Category: STRWC

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart 2 (Red Dirt #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Red Dirt Heart 2Charlie Sutton had lived a quite, solitary life on his family’s ranch, the Sutton Station, one of Australia’s Northern Territory’s largest farms.  It’s harsh desert landscape and couple million acres of red dirt,  and scorching sun made his self isolation as easy as hiding his sexuality. It was a situation that Charlie had gotten comfortable with, even loved at times.

Then a Texas agronomy grad, Travis Craig appeared in his life by means of an international diversification education program and nothing was ever the same.  Now Charlie’s life is lively, crowded,  upended and confused.  Travis is proudly gay and crazy about Charlie just as Charlie is about him.  Six months of having the one thing he never thought possible is making Charlie happy, and throughly scared.  And all the confusion, self doubts, and questions about their future is starting to make Charlie feel trapped in a way he never felt before.

As problems communicating and issues of exposure rise, one big question looms on the horizon.  Will Travis stay or will he go?

 

The saga of Charlie Sutton, Travis Craig and the Sutton Station continues and happily, it has just grown in dimension and complexity with this new installment.   I fell in love with Charlie, Travis, and all the inhabitants of the  enormous farm called Sutton Station in the first story, Red Dirt Heart 1 where N. R. Walker introduced us to the uncompromising, yet beautiful landscape of the Northern Territory in Australia.  Here the people and animals  inhabit a vast territory, living in some of the harshest conditions found on earth.  Brutal heat, a desolation that stretches for a million acres where nature, not people, make the rules and the cost of  disregarding them is perilous and often deadly.

Through vivid descriptions and a beautiful use of the Australian culture, language and lingo, Walker envelopes the reader once more into the remote world that is Sutton Station and the romance of Charlie Sutton and Travis Craig.  Just as making a living off under such uncompromising conditions takes work and communication, so do relationships.  That that’s where Charlie and Travis are having trouble.

Walker’s Charlie Sutton is a complex, wonderful character.  I almost wrote man because he feels so real and alive to me.  Charlie grew up under the less than benevolent parentage of a father as harsh as the land around them.  That voice that Charlie hears inside his head saying that “no fairy son of mine will ever run the station” is his father’s, a voice and bigoted outlook so ingrained into Charlie’s head and heart that he fears the very openness that Travis represents. The internal struggles that Charlie must work through are mirrored by the battles that must be fought externally in town and the other stations.  And no matter what front the battles are being fought on, internal or otherwise, it always comes across as believable, immediate, and powerful.  Since the story is told from Charlie’s pov, the reader is there for every skirmish, all the mental and emotional arguments and musings running through Charlie’s head and heart as he tries to find a way forward and a future.   Walker had me so involved, so committed to Charlie and Travis that I couldn’t put this story down once I started.

And while its Charlie’s voice and thoughts we hear, we see, learn about and come to love all the others through his eyes.  Travis, of course, comes first.  A man of endless passion, movement, and need to being  doing, something, anything, his big open heart is one the reader finds easy to embrace.  Following quickly on his heels are Ma, George, Bacon, Trudy, Billy and Ernie.  Even those darn animals like Matilda the red kangeroo baby, Texas and Shelby, their horses, everything pours itself into your heart like the red dirt of Sutton Station, inescapable, memorable, and final.

In a funny and welcome addition, N.R. Walker lays out for the reader early on certain vocabulary and colloquialisms non-Australians will find necessary.  I started to correct realise to realize only to find out that no, realise is the Aussie spelling, not ours.  And our Mickey D’s?  Nope, that’s not what it’s called   down under, a funny scene I will let you find on your own. There is no part of this story and series that doesn’t have me seriously enraptured.  I want to go there. Pull on my Akubra and Driza-bone, take a ride in their utes, to experience the country and people I have met through the Red Dirt Heart series.

There are two more books to go, unless we can convince N. R. Walker to extend the series.  Red Dirt Heart 2, in fact the entire Red Dirt Heart saga, is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014.  And N. R. Walker  is now on my automatic author buy list.  Pick up these stories and start your journey in this remarkable land and it’s equally intrepid and complex characters.  You will laugh, your heart will hurt, and some tears are going to flow in joy and sorrow.  What a saga and series await you in Red Dirt Heart!

 Cover art by Sara York is wonderful in branding the series and showcasing the landscape.

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks      Amazon         Red Dirt Heart 2

 Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 250 pages
Published August 17th 2014
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edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #2

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3
Red Dirt Heart 4

Find my author interview with N.R. Walker here.

 

 

Book Blast: Skylar Wood and her release “Jade” (tour and contest)

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Check out Skylar Wood’s latest story, Jade.  Read the excerpt and don’t forget to enter the contest below:

Book Name: Jade
Author Name: Skylar Wood

Author Bio:

Skylar Wood lives in the very beautiful, lively and fun filled City of Edmonton, Alberta Canada, where there is always something going on, summer or winter. She feels it’s a great place to be.

Skylar is a reading fanatic and only wishes she had more time to do it. Jade is her first venture into the writing arena. She says that writing is hard work but it’s a refreshing change from her nine to five job. It provides fantasy and escape. She truly enjoyed writing Jade, a lesbian romance novel, stating it was a neat sexual fantasy to explore through the pages of a book and that writing Jade and seeing it publication has been one of the best experiences of her life.

Author Contacts:

Title: Jade by Skylar Wood
Publisher: Dark Hollow Press
Cover Artist: 3 Rusted Spoons Cover Design

Sales Links: www.darkhollowspress.com

Beauty In DarkJade Blurb:

Jade Tanner appears to have it all. To the world she is a self-made billionaire and business woman extraordinaire. However, it’s lonely sitting atop the corporate world, and more and more Jade can’t help but feel empty inside.

A secret sexual fantasy life begins as she starts chatting online with a beautiful young escort named Twylla Star. Becoming deeply immersed in this fantasy world, her desire to meet this woman soon becomes so overwhelming that Jade finds herself booking a date with her.

Meeting the delectable Twylla in Las Vegas, Jade is unprepared for the impact Twylla has on her the moment she holds the other woman in her arms. What started out as an unfettered sexual weekend with someone she’d never seen again, suddenly turns into something more.

When lust turns to love, are they strong enough to let go of the past to build a future together? And what will happen when the real world comes crashing back in?

Categories: Contemporary, Lesbian Romance

Jade Excerpt:

Twylla reached over in the bed for Jade only to find she was gone. She got out of bed and stumbled into the washroom to splash water on her face and then went in search of Jade. She found her in the kitchen. She was surprised at the surge of tenderness she felt when she looked at this woman, busy on her laptop. She had never felt anything like this for a date before.

“Morning,” she said, reaching her arms around Jade and kissing her neck.

“Morning, beautiful,” she replied, then kissed Twylla on the lips.

Pulling apart, she glanced at the computer screen. The name on the email was Jade Tanner. Twylla’s heart almost stopped in her chest.

Could this be the Jade Tanner, the founder of Jade Cosmetics and Tanner Enterprises? If so the woman she had spent the night with was a multi-billionaire. She kept a very low profile, so Twylla didn’t know what she looked like and hadn’t connected the name with the cosmetics tycoon. She knew Jade was very publicly against porn, and the sex industry in general. It didn’t make sense that the Jade Tanner would hire her for sex. Maybe the name was a coincidence.

She thought of all the times she had dated older gross men hoping they would take her as their mistress or possibly even see her as a wife. All of them saw her simply as a whore they had purchased. With Jade it had felt different. They had connected immediately. Their lovemaking had been erotic, sensual and blissful. She had enjoyed Jade’s body just as much as Jade had seemed to enjoy hers.

Jade closed her computer. “I’ve made coffee if you want it.”

She most definitely did. Walking away from her, she was aware of Jade watching her. She knew the power of her beauty and sexuality. Leaning against the counter, she turned so her robe fell partially open giving a teasing glimpse of her breasts.

Tour Dates: October 7, 2014

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jade Crystal, Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Hat Party, Andrew Q. Gordon, Cate Ashwood, Prism Book Alliance, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, All I Want and More Books, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Amanda C. Stone, Iyana Jenna, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Velvet Panic, Fallen Angel Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: Copy of ‘Jade’ e-book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest entry form and additional contest details to be found at the Rafflecopter link provided below.

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A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Red dirt Heart CoverCharlie Sutton runs one of the largest working ranches in middle Australia, Sutton Station.   It is something he was born to do and Charlie can’t picture himself anywhere else even if he feels his sexuality would make him an outcast not only among the people he works among but the other stations and store owners he does business with as well.  The recent death of his powerful, overbearing father has done nothing to still his father’s voice inside his head that threatens his self worth and instills Charlie with a fear about being gay and out. Then a new arrival at the station upends the status quo, including Charlie’s perceptions of himself and the Sutton Station family.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives for a work study internship at Sutton Station.  Travis feels that his background as a Texas rancher and college area of study will help him fit in while hoping his studies will be beneficial to both countries.  While Travis expects to research how the Australian farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth, he doesn’t expect to find that he learns to love not only the harsh beauty and red dirt of Sutton Station but Charlie Sutton himself.

Under the intense desert sun of the red dirt of Sutton Station, can two men find love and the ability to have a future together?

Readers, meet my latest obsession and its author, the Red Dirt Heart series by N. R Walker.   All it took was the first paragraph to pull me totally into the life of Charlie Sutton and the Sutton Station set in the Northern Territory (which is about the same size as Lebanon and based on a real working farm).  This author is amazing.  Walker manages to make the people and places in Red Dirt Heart so believable, so vivid, that you will feel the dust and heat enough to feel the need to brush the red dirt off the pages (or Kindle cover) as you read.

The story is told from  Charlie Sutton’s point of view.  That perspective enables Walker to bring all the Aussie terminology, colloquialisms, culture and frame of mind to life.  It also lets us into the heart and soul of this vulnerable, and marvelously complicated young man.  There is so much to Charlie.  From the insidious voice inside his head left by his father that tells him he will never be good enough or “man” enough to run Sutton Station because he is gay to the considerate, smart, and appealing person others find him to be.  What a  great character!

Travis Craig, is his equal in every manner.  A Texas agronomy student who is openly gay, Travis starts to upend Charlie’s life and life at the Sutton Station from the moment he arrives.  Travis not only works himself into Charlie’s heart but the readers as well.  Their dialog together is serious, humorous, and telling in its many meanings and impact.

Every aspect of life at Sutton Station comes across as authentic and real as the red dirt itself.  From Ma in the kitchen to the drovers that work for Charlie, the reader is immersed into the every day experiences of life lived seasonally and the hard work it takes to exist and succeed under some of the harshest conditions known.  It’s not just the romance but all the layers found here in this story and series that makes it work and  resonate deeply with the readers, myself included.   I did say it was my newest obsession, didn’t I?

Red Dirt Heart is that amazing self published story that you want to go telling everyone about.  I couldn’t put it down and then was lucky enough to already have in my possession the sequel to dive into once the first was finished.  And then I wanted more.  I wanted to move to Australia, experience the red dirt and vastness of the Northern Territory and wander until I found a Charlie and Travis of my own.  Trust me, you are going to feel the same.  The third story in the series is almost here.  Pick up the first two and get ready to fall in love with Charlie, Travis, and the Sutton Station itself.

Cover Artist:  Sara York.  I like it.  It works for the story and series branding.

Author’s Note: Please note: This book is set in Australia, using Australian English and lingo

Sales Links:    All Romance eBooks  (ARe)         Amazon                 Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 162 pages
Published February 20th 2014
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #1

Books in the series to date in the order they were written and should be read to understand the relationships, events and characters:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3 to be released early October 2014

In Our Author Spotlight: Carol Lynne on Tour with The Brick Yard, A What’s His Passion Imprint from TB! (contest)

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Carol Lynne here to talk about her latest release from Totally Bound’s What’s His Passion Imprint, The Brick Yard.  Check out the book information and don’t forget to enter the contest included in the tour! 

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My Love/Hate Relationship with Secondary Characters
By Carol Lynne

Let me start by saying how much I love to write secondary characters. I love them so much that I can’t stop thinking about them after I finish a story. That, of course, leads to a sequel. Then, in the sequel, I have to introduce another set of secondary characters, which will inevitably lead to a third book. Are you starting to see a pattern? Yep, I’m a series junky. I’ve tried numerous times to kick the habit, but it’s a pull like none other.

When I was asked to write a stand-alone title for the What’s His Passion imprint at Totally Bound, the first thing that popped into my head was how am I going to pull off a stand-alone? What about secondary characters. Am I really supposed to write a story with secondary characters who will never see a happily-ever-after? How can this be? My brain simply doesn’t work that way.

Well, in The Brick Yard, I tried to give life to the secondary characters while reigning in my thoughts about future stories. It wasn’t easy, honest. That said, I know that all the secondary characters in The Brick Yard will go on to lead very happy and productive lives. I may not have a chance to write them, but I’ve told myself they will be fine without my interference.

I have no doubt that once people read The Brick Yard, they will email to ask if Jax is going to get a story or Jake or Mac…the list goes on. This is where the hatred for writing secondary characters comes in. Believe me, I’d love to know what happens to them in the future as much as some of you do, but, again, this is a stand-alone. How do authors write standalones? I think the next time I’m asked to write a single book, I’m going to set it on a remote island or something where only the two main characters are in the story because the only way I know not to fall in love with my secondary characters is simply to not write them in the first place.

Despite my ramblings, I hope you’ll fall in love with the secondary characters in The Brick Yard as much as I did.

Blurb for The Brick Yard, the debut novel in Totally Bound’s What’s his Passion? imprint:

thebrickyard_800For Lucky Gunn, the hardest fight of his life happens outside the cage.

On the south side of Chicago sits an old gym called The Brick Yard.

Ten years ago, on a bitterly cold day, Lucky Gunn wandered into The Brick Yard dressed in a threadbare jacket, looking for refuge. He hadn’t expected the owner, Tony Brick, to welcome him with a job and a place to sleep when Lucky’s abusive and drug addicted mother made it too dangerous to return home.

Dray was a gay man living in a world of straight fighters. When his secret was exposed to the media, he dropped out, giving Lucky a piece of advice, if you want to make it as a MMA fighter, bury the part of yourself that won’t be accepted.

Lucky discovered the cage was the perfect place to keep his demons at bay, but when he learns his trainer and mentor, Brick, is suffering from end-stage cancer, he begins to spiral out of control. After eight years, Dray returns to help Lucky and Brick deal with the devastating news.

With Dray so close, Lucky’s old desires return, and Dray teaches him more than how to fight. Torn between his career and the passion he feels for Dray, Lucky finds that his past demons resurface in full force, threatening his sanity and his budding relationship with Dray.

Despite leaving the cage years earlier, Dray finds himself in the battle of his life with the only man he’s ever loved. Will he stand and fight or walk away like he did years earlier?

Like the sound of The Brick Yard? Buy it here!

The Brick Yard_Carol Lynne_Blog Tour_Blog dates_finalAuthor Bio for Carol Lynne:

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles between being a full-time mother and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find Carol either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favourite chair writing steamy love scenes.

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Get Hot and Heavy with Julia Talbot’s Georgia Knights Book tour and contest!

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Book Name: Georgia Knights
Author Name: Julia Talbot

Author Bio: Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Dreamspinner Press, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved

Author Contact:
. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at http://www.juliatalbot.com

Georgia KnightsPublisher: Torquere Press Inc
Cover Artist: Alessia Brio
Pairing:  M/M/F  Menage

Sales Links:  Amazon         All Romance             Torquere Books

Georgia Knights Blurb:

When anthropologist Georgia Cortez heads to rural Georgia from New Mexico, she’s on the trail of a juicy old legend. Haley Falls seems like just the place for old-time ghost stories and spooky hauntings, but she’s on the hunt for something far rarer, a survival of an old sect of medieval knights.

Caid and Alton are Haley Fall natives, and they used to be best friends. A falling out years ago ended in them not speaking, even after Alt left town and returned older, if not wiser. They unite when it comes to a nosy scholar like Georgia picking apart their heritage, and putting their whole town in danger. When boys meet girl, though, they decide wooing is far better than scaring the lady off, and they set about distracting Georgia in the best way.

While their three way romance heats up, so does the intrigue in Haley Falls, until the three of them are facing a danger far worse than falling in love with each other.

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Ménage, Thriller

Georgia Knights Excerpt:

“Boys…” She felt all flushed and tipsy, like her skin was too hot. It was amazing.

“Alt…” Caid stared at Alton over her head. “You. Damn it.” There was no anger there. Just a strangled heat.

Alton lifted one eyebrow. “Whut? We’re all adults here. There’s no reason not to enjoy ourselves.”

Well, that was true enough. She sure was enjoying them. A lot.

Georgia took a bit of pizza and offered it to Caid, holding it up to his lips. “Want some?”

“Mmmhmm.” Caid nipped it out of her fingers, licking at a little sauce that slid down to her knuckle.

She watched as he licked her finger clean, then offered a bite to Alton, going from sweet smile to wicked grin.

“Tasty.” Alton was more blatant, nibbling her fingers along with the pizza, loving on her.

Her nipples were hard as rocks, her belly taut and tense.

“Lord, Caid. She smells good, huh?” Alton leaned on her, smiling across at Caid, hand pushing Caid’s against her under the table.

“You both do.” Caid said it on a moan, Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Y’all are enough to make me breathless.” Talk about mating rituals. Jesus. She could write a bestselling erotic thesis about them.

“You’re the hottest thing I’ve seen since I laid eyes on Caid, and he’s been resisting me for years.”

Oh. Oh, God. Alton obviously had no filters. She took a moment to visualize that — fine bodies moving, rubbing. Kissing. Oh. Pretty.

Caid made another one of those noises, sounding almost pained. “Y’all.”

“I. Is there somewhere… The cook’s watching us.” And she wasn’t putting on a show for the sixteen-year-old, acne-ridden mouth breather.

“My place.” Alton threw a bunch of bills on the table, waving to the little teenagers who watched them avidly. “I need a box, kids.”

“Alton has a place almost up to the falls,” Caid whispered, breath hot on her neck.

“Okay.” She sounded like a phone sex worker, all breathy and husky.

They packed up the pizza and headed out, Alton hustling them back to her little rental SUV. He didn’t give either one of them time to think, either, just groped them both impartially.

“Alton, you’re dangerous. Sit in the back seat.”

“What? Why?” He pouted at her, but Caid punched his shoulder.

“Because no one can drive with you all over them, Alt. Get.”

She gave in to her baser instincts and went up on tiptoe to kiss the corner of Alton’s mouth. “I have to focus, huh?”

“Oh.” Alton blinked, those pretty gray eyes bright. “Got it. I’ll just sit in the back and…” He made an unmistakable motion with his hand.

She swatted him, chuckling. “Now, now. Don’t pop too soon.” She winked at Caid, offering him a quick kiss, too.

Caid surprised her with a kiss that curled her toes, capturing her mouth for a long moment before moving away. He went and sat in the passenger seat, staring, focused.

“Oh.” Wow. Okay. Driving.

Driving would be good.

KnightsBadgeTour Dates: September 29th, 2014

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Love Bytes, Inked Rainbow Reads, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon, Prism Book Alliance, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fallen Angel Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Amanda C. Stone, Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows

Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: 25.00 Torquere Press gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link for the entry form and for additional contest  details.

Rafflecopter Code:

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On Tour with K.C. Wells’ Confetti, Cake, and Confessions! (contest)

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Check out K.C. Wells latest release, Confetti, Cake, and Confessions from Island Tales Press.  There’s an excerpt to read and a contest to enter!

Book Name: Confetti, Cake, and Confessions
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23148914-confetti-cake-confessions
Author Name: K.C. Wells

Author Bio:

Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way.

K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love was even hotter…

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.

The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.

Author Contact: K.C. can be reached via email (k.c.wells@btinternet.com), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld), on Twitter (@IslandTalesPres) or through comments at the K.C.Wells website (www.kcwellsworld.com ) K.C. loves to hear from readers.

Confetti, Cake and Confessions jpgPublisher: Island Tales Press
Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

Sales Links:   Amazon             All Romance eBooks (ARe)

Confetti, Cake, and Confessions Blurb:

Tony Porter and Marc Powell had lived in the same house for the past eight years, since their single parents moved in together. When Tony’s mother Marie and Marc’s father Dennis decide to tie the knot at last, it should be an occasion of great joy for everyone. Except all Marc can think about is having to spend the next two weeks with the young man he’s been in love with since he was sixteen.

Tony feels so torn about Marc coming home from college. He keeps telling himself that it’s wrong to feel this way about him. After all, in two weeks’ time they’ll be related. So when the two young men are thrown together to prepare for the wedding, tensions rise and discoveries are made.

It’s going to be a very long two weeks, and a wedding that no one will ever forget.

Confetti, Cake, and Confessions Exclusive Excerpt:

Tony sat up on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands.

I am such a mess right now.

Everything was going wrong. He’d asked Tammy out because that’s what you’re supposed to do. His mates at college had already begun making comments on his lack of a girlfriend and he’d panicked. He could’ve chosen some quiet, shy girl who wouldn’t have made demands on him, but no, he had to go and ask out Tammy Wentworth, probably the biggest slut on campus. He groaned aloud at the thought. Okay, so she was a good cover, but there was going to come a time pretty soon when she wouldn’t take no for an answer. There had already been signs of that.

And then what the fuck do I do?

Because there was no way he was going to have sex with Tammy. No way on this planet.

Oh, Mum had been delighted, had made noises like ‘it’s about time’ and had squealed and hugged him, much to his discomfort. Dennis had grinned and then, to Tony’s horror, he’d taken him aside and asked quietly if they needed to have That Talk. Tony had almost heard the capitalized letters. He’d squirmed and Dennis had taken pity on him, patted his arm and given a serious nod, as if that conversation could wait for another time.

Like hell it could.

Then there was the whole Marc scenario. And that was a real mess.

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

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Tour Dates: September 29th, 2014

Tour Stops: Carly’s Book Reviews, Parker Williams, Havan Fellows, MM Good Book Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Jade Crystal, Prism Book Alliance, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Multitasking Mommas, Cate Ashwood, Queer Town Abbey, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Fallen Angel Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Michael Mandrake, It’s Raining Men, Kimi-Chan

Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: E-Copy of ‘Confetti, Cakes, and Confessions’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link for the entry form and for additional contest details.

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On Tour with J.K. Hogan and Love and the Real Boy! (contest/author interview)

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Scattered Thoughts is happy to welcome J. K. Hogan here today to talk about her Coming About series and the latest story, Love and the Real Boy.  Along with an interview and except, there is a contest to enter as well.  Now lets get started…

STRW• I really enjoyed I Survived Seattle.  Love and the Real Boy is focused on a divisive character from the first story.  Did you always plan on his redemption being part of this series?

JK:  No, when I first created Rich, I didn’t expect that he would be anything other than an over-the-top antagonist. As I moving towards the end of I Survived Seattle, I started wondering what would cause him to act the way he did—and then he started speaking to me. I knew at that point his redemption would have to be a part of it, because no one would be able to get behind him as the hero in his own story if it wasn’t.

STRW• What is it about wounded characters that make them so appealing?

JK:  That’s a good question. Maybe the idea that someone who’s been kicked around by life, either physically or emotionally, can go on to have a fabulous HEA gives us all hope that it’s never too late or too hard to find our own.

STRW• Boats, sailboats especially, play a large part in this series.  Is that a major love of yours?

JK:  Yes and no. I grew up on a large lake (we always lived on the waterfront) and we were constantly going back and forth to the coast. My dad being a recreational fisherman, we always had motor boats. I learned how to drive a boat when I was just a little kid, and boats have always been as much a part of my life as cars. I’m very at home on the water.

Sailing on the other hand has always been a dream of mine. My family wasn’t really into sailing, although I saw it happening around me a lot living on the lake. The closest I ever got was tagging a ride on my parents’ windsurfer. I’ve been sailing several times, but just as a passenger. I’d really love to have my own sailboat someday.

STRW• Where did the inspiration come from for this series and its location?

JK:  Last year, right after Washington legalized gay marriage, we took a trip to Seattle to attend our friends’ wedding. We had so much fun and all kinds of crazy things happened. Most who know me know I struggle with severe anxiety, and one of my triggers is travel. I decided to explore that in I Survived Seattle, hence the title (I actually said those words to my friend Cardeno C. when I got back, and CC said it sounded like a great book title!). There were too many interesting characters to just stop at one book, so I just kept going!

STRW• Do you know how many books you have planned for this series or it is one that will develop along the way?

JK:  I have at least one more planned for sure, but who knows? Once I write that one, I might get inspiration for more!

STRW• Most favorite childhood story whose impact has stayed with you to this day?

JK:  Oh gosh, this is a hard one because I have an absurdly good memory when it comes to the past—though sometimes I can’t remember what I did yesterday. I guess in this context would say I remember playing with my dolls (probably way longer than I should’ve) by myself. I was perfectly happy sitting there for hours by myself, because I was simply using them as tools to create stories. I would write down what I now know as outlines for plots, character lists, and titles, and proceed to construct an elaborate tale until the whole thing crashed and burned because I ‘wrote’ myself into a corner. It wasn’t until I figured out how to get out of those corners that I was able to turn stories into books.

STRW• If you could live aboard a boat, what type of boat would it be?

JK:  Hmm, live? I’m all about the creature comforts, so I’d say either a houseboat, or a giant fancy motor-yacht like Nic has in I Survived Seattle.

STRW• Most romantic place to sail to.

JK:  Hubby and I took a sailing excursion in St. Thomas on a tiny 6-man sailboat. We tooled around the bay and then went snorkeling. It was pretty darn romantic. 😉

STRW• What is next for J. K. Hogan?

JK:  Well of course I’m working on book 3 in the Coming About series. I won’t say much about that one yet except we’ll get to see all our old friends from the first two books again in some capacity.

I’m also working on something a little different for me: it’s sort of an m/m romantic suspense crime thriller with a light paranormal element. I know it’s kind of a weird concept, there being varying degrees of paranormal, but since there are certain paranormal things that are commonly believed to exist in our real-life society—like psychics, ghosts, and such—it makes sense to me. So this story could probably be enjoyed by those who wouldn’t normally read paranormal. Keep an eye on my website http://www.jkhogan.com for more news.

 Thanks, JK, for the wonderful interview!  Now check out the book, blurb and excerpt below.  And don’t forget to enter the contest! Happy Reading.

Book Name: Love and the Real Boy (Coming About, Book 2)
Sequel to I Survived Seattle (Coming About, Book 1)
Publisher:  Wilde City PressHogan600x600Banner

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22756605-love-and-the-real-boy

Author Name: J.K. Hogan

Author Bio:

J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them. J.K. is hoping to one day have a little something for everyone, so she’s branched out from m/f paranormal romance and added m/m contemporary romance. Who knows what’s next?

J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and young son, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit http://www.jkhogan.com.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJKHogan, https://twitter.com/JK_Hogan, http://www.pinterest.com/jkhoganbooks/, http://officialjkhogan.tumblr.com/

LATRB_JKHogan_CoverTitle:  Love and the Real Boy by J.K. Hogan
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: JK Hogan (KHDGraphics.com)

Sales Links:   Wilde City Press     Amazon

 

 Love and the Real Boy Blurb:

How­­ much heartache can one man take before he breaks? Rich Langston asks himself that question every day.

A Seattle advertising exec who uses his designer suit and showy car like a suit of armor, Rich refuses to let the world get to him. His traumatic childhood has ruined any faith he had in people, friendship, and love. After a meltdown that led to him alienating everyone in his life, Rich agrees to help with the restoration of an antique sailboat as a form of penance.

Roped into heading up with the boat repair by his mother, marine restorer Patrick O’Dowd finds himself having to babysit a moody, spoiled rich boy with absolutely no carpentry experience. His easy-going nature is sorely tested, but he quickly realizes that things are not always what they seem; sometimes a fancy suit is nothing but an elaborate deflection from what’s real.

Through unavoidable personality clashes and fierce attraction, both Rich and Patrick explore their hidden pain and inner demons, and they end up finding with what really matters—love.

 Love and the Real Boy Excerpt:

Rich forced himself to relax. Why shouldn’t he give his brain a little mini-vacay? He was of a stressful nature—he had to constantly stress over work, over making enough money to keep himself in suits and expensive toys to remind himself he wasn’t homeless anymore, that he wasn’t going to end up like his mother. He stressed over the wrong people finding out he was gay, while stressing that he might just go mad from lack of companionship—and that was just the tip of the crazy-berg.
Underneath it all sat his pent-up grief, anger, and guilt from his stolen childhood, cowering like a beast in the dark, a sleeping monster. That was Rich’s biggest, most constant fear—that one day he would no longer be able to contain it. What would happen then? Would he lose his mind?
So all things considered, why shouldn’t he just let it go for one night? What was wrong with letting a big, burly Irishman take him in hand—heh—and drive the boat for a while.

Categories per the author: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

HoganBadgeTour Dates/Stops:

9/17: Havan Fellows
9/18: Iyana Jenna, Cathy Brockman Romances
9/19: Amanda C. Stone
9/22: Andrew Q. Gordon, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
9/23: Prism Book Alliance,
9/24: Butterfly-O-Meter
9/25: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
9/26: Parker Williams
9/29: Cathy Brockman Romances, Nic Starr
9/30: My Fiction Nook
10/1: Romance the Night
10/2: Jade Crystal
10/3: The Hat Party
10/6: Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Regular Guys, Hot Romance
10/7: Love Bytes, Carly’s Book Reviews
10/8: Velvet Panic
10/9: Foxylutely Book Reviews
10/10: Multitasking Mommas
10/13: Queer Town Abbey
10/14: MM Good Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Love and the Real Boy’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided for the entry form and for additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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