Category: Self Published

Its Cover Reveal Time for Sloan Johnson’s release “Teach Me”

Sloan Johnson has a New Release!

Teach Me by Sloan Johnson
Goodreads Page 

Out today!

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 Teach Me Blurb:

Two words stripped Austin Pritchard of the privileged life he’s used to. The moment he uttered the words, “I’m gay,” he realized there is no such thing as unconditional love. Now, he’s gone from traveling the world with his family to living on the streets trying to figure out how he’s going to stay in school.

A chance opportunity changes everything. Austin impresses the foreman and lands a job, but even more, he catches the eye of David Becker, who is determined to teach him that true love doesn’t come with strings.

The only thing David had as a child was love. His family struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. That has driven him to stay focused on his goals; become a tenured professor at a university and save enough money to build a home of his own. It’s not until he sees an insecure college student working on his new house that he realizes that he hasn’t planned on someone to share his life with. He’s about to learn that everything he’s already accomplished is nothing compared to the task of making Austin see that he is worthy of love.

Book Details:

245 pages, self published
Expected publication: November 25th 2014 (first published November 22nd 2014)

Author Bio:

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s body. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed, purple haired mom of two kids, one of which was a thank you present to her husband for letting her get a Staffordshire Terrier with more anxiety issues than Sloan has, which is saying something. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself in a good book and forget that she has somewhere to be.

Contact Sloan Johnson via:

Winner Announcements and its almost Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving_Quotes_Carl Sagan

The Rush is On!

Thanksgiving almost here and the rush is on for getting all things ready whether it is shopping for ingredients, finalizing the menus and guest lists, traveling to family and loved ones.  Whatever is on your agenda, this is the week we are all scurrying to get it done.

And then its December.  Oh my.

So Happy Thanksgiving for those of us in the US and Ex pats Abroad!

And Happy Reading to all and to all a Good night!

Giblets cartoon

STRW Winner Announcements:

Meredith Shayne’s winners were:
Ist Prize – Paperback – Denise D.
2nd Prize – $10 BDP Voucher – H.B.
3 x 3rd Prize – ebook – Trinitee M., Lisa G., Shelly H.

Susan MacNicol’s “Love You Senseless” Winner is Serena S

Sarah Madison’s ” Walk A Mile” Winner is Bronwyn H.

Our Schedule this Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, November 24, 2014:

  • MelanieM Review: Who Knows The Storm by Tere Michaels
  • Choosing Happy by Aria Grace Excerpt Tour and Contest
  • A PaulB Review: Galactic Treasure (Earth Con #2) by Theodora Marie Adams

Tuesday, November 25, 2014:

  • TB: Bailey Bradford Off Course Book tour
  •  Charlie Cochrane’s No Better Corpse for the Job Book Tour
  • Sloan Johnson Teach Me Cover Reveal and Release Date Announcement‏
  • A MelanieM Review: Radiant Burn by Laura Harner (PF2014)

Wednesday, November 26, 2014:

  • VBT: The Bones of You by Laura Stone.‏  Tour and contest
  • Renee George ‘Kiss My Ash’, Book tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall
  • A PaulB Review: Ciro by Remmy Duchene

Thursday, November 27,2014 – Happy Thanksgiving!:

  • A MelanieM Review: Manipulation by Eden Winters
  • A Sammy Review: Thunder Snow by Owen Keehnen
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Third Eye by Rick R. Reed

Friday, November 28, 2014:

  • Share the Love – Lucky Strike by Jane Davitt -book tour and contest
  • A PaulB Review: “Unjustified Claims (Hidden Wolves #3)” by Kaje Harper
  • Iyana Jenna ‘Slippery Slope’ Excerpt Tour and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Chestnuts Roating Anthology (Angel Martinez, Freddy Mackay, Toni Griffin

Saturday, November 29, 2014:

  • Texas Fall (Texas #6) – RJ Scott Book Tour and Contest

In the Book Spotlight: The Superstar by Patricia Logan (book tour and contest)

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Book Name: The Superstar
Author Name: Patricia Logan

Author Bio:

Patricia Logan resides in Los Angeles, California along with her husband, four children, her grandchild and ever increasing number of cats. When not being stage mom, baking cookies, or scooping kitty litter, she writes steamy, award winning, gay erotic romance and tries to lead her readers on a journey of discovery with more than a little angst.

Author Contact:

Publisher:The Superstar Cover
Cover Artist: Jeff Adkins: http://www.jpadkinsdesigns.com
Sales Links: amazon

The Superstar Blurb:

Storm Ellison is the sexiest man on two legs. The gorgeous young star of “Trapped on an Island”, the hottest reality show on television, is instantly recognizable the moment he leaves his palatial mansion. Paparazzi follow him everywhere, leaving him no peace or privacy, selling his pictures to the tabloids, and cementing his reputation in the press as a slutty gay playboy. As Storm prepares to sign his first major movie deal, his manager decides he needs protection. What he doesn’t expect, is to be attracted to the cold bastard who’s now running his life.

Balthazar Grant, freelance bodyguard, is a huge, handsome, rough and ready former Marine, trained by the best, and willing to step between Storm and anyone stupid enough to come at him. Always stoic and serious, Taz lends a deadly presence to Storm’s entourage whenever he ventures out in public. Storm doesn’t want a bodyguard, much less one who won’t let him live his fast and loose lifestyle with impunity and he’s certainly not one to be dictated to by an overconfident Marine who has opinions about everything including who he should hook-up with.

When a deadly threat hits Storm’s world, he’s suddenly living his own reality show, only this one has an outcome which doesn’t involve being voted off an island. Will Storm wake up before it’s too late and will Taz be able to fight his attraction to the handsome young superstar while trying to convince him he’s in very real danger? The pair will soon learn that reality is stranger than fiction.

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance

The Superstar Excerpt:

Jules grinned again. “You like Storm, Taz. You LIKE like him!” she raised her voice and Taz looked around to see who else could have overheard her.

“I like him fine, Jules; I work for the guy,” he replied, intentionally misunderstanding her.

“No, Taz, you are ‘in like’ with Storm,” she reiterated. She reached up and took hold of his sunglasses, dragging them off his face. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t like Storm like that, big guy. Whoa, those are some dreamy eyes,” she sighed.

Taz felt embarrassed and exposed without his shades and hated the fact that she could see the very real truth in his eyes when all he wanted to do was deny it. He averted his gaze, staring out onto the dance floor only to regret it immediately when he noted Storm’s arms wrapped around the twink, his lips being plied by the smaller man’s as their lower bodies ground against each other to the beat of the music. The moment he saw them, he frowned.

“See? That’s what I’m talkin’ about, Taz. You can’t stand the way that other man touches Storm. You want him for yourself,” she said emphatically.

Words: 82,000

Tour Dates/Stops:

PSuperstarBadgeTour Dates/Stops: 

19-Nov

Multitasking Mommas

Michael Mandrake

My Fiction Nook

20-Nov

Tara Lain

Cate Ashwood

Parker Williams

21-Nov

Hearts on Fire

Love Bytes

Queer Town Abbey

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

24-Nov

It’s Raining Men

Velvet Panic

Prism Book Alliance

25-Nov

BFD Book Blog

26-Nov

Inked Rainbow Reads

Molly Lolly

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of ‘The Superstar’ by Patricia Logan. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

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A Mika Review: Damaged Package by S.A. McAuley

Rating:  2.75 stars out of 5

Damaged Package coverForced into early retirement from his career as a SWAT officer for the city of Detroit, James Deacon knew that when he failed it would be a fall of epic proportions. He’s been living life by the tips of his fingers for over twenty years, and his new gig organizing a group of misfit military types into a functioning team—including his reluctant ex-fiancée—won’t return him to stable ground anytime soon.

Trevor Barrow has been on the move for the last seven years—hitting the road when relationships became too real or too much work. He’s home now, working in the hazardous world of bike messengers in the Motor City, and the only one of his eight siblings who knows he’s returned is his sister Cat. It’s not as if reconnecting with them matters anyway, because it’s likely he’ll be gone again soon.

Both men are lugging some heavy baggage, but when they chance upon each other in a dive bar it’s hard to deny their flaws are more like symbiotic quirks. Trevor’s backpedaling instincts and Deacon’s dance-dance party past may just be intersecting at a time when things are about to get explosive in Detroit.

I didn’t like this book. I found myself wanting to end it multiple times throughout reading it. I gave these ratings based on the basic level of relationship between Deacon and Trevor. The entire book felt disjointed to me. It was weird, and not believable. I didn’t buy into the corporate espionage angle one bit or that a 16 yr old boy would get emancipated from his mother and for 7 years was able to travel to 93 countries. What did he do to gain money, shelter, protection, and knowledge? I can’t believe that would have unless he had a fairy godmother out here protecting him and supplying him with endless funds. Then after being gone from home from 7 years, he’s able to return and start up a bike messenger service. Really, because it’s that simple? Trevor talks about these friends he’s got, and how he’s able to live in an upscale apartment building and have his own company at 23. He never once talked about formal education, any type of training. The one relationship he held dear to his heart the author decided to make a muck out of it. I didn’t like it, I felt it was too easy to place the blame and take away the only faith and trust in someone.

Deacon character’s threw me off a lot, whereas with Trevor I understood why he was closed off. Deacon’s character seemed unauthentic throughout the entire book unless they were in some sort of physical state. The story seemed to be told out of sequence. They kept referencing the Audra Price incident as his reasoning from getting fired from his job of 20 years? What did he do that was so wrong? From my understanding of what was said in the book was whispering in Miss Price ear about what she did; it felt like a gimmick and not realistic. The crux of the story was basically Deacon working for “The Dictator”, this wsapowerful man in Detroit who owned lots real estate and businesses. Why does one need an paramilitary/ swat team to deliver correspondences all over the city? The corporate espionage plot was so unrealistic for me. I felt like the author spent way to much time on it, and it didn’t solve, answer or satisfy me with the story.

The only plus for me was Continue reading “A Mika Review: Damaged Package by S.A. McAuley” →

A MelanieM Review: Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #19) by Havan Fellows

Ratings:  5 Stars out of 5

Final Blow coverRowen Smithe fought his demons, in this case the people who turned a 14 year old boy into a warped nightmare of a man.  But Rowen escaped them but never the darkness they created inside him.  Now, with the events of the past weeks behind them, Rowen is finally prepared to start living again, this time with Mick, the man who helped free his soul and stole his heart. But in the aftermath of the horror and killing, things have changed and now its Mick that the darkness has swallowed and Rowen is uncertain how to help the man he loves regain what he has lost.

Mick Rutger was a happy-go-lucky type of guy, a feeling he liked. But his encounters up close with Rowen’s past and the events that followed have left Mick with feelings of hatred and rage, feelings he is unprepared to deal with. Drowning under his fears, nightmares, and anger, Mick closes himself off to the outside world in a drastic measure of protection.  Just when Rowe has finally opened up to him and Mick had hopes for their future together.

Both men will have to battle the darkness one more time if they hope for that HEA and trust that their sanity won’t be lost forever.

Final Blow is the penultimate story in Havan Fellows’ Whispering Winds (PF2014) series.  I have loved both of her characters, but especially the damaged Rowen Smithe from the very start.  Mick Rutger was Rowe’s opposite, always he seemed to be that affable and lighthearted golden bouncing after the haunted, dark soul that was Rowe.  It was Mick who drew Rowen out of the cabin, or down from his tree, ever so slowly out of the silence and isolation that Rowen had wrapped himself in.  It was a beautiful balance between the sun and the night, a twilight journey the reader was thrilled to be on along with Mick and Rowen.  For every heartbreaking reveal from Rowen, Fellows gifted us with an endearing scene of Mick beckoning Rowen further out of his shell.  Remember this scene from Blown Kisses?

Huh?

Rowen sat quiet for a second, wondering where the extra noise came from when it happened again, and he looked up to the right.

“Shit…” he muttered under his breath. Someone was knocking on his door.

He turned his body, slowly moved the curtain out of the way, and with only his right eye, peered out the window. He couldn’t see the front door from this window, but he wondered if a certain.

Two clear pale blue eyes stared back at him, crinkled around the edges undoubtedly because of the smile Rowen couldn’t see from this close. Mick moved back enough to lift up Filigree—no, the stray cat—and wave her paw at Rowen.

I laughed about that scene all the way through the terrors that followed, and the glimpses of hope for a future together that the author allowed us to see.  Consistently, just when things were at their worst, Fellows incorporated lighter elements to alleviate the heaviness and strain that has been a major factor in this series.  And always it was Mick who was the bearer of light tidings.

But in Blown Chance, there was a major reversal of roles between Mick and Rowen, the dynamics of which are just being felt here in Final Blow.  Now we see the trauma and rage those acts have visited upon Mick as well an uncertain Rowen trying to reach out and  save the man he finally acknowledges that he loves.  It’s an unsettling turnabout for all and it heightens the vulnerabilities and frailties of both characters like we have never seen them before.

Havan Fellows reveals Mick as a character far more complex and layered then he originally appeared to be.  It makes the relationship we have seen develop between the tortured Rowe and Mick more authentic and believable.  If there is to be a yin to his yang, then it also needs to be on equal ground with matching complexities and overtones. The author accomplishes that hard-won balance in Final Blow.  Here her characters find themselves in situations that require them to achieve a certain amount of emotional growth and healing in order to move forward, hopefully together.  It was painful and wonderful and immensely satisfying to see characters we have come to love reach out for each other and more, much, much more.

I love Final Blow as I have all the preceeding stories in this series.  But there is one last story to come.  There are still monsters at play and demons to vanquish.  Who and what they are is still to be revealed.  I can’t wait for December to come.

But until then, grab up this marvelous series if you haven’t already.  Make the acquaintances of Rowen Smithe (who definitely give Wicked Templeton a run for the money as favorite Fellows character) and Mick Rutger.  Start at the beginning, enjoy the journey to love  and HEA.  Its one of the top series of the  year, along with its interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, all of which are listed below.

Cover artist:  Laura Harner consistently delivers a great branding job with the series and the PulpFriction 2014 logo.

Sales Links:  All Romance eBook (ARe)   amazon   Final Blow

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 50 pages
Published October 14th 2014 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
original titleFinal Blow (Whispering Winds #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #20)
ASINB00OII4ZRE
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #19, Whispering Winds

About Pulp Friction 2014

Pulp Friction  2014 Authors: Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.
The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment. All stories have been read and reviewed at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:
Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:
Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:
Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five:
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors coming in December.

Side Stories or Interludes:

Taking Chances by Lee Brazil (a In From the Cold story)
Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5) by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

It’s Cocktail Hour with Renee George and Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (Cocktails #7) Book Tour and Contest

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Book Name: The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – Alex and Ricky (CockTails #7)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George

Author Bio:

Multi-published, best-selling author Renee George has been a factory worker, an army medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing stories about sexy alpha men is the BEST job she’s ever had. When she turned thirty, she went back to college and earned her BA in creative writing. She has been married to the love of her life, a wonderful man who supports in every way, for over half her life (and that is a VERY long time!). She happily lives in a small, Midwest town with her husband, two needy dogs and a very independent cat. Anything else you want to know, just ask. She’ll give you all the nitty gritty dirt.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/renee.george.351
https://www.facebook.com/authorreneegeorge

http://www.twitter.com/@reneegeorge2008

Publisher: Self-publishedGinRickey2_Cocktails7_xl
Cover Artist: Renee George

Note: “The Wallbanger” will be FREE for readers from Nov 14-16!

Sales Links: 

CockTails #1 The Wallbanger – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PL92

CockTails #2 The Hot Toddy – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PNTA

CockTails #3 The Gin Rickey – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD1PQWO

CockTails #4 The Dirty Martini- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KV05LYO

CockTails #5 Wallbanger 2: The Old Fashioned http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MV3TT4C

CockTails #6 The Hurricane: Hot Toddy 2- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5CUFYK

CockTails #7 The Sparkler: Gin Rickey 2 – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P2WFUJC

(And they’re all free through Kindle Unlimited.)

Gin Rickey 2 Blurb:

Ricky McNeil doesn’t do relationships, especially with hot, rich dudes like Alex Michaels. No, he and Alex find mutual and intense satisfaction together–and if Ricky thinks about Alex too often and wants him too much … that doesn’t mean anything. Right?

Alex wants Ricky day and night, but figures asking for an exclusive relationship with the sexy, tattooed man is the best way to scare him off.  Even so, Alex can’t resist inviting Ricky to his parents’ home for a holiday barbecue. No one’s more surprised than Alex when Ricky says yes.

Will attending a family event as a couple bring them closer together … or be the end of everything between them?

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

cocktails

Gin Rickey 2 Excerpt:

A delicious tension rose in Alex when Ricky stroked his face and curled a hand behind his neck. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and light headed, the tightening in his chest threatening to burst him wide open. His pulse hammered with anticipation. When Ricky pulled him down and their lips brushed, he nearly collapsed to the ground.

“What about these,” Ricky said, his voice low and seductive. “Are these pretty lips mine?”

“Yes,” Alex whispered. “Yes.”

Ricky’s hand trailed down Alex’s neck to his chest, his hand resting over Alex’s heart. “And this? Can I have this too?”

“Fu-uck,” he stuttered, reaching back to brace himself.

“Is that a no?”

“No,” Alex said. His skin dampened as his whole body trembled. “I mean, not a no. Jesus, I’m sweating.” His breath quickened, and he felt the edge of a panic attack. God, Ricky was going to be the death of him.

“Slow down, Alex,” Ricky said, his voice calm. “Just breathe.”

Alex took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then blew it out slowly.

Ricky wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and kissed his neck. “Again.”

He took another deep breath and after a slow exhalation, Ricky’s lips drifted across his again. Alex leaned down, slanting his mouth into the kiss, melting against Ricky’s body as he opened for the delicious invasion. The heated stroke of his lover’s tongue inside his mouth felt electric. They didn’t usually kiss. Not like this. They didn’t do this kind of intimacy. They didn’t…

Pages: 55 pages

GRBadgeTour Dates: November 14th, 2014

Tour Stops: 

Parker Williams

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

BFD Book Blog

Molly Lolly

Inked Rainbow Reads

My Fiction Nook

Wake Up Your Wild Side

The Hat Party

Love Bytes

Fallen Angel Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews

Multitasking Mommas

Tara Lain

Michael Mandrake

It’s Raining Men

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Kimi-Chan

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card.  Must be 18 years or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter the contest and for all additional contest details.
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</script

Fall Into Love with Susan MacNicol’s Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1) Tour and Contest

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Fall into Love with Susan MacNicol’s Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)!

Before we get to the great book info, I have a special interview with Susan MacNicol for your (and my) enjoyment!  Susan shares her thoughts about chefs and some insight into the story.  Enjoy!

Q.  You hit it on the head for me with a main character who is a chef.  That is such a tactile and sensual profession and it makes for great characters.  What drew you to that profession?

SM:  My family are all great cooks, and it seems to be in the blood. My mum has always been a woman who can make anything taste good and has a knack for baking, cooking and creating mouth watering dishes. My sister is a chef, who ran her own restaurant in Cape Town for a while. My dad and his wife owned a hotel on the South Coast of Natal, where preparing meals was a way of life. My son is in hospitality too, not food but as a mixologist for TGI Fridays. My hubby cooks a mean meal too, and my daughter is very creative when it comes to her dishes looking good, even if she is the most messy chef I know. I am the only one who actually doesn’t enjoy cooking and finds it a chore. I can cook when I have a mind to, but I don’t enjoy it. So writing about it is probably as close as I’ll get to this past time.

Q.  Do you love to cook or to eat?  Do you have a favorite cuisine and does it figure into the story?

SM:  *grins* I think I answered the first part of this question already. Actually I’m not a big eater and I know this is sacrilegious, but I could live on takeaways, microwave meals, sandwiches and fried eggs on toast. When someone cooks I truly enjoy it but to me eating is to live, not a way of life. My favourite cuisine is sea food of some sort, but I also love tapas and mezes dishes where you get a lot of small dishes and you can pick and eat at your leisure.

Q.  Do we get any recipes to go along with the plot (hint, hint)

SM:  I have a wonderful South African recipe for something called ‘bobotie’ which you can find here and which everyone swears by…I eat it, I don’t cook it but I’ve told this is a ‘top’ recipe..

Pronounced ba-boor-tea, the national dish of South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5109/bobotie
Q. The kitchen pace can be frenetic, how hard is it to bring that to life without losing any concentration on the characters?

SM:  I found I concentrated more on the subtle hints of the life behind a restaurant, rather than full blown action in the kitchen. There are some scenes, such as the one where Gideon finds Eddie and one of his colleagues talking about his affliction, something he hates, and he goes a little bitchy. There you get to meet a couple of the others who make up the back drop for the story, as well as find out what to do when a tea towel sets alight…

Q.  Which came first title or plot?   Or characters or plot?  Or did they all just coalesce at once?

SM:   – I came up with the title first and had to figure out what it meant. When I finally got the inspiration for the story, it was a little like that proverbial ‘Eureka!’ moment. Gideon and Eddie just popped into my head. I knew I wanted a saucy red head and boy, do we get one in this story. Gideon’s grouchiness, torment and his warm, loving nature when he finally lets his guard own and Eddie in – that was fun to write. And Taylor and Leslie, Eddie’s housemates..as with a series, you need to create the lasting characters for the next book and I hope I did this with them.

Q.  This is the first in a series.  Will it feature the same characters at different points in their relationship or focus on other characters that pop up in this story?

SM:  Gideon and Eddie will have cameo roles in the next books, but each subsequent book will focus on a character introduced in previous stories and give them their very own voice. Book 2 will the story of Taylor and Draven, Book 3 is Leslie and David and Book 4 will be all about Clay and Tate. You’ll get to meet Clay in Sight and Sinners, which is book 2. After that -who knows where I’ll take it…

Q.  How many books do you have planned for this series or  isn’t there a set number at this time?

SM:  There is a set number of six that I’ve contracted for, and I think this is where it will stop for a while. I need to focus on writing my new full length and rather epic ‘Living on Air’ featuring Carey and Rhys, and that story is going to take a lot out of me. It’s about a young man, Carey, who escapes an horrific child hood event (not sexual abuse related) and hides from the world in a most unlikely place. Until he’s discovered by Rhys, and has to face up to the fact that he can’t hide from the world forever.

Q.  Your favorite childhood story if you have one and did it have an impact on you as a child and still as an adult author?

SM:  Believe it or not, and this is going to sound very clichéd, but one of the best memories I have of childhood was when I got my very first typewriter for my birthday at the age of around ten. It was an old Royal, and I can still hear the clackety-clack of the keys. I wrote voraciously at the time and my dad decided I needed a ‘new fangled’ writing instrument. His words I swear. I spent hours in my bedroom typing away and I still have a lot of the material I typed on it. I had to throw it away about five years ago as it was bust to hell after moving countries and homes and sometimes I feel a real nostalgia and wish I’d kept it.

Q.  What’s next for Susan Mac Nicol?

 SM:  Write more books. Get out and do some conferences – I’ll be in Munich in July for Eurocon and Gay Pride, Bristol in September for UK Meet, and perhaps I might get to the US for GRL in October. Keep doing what I do and hope I become famous Kidnap Benedict Cumberbatch and keep him in my cellar…oops did I say that out loud? Continue trying to entertain my readers and fans, and hope that they continue to enjoy my books and to support me like they have in the past. They are true gems and I appreciate each and every one of them, along with the bloggers who work tirelessly to support authors like myself, simply because they love reading and books. We salute you all.

Q.  Thank you, Susan, I enjoyed that so much.  Now onto Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)!

Book Name: Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1)
Author Name: Susan Mac Nicol

Author Bio:

Sue MacNichol Book

Susan Mac Nicol is a self confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, self confessed geek and nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called ‘the boyfriend’ by her long suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for that…

She is never happier than when sitting in the confines of her living room/study/on a cold station platform scribbling down words and making two men fall in love. She is a romantic at heart and believes that everything happens (for the most part) for a reason. She likes to think of herself as a ‘half full’ kinda gal, although sometimes that philosophy is sorely tested.

Lover of walks in the forest, theatre productions, dabbling her toes in the cold North Sea and the vibrant city of London where you can experience all four seasons in a day , she is a hater of pantomime (so please don’t tar and feather her), duplicitous people, bigotry and self righteous idiots.

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

.

Author Contact:
website: www.susanmacnicol.com
blog: susanmacnicol.wordpress.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/susiemax77MoL_Love You Senseless_cover
twitter: www.twitter.com/SusanMacNicol7
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/susiemax777/pins/
linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/susanmacnicol/48/a44/602
tumblr: http://www.susanmacnicol.com/my-tumblr-blog/

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Cover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group

  Love You Senseless Blurb:

London’s saucy up-and-coming chef, Eddie Tripp has just the right recipe to drive tragedy from the mind of Gideon Kent—and leave him senseless with desire.

From Soho to Norwich, there’s no escaping love.

A TASTE OF FOREVER

An award-winning chef with his own restaurant and an inexhaustible passion, Gideon Kent once had everything. Then came tragedy. It stole more than Gideon’s home. He hasn’t cooked since.

Until Eddie Tripp. Fun-loving and vivacious, the Norfolk redhead’s a real up-and-comer in Gideon’s kitchen—and other places. Slim where Gideon’s broad, easy-going where Gideon is growly, he and Gideon seem polar opposites, and yet Eddie conjures flavors that would tempt anyone with a taste for perfection. The sauce of love is already simmering, and this pair is about to dine on the most delicious dish they’ve ever prepared. Because Eddie’s been Gideon’s missing ingredient all along.

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

 Love You Senseless Excerpt:

Eddie kissed back, wanting nothing more than this moment, this man in his body and his lips on his. Somewhere a bell rang and for a minute Eddie thought it might be the sound of his own passion translated to tinkling sleigh bells and fireworks like in the cartoon movies when two people kissed. He smiled at that thought then as the bell got more insistent and irritating, he turned to Gideon only to find he was no longer there. Eddie scowled and reached across to where the annoying bell sound was….

He woke from his dream upright, sweating, sticky with come and tangled in musty smelling sheets that had seen their fair share of jack off action lately and needed washing. His hand rested on his mobile phone as it trilled incessantly with his Big Ben alarm. He blinked owlishly for a minute, wondering where he was, then as the dream faded, he fell back in a loose heap with a sense of loss.

Words: 85,000

BadgeTour Dates and Stops:

11/3: Rainbow Gold Reviews
11/4: Amanda C. Stone, Joyfully Jay
11/5: Rebecca Cohen Writes
11/6: Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly
11/7: Nic Starr
11/10: The Novel Approach, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
11/11: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Hearts on Fire
11/12: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
11/13: Love Bytes, Twinsie Talk
11/14: Prism Book Alliance, Dawn’s Reading Nook
11/17: The Blogger Girls, Kristy’s Brain Food
11/18: MM Good Book Reviews, Regular Guys, Hot Romance
11/19: 3 Chicks After Dark
11/20: Smoocher’s Voice
11/21: Multitasking Mommas
11/24: Kimi-Chan, Cathy Brockman Romances
11/25: Iyana Jenna, The Hat Party
11/26: Queer Town Abbey, Andrew Q. Gordon
11/27: Crystal’s Many Reviewers, BFD Book Blog, Michael Mandrake
11/28: EE Montgomery, My Fiction Nook, It’s Raining Men

Contest:  Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A copy of Saving Alexander & Stripped Bare.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

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A MelanieM Review: Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #20) by T.A. Webb

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Terra Firma coverWith everything that has gone down in the past months, Charlie Turner would rather take a bullet than hurt the man  he loves,  Amos Greene .  But Charlie is in possession of some knowledge that he’s not sure Amos wants to know about.  And the indecision and secrecy is killing him.

Amos Greene grew up in a series of foster homes that left him abused, hardened, and closed off. Meeting Charlie Turner changed his life. Now Amos is part of a family. But there’s still a little bit of him that wonders who he really is.  Little does he know that Charlie has a file in his possession that will change everything for both of them.

Now all Charlie and Amos need is a little more courage and trust to see them through to the ending they both deserve and desire.

Terra Firma by T.A. Webb has settled into my heart like the warm glow of a crackling fire on a cold winter’s night.  The warmth and light draws you in after leaving the cold and dark behind.  You appreciate it so much more because of the past surroundings and the journey you took to hearth and home.  Terra Firma feels like that.  It feels like coming home.

Through a remarkable four stories we have watched Charlie Turner and Amos Greene struggle with commitment, trust issues, bigotry, horrific abuse, and a family in tatters.  And cheered as each man faced the obstacle in front of them and survived, as individuals and, finally as a couple we have learned to love.  Along the way, Charlie and Amos became a family, along with Charlie’s younger brother, Damon.  Still there always seems to be one more barrier to overcome, one more secret to surface before things can become sane and happy once more.

T.A. Webb drops us into Charlie and Amos’ life just as another wave of change approaches.  And while Charlie sees this one coming, what it will leave in its aftermath is anyone’s guess.  All three of the main characters that make up this complex family have been wounded by life, yet Webb meshes their damaged natures and needs into a whole that feels real and intimate.  Terra Firma is that place Charlie, Amos and Damon have been looking for, emotionally and physically and now it seems that another barriers has to be faced, although this time they do it together.

Earthquake has always been a series played out on a smaller stage, with the cast of players decreasing story by story until this last installment is almost a cast of three.  It’s a warm, close knit group that now feels as familiar as old friends.  The last hurdle?  A file folder containing information about Amos’ background and history, something that has caused him profound pain and determined his life path towards Flagstaff and Charlie.  As the scene plays out, the dynamics between Amos and Charlie, Charlie and Damon, and Damon and Amos, step onto the stage, each unfolding with believable interchanges and loving dialog.  And as the men grapple with the information, the cloak of family falls over all of them, and makes it possible for them all to move forward.

As I said, Terra Firma, the solid foundation Charlie, Amos and Damon have been seeking, has arrived and it is my favorite story of them all. It’s comforting, warm, and embracing. Its love, family, and the future you always wanted rolled into one.  How amazing that T.A. Webb accomplished so much in only 40 pages.  That’s the power of succinct storytelling and  a depth of characterization that continues to pull you in line after line.  That’s a beautifully constructed and  well written narrative doing the job it is supposed to do and then some.  That’s Terra Firma by T.A. Webb, short story writing at its best.  Dont miss out on this amazing book.  But start at the beginning, enjoy the journey.  It will make this happy ending so much more satisfying as well as one to remember.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Another great  cover in a series of covers.  The branding is especially effective.

Sales Links:  All Romance eBooks     amazon    Terra Firma

Book Details:

ebook, 40 pages
Published October 31st 2014 by A Bear on Books
ISBN139781311836977
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #2

 

 

About Pulp Friction 2014

Pulp Friction 2014 Authors: Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.
The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment. The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:
Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:
Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:
Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five:
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors coming in December.

Side Stories or Interludes:

Taking Chances by Lee Brazil (a In From the Cold story)
Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5) by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

On Tour with Parker Williams’ Protector of the Alpha (Shifting Needs #1) (contest)

PotABanner300x250

 Protector of the Alpha: Shifting Needs Book 1
Author Name: Parker Williams

Author Bio:

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that comes with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Publisher: Self-publishedProtector400x600
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales LInks:   All Romance   Smashwords    Amazon

Protector of the Alpha Blurb(s):

Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis’s life appears easy. Even in college, he is blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen.

Zakiya Incekara has always been…odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.

When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult, Paranormal

Protector of the Alpha Excerpt:

Jake’s hand was rough, his skin dry. Zak loved how his fingers gripped tightly, but not so much that it hurt. Jake said nothing as they walked along the streets of the campus. There were few people around, but Zak did not care if everyone was watching them. He was confused as to his attraction to Jake, but it was something he could not deny.

The soft jazz music poured from the door of the pub when Jake pulled it open. Jake’s hand on his lower back urged him inside. Zak sniffed appreciatively at the scent of Cajun spices, no doubt from the blackened catfish special. His stomach protested, and he heard Jake snicker, but he could not seem to raise the ire he should. Jake escorted him to a booth and allowed Zak to sit back against the brushed leather.

“Two dinner specials coming up,” Jake said brightly.

Zak gazed at Jake’s hulking form as it moved away, marveling at the sinewy grace as he dodged patrons and servers. It was odd. He had never met anyone like Jake. He doubted there was anyone like Jake. He felt comfortable in his presence. Jake’s size did not intimidate him. In fact, that made him all the sexier. But his eyes were what made Zak melt into a puddle of goo. The way they twinkled in the dimmest of light. When Jake so much as glanced at him, Zak felt he was the sole thing Jake saw.

Jake turned from the bar, and Zak watched as the bright smile turn into a sneer. He dropped the tray, the catfish crashing to the floor, before he stalked to where Zak sat. Jake grabbed a man, probably about forty, by his throat and pushed him against the wall.

“You don’t so much as breathe near him,” Jake snarled.

The man looked cool as he smiled and croaked out. “You are everything I had heard you would be, and more, my lord.”

Pages: 237 pages

 Book Tour:  November 11, 2014

PotABadgeTour Stops: 

Parker Williams

My Fiction Nook

The Hat Party

BFD Book Blog

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

3 Chicks After Dark

Prism Book Alliance

Lee Brazil

Tara Lain

Fallen Angel Reviews

Cathy Brockman Romances

Amanda C. Stone

Molly Lolly

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Hearts on Fire

Decadent Delights

Wake Up Your Wild Side

Inked Rainbow Reads

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Andrew Q. Gordon

Love Bytes

Multitasking Mommas

Mrs. Condit & Friends

Iyana Jenna

MM Good Book Reviews

Guilty Indulgence Book Club

Emotion in Motion

Havan Fellows

Tara Lain

Nephylim

The Blogger Girls

Up All Night, Read All Day

Dawn’s Reading Nook

Velvet Panic

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

Full Moon Dreaming

Cate Ashwood

Jade Crystal

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Kimi-Chan

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A MelanieM Review: Semper Fi by Keira Andrews

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 The war is over. The battle for love has just begun.

Semper Fi coverLittle did  Jim Bennett and Cal Cunningham know what the future had in store for them when they met abroad the train bound to South Carolina and the training ground for the Marines.  The time is 1942 and WWII is underway.  From that initial meeting, a strong bond was forged, one that would see them through the rigors and pain of Parris Island where they became Marines then across the ocean to the Pacific campaign where the horrors of Guadalcanal and Okinawa awaits them.  And through all the blood, tears and anguish, the bond grows from friendship to love at least for Cal, a love undeclared, buried and forbidden.

After the war, Cal stays connected to Jim from afar until Jim’s wife dies. Then Jim’s need for Cal’s help overrides Cal’s plan to stay away from the man he loves and he arrives at Jim’s farm thinking to stay just a short time.  But Jim is a man in pain, suffering from PTSD and with an orchard and two small children to care for.  The bonds between them snap back into place and the loves Cal holds for Jim is stronger than ever.  But what happens when Jim begins to see Cal in a new light? Soon their relationship starts to deepen in ways neither expected. Can they build a life together as a family and find happiness in a world that would condemn them?

With Veteran’s Day almost upon us, I can’t think of a more appropriate time to recommend you discover this poignant and heartwarming novel Semper Fi by Keira Andrews, author of A Forbidden Rumspringa.  A richly layered saga of a love that begins on board a rickety train bound for Parris Island in the year 1942, the story continues through the war years and ends in 1957.  All the social upheaval, all the National milestones that came with WWII, it’s all here, bound up in an intimate tale of the struggle for love and family.

From the moment we encounter these men on the train, we know that these men are remarkable.  These characters exude a vitality perfect for their ages while brimming over with an authenticity of the times and the impact that Pearl Harbor had upon the nation.  Young men were eager to enlist and serve their country, a naive enthusiasm that is quickly dispelled by their Drill Sargent and the rigors of boot camp at Parris Island.  Keira Andrews has done her research for the history and minutiae incorporated into the story are factual while overlaid by the emotions and physicality of their situation and the times.  We experience “the breaking down to build up” that goes on in boot camp.  It’s humiliations, pain, and hardship that have to come before the rewards that the men go through.  And throughout it all we feel the bonds growing into place between Jim and Cal.  This deep emotional attachment that forms soon includes the readers in its intimacy and scope which translates well when the story moves into 1948 and Jim’s small home town.The characters of Jim Bennett and Cal Cunningham, both from New York but separated by social status, wealth, and self knowledge, are men who will capture your heart with their struggles and journey towards a loving relationship that must always be secretive and unacknowledged by those around them.

The author has chosen an unusual format here. Each chapter includes two different time perspectives.  One in the “present” 1948 and Jim’s Clover Grove Orchard in upstate New York, then it returns to 1942 and the start of Jim and Cal’s relationship and journey through WWII.   I hate to call this a flashback because it doesn’t feel that way.  More a turn of a prism that incorporates the whole of someone’s life journey.  A twist of the crystal and another facet comes into the light before turning once more.  We start out in 1948 as Cal arrives at Jim’s farm.  Then its 1942 and they are meeting on a train to South Carolina and training camp.  Each chapter moves the story forward in each time frame.  Far from being disjointed, this format serves to bring balance and a deep sense of history to the scenes occurring in 1948.  The men in 1948 are still trying to deal with the devastating emotional and physical aftermath of the war.  The men of 1942 are so young in outlook and naivete, a viewpoint that is eroded by war time experiences full of blood, horror and death.  And the reader is there with them …on the beaches, in the sweltering jungles of the Pacific, and the pounding bombardments of artillery fire from both sides.  And it all happens so gradually, while interfaced with scenes from the present, that we don’t even realize at first that their pain and suffering has become ours as well.

Another important element of the times and story?  The need for homosexuals to stay hidden even as they search out like individuals in situation after situation plays out again and again here.  The desperation and hunger that is found in the darkness and anonymity for people like Cal comes across the pages with a realness that almost hurts.   Cal has always know he was “queer” and the implications that it has had on his upbringing and outlook.  Jim?  That’s a far more complex and hidden aspect of his personality, one he doesn’t deal well with.  For him, his feelings are a “sin”. Their situation is fraught with peril, full of subtle touches and emotional support and the joy of discovery and the pain that arrives as well makes this story one you won’t soon forget.

There is a mystery to unravel, believable children to win over, and always a relationship in flux between two characters we have come to love.  I can’t recommend this story enough.  With Semper Fi, Keira Andrews now has two books in Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words “Must Read” Top Lists of 2014. This story will tug at your heartstrings while making our past and the sacrifice of so many young men feel immediate and haunting.  Pick up both stories today and start your journey with this remarkable author.

Cover design by Dar Albert is as lovely and haunting as they story itself.  A top cover any way you look at it.

 

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks             amazon             Semper Fi

Book Details:

ebook, 320 pages
Expected publication: November 11th 2014 by KA Books
ISBN139780993859854
edition languageEnglish