See Me (Lightning Tales #3) by K.C. Wells
  • HARMONY INK GUEST POST Haven Francis on Riding with Brighton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: See Me (Lightning Tales #3) by K.C. Wells
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Pyresnakes by Tray Ellis
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius by M.A. Church
  • An Alisa Review:  Incubus Touch (Polar Nights Book 1) by Siryn Sueng

Thursday, June 29:

  • DSP GUEST POST Jeff Erno on Slim Chance
  • RIPTIDE TOUR & Giveaway: Oversight by Santino Hassell
  • A New Way to Dance by Sean Michael Blog Tour
  • A MelanieM Review: The Hawaiians 4: Hawaiian Ginger by Meg Amor
  • An Ali Review: His Pirate (Second Chance #2) by Stephanie Lake
  • An Alisa Review:  That Alien Feeling by Alessandra Hazard

Friday, June 30:

  • Blog Tour for  Different Dynamics by Tamir Drake
  • DSP GUEST POST Kate McMurray on What’s the Use of Wondering?
  • DSP GUEST POST Tray Ellis on Pyresnakes
  • Review Tour for RJ Scott’s Kingdom Series Vol. 2
  • A Lila Release Day Review: Something’s Brewing at Joe’s by SJD Peterson
  • A MelanieM Review: Kingdom Volume 2 (Kingdom #2) by R.J. Scott
  • A Stella Release Day Review:  ​A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania) by TJ Klune

Saturday, July 1:

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Manny Get Your Guy (The Mannies #2) by Amy Lane

 

 

 

An Alisa Review: Forest of Thorns and Claws by JT Hall

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Donovan McGinnis, a veterinarian and conservationist at a research center in Sumatra, is fighting to save the rainforest from poachers and politicians alike. One day he discovers a tigress trapped by a snare, and while treating her injuries, she bites him. He becomes ill with strange symptoms that leave him feverish and dreaming of the jungle and blood.

 

Kersen and his family are part of the Siluman harimau, a clan of tiger shifters hidden away in a secret village near the rainforest. When Kersen’s sister is caught, he knows he must free her before she infects someone with their magic and reveals their secret.

 

But Donovan has already been turned, and only time will tell if he can control the tiger within. Kersen must help him, but will the fierce attraction between the pair bring ruin to them all? With the rainforest under threat from outside forces, they may be doomed anyway, unless Kersen and Donovan can find a way to defeat the danger from inside and out.

 

This was a great story that was based on many real facts about tigers in Sumatra.  This story has a lot of action but learning about the real situation that tigers live in gives the story a more serious undertone.

 

Donovan spends his days trying to protect the rainforest in different ways while Kersen tries to keep their existence hidden to the world.  Donovan is drawn to Kersen from the first time they meet and doesn’t understand it.  When he ends up chasing Kersen and learning of the changes going on in his body he is astounded but wants to keep everyone safe just as he always has.  They fight a very real danger of losing their home if they can’t find a way to work together.

 

We get to see both of these characters’ thoughts and emotions throughout this story.  Donovan is frustrated with the government and gets even more so when he has more lives than just the wild tigers and other animals he has been trying to save to think of.  Kersen doesn’t understand his pull towards Donovan at first but even as he tells himself he won’t he jumps head first into their mating without even telling Donovan that is happening.  Their relationship is just what both of them have been longing for and they are able to bring more people together to work on fighting to save their home.

 

Cover art by LC Chase is great and gives nice visuals of the characters in both human and tiger form.

 

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 247 pages

Published: May 15, 2017 by Riptide Publishing

ISBN: 9781626495869

Edition Language: English

 

An Alisa Audiobook Review: The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

 

Cal McCorkle has lived in Bluewater Bay his whole life. He works two jobs to support a brother with a laundry list of psychiatric diagnoses and a great-uncle with Alzheimer’s, and his personal life amounts to impersonal hookups with his boss. He’s got no time, no ambition, and no hope. All he has is family, and they’re killing him one responsibility at a time.

 

Avery Kennedy left Los Angeles, his family, and his sleazy boyfriend to attend a Wolf’s Landing convention, and he has no plans to return. But when he finds himself broke and car-less in Bluewater Bay, he’s worried he’ll have to slink home with his tail between his legs. Then Cal McCorkle rides to his rescue, and his urge to run away dies a quick death.

 

Avery may seem helpless at first, but he can charm Cal’s fractious brother, so Cal can pretty much forgive him anything. Even being adorkable. And giving him hope. But Cal can only promise Avery “until we can’t”—and the cost of changing that to “until forever” might be too high, however much they both want it.

 

This is a great story showing that if you find the right person in the end everything can work out.  Cal has been holding on by a thread for the last six years but knows keeping his family together is what keeps him going.  Avery has continued to take the abuse of his family and boyfriend and finally has enough when the opportunity to change his life comes up.

 

Both of the characters are so unhappy and stressed with their lives they grab hold of the happiness they are able to give each other.  We see the story through both of these characters’ eyes and are able to see how the actions of those around them are slowly hurting them more and more.  I loved to see how these two were able to brighten each others’ worlds even after Cal’s whole world is ripped away from him.

 

Nick J Russo did a great job narrating this story.  I feel the characters emotions through the voices and the way his portrayed them.  I loved hearing his interpretation of the characters personalities and could just picture them even more than reading it would have done.

 

Cover art by LC Chase is great showing the car and boat that are quite important in the story and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 8 hrs 12 min
Published: May 3, 2017 (ebook first published June 13, 2015)
Edition Language: English

Series: A Bluewater Bay Story

In the Spotlight: Chief’s Mess (Anchor Point #3) by L.A. Witt (Riptide Publishing Tour & Giveaway)

Chief’s Mess (Anchor Point #3) by L.A. Witt
Riptide Publishing

Cover by: L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here at Riptide Publishing

 

 

About Chief’s Mess

Anthony Talbot is in Anchor Point to visit family, but after two days of strife, he needs a break. A local gay bar is calling his name.

When Chief Noah Jackson sees that red head stroll into the club, he immediately wants him. They’re perfectly matched, and before long, they’re burning up the sheets. Noah can’t get enough. Anthony can’t stay in Oregon for long, but as soon as he leaves, he’s counting down the days until he can fly back for more. And between his increasingly frequent visits, there’s always phone sex, sexting, webcams . . . anything they can get.

But Noah’s got a carefully crafted façade, and Anthony can’t help noticing the slowly forming cracks. The scent of alcohol in the middle of the day. The extra drinks at dinner. The hint of red in his eyes. Anthony knows what it means. He doesn’t want to believe it, but he’s seen this before, and there’s no denying it. If Noah doesn’t get his downward spiral under control, he’s going to lose both his career and the first man he’s ever really loved.

Available now from Riptide Publishing. 

Also check out Just Drive and Afraid to Fly, the first two titles in the Anchor Point series!

About LA Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Chief’s Mess, one lucky winner will receive their choice of two eBooks off L. A. Witt’s backlist (excluding Chief’s Mess) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 24, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Pride Month Continues with Readers Recommended Best Coming Out Stories! This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Pride Month Continues with A Winner Announcement

 

June continues and so does Pride Month celebrations!  We have had some wonderful comments and book suggestions for Best Coming Out stories. I’m going to put them all into a list and have them up by the last Sunday this month. Here’s  some of the wonderful comments and recs we’ve had:

Readers Recommended Best Coming Out Stories!

✒︎From H.B.:

“I’ve never been to a Pride event but it sounds like something fun and exciting to support.
My favorite stories that have characters coming out are:
Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain
Ready For Love by Stella Starling
Falling Together by SK (Shelley) Grayson
#gaymers series by Annabeth Albert
Thanks a Lot, John LeClair by Johanna Parkhurst
Patient Eyes by Andy Eisenberg

H.B. has several of my favorites there. Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain and the #gaymers series by Annabeth Albert.  H.B. also has some I’m going to have to look up. Yay!

✒︎From Didi:

“Happy Pride Month to everyone of queer spectrum. A few of coming out titles that stay in my head are Kaje Harper’s Life Lessons, Josh Lanyon’s Death of A Pirate King, also John Goode’s Tales from Foster High. On the first two titles the coming out might not be the main issue of the story, but it’s something that affected the character deeply and overall emotionally engaging to me.”

Didi hit all 3 of mine, including a favorite Josh Lanyon series!

✒︎Purple Reader came through with a book I haven’t read either (so my list grows). Here’s what he has to say:

“DC is one of my fav cities for a couple special reasons. I’m not from there, but on a trip 15 yrs ago that’s where I came out (so you could say that’s my fav coming out story :-); and on another trip that’s where I proposed to my husband. Oh my, a fav novel about coming out? So many, and as always I like to go for beyond the norm. So one fav is “Mysterious Skin.” With its coming of age there’s self-awareness/coming out to oneself as well as others, and it deals with tough issues, but that it all the more poignant.”

That’s Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim.  I’ve got a GR link included.

✒︎Suze294 also chimed in with an all time favorite of mine Sean Kennedy.

Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy! One day I plan to get to a Pride event – probably Manchester or Liverpool as closest”

✒︎Ardent Reader surprised me with one of the first m/m books I ever read on her lists (non fan fiction that is).  Here is Ardent Reader’s list:

“A few of my favorite stories that have coming themes are: My Summer of Wes– Missy Welsh, Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane, The Catch Trap-Marion Zimmer Bradley

Because of the great response, we are going to pick 2 winners this week!  They are Ardent EReader and waxapplelover!  Congratulations!  You both win a $10 Dreamspinner gift certificate.  Stella will be in touch with you both shortly.  The rest of the comments, recommendations and full list will be up next Sunday.

Now for this week’s giveaway to finish up Pride Month!

 

Pride Father’s Day Celebration Giveaway!

Give us your best suggestions for books involving LGBTQIA families or LGBT people with children stories.  I just finished last week’s wonderful Accepting The Fall by Meg Harding, with firefighter Zander Brooks learning to cope with fatherhood as the parent of a bright, frightened 5 year old.  Terrific story.  And Dragon Home by Mell Eight with William, the foster parent of two growing dragons kits (a whole different set of parenting skills required there).  But I know there are soooo many out there!  Let’s start a list!

So for Father’s Day, what books melted your heart?  That had children, maybe puppies or kittens or both?  Amy Lane’s Promises series just jumps to my mind.  What comes into yours?  Ones that break your heart and then puts them back together again.  Stories you never forget because your heart won’t let them go….

Tell me which ones you love and let’s share our favorites.  A random reader who leaves a comment or readers (you never know here) will receive a $10 gift certificate.  Dreamspinner Press or Amazon, your choice.    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Happy Pride Month.   Giveaway ends midnight June 30th.  Winners announced July 1st.

 

 

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 18:

  • Pride Month Continues with Readers Recommended Best Coming Out Stories!
    Winner Announcement.
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 19:

  • Release Day Blitz for Drama Queens and Devilish Schemes by Kevin Klehr
  • Review Tour: The Great North (A Legendary Love Book 1) by J. Scott Coatsworth
  • Release Blitz & Review Tour – Better Than Suicide (The Yakuza Path #2) by Amy Tasukada
  • A Stella Release Day Review:  Love Wanted by John Inman
  • A MelanieM Release Week Review: The Great North (A Legendary Love Book 1) by J. Scott Coatsworth
  • A MelanieM Review: Better Than Suicide (The Yakuza Path #2) by Amy Tasukada
  • An Alisa Review: Chasing His Cottontail (Hoppity Shifter #1) by A.R. Barley

Tuesday, June 20:

  • In the Spotlight: Chief’s Mess (Anchor Point #3) by L.A. Witt (Riptide Publishing Tour & Giveaway)
  • Blog Tour for Sum of the Whole by Brenda Murphy
  • A MelanieM Review: The Monet Murders (The Art of Murder #2) by Josh Lanyon
  • A VVivacious Review:  Reckless Passion (Reckless #3) by Amanda Young
  • AN Alisa Review:  Romancing the Bouncer by J.D. Walker
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Wednesday, June 21:

  • Review Tour for Enlightenment Series by Joanna Chambers
  • Blog Tour for Strong Enough by Melanie Harlow & David Romanov
  • Blog Tour for Queer Magick by L.C. Davis
  • A Caryn Review: Beguiled  (Enlightenment Series #2) by Joanna Chambers
  • A Caryn Review: Provoked (Enlightenment Series #1) by Joanna Chambers
  • A Caryn Review: Enlightened  (Enlightenment Series #3) by Joanna Chambers
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Patron by C.B. Lewis

Thursday, June 22:

  • DSP guest blog SA Stovall on Vice City
  • Release Day Blitz for A Way with Words by Lane Hayes
  • DSP GUEST POST Sean Michael on The Dom’s Way
  • A MelanieM Review: Fair Chance (All’s Fair #3) by Josh Lanyon
  • A VVivacious Review: Sex in C Major by  Matthew J. Metzger
  • An Alisa Review: Forest of Thorns and Claws by JT Hall
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: The Interborough (A Five Boroughs Story) by Santino Hassell and Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)

Friday, June 23:

  • Blog Tour for  Kevin Corrigan and Me by Jeré M. Fishback
  • Release Blitz for RJ Scott’s Kingdom Series Vol 2
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Kind of Home (A Kind of Stories #4) by Lane Hayes
  • A Jeri Release Day Review: The Dom’s Way (Iron Eagle Gym #5) by Sean Michael
  • A MelanieM Review:Kingdom Series Vol 1 by RJ Scott
  • A MelanieM Review: Winter Kill by Josh Lanyon
  • An Ali Review: Mai Tais and Murder by J.C.Long

Saturday, June 24:

  • Release Blitz  for  Scrap (The Bristol Collection #3) by Josephine Myles
  • A MelanieM Review: Scrap (The Bristol Collection #3) by Josephine Myles

 

 

 

 

In the Spotlight: Back to You by Chris Scully (Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway)

Back to You by Chris Scully
Riptide Publishing

Cover by: L.C. Chase

Available for Purchase at Riptide Publishing

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Chris Scully here today on her Back to You Tour.  Welcome, Chris!

✒︎

Hello! I’m Chris Scully. I’m thrilled to welcome you to my blog tour for Back to You, my new romantic suspense novel. Join me at various tour stops, where I’ll be sharing some background on the novel and the characters, my thoughts on writing, and more. Comment on each stop to be entered in a drawing for a $20 Riptide gift certificate. Thanks for joining me on the tour!

About Back to You

Journalist Alex Buchanan has come home to the remote British Columbia town he grew up in, but only because his estranged father is dying. For Alex, the homecoming holds a mix of memories, mostly bad. The only bright spot is reconnecting with Benji Morning, the childhood friend he never truly forgot. As boys, the strength of their bond had frightened Alex. But now that he’s confident in his bisexuality, he’s drawn back to quiet, soft-spoken Ben.

Ben isn’t the same boy Alex left behind, though. His life has been overshadowed by the disappearance of his sister two decades earlier, and now a new break in the case threatens to undo the peace he’s worked so hard to attain.

As Alex struggles to repair the relationship with his father before it’s too late, he finds himself caught up in a twenty-year-old mystery, a story he never expected, and a shocking truth that could affect his and Ben’s future together.

Available now from Riptide Publishing

About Chris Scully

Chris Scully lives in Toronto, Canada. She grew up spinning romantic stories in her head and always dreamed of one day being a writer even though life had other plans. Her characters have accompanied her through career turns as a librarian and an IT professional, until finally, to escape the tedium of a corporate day job, she took a chance and began putting her daydreams down on paper.

Tired of the same old boy-meets-girl stories, she found a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve. She divides her time between a mundane 9-5 cubicle job and a much more interesting fantasy life. When she’s not working or writing (which isn’t often these days) she loves puttering in the garden and traveling. She is an avid reader and tries to bring pieces of other genres and styles to her stories. While her head is crammed full of all the things she’d like to try writing, her focus is always on the characters first. She describes her characters as authentic, ordinary people—the kind of guy you might meet on the street, or the one who might be your best friend.

Although keeping up with social media is still a struggle given her schedule, she does love to hear from readers.

Connect with Chris:

Website: chrisscullyblog.wordpress.com

Facebook: facebook.com/chris.scully.author

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6152322.Chris_Scully

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Back to You, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 17, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!